Bioaerosol emissions during initial food waste degradation: Emission dynamics, dispersion modeling, and health risk assessment.

Bifurcations in a population model on N patches with strong Allee effect and spatial dispersal through Jacobian matrices

Between-cell differences in ventricular cardiomyocyte action potential duration (APD) and responses to ion channel block may contribute to pro-arrhythmic dispersion of myocardial repolarisation. This study quantifies between-cell physiological and pharmacological variability in the rabbit left ventricle (LV) and uses these data to calibrate populations of in silico models to suggest a mechanistic basis for variability. Voltage-sensitive dye was used to record APs from rabbit cardiomyocytes (2-Hz stimulation, 37°C) before and after incubation with inhibitors of rapidly- or slowly-activating delayed rectifier potassium currents (IKr or IKs). Using two published in silico single cell electrophysiological models, 10,000 versions of each model were created through randomised variation of eight key ion-channel/exchanger conductances. Groups of models matching the experimental APD distribution, AP shape and responses to ion channel inhibition were extracted. The median APD90 was 244 ± 25 ms (mean ± standard deviation, 19 hearts, >70 cardiomyocytes per heart) with a mean interquartile range (IQR) of 50 ± 13 ms and a narrow range of AP shapes (mean slope of APD30 vs. APD90 = 0.78 ± 0.06). Forty-four in silico models recreated the variability in APD90, AP shape and response to inhibition of IKr and IKs by employing widely varying but interrelated values of maximal conductance values. Ventricular cell electrophysiology and responses to channel blocking drugs are highly variable and reproduced by large between-cell differences in maximal conductance values but preserved interrelationships. Cellular heterogeneity may contribute to drug-induced increased spatial dispersion of repolarisation and pro-arrhythmia in the intact heart.

Abstract Understanding how citizen satisfaction varies within a fragmented metropolis requires more than a single pooled index. This paper develops a transferable cross‐group MUlticriteria Satisfaction Analysis (MUSA) framework that fits comparable preference‐disaggregation models for municipalities and socio‐geographically grouped municipalities, enabling like‐for‐like comparison of importance and satisfaction on common scales. Its novelty lies in making such comparisons methodologically consistent and substantively interpretable across territorial units, with a policy contribution that is primarily diagnostic and comparative rather than prescriptive. Using an original trilingual survey in the Brussels‐Capital Region, we fit pooled, municipality‐level, and municipality‐group models across four dimensions: mobility and infrastructure, health and education, culture and community, and public safety and order. The pooled model indicates moderate overall satisfaction. Health and education emerges as the most influential and best‐performing dimension, whereas public safety and order combines high importance with the weakest satisfaction. Municipality‐level models reveal substantial spatial dispersion, but because single‐municipality samples are uneven, municipality‐group models provide the main comparative lens. At that level, the results show distinct priority structures: some groups exhibit one dominant high‐importance, low‐performance lever, whereas others require broader multi‐criteria improvement. The framework, therefore, helps identify priority domains within territorial units and benchmark municipalities and municipality groups on a common analytical basis, while making sample imbalance and model uncertainty explicit.

Electrides, featuring interstitial anionic electrons (IAEs) in lattice cavities, offer a novel platform for superconductivity research, yet their electronic behavior, nature, and role of IAEs in Cooper pairing formation remain unclear due to challenges in direct observation. Here, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), transport measurements, and first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that IAEs in electride La3In exhibit dual anionic and near-free electron characteristics. With our established effective local potential model, we trace that IAEs are located near Fermi-level states above potential barriers, forming a Fermi sea susceptible to La-derived phonon scattering, triggering superconductivity at 9.4 K. ARPES combined with high-resolution XRD measurements on oxygen-treated samples confirms the spatial distribution and energy dispersion of IAEs, aligning with our theoretical predictions. Oxygen treatment-induced reduction of near-free electrons correlates with diminished superconductivity, directly linking IAEs to electron-phonon coupling. Our study resolves the long-standing ambiguity regarding the nature of IAEs, elucidates their role in driving phonon-mediated superconductivity, and lays the foundation for exploring electride-based superconductors.

ABSTRACTEnvironmental stress is generally expected to suppress biodiversity, yet how heterogeneous environmental filtering regulates plant community assembly in arid riparian ecosystems remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated herbaceous plant communities and associated soil factors along riparian environmental gradients of the Ulungur River in arid northwestern China, aiming to assess whether and how severe but spatially heterogeneous stress conditions can maintain high local diversity. Non‐metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), generalized linear models (GLM), and random forest regression were used to disentangle the relative contributions of spatial location and soil stress in shaping species turnover and diversity patterns. Our results showed that local plant alpha diversity unexpectedly peaked in downstream river segments characterized by severe soil salinization–alkalization and phosphorus limitation (pH up to 8.88, total phosphorus as low as 0.70 g/kg), challenging the widespread negative stress‐diversity relationship. NMDS ordination revealed pronounced species turnover along the riparian gradient, with the greatest spatial dispersion observed in upstream plots (mean Bray–Curtis dissimilarity = 0.569) due to high habitat heterogeneity. GLM further revealed that elevation was the strongest common negative factor for all diversity metrics (standardized coefficients β < −0.5, all p < 0.001), whereas soil organic carbon (SOC) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) had independent positive effects on halophyte richness. The random forest results corroborated the GLM findings and suggested that pH and total phosphorus influence diversity through non‐linear or interactive effects. Functional group analyses demonstrated that downstream communities were predominantly assembled from a distinct pool of stress‐tolerant halophytic species. Together, these findings suggest that multidimensional and spatially heterogeneous stress landscapes can maintain high local plant diversity by selectively filtering species with specific tolerance strategies while enhancing spatial species turnover. Our study highlights the critical role of environmental filtering in sustaining biodiversity under severe conditions and provides new insights into community assembly processes in arid riparian ecosystems.

A fluorescence-based high-content imaging workflow for multi-parametric lipid droplet phenotyping via Oil Red O fluorescence.

Genomic epidemiology of dengue virus serotype 3 lineage 3III_B.3.2 in Brazil: insights into its spread and dengue severity amid co-circulation of multiple dengue serotypes

Urban sprawl is one of the major challenges facing urbanizing societies. This study quantifies the extent of urban sprawl in southern Poland's four most populous metropolitan areas, encompassing 164 municipalities, and assesses the effectiveness of spatial planning strategies aimed at limiting sprawl. The first phase of the research establishes comparative parameters for evaluating sprawl across these urban regions. To measure it, we apply the weighted urban proliferation (WUP) method, which comprises three indicators: the proportion of built-up land, the degree of spatial dispersion, and land consumption per capita. The most dispersed metropolitan areas are Rzeszów and Upper Silesia-Zagłębiowska and the most compact are Kraków and Wrocław. In the second phase, we analyze sprawl at the municipal level and examine how specific planning instruments—namely local spatial development plans (MPZPs) and decisions on land development and management conditions (WZs)—influence its occurrence. We correlate the WUP metrics for each municipality with the percentage of land covered by MPZPs in 2018 and the total number of WZs issued from 2009 to 2018. The analysis reveals diverse sprawl patterns, shaped by differing historical contexts, planning coverage (MPZPs), and intensity of WZ decisions. Notably, the number of WZs per square kilometer appears to exert a stronger impact on sprawl dynamics than the mere extent of MPZP coverage. Our findings indicate only weak to moderate correlations between the presence of MPZPs and sprawling development, suggesting the need for more targeted and effective anti-sprawl planning policies. This study highlights the critical role of well-designed spatial management tools for coping with urban expansion. • Weighted urban proliferation (WUP), integrating land use, dispersion, and population density, is applied in Poland. • The most dispersed metro areas are Rzeszów and Upper Silesia-Zagłębiowska and the most compact are Kraków and Wrocław. • Certain regions are more dispersed due to historical legacies, weak planning, and high intensity of land development. • Due to the low effectiveness of local spatial development plans, new tools should be used to limit urban sprawl. • The WUP method enables new empirical evidence of planning effectiveness in Polish cities.

A widely tunable, narrow-linewidth dual-wavelength Ti: sapphire laser incorporating a prism pair and a Littman-grating dual self-injection cavity was demonstrated. The prism pair was inserted into the gain cavity to introduce spatial dispersion to enhance the mode selection ability, while the Littman-grating dual self-injection structure in the dispersive cavity further enabled accurate dual-wavelength frequency selection. The combination of the two effectively suppressed the gain of the non-selected longitudinal modes and realize the flexible tuning of the narrow-linewidth dual-wavelength laser, which has been effectively proved in both theoretical calculations and experiments. This made up for the shortcomings of the multimode background and tuning limitation of the typical Littman-grating self-injected Ti: sapphire laser. By independently tuning the end mirrors of the dual gain cavity and the reflectors of the dual dispersive cavity, arbitrary wavelength combination and continuously adjustable intervals of the narrow-linewidth dual-wavelength output was achieved across the 740-870 nm spectral range, maintaining a linewidth of less than 3 pm throughout the entire tuning range. When the pump power was 40.8 W, the maximum total output power of the narrow-linewidth dual-wavelength at 780 nm and 800 nm was 4.2 W, and the conversion efficiency was 10.28%.

IntroductionEquitable access to emergency medical services (EMS) is a core principle of health system performance. However, in territorially heterogeneous countries, resource allocation often fails to reflect interacting demographic and spatial determinants. In Poland, systematic nationwide evidence integrating demographic, spatial, and operational determinants of EMS utilisation remains limited. This study examines whether EMS allocation aligns with actual demand patterns and identifies structural imbalances across regions.MethodsA nationwide cross-sectional analysis was conducted using official EMS dispatch data covering all 16 voivodeships over a 31-day period (16 February–18 March 2025). Indicators were calculated per 100,000 inhabitants and per km² using national demographic statistics. Associations between population size, density, territorial extent, EMS team allocation and workload were assessed using correlation and regression analyses.ResultsDaily call volume averaged 13,106 nationwide, with 71.5% resulting in ambulance dispatch. Population size strongly predicted absolute demand (r = 0.96, p < 0.001), explaining most regional variance (R² = 0.964). However, population-standardized and area-adjusted indicators revealed substantial structural discrepancies. Population density was positively associated with spatial call intensity (r = 0.88, p < 0.001) but negatively associated with per-capita rates (r = − 0.62, p = 0.008). Workload per EMS team varied significantly across regions (p < 0.001), indicating that resource allocation does not fully correspond to operational burden.ConclusionsEMS demand in Poland is not solely a function of population size. Territorial accessibility and density shape operational pressure in distinct ways, exposing structural allocation imbalances. Sustainable EMS planning requires integrated, multidimensional allocation models that simultaneously account for demographic scale, spatial dispersion and workload intensity.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12873-026-01586-9.

Extreme summer droughts increasingly threaten freshwater biodiversity in monsoonal regions, yet community responses within heterogeneous small water bodies (SWBs) remain poorly understood. This study evaluated how drying events influence macroinvertebrate taxonomic and functional composition across different SWB types and explored the mechanisms driving post-drought recovery. We sampled isolated ponds (IPs), stream-fed ponds (SFPs), pond-linked streams (PLSs), and non-pond-linked streams (NPLSs) in Eastern China during an extreme summer drought (2022) and a subsequent recovery year (2023). Ponds exhibited high resistance, maintaining stable taxonomic and functional richness. PLSs suffered substantial summer biodiversity declines but showed rapid post-drought recovery, possibly facilitated by spatial dispersal from nearby pond refuges. In contrast, NPLSs experienced severe, lasting biodiversity loss. Drought conditions drove overall community homogenization, with spatial dispersal playing a more important role in structuring assemblages than environmental filtering. Furthermore, functional trait analysis indicated that post-drought recovery was more closely associated with resilience-linked traits rather than resistance traits. These findings demonstrate that lateral connectivity within SWB networks buffers drought impacts by providing refugial support and enabling rapid recolonization. Preserving diverse, interconnected SWBs is a critical management strategy for maintaining metacommunity resilience under growing climatic volatility.

The false chinch bug, Nysius cymoides (Spinola), is a polyphagous pest causing significant damage in canola (Brassica napus L.) fields in Iran. This preliminary study aimed to investigate the dispersal pattern of N. cymoides after canola harvest to support integrated pest management strategies. Sampling was conducted using pitfall traps arranged along transects spaced approximately 60m apart over an area exceeding 28hectares. Insect distribution over time was mapped using ArcGIS and kriging interpolation. Results showed that N. cymoides nymphs and adults remained mainly concentrated within the harvested canola field for over 2months post-harvest, indicating limited dispersal to surrounding fields. Nymphs exhibited broader spatial dispersion than adults, which tended to stay within the harvested area. These findings highlight the importance of post-harvest ground management practices, such as plant residue removal and ploughing, to reduce N. cymoides populations and mitigate pest pressure in subsequent canola crops.

Motor learning can yield clear behavioral gains even when EMG-derived indices show subtle, heterogeneous, or non-monotonic change. We aimed to describe longitudinal trajectories of performance and multi-channel EMG summaries during extended practice of a tempo-constrained finger sequencing task under stable constraints. Eleven participants practiced a fixed sequence for 30 sessions. Timing accuracy was quantified as mean absolute timing error. Forearm/hand EMG was normalized to a reference voluntary contraction (%RVC). We computed EMG entropy as a summary of the spatial dispersion of activation, summarized early-to-late changes in normalized amplitude (Δ%RVC), and used a pooled (common) PCA framework to define a dataset-level dominant covariation axis and track session-related changes in PC1 scores (projections) along this fixed axis. Longitudinal trends were examined using linear mixed-effects models. Timing error decreased with practice in a pattern consistent with a negatively accelerated (quadratic) trajectory. Group-level entropy did not show a uniform monotonic trend, and individual entropy trajectories varied substantially. Δ%RVC changes were generally small and non-uniform across muscles and participants. In the pooled PCA framework, PC1 scores exhibited a modest session-related drift, suggesting gradual shifts in activation patterns along a common covariation dimension. Under fixed task constraints, behavioral improvement may coexist with heterogeneous EMG entropy trajectories and small, non-uniform changes in normalized amplitude. Multi-channel summaries can help characterize individualized routes to skill acquisition, whereas mechanistic interpretation will likely require additional measures (e.g., kinematics/kinetics) and/or explicit manipulations of task constraints.

Prognostic Value of Combined Baseline FDG PET/CT Radiomic Parameters in Primary Mediastinal B-Cell Lymphoma.

We present an abinitio many-body theory of optical activity in solids within the GW approximation plus Bethe-Salpeter equation framework. Dielectric spatial dispersion is formulated in two complementary forms: exciton envelope modulation and sum-over-exciton-states expansion. Our application to α-quartz reveals that the envelope-modulated formulation captures the low-frequency region, whereas the sum-over-exciton-states formulation is essential to reproduce the correct full frequency dependence. Comparisons with the independent-particle approximation and simple local-field corrections further highlight the decisive role of excitonic many-body effects in shaping the spectral dispersion of optical activity in solids.

ABSTRACT Long-term monitoring of coastal aquaculture ponds (APs) is essential for sustainable food production and environmental management. Intensive aquaculture has reshaped coastal landscapes and threatened ecosystem services. Here, we developed a Spectral-Temporal Filtering–Random Forest (STF-RF) framework to map APs along China’s coast from 1985 to 2024 using Landsat time-series imagery on Google Earth Engine. Ten representative bays and shoals were analyzed to capture regional heterogeneity. The STF-RF method achieved >90% classification accuracy, effectively distinguishing APs from spectrally similar land covers. Temporal trends reflected policy-driven dynamics: rapid expansion during the 1980s–2000s was followed by localized contraction and stabilization under ecological management. Spatiotemporal evolution, quantified via Standard Deviational Ellipse (SDE) analysis, showed initial landward expansion into sheltered areas followed by seaward extension, with northern regions exhibiting greater spatial dispersion and southern regions forming clustered distributions. This four-decade dataset provides a unique perspective on aquaculture’s ecological footprint and informs sustainable planning, ecological risk mitigation, and cleaner production. The STF-RF + SDE framework is transferable to other developing coasts, offering broad applicability for supporting global Sustainable Development Goals.

HighlightsWhat are the main findings?Uncertainty characterization of Raman DTS using a GUM-based approach.Application to a full-scale test facility.What are the implications of the main findings?Provides a reliable framework to ensure traceable DTS temperature measurements.Helps improve accuracy in thermal field reconstruction in real experimental environments.Raman Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) provides spatially distributed temperature measurements along optical fibers and is increasingly used for monitoring large-scale infrastructures and experimental facilities, enabling three-dimensional reconstruction of temperature fields. However, such measurements involve specific implementation constraints and may be affected by significant errors, with uncertainties influenced by factors such as calibration, environmental conditions, spatial resolution effects, and fiber positioning. Ensuring the metrological validity of Raman-based DTS measurements therefore requires a rigorous quantification of the associated measurement uncertainties. In this work, a complete uncertainty analysis of Raman-based DTS measurements is performed following the principles of the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM). A measurement model describing the relationship between Raman backscattered signals and temperature is established, and all relevant uncertainty sources are identified and quantified. The methodology is applied to a full-scale experimental facility equipped with a DTS interrogator and a dedicated calibration setup. Uncertainty propagation is performed using both first-order Taylor series expansion and Monte Carlo simulation, providing consistent results. The analysis shows that calibration uncertainty, spatial dispersion of the temperature field and fiber positioning within the reconstructed temperature field represent the dominant contributions to the combined uncertainty. The proposed approach provides a rigorous framework for the metrological qualification of Raman DTS systems and offers practical guidance for improving measurement reliability in distributed temperature monitoring applications.

Chitons (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) are a relatively primitive group within Aculifera that have retained their past life history and ecological traits. While chitons are recognized for their evolutionary significance and societal value (e.g., food, medicine, biomimetics), key aspects of their phylogeographic patterns and microevolutionary processes remain poorly understood, particularly regarding spatial dispersal and adaptation to the challenging intertidal zone environment. Here we show a population genomic analysis of the Chinese chiton (Liolophura sinensis), a species recently delineated from the Liolophura japonica species complex. Using high-depth resequencing of 68 individuals across nine populations, we identify distinct genetic substructure between the Taizhou and southern groups, with divergence dating back to approximately 19.0 thousand years ago, a timing that overlaps with late Pleistocene sea-level minima. A unidirectional gene flow pattern indicates ocean current-mediated larval dispersal, which is consistent with species-specific life history traits. Moreover, selection scans reveal significant enrichment of genes associated with immune responses, cellular homeostasis, and cytoskeleton dynamics, all traits that are potentially relevant for survival in wave-exposed rocky habitats. Our analyses identify strong population structure, recent divergence, and genomic regions potentially associated with local environmental variation, providing a foundational framework for future research on adaptation in marine intertidal species.

Spectral interrogation of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) in the ~850 nm band remains relatively uncommon, largely due to the limited availability of commercial instruments and the restricted applicability of conventional interrogation schemes in this wavelength range. This work presents a practical and high-precision wavelength demodulation method for 850 nm FBG sensing based on an imaging Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) spectrometer. A Czerny–Turner (C–T) optical configuration is employed for spatial spectral dispersion, and the optical system is theoretically analyzed and optimized using ZEMAX to balance spectral resolution, optical throughput, and compactness. A polynomial wavelength–pixel calibration model is established, and Gaussian fitting is adopted for robust peak-position extraction under multimode fiber conditions. Experimental validation is carried out using four serially cascaded FBGs distributed over 830–880 nm. The wavelength–pixel calibration yields an RMS residual of 0.46 nm. Within a strain range of 0–2000 με, the average wavelength demodulation bias of a single FBG is 6.8 pm, with a wavelength demodulation RMS error of 86.9 pm and a measured strain sensitivity of 0.72 pm/με. The results demonstrate that the proposed CCD-based imaging interrogation scheme is feasible for 850 nm FBG sensing and enables accurate wavelength demodulation in this relatively underexplored band. Since the system is implemented using standard off-the-shelf components, it also provides a practical technical route for the deployment of FBG sensing systems in engineering applications.