Abstract: Recently, the Japanese government has introduced ambitious policies for agricultural sustainability, specifically the MIDORI Strategy, aimed at reducing chemical fertilizer use, expanding organic farmland, and increasing calorie-based food self-sufficiency. To evaluate the feasibility of these goals, this study quantified nitrogen and phosphorus flows within the 2021 food and feed system using a normalized “Nutrient Index.” A scenario analysis was conducted using policy targets as parameters, where currently non-circulated waste streams were modeled as potential sources for domestic nutrient recovery. The results indicate that Scenario A (a 30% reduction of chemical fertilizers) is the most feasible, achieving significant improvements in circulation ratios through recovery of nutrients from sewage and livestock waste. While Scenario B (increasing organic farmland) shows similar trends, its success depends on technological advancements to mitigate the yield gap between organic and conventional systems. Scenario C (increasing calorie-based food self-sufficiency) presents the greatest challenge: maintaining current dietary patterns requires a 20% expansion of farmland and total nutrient recovery from waste. However, shifting dietary habits toward higher domestic rice consumption (Scenario C-2) significantly mitigates land and fertilizer demand. Achieving these targets requires a holistic approach that integrates technological infrastructure with socio-political shifts in land use planning and consumer behavior.

Abstract: After the 2018 to 2020 protest peak, climate activism became less visible as a synchronized transnational movement, despite continuing protest, litigation, local organizing, and institutional advocacy. This article examines why a movement that reached exceptional visibility during the school-strike wave later appeared quieter without disappearing. The study uses a theory-guided qualitative explanatory synthesis and focused comparison of Fridays for Future, Greta Thunberg’s catalytic leadership, Extinction Rebellion, Stop Oil, Last Generation, Sunrise, Ende Gelände, and related campaigns. Rather than treating strike estimates, protest trackers, institutional reports, and legal reporting as a harmonized dataset, the study uses them as complementary indicators of visibility, participation, repression, tactical change, and organizational retrenchment. Deductive thematic coding identifies five interacting mechanisms: symbolic overconcentration around Thunberg-centered visibility; post-2019 protest-cycle contraction; tactical fragmentation across mass protest, litigation, institutional advocacy, and disruptive direct action; escalating criminalization; and selective media amplification. These mechanisms weakened global visibility, reduced transnational synchrony, raised participation costs, and shifted activism toward localized, less publicly legible repertoires. This study conceptualizes structured attenuation as a post-peak movement condition in which activism persists organizationally and tactically while losing public visibility, transnational synchrony, and mobilizing capacity. Climate activism’s apparent silence should therefore be understood as structured attenuation rather than political extinction. The movement remains substantively active, but its capacity to generate broad, synchronized, globally recognizable contention has diminished. The findings distinguish reduced public visibility from complete movement decline and show how repression, media selectivity, organizational strain, and post-peak comparison can make activism appear absent.

Abstract: A smallholder farmer in rural Karnataka spots something wrong with her tomato crop. She photographs the leaf, but the nearest agronomist is fifty kilometres away and charges fees she cannot afford. AgriAdvisor Pro is the system we built to close that gap. It pairs a fine-tuned EfficientNet-B2 classifier (97.88% accuracy, 65 classes) with Google Gemini 2.0 Flash for language generation, and stitches them together through a parallel orchestration layer running on Python’s asyncio. In concrete terms, this means advisory turnaround went from about 18 seconds down to 4.2—a difference that matters when your connection drops every few minutes. A FAISS-backed RAG pipeline ties each recommendation to verified regional documents rather than letting the model guess. We tested the system across 127 farms over one kharif season and saw a 34% drop in preventable crop losses along with less indiscriminate pesticide spraying. One season in one state is hardly definitive, and we are aware of that limitation. But even these preliminary numbers hint that designing around the farmer’s real constraints—patchy bandwidth, regional languages, limited digital literacy—can turn AI from a lab curiosity into something genuinely useful on the ground.

Abstract: Introduction: Survival at high altitudes depends on efficient energy resource management, where hypobaric hypoxia acts as a metabolic accelerator, altering thermodynamic efficiency and increasing basal caloric cost. This study compared variations in resting energy expenditure (REE) and physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) in permanent residents of an altitudinal gradient that includes the cities of Lima (154 m), Arequipa (2,335 m), Puno (3,827 m), and La Rinconada (5,100 m). Methodology: One hundred and forty-one healthy subjects aged 18 to 38 years were evaluated using photoplethysmography (PPG) to estimate REE and PAEE, the latter after a 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), and oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels were also analyzed as indicators of physiological status and acclimatization. Results: A progressive and significant increase in REE and PAEE was observed proportional to altitude, with the highest values ​​recorded in La Rinconada. It was determined that for every 1% decrease in SpO2, REE increased by approximately 1,286 kcal. Despite the high metabolic cost at altitude, the distance covered in the 6MWT did not vary significantly between cities, demonstrating a greater biological effort for the same mechanical workload. At extreme altitudes, men exhibited a significantly higher PAEE than women (50.60 ± 10.17 kcal vs. 40.78 ± 5.21 kcal). Furthermore, hemoglobin levels above 18 g/dL were associated with an exponential increase in caloric expenditure due to blood hyperviscosity. Conclusions: Living at critical altitudes induces a state of systemic hypermetabolism primarily regulated by SpO2 deficit. The findings suggest a metabolic threshold near 2,500 m, above which energy efficiency declines sharply. The observed sexual dimorphism suggests a possible hormonal effect on total energy expenditure (TEE) behavior.

Abstract: This study examines the role of women executives in shaping crisis management strategies and firm outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Türkiye. Drawing on survey data from 207 SMEs across 12 sectors in Istanbul and using nonparametric tests and regression models controlling for firm age, size, and sector, we analyze whether the presence of women in executive positions influenced firm resilience and strategic responses under crisis conditions. The findings reveal that firms with women executives demonstrated significantly stronger cash flow sustainability and cost management outcomes. However, no significant differences were observed in revenue generation or overall performance. In terms of strategy, women executives were more likely to adopt cost-control measures such as operational cost reduction, telecommuting, and staff expense adjustments. At the same time, they were more likely to pursue ambidextrous strategies combining cost control with revenue gene-ration rather than relying solely on defensive approaches. Despite this balanced strategic orientation, only the cost-related dimension translated into measurable outcomes. This indicates an intention–outcome gap, where revenue-generating efforts did not yield significant advantages under severe crisis conditions. The results suggest that women’s leadership advantages during crisis may be domain-specific, emerging primarily in areas of internal organizational control rather than market-dependent outcomes.

Abstract: It is shown that the empirical Williams-Landel-Ferry (WLF) and Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT) formulas, as well as the semiempirical formulas of other researchers, for the viscosity η in the glass transition region are, in fact, hyperbolic functions of temperature with corresponding relationships between their parameters. The hyperbolic dependence can be derived from the universal expansion of ln(η) into a Taylor series in a small temperature parameter near the glass transition temperature. The applicability of the principle of corresponding states follows from this expansion. A new two-parameter formula in the form of a second-degree polynomial is proposed for ln(η) in the glass transition region. This formula contains physically significant parameters and adequately describes the available experimental data for individual glass-forming substances.

Abstract: Purpose – This article aimed to offer insight into and discuss how the concepts of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 are perceived and understood by managers in the Norwegian construction industry. The research questions were limited to the perceptions and opinions of a group of bachelor's students in construction site management. Design/methodology/approach – The study used qualitative data collection, encompassing participants with different functions and experiences in the Norwegian construction industry. The student group was thus interdisciplinary. Everyone was a part-time student and had a full job at the same time. The participants represented two classes, with a total of 70 students divided into 15 work/study groups. Findings – The empirical evidence shows that the groups had insight into the concepts of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0. They reflected on opportunities and obstacles. A transition to Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 will require a focus on competence and self-directed learning, as well as a willingness to invest in competence and technology. This can be seen in light of a knowledge-intensive society and sustainable development. The participants emphasised the Norwegian working life model as a strength in the possible implementation of Industry 5.0 as it has several similarities with the concept of Industry 5.0 in terms of being human-centred. Originality/value – The article contributes insights into how the concepts of Society 5.0 and Industry 5.0 are perceived and understood by bachelor's students in construction site management. The study provides an in-depth analysis of the concept of resilience and the sub-concepts of vulnerability and capacity in a Norwegian context. Practical implications – The practical impact of the study can be linked to the students' participation as both informants and in assisting analysis of the empirical material, which has given them a foundation to communicate the topic of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 in their workplaces and other forums in which they participate as leaders in the construction industry.

Abstract: The origin of zongzi — rice and millet wrapped in leaves — has long been debated owing to a millennium-long gap between its legendary association with Qu Yuan (c. 340–278 BC) and the earliest unequivocal evidence, which dates only to the Song Dynasty. Here we present well-dated archaeological evidence of plant bundles (c. 2200 cal. BP) from the Wuwangdun Site, the first well-excavated tomb of King Kaolie of Chu. These plant bundles share the essential characteristics of modern zongzi and overlap both temporally and geographically with the Qu Yuan legend. They consist of Quercus dentata leaves containing rice (Oryza sativa, 43.6%), broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum, 26.1%) and foxtail millet (Setaria italica, 28.5%), secured with cords made from Panicoideae and Chloridoideae plants — a wrapping practice structurally identical to that of modern zongzi. Most seeds were preserved as whole husks, indicating that the bundles were used as funerary offerings rather than for consumption, which aligns with the legend that zongzi were thrown into the river to commemorate Qu Yuan. Notably, Q. dentata leaves are still used to wrap zongzi in regions that once formed the northern border of the Chu Kingdom. Our findings demonstrate that the plant bundles from the Wuwangdun Site most likely represent the prototype of zongzi, bridging the gap between legend and material culture and showing that the tradition of wrapping grains for ritual purposes began in the Chu Kingdom no later than 2200 years ago.

Abstract: In this study, to evaluate physiological and microbial responses under heat stress conditions, blood biochemical parameters, rumen fermentation characteristics, and microbial composition in Holstein dairy cows during the dry period and early lactation stages under summer conditions in Korea. Fourteen cows were observed during the hot summer month (from the first to the third week of August), with the temperature-humidity index (THI) recorded in the barns during the dry and early lactation periods being 80.80 and 81.66, respectively. Blood and rumen fluid samples were collected to evaluate physiological responses and changes in blood parameters, rumen fermentation, and microbial composition. Blood analysis revealed significant variations between the two stages. Early-lactating cows exhibited lower glucose, blood urea nitrogen, and cholesterol levels but higher ketone and aspartate aminotransferase levels, indicating increased energy demands and protein metabolism. A complete blood count showed reduced red blood cell count, hematocrit, and hemoglobin levels during the early lactation period, whereas white blood cell counts increased. The levels of heat shock proteins (HSPs), such as HSP27, HSP70, and HSP90, also differed significantly. Rumen fermentation analysis revealed lower ammonia nitrogen concentrations but significantly higher propionate and total vol-atile fatty acid concentrations during the early lactation period, indicating adaptive changes in rumen function. Microbial analysis revealed significant differences in bacterial diversity and composition. Early-lactation cows exhibited relatively high abundances of Bacteroidota and Prevotella, whereas the dry period was dominated by Clostridia and Eubacteriales. Network analysis highlighted shifts in microbial interactions, with specific keystone species identified at each stage. These findings suggest distinct physiological and microbiological adaptations in response to HS, with early lactation characterized by heightened metabolic demands and significant shifts in rumen bacterial communities. Such insights could inform tailored management strategies to mitigate the impact of HS on dairy cows during their critical production stages.

Abstract: The removal of thorium from contaminated water sources is crucial for environmental protection and nuclear waste management. Herein, we present a dual-strategy design of a thiophene-integrated porphyrin covalent organic framework (TAPP-BTD-COF) that combines rigid macrocyclic scaffolds with flexible thiophene linkages, incorporating complementary N and S donor sites. This tailored COF achieves efficient and selective capture of Th(IV) from acidic aqueous solutions. By leveraging the topological arrangement of the porphyrin core to modulate the conformation of thiophene-based connectors, a coordination environment with N–S synergistic sites is created, which significantly enhances Th(IV) selectivity over competing ions. At pH 4.5, the synthesized TAPP-BTD-COF exhibits a high adsorption capacity of 437.18 mg g-1 and reaches equilibrium within 20 minutes. It demonstrates exceptional selectivity for Th(IV), with a separation factor exceeding 2.6×10³ relative to common interfering ions, and retains over 90% adsorption capacity after three consecutive cycles. Mechanistic studies confirm that the high performance originates from N–Th / S–Th dual-dentate coordination. This work provides a strategic design of functional COFs for thorium recovery and represents a highly efficient adsorbent system for Th(IV) removal from aqueous streams.

Abstract: Background and Objectives: We aimed to analyze the screening accuracy of the STOP and STOP-Bang questionnaires within three distinct populations from the Mediterranean region: Croatia, Greece, and Türkiye. Additionally, we aimed to optimize previously suggested and to establish population-specific cut-off points for body mass index (BMI) and neck circumference (NC) in the questionnaires to enhance their screening accuracy. Materials and Methods: A total of 9,102 patients who underwent polysomnography or polygraphy to evaluate suspected OSA were enrolled from: Split Sleep Medicine Centre (Croatia), Ege University Faculty of Medicine (Türkiye), and Thessaloniki G Papaniko-laou Hospital Aristotle University (Greece). Patients completed the STOP and STOP-Bang questionnaires before sleep assessments. Sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated to assess the screening properties. Additionally, optimized cut-offs for age, NC, and BMI were determined. Results: The highest AUC values were observed using the STOP-Bang≥5 method, with AUC values of 0.712 for detecting any OSA (AHI≥5/h), 0.684 for moderate or severe OSA (AHI≥15/h), and 0.663 for severe OSA (AHI≥30/h). For individual centers, the STOP-Bang≥5 method performed best in Split, while the STOP≥2+NC method yielded the highest AUCs in Izmir and Thessaloniki for moderate and severe OSA. Optimized cut-off values for age, NC, and BMI improved sensitivity and specificity across all cen-ters. Conclusions: This study highlights the necessity of population-specific considerations in the screening of OSA. Significant differences in demographics, anthropometrics, symptoms, and comorbidities across populations could impact the questionnaire's screening accuracy. Adjusting age, NC, and BMI cut-off points optimizes the STOP-Bang questionnaire.

Abstract: This paper develops a robust numerical scheme based on a frame collocation method for solving multi-term fractional ordinary differential equations (FODEs) whose solutions exhibit multiple singularities at the origin. To adaptively capture the singular behavior, we construct a hybrid basis function frame by combining shifted fractional Legendre polynomials. An efficient computational formula for the Caputo fractional derivative is derived, which transforms the original problem into a nonlinear algebraic system at the collocation points. The resulting system matrix is severely ill-conditioned due to the redundancy of frame, to mitigate this issue, we employ truncated singular value decomposition (TSVD) regularization, thereby enabling stable and high-precision solutions. Extensive numerical experiments on several benchmark problems, including the fractional Bagley–Torvik equation, linear multi-term FODEs, and nonlinear cases, demonstrate that the proposed method achieves exponential convergence rates. Notably, when the singular exponent of the solution matches a tunable parameter $\delta$ in the basis functions, superconvergence is observed, significantly outperforming standard spectral methods. Compared with traditional spectral approaches, the proposed frame collocation framework retains spectral accuracy while exhibiting superior capability in handling complex singular structures, providing a powerful and reliable tool for high-precision simulations of multi-term fractional differential equations.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the predominant malignant subtype of kidney cancer, is the leading cause of death among renal cell carcinoma patients. Although a subset of ccRCC patients benefit from select immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), prognosis remains poor. While PD-1 and PD-L1 have been extensively studied, the prevalence and distribution of other immune checkpoints (ICs) and their relationship with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) remain poorly characterized. Here, we investigated the interplay between twenty ICs and EMT markers and assessed their combined prognostic relevance in ccRCC patients. Methods: Transcriptomic profiling and integrated bioinformatic analyses were performed, including differential expression, correlation analyses, survival analyses, forest plot analyses, ROC curve evaluation, and OncoPrint visualisation, complemented by analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing data, immunohistochemistry, and multiplex secretory IC (LegendPlex) assays. Results: Transcriptomic profiling of over 500 ccRCC tumors versus normal kidney tissue revealed dysregulation of ICs, particularly LAG3 and NT5E. Notably, expression of ICs, including LAG3 and NT5E, was associated with poor overall survival in 415 ccRCC patients. ICs that synergised with EMT phenotype provided improved prognostic discrimination compared to individual ICs. Correlation analyses, single-cell RNA sequencing and immunohistochemistry demonstrated that EMT-associated tumor cells exhibit coordinated expression of LAG3 and NT5E. Receiver operating characteristic analysis highlighted the potential clinical utility of LAG3 and NT5E. Conclusions: Collectively, this study defines an EMT-IC axis in ccRCC and demonstrates its relevance to tumor biology and patient outcomes, highlighting LAG3 and NT5E as potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets.

Abstract: Credit risk modelling is essential for assessing the likelihood of borrower default and supporting informed lending decisions. Despite advances in predictive algorithms, challenges remain in ensuring model transparency, reliability, and robustness to uncertain inputs. This study investigates integrating explainable AI (XAI) and uncertainty quantification (UQ) to enhance interpretability and confidence in credit risk predictions. Three modelling approaches, Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and XGBoost, were evaluated using the Home Equity (HMEQ) dataset, with performance assessed on predictive accuracy, probability calibration, interpretability, and uncertainty handling. Ensemble methods achieved superior predictive performance, exceeding 98% accuracy and yielding near-perfect AUC scores above 0.999, whereas Logistic Regression exhibited substantially lower performance. Calibration analysis revealed a discrepancy between accuracy and probabilistic reliability: Random Forest, despite high accuracy, produced less well-calibrated predictions (ECE = 0.0475), while XGBoost achieved both strong predictive performance and reliable confidence estimates (ECE = 0.0117). Entropy-based uncertainty quantification identified instances where the model’s predictions were highly uncertain, effectively highlighting challenging cases. SHAP and LIME consistently identified DELINQ, DEROG, and DEBTINC as primary drivers of default risk, aligning with established financial risk logic. By combining SHAP, LIME, and entropy-based UQ, this study proposes a unified framework that enhances interpretability, supports regulatory compliance, and increases trust in automated lending systems, emphasising the importance of reliable confidence alongside predictive accuracy.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Drug supply disruptions represent an increasingly serious problem for health systems worldwide, with systemic antibiotics among the most frequently affected therapeutic categories. Although regulatory authorities have repeatedly signaled this risk, comparative studies analyzing patterns of antibiotic shortages across multiple countries simultaneously remain scarce. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional comparative analysis based on data from public national shortage registries in seven jurisdictions: Belgium, France, Germany, Romania, Spain, the United States (FDA), and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. All records corresponding to systemic antibiotics in ATC group J01 were extracted, harmonized, and analyzed, with the active substance (INN) as the unit of analysis. The association between critical drug status according to the EMA list and the multinational recurrence of shortages was assessed using chi-square tests, the Mann–Whitney U test, and multivariate logistic regression. To verify the robustness of the results, a sensitivity analysis was also performed using alternative thresholds for jurisdictions. Results: A total of 350 shortage records were mapped, corresponding to 64 unique active pharmaceutical ingredients. On average, each active substance was reported as out of stock in 3.48 jurisdictions (SD = 1.46). Macrolides (J01F) and quinolones (J01M) exhibited the widest geographic spread of shortages. Antibiotics included on the EMA’s list of critical medicines were reported as missing in multiple countries simultaneously significantly more frequently than those not included on this list (82.86% vs. 37.14%; χ² = 71.99, p < 0.001; Cramer’s V = 0.454). In the multivariate logistic regression model, EMA critical medicine status remained an independent predictor of multinational recurrence of shortages (OR = 8.29; 95% CI: 4.93–13.94; p < 0.001), while the injectable route of administration did not reach the threshold for statistical significance (OR = 0.78; p = 0.341). Sensitivity analysis confirmed that this association remains statistically significant regardless of the threshold chosen. Conclusions: Shortages of systemic antibiotics tend to occur simultaneously in multiple countries, and drugs designated as critical by the EMA are disproportionately affected. The results suggest that the identified weaknesses are not specific to a single health system but reflect structural fragilities in international antibiotic supply chains. This underscores the need for internationally coordinated strategies, both for monitoring the availability of essential antibiotics and for preventing and managing shortages.

Abstract: Aquaculture in Europe has experienced significant growth in recent decades, driven by rising demand for sustainable production and strong policy frameworks promoting environmentally responsible aquaculture practices. Biomarkers, defined as measurable biological indicators reflecting physiological, biochemical, or molecular responses to environmental and biological stressors, have greatly expanded their use in aquaculture applications. In this regard, biomarker-based approaches are increasingly applied in multiple areas of aquaculture, including health and disease monitoring, welfare as-sessment, environmental toxicology, reproductive biology, population management, and the optimization of cryopreservation protocols. This review provides a compre-hensive overview of current biomarker applications in European aquaculture, highlig-hting recent technological advances, methodological challenges, and emerging rese-arch directions. By synthesizing current knowledge and identifying future research priorities, this review aims to contribute to the development of biomarker-driven mo-nitoring strategies that enhance the resilience, efficiency, and sustainability of aqua-culture in Europe.

Abstract: The transition to a hydrogen-based energy economy emphasizes the potential of hydrogen as a fuel for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The performance of a hydrogen engine within a PHEV depends on the choice of its operating modes, which influence both efficiency and emissions. This study proposes a method for developing engine operating lines (EOLs) on engine maps based on minimizing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions while considering constraints on maximum engine power. A total of 15 EOLs are proposed for configurations with both constant and variable maximum engine power. Using mathematical modeling of PHEV operation under the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle (WLTC), the impact of EOL selection on engine characteristics, as well as on battery and generator parameters, is analyzed. For a comprehensive evaluation of EOL effectiveness, five criteria are introduced, considering fuel energy consumption, NOx emissions, wear, mechanical fatigue, and noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH). The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) are applied to determine the weighting factors of the criteria and to rank the proposed EOLs, thereby identifying the most efficient configurations. The results show that, for the base hydrogen engine configuration, selecting appropriate operating modes alone enables NOx emissions to be reduced significantly below Euro 6 limits, without any hardware modifications or exhaust aftertreatment.

Abstract: Water is an indispensable resource for the survival of all living organisms on Earth. However, many coastal villages continue to face challenges in accessing potable water, particularly during extended droughts. This comprehensive study evaluates the implementation and performance of a solar desalination system that employs photovoltaic (PV) panels and a parabolic solar concentrator to meet clean water demand in a drought-prone area of Indonesia. The system harnesses both solar-generated electricity and thermal energy to power an advanced desalination apparatus, effectively converting seawater into safe drinking water. Over a rigorous 4 months testing period, the device maintained an average steam outlet temperature of 105.9 °C, enabling a direct single-stage evaporation and condensation desalination process. Under optimal sunlight conditions, the system produced 1,500 mL of purified water every 30 minutes, resulting in a total daily output of approximately 12 L (1,500 mL × 8 cycles over 4 hours). Laboratory analysis revealed a decrease in pH from 8.0 in raw seawater to 6.8 in treated water after post-treatment pH adjustment, meeting established safety standards for human consumption. Electrical conductivity measurements fell from 40-50 mS/cm to 480-500 µS/cm, confirming substantial salt removal. These results demonstrate the system’s capacity to generate potable water using sustainable energy sources and support circular economy principles by repurposing renewable resources for water desalination in water-scarce environments.

Abstract:

Biomineralization in plant tissues is a widespread process accompanied by carbon sequestration in biogenic minerals. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of CaCO₃ application to soil on the yield of Buglossoides arvensis (L.) I.M. Johnst., on the formation and localization of biominerals in the pericarp of fruits, as well as on the accumulation of carbon in minerals. B. arvensis seeds were sown in clay loam soil treated with CaCO₃ at concentrations of 0.0 (0Ca), 2.5 (2.5Ca), 5.0 (5Ca), 7.5 (7.5Ca), and 10.0 (10Ca) t ha⁻¹. CaCO₃ application improved B. arvensis germination, plant biomass accumulation, fruit weight and number, which consequently increased both per plant and per area yield, but did not significantly affect the rate of photosynthesis and leaf respiration. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed no significant effect of soil liming on the localization of amorphous silica and calcium carbonate in the pericarp of B. arvensis fruits. However, with increasing soil calcium availability, the silica to carbonate ratio changed towards a decrease in silica content and an increase in carbonate content. Liming of soil from acidic to slightly alkaline increased the content of organic carbon, occluded in biosilica (phytoliths) and also increased carbon content of calcium carbonate in the pericarp of B. arvensis fruits. We concluded that B. arvensis responds to increased soil calcium and soil pH by increasing carbon sequestration in biominerals formed in fruit pericarps. Studying the relationship between biomineralization in plants and environmental conditions may be useful for assessing key biogeochemical processes of carbon sequestration.

Abstract:

This study evaluated the validity of the leg stiffness metric provided by the Stryd running power meter against the Morin (2005) sine-wave spring-mass model. Twenty-three highly trained trail runners (11 women) completed a 12-min uphill time trial at +12% grade and one hour of submaximal level running. Leg stiffness was calculated from contact time, flight time, running speed, and leg length using the Morin’s method, and compared with Stryd values. Agreement was assessed following the Dhahbi and Chamari Level-1 analytical framework, including intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC_2,1), Bland-Altman analysis, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and paired t-tests. Stryd and Morin estimates showed excellent agreement in both conditions: uphill running: ICC_2,1 = 0.96 (95%CI: 0.91–0.98), bias = −0.02 kN·m⁻¹, limits of agreement (LoA) = [−0.61, 0.58] kN·m⁻¹, MAPE = 2.5% (p = 0.803), and level running: ICC_2,1 = 0.97 (95%CI: 0.93–0.99), bias = −0.04 kN·m⁻¹, LoA = [−0.62, 0.54] kN·m⁻¹, MAPE = 2.6% (p = 0.505). The Stryd sensor provides valid leg stiffness estimates in highly trained trail runners on both level and inclined terrain. The negligible systematic bias and narrow limits of agreement support the use of Stryd for leg stiffness monitoring in field and laboratory settings.