Abstract: The discovery of the twist-bend nematic phase in liquid crystals composed of bent-core and dimeric molecules has revealed an unexpected mechanism for the spontaneous formation of nanoscale periodic structures in soft condensed matter. Unlike conventional liquid-crystalline phases, the twist-bend phase (N_TB) exhibits a nanoscale heliconical modulation despite the absence of molecular chirality. In this note, dedicated to the late R. Meyer, we discuss a Landau phenomenological interpretation of this phenomenon. The central idea is that a short-range orientational order parameter undergoes condensation, giving rise to a heliconical structure characterized by a finite wave vector. We emphasize that the conventional nematic order is already long-ranged, whereas the additional order parameter describes local orientational correlations hidden within the nematic state. The resulting phase transition bears a close analogy to the de Gennes theory of the nematic–smectic-A transition. Fluctuation effects are expected to drive the transition weakly first order. The theory also predicts a new Goldstone mode associated with the spontaneously broken continuous symmetry of the heliconical state.

Abstract: Antimony (Sb) is a critical raw material whose European supply depends strongly on imports, renewing interest in the metallogenic framework of historical Sb provinces. This review compiles and reassesses 100 Sb deposits and occurrences from Spain and Portugal within a unified geological, structural, and mineralogical framework. Six broad deposit types and twelve mineral associations are recognized, with the Central Iberian Zone containing the largest number and greatest diversity of occurrences. The regional distribution of mineralization indicates a hierarchical control in which long-lived Variscan shear zones and crustal faults organized hydrothermal circulation, whereas second-order fractures, breccias, and favorable lithological or stratigraphic horizons localized ore deposition. Vein-type and stratabound mineralization are therefore interpreted as potentially related expressions of evolving tectono-hydrothermal systems rather than necessarily distinct genetic families. Gold-bearing Sb systems are particularly developed in western Iberia, whereas carbonate-hosted Sb-Hg mineralization characterizes the Cantabrian Zone and Sb-Cu associations are prominent in the South Portuguese Zone. An integrated multistage model is proposed in which heterogeneous pre-ore metal reservoirs, Variscan crustal architecture, late Variscan reactivation, magmatic and thermal activity, and local structural-lithological traps collectively controlled Sb mobilization and deposition. The model emphasizes repeated tectono-hydrothermal reactivation rather than a single universal metal or fluid source.

Abstract: Dynamic knee valgus (DKV) is commonly used in functional screening related to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk; however, assessments often rely on peak valgus alone despite the combined influence of knee valgus and flexion on knee loading. This study compared knee kinematics and vertical ground reaction forces (GRFs) between single-leg landing (SLL) and single-leg countermovement jump (SL-CMJ), focusing on peak knee valgus, knee flexion at peak valgus, valgus angular velocity, knee flexion-normalized valgus, and GRFs. Physically active, asymptomatic female participants (n = 30) performed both the SLL and SL-CMJ tasks. Knee kinematics and GRFs were recorded using motion-tracking sensors and a force platform. Peak knee valgus did not differ between tasks. Compared with SL-CMJ, SLL produced 24% less knee flexion at peak valgus, 17% greater knee flexion-normalized valgus, 254% higher valgus angular velocity, and 124% higher GRFs (all p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate task-dependent differences in landing mechanics that are not captured by peak knee valgus alone. Assessing knee valgus together with knee flexion and its temporal development may provide a more comprehensive characterization of potentially relevant knee-loading mechanics. The high valgus angular velocities observed during SLL may also inform the development of velocity-specific neuromuscular training strategies.

Abstract: Let \(X\) be a Tychonoff space and let \(bX\) be a Hausdorff compactification of \(X\). We study the boundary-approach density \(d_b^{\partial}(X)\), an embedding-sensitive cardinal measuring how small a single subset of \(X\) can be while its closure reaches the whole remainder. We examine its behavior under products and as the compactification varies. For a non-empty family \((X_i)_{i\in I}\) of non-empty Tychonoff spaces with Hausdorff compactifications \(b_iX_i\), put \(P=\prod_{i\in I}X_i\) and \(K=\prod_{i\in I}b_iX_i\). We obtain an exact trichotomy. If all factors are compact, the value is \(0\). If exactly one factor is non-compact, the value is the maximum of the boundary-approach density of that factor and the density of the remaining compact product. If at least two factors are non-compact, the value is exactly \(\text{dens}(P)\), independently of the chosen factor compactifications. For a non-compact locally compact Tychonoff space \(X\), the one-point and Stone–Čech compactifications attain the minimum and maximum of the boundary-approach spectrum. If \(X\) also admits a clopen decomposition \(X=\coprod_{\xi<\tau}G_\xi\), where \(\tau\) is infinite and each \(G_\xi\) is non-empty and non-\(\omega\)-bounded, then every infinite cardinal \(\lambda\leq\tau\) is realized by a compactification \(b_\lambda X\), and the compactifications may be chosen to form a chain in the compactification order. When \(\tau=\text{dens}(X)\), the spectrum is the full interval \(\{\lambda:\omega\leq\lambda\leq\text{dens}(X)\}\). In particular, every non-compact locally compact metrizable space has this full spectrum. We also obtain an exact closed-core formula, an intrinsic Stone–Čech characterization, the identity \(d_\beta^{\partial}(X)=\text{dens}(X)\) for non-compact metrizable \(X\), and monotonicity of \(d_\beta^{\partial}\) under continuous maps with dense image.

Abstract: Fashion enterprises face demand uncertainty from seasonality, short product life cycles, and dense color-size variation: excessive ordering enlarges aged-inventory risk, whereas insufficient ordering causes stockouts. This study develops and validates a manager-assisted hybrid decision support system (DSS) integrating demand forecasting, reorder-candidate identification, aged-inventory risk detection, and ranking-based prioritization. Operational data from a Korean fashion enterprise (4,130,603 sales and 5,065,027 order records) were reconstructed into a style-level monthly panel of 263,260 observations and split chronologically into training (2012–2014), validation (2015), and test (2016) periods to prevent leakage. Three baselines and nine data-driven models, Random Forest, Histogram Gradient Boosting, LightGBM, a two-stage Hurdle LightGBM, LSTM, Transformer, TimeMixer, TimeXer, and CrossLinear, were benchmarked, their outputs then combined with current-month sales signals and an inventory-comparison rule inside the DSS. On the 2016 test data, the DSS attained a Weighted Absolute Percentage Error of 0.6477, reorder F1-score of 0.7983, Hit@50 of 47.04%, and NDCG@50 of 75.12%, a balance no single model achieved. A policy simulation indicated that DSS-guided ordering could cut inbound order quantity by 25.9% and long-term inventory risk by 23.0%, at the cost of a 39.5% rise in shortage quantity. Forecasting accuracy alone is therefore insufficient for deploying artificial intelligence in inventory decisions.

Abstract: Although non-LTE prominence diagnostics have been widelystudied, the impactof realistic 3D velocity fields on prominence emissions remains poorly explored. In this study, we utilize a 2D non-LTE radiative transfer code combined with a 3D MHD model to synthesize HI Lyα and Hα emissions in an eruptive prominence. Incorporating full 3D velocities into the non-LTE calculations reveals three main findings: (1) small-scale motions (∼10kms⁻¹) produce noticeable Doppler dimming in Lyα, whereas Doppler brightening in Hα is less pronounced; (2) Lyα line-center Doppler shifts trace plasma flows in the prominence-corona transition region (PCTR), while Hα line-center shifts reflect line-of-sight integrated signals over a larger range of depths; and (3) Lyα spectral widths depend on PCTR dynamics and temperature, whereas Hα line widths are dominated by optical depth effects. Accounting for 3D velocity fields significantly complicates prominence spectral diagnostics, underscoring the need for further detailed modeling.

Abstract: Two previously undescribed sulfobetaine zwitterions bearing benzyl ester and amide functionalities were synthesised through a concise three-step sequence starting from benzyl alcohol and either succinic or glutaric anhydride. The route comprised esterification, amidation with N,N-dimethylpropane-1,3-diamine and ring-opening of 1,3-propanesultone by the resulting tertiary amine. Differing only in the length of the diacid-derived spacer, the two compounds constitute a matched pair well suited to probing structure–property relationships in sulfobetaine surfactants and thermoresponsive materials.

Abstract: This study examines how green initiatives are associated with financial performance through a statistical transmission channel involving environmental, social, and governance (ESG) assessment and whether that channel varies across life-cycle stages. Using an unbalanced panel of 6,579 firm-year observations from 1,114 Chinese A-share firms in heavily polluting industries during 2015–2024, the analysis compares green investment, green innovation, green subsidy, and ISO 14001 certification within a common framework. Firm and year fixed-effects models with firm-clustered inference are combined with 5,000 firm-cluster bootstrap replications and Benjamini–Hochberg false-discovery-rate adjustment. All four initiatives are positively associated with Huazheng ESG ratings. ESG ratings are positively associated with ROA and ROE, whereas a positive association with Tobin’s Q is not established. Each initiative exhibits a positive statistical indirect association with ROA through ESG, although total financial associations remain heterogeneous; green subsidy shows a negative contemporaneous total association with ROA. Corporate life cycle selectively conditions the pathway: ESG-mediated associations of green investment and green subsidy are significantly stronger in growth-stage firms than in mature or declining firms, while comparable stage differences are not established for green innovation or certification. The evidence distinguishes external sustainability recognition from immediate profitability and locates life-cycle dependence in resource-deployment-intensive green actions.

Abstract: World models are increasingly used to predict and simulate how environments evolve, yet their evaluation remains fragmented across video generation, autonomous driving, and robotics. World-model benchmarks differ in four respects: what capability is evaluated, how the model is evaluated, which metrics are used, and where the data come from. Thus, similar scores may reflect different evidence and should not support the same capability claims. We present an evaluation-centric survey of 102 representative benchmarks released between 2018 and 2026. We characterize them through four coupled dimensions: Evaluation Target, Evaluation Protocol, Evaluation Metrics, and Evaluation Data. Evaluation Target encompasses visual and temporal quality, spatial and state consistency, long-horizon memory and state persistence, physical plausibility, causal and counterfactual reasoning, control fidelity and interactive dynamics, and functional utility. Our analysis reveals that evaluation targets are expanding beyond visual and temporal quality toward functional utility, while corresponding protocols, metrics, and data lag behind. This evidence gap allows open-loop prediction scores to be overinterpreted as evidence of intervention response or closed-loop reliability beyond what a benchmark directly tests. We identify priorities for evaluating functional utility across downstream roles, developing intervention-based and closed-loop protocols, combining prediction-level and downstream outcome metrics, constructing multimodal action-grounded data, and building standardized and reproducible evaluation toolkits. By clarifying what each benchmark measures and which claims its evidence can support, this survey provides a roadmap toward credible and comparable world-model evaluation. The survey website is available at https://world-model-benchmarks.github.io/.

Abstract: As the penetration of distributed generation (DG) in distribution networks continues to grow, fault currents shift from a conventional unidirectional flow to bidirectional flow, and the accuracy and adaptability of existing fault location methods are severely challenged when feeder terminal units (FTUs) are subject to false alarms and missed detections. To cope with high DG penetration and FTU information uncertainty, this paper proposes a topology-constrained adaptive binary Archimedes optimization algorithm (TCAB-AOA). Fault location is modeled as a discrete combinatorial optimization problem: an expected fault current function accounting for current direction and information uncertainty is constructed; a hybrid hard-intersection–soft-voting strategy exploits network topology and FTU measurements to compress the search space; differential evolution (DE) and Lévy flight are fused as dual perturbation mechanisms to improve convergence stability; and a greedy cleanup step eliminates residual spurious fault sections. Simulations on the IEEE 33-node system under seven DG-integrated fault scenarios show that TCAB-AOA attains an average location accuracy of 90.0% (47.1 percentage points above the standard Archimedes optimization algorithm) and reduces the average number of misjudged sections to 0.20; in the multi-fault false-alarm scenario, it ranks ahead of particle swarm optimization (PSO), genetic algorithm (GA), and DE.

Abstract: Infrared thermography provides non-contact access to spatially resolved wall-temperature information, but large flow-boiling archives require traceable separation of physically meaningful variations from measurement artefacts. This study develops a physics-guided workflow for quality assessment of longitudinal infrared temperature profiles extracted from the central line of an externally observed heated foil in rectangular minichannels. The frozen dataset comprised 143,821 complete profiles, 35,666,447 spatial points, 447 source files, and 20 grid families. Leakage-safe source-file-level partitioning was used. Controlled evaluation covered eight local synthetic anomaly morphologies at three intensities and a separate global-offset challenge. A Random Forest using 64 engineered profile descriptors was compared with a five-channel masked residual one-dimensional convolutional neural network operating directly on complete profiles. On the locked test set, the Random Forest achieved an area under the precision-recall curve of 0.915, sensitivity of 0.731, and false-positive rate of 0.082, compared with 0.871, 0.452, and 0.063 for the neural model. Both models deteriorated under external grid-family transfer and remained near chance for uniform temperature offsets. The Random Forest is retained as the preferred supervised benchmark; geometry and grid-family transfer remain the principal unresolved limitation.

Abstract: Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), formerly known as multiple personality disorder, is recognized as one of the most complex conditions in the fields of psychiatry and psychology. Initially associated with interpretations of demonic possession, it later came to be understood from a clinical perspective through the contributions of scholars such as Rush, Charcot, and Janet, who emphasized its dissociative nature. The former diagnostic category of hysteria was subsequently reorganized within modern psychiatric classification systems while preserving its underlying conceptual framework. Furthermore, widely publicized cases, such as The Three Faces of Eve and Sybil, contributed to strengthening the association between DID and early-life trauma. It is estimated that 1.5% of the Brazilian population is affected by DID. Between 2018 and 2023, Brazil's Ministry of Health recorded 3,667 cases. This study was conducted as a narrative, descriptive, and exploratory literature review, drawing on databases including Google Scholar, SciELO, and PePSIC, as well as scientific publications, using specific search descriptors related to dissociation and Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Abstract: Background: Public policies are increasingly judged not only by their support for production but by how they shape trade structure, value distribution and resilience to shocks. Romania's sheep sector has expanded since EU accession, yet whether this has translated into higher-value exports or more resilient trade destinations remains unclear. Methods: Using UN Comtrade, FAOSTAT and Eurostat data for 2003–2024, four dimensions — production base, trade orientation, value structure and geographical concentration — were examined via descriptive indicators, Kendall trend tests, permutation Kruskal–Wallis comparisons across five policy periods, and one-sided sign and Wilcoxon tests, with robustness checks in constant prices. Results: The sheep population grew 42.8% (2003–2024), but slaughter and meat production did not follow proportionally, and the Slaughter Rate fell from 83.6% to 51.1%. Live Export Value Share exceeded 50% every year (median 92.2%), and live export value exceeded meat export value in all 22 years (median ratio 11.8). Eight of fourteen indicators differed significantly across policy periods, and geographical concentration was confirmed for meat but not live-animal exports. Conclusions: The sector combines an expanding productive base with a persistently live-animal-centric export structure; policy should complement production support with investment in slaughter and processing capacity, quality classification and market diversification, rather than restricting live exports.

Abstract: The retinal neurovascular unit (NVU) emerges through an ordered but overlapping sequence of endothelial growth, lumen formation, perfusion, selective branch retention and acquisition of inner blood-retinal barrier (iBRB) identity. This narrative review synthesizes primary developmental evidence across mouse, human fetal and non-human-primate retina, with emphasis on the experimental readout supported by each model. Mouse superficial angiogenesis advances postnatally across a broad astrocytic field before deep and intermediate plexuses form. Human central assembly instead includes resident vascular precursors before patent vessels, followed by predominantly angiogenic peripheral and intraretinal expansion; comparative primate anatomy adds a superficial-intermediate-deep laminar sequence and persistent foveal vascular exclusion. Across these systems, RGC-astrocyte-matrix interactions establish the superficial growth environment; dynamic endothelial competition, metabolism, lumenization and flow convert sprouts into a remodelled circulation; layer-specific neuronal, Müller-glial and microglial programmes shape intraretinal invasion; and Norrin/FZD4/β-catenin signalling, transcytosis suppression, mural support and vascular zonation establish barrier competence. The evidence also shows that vessel growth, perfusion and barrier function can be uncoupled, which limits inference from oxygen-induced retinopathy and engineered retinal models. Major gaps remain in the lineage of early human vascular precursors, the gestational timing of functional human iBRB maturation, foveal vascular exclusion and integration of layer-specific neuroglial signals.

Abstract: Gearbox noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) simulation has progressed substantially beyond nominal transmission-error prediction. Contemporary approaches can incorporate manufacturing and assembly tolerances, measured tooth geometry, flexible gear-shaft-bearing-housing interactions, variable-speed operation, acoustic radiation, surrogate modeling, psychoacoustic metrics, and physical-virtual model updating. In parallel, industrial gear production is moving toward near-100% tooth inspection, order-based waviness analysis, process monitoring, virtual end-of-line (EOL) assessment, and manufacturing feedback. Consequently, many capabilities frequently described as future directions already exist individually. This critical review therefore addresses a different question: how strongly are increasingly integrated production-NVH architectures supported by physical evidence? A targeted evidence set of 46 external scientific, doctoral, industrial, and patent sources was classified using a two-dimensional Architecture x Evidence framework. Architectural integration ranges from nominal simulation to unit-specific NVH digital twins and closed-loop manufacturing, whereas evidence maturity ranges independently from conceptual disclosure to component validation, same-unit production validation, population-level validation, and intervention validation. Thirteen of the 46 coded sources reached highly integrated architecture levels A4-A5, yet none reached the E3-E5 range under the adopted criteria. Four traceability requirements are identified for credible production-oriented NVH digital twins: part, physical, spectral, and statistical traceability. Major open problems include propagation of measured joint production distributions, separation of excitation and transfer-path variability, NVH-preserving reduction of high-density tooth metrology, physics-preserving order-map surrogates, quality-control validation of virtual EOL systems, and controlled demonstration that model-selected manufacturing interventions reduce measured acoustic risk. The next generation of gearbox NVH simulation is therefore expected to be defined less by increasing the numerical complexity of an ideal virtual gearbox and more by strengthening the evidence connecting virtual predictions with real manufactured units and production populations.

Abstract: Background. Research shows that children in court-involved families receive low levels of therapy, which might be associated with restrictions on publication of effective therapies. Method. The article reviews mechanisms used to ensure ethical practices are used both when developing innovative mental health interventions and when publishing innovations. Research is regulated as prior approval is required before a proposal is implement, while therapy is monitored as complains can be made after therapy is provided. Three guidelines for developing innovative therapies are reviewed: the combined scientist-practitioner and levels-of-evidence models; the practice of registering health practitioners; and monitoring of assessment and treatment reports by family-oriented courts. The COPE guidelines were developed to help publishers ensure that only human research based on ethical approaches is published. Result. The article notes confusion will result if the COPE regulatory guidelines for research are extended to publication of innovative therapies. Conclusion. The article proposes that publishers accept responsibility for monitoring ethicality when publishing innovative single case studies involving mental health therapy and recognise established mechanisms to ensure ethicality. Use of a standardised consent form is proposed.

Abstract: Frequent innovations in digital technology are driving the need for digital transformation in today’s companies. Although dedicated methods and frameworks exist to support the planning and execution of digital transformation, the corresponding organizational change remains a challenging endeavor. This is particularly true for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), whose core business does not involve digital technology. These companies are often overwhelmed by the plethora of available technologies and struggle to comprehend their economic impact. Their main challenges include limited resources and the complexity of existing digital transformation frameworks. This paper presents a Design Science research project aimed at developing a lightweight approach to address the needs of SMEs initiating a digital transformation. The approach is based on the concept of managed evolution and is extended to include the development of a vision and guardrails. These elements help maintain the balance between fulfilling business needs and introducing digital technology.

Abstract: The standard uncertainty relation follows from positivity in Hilbert space and the non-commutativity of observables. Its usual formulation, however, leaves implicit a distinction that is elementary in every experiment: a physical state does not by itself constitute an empirical fact; a fact is formed only in conjunction with a physically instantiated observational state. Taking the physical–observational dual-axis structure of the PhysObser Axiom as the foundational premise, this paper asks what the uncertainty principle means for facts of the form R (x,s) on a feasible relation B → X × S. After a separate quantum closure, observational interfaces are represented by self-adjoint operators on a joint mathematical setting. Three results follow. First, two zero-variance facts require common eigensupport, whereas a nonzero central commutator on the relevant domain rules it out; uncertainty is therefore a no-common-reduction theorem. Second, for a classically readable observational register, the law of total variance and the fibrewise Robertson–Schrödinger relation imply \( \begin{equation*} \Delta\mathbb A\,\Delta\mathbb B \geq E_S[\chi(S)] +\sqrt{Var_S[m_A(S)]\,Var_S[m_B(S)]}, \end{equation*} \) where χ(S) contains the conditional commutator and covariance contributions. The inequality combines irreducible conditional quantum spread with the variation of conditional means along the observational axis, and its equality conditions are given explicitly. Third, when fact observables generate covariant transport in the physical and observational directions, their commutator is the mixed curvature; its expectation consequently bounds the uncertainty product. The canonical position–momentum relation, \( \Delta Q\Delta P\geq\hbar/2 \), is recovered only after the Weyl cocycle fixes the central quantum scale. Thus the dual-axis structure explains the form of the obstruction, while quantum closure supplies its algebra and normalization.

Abstract: Continuous meteorological data collection is essential for supporting management decisions in wheat cultivation, which is highly sensitive to environmental variations. This paper presents the implementation of a monitoring system based on a weather station and associated sensors, using LoRa technology and the LoRaWAN protocol to provide long-range connectivity in agricultural areas. The architecture integrates data acquisition devices, a LoRaWAN gateway, and server infrastructure to transmit data through the MQTT protocol and visualize them using dashboards. The system was configured and deployed in a wheat-growing area located in São Miguel Arcanjo (SP, Brazil). The resulting time series of atmospheric variables (temperature, humidity, pressure, precipitation, wind, and illuminance) were made available for graphical analysis and to support agricultural management decisions. The system exhibited low communication latency (<1.2 s), a minimum packet delivery ratio (PDR) of 82.7%, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values between 9 and 10 dB after field deployment. The proposed solution demonstrates potential to support field management decisions with low operating costs and high scalability, provided that it is accompanied by validation of reliability, energy performance, and data consistency under real-world conditions.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Early corneal changes after phacoemulsification reflect both surgery-related stress and individual tissue susceptibility. The contribution of preoperative corneal hysteresis (CH) to this variability remains uncertain. To test the interaction between preoperative CH and cumulative dissipated energy (CDE) in relation to early postoperative central corneal thickness (CCT), and to characterize postoperative pachymetric and biomechanical changes. Methods: This prospective study included 89 eyes of 80 patients undergoing uncomplicated phacoemulsification. CH and CCT were measured preoperatively, on postoperative day 1, and at 1 month; CDE was recorded intraoperatively. Early change in CCT (ΔCCT) was the primary outcome. Multivariable regression assessed the CH×CDE interaction adjusted for baseline CCT and age, IOPcc and IOPg. Longitudinal and biometric associations were also evaluated. Results: CCT increased by 149.0 ± 112.2 µm and CH decreased by 1.60 ± 1.98 mmHg on postoperative day one. CH significantly modified the CDE–ΔCCT association (β=1.99, 95% CI: 0.08–3.90; p=0.041): higher CH was associated with less predicted thickening at low-to-moderate CDE, with attenuation as CDE increased. CDE was strongly associated with ΔCCT but only weakly with CH reduction. At late follow-up, CCT was no longer significantly different from baseline, whereas CH remained reduced (MD=−0.68 mmHg, 95% CI:−1.30, −0.06; p=0.025). Eyes with ACD ≤2.5 mm showed a greater CCT response to CDE (β=7.70; p=0.028). Conclusions: Preoperative CH showed a moderating effect on the relationship between phacoemulsification energy and early corneal thickening, supporting a contribution of baseline biomechanics to individual corneal susceptibility.