Abstract: Chemical composition of aquatic habitats, including the concentration of chemical contaminants at the aquatic sediments is of great concern to the quality of aquatic environment. A study was carried out to assess variability in particle size distribution (PSD), concentrations of heavy metals (HM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) across major water bodies in Owerri Municipal. Stratified random sampling technic was employed; the two rivers put together were stratified into eight (8) sampling stations (SS) comprising of three (3) locations along Nworie River (SS1-3) and five (5) locations along Otamiri River (SS4-8). Samples were collected in triplicates. Samples were analyzed in a laboratory, and data generated were subjected to descriptive statistics and analysis of variance using SPSS version 23. Significant means were separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test at 5 % probability level. Results revealed that the sediments vary in PSD; the highest amount of sand (71.8 %), silt (77.6 %), and clay (62.7 %) were observed at SS1, SS4, and SS3, respectively, while the lowest percentage of sand (6.5 %) and clay (20.1 %) were observed at SS3 and (SS1 and 8), respectively. The concentrations of the HM and PAHs varied significantly (P≤0.05); the highest mean concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and PAHs were observed at SS4, SS1, SS3, SS1, SS3, SS6, SS1, SS8, and SS1, respectively. Among the various sampling stations, SS1 had the greatest ecological hazard potential to the aquatic ecosystem. Regular monitoring and pollution mitigation strategies are required to reduce pollution and safeguard the environment.

Abstract: This study examined Black caregivers’ experiences of being bothered by racial discrimination on racial socialization stress when having discussions about race and racism. The study also investigated how coping self-efficacy beliefs (i.e., problem-focused coping, suppressing unpleasant emotions and thoughts, and seeking support from family and friends) moderated the association between racial discrimination and racial socialization stress. The sample included a socioeconomically diverse sample of 680 Black caregivers (Mage = 37, 55% mothers). Black caregivers who were highly bothered by racial discrimination and who reported low problem-focused coping strategies had lower levels of racial socialization stress, in comparison to those highly bothered by racial discrimination and who reported high problem-focused coping strategies. Being highly bothered by racial discrimination and reporting high levels of stopping unpleasant emotions and thoughts as a coping strategy was associated with the lower levels of racial socialization stress in comparison to those with lower levels of stopping unpleasant emotions and thoughts. Black caregivers with higher levels of family and friend support under conditions of reporting being bothered by racism had lower levels of racial socialization stress. The findings highlight the need to support Black caregivers in building effective coping strategies and social support networks.

Abstract: Commit messages are essential for understanding software evolution and maintaining traceability of projects; nevertheless, their quality varies across repositories. Recent Large Language Models provide a promising path to automate this task by generating concise context and sensitive commit messages directly from code diffs. This paper provides a comparative study of three paradigms of large language models: zero-shot prompting, retrieval augmented generation, and fine-tuning, using the large scale CommitBench dataset that spans six programming languages. We assess the performance of the models with automatic metrics, namely BLEU, ROUGE-L, METEOR, and Adequacy, and a human assessment of 100 commits. In the latter, experienced developers rated each generated commit message for Adequacy and Fluency on a five-point Likert scale. The results show that fine-tuning and domain adaptation yield models that perform consistently better than general-purpose baselines across all evaluation metrics, thus generating commit messages with higher semantic adequacy and clearer phrasing than zero-shot. The correlation analysis suggests that the Adequacy and BLEU scores are closer to human judgment, while ROUGE-L and METEOR tend to underestimate the quality in cases where the models generate stylistically diverse or paraphrased outputs. Finally, the study outlines a conceptual integration pathway for incorporating such models into software development workflows, emphasizing a human in the loop approach for quality assurance.

Abstract: Electroactive biofilms (EABs) are essential for the performance of bioelectrochemical systems (BESs), but their formation in Geobacter critically on conductive pili and exopolysaccharides, limiting applications under conditions where these components are deficient. Herein, we investigated the restorative effects of exogenous flavin mononucleotide (FMN) on EAB formation and extracellular electron transfer (EET) in two defective mutants of G. sulfurreducens: the pili-deficient PCA△1496 and exopolysaccharides-deficient PCA△1501. Results show that FMN significantly promoted biofilm thickness in PCAΔ1496 (250%) and PCAΔ1501 (33%), while boosting maximum current outputs by 175-fold and 317.7%, respectively. Spectroscopic and electrochemical analyses revealed that FMN incorporates into biofilms, binds to outer membrane c-type cytochromes (c-Cyts), and enhances electron exchange capacity. Differential pulse voltammetry further confirmed that FMN did not exist independently in the biofilm but bound to outer membrane c-Cyts as a cofactor. Collectively, exogenous FMN plays dual roles (electron shuttle and cytochrome-bound cofactor) in defective Geobacter EABs, effectively restoring biofilm formation and enhancing EET efficiency. This study expands the understanding of the mechanism of Geobacter EABs formation and provides a novel strategy for optimizing BES performance.

Abstract: Background/Objective: Carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) pneumonia has limited treatment options, and sulbactam MIC interpretation varies by antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) method. This study compared sulbactam MICs determined by broth microdilution (BMD) and E-test and examined their associations with 28-day mortality. Methods: This secondary analysis used data from a randomized controlled trial comparing colistin plus sulbactam at 9 g/day versus 12 g/day in adults with CRAB pneumonia. Sulbactam MICs of 134 isolates were determined by BMD and E-test. Agreement between methods across MIC ranges and associations between MICs, dosing, and 28-day mortality were analyzed. Results: Sulbactam MICs determined by BMD were lower than those obtained by E-test (MIC50/90: 32/128 µg/mL vs. 96/≥256 µg/mL). Overall agreement between methods was limited and depended on MIC level, with better agreement at lower MICs and marked discrepancies at higher MICs, where E-test frequently overestimated MICs. Using the IDSA breakpoint (MIC ≤4 µg/mL), susceptibility was identified in 6% of isolates by BMD and 3% by E-test. A significant survival benefit with high-dose sulbactam (12 g/day) was observed in patients with BMD-determined MICs ≥128 µg/mL (HR 0.27; 95% CI, 0.077–0.956; p=0.042), whereas no mortality association was seen when MICs were categorized using E-test results. Conclusions: AST method selection substantially affects sulbactam MIC interpretation in CRAB pneumonia. BMD shows stronger correlation with clinical outcomes than E-test, particularly at high MIC levels. High dose sulbactam may benefit patients with highly resistant isolates, underscoring the need for accurate and standardized AST methods.

Abstract: Although particulate matter has been associated with sleep problems, the effects of PM_2.5-bound organophosphate esters (OPEs) on children’s sleep remain unclear. In this study, we examined the relationship between OPEs in PM_2.5 and sleep disorders in children. This cross-sectional study included 110,169 children aged 6–18 years from primary and secondary schools in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China. Sleep disorders were evaluated using the validated Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC). Concentrations of OPEs were measured through school-based sampling and chemical analysis. Elastic net regression identified key OPE exposures, binomial generalized linear mixed models estimated individual OPE effects with the city as a random effect, and weighted quantile sum regression assessed the combined effects of OPE mixtures. All odds ratios indicate the change in likelihood of sleep disorders per interquartile range (IQR) increase in OPE concentrations. Although all components showed significant associations, the highest odds were observed with TDCIPP for short sleep duration (OR: 1.56–1.61), TEHP for short sleep duration (OR: 1.59–1.64), and TPHP for overall sleep disorder (OR: 1.32–1.42). Combine OPE exposure was positively associated with all childhood sleep disorders, with odds ratios ranging from 2.02 to 2.85 across various sleep outcomes. These findings highlight how OPE mixtures in PM_2.5 affect child sleep health, emphasizing the need for comprehensive analytical methods.

Abstract: This paper examines a political dimension of architecture in developing and post-conflict economies by shifting focus from representational aesthetics to the organisation of production. Drawing on critical theory and political economy, it contends that architecture is political not through explicit ideology but through its impact on relationships involving labour, knowledge, material systems, and institutional authority. The paper challenges the historic divide between thinker and maker, rooted in Alberti's ideas, and examines how frameworks such as critical regionalism often aestheticise marginality while overlooking construction labour and political economy. Empirically, the study analyses six architectural projects in post-war Sri Lanka from 2013 to 2023, employing a qualitative, practice-based case study approach. These projects are viewed as social processes, emphasising labour organisation, knowledge exchange, material choices, procurement, and tectonics. The results show how small architectural interventions can serve as civic and pedagogical infrastructures, revealing labour, redistributing expertise, and strategically engaging with state and donor systems. A normative framework is proposed to redirect architectural politics toward production rather than mere representation.

Abstract: Despite over two centuries of debate, the morphological nature of the grass embryo’s parts remains unresolved. The bipartite interpretation of the grass cotyledon suggests that it is composed of two parts: the scutellum and the coleoptile. According to Wu et al. (2024, 2025), the cotyledon in maize is organized similarly to the vegetative leaf, comprising scutellum and coleoptile, homologous to the leaf blade and sheath, respectively. This view, which Wu et al. (2024, 2025) erroneously associate with the bipartite model of grass cotyledon, is morphologically impossible because within the embryo, the coleoptile is located above the scutellum and therefore cannot be homologous to the latter’s sheath that is suppressed. Within a bipartite context, the coleoptile may only be homologous to the leaf ligule or represent a de novo outgrowth of the scutellum’s reduced sheath, thus lacking homology with mature leaf structures. Molecular evidence from the mesocotyl and the leaf collar region is essential for evaluating the bipartite nature of the grass cotyledon. The genetic results of Wu et al. (2024) do, in fact, support the view that the coleoptile is the next leaf on the embryo’s axis after the scutellum, thus disproving the bipartite view of the cotyledon in Poaceae.

Abstract: Phosphate (P_i) deficiency causes broad transcriptional changes that enhance P_i uptake and utilization. Because sucrose transport from shoot to root mediates long-distance P_i-deficiency signaling, we asked whether soybean can still respond to –P when sucrose supply is restricted. To limit sucrose availability, we exposed hydroponically grown soybean plants to +P or –P conditions for 30 h under light or darkness, with darkness suppressing photosynthetic carbon production. Root transcriptomes were profiled using Oxford Nanopore cDNA sequencing. Across four biological replicates per treatment, ~90 million reads were generated, with >90% mapping to ~25,300 expressed genes (~54% of annotated coding genes). Principal component analysis showed that light accounted for most of the variance, while P_i status contributed a smaller component. Under light, P_i deficiency activated a strong transcriptional program, including canonical phos-phate-starvation markers such as PHT1, PHO1 and PTEN2α. In darkness, however, only a small number of genes were induced, including a MYB-domain transcription factor, and none overlapped with the light-responsive set. Together, these findings suggest that light is required for broad transcriptional responses to P_i deficiency, whereas a local Pi-responsive program becomes detectable only when systemic sucrose signaling is suppressed.

Abstract: European Air Quality Directive defines benzo(a)pyrene as the chemical index for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) carcinogenicity and sets a limit for its concentration in PM10 to address the exposure risk associated with the class. It also mandates monitoring six additional PAHs at a limited number of selected sites to assess the benzo(a)pyrene's contribution to the class in ambient air. For this aim, as part of the "Reti Speciali" project, benzo(a)pyrene and seven other PAHs were measured at 10 urban sites across Italy in 2016-2019 and the spatial and temporal pattern of these compounds were analyzed to evaluate benzo(a)pyrene's effectiveness in representing the carcinogenicity of the entire PAHs class. Results showed that in Italy, benzo(a)pyrene accounted for 61% ± 4.4% of total carcinogenicity when benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, dibenzo(a-h)anthracene, and indenopyrene were considered, and about 5% less when chrysene was also added. This value varies by site (from 51%± 11% in Taranto to 66% ± 7.5% in Cosenza) and decreases in summer due to benzo(a)pyrene's strong photochemical degradation. In Europe, this percentage is generally similar or lower. For instance, in the United Kingdom, across 24 urban sites, it averages 56%± 2.9%. These findings suggest that benzo(a)pyrene does not represent the overall carcinogenicity of PAHs nor a constant percentage, highlighting the need to further investigate the use of benzo(a)pyrene as the sole marker of PAHs toxicity.

Abstract: This study evaluated the effects of ammonium sulfate [(NH₄)₂SO₄] addition and land use history on greenhouse gas emissions (CH₄, CO₂, N₂O) and inorganic nitro-gen dynamics (NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻) in Brazilian Cerrado soils. Soil samples from native and agricultural areas (0–20 cm) were collected in four representative regions (Araras, Sorocaba, Itirapina, and Brasília) and incubated under controlled conditions, analyzed by gas chromatography and colorimetric methods. Nitrogen fertilization inhibited CH₄ consumption in both native and agricultural soils from Araras, Brasília, and Itirapina, and in Itirapina reversed the flux to emissions, likely due to microbial competition and soil texture, with CH₄ consumption positively correlated with sand content (r = 0.55). CO₂ emissions increased in native soils from Araras and Brasília but decreased in ag-ricultural Araras, suggesting that fertile, moist soils favor respiration, while higher carbon stocks stabilize emissions (r = –0.47). N₂O emissions increased in native soils, especially in Araras, Itirapina, and Sorocaba, reflecting intensified nitrification and denitrification, whereas agricultural soils responded heterogeneously. Nitrogen addi-tion reduced NO₃⁻ consumption and increased NH₄⁺ consumption, indicating enhanced oxidation and microbial assimilation. These results show that land-use history modulates soil biogeochemical responses to nitrogen, emphasizing the need for site-specific fertilization to mitigate emissions and promote agricultural sustainability in the Cerrado.

Abstract: During physical activities, sportswear and protective garments are frequently exposed to perspiration, which aids in regulating body temperature. The excess skin moisture must be swiftly evacuated from the fabric to prevent discomfort. Therefore, comprehending the drying kinetics of textile fabrics utilised in defence and sports garments is crucial. Regrettably, the current drying rate methodologies are unreliable due to non-isothermal conditions and uncontrolled velocities. This study investigated the droplet drying kinetics during evaporation from a ripstop defence fabric. A novel method was developed based on a modified Permetest skin model test protocol that adheres to the ISO 11092 standard. The proposed mathematical model incorporates structural and geometrical parameters of the sample fabric (average warp and weft diameters, warp and weft densities, weft and warp crimp, and sample thickness), as well as evaporation parameters (liquid properties and environmental test conditions). Visualising the droplet drying kinetics revealed three distinct evaporation phases. It was determined that the raw materials and fabric design structures significantly influence the evaporation kinetics. Fibres with hydrophilic character exhibit faster drying rates compared to hydrophobic fibres. In the context of ripstop defence fabrics, incorporating floats in the delimiting grid results in slower fabric drying.

Abstract: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat to human, animal and environmental health, underscoring the need for integrated surveillance to understand its dynamics and ecosystem interactions. This study investigated the potential of swifts (Apus spp.), long-distance migratory birds, as valuable bioindicator of environmental AMR dissemination. Four sampling sessions were conducted over two years (2023-24) at a wildlife rehabilitation center in Trieste, Italy. Buccal and cloacal swabs were collected from 47 swifts: 10 sampled at arrival and 37 before autumn migration. Swabs were streaked on selective media for targeted isolation of Enterobacterales, Bacillales and Lactobacillales, yielding 168 bacterial isolates. Bacteria were identified using MALDI-TOF and antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed through disk diffusion method. Of the 168 bacterial isolates, 51 (30.36%) were non-wild type (NWT), with highest per-centages of NWT isolates for clarithromycin (33.33%), erythromycin (31.50%), clindamycin (21.88%), and tetracycline (14.29%). Methicillin-resistant staphylococci (45.83%) and carbapenem NWT isolates (9.38%) were also detected. Bacillales isolates showed significantly higher NWT proportion (58.33%; p < 0.0001), compared to Enter-obacterales and Lactobacillales. These findings, in clinically healthy non-antimicrobial treated swifts, suggest environmental exposure to resistant bacteria, and support a possible role of swifts as bioindicators of environmental AMR contamination, high-lighting the need to strengthen environmental AMR surveillance within a One Health perspective.

Abstract: This work introduces the Supra-Omega Resonance Framework for Quantum Systems (SORT-QS), a structural operator formalism that adapts the Supra-Omega Resonance Theory from cosmological applications to finite-dimensional quantum devices. The central idea is to represent coherent and incoherent error processes, noise filtering mechanisms and diagnostic procedures in terms of a finite set of idempotent resonance operators \(\{\hat{O}_i\}\), an effective projector \(\hat{H}\) and a nonlocal kernel acting on the operator space rather than on configuration space. In SORT-QS, quantum channels are mapped to structured resonance manifolds in Liouville space, and error sectors are encoded as mutually constrained projectors that satisfy algebraic closure and idempotency. This enables a scale- and mode-selective description of noise, where the analogue of the projection kernel \(\kappa\) defines structural suppression or amplification of specific error components in an abstract frequency or syndrome domain. The framework provides three complementary layers: (i) a purely algebraic resonance space for error classes and stabilizer-like structures, (ii) a kernel-based noise filtering module formulated as a linear transformation on operator-valued modes and (iii) an operator diagnostics layer that quantifies deviations from ideal projector structure as resonance defects. No device-specific assumptions or empirical performance claims are made. Instead, SORT-QS offers a mathematically controlled template that can be instantiated within arbitrary quantum error correction schemes, gate sets and noise models, and serves as a basis for future applications to concrete architectures.

Abstract: We extend the theory of interdimensional weak null-preserving maps by provid- ing a complete local classification of the deviation tensor T based on its rank and kernel. We define weak k-plane null-preserving maps, examine their canonical de- composition, and analyze the local stability of T under small perturbations. Explicit examples illustrate the new classes of local behaviors. These results offer a rigor- ous and original contribution to the study of null structures in pseudo-Riemannian geometry.

Abstract:

Since coffee is the second most important commodity, finding ways to utilize it is crucial. In this review, we briefly discuss the use of spent coffee grounds (SCG) in other sectors of the food industry, as sorbents for preconcentration different chemical compounds, in the beauty industry, in the pharmaceutical industry and future health-related prospects.

Abstract: This article introduces and develops a population-level axiom governing the distribution of prime numbers, referred to as the Axiom of Logarithmic Stability. The axiom formalizes the empirical and analytic observation that the global prime population imposes invariant logarithmic windows around every integer, within which local fluctuations are absorbed and structural symmetry is enforced. We show that this axiom implies the centrality of integers within prime gaps, establishes tightness properties for symmetric prime offsets, and yields additive symmetry as a direct corollary. In particular, Goldbach’s conjecture emerges naturally as a consequence of population stability rather than as an isolated additive hypothesis. The framework is supported by extensive empirical validation and is positioned within the broader historical and theoretical context of analytic number theory.

Abstract: This study investigates the sustainability, resilience, and institutional performance of urban governance systems by operationalizing key thermodynamic principles energy, exergy, entropy, equilibrium, open systems, and irreversibility within a political and behavioral systems framework. Urban political systems are conceptualized as open, non-equilibrium systems, characterized by continuous flows of resources, information, and institutional feedback across metropolitan governance structures. Within this model, energy represents systemic inputs to urban governance, exergy denotes usable governing capacity at the city and metropolitan scale, and entropy reflects levels of institutional disorder, inefficiency, and systemic degradation affecting urban sustainability. The study first formulates a conceptual analytical model defining urban political entropy and systemic exergy as measurable variables associated with institutional stability, crisis-management capability, adaptability, and reform potential in urban and metropolitan governance. It then conducts a comparative empirical analysis of Germany, Türkiye, China, and South Africa using normalized indicators derived from international datasets for 2023, with particular attention to their implications for urban governance capacity and city-level institutional performance. These indicators are employed to construct proxy measures for the Exergy Efficiency Ratio, Societal and Institutional Entropy, and overall urban governance capacity. The comparative results reveal that open and decentralized governance systems tend to maintain higher exergy efficiency and lower entropy levels at the urban scale, whereas highly centralized systems, although effective in resource mobilization, tend to accumulate greater systemic entropy over time. Transitional governance systems exhibit hybrid and fluctuating thermodynamic characteristics in their urban institutional structures. The findings empirically support the Thermodynamic Model of Political Systems and demonstrate its utility as a predictive and diagnostic framework for evaluating urban institutional efficiency, resilience, and sustainability. By quantifying political energy flows and entropy dynamics within urban governance systems, this study contributes to the development of an integrated systems thermodynamics of cities and provides a robust analytical foundation for sustainable urban governance, institutional reform, and long-term strategic policy design.

Abstract: This study analyzes the restitution process of the Sümela Monastery, located in the Maçka district of Trabzon, within the framework of documenting and interpreting multilayered heritage. The monastery’s architectural evolution from the Byzantine to the Ottoman and Republican periods is examined through its spatial dialogue with the topography, revealing restitution as not merely a formal reconstruction but as a process of knowledge production and representation. The research follows the methodological logic of Letellier and Eppich’s decision-making matrix model, integrating documentation, analysis, and interpretation in a multidisciplinary sequence. Based on extensive architectural surveys, material studies, and comparative analyses, six successive construction and transformation phases were identified. Each phase reflects a different synthesis of structural continuity, material innovation, and symbolic meaning, thereby illustrating the epistemic continuity of the site. The findings demonstrate that Sümela represents a “palimpsest architecture” where physical, documentary, and sociocultural layers coexist without erasing one another. By emphasizing the ethical and cognitive dimensions of restitution, the study reframes conservation as an interpretive act that mediates between historical accuracy and conceptual integrity. Comparative analysis with other Eastern Mediterranean rock monasteries—such as Meteora, Athos, Hosios Loukas, and Panagia Hozoviotissa—further clarifies Sümela’s unique spatial identity formed through its concave relationship with the mountain mass. Ultimately, the study proposes an epistemological restitution model grounded in transparency, reversibility, and interpretive coherence, suggesting that conservation should not only preserve material authenticity but also sustain the evolving meanings accumulated over time within the cultural landscape.

Abstract: Erythropoietin (EPO), the master regulator of erythropoiesis, is emerging as a pivotal mediator of brain repair. While its capacity to mitigate neural damage is well-documented, we posit that its most profound potential lies in actively orchestrating functional restoration. In the present review we summarize the molecular biology of EPO and the evidence establishing EPO as a potent modulator of neuroplasticity. We use an experimental strategy in which a specific behavioral task marks experience-activated neural circuits, and a subsequent, temporally precise administration of EPO provides a surge of plasticity-related proteins. This creates a synergistic interaction where the proteins are selectively captured by the activated synapses, directing plastic changes with high specificity. We present experimental evidence demonstrating that this synchronized protocol enables the recovery of spatial memory, reinstates synaptic plasticity, and activates genetic programs for plasticity in rodent models of brain injury. Furthermore, we show that endogenous EPO signaling is itself activity-dependent and integral to memory formation. This redefines EPO as a precision tool for neurorestoration, a potential now being pursued with engineered, non-erythropoietic variants of EPO in clinical trials for neurological and psychiatric disorders