Artiles
Open Access
Article
30 June 2026Endocranial Volume Estimates for Sts 25 (Australopithecus cf. africanus)
Sterkfontein specimen Sts 25 is filled with calcified sediment and still partly encased in matrix. The only published endocranial volume estimate for this specimen (350–375 cm3) falls outside the range of variation for Australopithecus africanus adults. The purpose of this study was to estimate Sts 25’s endocranial volume and to explore the usefulness of parietal regressions for estimating brain size in other fragmentary hominin specimens. We used single-variable and multivariate polynomial regressions and combined chimpanzee/early hominin comparative samples to predict endocranial volumes for Sts 25 and 10 fragmentary hominin specimens from six chord and arc variables. Point estimates for Sts 25 ranged between 412–501 cm3, with random-effects means and 95% prediction intervals of 453 cm3 (393–512 cm3) from single-variable regressions and 446 cm3 (377–514 cm3) from multivariate regressions. New endocranial volume estimates ~450 cm3 for Sts 25 are consistent with values for other A. africanus specimens with similar dimensions of the vault and basicranium. Volume estimates for Sts 58 (468–559 cm3) and MLD 1 (509–595 cm3) are larger than previous estimates for these specimens and help refine the A. africanus range. Endocranial volume estimates for other crania are largely consistent with existing predictions, establishing the value of these polynomial regression equations for estimating brain size in early hominins.
Open Access
Article
30 June 2026Does the Whanganui River Own Itself?
Since it was introduced, the legal personhood of Te Awa Tupua (the Whanganui River—located in the North Island of Aotearoa, New Zealand) has often been associated with the broader international discourse on rights of nature. This article focuses on one specific aspect of this association: the extent to which legal personhood can be said to result in ‘self-ownership’ for the Whanganui River. The legal personality of the river has been recognized by the Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act 2017, which is intended to give effect to a Treaty of Waitangi settlement between Whanganui iwi (a collective terms for Māori tribal groups associated with the river) and the New Zealand Government (or ‘Crown’). The purpose of the Act means that it is necessary to have an understanding of te ao Māori (the Māori world) and tikanga Māori (Māori law and custom), and of the relational values and ontology that provide its foundations, in order to understand the legal personhood of the river. In tikanga Māori, concepts such as whakapapa (ancestral genealogy) and whanaungatanga (a relational ethic of kinship) are fundamental. These concepts encompass more-than-human nature and directly challenge the human/nature dichotomy that sits at the heart of Western property law. To support the inquiry into the extent to which legal personhood can be said to result in self-ownership for the Whanganui River, this article is divided into three parts. In the first part, some key principles of tikanga Māori are introduced, and the relationship of these principles to certain Western jural concepts that are relevant to ownership is discussed. In the second part, ownership of freshwater is discussed. In the third and final part, the question of self-ownership is considered in the light of the preceding discussions.
Open Access
Article
30 June 2026High Temperature Fatigue Crack Growth Kinetics of a High Performance Ferritic (HiperFer) Steel
The fatigue crack propagation behavior of an experimental fully ferritic high-chromium steel HiperFer 17Cr2 was investigated at elevated temperatures of 650 °C and 675 °C at loading frequencies of 20, 5, and 0.05 Hz, motivated by the demand for advanced high-temperature materials capable of improving the thermodynamic efficiency of future thermal energy conversion systems and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The widely used 9Cr-1Mo-V-Nb ferritic-martensitic steel P91 was examined in parallel at 650 °C for benchmarking purposes. Complementary microstructural analyses were performed to characterize frequency- and temperature-dependent damage mechanisms. At 650 °C, the stress intensity required for the initiation of crack propagation was substantially higher in HiperFer 17Cr2 than in P91 across all tested frequencies. Furthermore, crack growth rates were up to half an order of magnitude lower in HiperFer 17Cr2. At 675 °C, frequency-dependent damage mechanisms were identified, including dynamic recovery, subgrain formation, and pipe diffusion-assisted redistribution of Cr and Nb, promoting formation of the metastable C14 Cr2Nb Laves phase at grain and sub-grain boundaries. These precipitates effectively impeded crack progression, while crack-tip blunting reduced the local driving force for crack propagation. The results indicate that HiperFer 17Cr2 is suitable for continuous service at 675 °C under high-cycle fatigue conditions in the frequency range from 5 to 20 Hz.
Open Access
Article
30 June 2026Recombinant AnAFP Reveals Genetic Contributors to Antifungal Protein Tolerance and Fungal Development in Aspergillus flavus
Aspergillus flavus is an agriculturally important and aflatoxigenic fungus, underscoring the need for alternative antifungal strategies. Cysteine-rich antifungal proteins (AFPs) are promising bioactive molecules, yet their recombinant production and genetic determinants of fungal tolerance remain insufficiently characterized. Here, we investigated AnAFP, an antifungal protein from Aspergillus niger, and evaluated its activity against A. flavus. Bioinformatic analyses predicted an N-terminal signal peptide, a putative intrinsically disordered region, and a mature cysteine-rich domain structurally related to known fungal AFPs. Guided by these features, the predicted mature region of AnAFP was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified through Ni-NTA affinity chromatography, tag cleavage, cation-exchange chromatography, and size-exclusion chromatography. Purified AnAFP inhibited A. flavus growth, and comparison with PgAFP and AfAFP confirmed antifungal activity at micromolar concentrations. To identify genes associated with AFP tolerance, Δado1, Δdef1, and Δadk1 mutants were generated by homologous recombination. All three mutants showed increased sensitivity to AnAFP, PgAFP, and AfAFP relative to the wild-type strain, suggesting that ado1, def1, and adk1 may contribute to AFP tolerance. Deletion of these genes also affected colony growth, conidiation, sclerotial formation, stress responses, and aflatoxin production. These findings establish a recombinant production strategy for AnAFP and provide preliminary evidence linking ado1, def1, and adk1 to AFP sensitivity and fungal physiology more broadly in this pathogenic and aflatoxigenic species.
Open Access
Communication
30 June 2026Lactononadecapeptide Upregulates Gene Expression of Neuroplasticity and Cholinergic Activation in Human iPSC-Derived Neurons
To clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms of lactononadecapeptide (LNDP), we examined its effects on the gene expression of memory-related neuroplasticity and cholinergic signaling in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neurons, alongside a safety evaluation using PC12 cells. LNDP showed no cytotoxicity and significantly upregulated the expression of genes crucial for neuroplasticity (BDNF, TrkB, NGF) and cholinergic signaling (ChAT, CHRM1, NMDAR NR1) in hiPSC-derived neurons. These findings suggest that LNDP potentially modulates transcriptional pathways related to neural health, supporting its potential value as a functional food ingredient for cognitive decline.
Open Access
Article
30 June 2026Navigating Urban Deprivation in Nigeria: Evidence from Lagos-Ogun Border Conurbation and Implications for Ecological Civilization
Understanding how residents experience living conditions is essential for reducing inequality and advancing more sustainable cities. This study assessed multidimensional urban deprivation in border settlements forming the Lagos–Ogun conurbation, with the aim of generating evidence to improve living conditions and service delivery in the study area. Systematic sampling was used to select eligible respondents (n = 325). Residents rated the importance of, and satisfaction with, key settlement attributes, from which the Residents’ Importance Attached Index (RIAI) and Residents’ Satisfaction Derived Index (RSDI) were computed. Facility conditions were assessed using a Facility Condition Index (FCI). Findings show pronounced gaps between what residents consider important and what they experience in practice across physical, social, and economic domains, indicating multidimensional deprivation in both states’ border settlements. Facility condition ratings further indicate that many basic services and public facilities are in poor condition, reinforcing deprivation. The paper recommends a coordinated Lagos–Ogun border service strategy that prioritizes rehabilitation and maintenance of critical infrastructure, strengthens development control and service accountability across jurisdictions, and leverages well-regulated public–private partnerships to expand and sustain service provision.
Open Access
Article
30 June 2026A Study on Site Selection and Capacity Allocation of a Four-Energy Complementary Power Generation System in the Zhoushan Archipelago Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process
Marine renewable energy (MRE) is a vital component of emerging energy systems, playing a key role in the low-carbon transition and enhancing energy self-sufficiency in coastal regions. The Zhoushan Archipelago possesses favorable conditions for wind, wave, tidal-current, and solar energy, providing a resource foundation for multi-energy complementary systems. However, due to resource intermittency, spatiotemporal heterogeneity, and marine-use constraints, single MRE sources cannot independently ensure the long-term stable power supply required for isolated island grids. This study develops a comprehensive decision-making framework for wind-wave-tidal-solar integration by combining logical veto screening, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and capacity allocation optimization. First, a multi-level evaluation system is established across resource, natural-engineering, socio-economic, and environmental dimensions, utilizing exclusionary factors—such as nature reserves, cultural heritage, and existing marine engineering—as preliminary veto criteria. Second, a “four-energy complementarity–synergy index” is introduced to characterize temporal availability, ensuring that site selection accounts for the contribution of multi-energy combinations to supply stability. Third, AHP is applied to determine weights and rank candidate sites, while a minimum-variance model optimizes capacity ratios for preferred locations. Furthermore, the TOPSIS method is introduced as an alternative multi-criteria decision-making approach for comparative analysis, to test the sensitivity of the ranking results to the choice of evaluation method. Based on the shortlisted priority candidate sites, a minimum variance capacity allocation model is established to analyse the synergy relationships between different energy types. Results indicate that multi-criteria evaluation effectively reveals suitability differences that single-resource metrics miss. Additionally, optimized capacity allocation significantly reduces combined-output fluctuations and enhances supply stability. The proposed framework is structured, verifiable, and adaptable, providing a methodological reference for the siting and preliminary capacity planning of multi-energy offshore power stations.
Open Access
Communication
29 June 2026Machine Learning Enabled Smart Structural Materials Using Additive Manufacturing
This research study describes a machine learning (ML)-driven model for producing smart structural materials via additive manufacturing (AM) by extrusion. A 3D concrete printing system was used to make cementitious composites that were reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models were used to undergo supervised learning on an experimental dataset consisting of 320 specimens to predict compressive strength, electrical conductivity, and print quality as dependent on process parameters and material composition. The highest R2 of compressive strength prediction of SVM was 0.946, whereas RF had the highest R2 of 0.987, which was used to predict electrical conductivity. Optimization of parameters guided by ML had a 61.8% enhancement of compressive strength and 30.5 times increase in electrical conductivity in comparison to non-optimized baselines. Nanomaterial networks were also found to be conductive, allowing individual networks to detect their strain levels through changes in current at a strain of 0.1%, which facilitates real-time structural health sensing. The artificial system showed a 31% decrease in CO2 emissions and a 58.8% decrease in material wastage compared with the usual way of building, proving to be a valid route towards intelligent and sustainable infrastructure.
Open Access
Article
29 June 2026Sustainable Lignin-Epoxy Compatibilizer Enables Synergistic Strengthening and Toughening in PBAT/PLA Blends
Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) is a promising biodegradable polyester, but its low strength limits broader application. In principle, blending PBAT with polylactide (PLA) can combine toughness and stiffness, yet severe immiscibility usually leads to poor interfacial adhesion and unsatisfactory overall performance. Here, a bio-based lignin-epoxy composite compatibilizer (E-FL) was developed by premixing ethanol-fractionated lignin (FL) with a protocatechuic-acid-derived epoxy compound and introducing it into PBAT/PLA blends through reactive melt processing. Fractionation enriched lignin fractions with lower molecular weight and higher hydroxyl content, thereby improving reactivity and dispersibility. During melt blending, E-FL promoted interfacial reactions with PBAT and PLA end groups, increased melt torque and molecular weight, refined the dispersed PLA domains, and reduced the Tg gap between the two phases. At an E-FL loading of 3 wt%, the blend exhibited the best balance of performance, with a tensile strength of 36.1 MPa, an elongation at break of 1035%, and a fracture toughness of 238.3 MJ/m3. This work provides a sustainable strategy for converting lignin into a high-efficiency reactive compatibilizer and offers a practical route to high-performance PBAT-based biodegradable blends.
Open Access
Review
29 June 2026Advances in Gastrodin Production: From Native to Engineered Biosynthesis
Gastrodin is a phenolic glycoside and the principal bioactive compound of Gastrodia elata. Owing to its potent neuroprotective, antioxidant, and therapeutic properties, gastrodin has attracted increasing attention and is now widely applied in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and food industries. Traditional extraction of gastrodin is constrained by limited raw material availability and low yield, making it insufficient to meet the growing market demand. In recent years, microbial biosynthesis has become a preferred route for gastrodin production due to its sustainability, economic feasibility, and high safety. Therefore, developing metabolically engineered strains with enhanced genetic stability, high productivity, and efficient substrate utilization has become an urgent priority for achieving gastrodin biosynthesis. This review introduces the discovery and biosynthetic routes of gastrodin, summarizes its production methods, and discusses recent advances across various microbial chassis systems. It further highlights recent advances in pathway reconstruction and metabolic optimization, with an emphasis on strategies to enhance precursor flux, optimize UDP-glucose biosynthesis and regeneration, and improve glycosyltransferase catalytic activity through protein engineering. Overall, this review provides insights and future directions for developing efficient, genetically stable, and industrially scalable microbial cell factories for sustainable gastrodin production.
