Intra- and Inter-Watershed Variability in Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Diversity, Taxa Richness, and Biotic Integrity: Citizen Scientist Sampling Within a Minnesota USA Region Dominated by Agriculture

Volunteer citizen scientists collected benthic macroinvertebrate samples from 35 streams throughout multiple watersheds in southeastern Minnesota, USA, during the period 1999–2013 to assess community diversity, taxa richness, and biotic integrity as indicators of water quality and general habitat conditions. In total, 452 invertebrate samples containing >46,000 organisms were collected, processed, and analyzed. Only 45% of the citizen scientists completed their 5-year sampling commitment. However, their samples generally demonstrated significant differences in total taxa richness, Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera (EPT) taxa richness, Simpson and Shannon diversities, and a regional benthic index of biotic integrity (BIBI) within and/or among the watersheds examined. Streams in the two larger watersheds averaged significantly higher taxa richness and BIBI scores than those in smaller watersheds. Overall, streams in this region exhibited mostly poor or very poor biotic integrity based on their macroinvertebrate communities, indicating continued impacts from environmental stressors within these agricultural watersheds.

Collaborative Optimization of Berth Allocation and Marine Energy Utilization for Low-Carbon Ports

Ports, as key nodes for marine renewable energy consumption and integration with marine industries, are facing the dual pressures of low-carbon transformation and efficient energy utilization. To solve fossil fuel reliance and high carbon emissions from disconnected port berth scheduling and energy optimization, this study proposes a two-stage framework combining the improved Cuckoo Search Algorithm (ICSA) and Stackelberg game. In the first stage, a vessel-centric optimization framework is proposed, which integrates the time-of-use electricity pricing mechanism to coordinate ship operating decisions and port low-carbon objectives. The ICSA is employed to solve the low-carbon berth allocation problem, while synchronously generating the time-series load data of key port handling equipment. In the second stage, a demand response load matrix is established by fully exploiting the battery swapping characteristics of electric trucks and the cold load shifting capability of refrigerated containers. A tripartite Stackelberg game is then conducted among the port energy operator, distributed energy supplier, and port equipment aggregator to optimize energy pricing and multi-energy supply dynamically. Case studies show doubled shore power using vessels, 14% higher berth utilization, and 29.86% lower energy costs. Carbon emissions were significantly reduced, while the proportions of offshore natural gas and renewable energy saw notable increases. This study provides a new approach for the integration of marine energy into port operations, supporting the sustainable development of marine energy industries and the low-carbon transformation of coastal ports.

Artificial Intelligence in Photovoltaic Power Systems: A Bibliometric and Thematic Analysis of Knowledge Structures, Research Evolution, and Emerging Directions Toward Sustainable Energy Systems

Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly become a core enabling technology in photovoltaic (PV) power systems, supporting improvements in forecasting accuracy, operational control, fault diagnosis, and system-level energy management. Despite the rapid growth of this field, a comprehensive understanding of its intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and emerging methodological directions remains fragmented. To address this gap, this study develops an integrated bibliometric-thematic analysis framework to systematically map the knowledge structure, research trajectories, and methodological frontiers of AI applications in PV power systems. The analysis is based on 4752 peer-reviewed journal articles indexed in Scopus (2006–2025). It combines performance analysis, co-citation analysis, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and bibliographic coupling to answer five structured research questions. The results demonstrate that PV power forecasting constitutes the central intellectual backbone of AI-based PV research, with the highest citation concentration and the strongest thematic connectivity across clusters. Thematic evolution analysis reveals a clear methodological transition from conventional machine learning models toward hybrid deep learning architectures, uncertainty-aware prediction frameworks, and physics-based AI integration. Furthermore, emerging research frontiers are characterized by generative learning models, multi-source data fusion strategies, and resilience-oriented fault diagnostics, while critical gaps persist in benchmarking standardization, uncertainty quantification, system-level integration, and large-scale industrial deployment. Unlike prior reviews that focus on isolated technical applications, this study provides the first integrated performance analysis and science-mapping synthesis that connects intellectual foundations, thematic evolution, and frontier innovations across the entire AI-based PV ecosystem. The findings offer a structured research roadmap and actionable guidance for researchers, PV plant operators, and policymakers aiming to design intelligent, scalable, and resilient PV energy systems that support the global low-carbon transition.

The Role of ILC2s in Tissue Injury and Repair

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are tissue-resident sentinels pivotal for maintaining barrier homeostasis and orchestrating type 2 immunity. Upon acute injury, alarmins rapidly activate ILC2s, which promote tissue repair by secreting amphiregulin, IL-5, and IL-13, driving epithelial proliferation and migration, anti-inflammatory macrophage polarization, and immune regulation. Under specific conditions, such as allergen immunotherapy, a subset of ILC2s can be induced to produce IL-10, further enhancing immune regulation and tissue repair. However, in chronic inflammatory or fibrotic diseases, such as asthma, atopic dermatitis, pulmonary and liver fibrosis, and cardiovascular disorders, persistent activation skews ILC2s toward a pathogenic state. Here, excessive cytokine production drives eosinophilia, mucus hypersecretion, and fibroblast activation, while microenvironmental cues can induce plasticity toward pro-inflammatory Group 1 innate lymphoid cell (ILC1)-like phenotypes. This review systematically details the dual, context-dependent roles of ILC2s across major organs, highlighting their function as critical regulators of the repair-fibrosis axis. We critically examine the sources of functional variability, including differences in injury models, disease chronicity, species-specific effects, and ILC2 subset definitions that may explain apparent contradictions in the literature. Where appropriate, we compare ILC2 functions with those of other immune cell types such as regulatory T cells (Tregs) and macrophages, emphasizing the unique and overlapping contributions of each population. Finally, we discuss emerging therapeutic strategies that aim to precisely inhibit pathogenic ILC2 responses or harness their reparative potential, offering promising avenues for treating a spectrum of chronic inflammatory and fibrotic diseases.

Sustainable Additive Manufacturing of Polymer Composites for Advanced Water Treatment: A Review

The increasing demand for clean water, coupled with growing concerns over energy consumption and environmental impact, has intensified the search for sustainable materials and fabrication strategies for water treatment technologies. Polymer composites have emerged as highly promising candidates due to their tunable chemistry, lightweight nature, and compatibility with functional fillers. At the same time, additive manufacturing (AM) offers unique advantages in terms of design freedom, material efficiency, and customizable architectures. This review provides a comprehensive assessment of sustainable polymer composites fabricated via additive manufacturing for advanced water treatment applications. Major AM techniques, including material extrusion, vat photopolymerization, material jetting, powder bed fusion, binder jetting, and sheet lamination, are critically evaluated with respect to their printability, design flexibility, and environmental footprint. Emphasis is placed on sustainable polymer matrices such as polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, cellulose-based polymers, and recycled plastics, as well as eco-friendly fillers and functional additives, including biochar, lignin, chitosan, nanocellulose, clays, zeolites, hydroxyapatite, and functional nanomaterials (e.g., AgNPs, TiO₂, ZnO, and graphene). The role of composite architecture, surface modification, and hierarchical porosity enabled by AM in enhancing adsorption, catalytic activity, and antimicrobial performance is highlighted. This review demonstrates that integrating sustainable materials with additive manufacturing enables the development of multifunctional, energy-efficient, and circular water treatment systems. The findings support the advancement of purification technologies aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 6, SDG 12, and SDG 13.

The Denture Mycofilm Plaque: A Literature Review

Denture mycofilms (DMs) are complex, structured microbial communities that develop on removable dental prostheses and shape the oral microbiota of denture wearers. Up to three-quarters of individuals wearing removable dentures may develop denture stomatitis (DS), a highly prevalent inflammatory condition of the oral mucosa. Candida species are detected in approximately 70–80% of DS cases, supporting the concept of DS as a denture-associated oral candidiasis. The denture “mycofilm” is a polymicrobial network—dominated by bacterial and fungal taxa—embedded in an extracellular matrix. In the absence of effective denture hygiene, prostheses constitute a reservoir of microorganisms and may promote chronic or latent infection, particularly in vulnerable patients. Metagenomic studies of denture-associated biofilms in DS reveal a multi-kingdom community with strong bacterial–fungal interrelationships. Reported eukaryotic genera include Candida (including Nakaseomyces/Candida glabrata), Saccharomyces, and Malassezia, among others. Because DMs are located at the interface between an abiotic surface (the denture) and a biotic surface (the mucosa), they are exposed to repeated compressive and shear forces during mastication. Their viscoelastic properties, together with saliva-mediated viscosity, facilitate spreading, mechanical resilience, and persistence. Despite mechanical and chemical cleaning procedures, denture mycofilms may persist due to their architecture, composition, and adaptive mechanical behavior. These properties should be considered when designing preventive and therapeutic strategies for denture stomatitis, while accounting for patient-related systemic risk factors.

Starch-Based Edible Coatings for Sustainable Food Packaging: A Comprehensive Review

The demand for sustainable, biodegradable alternatives in the food industry has increased globally due to the growing environmental impact of plastic packaging. Due to their outstanding film-forming qualities, safety, affordability, and renewability, starch-based edible coatings have become a promising solution. This article offers a thorough overview of starch-based edible coatings, including formulation strategies, coating application techniques, chemical modification methods, and sources of starch. A critical review is conducted of the functional aspects of starch coatings, such as barrier qualities, mechanical behavior, biodegradability, and compatibility with active additives like antimicrobials, antioxidants, and nanoparticles. Applications across a variety of food systems, including fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy, bakery, and confectionery products, demonstrate the ability of starch coatings to reduce moisture loss, delay oxidative and microbial spoilage, and extend shelf life. Advancements in nanocomposite films, intelligent pH-sensitive systems, and starch-polymer blends highlight emerging opportunities for next-generation active and smart packaging. Despite their potential, commercial adoption is hindered by factors like moisture sensitivity, limited mechanical strength, and scale-up barriers. The review also emphasizes the need for optimized modification methods, green processing technologies, and improved cost-effectiveness to enhance industrial applicability.

Global Perspectives on Ecohydrology and River Connectivity with a Summary and Outlook of the Fish Passage 2025 International Conference

Three New Synthetic Algal Culture Media to Grow Them All ^†

Three new synthetic algal culture media are described that have been used to cultivate ~12,000 diverse strains of (micro)algae, one culture medium for marine and brackish-water algae (ASP-MEL (Artificial Seawater Provasoli-MELKONIAN)), and two culture media for freshwater/terrestrial algae (SFM (Synthetic Freshwater Medium) and W-MEL (Waris-MELKONIAN)). The genesis of the three media since their original formulation and the rationale for modifications of these media over the past 50 years are outlined. A complex trace element mix derived from an enriched natural seawater culture medium (L1) is used in all three media, and allows the omission of soil water extract from one freshwater culture medium (W-MEL). It is suggested that the inclusion of selenite renders soil extract in algal culture media superfluous. Prospects and limitations of the three synthetic algal culture media as general-purpose media for large collections are discussed.

Attitudes to Aging and Emotional Well-Being Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation

Attitudes to aging exert impacts on emotional well-being, yet the underlying psychological mechanisms and their stability across middle and older adulthood remain insufficiently understood. Based on the dual-factor model of mental health and the constructivist theory of emotional aging, this study aimed to: (1) examine the mediating role of emotion regulation in the relationship between aging attitudes and emotional well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) test the cross-age consistency of this mediating mechanism between middle-aged and older adults. Middle-aged and older residents (N = 653) participated in this study from 22 April to 24 April 2020. Participants completed questionnaires to assess their attitudes to aging, the use of emotion regulation strategies, and their levels of emotional well-being. Mediation roles and confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a bootstrap resampling method. Results showed that (1) Older adults exhibited slightly higher negative attitudes to aging, calmness, and boredom than the middle-aged group. They also used rumination, distraction, and social sharing strategies a little more frequently than middle-aged adults. (2) Full-sample mediation analyses indicated that positive aging attitudes were positively associated with positive affect through adaptive emotion regulation, and negative aging attitudes were positively associated with negative affect through maladaptive emotion regulation. (3) Moderated mediation analyses revealed that age group or age did not significantly moderate either mediating pathway. The mediating effect of emotion regulation on the relationship between aging attitudes and emotional well-being appeared stable across the two age groups. These findings support the constructionist approach to emotional aging. Interventions for successful aging should consider cultivating positive aging attitudes and adaptive emotion regulation, as these approaches are potentially both valuable for middle-aged and older adults.