The use of probiotic lactobacilli has been proposed as a strategy to mitigate damage associated with exposure to toxic metals. Their protective effect against cationic metal ions, such as those of mercury or lead, is believed to stem from their chelating and accumulating potential. However, their retention of anionic toxic metalloids, such as inorganic arsenic, is generally low. Through the construction of mutants in phosphate transporter genes (pst) in Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strains, coupled with arsenate [As(V)] uptake and toxicity assays, we determined that the incorporation of As(V), which structurally resembles phosphate, is likely facilitated by phosphate transporters. Surprisingly, inactivation in Lc. paracasei of PhoP, the transcriptional regulator of the two-component system PhoPR, a signal transducer involved in phosphate sensing, led to an increased resistance to arsenite [As(III)]. In comparison to the wild type, the phoP strain exhibited no differences in the ability to retain As(III), and there were no observed changes in the oxidation of As(III) to the less toxic As(V). These results reinforce the idea that specific transport, and not unspecific cell retention, plays a role in As(V) biosorption by lactobacilli, while they reveal an unexpected phenotype for the lack of the pleiotropic regulator PhoP. Full article

The mental health of medical students is a growing concern worldwide, with studies indicating high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among this population. In a South African context, this review aims to review the existing literature on mental health needs and challenges among medical students in South Africa. The rationale for this review is crucial to identify gaps, understand unique contextual factors, and inform the development of targeted interventions and support tailored to the specific needs of South African medical students. This review followed a scoping review framework by Arksey and O’Malley which consists of five stages. The review was initiated in December 2023. The search process was conducted on the following electronic databases: PubMed, Psych-info, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. The search terms of this review were “Medical students” OR “Mental health”, OR “Challenges”, OR “South Africa”, OR “Universities” OR “Needs”, OR “Support systems”, OR “Mental health interventions”. This study included articles published in English between 2010 and 2023. After a thorough review of the literature, only eight articles met the inclusion criteria. This study excluded articles that were not published in English, articles published before 2010, full-text articles that could not be retrieved, and studies that did not address the mental health needs and challenges faced by medical students and risk factors contributing to mental issues among South African medical students. The review yielded only three themes utilizing Creswell’s Tesch method of data analysis. (1) Prevalence of mental health disorders, (2) risk factors contributing to poor mental health, and (3) available university support systems and interventions. Therefore, the unique aspect of our review lies in shedding light on the underexplored intersections between mental health and the unique context of medical education in South Africa. This includes examining the impact of historical, cultural, and institutional factors on the mental health and well-being of medical students, which has not been comprehensively addressed in previous literature in terms of the South African context. The findings of this review highlight the importance of implementing comprehensive mental health support programs within medical education institutions to address the needs of students and promote their well-being. Full article

Weed control in cutting propagation is limited to manual hand weeding, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Preemergence herbicides and mulches may be viable weed control methods for cutting propagation, but crop safety and weed control efficacy must be better understood. Four preemergence herbicides (indaziflam, isoxaben, isoxaben + dithiopyr, and oxyfluorfen + oxadiazon) and two mulches (pine pellets and rice hulls) were assessed in cutting propagation for their impact on rooting and subsequent liner growth (butterfly bush [Buddleja davidii Franch.] and crape myrtle [Lagerstroemia indica L.]) and control of four common weed species. Butterfly bush cuttings had lower rooting percentage and root dry weight with isoxaben and isoxaben + dithiopyr, but no damage was observed for all other treatments during propagation or after transplant. Crape myrtle cutting root development and liner growth were statistically similar for all treatments compared to the non-treated control. Isoxaben, isoxaben + dithiopyr, oxyfluorfen + oxadiazon, and pine pellets provided excellent control (87 to 100%) of all four weed species tested. Overall, several preemergence herbicides and mulches were safe for use in cutting propagation and effective weed control varied by product and weed species. Full article

The purpose of this study was to compare the change of Body Composition (BC) (height, weight, body fat percentage and muscle mass) as a function of the trimester and category in a sample of young soccer players. Data collection was performed in five consecutive seasons (2016–2021). The sample consisted of 741 young male football players of different categories (Under 14 year old (U14), U15, U16, U17 and U18) belonging to a high-performance football academy. Considering the trimestral change of all the raw anthropometrics variables a set of new variables called the trimestral change in percentage (TC) of each raw variable was computed. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA (including the raw anthropometric variables as dependent and trimester and the age-category as independent) revealed differences for the anthropometric variables (p value < 0.001 in all cases), concluding that the effect of trimester reaches conventional levels of statistical significance. The trimester by age in contrast was significant (p < 0.05) in all raw variables except for the height. Considering the TC variables, the variable height-TC showed an increase (p value < 0.05) while the variable muscle mass-TC was near the significative value (p = 0.09). In this case the interaction trimester by age category was not significative (p > 0.05 in all cases). It seems that height suffers more changes in the first trimester but the weight, body fat percentage and muscle mass changes more in the second and third trimester. It is important to modulate the training load according to the trimester-specific response, although these improvements may vary according to factors such as genetics, diet, sleep and the specific training. Full article

The formulation of novel delivery protocols for the targeted delivery of genes into hepatocytes by receptor mediation is important for the treatment of liver-specific disorders, including cancer. Non-viral delivery methods have been extensively studied for gene therapy. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have gained attention in nanomedicine due to their biocompatibility. In this study, AuNPs were synthesized and coated with polymers: chitosan (CS), and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The targeting moiety, lactobionic acid (LA), was added for hepatocyte-specific delivery. Physicochemical characterization revealed that all nano-formulations were spherical and monodispersed, with hydrodynamic sizes between 70 and 250 nm. Nanocomplexes with pCMV-Luc DNA (pDNA) confirmed that the NPs could bind, compact, and protect the pDNA from nuclease degradation. Cytotoxicity studies revealed that the AuNPs were well tolerated (cell viabilities > 70%) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), embryonic kidney (HEK293), and colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells, with enhanced transgene activity in all cells. The inclusion of LA in the NP formulation was notable in the HepG2 cells, which overexpress the asialoglycoprotein receptor on their cell surface. A five-fold increase in luciferase gene expression was evident for the LA-targeted AuNPs compared to the non-targeted AuNPs. These AuNPs have shown potential as safe and suitable targeted delivery vehicles for liver-directed gene therapy. Full article

Performing a minimally invasive surgery comes with a significant advantage regarding rehabilitating the patient after the operation. But it also causes difficulties, mainly for the surgeon or expert who performs the surgical intervention, since only visual information is available and they cannot use their tactile senses during keyhole surgeries. This is the case with laparoscopic hysterectomy since some organs are also difficult to distinguish based on visual information, making laparoscope-based hysterectomy challenging. In this paper, we propose a solution based on semantic segmentation, which can create pixel-accurate predictions of surgical images and differentiate the uterine arteries, ureters, and nerves. We trained three binary semantic segmentation models based on the U-Net architecture with the EfficientNet-b3 encoder; then, we developed two ensemble techniques that enhanced the segmentation performance. Our pixel-wise ensemble examines the segmentation map of the binary networks on the lowest level of pixels. The other algorithm developed is a region-based ensemble technique that takes this examination to a higher level and makes the ensemble based on every connected component detected by the binary segmentation networks. We also introduced and trained a classic multi-class semantic segmentation model as a reference and compared it to the ensemble-based approaches. We used 586 manually annotated images from 38 surgical videos for this research and published this dataset. Full article

Background: Preterm birth impacts 60% of twin pregnancies, with the subsequent risk of complications in both newborns secondary to the immaturity of organs. This study aims to assess the utility of the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio throughout pregnancy in predicting late preterm birth and adverse perinatal outcomes related to prematurity in twin pregnancies. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study developed at a tertiary hospital. All pregnant women with a twin pregnancy who signed the informed consent were included. The sFlt-1/PlGF ratio was measured at 12, 24, and 32 weeks’ gestation. Results: Seventy patients were included, from which 54.3% suffered late preterm birth. Results revealed a significant difference in sFlt-1/PlGF ratio at week 32 between term and preterm groups, with a one-unit increase associated with a 1.11-fold increase in the probability of preterm birth. The sFlt-1/PlGF ratio at week 32 alone presented considerable predictive capacities (sensitivity of 71%, specificity of 72%, a PPV of 75%, and an NPV of 68%. Similarly, at week 24, a one-unit increase in sFlt-1/PlGF ratio was associated with a 1.24-fold increase in the probability of adverse perinatal events due to prematurity. Combining parity, maternal age, conception method, BMI, and chorionicity, the model yielded better predictive capacities (sensitivity of 82%, specificity of 80%, PPV of 58%, NPV of 93%). Conclusions: The potential of the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio as a predictive tool for preterm birth and adverse perinatal outcomes secondary to prematurity in twin pregnancies is underscored. Full article

Gerty T. and Carl F. Cori discovered, during research on the metabolism of sugars in organisms, the important role of the phosphate ester of a simple sugar. Glucose molecules are released from glycogen—the glucose stored in the liver—in the presence of phosphates and enter the blood as α-D-glucose-1-phosphate (Glc-1PH₂). Currently, the crystal structure of three phosphates, Glc-1PNa₂·3.5·H₂O, Glc-1PK₂·2H₂O, and Glc-1PHK, is known. Research has shown that reactions of Glc-1PH₂ with carbonates produce new complexes with ammonium ions [Glc-1P(NH₄)₂·3H₂O] and mixed complexes: potassium–sodium and ammonium–sodium [Glc-1P(X)_1.5Na_0.5·4H₂O; X = K or NH₄]. The crystallization of dicationic complexes has been carried out in aqueous systems containing equimolar amounts of cations (1:1; X–Na). It was found that the first fractions of crystalline complexes always had cations in the ratio 3/2:1/2. The second batch of crystals obtained from the remaining mother liquid consisted either of the previously studied Na+, K+ or NH₄+ complexes, or it was a new sodium hydrate—Glc-1PNa₂·5·H₂O. The isolated ammonium–potassium complex shows an isomorphic cation substitution and a completely unique composition: Glc-1PH(NH₄)_xK_1−x (x = 0.67). The Glc-1P²⁻ ligand has chelating fragments and/or bridging atoms, and complexes containing one type of cation show different modes of coordinating oxygen atoms with cations. However, in the case of the potassium–sodium and ammonium–sodium structures, high structural similarities are observed. The 1D and 2D NMR spectra showed that the conformation of Glc-1P²⁻ is rigid in solution as in the solid state, where only rotations of the phosphate group around the C-O-P bonds are observed. Full article

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that may function as tumor suppressors or oncogenes. Alteration of their expression levels has been linked to a range of human malignancies, including cancer. The objective of this investigation is to assess the relative expression levels of certain miRNAs to distinguish between prostate cancer (PCa) from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Blood plasma was collected from 66 patients diagnosed with BPH and 58 patients with PCa. Real-time PCR technology was used to evaluate the relative expression among the two groups for miR-106a-5p and miR-148a-3p. The significant downregulation of both miRNAs in plasma from PCa versus BPH patients suggests their potential utility as diagnostic biomarkers for distinguishing between these conditions. The concurrent utilization of these two miRNAs slightly enhanced the sensitivity for discrimination among the two analyzed groups, as shown in ROC curve analysis. Further validation of these miRNAs in larger patient cohorts and across different stages of PCa may strengthen their candidacy as clinically relevant biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis. Full article

This Editorial precedes the Special Issue entitled “Novel Challenges and Therapeutic Options for Liver Diseases”. Following a historical outline of the roots of hepatology, we provide a brief insight into our colleagues’ contributions in this issue on the current developments in this discipline related to the prevention of liver diseases, the metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, respectively), liver cirrhosis, chronic viral hepatitides, acute-on-chronic liver failure, liver transplantation, the liver–microbiome axis and microbiome transplantation, and telemedicine. We further add some topics not covered by the contributions herein that will likely impact future hepatology. Clinically, these comprise the predictive potential of organokine crosstalk and treatment options for liver fibrosis. With regard to promising developments in basic research, some current findings on the genetic basis of metabolism-associated chronic liver diseases, chronobiology, metabolic zonation of the liver, aspects of the aging liver against the background of demography, and liver regeneration will be presented. We expect machine learning to thrive as an overarching topic throughout hepatology. The largest study to date on the early detection of liver damage—which has been kicked off on 1 March 2024—is highlighted, too. Full article

This paper deals with the phenomenon of torsion oscillations in railway vehicle drive systems. The main goal is to reduce the risk of presence of torsional oscillations in wheelset drive, eventually to propose systems to effectively identify and eliminate torsional oscillations of wheelsets. Therefore, a simulation wheelset drive model including a detailed model of the asynchronous traction motor control was built. The results of computer simulations show that the torsional oscillations can be effectively eliminated by avoiding the resonance states between the excitation frequencies given by pulse width modulation of the inverter and the eigenfrequencies of the mechanical part of the drive. Furthermore, it was found that the presence of torsional oscillations of the wheels can be detected based on the traction motor current ripple. The wheelset drive model was subsequently implemented in a simulation model of a four-axle locomotive. A new algorithm of an anti-slip protection system that utilizes motor currents was implemented in the model. Simulations show that such an anti-slip protection system can prevent the occurrence of undesired large amplitude of wheelset torsional oscillations. The models and simulation results are presented in detail in the paper. Full article

This review discusses the scientific evidence that supports the nutritional value of mare milk and how its properties are essentially achieved when mares are managed under grazing conditions. Mare milk’s similarity with the chemical composition of human milk makes this food and its derived products not only suitable for human consumption but also an interesting food regarding human health. The contribution of horse breeding under grazing management to other socio-ecological benefits generated by equine farms is also highlighted. Both the high added value of mare milk and the socio-ecological benefits derived from pasture-based systems could be explored to improve the performance of equine farms located in arid and semi-arid areas or in regions with moderately harsh environmental conditions as equids have a strong adaptation capacity. Full article

(1) Background: parenteral nutrition (PN) is indispensable for patients unable to receive oral or enteral feeding. However, the complexity of PN solutions presents challenges regarding stability and compatibility. Precipitation reactions may occur. The most frequent is the formation of calcium phosphate (Ca-P). The different factors influencing these reactions must be considered to ensure patient safety. (2) Methods: eight paediatric PN solutions were prepared, following standard protocols. Samples were stored at room temperature and in a refrigerator. Electron microscopy, coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), was employed. Precipitates were analysed for composition and morphology. (3) Results: precipitates were observed in all samples, even at day 0. Crystalline structures, predominantly composed of calcium or magnesium, sometimes associated with chlorine or phosphorus, were detected. Additionally, amorphous precipitates, contained heterogeneous compositions, including unexpected elements, were identified. (4) Conclusions: various precipitates, primarily calcium- or magnesium-based, can form in PN solutions, although it is not expected that they can form under the real conditions of use. Calcium oxalate precipitation has been characterised, but the use of organic calcium and phosphate salts appears to mitigate calcium phosphate precipitation. Electron microscopy provides interesting results on NP precipitation, but sample preparation may present technical limitations that affect the interpretation of the results. Full article

In this paper, a novel method is demonstrated to sustain vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication on curvy roads via the arrangement of the lateral position of a self-angle-adjustable mirror–reflective road sign (SAAMRS) and light-direction-sensing wide-angle complementary photodiodes (CPDs). Visible light communication (VLC) between vehicles attracts attention as a complementary technology to radio-frequency-based (RF-based) communication technologies due to its wide, license-free spectrum and immunity to interferences. However, V2V VLC may be interrupted on curvy roads due to the limited field of view (FOV) of the receiver or the line of sight (LOS) being interrupted. To solve this problem, an experiment was developed using an SAAMRS along with wide-angle light-direction-sensing CPDs that used a precise peak detection (PPD) method to sustain communication between vehicles in dynamic environments by rerouting the incident light with the highest signal intensity level to the receiver vehicle on curvy roads. We also used real images of curvy roads simulated as polynomials to calculate the necessary rotation angles for the SAAMRS and regions where communication exist. Our experimental results overlapped almost completely with our simulations, with small errors of approximately 4.8% and 4.4% for the SAAMRS angle and communication region, respectively. Full article

The last few decades have witnessed significant advances in the development of polymeric-based foam materials. These materials find several practical applications in our daily lives due to their characteristic properties such as low density, thermal insulation, and porosity, which are important in packaging, in building construction, and in biomedical applications, respectively. The first foams with practical applications used polymeric materials of petrochemical origin. However, due to growing environmental concerns, considerable efforts have been made to replace some of these materials with biodegradable polymers. Foam processing has evolved greatly in recent years due to improvements in existing techniques, such as the use of supercritical fluids in extrusion foaming and foam injection moulding, as well as the advent or adaptation of existing techniques to produce foams, as in the case of the combination between additive manufacturing and foam technology. The use of supercritical CO₂ is especially advantageous in the production of porous structures for biomedical applications, as CO₂ is chemically inert and non-toxic; in addition, it allows for an easy tailoring of the pore structure through processing conditions. Biodegradable polymeric materials, despite their enormous advantages over petroleum-based materials, present some difficulties regarding their potential use in foaming, such as poor melt strength, slow crystallization rate, poor processability, low service temperature, low toughness, and high brittleness, which limits their field of application. Several strategies were developed to improve the melt strength, including the change in monomer composition and the use of chemical modifiers and chain extenders to extend the chain length or create a branched molecular structure, to increase the molecular weight and the viscosity of the polymer. The use of additives or fillers is also commonly used, as fillers can improve crystallization kinetics by acting as crystal-nucleating agents. Alternatively, biodegradable polymers can be blended with other biodegradable polymers to combine certain properties and to counteract certain limitations. This work therefore aims to provide the latest advances regarding the foaming of biodegradable polymers. It covers the main foaming techniques and their advances and reviews the uses of biodegradable polymers in foaming, focusing on the chemical changes of polymers that improve their foaming ability. Finally, the challenges as well as the main opportunities presented reinforce the market potential of the biodegradable polymer foam materials. Full article

Functional somatic disorders (FSDs) are common in children and adolescents. Recent findings suggest that low-grade inflammation has a role in the development and maintenance of pediatric FSDs. This systematic review included studies with original data on systemic inflammatory markers in children and adolescents with an FSD compared to individuals without an FSD. The literature search identified 1374 articles. After assessment, a total of 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. In total, 41 serum or plasma cytokines were assayed in a population of 696 children and adolescents. Altered cytokine levels in patients with FSDs were reported in 12 studies, whereas three studies found no significant differences when comparing patients with FSDs and controls. The cytokine levels were significantly elevated in nine studies (i.e., IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12 (p70), CRP, hsCRP, IP-10, MCP-1, sTIM-3, sCD25 and TNF-). The findings indicate that inflammatory response may have a role in the pathophysiology of pediatric FSDs. However, the included studies showed limited quality with potential risk of bias, small study populations and a narrow spectrum of included FSDs, which limits the generalizability of the results. To further explore the potential link between inflammatory markers and pediatric FSDs, future research using a longitudinal study design is recommended. Full article

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has evolved as first-line therapy for severe aortic valve stenosis (AS), with pre-procedural computed tomography (CT) providing critical anatomical information. While primarily used for anatomical planning, TAVR-CT also offers an opportunity to assess low bone mineral density (BMD), a known indicator of frailty. Despite this, the prognostic role of BMD in TAVR patients remains unknown. This study aimed to evaluate BMD on routine TAVR-CT and its impact on long-term survival. Methods: In this retrospective study, 770 consecutive TAVR patients (mean age 80.7 ± 6.7 years, 54.0% males) between November 2015 and March 2022 were included. BMD was measured from a single axial image at the thoracic vertebral level on unenhanced CT scans. Cox regression models assessed the impact of BMD on mortality, and Restricted Cubic Spline models identified potential mortality thresholds. Results: The mean BMD value, as measured on non-contrast CT, was 147.5 ± 5.4 Hounsfield units, demonstrating a noteworthy association with mortality (adjusted hazard ratio per 100 HU decrease: 1.27 [95% CI: 1.01–1.59], p = 0.041). Restricted cubic spline analysis indicated that BMD below 200 HU was linked to a substantial increase in mortality risk. Upon crude Cox regression analysis, every 100 HU decrease was associated with a 32% increase in risk for death (HR 1.32 [95%CI: 1.068–1.65)], p = 0.010). Conclusions: In conclusion, low BMD on TAVR-CT is independently associated with reduced survival, suggesting its potential as a tool for comprehensive frailty assessment and improved risk prediction in TAVR patients. Full article

Ancient Andean agricultural landscapes have been the subject of a large number of archaeological and agro-ecological studies, which generally refer to regions with favourable environmental conditions or, in the case of arid and semi-arid environments, those with irrigation facilities. The aim of this article is to present and analyse the pre-Hispanic rain-fed farming systems widely represented in two adjacent regions of Bolivia’s arid and cold southern Altiplano. The search for archaeological agricultural areas combined aerial analysis and field surveys. Agro-ecological characterisation was based on historical and ethnographic studies of the region’s present-day populations. Despite their geographical proximity, similar environmental conditions, and same agropastoral way of life, the typology of cultivated areas developed in the southern altiplano differs significantly. Within this same framework of adaptation and resilience, the sectorisation of agricultural systems observed in these two regions reveals a regional productive specialisation that favoured internal exchanges and exchanges with other regions. These differences are related to two models of non-centralised, low-inequality societies—one strongly based on cohesion and the other characterised by greater fragmentation and social conflict—underlining the limits of strict environmental determinism in shaping agricultural landscapes. These results provide new food for thought in the debate on the use and value of rain-fed agricultural practices and more broadly on the diversity of adaptations by human societies in extreme and unstable environmental contexts. Full article

Accurate and punctual precipitation data are fundamental to understanding regional hydrology and are a critical reference point for regional flood control. The aims of this study are to evaluate the performance of three widely used precipitation datasets—CRU TS, ERA5, and NCEP—as potential alternatives for hydrological applications in the Bahr el Ghazal River Basin in South Sudan, Africa. This includes examining the spatial and temporal evolution of regional precipitation using relatively accurate precipitation datasets. The findings indicate that CRU TS is the best precipitation dataset in the Bahr el Ghazal Basin. The spatial and temporal distributions of precipitation from CRU TS reveal that precipitation in the Bahr el Ghazal Basin has a clear wet season, with June–August accounting for half of the annual precipitation and peaking in July and August. The long-term annual total precipitation exhibits a gradual increasing trend from the north to the south, with the southwestern part of the Basin having the largest percentage of wet season precipitation. Notably, the Bahr el Ghazal Basin witnessed a significant precipitation shift in 1967, followed by an increasing trend. Moreover, the spatial and temporal precipitation evolutions reveal an ongoing risk of flooding in the lower part of the Basin; therefore, increased engineering counter-measures might be needed for effective flood prevention. Full article

Remote sensing technologies are critical for analyzing the escalating impacts of global climate change and increasing urbanization, providing vital insights into land surface temperature (LST), land use and cover (LULC) changes, and the identification of urban heat island (UHI) and surface urban heat island (SUHI) phenomena. This research focuses on the nexus between LULC alterations and variations in LST and air temperature (T_air), with a specific emphasis on the intensified SUHI effect in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Employing an integrated approach, this study analyzes time-series data from Landsat and MODIS satellites, alongside T_air climate records, utilizing machine learning techniques and linear regression analysis. Key findings indicate a statistically significant upward trend in T_air and LST during the summer months from 1984 to 2023, with a notable positive correlation between T_air and LST across both datasets. MODIS data exhibit a stronger correlation (R² = 0.879) compared to Landsat (R² = 0.663). The application of a supervised classification through Random Forest algorithms and vegetation indices on LULC data reveals significant alterations: a 70.3% increase in urban land and a decrement in vegetative cover comprising a 15.5% reduction in dense vegetation and a 62.9% decrease in sparse vegetation. Change detection analysis elucidates a 24.6% conversion of sparse vegetation into urban land, underscoring a pronounced trajectory towards urbanization. Temporal and seasonal LST variations across different LULC classes were analyzed using kernel density estimation (KDE) and boxplot analysis. Urban areas and sparse vegetation had the smallest average LST fluctuations, at 2.09 °C and 2.16 °C, respectively, but recorded the most extreme LST values. Water and dense vegetation classes exhibited slightly larger fluctuations of 2.30 °C and 2.24 °C, with the bare land class showing the highest fluctuation 2.46 °C, but fewer extremes. Quantitative analysis with the application of Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests across various LULC classes substantiated the normality of LST distributions p > 0.05 for both monthly and annual datasets. Conversely, the Shapiro-Wilk test validated the normal distribution hypothesis exclusively for monthly data, indicating deviations from normality in the annual data. Thresholded LST classifies urban and bare lands as the warmest classes at 39.51 °C and 38.20 °C, respectively, and classifies water at 35.96 °C, dense vegetation at 35.52 °C, and sparse vegetation 37.71 °C as the coldest, which is a trend that is consistent annually and monthly. The analysis of SUHI effects demonstrates an increasing trend in UHI intensity, with statistical trends indicating a growth in average SUHI values over time. This comprehensive study underscores the critical role of remote sensing in understanding and addressing the impacts of climate change and urbanization on local and global climates, emphasizing the need for sustainable urban planning and green infrastructure to mitigate UHI effects. Full article

The present study assesses the simulated precipitation and cloud properties using three microphysics schemes (Morrison, Thompson and MY) implemented in the Weather Research and Forecasting model. The precipitation, differential reflectivity (Z_DR), specific differential phase (K_DP) and mass-weighted mean diameter of raindrops (Dm) are compared with measurements from a heavy rainfall event that occurred on 27 June 2020 during the Integrative Monsoon Frontal Rainfall Experiment (IMFRE). The results indicate that all three microphysics schemes generally capture the characteristics of rainfall, Z_DR, K_DP and Dm, but tend to overestimate their intensity. To enhance the model performance, adjustments are made based on the MY scheme, which exhibited the best performance. Specifically, the overall coalescence and collision parameter (Ec) is reduced, which effectively decreases Dm and makes it more consistent with observations. Generally, reducing Ec leads to an increase in the simulated content (Qr) and number concentration (Nr) of raindrops across most time steps and altitudes. With a smaller Ec, the impact of microphysical processes on Nr and Qr varies with time and altitude. Generally, the autoconversion of droplets to raindrops primarily contributes to Nr, while the accretion of cloud droplets by raindrops plays a more significant role in increasing Qr. In this study, it is emphasized that even if the precipitation characteristics could be adequately reproduced, accurately simulating microphysical characteristics remains challenging and it still needs adjustments in the most physically based parameterizations to achieve more accurate simulation. Full article

The global demand for rubber is on a steady rise, which is driven by the increasing production of automobiles and the growing need for industrial, medical, and household products. This surge in demand has led to a significant increase in rubber waste, posing a major global environmental challenge. End-of-life tire (ELT) is a primary source of rubber waste, having significant environmental hazards due to its massive stockpiles. While landfilling is a low-cost and easy-to-implement solution, it is now largely prohibited due to environmental concerns. Recently, ELT rubber waste has received considerable attention for its potential applications in civil engineering and construction. These applications not only enhance sustainability but also foster a circular economy between ELT rubber waste with the civil engineering and construction sectors. This review article presents a general overview of the recent research progress and challenges in the civil engineering applications of ELT rubber waste. It also discusses commercially available recycled rubber-based construction materials, their properties, testing standards, and certification. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time such a discussion on commercial products has been presented, especially for civil engineering applications. Full article