The wine sector contributes significantly to economic, environmental and social development. In Portugal, the Setúbal Peninsula is one of the fourteen wine regions. Operated by numerous local businesses in a rural area, the wine industry generates enhanced value and provides jobs in the region. The main purpose of this research is to study the wine sector in the Setúbal Peninsula, Portugal, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and propose a roadmap, which includes strategic mitigation options regarding the impacts of the crisis. This study is based on qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews and focus group interviews. The results show that the wine sector presents a tendency toward concentration with the emergence of producers with scale and notoriety at a national level who, due to the greater dynamism of their activity, have sought international markets of great dimension and with a purchasing power, which values quality products. Finally, a business model is proposed, where companies are advised to offer competitive value propositions, which capitalize on the uniqueness of national grape varieties and traditional production processes in order to offer high-quality products at competitive prices on the global market. Full article

The purpose of the article is to elucidate the conditions and mechanism of crystallization of W-Fe oxide minerals with a pyrochlore-type structure (formerly ferritungstite, now elsmoreite group minerals) based on (1) a study of representative samples of secondary tungsten minerals from the oxidation zone of the Grantcharitsa tungsten deposit (Bulgaria) and (2) laboratory experiments under conditions suggested by the study of natural samples. It has been shown that crystallization of W-Fe pyrochlores occurs easily and effectively when treating WO₃·xFe₂O₃·nH₂O compounds (meymacite and tungstite) with W-Fe-containing solutions with pH 2.5–6.5 (70 °C); at the same time, direct crystallization (direct low-temperature hydrothermal synthesis) of these phases from aqueous solutions is unlikely. The crystallization of W-Fe pyrochlores under natural and laboratory conditions occurs through the oriented attachment of their nanocrystals to the {111} faces of growing crystals. The nucleation of such nanocrystals occurs in the bulk of the solution as a result of the interaction of the W-Fe solution with the W-(Fe) oxide hydrate precursor. The Fe/W ratio in the resulting W-Fe pyrochlore phase depends on the Fe/W ratio in the solution and precursor, as well as on the pH of the solution. Full article

In this study, we investigate multiscale auto- and cross-correlation structural characteristics of sea surface temperature (SST) variability using our new methodology, called the multifractal asymmetric cross-correlation analysis (MF-ACCA), incorporating signs of a segment’s detrended covariance and linear trend. SST is greatly affected by air–sea interactions and the advection of water masses with a wide range of spatiotemporal scales. Since these force factors are imprinted on SST variability, their features can be revealed in terms of long-range auto- and cross-correlation structures of SST variability via a multifractal analysis. By applying the MF-ACCA methodology to SST variability in the East/Japan Sea, we have found the following features: (1) the auto- and cross-correlation multifractal features are dependent on several parameters, such as the location, linear trends (rising or falling), level of fluctuations, and temporal scales; (2) there are crossover behaviors that are discrete for small scales (less than 1000 days) but continuous for large scales (more than 1000 days); (3) long-range persistence of auto- and cross-correlations is random for large scales during the falling phase; (4) long-range persistence is stronger during the rising phase than during the falling phase; (5) the degree of asymmetry is greater for large scales than for small scales. Full article

The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus, which is native to the western Atlantic coast and listed among the 100 most invasive alien species in the Mediterranean Sea, is attracting a great deal of interest because of its rapid colonisation of new areas, the significant increase in its population, and the impacts it may have on ecosystems and ecosystem services. Outside its natural distribution range, the species was first found on European Atlantic coasts in the early 1900s and was introduced into the Mediterranean Sea a few decades later, probably through ballast water. Currently, it is found in almost the entire Mediterranean Basin and is also expanding into the Black Sea and along the north African and Iberian Atlantic coasts. Based on a systematic review of C. sapidus occurrences, this study describes its distribution, aggregation patterns, and spatial structure in Northwest Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, and adjacent waters through a series of ecological indicators elaborated using GIS spatial–temporal statistics. The main results highlight that the species is expanding in the Mediterranean and adjacent waters, while in northern Europe, the population remains confined in some areas. Furthermore, the main species detection methods are analysed, finding that traps and nets are the most frequently used methods, and management suggestions are provided. Full article

For wild animals, being in captivity in wildlife centers can cause considerable stress. Therefore, it is necessary to establish and validate non-invasive tools to measure chronic stress during rehabilitation. Eight Common Buzzards which lived in permanent husbandry were placed individually into prepared aviaries and their feces were collected before, during and after a stress event for biological validation over a period of seven days. The extracted fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCMs) were analyzed with three different enzyme immune assays (EIA) to find the most suitable one. Additionally, we aimed to investigate the stability of fGCM levels after defecation because further metabolization by bacterial enzymes can lead to changed results. The Cortisone-EIA performed best in males and females and showed that the stress event led to an fGCM increase of 629% (557% in females and 702% in males) in relation to basal values. We found no significant differences between the sexes, but observed significant differences between different times of day. FGCM concentration significantly changed after eight hours at room temperature. Our study successfully validated the non-invasive measurement of fGCM as a stress indicator in Common Buzzards and could therefore lay the foundation for future studies providing new insights for animal welfare research in Buzzards. Full article

Helium is a scarce strategic resource. Currently, all economically valuable helium resources are found in natural gas reservoirs. Owing to helium’s different formation and migration processes compared to natural gas’s, the traditional method of collecting wellhead gas to detect helium concentration may miss helium-rich layers in the vertical direction, which will not only cause the waste of helium resources, but also restrict the study of helium migration and accumulation mechanisms. To solve this problem, we designed a helium detector based on a quadrupole mass spectrometer. Through the combination of different inlet valves, we avoided gas mixing between different vertical layers during the inlet process and realized high-spatial-resolution helium concentration detection. We applied the helium detector to the Dongsheng gas field in the northern Ordos Basin, and the instrumental detection results were consistent with the laboratory analysis results of the wellhead gas, which demonstrated the stability of the helium detector in the field environment and the reliability of the data. Meanwhile, the results showed that the distribution of helium in the plane is highly heterogeneous, and the natural gas dessert layers and the helium dessert layers do not coincide in the vertical direction. In addition, we found a good correlation between helium and hydrogen concentrations. Combining our results with previous data, we propose a hydrogen–helium migration and accumulation model, which enriches the understanding of helium accumulation mechanisms and provides a basis for future helium resource exploration. Full article

Prostate cancer (PCA) is the second most common cancer diagnosis in men and the fifth leading cause of death worldwide. The conventional treatments available are beneficial to only a few patients and, in those, some present adverse side effects that eventually affect the quality of life of most patients. Thus, there is an urgent need for effective, less invasive and targeted specific treatments for PCA. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a minimally invasive therapy that provides a localized effect for tumour cell ablation by activating photothermal agents (PTA) that mediate the conversion of the light beam’s energy into heat at the site. As tumours are unable to easily dissipate heat, they become more susceptible to temperature increases. In the PTT field, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been attracting interest as PTA. The aim of this study was to formulate AuNPs capable of remaining retained in the tumour and subsequently generating heat at the tumour site. AuNPs were synthesized and characterized in terms of size, polydispersity index (PdI), zeta potential (ZP), morphology and the surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The safety of AuNPs and their efficacy were assessed using in vitro models. A preliminary in vivo safety assessment of AuNPs with a mean size lower than 200 nm was confirmed. The morphology was spherical-like and the SPR band showed good absorbance at the laser wavelength. Without laser, AuNPs proved to be safe both in vitro (>70% viability) and in vivo. In addition, with laser irradiation, they proved to be relatively effective in PCA cells. Overall, the formulation appears to be promising for use in PTT. Full article

The intratarsal keratinous cyst (IKC) is a recently described entity, often clinically misdiagnosed as a chalazion. We report a case of a 61-year-old male patient with a chief complaint of a small lesion on the upper eyelid that evolved over six months. On physical examination, an asymptomatic, firm nodule was identified on the left upper eyelid. The patient reported no history of trauma. A provisional diagnosis of chalazion was established, and an excisional biopsy was performed. Histopathologically, the lesion was lined with a stratified squamous epithelium, with a corrugated epithelial surface showing abrupt keratinization without keratohyalin granules, and compact keratinous-appearing material in the cystic lumen. The diagnosis was IKC. No signs of recurrence were observed after one year of follow-up. It is essential to accurately diagnose IKC and distinguish it from chalazion and epidermal inclusion cysts, because IKC requires complete surgical excision and can exhibit multiple recurrences if not properly removed. Full article

The nonlinear sloshing of an incompressible fluid with irrotational flow in a complicated-shape tank due to horizontal excitation is studied with a semi-analytical method proposed in this study. In this method, the velocity potential function of a liquid in a complicated-shape tank is estimated by using an approximate analytical transformation function from a complicated-shape region to a rectangular region. This function is obtained through Schwarz–Christoffel mapping and polynomial fitting. Nonlinear dynamic equations for the fluid–structure coupled system are developed based on the Hamilton–Ostrogradskiy principle. Nonlinear kinematic equations for the fluid–structure coupled system are derived based on the relationship between the liquid velocity and the free-surface equation. The Galerkin method is used to convert partial differential equations into ordinary differential equations. When tank movement is given, nonlinear models for the coupled system can be reduced to simple ones for liquid sloshing. Natural frequencies for the coupled system and liquid sloshing are analyzed, and the semi-analytical results agree with the numerical ones calculated with the software DampSlosh. Hydrodynamic forces and moments are also analyzed, and the semi-analytical results agree well with the numerical ones calculated with the Flow3D v10.1.1. Full article

The switched reluctance motor (SRM) is an electric motor that can function effectively in challenging operating conditions thanks to its sturdy construction and resilience to external factors. Despite somewhat weaker parameters in terms of energy and power density compared to other types of electric motors, the SRM is recommended for applications such as the military, mining, industry, and other locations where the reliability of vehicle drive is essential. Therefore, monitoring the motor’s operating state and identifying the fault’s condition while it is still in the beginning phase is crucial. The paper presents SRM diagnostic methods and the authors’ research on the test stand. The examined faults were dynamic eccentricity and imbalance. Experiments were performed for various rotational speeds and loads. The analysis of the results consisted of the interpretation of the current and acceleration spectra acquired from proper sensors. The spectra bands are compared in terms of their amplitudes and frequency values. These results show the nonlinear characteristics of the motor’s operation, and interpretation of these results allows for estimating the impact of a fault parameter on a motor’s performance. Full article

Many plant species are well-adapted to historical fire regimes. An increase in the severity, frequency, and extent of wildfires could compromise the regenerative capacity of species, resulting in permanent shifts in plant diversity. We surveyed extant vegetation and soil seed banks across two forest types with contrasting historical fire regimes—Shrubby Dry Forest (fire return interval: 10–20 years) and Sub-Alpine Woodland (50–100 years). Over the past 20 years, both forests have been subject to repeated, high-severity wildfires at intervals significantly shorter than their historical return intervals. We examined the soil seed bank response to fire-cued germination, and whether the plant diversity in soil seed banks and extant vegetation demonstrated similar responses to short-interval, high-severity wildfires. The soil seed bank demonstrated a positive response to heat in combination with smoke, and for the Sub-Alpine Woodland, this was limited to sites more frequently burnt by fire. With an increase in fire frequency, there was a decline in species richness and Shannon’s Diversity and a shift in species composition in both extant vegetation and the soil seed bank. The fire frequency effects on the relative richness of trait associations were restricted to the Shrubby Dry Forest, and included an increase in short-lived obligate seeders, wind-dispersed species, and ant-dispersed shrubs in burnt relative to long unburnt sites in both extant vegetation and the soil seed bank. Graminoids were the most abundant component of the soil seed banks of Sub-Alpine Woodlands, and this increased with more frequent fire, with a similar trend (p = 0.06) in extant vegetation. Clear shifts in plant diversity in both soil seed banks and extant vegetation in forest types with contrasting historical fire regimes suggest that emerging fire regimes are pushing ecosystems beyond their historical range of variability, including potentially more flammable states and a decline in the buffering capacity of soil seed banks. Full article

Ecological records from before and after the creation of natural parks are valuable for informing conservation and management but are often unavailable. High-resolution paleoecological studies may bridge the gap and provide the required information. This paper presents a 20th-century subdecadal reconstruction of vegetation and landscape dynamics in a national park of the Pyrenean highlands. The park lands had traditionally been used for cultivation, extensive grazing, forest exploitation, and hydroelectricity generation following the damming of numerous glacial lakes. A significant finding is that forests have dominated the landscape, with negligible changes in composition, and only experienced fluctuations in forest cover, influenced by both climatic and anthropogenic factors. The creation of the park (1955) and the initial restrictions on forest exploitation did not significantly affect vegetation cover or composition. Major forest expansion did not occur until several decades later, 1980, when the park was enlarged and forest exploitation was further restricted. This expansion peaked in the 1990s, coinciding with a warming trend and a decrease in fire incidence, before declining due to warmer and drier climates. This decline was coeval with the ongoing global forest dieback and may be exacerbated by the predicted global warming in this century, which could also increase fire incidence due to dead-wood accumulation. Currently, the main threats are global warming/drying, fire, and tourism intensification. Similar high-resolution paleoecological records in protected areas are globally scarce and would be capable in providing the long-term ecological scope required to properly understand forest dynamics and optimize conservation measures. Full article

Consider a supercritical Galton–Watson process with immigration $({\mathrm{X}}_n;n\ge 0)$. The Lotka–Nagaev estimator $\frac{{\mathrm{X}}_{n+1}}{{\mathrm{X}}_n}$ is a common estimator for the offspring mean. In this work, we used the Martingale method to establish several types of Cramér moderate deviation results for the Lotka–Nagaev estimator. To satisfy our needs, we employed the well-known Cramér approach for our proofs, which establishes the moderate deviation of the sum of the independent variables. Simultaneously, we provided a concrete example of its applicability in constructing confidence intervals. Full article

Background: Non-surgical rhinoplasty is one of the best choices in mild cases of the saddle nose, and it represents a solution for the aesthetical amelioration of facial deformity; nevertheless, in most critical cases, surgical intervention is still required. This study reports the experience and results of a single facial plastic surgeon (M.G.) using a non-surgical technique for the correction of saddle noses in a large cohort of patients. Methods: This retrospective study assesses all patients injected from January 2017 through October 2023 in private clinics in Milan (Italy), London (UK), and Dubai (UAE). All patients were followed up for 12 months. The harvested adipose tissues were processed with different systems and with or without acoustic wave therapy (AWT). The extracted products have been characterized in terms of cellular yield and cell growth. Ninety-seven patients were injected with adipose-derived products or hyaluronic acid (HA). Patients were followed up for 12 months, and satisfaction data were analyzed. Results: The stem cells obtained from the patients who previously received AWT displayed a statistically higher cell growth ability in comparison with those of the cells derived from patients who did not receive AWT. The evolution of patient satisfaction during the time for each group of treatment was investigated, and cellular treatments show the best maintenance of patient satisfaction over time. Conclusions: Dermgraft and AWT approaches resulted in the highest patient satisfaction for the non-surgical correction of the saddle nose deformity. Full article

As a contender in the competitive landscape of next-generation wireless communication technologies, visible light communication (VLC) stands out due to its potential for enhancing transmission rates and spectrum resource utilization. VLC offers various advantages, including license-free operation, high confidentiality, and cost-effectiveness. However, practical implementation faces challenges stemming from the limited modulation bandwidth of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), constraining system capacity and VLC communication rates. To address this limitation, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) emerges as a novel multiple access strategy, particularly suitable for enhancing the capacity and communication rates of downlink VLC systems through power multiplexing. This paper delves into the energy-efficient design of joint LED association and power allocation (LA–PA) for downlink NOMA-based VLC systems. Through an analysis of channel capacity, we transform the non-convex energy-efficient optimization model, accounting for signal non-negativity, per-LED optical power constraints, and user rate constraints, into a convex form. Subsequently, we propose an iterative power allocation algorithm to attain solutions for the optimization problem with pre-established LED associations. Furthermore, we derive a feasibility condition for an LED association, considering signal non-negativity, per-LED optical power constraints, power constraints for successive interference cancellation (SIC), and channel gain between transceiver signals. This condition identifies feasible LEDs capable of maximizing energy efficiency (EE) when combined with the aforementioned power allocation algorithm. Finally, we illustrate the superiority of the joint LA–PA scheme in terms of the EE, transmission reliability, and transmission capacity performance gain over NOMA in the context of VLC. Full article

Symbolism distinguished itself in world culture in that its representatives were inclined to a dialogue and intersection of different types of art. In Russian literature, one of the brightest examples of such a synthesis is the work of Andrei Bely (Boris Bugaev; 1880–1934). The aim of the present article is to consider the writer’s ideas about music itself. As the main source we use Bely’s treatise The History of the Formation of the Self-Conscious Soul. Bely in his Symbolist articles of the 1900s laid down the idea of musical art as an antinomy, which emphasized the troubling importance of the problem, but did not principally imply any positive answer. However, in his anthroposophic treatise The History of the Formation of the Self-Conscious Soul (1926–1931), enormous in volume and scale of the material, the author’s antinomical understanding of music was transformed into a structure which is extremely complicated, but consistent. That is why Andrei Bely does not apply the word “antinomy” to music, but he extensively uses the musical term “counterpoint” (together with other musical terms). Whereas the word “antinomy” pointed at some irreconcilable conflicts, on the contrary, a “counterpoint” introduces these clashes into the frame of a single structure of a system, thus reconciling them. Accordingly, the romance “It is so sweet to be with you” by Mikhail Glinka (called in The History “the greatest genius”) contains, in Andrei Bely’s texts, the message of a wide spectrum. Full article

Dioecious plants are often used in landscaping because of sex differences in individual appearance, resistance and ornamental value. Although a large number of studies have investigated the overall differences in resource allocation between different sexes in dioecious plants, the effects of environmental factors such as temperature and precipitation on resource allocation in sex-dimorphic plants are not fully understood. In order to explore the influencing factors, 39 works of literature on dioecious plant resource allocation published in English databases from 1992 to 2023 were selected, and the biomass data of dioecious plant stems, leaves, flowers and fruits from these pieces of literature were extracted. A total of 545 independent experimental groups were obtained, which were divided into four groups for analysis, and the data were analyzed using METAWIN 2.1 software. Four sets of data were used to quantitatively study the effects of different temperatures, precipitations and life forms on the resource allocation of dioecious plants of different sexes in large-scale space. The results showed that female plants invested more resources in reproductive growth and less resources in vegetative growth. In terms of total biomass, the average biomass of female plants was 3.09% higher than that of male plants, indicating that female plants reduced nutrient investment to compensate for reproductive investment in the process of resource allocation. Temperature and precipitation significantly affect the adaptability of male and female plants to environmental changes and the cooperative relationships among the stressed components. The vegetative biomass investment of female plants showed a positive correlation with the increase in temperature, while the reproductive biomass showed a negative correlation with the decrease. The average annual precipitation had little effect on the vegetative biomass of dioecious plants, but had a significant effect on reproductive biomass. The study of this trade-off relationship is helpful in revealing the relationship between vegetative growth and reproductive growth of plants, exploring the countermeasures of plant life history, and providing a scientific basis for urban landscaping and urban forest management. Full article

Hypoxia is one of the common abiotic stresses that negatively affects the development and productivity of agricultural crops. Quercetin is used to protect plants from oxidative stress when exposed to environmental stressors. O₂ deficiency leads to impaired development and morphometric parameters in wheat varieties Orenburgskaya 22 (Triticum aestivum L.) and varieties Zolotaya (Triticum durum Desf.). Cytological analysis revealed various types of changes in the cytoplasm under conditions of hypoxia and treatment with quercetin. The most critical changes in the cytoplasm occur in the Zolotaya variety during pretreatment with quercetin followed by hypoxia, and in the Orenburgskaya 22 variety during hypoxia. Quercetin has a protective effect only on the Orenburgskaya 22 variety, and also promotes a more effective recovery after exposure to low O₂ content. Hypoxia causes an increase in reactive oxygen species and activates the antioxidant system. It has been shown that the most active components of the antioxidant system in the Orenburgskaya 22 variety are MnSOD and Cu/ZnSOD, and in the Zolotaya variety GSH. We have shown that quercetin provides resistance only to the wheat genotype Orenburgskaya 22, as a protective agent against abiotic stress, which indicates the need for a comprehensive study of the effects of exogenous protectors before use in agriculture. Full article

Coal mine pre-grouting is an important means to reduce the risk of coal seam floor water inrush, and the scientific evaluation of its effects is an important basis for the formulation of water control countermeasures and the realization of safe mining. This paper takes the Guhanshan Mine 15,051 working face grouting project as the research object and selects the grouting volume, the length of the meter grouting, the dry material value in tons of water, the complexity of faults, and the threat of water inrush at the working face as the index factors with which to evaluate the effectiveness of the grouting. The geological structure is quantified by fractal theory. The subjective, objective, and comprehensive weights of the index factors are determined by the analytic hierarchy process, the CRITIC method, and the combination weighting method. The grouting effect on the working face is quantitatively identified by the fuzzy variable set comprehensive evaluation model, and zoning is carried out. The research shows that the areas with optimal, good, qualified, and poor grouting effect at the 15,051 working face account for 4.66%, 74.34%, 21.00%, and 0% of the working face area, respectively, and the proportion at the level of qualified or above accounts for 100%. The safety results at the 15,051 working face prove that the selected evaluation index factors are representative, the established model is reliable, and the evaluation results are in line with actual conditions. Full article

Social structure may have changed from hierarchical to egalitarian and back along the evolutionary line of humans. Within the tradition of sociophysics, we construct a mathematical model of a society of agents subject to competing cognitive and social navigation constraints and predict, using statistical mechanics methods, that its degree of hierarchy decreases with encephalization and increases with group size, hence suggesting human societies were driven from hierarchical to egalitarian structures by the encephalization during the last few million years and back to hierarchical due to fast demographic changes during the Neolithic. In addition, applied to a different problem, the theory leads to the following predictions for modern pre-literary humans: (i) an intermediate hierarchy degree in mild climates. In harsher climates, societies will be (ii) more egalitarian if organized in small groups (of less than 100 persons) but (iii) more hierarchical if in larger (of more than 1000 persons) groups. The predicted bifurcation, characteristic of a phase transition, is also seen in the empirical cross-cultural record (248 cultures in the Ethnographic Atlas). Full article

For radially extended Bessel modes, the helicity density distributions of magnetic fields associated with relativistic electron vortex beams are investigated for first time in the literature. The form of the distribution is defined by the electron beam’s cylindrically symmetric density flux, which varies with the winding number ℓ and the electron spin. Different helicity distributions are obtained for different signs of the winding number $\pm \ell$, confirming the chiral nature of the magnetic fields associated with the electron vortex beam. The total current helicity for the spin-down state is smaller than that of the spin-up state. The different fields and helicities associated with opposite winding numbers and/or spin values will play an important role in the investigation of the interaction of relativistic electron vortices with matter and especially chiral matter. A comparison of the calculated quantities with the corresponding ones in the case of non-relativistic spin-polarized electron beams is performed. Full article

Sedimentation is an important property of colloidal systems that should be considered when designing pharmaceutical formulations. In pharmaceutical applications, sedimentation is normally described using Stokes’ law, which assumes laminar flow of fluid. In this work we studied swelling and hydration of spherical cross-linked amorphous starch microspheres in pure water, solutions of sodium chloride, and in pH-adjusted aqueous solutions. We demonstrated that Reynolds numbers obtained in these experiments correspond to the transition regime between the laminar flow and the turbulent flow and, hence, expressions based on the non-Stokes drag coefficient should be used for calculations of sedimentation velocity from known density or for assessment of density from observed sedimentation velocity. The density of starch microparticles hydrated in water was about 1050 kg/m³, while densities obtained from experiment with other liquids were dependent on the liquids’ densities. The data indicate that the swelling of the cross-linked starch microparticles as characterized by their densities is not sensitive to pH and salt concentration in the studied range of these parameters. Full article