Application of self-organizing maps to explore the interactions of microorganisms with soil properties in fruit crops under different management and pedo-climatic conditions

Self-organizing maps (SOMs) are a class of neural network algorithms able to visually describe a high-dimensional dataset onto a two-dimensional grid. SOMs were explored to classify soils based on an array of physical, chemical, and biological parameters. Methods: The SOM analysis was performed considering soil physical, chemical, and microbial data gathered from an array of apple orchards and strawberry plantations managed by organic or conventional methods and located in different European climatic zones. Results: The SOM analysis considering the “climatic zone” categorical variables was able to discriminate the samples from the three zones for both crops. The zones were associated with different soil textures and chemical characteristics, and for both crops, the Continental zone was associated with microbial parameters—including biodiversity indices derived from the NGS data analysis. However, the SOM analysis based on the “management method” categorical variables was not able to discriminate the soils between organic and integrated management. Conclusions: This study allowed for the Soil Syst. 2025, 9, 10 https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems9010010 Soil Syst. 2025, 9, 10 2 of 14 discrimination of soils of medium- and long-term fruit crops based on their pedo-climatic characteristics and associating these characteristics to some indicators of the soil biome, pointing to the possibility of better understanding the interactions among diverse variables, which could support unraveling the intricate web of relationships that define soil quality

Strength prominence index

Link prediction is a field within social network studies that aims to forecast future connections based on the structure of a social network. This paper introduces a link prediction method based on the strength and prominence of seed node pairs, referred to as the strength prominence index. In this method, we get a consistent score for any pair of nodes, regardless of whether they share a common neighbour. Several key characteristics have been identified. In our experiments, we used three well-known estimators to evaluate the accuracy of link prediction algorithms: precision, area under the precision-recall curve, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. A comparative study with existing methods is also presented, supported by relevant graphs and tables. Validation using Facebook data sets demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method

Netnography as a methodological lens for uncovering heritage ambience

Konstrukt turizma je prelomna oblika kapitalistične produkcije prostora, ki ustvarja nove urbane oblike. V številnih arhitekturnih in morfoloških študijah so analizirali različne modele, manjkajo pa primerjave njihovih značilnosti. Avtorji so v članku primerjali štiri vrste turizma, povezane z razvojem kapitalizma (vključno s predfordizmom, fordizmom in postfordizmom), in različne vrste turističnih mest. V povezavi z gospodarskimi, socialnimi in kulturnimi značilnostmi so analizirali njihovo arhitekturno ikoničnost, morfološke vzorce in prostorsko metriko. Izsledki kažejo, da predfordistični in fordistični konstrukti turizma, za katere je značilna visoka gostota zazidave, spodbujajo družbene odnose in povečujejo sposobnost ustvarjanja mesta, postfordistični konstrukti turizma z nizko gostoto zazidave pa povzročajo višje okoljske stroške (porast zasebnih zelenih in vodnih površin) in višje družbene stroške zaradi arhitekturne ikoničnosti. Avtorji so proučevali povezavo med arhitekturnimi in urbanističnimi spremenljivkami, ki bi jih bilo treba upoštevati pri načrtovanju turističnih destinacij v okviru kapitalistične produkcije turističnega prostora.The concept of heritage ambience reconfigures cultural preservation by prioritizing multisensory experiences and human subjectivity, transcending static architectural analysis. However, capturing these intangible dimensions – rooted in sensory engagement, memory, and local narratives – remains methodologically challenging. This study employs netnography to decode interactions between sensory atmospheres and collective memory in historic urban spaces, using the medina in Tlemcen, Algeria, as a case study. Analysis of digital narratives, social media discourses, and community-generated content reveals how nonexpert knowledge reconstructs heritage values often marginalized by traditional conservation frameworks. The results demonstrate that the medina’s ambience is not merely a backdrop but a dynamic archive of lived experiences, where smells, sounds, and textures intertwine to shape cultural identity. This research advocates integrating local perspectives into protection strategies, challenging the hegemony of institutional approaches. By linking digital ethnography and sensory urbanism, it proposes a reproducible methodological framework for reimagining heritage as a living, participatory practice where the spirit of place thrives through community governance

Illustration of the methodological complexity of implementing LCA in building design: guidelines for lowcarbon buildings of slovenian housing funds

Nova Direktiva o energetski učinkovitosti stavb (EPBD) uvaja vrednotenje vseživljenjskega ogljičnega odtisa stavb v načrtovalsko prakso. Kot orodje za izračun ogljičnega odtisa stavb je predvidena metoda ocenjevanja življenjskega cikla (LCA). Stavbe so kompleksni sistemi z dolgo življenjsko dobo, sestavljeni iz množice različnih gradbenih proizvodov. Uporaba metode LCA zato zahteva strukturiran pristop, celovito definicijo robnih pogojev in scenarijev izračuna ter podatke, s katerimi določamo okoljski odtis v različnih fazah življenjskega cikla stavb. V članku je predstavljena vsebina Smernic za nizkoogljične stavbe slovenskih stanovanjskih skladov (smernice SSS). Predstavitev smernic služi kot izhodišče za razumevanje metodologije LCA in ključnih elementov, ki so zahtevani za harmonizirano vrednotenje ogljičnega odtisa stavb. V nadaljevanju je predstavljena primerjava metodoloških karakteristik izbranih nacionalnih metod in okvira Level(s) z metodo v smernicah SSS. To omogoča diskusijo o prihajajočih izzivih in tveganjih povezanih z uvajanjem LCA v načrtovalsko prakso in obrazložitev, zakaj bo prihajajoča nacionalna metoda za Slovenijo imela drugačno zasnovo kot v smernicah SSS. V Sloveniji se moramo pripraviti na uvedbo LCA, sicer obstaja tveganje za preobremenitev projektantov in dvom o reprezentativnosti izračunov.The new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive introduces the evaluation of carbon in the whole-life cycle of buildings into design practice. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is envisaged as a tool for calculating the carbon footprint. Buildings, composed of various products with long lifespans, require a structured approach to LCA, including comprehensive boundary conditions and environmental impact data. The article presents the Guidelines for Low-Carbon Buildings of the Slovenian Building Fund, serving as a starting point for understanding the LCA methodology and the key elements for a harmonized carbon footprint assessment. It also compares the methodological characteristics of selected national methods and the Level(s) framework with the method presented in the guidelines. This enables a discussion on the challenges of implementing LCA into building design practice and an elaboration on why the upcoming national methodology will have a somewhat different design than the one developed in the guidelines. Slovenia must prepare for the introduction of LCA, otherwise there is a risk of overburdening the designers and the representativeness of the calculations will be called into question

Scale-up of zinc-air battery electrodes enhanced by 3D X-ray imaging

The scale-up of successful laboratory-scale zinc-air battery (ZAB) components is a stumbling block towards commercialization of this sustainable, cheap and safe technology. In this work, we consider electrode nanofabrication solutions that have been proved capable of overcoming durability criticalities at laboratory scale, but can miss their goal upon increasing electrode dimensions, owing to hard-to-discern electrode architecture issues. This contribution shows how X-ray computed microtomography can drive R&D of battery components

Silane-modified lanthanide complexes for integration into hybrid coatings and nanoparticles: thermal sensing applications and live cell labeling

Temperature sensing at the micro- and nanoscale remains a significant challenge due to the limitations of conventional techniques in spatial resolution and invasiveness. Here, we report the development of luminescent, temperature-sensitive coatings and nanoparticles based on a newly synthesized europium (Eu) complex integrated into a composite poly(methyl methacrylate)-siloxane-silica (PMMA-siloxane silica) matrix. The Eu complex, identified as the most promising candidate among three lanthanide complexes, was functionalized with silyl ethers via copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition and successfully incorporated into thin PMMA-siloxane silica films on glass surfaces and within silica nanoparticles. These materials exhibited strong thermal responsiveness, chemical stability, and suitability for high-resolution temperature sensing. Furthermore, Eu-loaded silica nanoparticles showed a distinct fluorescent signal and multiplexing capability in live-cell confocal microscopy and were internalized by lung epithelial cells (LA-4 cell line), highlighting their potential as bioimaging probes for localized intracellular temperature sensing. Although some photobleaching was observed under prolonged excitation, the materials demonstrated sufficient chemical and mechanical stability, making them promising for luminescent temperature sensing and live-cell imaging. These results establish the developed Eu-based hybrid materials as robust, non-invasive luminescent probes for high-resolution thermal sensing and cellular imaging