As one of the fastest growing industries tourism is in increasing need for well educated and skillful employees on both operational and managerial level. Institutions of higher education are requested by tourism industry to produce quality human resources able to respond immediately to their needs and to be involved in working processes as fast as possible with low or without any additional costs for future employees' initial job training. With inclusion of training and internship programs into, primarily vocational, but also, into bachelor studies students will be trained for their future jobs through real business situations and environment. This paper focuses on students' perceptions of internship and training programs as part of their formal education. Through analysis of the survey distributed among students of the College of Tourism it will be shown how students perceive the internship programs and importance of these programs for their future employment. Also, it will be shown the level of their satisfaction with tourism companies where they are performing internship programs and the level of their satisfaction with activities of the College of Tourism in communications during the internship, program management and implementation of the internship programs.

In transient multiphase seepage, soil water retention behaviour deviates from equilibrium, leading to dynamic nonequilibrium effects in which suction and water content change asynchronously. This yields flow-rate-dependent soil water retention curves that critically affect predictions of fluid and solute transport in vadose zone and undermine the safety assessment of unsaturated soil slope stability. This brief review synthesises advances and challenges in understanding this behaviour through examining microscale multiphase physical mechanisms and macroscale influences of soil type and hydraulic history. Key experimental techniques, from instrumented soil columns to advanced electromagnetic and imaging methods, are evaluated alongside their limitations. There is also an analysis of continuum- and pore-scale numerical models, including those incorporating dynamic capillary coefficients, pore network models, and multiphase computational fluid dynamics. Despite progress, major challenges persist, including the empirical nature and scale-dependence of model parameters, path-dependent hysteresis, and the lack of a unified theoretical framework that couples dynamic capillarity with soil deformation. Future interdisciplinary efforts integrating advanced experimentation, multiscale numerical modelling, and multiphase physics-based constitutive theories are essential to develop predictive tools for more accurate vadose-zone hydrology and related engineering applications. Document Type: Invited review Cited as: Yan, G., Liu, B., Bore, T., Torres, S. A. G., Li, L., Scheuermann, A. Advances in dynamic soil water retention behaviour and implications for vadose zone hydrology. Capillarity, 2026, 19(1): 26-38. https://doi.org/10.46690/capi.2026.04.03

Continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) using passive state preparation (PSP) offers low-cost, high-rate secure communication. However, the existing PSP-CVQKD scheme with a transmitted local oscillator has high photon leakage noise and poor stability, making it unsuitable for high-loss transmission. In this work, for the first time, we propose and implement a local local oscillator (LLO) CVQKD system using a self-referenced (SR) PSP scheme, and give a theoretical proof of the equivalence of the PSP and GMCS protocol using temporal-mode theory. By employing the novel self-referenced pilot scheme to achieve high-precision time-varying frequency and phase compensation algorithms, we significantly improve the system' s signal-to-noise ratio and stability. The system achieves a record-high asymptotic secret key rate of 10.34 Mbps over a free-space channel with up to 23.5 dB loss, while maintaining low excess noise and robust performance under turbulent conditions. This work establishes the feasibility of SR-LLO CVQKD, providing a practical pathway toward secure, high-rate quantum communication in realistic environments.

Hydroacoustic remote sensing represents a non-invasive, repeatable approach to monitoring benthic communities, supporting sustainable management, conservation efforts, and the detection of environmental change. Mussel clusters on a sandy seafloor in the Oder Bank area (10 to 15 m water depth, southwestern Baltic Sea) were detected in high-frequency backscatter data recorded with a Norbit STX multibeam echosounder in 2019. The blue mussel ( Mytilus edulis ) complexes appear as narrow bands in backscatter mosaics, showing average backscatter intensity increases between 0.2 and 1.0 dB, with localized peaks of up to 2 dB compared to the surrounding sand. Mussel coverage, verified by underwater video sledge observations, reaches up to 50% in isolated patches but typically remains below 15%. The acoustic response of the mussel clusters shows a weak to moderate yet significant correlation with mussel cover, independent of frequency (tested at 200, 400, and 700 kHz). This response is observed at incidence angles greater than 40°. A persistent shell hash layer found at 8 cm depth in sediment cores was not detected acoustically at any frequency. Comparison with data from 2024 suggests that these mussel clusters are ephemeral. Due to the shallowness of the Oder Bank they are influenced by natural processes such as wind and current-driven circulation. This causes the Mytilus bands to roll back and forth on the sand, but can also lead to the dissolution and dispersal of the clusters. The mussel complexes cannot be reliably captured using point-based sampling and short video transects. • Mytilus edulis clusters on sand are detectable in multibeam backscatter data. • Change in mussel abundance explains changes in backscatter intensity. • The clusters are short-lived features and not detected in repeated surveys.

/ Une analyse de fiabilité des structures consiste à tenir compte des incertitudes en modélisant les chargements et les propriétés des matériaux d'un ouvrage par des variables aléatoires, lesquelles sont intégrées dans les calculs de stabilité afin d'évaluer l'incertitude associée aux résultats de ces calculs. La résistance au cisaillement des discontinuités rocheuses joue un rôle essentiel dans la stabilité des massifs rocheux, notamment dans le cas d'une analyse de stabilité au glissement des fondations rocheuses de barrages-poids. Cette communication propose une méthodologie d'analyse de la variabilité spatiale de la résistance au cisaillement le long des discontinuités des fondations rocheuses, permettant de prendre en compte les effets de réduction de variance. Cette démarche vise à évaluer la réduction de variance des paramètres mobilisés à grande échelle à l'aide de l'identification d'une tendance déterministe variant en profondeur et d'une corrélation spatiale déduite d'une analyse géostatistique. La méthodologie est illustrée sur le cas réel d'une fondation d'un barrage-poids en béton. Une analyse de fiabilité a été conduite pour ce cas d'étude afin d'illustrer l'intérêt de la prise en compte de la réduction de variance dans l'évaluation de la probabilité de défaillance.

The application of biochar or silicate rock powder as soil amendments combines carbon dioxide removal with soil improvement. However, their combined short-term effects on nutrient dynamics and microbial activity are poorly understood. Therefore, we combined wood biochar and basanite powder via co-application and via co-pyrolysis of biomass and basanite to rock-enhanced biochar in a nine-week semi-field-based lysimeter experiment with cabbage turnip ( Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes L.). We measured carbon (C), nitrogen (N), available phosphorous (P), mineral N, dissolved organic C (DOC), microbial biomass C (C mic ), soil pH, and electric conductivity (EC). We examined extracellular enzyme kinetics of ß-glucosidase (BG), chitinase (CH), leucine-aminopeptidase (LAP), and acid phosphatase (AP) related to C, N, and P cycles. From potential enzyme activity (V max ) of BG, LAP, and AP we calculated extracellular enzyme stoichiometry (EES), vector angle and length to assess nutrient limitations. In combined applications, the influence of biochar was dominant. The application of biochar-containing amendments (biochar, co-application, co-pyrolyzed rock-enhanced biochar) to our sandy topsoil significantly increased C, P, DOC, C mic , pH, and EC. Co-application even exceeded single biochar in increasing N, pH, and EC. Single biochar application resulted in the highest short-term P availability, while combined applications potentially result in a long-term P supply. While LAP’s V max increased following biochar-containing amendment application, V max of the other enzymes decreased. Although AP showed the highest V max , indicating a P limitation, the enzyme patterns and EES suggest an increased N demand and a shift from P-limited towards a more balanced microbial nutrient demand following biochar-containing amendment application. • Combined applications mainly driven by biochar, not by basanite • Biochar and combined applications increased P availability and relative N demand • Co-pyrolysis showed no advantage compared to co-application of biochar and basanite • No basanite weathering during 9-week planted lysimeter experiment visible in soil • Basanite application caused no negative effects, highlighting its CDR potential

[Departement_IRSTEA]Eaux [TR1_IRSTEA]RIVAGE

Deep-sea cages are highly susceptible to biofouling due to long-term seawater immersion, which promotes the attachment and growth of marine organisms on nets, significantly reducing fish survival. To address this issue, this study explores the use of low-pressure abrasive-water jets (LPAWJ) for cage fouling removal through numerical simulation. Based on a Box-Behnken response surface design, nozzle inlet pressure X1, nozzle outlet diameter X2, and target distance X3 were selected as optimization parameters. The peak jet impact force Z1, stable jet impact force Z2, peak abrasive-water jet velocity Z3, and peak abrasive particle velocity Z4 were chosen as evaluation indicators to characterize the jet’s instantaneous impact ability, sustained action ability, and dynamic particle behavior. Using the entropy method, weights for each indicator were determined, and the jet’s overall removal capability was calculated. A regression model was developed by integrating numerical simulation with the response surface methodology (RSM), and the optimal parameter combination was identified as X1 = 4.5 MPa, X2 = 10 mm, and X3 = 205.396 mm. Compared with the poorest experimental condition (Condition 1), the jet’s overall removal capability obtained under the optimal parameter combination increases by 101.35%. Experimental validation further confirms that the optimized parameters yield the best oyster-removal performance of the low-pressure abrasive jet, with the average removal rate improving by 100.55% relative to Condition 1. The methodology and results of this study provide a theoretical foundation and technical reference for the design and optimization of automated net-cleaning systems or net-cleaning robots equipped with low-pressure abrasive jets. By integrating the proposed model and operating parameters, future robotic systems will be able to predict and dynamically adjust jet conditions according to fouling characteristics, thereby improving the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of maintenance operations in marine aquaculture.

The accelerating demand for energy, coupled with the ongoing depletion of conventional energy resources and environmental problems, poses a critical challenge to the scientific community. Addressing this challenge requires the development of innovative materials capable of generating, converting, storing, and utilizing energy in ways that are both sustainable and environmentally benign. Understanding these complex systems—spanning diverse phenomena and interacting across multiple spatial (from atomic to macroscopic) and temporal (from femtoseconds to years) scales—demands an integrated scientific approach. While experimental research remains essential in uncovering the behavior of energy materials, especially under harsh environmental conditions, many microscopic-scale mechanisms remain poorly understood. This is where molecular-level computational simulations can play an important role. Advances in computer molecular sciences now offer powerful methods for probing the structure, dynamics, and reactivity of materials at the atomic and molecular levels, complementing experimental findings and offering predictive insights. In particular, molecular simulations—encompassing static modeling, molecular dynamics, and Monte Carlo methods—enable the exploration of energy materials under various conditions. These approaches can operate across quantum, classical, and coarse-grained frameworks, each providing valuable perspectives on intra- and intermolecular forces. Quantum mechanical methods reveal critical details of electronic structure, which underpin macroscopic properties and device performance, while atomistic and coarse-grained simulations offer scalable insights into larger systems and longer-time-scale processes. To fully capture the multiscale nature of energy materials, there is a growing need to integrate particle-based methods with continuum models through multiresolution and multiscale approaches. Such hybrid strategies promise to deepen our understanding of the fundamental phenomena governing the behavior of materials in real-world energy and environmental applications.This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances in atomic-scale simulation methods and their application to energy materials science. Contributions demonstrate how computational tools provide crucial insights into the design, characterization, and optimization of materials for a sustainable energy future.

How land-use intensity (LUI) affects soil structure-dependent functions and organic matter (OM) quality in Patagonian wetland soils (Vegas) of southern Chile is an intriguing question. These wetland soils, which store large amounts OM and regulate water and nutrient fluxes, are increasingly exposed to intensification. While degradation of peatlands under drainage and conversion to agricultural activities is well documented, the long-term effects of contrasting LUI under intensification of livestock systems and peat extraction in southern Patagonia remain poorly understood. Research was conducted along a west–east climatic and aridity gradient in the Magallanes Region Chile. Four pairs of Vegas with contrasting LUI, low-and-high-intensity use of livestock and peat extraction sites were selected, spanning Histosols and Gleysols, including sedge meadows and Sphagnum peatlands. At each site, environmental conditions, vegetation inventory, and livestock management (stocking rate and density) were characterized. Soil structure-dependent functions were quantified from undisturbed cores collected at the surface horizon (5 cm) and the last horizon (~ 70 cm) before the appearance of glacial material or the water table. The water retention and shrinkage curves were measured, and from this, the bulk density (BD), air capacity (AC), plant available water (PAW), coefficient of linear extensibility (COLE), air permeability (Ka) were derived. The saturated hydraulic conductivity (ks), and anisotropy of air and water flows were quantified. The total and dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen (TC, TOC, IC, DOC, TN, TIN and TON), stable isotopes (¹³C, ¹⁵N), and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Most Vegas showed high OC (3,69-44%) with very high porosity (>80%), high shrinkage capacity, and strong deformation due to soil drying (COLE> 0.09), particularly in Histosols. and ks decrease with depth, especially in Sphagnum peatlands due to the OM decomposition and pore-size reduction. A soil structural shrinkage phase normally is presence, being often a residual and zero-shrinkage phases absent under low LIU. Anisotropy in fluid conduction was sporadic and more pronounced in the Gleysolic sites. OM quality varied strongly in the top and depth soils across sites. Sphagnum peatlands had the highest C:N ratios and high FTIR signatures of recalcitrant organic compounds, whereas sedge-dominated Vegas showed more similar spectral patterns. Depth profile declines in C:N and shifts in ¹³C and ¹⁵N abundances showing progressive OM decomposition and N enrichment. Unexpectedly, we found that high LUI did not deteriorate the structure-dependent functions. In several cases, more intensive but better managed systems displayed higher porosity, greater ks and Ka, and well-developed structural shrinkage phases. However, peat extraction in Sphagnum systems clearly damaged structural integrity. Results indicate that LUI effects are context dependent and that both low-intensity and over grazing for livestock production can be detrimental. A high LUI did not result in a marked deterioration of structure dependent soil functions, instead, it revealed a continuum of responses across the study sites. Recovery in structure-dependent soil functions were primarily associated with increased organic matter content, accompanied by a relative enhancement in organic matter quality. This implies that low land use intensity can be just as harmful without proper utilization and controlled use of natural resources.