Search Results (4,128)

This review offers a focused overview of the strategies used to build and modify phenothiazine (PTZ) derivatives. It covers both classical synthetic approaches and advances reported since 2014, including transition metal-catalyzed transformations and greener techniques, such as electrosynthesis, microwave-assisted reactions, and ultrasound-promoted methods. Each strategy is evaluated with respect to efficiency, scalability, and sustainability. In parallel, the review surveys the diverse bioactivity profiles of PTZ derivatives, ranging from antipsychotic, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities to emerging applications in photodynamic therapy and neuroprotection. By correlating synthetic accessibility with biological potential, this review provides an integrated perspective that highlights advances achieved since 2014 and outlines future opportunities for rational PTZ design and applications. Full article

Laser shock processing (LSP) is a surface treatment technique used to enhance mechanical properties such as hardness, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance. This study investigates the effects of LSP on a 6061-T6 aluminium alloy using four treatment conditions: nanosecond (ns-LSP), picosecond (ps-LSP), and a combination of nanosecond–picosecond (nsps-LSP) and picosecond–nanosecond (psns-LSP) pulses. Two laser systems were employed: a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (850 mJ/pulse, 6 ns, 1064 nm, 10 Hz), and an Ekspla Atlantic 355-60 laser (0.110 mJ/pulse, 13 ps, 1064 nm, 1 kHz). All treatments induced compressive residual stresses up to 1 mm in depth. Additionally, improvements in microhardness were observed, particularly at deeper layers in the combined nsps-LSP treatment. Surface roughness was measured and compared. Among all configurations, the nsps-LSP treatment produced the highest compressive residual stresses (−428 MPa) and greater microhardness at depth. These results suggest that the combined nsps-LSP treatment represents a promising approach to enhance the mechanical performance of metallic components. Full article

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of highly ordered nanoporous crystals that possess a designable framework and unique chemical versatility. MOF thin films are ideal for nanotechnology-enabling applications, such as optoelectronics, catalytic coatings, and sensing. Mg-MOF-74 has been drawing increasing attention due to its remarkable CO₂ uptake capacity among MOFs and other commonly used CO₂ absorbents. Mg-MOF-74 thin films are currently fabricated by immersing selected substrates in precursor solutions, followed by a traditional solvothermal synthesis process. Herein, we introduce a rapid, easy, and cost-effective synthesis protocol to fabricate MOF thin films in an additive manner. In this work, the controllable synthesis of Mg-MOF-74 thin films directly on optical supports is reported for the first time. Dense, continuous, and uniform Mg-MOF-74 thin films are successfully fabricated on bare glass slides, with an average growth rate of up to 85.3 nm min⁻¹. The structural and optical properties of the resulting Mg-MOF-74 thin films are characterized using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The CO₂ adsorption performance of the resulting Mg-MOF-74 thin films is studied using FTIR for the first time, which demonstrates that, as per the length of the light path for gas absorption, 1 nm Mg-MOF-74 thin film could provide 400.9 ± 18.0 nm absorption length for CO₂, which is achieved via the extraordinary CO₂ adsorption by Mg-MOF-74. The synthesis protocol enables the rapid synthesis of MOF thin films, highlighting Mg-MOF-74 in more CO₂-related applications, such as enhanced CO₂ adsorption and MOF-enhanced infrared gas sensing. Full article

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is now considered as a driver of evolution, possibly harmful to biodiversity, which constitutes a threat to the terrestrial and marine environment, and as such falls under Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 14 and 15. One way of mitigating its impact on the environment is to select an environment-friendly light spectrum, which is made more easily with current LED technologies. In this paper, we propose to adapt the spectrum of the lamps to that of the immediate environment. It makes it possible not to disturb the light environment of animals and plants at night and during the twilight period, at least from a spectral point of view, while ensuring the usual functions of lighting for humans. Apart from its own merit, the proposed concept may also contribute to SDG 13 by saving energy compared to current approaches based on long wavelengths light. The proposed idea may be implemented in various ways and deserves to be discussed in the lighting community and tested in real settings. Full article

Introduction: Increased exposure to air pollution poses a burden to society and healthcare systems worldwide, with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Indoor concentrations of air pollutants, such as particulate matter, are a public health concern because they can be present in higher concentrations than outside. Unlike the effects of indoor environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), there is a dearth of research that includes the impact of e-cigarettes on particulate matter concentrations in the home, which is the focus of this study. Method: Participant, household, and sensor information were obtained from 164 lower-income households located in Cornwall, South West of England. Daily sensor readings were obtained for PM_2.5 for one year. Descriptive statistics were used to describe study participant characteristics and health status. Mean indoor averages, median PM_2.5 measurements, and two-tailed tests were used to assess differences in concentrations of PM_2.5. Results: The 164 surveyed households included 315 residents (67% female) with a mean adult age of 57 (22–92). Half of all homes were in the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. Thirty-four per cent of participants were current smokers, and of these 36% have asthma and had seen a doctor in the last year (cf. never smokers 14%, ex-smokers 25%). Mean annual PM_2.5 was highest in smoking households (14.07 µg/m³) and smoking and vaping households (9.18 µg/m³), and lower in exclusive vaping households (2.00 µg/m³) and smoke and vape-free households (1.28 µg/m³). Monthly levels of PM_2.5 fluctuated seasonally for all groups, with the highest recordings in winter and the lowest in summer. Discussion and Conclusion: In this preliminary study, we conducted secondary data analyses using monitoring data from a large health and housing study to assess factors leading to elevated indoor concentrations of particulate matter. Indoor concentrations appeared to be highest in homes where residents smoked indoors. The use of e-cigarettes in the home also appeared to modify concentrations of particulate matter, but levels were lower than in homes with tobacco smoke. We were not able to determine the relationship between smoking and/or vaping indoors and particulate matter, which supports the need for studies of larger sample sizes and more complex longitudinal monitoring. This will help assess the timing and extent of exposures resulting from smoking and vaping indoors, along with a range of other chemical and biological exposures and their corresponding health effects. Full article

We investigated the repeatability of the MS-39 in determining power vector components—the spherical equivalent (SEQ) and astigmatic powers (C0 and C45) and asphericity (Q)—of corneal epithelium, stroma, and endothelium in a large patient cohort. In this retrospective cross-sectional single-centre study, we evaluated a dataset containing 600 MS-39 anterior segment tomography measurements from 200 eyes (three repeat measurements each) taken prior to cataract surgery. The exported measurements included height map data for the epithelium, stroma, and endothelium surface. Model surfaces (spherocylinder (SphCyl), cylindrical conoid (CylConoid), and biconic (Biconic), all in the 3/6 mm zone) were fitted using nonlinear iterative optimisation, minimising the height difference between the measurement and model. The mean (MEAN) and standard deviation (SD) for each sequence of measurements were derived and analysed. In the 3 mm and 6 mm zone, the MEAN SEQ was 53.47/53.56/53.57 and 53.21/53.54/53.54 D for SphCyl/CylConoid/Biconic for the epithelium, −4.47/−4.51/−4.51 and −4.45/−4.50/−4.50 D for the stroma, and −6.23/−6.26/−6.26 and −6.18/−6.29/−6.30 D for the endothelium. With the three surface models and the 3/6 mm zone, the SD for SEQ/C0/C45 was in the range of 0.04 to 0.11/0.05 to 0.13/0.04 to 0.11 D for epithelium; 0.01 to 0.02/0.01 to 0.05/0.01 to 0.06 D for stroma; and 0.01 to 0.02/0.02 to 0.07/0.03 to 0.07 D for endothelium. Fitting floating model surfaces with astigmatism to map data of the corneal epithelium, stroma, and endothelium seems to be a robust and reliable method for extracting equivalent power and astigmatism using all the datapoints within a region of interest. Full article

Alexandrium spp. blooms produce a range of toxins, including spirolides, goniodomins, and paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs). Of these, PSTs are the most impactful due to their high affinity for voltage-gated sodium ion channels in nerve cell membranes. This interaction can cause neurological effects such as paralysis and, in severe cases, may lead to death. Given the implications of Alexandrium blooms on public health, all mitigation, prevention, and treatment strategies aim to reduce their socioeconomic impacts. However, monitoring harmful algal blooms remains difficult due to confounding influences such as pollution, climate change, and the inherent variability of environmental conditions. These factors can complicate early detection and management efforts, especially as the intensity and frequency of blooms continue to rise, further exacerbating their socioeconomic consequences. This review offers insights into several management approaches to prevent and control Alexandrium blooms, focusing on modified nano-clays as a promising emergency mitigation measure for low-density toxic algal blooms, especially in areas predominantly used for recreational fishing. However, it is recommended that treatment be coupled with monitoring to alleviate reliance on treatment alone. Full article

This paper presents an adaptive backstepping feedback control design for an unmanned aerial manipulator (UAM) that consists of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with an attached robotic arm. The effect of the arm is treated as a disturbance force and torque, as well as a parametric uncertainty in inertial parameters. The proposed adaptive law guarantees disturbance rejection assuming constant parameters and disturbances. In practice, this assumption includes the case of fixed-arm configurations. To validate the control design, numerical simulations are performed, including a realistic pick-and-place scenario. Full article

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer death, with liver transplantation (LT) offering a curative option for early-stage patients who cannot undergo resection. Although LT provides good long-term outcomes within standard criteria, recurrence occurs in approximately 8–20% of recipients and often leads to poor survival. Traditionally, LT eligibility relied on strict criteria like the Milan criteria, which are effective in selecting patients with low recurrence but may exclude patients who could benefit from transplantation. In response, new expanded criteria and models using tumor biology have been developed for better risk stratification, allowing more personalized selection and management. Despite these advances, recurrence remains a major clinical challenge, with no consensus on optimal imaging timing or frequency post-LT. Treatment depends on the recurrence’s extent and location, including surgical resection and locoregional therapies. Systemic treatments are promising, especially for unresectable or extrahepatic recurrence, though most evidence comes from small retrospective studies, limiting the development of standardized protocols. Future research should focus on addressing these gaps and guiding evidence-based post-transplant care. This is a narrative review summarizing recent advances in HCC recurrence. Full article

Using the RadSawSim simulator for radial sawing, a simulation of the radial sawing technique was used to saw Pedunculata oak (Quercus robur L.) logs. Simulation was implemented with a view to producing as many radially sawn boards as possible and took into account the influences of increasing volume yield, lumber value yield, and log-value yield. The methods that were analyzed were live sawing and radial sawing of third sections, fourth sections, fifth sections, and sixth sections of the log. Live sawing achieved the best results of volume yield during simulation, which was followed by radial sawing into the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth sections. The difference in volume yield with live sawing compared to the radial-sawing method is very large for logs up to a diameter of 45 cm. It becomes smaller when the log diameter is greater than 45 cm. A comparison of the radial method shows that the share of radially sawn boards and lumber value yield increased when the number of log sections during sawing simulation increased. If log-value yield is assumed to be the main criterion, and given the conditions used in this simulation, there is no justified reason to saw logs using the radial technique when the diameter is less than 45 cm. The live sawing technique is more efficient for these diameters of logs, and, therefore, the radial sawing technique is more efficient for logs with a diameter greater than 45 cm. Full article

The present study focuses on the extraction, characterisation, and functional properties of pectin-like polymers from tomatoes. The results revealed that the highest pectin yield (35.5%) of the dry weight was extracted at pH 1, whilst the lowest yield (25.4%) was extracted at pH 3. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra displayed major peaks at 2900–3300 cm⁻¹ and 900–1100 cm⁻¹, which are typical of carbohydrate polymers. A compositional analysis revealed the presence of six monosaccharides (glucose, arabinose, fucose, galactose, mannose, and galacturonic acid) together with trace amounts of xylose, which are typical of pectin (or pectin-like) structures. This suggests that the pectin-like polymers have galactan and/or arabinan side chains. The emulsifying activities and stabilities were ≥50% and ≥96%, respectively. The pectin-like polymers also demonstrated notable antioxidant activities (70%) when determined using the 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Full article

Processing economically and socio-culturally significant Amazonian fruits—andiroba (Carapa guianensis Aubl.), açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.), and babassu (Attalea speciosa Mart. ex Spreng.)—generates substantial biomass waste, posing critical environmental and waste management challenges. This study explored the valorization of these abundant residual biomasses as sustainable feedstocks for biosurfactant production by bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa P23G-02, while simultaneously profiling their nutritional value and broader implications for a circular bioeconomy. Through liquid fermentation, biosurfactants were produced at an approximate yield of 6 mg/mL. The isolated biosurfactants exhibited favorable properties, including emulsification indices of around 60% and surface tension reduction to below 30 mN/m, with the andiroba-derived biosurfactant identified as a rhamnolipid type. Nutritional profiling of the residues revealed significant energy values, reaching up to 656 kcal/100 g, with açai and babassu residues being carbohydrate-rich (exceeding 80%), and andiroba residues exhibiting a high lipid profile (up to 57%). These distinct compositions critically influenced biosurfactant yield. These findings underscore the viability of Amazonian fruit biomass as valuable resources for developing eco-friendly bioproducts and innovative waste management solutions. While highlighting a promising pathway for circular bioeconomy development, future research should address biosafety and explore alternative microbial hosts for applications in sensitive sectors such as food and nutrition. Full article

Oral hygiene protocols and basic oral care (BOC) are paramount for patients undergoing cancer treatment, although based upon limited evidence from clinical trials. There are a range of oral care guidelines proposed in the literature mainly focusing on oral mucositis prevention. This systematic review aimed to define the best procedures and practices in the scope of oral hygiene protocols and BOC interventions for the prevention and/or treatment of oral complications in patients under cancer treatment. This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines, and the methods were previously established and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022319455). A systematic search was completed in six databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS, and the Cochrane Library, and gray literature). Eleven studies were included in the qualitative analysis including non-randomized (n = 1) and randomized clinical trials (n = 6), and cohort studies (n = 4). The included studies showed the effectiveness of soft brushes for daily oral hygiene with topical fluoride, and the use of mouthwashes with 0.12% chlorhexidine, doxepin, and benzydamine and saline solutions, as well as dental scaling/prophylaxis in decreasing the severity of oral toxicities. Although not well-explored by well-designed clinical studies, BOC protocols may be effective in prevention oral toxicities from cancer therapy and are supported in multiple guidelines. This review synthesized available evidence on BOC in head and neck cancer patients, focusing on the effectiveness of hospital-based dental protocols during cancer treatment. Full article

Emotion detection in Brazilian Portuguese is less studied than in English. We benchmarked a large language model (Mistral 24B), a language-specific transformer model (BERTimbau), and the lexicon-based EmoAtlas for classifying emotions in Brazilian Portuguese text, with a focus on eight emotions derived from Plutchik’s model. Evaluation covered four corpora: 4000 stock-market tweets, 1000 news headlines, 5000 GoEmotions Reddit comments translated by LLMs, and 2000 DeepSeek-generated headlines. While BERTimbau achieved the highest average scores (accuracy 0.876, precision 0.529, and recall 0.423), an overlap with Mistral (accuracy 0.831, precision 0.522, and recall 0.539) and notable performance variability suggest there is no single top performer; however, both transformer-based models outperformed the lexicon-based EmoAtlas (accuracy 0.797) but required up to 40 times more computational resources. We also introduce a novel “emotional fingerprinting” methodology using a synthetically generated dataset to probe emotional alignment, which revealed an imperfect overlap in the emotional representations of the models. While LLMs deliver higher overall scores, EmoAtlas offers superior interpretability and efficiency, making it a cost-effective alternative. This work delivers the first quantitative benchmark for interpretable emotion detection in Brazilian Portuguese, with open datasets and code to foster research in multilingual natural language processing. Full article

The first comprehensive mass balance estimation for the world’s largest tropical icefield is presented. Geodetical mass balance was calculated using photogrammetry from aerial and satellite images spanning from 1955 to 2024. The results meet expected quality standards using some new satellite sources, such as the Peruvian PeruSAT-1, although the quality of airborne imagery is consistently lower than that of satellite sources. The Nevado Coropuna icefield remained almost stable between 1955 and 1986 with −0.04 m dh yr⁻¹. Since then, it has undergone a sustained and accelerated negative mass balance, reaching a maximum annual dh yr⁻¹ of −0.73 ± 0.19 in the 2020–2023 timeframe. The glacier loss is not equal across the entire ice mass, but more acute in the northern and northeastern outlet tongues. Debris-covered ice and rock glaciers show a much weaker negative mass balance signal. The impact of ENSO events is not evident in the overall ice evolution, although their long-term relevance is acknowledged. Overall, the negative response of Nevado Coropuna to global warming (−0.36 ± 0.12 m.w.e. yr⁻¹ for the 2013 to 2024 period) is less pronounced than that of other Peruvian glaciers, but more severe than that reported for the nearby Dry Andes of Chile and Argentina. Full article