Search Results (131)

Calcium aluminate cement (CAC) offers rapid strength development, chemical durability in harsh environments, and high-temperature resistance, but its long-term performance may be compromised by the conversion of metastable hexagonal hydrates into stable cubic phases. Concurrently, recycling spent fluorescent lamp glass (SFLG) is limited because of its residual mercury content. This study investigates the use of manually (MAN) and mechanically (MEC) processed SFLG as partial CAC replacements (up to 50 wt.%). Both SFLG types had irregular morphologies with mean particle sizes of ~20 µm and mercury concentrations of 3140 ± 61 ppb (MAN) and 2133 ± 119 ppb (MEC). Moreover, the addition of SFLG reduced the initial and final setting times, whilst MEC waste notably extended the plastic state duration from 20 min (reference) to 69 min (50 wt.% MEC). Furthermore, strength development was accelerated, with SFLG/CAC mortars reaching peak strengths at 7–10 days versus 28 days as in the CAC reference. CAC and 15 wt.% SFLG mortars showed strength loss over time by reason of their phase conversion, whereas mortars with 25–50 wt.% SFLG experienced significant long-term strength gains, reaching ~60 MPa (25 wt.%) and ~45 MPa (35 wt.%), respectively, after 365 days, with strength activity indexes (SAI) near 90% and 70%, respectively. These improvements are attributed to the formation of strätlingite (C₂ASH₈), which stabilized hexagonal CAH₁₀ and mitigated conversion to cubic katoite (C₃AH₆). Mercury leaching remained below 0.01 mg/kg dry matter for all mixes and curing ages, classifying the mortars as non-hazardous and inert under Spanish Royal Decree 646/2020. The results suggest that SFLG can be safely reused as a sustainable admixture in CAC systems, enhancing long-term mechanical performance while minimizing environmental impact. Full article

Background/Objectives: Introducing new transformative surgical technology involves navigating a complex process from design to implementation, often hindered by various barriers that delay the transition into clinical practice. This review critically examines the barriers, proposes a unified guide for medical device implementation in the Australian healthcare system utilising the validated Medtech Innovation Guide, and compares regulatory frameworks in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Methods: We conducted a literature review using MEDLINE and EMBASE with MeSH terms or emtree terms and keywords “new OR novel” AND “surgical device OR medical device OR health technology OR surgical technology OR surgical instrument OR transformative technology OR technological innovation OR technological change” AND “implementation OR adoption OR innovation adoption” AND “surgery OR surgical” AND “Australia”. We also assessed governmental websites (gov.au) and documents as well as the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) website, policies, and position statements. Furthermore, Australian medical technology start-up companies were asked for any published roadmaps. Results: Four key stakeholder groups were identified: medical professionals, government, hospitals, and patients/consumers. Barriers include surgeon scepticism, regulatory hurdles (e.g., Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods), hospital clearance processes, and meeting patient expectations. To address these challenges, we propose a five-phase system: surgical device development (phase one), compliance with regulatory processes (phase two), research and experimentation (phase three), finalisation for product launch (phase four), and product launch and assessment (phase five). Conclusions: By following our five-phase guide, innovators may better navigate the complexities of integrating transformative surgical technologies into Australian healthcare. Although there are limitations, this approach is based on the validated Medtech Innovation Guide and may help both experienced and inexperienced practitioners better implement innovative technology; however, real-world validation is required. Full article

Background: Accuracy of optical impressions—defined by the intraoral scanner (IOS)’s trueness and precision per International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards—is influenced by both operator- and patient-related factors. Thus, this in vitro study aimed to (1) evaluate how scanning distance affects the accuracy of three different intraoral scanners (IOSs), and (2) identify the optimal scanning distance for each scanner. Methods: A maxillary arch model was obtained using polyvinyl siloxane impression material and poured with Type IV stone (Octa-rock royal^®, Kulzer, Germany). Using three different types of IOSs—the trios 3 shape (TRIOS ^® cart, 3Shape, Copenhagen, Denmark); the Helios 500 (Eighteeth ^®, Changzhou, China); and the Heron (3Disc ^®, Herndon, VA 20170, USA)—ten scans were performed with each of the IOSs with five predetermined distances: 0 mm, 2.5 mm, 5 mm, 7.5 mm, and 10 mm. Spacers of varying heights were designed using Meshmixer version 3.5 (Autodesk, Inc., Mill Valley, CA, USA) and three-dimensional printed with the Form 2 printer (Formlabs, Somerville, MA, USA). The scanned data was processed using Geomagic Control X (Version 16.0.2.16496, 3D Systems, Wilsonville, OR, USA). Statistical analyses were performed using R Statistical Software (version 4.2.2), with significance set at α = 0.05. Results: Scanning distance significantly influenced scan accuracy for all three scanners. The 3Disc scanner (3Disc, Herndon, VA, USA) demonstrated the highest accuracy at a 7.5 mm distance, while both the Helios 500 (Eighteeth, Changzhou, China) and Trios 3 (3Shape, Copenhagen, Denmark) scanners achieved their best accuracy at a 5 mm distance, as indicated by the lowest root mean square (RMS) values (p < 0.05). Conclusions: To conclude, each IOS has an optimal scanning distance for best accuracy. Trios 3 (3Shape, Copenhagen, Denmark) outperformed the others in both trueness and precision. Future studies should examine these effects under full-arch and clinical conditions. Full article

This study compares the physicochemical properties of Royal Gala apple snacks fresh and processed using different methods: solar-dried (SD), oven-dried at 65 °C (OD65°) and 85 °C (OD85°) and two commercial brands (CC—commercial apple C and CF—commercial apple F). Evaluated parameters included color, microstructure, acidity, sugar content, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and the presence of heat-induced compounds such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and acrylamide. Commercial samples showed more pronounced color changes and a denser microstructure, with higher browning index (BI) values. The ratio of soluble solids to titratable acidity, an indicator of sensory acceptance, was more influenced by drying methods than temperature. Total phenolic content was highest in fresh apples (123.68 mg GAE/100 g d.m.) and decreased across all drying methods, particularly in solar-dried (SD) samples (78.57 mg GAE/100 g d.m.). Antioxidant activity followed a similar trend, although SD samples performed better than expected, likely due to the retention of certain bioactive compounds. Fresh apples had the highest sugar content (43.25 mg/100 g d.m.), followed by CC (33.81 mg/100 g d.m.), OD65° (33.37 mg/100 g d.m.), CF (31.56 mg/100 g d.m.), OD85° (25.92 mg/100 g d.m.) and SD (25.01 mg/100 g d.m.). Commercial samples were sweeter and darker, with detectable levels of 5-HMF and acrylamide. The findings highlight that drying method significantly affects snack quality. While solar- and oven-dried samples better preserve bioactive compounds, industrial processes enhance sweetness and visual appeal but increase the formation of potentially undesirable compounds. These results are valuable for both consumers and producers aiming to balance sensory quality with nutritional and food safety considerations in dried apple products. Full article

This study develops a value-added processing technique for grade-out cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana Linn.) by applying mild hydrostatic osmotic pretreatment combined with rotary tray drying. Fruits classified as grade-out, often discarded due to aesthetic flaws, were subjected to osmotic treatment at 0.5 bar for 12 h using a sucrose solution enhanced with citric acid and glycerin. Pretreatment significantly elevated water loss (52.61%) and solid gain (18.12%), reducing moisture content prior to drying. Rotary tray drying was conducted at temperatures of 50, 60, and 70 °C. Drying at 60 °C achieved the ideal balance between efficiency and product quality. Samples pretreated and dried at 60 °C exhibited a 35% reduction in drying time while preserving superior color (ΔE = 13.54 ± 1.81), vitamin C (71.76 ± 2.57 mg/100 g dry matter, DM), total phenolic content (202.9 ± 10.91 mg GAE/100 g DM), and antioxidant activity (ABTS = 95.87 ± 3.41 µmol TE/g DM; DPPH = 89.97 ± 1.27 µmol TE/g DM). A production trial was conducted using 1500 kg of raw material from the Mae Hae Royal Project Development Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This process yielded 220 kg of high-quality dried fruit at an overall cost of USD 6.93 per kg. Local farmers successfully applied this technique, demonstrating its potential to enhance livelihoods, avoid postharvest losses, and valorize low-quality produce in line with Sustainable Development Goal 12. This supports the Royal Project Foundation’s vision for sustainable agriculture. Full article

This study explores the acoustic, mechanical and sensory characteristics of Royal Gala dried apples, with a special focus on the potential of solar drying as a sustainable processing method. Apple samples were subjected to different drying techniques, being solar dried (SDA) or oven dried (ODA), with two industrially processed commercial products (CCA—commercial apples C and CFA—commercial apples F) included. The samples were analyzed using acoustic measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and sensory evaluation to assess textural properties and consumer perception. Acoustic analysis revealed that crispier samples produced louder and higher-frequency sounds upon fracture, showing strong alignment with sensory assessments. X-ray diffraction indicated an increase in crystallinity during dehydration, with a shift in the amorphous peak toward lower angles, and reduced intensity, reflecting progressive water removal. Sensory evaluation showed varying degrees of crispiness among the samples, in the following order: CFA > SDA > CCA > ODA. Consumer testing highlighted greater acceptance and consensus for SDA and ODA samples in terms of texture and overall appeal, whereas CCA and CFA received more polarized opinions. These findings demonstrate how different drying methods influence the structural and textural properties of dried apples. Solar drying was shown to be a promising sustainable alternative; as it uses a renewable energy source, it has a low operating cost and simple maintenance. It allows farmers and small producers to process their own food, adding value and reducing post-harvest losses, preserving desirable textural attributes and achieving high consumer acceptance. Full article

High temperature is normally harmful to an organism. However, honey bees evolve, maintaining a relatively higher colony temperature of 34.5 °C in the long reproduction period. To determine the effect of such a higher colony temperature on adult bees and its biological significance, newly emerged bees were reared in cages at 34.5 °C and room temperature of 25.0 °C, respectively. Their survival rate, head weight, royal jelly-secreting gene expression, and morphology of the hypopharyngeal gland were investigated. Moreover, 40-day-old bees with significant differences in survival rate between the two temperature groups were subject to transcriptome and lipidome analysis. The result showed that the higher colony temperature was overall negative for the bees’ longevity. Transcriptome analysis showed that fatty acid metabolism-related items were enriched and the involved genes were upregulated in honey bees reared at 34.5 °C compared with the honey bees reared at 25.0 °C. Lipidomic analysis further validated that fatty acid metabolism, especially sphingolipid metabolism, was significantly altered. Such upregulation of fatty acid metabolism-related genes was also detected in young adult bees of 5 days old reared at 34.5 °C. These bees had heavier head weights, higher expression of royal jelly-secreting-related genes, and more developed hypopharyngeal glands. Such results showed that the colony temperature of 34.5 °C could accelerate the development process of newly emerged bees to be nurse bees, significantly increasing the colony nurturing capability, which in turn increased the development speed, size, and survivability of the colony. Thereby, the colony temperature of 34.5 °C shortened the lifespan of individual bees, but obtained huge returns at the colony level, with remarkable biological significance. Full article

Bee products, such as honey, bee pollen/bread, bee propolis and royal jelly foraged or secreted by honeybee workers, have been consumed by humans for many years and are important due to their complexity, the large number of them and the endemicity of their constituents. The health-promoting activities of bee products are widely documented all around the world. However, we have noticed a distinct but poorly described feature of bee products: groups of functionally opposite components (FOCs) related to blood sugar level, oxidative stress, cell membrane cholesterol distribution, cell membrane stability, cell membrane curvature, allergic reaction, cellular sodium influx and cardiac apoptosis that exist within these products. We then propose the Equivalence Index in order to overcome the challenges associated with FOCs; this is a concise mathematical model that can be used to optimize the evaluation of quality, determine any underlying mechanisms and provide processing guidance regarding bee products. Full article

This paper highlights the transition from traditional procurement systems to the newly introduced eProcurement system in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing the differences and improvements and their implications for sustainable development. The new system aims to enhance transparency, clarify purchasing methodologies, and build trust with the government through effective governance of government purchases and tender management. Guided by Royal Decree, this system aligns with the eProcurement Program to transition into digital processes for proficient bids and government purchases, contributing to more efficient and sustainable procurement practices. While some public agencies have attempted to adopt the new model contract for executing construction projects, it has faced challenges due to its lack of alignment with the best practices and sustainability considerations. The authors argue that many large projects remain exempt from this system, which poses obstacles to achieving the goals of sustainable economic development. The objective of this paper is to explore the newly revised Saudi procurement contracts in comparison with traditional public works contracts, with a focus on how they address socio-economic and environmental sustainability. The research provides an overview of various aspects related to public works contracts (PWCs) in Saudi Arabia, including framework agreements, online reverse auctions, industry localization, knowledge transfer, traditional lump sum contracts, two-phase tenders, and construction project competitions, analyzing their alignment with sustainable development goals. There is limited literature on recent models introduced by the Saudi government, but there are extensive resources on general contract law principles and international public policy. This foundation helps with understanding the legal aspects of public works contracts in Saudi Arabia, their alignment with international standards, and their implications for fostering sustainable development. By examining the literature, researchers can gain insights into the legal and policy framework governing public works contracts in Saudi Arabia and their role in promoting sustainability. The importance of this research lies in its comparative analysis, offering valuable insights into the evolution of procurement practices in Saudi Arabia and their contribution to sustainable socio-economic growth. Full article

Circular economy theorists and advocates typically describe traditional market economies as linear “take, make, use and dispose” systems. Various policy interventions, from green taxes to extended producer responsibility, are therefore deemed essential to ensure the systematic (re)introduction of residuals, secondary materials and components in manufacturing activities. By contrast, many nineteenth- and early twentieth-century writers documented how the profit motive, long-distance trade and actors now largely absent from present-day circularity discussions (e.g., waste dealers and brokers) spontaneously created ever more value out of the recovery of residuals and waste. These opposite assessments and underlying perspectives are perhaps best illustrated in the nineteenth classical liberal and early twenty-first century interventionist writings on circularity of Fellows, members and collaborators of the near tricentennial British Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. This article summarizes their respective contributions and compares their stance on market institutions, design, intermediaries, extended producer responsibility and long-distance trade. Some hypotheses as to the sources of their analytical discrepancies and current beliefs on resource recovery are then discussed in more detail. A final suggestion is made that, if the analysis offered by early contributors is more correct, then perhaps the most important step towards greater circularity is regulatory reform (or deregulation) that would facilitate the spontaneous recovery of residuals and their processing in the most suitable, if sometimes more distant, locations. Full article

Accurate and robust information on land cover changes in urban and coastal areas is essential for effective urban land management, ecosystem monitoring, and urban planning. This paper details the methodology and results of a pixel-level classification and change detection analysis, leveraging 1945 Royal Air Force (RAF) aerial imagery and 2011 Very High-Resolution (VHR) multispectral WorldView-2 satellite imagery from the broader area of Patras, Greece. Our attention is mainly focused on the changes in the coastline from the city of Patras to the northeast direction and the two major rivers, Charadros and Selemnos. The methodology involves preprocessing steps such as registration, denoising, and resolution adjustments to ensure computational feasibility for both coastal and riverbed change detection procedures while maintaining critical spatial features. For change detection at coastal areas over time, the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) was applied to the new imagery to mask out the sea from the coastline and manually archive imagery from 1945. To determine the differences in the coastline between 1945 and 2011, we perform image differencing by subtracting the 1945 image from the 2011 image. This highlights the areas where changes have occurred over time. To conduct riverbed change detection, feature extraction using the Gray-Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) was applied to capture spatial characteristics. A Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification model was trained to distinguish river pixels from non-river pixels, enabling the identification of changes in riverbeds and achieving 92.6% and 92.5% accuracy for new and old imagery, respectively. Post-classification processing included classification maps to enhance the visualization of the detected changes. This approach highlights the potential of combining historical and modern imagery with supervised machine learning methods to effectively assess coastal erosion and riverbed alterations. Full article

The convergence zone of the Eurasian (EURA) and North Africa plate (NUBIA) is primarily marked by the activity between the Betics in south of Spain and the Rif and Atlas in Morocco. This area, where the diffuse tectonics between these plates are currently converging in a NW-SE direction, presents several continuous fault zones, such as the Betic–Alboran–Rif shear zone. The Royal Institute and Observatory of the Spanish Navy (ROA) currently operates geodetic stations in various parts of North Africa, some in particularly interesting locations, such as the Alhucemas (ALHU) rock, and also in more stable areas within the Nubian plate, such as Tiouine (TIOU). For the first time, the displacement velocities of the ROA CGNSS stations have been estimated to provide additional geodynamic information in an area with few stations. The obtained velocities have been compared with other recent studies in this field that included data older than 10 years or episodic campaigns without continuous stations. PRIDE (3.1.2) and SARI (February, 2025) software were used for processing, and the velocities were obtained by the ROA for international stations (RABT, SFER, MALA, HUEL, LAGO, TARI, and ALME). These initial results confirm the convergence trend between Eurasia and Nubia of approximately 4 mm/year in the NW-SE direction. It is also evident that there is independent behavior among the Atlas stations and those in the Moroccan Meseta compared to those located in the Rif mountain range, which could indicate the separation of smaller tectonic domains within the continental plate convergence zone. Along the Rif coast in Al Hoceima Bay, the faults are being approached; additionally, there is a slight clockwise displacement towards Melilla, which has also been demonstrated by stations in the Middle Atlas, such as TAZA. As for the stations in the Strait of Gibraltar, they exhibit a similar behavior until reaching the diffuse zone of the Guadalquivir basin where the diffuse convergence zone may exist. This may explain why stations to the north of the basin, such as LIJA or HUEL, change their behavior compared to nearby ones like SFER in the south. Furthermore, Alboran seems to follow the same displacement in direction and velocity as the other stations in North Africa and southern Spain. Full article

The importance of natural resources in tourism has been widely recognized, and the conservation of forest ecology is seen as a key factor in promoting sustainable tourism. However, there is a lack of in-depth research on sustainable nature tourism and forest ecology conservation that incorporates tourist demands. In this study, a questionnaire survey was conducted with 370 tourists from Royal Belum State Park, Malaysia, and the KANO model was combined with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to categorize and weigh the demands. The data analysis showed that out of 22 demand indicators, 5 indicators were must-have qualities, 8 indicators were one-dimensional qualities, 5 indicators were attractive qualities, and 4 indicators were indifferent qualities. Based on the AHP, a more precise weighting between different demands was obtained, showing the importance of tourist demands. The results of the study not only enriched the theoretical framework of forest wellness tourism but also contributed to helping tourism developers in Royal Belum State Park to formulate a more targeted development strategy to promote the sustainable development of nature tourism, as well as helping to provide a scientific basis for guiding the conservation of forest ecology. Full article

The transcription of historical manuscripts aims at making our cultural heritage more accessible to experts and also to the larger public, but it is a challenging and time-intensive task. This paper contributes an automated solution for text layout recognition, segmentation, and recognition to speed up the transcription process of historical manuscripts. The focus is on transcribing Portuguese municipal documents from the Middle Ages in the context of the iForal project, including the contribution of an annotated dataset containing Portuguese medieval documents, notably a corpus of 67 Portuguese royal charter data. The proposed system can accurately identify document layouts, isolate the text, segment, and transcribe it. Results for the layout recognition model achieved 0.98 mAP@0.50 and 0.98 precision, while the text segmentation model achieved 0.91 mAP@0.50, detecting 95% of the lines. The text recognition model achieved 8.1% character error rate (CER) and 25.5% word error rate (WER) on the test set. These results can then be validated by palaeographers with less effort, contributing to achieving high-quality transcriptions faster. Moreover, the automatic models developed can be utilized as a basis for the creation of models that perform well for other historical handwriting styles, notably using transfer learning techniques. The contributed dataset has been made available on the HTR United catalogue, which includes training datasets to be used for automatic transcription or segmentation models. The models developed can be used, for instance, on the eSriptorium platform, which is used by a vast community of experts. Full article

Confucians in Chosŏn Korea (1392–1910) employed the notion of “immoral rituals” as a tool to control Buddhist and shamanic rituals in a selective manner. In Confucian terms, immoral rituals specified those that were dedicated to “ghosts or deities who do not deserve worship”, and, in most cases, they referred to non-Confucian prayer rituals. Buddhist prayer rituals (and shamanic rituals) were largely subject to control by Confucian state officials. Through the Confucian prism of immoral rituals, this article explores the question of which aspects of Buddhist rituals were denounced by the Confucian critics and which goals the Confucians tried to achieve by wielding the tool of immoral rituals against Buddhism. Based on an analysis of four episodes in which Buddhist prayer rituals were denounced as immoral rituals, the article suggests that the Confucians tried to construct a new collective identity of distinction and privilege, to keep in check the royal family and, by extension, the sovereign, to control the female body, and, in collaboration with the king, to suppress people’s discontent with governance. In this process, Buddhism—caught in the politics of immoral rituals, as this article suggests—nevertheless remained vibrant by conducting prayer rituals in the social margins. And for their part, Confucians benefited by continuing to exploit the notion of immoral rituals up to the end of the dynasty. The trajectory of immoral rituals reflected how Buddhism functioned and evolved in Chosŏn Korea. Full article