Search Results (7,893)

Several species of saprophytic filamentous fungi are able of disrupting the life cycle of certain soil-born parasites that are of veterinary and agronomy importance, offering a promising sustainable control alternative. This study consisted of designing an experimental model, using catnip (Nepeta cataria) trays to simulate a vegetated environment for evaluating the parasiticidal activity of Mucor circinelloides, Trichoderma atrobrunneum, and Duddingtonia flagrans. Fungal spores were added to treated trays before adding feces with protozoan (Eimeria spp.), and gastrointestinal nematodes (roundworms, strongyles), and untreated-control water. No differences in plant growth or vigor, regardless of fungal presence, were observed, confirming the safety of these biological agents for vegetation. In the control trays, the viability of parasites ranged from 50% to 85%. In the treated trays, the viability of Eimeria and roundworms decreased by 40–100%, and the strongyle egg counts were reduced by 74% within 15 days. It is concluded that the vegetated tray model effectively simulates field conditions and provides a reliable platform for evaluating fungal efficacy against the free-living stages of parasites, offering a versatile tool for future research on soil-borne pathogens affecting animals and plants. Full article

Background: Crosslinker-free, pH-induced hydrogels offer a green alternative for food preservation but often lack mechanical robustness. Objective: In this study, we developed a ternary hydrogel from cod myofibrillar protein (CP), sodium alginate (SA), and Ulva prolifera-derived insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) to enhance structural and preservation properties. Methods: Hydrogels with 0–3% IDF were characterized to assess their texture, water-holding capacity (WHC), and microstructure. Based on the balance between reinforcement and macroscopic processability, the 2% IDF formulation was selected for the shrimp preservation trial, which was conducted over 15 days at 4 °C. Results: Incorporation of 2% IDF significantly increased gel hardness (from 278.0 ± 6.8 g to 393.0 ± 1.8 g; p < 0.01, n² = 0.87) and WHC (from 60% to 84.3 ± 2.1%; p < 0.01). In preservation tests, the CP-SA-IDF coating maintained TVB-N at 41.62 ± 3.7 mg/100 g, significantly lower than the control (78.65 ± 4.5 mg/100 g; p < 0.01) and inhibited microbial growth (TVC: 6.9 ± 0.3 log CFU/g vs. control 9.1 ± 0.4 log CFU/g; p < 0.05). A combined freshness index demonstrated superior overall preservation efficacy (0.82 vs. 0.49 in control; p < 0.05). Conclusions: IDF reinforces the CP-SA network via hydrogen bonding and physical entanglement, creating an effective edible coating for aquatic product preservation. Full article

Shoreline change detection from remote sensing imagery remains challenging in environments subject to water level fluctuations, as remotely sensed shoreline positions reflect instantaneous hydrodynamic states rather than true geomorphic change. In the Great Lakes, seasonal and short-term water level variations can produce apparent shoreline shifts unrelated to sediment dynamics. Reliable calibration with bathymetry and water level data can mitigate this effect, but such data are often unavailable or difficult to obtain for many coastal and lacustrine systems worldwide. To address this limitation, we proposed a morphology-based framework that quantifies geometric change between successive shoreline curves using a discrete Fréchet distance, a modified Euclidean distance and a Union distance metric. Rather than relying solely on cross-shore displacements, the approach leverages shape similarity to differentiate water-level-driven shifts from true morphological change. We evaluated the framework across three spatial scales (100 m, 500 m, and 1000 m) along 125 km of southwestern Lake Michigan coastline using 2010 and 2020 aerial imagery, benchmarking against water-level-calibrated DSAS erosion hotspots. The Fréchet distance improved monotonically with scale, achieving strong agreement at 1000 m (F1 = 0.84, Spearman $\rho$ = 0.79) but limited reliability at 100 m. While individual morphology-based metrics appeared competitive with or inferior to uncalibrated DSAS at each scale, the union of both distances substantially outperformed uncalibrated DSAS at management-relevant scales (F1 of 0.64 vs. 0.50 at 500 m and 0.79 vs. 0.42 at 1000 m), reflecting the complementary nature of shape-based and displacement-based detection. The Patient Rule Induction Method (PRIM) further identified gentle nearshore slopes and moderate separation from engineered structures as the geomorphic conditions under which the morphology-based and calibrated erosion indicators converged most closely (in-box F1 = 0.92 at 1000 m and 0.72 at 500 m). These results suggest that the proposed framework, particularly the complementary union of both metrics, provides a practical, calibration-free alternative for multiscale shoreline change screening in lacustrine and microtidal, data-limited environments, while local-scale applications still benefit from explicit water-level correction. Full article

Flood and flash flood events can generate severe hydraulic actions on civil structures, requiring modeling strategies able to link flow features to structural damage. This paper proposes a two-scale numerical framework based on advanced finite element modeling to assess the vulnerability of structures subjected to inundation and flood-driven impact. At the macroscale, the flood propagation and the interaction with the built environment are simulated through the depth-averaged Shallow Water Equations, adopting a time-explicit interface treatment to capture the evolution of the free surface. The macroscale model provides time-dependent water depth and flow velocity along the external surfaces of the structure, which are then used to derive hydrostatic and hydrodynamic actions, also in comparison with code-based formulations. At the mesoscale, these actions are transferred to a detailed structural model to investigate the nonlinear mechanical response of the building. Structural components are described through a coupled damage–plasticity constitutive law, enabling the prediction of stiffness degradation, cracking-driven damage patterns, and the identification of the most critical structural zones under flood loading. The proposed workflow is finally applied to a real structure located in the municipality of Cosenza (Italy), demonstrating the capability of the approach to combine hydraulic intensity measures with physics-based structural damage assessment, supporting scenario analyses and risk mitigation evaluations. Full article

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is characterized by its abundant reserves and pollution-free nature, enabling stable power generation around the clock. Since the power output of an OTEC system is significantly influenced by the energy available from cold and warm seawater, the accurate evaluation of the outlet temperature of the cold-water pipe (CWP) is crucial. To analyze the heat transfer performance of the CWP, this paper investigates the temperature field of the OTEC CWP and employs numerical simulation methods to conduct finite element analysis of the temperature field under different discharge conditions. The results indicate that during the pumping of deep-sea cold water through the CWP, heat is absorbed from the warmer upper seawater layers. When the pumping discharge rate is higher, the shorter fluid residence time due to higher flow velocity results in a lower outlet temperature. Compared to steel CWPs, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is more suitable for OTEC systems due to its lower thermal conductivity and density. Full article

Gypsum-based fire protection relies on thermally activated dehydration, where chemically bound water is released and evaporated, thereby providing an endothermic heat sink that delays heat penetration through assemblies. In parallel, inorganic hydrated salts are increasingly used as flame-retardant additives in gypsum-based systems to enhance heat absorption over specific temperature ranges. Fire simulation tools and performance-based fire engineering approaches require reliable kinetic data and reaction enthalpies that can be implemented as coupled thermal–chemical source terms. However, additive-specific kinetic datasets remain limited, particularly under restricted vapor exchange conditions representative of porous construction materials. This work investigates the thermal decomposition behavior and dehydration kinetics of Aluminum Trihydrate (Al(OH)₃, ATH), Magnesium Hydroxide (Mg(OH)₂, MDH), Calcium Aluminate Sulfate (3CaO·Al₂O₃·3CaSO₄·32H₂O, CAS), and Magnesium Sulfate Heptahydrate (MgSO₄·7H₂O, ESM) with emphasis on vapor-restricted conditions representative of confined porous systems. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments were conducted at three heating rates (2, 10, and 20 K/min for MDH, CAS and ESM and 20, 40 and 60 K/min for GB-ATH) up to 600 °C using pinhole crucibles to simulate autogenous vapor pressure. The thermal analysis indicates that ATH and MDH exhibit predominantly single-step dehydration behavior, while ESM shows a complex multi-step mechanism. Although CAS presents a single dominant thermal peak in the DSC signal, the isoconversional analysis reveals a multi-stage reaction behavior, demonstrating that peak-based interpretation alone may be insufficient for such systems. Kinetic parameters were determined using both model-free (Starink) and model-fitting approaches in accordance with the recommendations of the Kinetics Committee of the International Confederation for Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry (ICTAC). All reactions were consistently described using the Avrami–Erofeev model as an effective phenomenological representation of the conversion behavior. The extracted kinetic triplets were validated through numerical simulations, showing good agreement with experimental conversion and reaction rate data. The resulting kinetic parameters and dehydration enthalpies provide a physically consistent dataset for the description of dehydration processes under restricted vapor exchange. These results support the development of thermochemical models for gypsum-based systems; however, their transferability to full-scale assemblies remains subject to validation under coupled heat- and mass-transfer conditions. Full article

In this study, Paliperidone Palmitate (PP), a second-generation antipsychotic, commonly used for the treatment of schizophrenia, was encapsulated in bio-based non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) nanoemulsions. NIPU was synthesized via an isocyanate-free polyaddition route, addressing safety and environmental concerns associated with conventional polyurethanes. The drug-loaded nanoparticles were produced utilizing oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions followed by solvent evaporation and lyophilization. NIPU concentrations of 0.3% and 0.5% w/v, as well as 0.5% w/v PVA were employed, while PP was incorporated at 0.2%, 0.5% and 1% w/v. The formulations were characterized by FTIR, DSC and XRD analyses, and the mechanical strength of neat sponges was evaluated. The nanoparticle formation and size were assessed by DLS and SEM analyses. The water contact angle, porosity measurements and aquatic and enzymatic hydrolysis were additionally performed. The resulting nanocarriers exhibited controlled particle size, increased drug-loading values, structural stability and biodegradability. Lastly, the in vitro dissolution studies revealed a system-specific burst release behavior, and a controlled and sustained overall drug-release profile for majority of the formulations, thereby indicating the potential of NIPU nanocarriers for drug delivery applications, particularly where sustained therapeutic effects are required. Full article

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a microorganism commonly found in water and food matrices, and its rapid and accurate detection is crucial for maintaining public health and ensuring food safety. However, traditional molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sensors often face challenges such as tedious template removal and prolonged sensing times. This study develops a label-free bacterial molecularly imprinted sensor that utilizes the synergistic effect of polypyrrole (PPy) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to achieve highly sensitive detection of E. coli. Based on the large specific surface area and superior conductivity of MWCNTs, as well as the favorable electrochemical polymerization properties of PPy, a PPy/MWCNTs composite film was fabricated via a one-step electropolymerization process. The prepared sensor exhibited excellent kinetic characteristics, with a template removal time of only 15 min, and could be regenerated and used for subsequent detection within 30 min. Under optimized conditions, the biosensor showed a satisfactory linear response over the concentration range of 10²–10⁸ CFU/mL, with a low detection limit of 65 CFU/mL (3σ/S). Furthermore, recovery experiments conducted in tap water and lemon juice samples yielded satisfactory recoveries ranging from 87.1% to 114.8%, demonstrating the reliability and practical applicability of the proposed sensor for bacterial detection in real samples. This sensor offers advantages such as simple preparation, low material cost, and high sensitivity, providing a reliable and practical analytical platform for the rapid and reliable detection of bacteria. Full article

This study investigates the influence of conventional textile pretreatment and periodate oxidation parameters on the structural modifications and functional properties of woven cotton fabrics. Unlike most studies focused on cellulose pulps or isolated textile fibers, the present work examines how the initial structural state of the textile substrate, determined by its pretreatment history, governs the oxidation pathways. Cotton fabrics were subjected to alkaline scouring (SC), hydrogen peroxide bleaching (BC), and combined scouring–bleaching (SBC), followed by sodium periodate oxidation under controlled conditions. Carbonyl species were quantified analytically and identified by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, while structural changes were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Mechanical properties were assessed using the normalized parameters (Fa/Fa₀ and E/E₀), hydrophilicity by water absorption capacity (WAC), and optical stability by the yellowness index (YI). The results demonstrated that the pretreatments influence the oxidant accessibility and the balance between carbonyl speciation. XRD analysis shows a moderate decrease in crystallinity, indicating partial preservation of the crystalline domains, whereas mechanical properties decrease significantly (35–65%), concomitant with a 25–45% reduction in WAC. These results suggest that the impairment in mechanical and hydrophilic properties is primarily governed by localized C2–C3 bond scission, secondary oxidative reactions, and supramolecular rearrangements, rather than by bulk crystalline loss. The oxidized SC series exhibits higher YI values associated with an increased free aldehyde content, while the BC and SBC fabrics show improved optical stability. Overall, these results demonstrate that pretreatment history governs periodate oxidation pathways and establishes clear structure–property relationship relevant for the controlled functionalization of woven cotton fabrics. Full article

Background: Metabolic syndrome is associated with early impairments in cellular bioenergetics that are not fully captured by conventional body composition measures. Molecular hydrogen, produced endogenously through gut microbial fermentation and measurable in breath, has been implicated in redox and mitochondrial regulation. Whether breath hydrogen relates to preservation of intracellular, metabolically active tissue in metabolic syndrome remains unclear. Objectives: To examine the association between breath hydrogen concentration and an integrated cellular bioenergetic phenotype derived from intracellular body composition indices in sedentary adults with metabolic syndrome. Methods: Twenty-eight sedentary, middle-aged adults (51.2 ± 7.9 years, 19 females) with metabolic syndrome underwent fasting breath hydrogen assessment and multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis. A composite cellular bioenergetic phenotype was derived using principal component analysis of body cell mass, intracellular water, total body potassium, and glycogen. Associations between breath hydrogen and the composite phenotype were evaluated using Spearman correlation with bootstrapped confidence intervals, Theil-Sen regression, and Bayesian linear regression adjusted for age, sex, and waist circumference. Sensitivity analyses included fat-free mass. Results: A single principal component explained 98.6% of the variance across intracellular variables, indicating a highly coherent cellular bioenergetic phenotype. Breath hydrogen concentration was positively associated with this phenotype (ρ = 0.43, p = 0.021; BCa 95% CI 0.07–0.70). Theil-Sen regression confirmed a robust positive association (β = 0.017 per ppm hydrogen; 95% CI 0.002–0.046). Bayesian models showed posterior distributions centered on positive effect sizes, independent of central adiposity. In contrast, the association with fat-free mass alone was borderline. Conclusions: Breath hydrogen concentration reflects an integrated intracellular bioenergetic phenotype in sedentary adults with metabolic syndrome, tracking cellular quality rather than lean mass quantity. Breath hydrogen may serve as a non-invasive biomarker of cellular bioenergetic integrity and a potential tool for phenotype-guided metabolic interventions. Full article

To achieve climate neutrality by 2050, new buildings, but also approximately 75% of the existing building stock in the EU, must begin the transition process towards decarbonization. The article models, analyses, develops and experimentally tests a hybrid technical system that provides heating, cooling and hot water for an educational building located in Timisoara, Romania. The hybrid system was designed by the authors to integrate renewable technologies for reducing operational CO₂ emissions generated by technical systems in tertiary buildings. The hybrid system can provide, by PV system, 17.94% of hot water and heating agent for the winter season, and 78.61% of hot water and chilled water for building cooling in the summer season. The results obtained show a decrease in electricity consumption from the national energy system of 2.5 MWh. In terms of operational CO₂ emissions, there was a reduction of 84.47% when compared with the classic system in which the building was connected to the city’s centralized system, which is currently dependent on fossil fuels (a coal and gas addition of approximately 10–15%). Full article

Hyperspectral remote sensing provides essential biochemical and structural information for crop disease monitoring, yet its application to cotton Verticillium wilt has largely focused on single-period evaluations or multi-temporal classifications. Such approaches overlook the progressive nature of this vascular disease, whose pigment, water, and mesophyll responses evolve over time, making temporal hyperspectral information critical for reliable severity estimation but still insufficiently utilized. To overcome this limitation, we conducted daily time-series observations on cotton leaves and collected 2895 hyperspectral reflectance measurements and 770 high-resolution RGB images together with disease severity records, generating a temporally dense spectral-severity dataset spanning symptom-free to severe stages. Five categories of disease-related vegetation indices were derived and organized into 5-day spectral–temporal slices. Based on these features, we introduce a dual-branch Transformer-TCN model that integrates global temporal dependencies captured by self-attention with local temporal variations resolved by dilated causal convolutions for severity inversion. The model delivers the strongest performance with an R² of 0.8813, exceeding multiple single and hybrid time-series alternatives by 0.0446–0.1407 in R², equivalent to a relative improvement of 5.33–19.00%. Temporal spectral features also outperform their non-temporal counterparts, highlighting that disease progression dynamics captured by time-series spectra are critical for reliable severity retrieval. Feature contribution analysis indicates that the blue red index BRI provides the highest contribution, consistent with the single-index time-series modelling results. Photosynthesis- and water-related indices provide secondary but complementary support. Collectively, our results demonstrate that the dual-branch Transformer-TCN model can capture complex spectral–temporal relationships between cotton Verticillium wilt and disease severity, providing methodological support for crop disease monitoring and evaluation. Full article

This study explored the feasibility of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for detecting total water, free water and bound water in carrot slices during freeze-drying, with low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) characterizing water state distribution and oven-drying determining moisture content (MC). NIR spectra (10,000–4000 cm⁻¹) were processed via optimized sample partitioning, preprocessing and feature extraction; partial least squares regression (PLSR), support vector regression (SVR), back-propagation artificial neural network (BPANN), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and particle swarm optimization–random forest (PSO-RF) models were established and evaluated. Results showed that SVR and BPANN performed robustly, with CARS being the optimal feature extraction method. The full-moisture system achieved high total/free water prediction accuracy ($R_p^2$ = 0.9902/0.9740), while the low-moisture system improved bound water prediction ($R_p^2$ = 0.9709). The established NIR models exhibited excellent fitting and generalization ability, enabling rapid and non-destructive quantitative prediction of moisture content during carrot freeze-drying. Full article

The increasing utilization of radiation in medicine, industry, and water purification highlights the need for efficient radiation-protection materials. This study investigates lead-free polymer composites based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) filled with four metallic fillers: tungsten carbide (WC), molybdenum carbide (MoC), tungsten (W), and molybdenum (Mo) at 15 wt%. The objective is to evaluate their potential as alternatives to lead for shielding ionizing radiation. Mechanical performance was examined through tensile testing, while thermal stability was assessed based on the residual mass. Radiation-attenuation behavior was analyzed through linear and mass attenuation coefficients (µ and µₘ), radiation protection efficiency (RPE), half-value layer (HVL), mean free path (MFP), buildup factors (B), and effective atomic number (Z_eff) within the 47.9–248 keV energy range. The HDPE/W composite exhibited the greatest enhancement, with a mass attenuation coefficient (µₘ) 82.5% higher than that of pure HDPE, along with the highest linear attenuation coefficient (µ). Furthermore, tungsten-loaded samples achieved an RPE of 98.05% at 47.9 keV. The increased density, low B, and high Z_eff values collectively contribute to superior shielding performance. These findings indicate that HDPE filled with WC, MoC, W, and Mo are promising lead-free candidates for low-energy X-ray shielding applications. Full article

As the demand for sustainable and bio-based alternatives to petroleum-derived membranes grows, polysaccharides have emerged as promising candidates. In this study, we fabricated free-standing membranes from konjac glucomannan (KGM), a neutral polysaccharide, using a simple base-induced insolubilization process. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the deacetylation of KGM chains promotes extensive intermolecular hydrogen bonding, creating a robust and stable three-dimensional network without the need for chemical cross-linkers. The resulting KGM free-standing membranes exhibited excellent mechanical properties, characterized by high tensile strength in the dry state and remarkable flexibility when hydrated. Furthermore, the membranes demonstrated superior chemical resistance to organic solvents such as acetone and n-hexane. Transport studies showed that the membranes possess a highly dense structure with no detectable pressure-driven pure-water permeation up to 0.25 MPa. Solute permeation experiments using eight model molecules (molecular weight = 144–14,600 Da) indicated that transport behavior is consistent with diffusion through a hydrated polymer network. The effective diffusion coefficient D_eff showed a strong correlation with molecular weight M, following the relationship D_eff ∝ M^−1.7. Furthermore, the permeation behavior remained stable across a wide pH range (2–12), and, within the investigated range of monovalent solutes, D_eff was insensitive to solute charge, indicating that mass transport is dominated by size-based diffusion rather than electrostatic interactions. These findings suggest that KGM free-standing membranes enable reliable molecular fractionation based on size-dependent diffusion within a stable, neutral matrix, offering significant potential for sustainable separation technologies and biomedical applications. Full article