Search Results (2,268)

This study investigated the photocatalytic degradation of chlorothalonil under a range of ultraviolet lamp configurations, and studied the improvement in the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of a reflective material (silver-white aluminium foil). Increasing the number of UV lamps significantly enhanced degradation efficiency, reducing the half-life from 29.95 min with one lamp to 8.15 min with four in a 20 cm enamel bucket. The use of silvery-white aluminium foil further decreased the half-life to 3.86 min, improving degradation rates by up to 262.9%. In larger containers, degradation efficiency increased by up to 414.7% with aluminium foil. Comparisons with black aluminium foil confirmed that silver-white aluminium foil enhanced degradation by reflecting and redistributing UV light, increasing intensity by 252% and reducing the CTL half-life from 150.36 min to 22.9 min in a controlled light box. Further tests confirmed that silver-white aluminium foil amplified UV irradiation, increasing degradation efficiency by up to 555.1%. These improvements might suggest that aluminium foil enhances UV utilisation through direct reflection, refraction, and diffuse reflection, effectively redirecting photons that would otherwise escape the system. Experiments with natural water sources showed similar trends, with half-lives of 55.23 min in ultrapure water, 12.63 min in pond water, and 16.36 min in paddy field water. The addition of silver-white aluminium foil further reduced these times to 23.92 min, 7.13 min, and 12.34 min, respectively. These findings demonstrate that silvery-white aluminium foil significantly enhances CTL photodegradation without increasing energy consumption. While effective, the method faces challenges in acidic or alkaline wastewater due to potential corrosion of system components. Future research should focus on identifying stable, high-reflectivity materials for long-term applications. This study offers practical insights into the optimisation of photodegradation processes, which contributes to improved water treatment strategies and environmental pollution mitigation. Full article

In this study, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@TiO₂ (FS-FT (0 g)) photocatalysts, featuring a magnetic core–shell structure, and Fe-doped Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@Fe-TiO₂ (FS-FT (x g)) photocatalysts, were fabricated via the sol–gel method. Structural and compositional analyses of the processed samples were systematically conducted through X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with selected area electron diffraction (SAED), surface-sensitive X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and optical property assessment via UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS). The results show that TiO₂ on the outer layer of FS-FT (0 g) and FS-FT (x g) has an anatase structure, and that Fe is doped into FS-FT (x g). The photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) using FS-FT (0 g) and FS-FT (x g) with various Fe doping levels was evaluated in both pure MO (C₀ = 10 mg/L) and MO-Na₂SO₄-blended solutions. Under irradiation with high-pressure mercury lamps, the removal rates of MO using FS-FT (0 g) and FS-FT (0.36 g) in pure MO solution reached 90.25% and 99% at 25 min, respectively, which indicates that FS-FT (0.36 g) can enhance photocatalytic performance. The removal rates of MO using FS-FT (0 g) and FS-FT (0.36 g) in MO-Na₂SO₄-blended solution (C₀ = 10 mg/L, C_Na2SO4 = 12.5 g/L) reached 92.38% and 97.16% at 25 min, respectively. The removal rate of MO using FS-FT (0.36 g) decreased in MO-Na₂SO₄-blended solution in the previous 25 min, which indicates that Na₂SO₄ can inhibit degradation using FS-FT (0.36 g). The degradation experiments of MO-Na₂SO₄-blended solutions with different concentrations of Na₂SO₄ using FS-FT (0.36 g) showed that as the concentration of Na₂SO₄ increases, the inhibitory effect becomes more pronounced. Recovery and recycling experiments confirmed that the photocatalyst exhibited robust degradation performance over multiple cycles. Kinetic analysis of the photocatalytic data, based on a first-order model, was conducted to explore the underlying degradation principles. Full article

Background and Objectives: The effects of COVID-19 disease can manifest and cause eye complications, one of which is diplopia. Diplopia is a medical condition that makes one object appear like two images. People may also experience diplopia after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, after contracting COVID-19, or following a COVID-19 infection. Materials and Methods: This review aims to summarize the cases of COVID-19 that can cause diplopia and its treatment in the past 5 years. The literature search databases used for this review were PubMed and Scopus. The keywords used were “diplopia,” “COVID-19,” and “treatment.” Sixteen articles were reviewed after screening and applying the inclusion criteria. Results: The results show that over the past 5 years, cases of diplopia related to COVID-19 have occurred in America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Most studies are case reports, and the total number of patients was 26, with an age range of 14 to 81. Conclusions: The diplopia cases recovered within 1 day to 8 months. Patients who experienced diplopia after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, during COVID-19 infection, or after COVID-19 infection exhibited different symptoms. Nasopharyngeal swabs, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT) scans, visual acuity tests, slit lamp biomicroscope examinations, eye movement tests, funduscopic examinations, and blood tests were the most commonly performed tests. Corticosteroids such as prednisone, methylprednisolone, and prednisolone were the most commonly used drugs to treat diplopia. In addition to corticosteroids, antibiotics, antivirals, antiplatelets, and vitamins were also given. An eye patch was considered to alleviate the diplopia. Full article

Background/Objectives: Epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (EBMD) is a common corneal dystrophy characterized by recurrent corneal erosions and visual impairments due to surface irregularities and opacities. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of alcohol-assisted delamination (ALD) of the corneal epithelium in patients with EBMD affecting the visual axis, who experience decreased vision quality due to higher-order aberrations (HOAs) and irregular astigmatism. Methods: Eleven eyes of nine patients (four males and five females) were treated with ALD, with a mean age of 51.3 ± 19.7 years. All patients underwent refraction, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) assessment, a comprehensive slit-lamp examination for EBMD pattern identification, anterior segment imaging with and without fluorescein, tear break-up time (BUT) testing, corneal topography, corneal aberrometry (Zernike coefficients ($Z_n^m$) were calculated for a 5.0 mm simulated pupil), and anterior segment optical coherence tomography preoperatively and at 1-day, 14-day, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month intervals. Results: All patients demonstrated improvements in BCVA and visual quality, ocular comfort, and BUT results. The mean root mean square (RMS) value of total corneal aberrations decreased from 1.72 ± 0.90 μm to 0.90 ± 0.62 μm, while the mean RMS value of HOAs reduced from 0.92 ± 0.48 μm to 0.53 ± 0.28 μm. Astigmatism and trefoil were the aberration components that exhibited the most significant reductions. Conclusions: Alcohol-assisted delamination of the corneal epithelium is a safe and effective treatment for central EBMD patients experiencing visual quality deterioration. Astigmatism and trefoil appear to be the primary aberrations contributing to visual disturbances in this patient population. Full article

Objectives: To examine the yield of multimodal imaging of iris amelanotic lesions and evaluate the clinical relevance of these imaging techniques. Methods: In this masked case-control study, imaging, including slit lamp photos, ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM), and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) scans of patients diagnosed with iris amelanotic lesions were examined. Seven patients diagnosed with an iris amelanotic lesion were matched by gender and age to seven melanotic iris nevi of similar size and location. Two ocular imaging experts assessed the images in a masked manner and identified which lesion was melanotic and which was amelanotic based on their characteristics. Results: From 2010 to 2021, seven patients were diagnosed with amelanotic iris lesions. All were female; the mean (±SD) age at presentation was 46.3 years (±18). These patients were matched with seven female patients with pigmented iris lesions, with a mean (±SD) age of 49.8 years (±20). Hypopigmented lesions were hyporreflective and had minimal shadowing of the iris behind them, and the basement membrane of the iris could be seen on AS-OCT. Hypopigmented lesions could be delineated from the iris stroma on AS-OCT. In contrast, hyperpigmented lesions were hyperreflective, with significant shadowing blocking the basement membrane and iris stroma. Conclusions: AS-OCT is non-touch and provides substantial information about diagnosing amelanotic nevi. It is more widely available and, in many countries, it is performed by technicians, thus freeing the physician’s time and increasing productivity. Full article

There is a need to develop facile methods for the determination of UV light extinction characteristics of photocatalysts. For this task, a novel technique is proposed, applicable to dispersed photocatalyst processes of practical interest. The technique is demonstrated by obtaining fairly extensive data sets of transmittance and extinction coefficients, using TiO₂ particle suspensions at various concentrations and pH values ~3, ~5, and ~8, with light lamps of different irradiation types (i.e., UVC and UVA), immersed in the medium. To estimate the light absorption coefficient, under various tested conditions, the simplified Kubelka–Munk model is employed. The results obtained, regarding both the total light extinction and absorption coefficient, are in accord with similar literature data. The demonstrated technique is considered useful for process development studies and the design of photocatalytic reactors. Full article

Background: The clinical relevance of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in oncology has gained significant attention, with its potential as a biomarker for cancer diagnosis and monitoring. However, its precise role in cancer biology and progression remains unclear. cfDNA in cancer patients’ blood has been shown to activate signaling pathways, such as those mediated by toll-like receptors (TLRs), suggesting its involvement in cancer cell adaptation to the tumor microenvironment. Methods: This impact of cfDNA released from MDA-MB-231, a triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line was assessed, focusing on glucose availability and culture duration. The impact of cfDNA on the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells was investigated using proliferation curves, while cellular migration was evaluated through wound healing assays. The metabolic alterations induced by distinct cfDNA variants in MDA-MB-231 cells were investigated through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and their effect on cisplatin resistance was evaluated using flow cytometry. Furthermore, the expression levels of DNA-sensitive Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) were quantified via immunofluorescence, alongside its colocalization with lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1). Results: This study indicates that cfDNA facilitates metabolic adaptation, particularly under metabolic stress, by modulating glucose and glutamine consumption, key pathways in tumor cell metabolism. Exposure to cfDNA induced distinct metabolic shifts, favoring energy production through oxidative phosphorylation. The anti-cancer activity of cfDNA isolated from conditioned media of cells cultured under stressful conditions is influenced by the culture duration, emphasizing the importance of adaptation and se-lection in releasing cfDNA that can drive pro-tumoral processes. Additionally, cfDNA exposure influenced cell proliferation, quiescence, and migration, processes linked to metastasis and treatment resistance. These findings underscore cfDNA as a key mediator of metabolic reprogramming and adaptive responses in cancer cells, contributing to tumor progression and therapy resistance. Furthermore, the activation of TLR9 signaling suggests a mechanistic basis for cfDNA-induced phenotypic changes. Conclusions: Overall, cfDNA serves as a crucial signaling molecule in the tumor microenvironment, orchestrating adaptive processes that enhance cancer cell survival and progression. Full article

The skin is continuously exposed to environmental changes, rendering it vulnerable to damage from external stressors that contribute to premature skin aging. This study aims to explore skin longevity pathways stimulated by a rose extract (RE) derived from petals. Human keratinocytes treated with RE exhibited a significant increase in NRF2 (NF-E2-related factor 2; ≈2–4% of induction) and LAMP2A (Lysosome-Associated Membrane Protein 2A; ≈6–12% of induction) levels. The presence of RE significantly mitigated the increase in carbonylation levels (≈34–37% of protection) and the number of labeled P16^INK4A cells (≈60–72% of protection), associated with proliferation arrest, both induced by exposure to BAP (Benzo[a]pyrene) coupled with UV-A (Ultraviolet A) irradiation. The beneficial effects mediated by RE were inhibited by Compound C, a specific AMPK inhibitor (AMP-activated protein kinase). The involvement of the AMPK pathway in mediating the beneficial effects of RE has been confirmed by assessing its activation through the evaluation of its phosphorylation state which was significantly elevated in the presence of RE compared to the stress condition. In conclusion, the activation of the AMPK pathway enhances antioxidant defenses and promotes autophagy. This dual action, mediated by RE, helps protect skin cells from oxidative damage and senescence while maintaining proteostasis, skin integrity, and cellular proliferation under pollution-induced stress (BAP + UV-A). These findings highlight the potential in mitigating age-related skin changes through the modulation of longevity pathways. Full article

The economically efficient, reproducible cultivation of plants containing valuable ingredients for pharmaceutical or cosmetic purposes is a challenge today. Although greenhouse cultivation is much more expensive than field cultivation, this may be justified by the high level of control over environmental conditions. However, a careful analysis of costs and the investigation of potential cost-reducing measures are essential. Here, soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) was grown in a greenhouse to identify factors influencing the production costs of the pharmaceutically relevant saponin SO1861 in the roots. The plants were grown hydroponically to facilitate harvesting. Three factors were identified as having a significant impact on production costs: the genotype of the plants, the method of propagation, and the type of lighting used in the greenhouse. Commercially available soapwort seeds do not have a defined genetic background. Cost simulations suggest that the cost of producing SO1861 can be significantly reduced by pre-testing plants for SO1861 production capacity, propagating plants from cuttings rather than seeds, and using light-emitting diodes instead of the more traditional high-pressure sodium lamps. The impact of these factors on the total production costs was calculated and discussed. A simplified version of the cost model, which can be used as a blueprint for estimating the costs of any other greenhouse crop, was also included in the supporting data. Full article

In order to solve the problem of high computational resource consumption in fabric anomaly detection, we propose a lightweight network, GH-YOLOx, which integrates ghost convolutions and hierarchical GHNetV2 backbone together to capture both local and global anomaly features. At the same time, other innovative components, such as GhostConv, dynamic convolutions, feature fusion modules, and a shared group convolution head, are applied to effectively handle multi-scale issues. Lamp pruning accelerates inference, while channel-wise knowledge distillation enhances the pruned model’s accuracy. Experiments on fabric datasets demonstrate that GH-YOLOx can effectively reduce the number of parameters while achieving a higher detection rate than other lightweight models. Overall, our solution offers a practical approach to real-time fabric anomaly detection on mobile and embedded devices. Full article

Sorting corn seeds before sowing is crucial to ensure the varietal purity of the seeds and the yield of the crop. However, most of the existing methods for sorting corn seeds cannot detect both varieties and defects simultaneously. Detecting seeds in motion is more difficult than at rest, and many models pursue high accuracy at the expense of model inference time. To address these issues, this study proposed a real-time detection model, YOLO-SBWL, that simultaneously identifies corn seed varieties and surface defects by using images taken at different conveyor speeds. False detection of damaged seeds was addressed by inserting a simple and parameter-free attention mechanism (SimAM) into the original “you only look once” (YOLO)v7 network. At the neck of the network, the path-aggregation feature pyramid network was replaced with the weighted bi-directional feature pyramid network (BiFPN) to increase the accuracy of classifying undamaged corn seeds. The Wise-IoU loss function supplanted the CIoU loss function to mitigate the adverse impacts caused by low-quality samples. Finally, the improved model was pruned using layer-adaptive magnitude-based pruning (LAMP) to effectively compress the model. The YOLO-SBWL model demonstrated a mean average precision of 97.21%, which was 2.59% higher than the original network. The GFLOPs were reduced by 67.16%, and the model size decreased by 67.21%. The average accuracy of the model for corn seeds during the conveyor belt movement remained above 96.17%, and the inference times were within 11 ms. This study provided technical support for the swift and precise identification of corn seeds during transport. Full article

Lymantria xylina Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) is considered a potentially internationally invasive forest pest with limited knowledge about its phototactic behavior. This study investigated the phototaxis of L. xylina males and females using various insecticidal lamps in the field. The results showed that all lamps attracted both males and females, but females were captured in a very low numbers, with a female-to-male ratio of 1:322. The insecticidal lamp with a peak wavelength of 363 nm was most effective for male trapping. Males exhibited a distinct light-trapping rhythm, peaking around midnight (23:00–0:00), with 29.5% capture, while females were most active at dusk (19:00–20:00), with 44.4% capture. Light-trapped females were smaller and lighter than indoor-emerged females and had lower egg-carrying capacity. Females, when laying eggs, did not exhibit phototactic behavior. Only 14.6% of non-ovipositing females showed phototactic behavior, and only 0.6% flew directly toward the lamp. These findings suggest that while non-ovipositing females can exhibit phototaxis, only a small proportion will, potentially reducing the risk of long-distance dispersal of L. xylina via ocean-going freighters. The results showed that the non-ovipositing females could fly under phototaxis, but their phototaxis was limited. This study provides a basis for the risk assessment of the long-distance dispersal of L. xylina via ocean-going freighters through female moth phototactic flight. Full article

This study investigates the impact of light conditions on the growth, rooting, and photosynthetic performance of in vitro cultivated Cistus creticus L. explants. Initially, different plant growth regulators were tested for multiple shoot growth [5 and 10 μM 6-Benzylaminopurine (BA), 5 and 10 μM meta-Topolin (mT), and 0.5 and 1 μM melatonin (Mel)] and rooting [5 and 10 μM mT, 0.5 and 1 μM Mel, and 0.5 and 1 μM Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)]. The media with the best results were Murashige and Skoog (MS) with 5 μM BA or 5 μM mT for shoot formation and 0.5 μM Mel or 1 μM IBA for rooting. Also, the explants were cultured under red (R), blue (B), or white (W) LED lights or fluorescent (FL) lamps. After four weeks, the photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll concentration, fluorescence (Fv/Fm), and shoot/root measurements were recorded. The optimal plant regulator for shoot generation was 5 μM mT under a W LED. For rooting, 1 μM IBA combined with a R LED resulted in 100% rooting, 3.53 roots/explant, and a 1.25 cm root length. The B LED led to the highest photosynthetic rate, while the chlorophyll concentration was highest with 5 μM BA under a FL lamp (CCI = 3.03). During acclimatization, a R LED and 1 μM IBA yielded the highest survival rate (70%). The current findings could reinforce the in vitro cultivation of the species for use in the floriculture industry, as well as for medicinal and other industrial purposes. Growth rooms equipped with automated LED lighting systems could optimize the micro-environment and create suitable climatic conditions to enhance in vitro plant growth. Full article

The presence of fungal spores in water poses a significant risk to public health, requiring effective inactivation strategies. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a widely used approach, traditionally employing mercury vapor lamps. However, these lamps have efficiency limitations and contain hazardous materials. As an alternative, ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) have emerged as a safer and more sustainable option. Despite their advantages, research on their efficacy against fungal spores remains limited. This study investigates the inactivation and post-exposure response of Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. spores using a collimated UV-LED system. The impact of two different wavelengths (265 nm and 280 nm) and post-treatment conditions (light and darkness for 24 h) on fungal viability was analyzed. Kinetic modeling was applied to assess the resistance of the spores and their capacity for photoreactivation. The results demonstrate that both the UV wavelength and the environmental conditions after exposure significantly influence disinfection outcomes. Penicillium sp. exhibited greater susceptibility to UV radiation but also higher photoreactivation potential, while A. niger showed stronger resistance and lower recovery capacity. The UV dose required for 99% inactivation, considering photoreactivation effects, was 323.7 ± 90.0 mJ cm⁻² and 321.9 ± 43.8 mJ cm⁻² for A. niger, whereas for Penicillium sp., it was 167.7 ± 13.0 mJ cm⁻² and 146.5 ± 29.2 mJ cm⁻² at 265 nm and 280 nm, respectively. These findings emphasize the necessity of tailoring UV-LED disinfection strategies based on the specific characteristics of the target organisms and post-treatment environmental factors. Full article

Non-destructive testing (NDT) plays a crucial role in ensuring the structural integrity and safety of industrial facilities and components. Long pulse thermography (LPT), a form of active thermographic testing (ATT), has gained attention for its ability to detect subsurface defects efficiently. However, non-uniform thermal excitation and environmental noise often degrade the accuracy of defect detection. This study proposes an advanced thermographic inspection technique incorporating a halogen array (HA) lamp and a compensation methodology to enhance the reliability of defect detection. Two compensation methods, namely absolute temperature compensation (ATC) and temperature rate compensation (TRC), were developed to correct non-uniform thermal loads and improve the defect contrast. Experimental validation was conducted on A-type and B-type mock-up specimens with artificial subsurface defects (10–90% depth). The results demonstrated a significant enhancement in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), reaching up to a 42 dB improvement in severe defects. Furthermore, a quantitative evaluation method was proposed using SNR-based defect depth estimation models, improving the accuracy of defect sizing. This approach eliminates the need for complex amplitude and phase transformations, enabling direct defect assessment from temperature thermograms. Full article