Search Results (13,370)

To address the challenge of postharvest spoilage in flat peaches and white apricots, we developed fermented peach–apricot mixed juice (PAMJ) using these fruits as raw materials through multi-strain synergistic fermentation. Its fermentation processes were optimised through uniform design and single-factor experiments. The flavour characteristics of PAMJ were analysed using an electronic nose, an electronic tongue, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and sensory evaluation indices. PAMJ demonstrated optimal performance in terms of peach–apricot flavour profile, sweetness-sourness balance, and overall acceptability, achieving the highest sensory scores. Additionally, GC-MS analysis identified 116 volatile organic compounds, with PAMJ exhibiting the highest contents of terpenes and ketones. PAMJ was identified as the optimal fermentation matrix. Subsequently, response surface methodology was used to optimise its fermentation parameters. PAMJ represented a post-mixing fermentation system wherein peaches and apricots were initially mixed and subsequently fermented with a bacterial consortium comprising Limosilactobacillus fermentum (15%), Lactobacillus acidophilus (10%), Levilactobacillus brevis (34%), Lacticaseibacillus paracasei subsp. Tolerans (13%), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum (13%) and Limosilactobacillus reuteri (15%). After fermentation with an initial inoculum concentration of 5.2 × 10⁶ CFU/mL at 37 °C for 20 h, the initial soluble solid content of PAMJ increased from 16 to 16.5 °Brix, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased from 250 to 295 U/mL and the number of volatile compounds (NVC) increased from 60 to 66. Furthermore, the storage stability of pasteurised PAMJ was evaluated by monitoring SOD and NVC at 5-day intervals. The data were analysed using kinetic and Arrhenius equations. The shelf life of PAMJ at 4 °C, 25 °C and 37 °C was 69, 48 and 39 days when NVC was used as the index and 99, 63 and 49 days when SOD activity was used as the index, respectively. These findings indicate that fermentation with lactic acid bacteria exerts positive effects on the quality of mixed juices, providing a novel strategy for processing speciality fruits in Xinjiang. Full article

The transition toward renewable-powered greenhouse agriculture offers opportunities for reducing operational costs and environmental impacts, yet challenges remain in managing fluctuating energy loads and optimizing agricultural inputs. While second-life lithium-ion batteries provide a cost-effective energy storage option, their thermal and electrical characteristics under real-world greenhouse conditions are poorly documented. Similarly, although plasma-activated water (PAW) shows potential to reduce chemical fertilizer usage, its integration with renewable-powered systems requires further investigation. This study develops an adaptive monitoring and modeling framework to estimate the thermal resistances (R_u, R_c) and internal resistance (R_int) of second-life lithium-ion batteries using operational data from greenhouse applications, alongside a field trial assessing PAW effects on beefsteak tomato cultivation. The adaptive control algorithm accurately estimated surface temperature (T_s) and core temperature (T_c), achieving a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.31 °C, a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.25 °C, and a percentage error of 0.31%. Thermal resistance values stabilized at R_u ≈ 3.00 °C/W (surface to ambient) and R_c ≈ 2.00 °C/W (core to surface), indicating stable thermal regulation under load variations. Internal resistance (R_int) maintained a baseline of ~1.0–1.2 Ω, with peaks up to 12 Ω during load transitions, confirming the importance of continuous monitoring for performance and degradation prevention in second-life applications. The PAW treatment reduced chemical nitrogen fertilizer use by 31.2% without decreasing total nitrogen availability (69.5 mg/L). The NO₃⁻-N concentration in PAW reached 134 mg/L, with an initial pH of 3.04 neutralized before application, ensuring no adverse effects on germination or growth. Leaf nutrient analysis showed lower nitrogen (1.83% vs. 2.28%) and potassium (1.66% vs. 2.17%) compared to the control, but higher magnesium content (0.59% vs. 0.37%), meeting Japanese adequacy standards. The total yield was 7.8 kg/m², with fruit quality comparable between the PAW and control groups. The integration of adaptive battery monitoring with PAW irrigation demonstrates a practical pathway toward energy efficient and sustainable greenhouse operations. Full article

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) systems require accurate and globally consistent mapping to ensure the long-term stable operation of robots or vehicles. However, for the commercial applications of indoor sweeping robots, the system needs to maintain accuracy while keeping computational and storage requirements low to ensure cost controllability. This paper proposes a dual-point-cloud-registration SLAM based on line features for the mapping of a mobile robot, named DPCR-SLAM. The front-end employs an improved Point-to-Line Iterative Closest Point (PLICP) algorithm for point cloud registration. It first aligns the point cloud and updates the submap. Subsequently, the submap is aligned with the regional map, which is then updated accordingly. The back-end uses the association between regional maps to perform graph optimization and update the global map. The experimental results show that, in the application scenario of indoor sweeping robots, the proposed method reduces the map storage space by 76.3%, the point cloud processing time by 55.8%, the graph optimization time by 77.7%, and the average localization error by 10.9% compared to the Cartographer, which is commonly used in the industry. Full article

Room-temperature sodium–sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries hold great potential in the field of large-scale energy storage due to their high theoretical energy density and low cost of raw materials. However, the inherent low conductivity, notorious shuttling, and sluggish kinetics of cathode materials cause the loss of active substances and capacity delay, hindering the practical application of RT Na-S batteries. Owing to their low cost, variable oxidation states, and unsaturated d orbitals, transition metal (TM)-based catalysts have been extensively studied in circumventing the above shortcomings. Herein, the review first elaborates on the reaction mechanisms and current challenges of RT Na-S batteries. Subsequently, the role and function mechanism of TM-based catalysts (including single/dual atoms, nanoparticles, compounds, and heterostructures) in RT Na-S batteries are described. Specifically, based on the theories of electronic transfer and atomic orbital hybridization, the interaction mechanism between TM-based catalysts and polysulfides, as well as the catalytic performance, are systematically discussed and summarized. Finally, a discussion on the challenges and future research perspectives associated with TM-based catalysts for RT Na-S batteries is provided. Full article

Polymer-modified bitumen is difficult to produce and often separates during storage and transport. In contrast, granular bitumen modifiers offer wide applicability, construction flexibility, and ease of transport and storage. This study involved preparing a multipolymer granulated bitumen modifier with a styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymer, polyethylene, and aromatic oil. To elucidate the modification mechanism of a multipolymer granulated bitumen modifier on bitumen, the elemental composition of bitumen A and B, the micro-morphology of the modifiers, the changes in functional groups, and the distribution state of the polymers in the bitumen were investigated using an elemental analyzer, a scanning electron microscope, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and fluorescence microscopy. The effects of the multipolymer granulated bitumen modifier on the physical, rheological, and viscoelastic properties of two types of base bituminous binders were investigated at various dosages. The test results show that the Z_H/C ratio of base bitumen A is smaller than that of base bitumen B and that the cross-linking effect with the polymer is optimal. Therefore, the direct-feed modified asphalt of A performs better than the direct-feed modified asphalt of B under the same multipolymer granulated bitumen modifier content. The loose, porous surface structure of styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymer promotes the adsorption of light components in bitumen, and the microstructure of the multipolymer granulated bitumen modifier is highly coherent. When the multipolymer granulated bitumen modifier content is 20%, the physical, rheological, and viscoelastic properties of the direct-feed modified asphalt of A/direct-feed modified asphalt of B and the commodity styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymer are essentially identical. While the multipolymer granulated bitumen modifier did not significantly improve the performance of bitumen A/B at contents greater than 20%, the mass loss rate of the direct-feed modified asphalt of A to aggregate stabilized, and the adhesion effect reached stability. Image processing determined the optimum mixing temperature and time for multipolymer granulated bitumen modifier and aggregate to be 185–195 °C and 80–100 s, respectively, at which point the dispersion homogeneity of the multipolymer granulated bitumen modifier in the mixture was at its best. The dynamic stability, fracture energy, freeze–thaw splitting strength ratio, and immersion residual stability of bitumen mixtures were similar to those of commodity styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymers with a 20% multipolymer granulated bitumen modifier mixing amount, which was equivalent to the wet method. The styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymer bitumen mixture reached the same technical level. Full article

This study aimed to develop synbiotic edible films based on fish gelatin containing Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG, evaluating the impact of different prebiotics (inulin and fructooligosaccharides, FOSs) and structuring polysaccharides (pectin and alginate) on their physical, mechanical, thermal properties, cell viability, and in vitro gastrointestinal behavior. Seven film formulations were prepared from fish gelatin solutions (3%, w/v) containing glycerol (30%, w/w, as plasticizer), with the addition of prebiotics (inulin or FOSs, 1:1 w/w to gelatin), either alone or in combination with pectin (1%, w/v) or alginate (0.5%, w/v). Specifically, F1 contained gelatin, glycerol, and L. rhamnosus GG (control); F2 and F5 included inulin or FOSs, respectively; F3 and F6 combined inulin or FOSs with pectin; and F4 and F7 combined inulin or FOSs with alginate. After incorporation of the probiotic, the solutions were cast and dried at 37 °C for 24 h. The incorporation of prebiotics and polysaccharides significantly influenced probiotic viability after film drying (p < 0.05). The control formulation (F1) showed the highest reduction (26.10%), while F4 (inulin + alginate) and F7 (FOS + alginate) exhibited the lowest losses of 10.41% and 10.98%, respectively. These films also demonstrated better performance during simulated digestion, with F7 showing the smallest reduction after 6 h (0.5 log), maintaining 7.0 colony-forming units per gram (CFU g⁻¹), which is considered adequate for functional effects. Physically, the films varied in solubility (27.50% to 41.37%), thickness (0.085 to 0.095 mm), water vapor permeability (WVP) (8.17 to 11.75 g·mm/m²·d·kPa), and moisture content (13.47% to 17.50%). Mechanically, F4 showed the highest tensile strength (24.5 MPa), while F1 had the highest elongation at break (62%). During storage, F7 and F4 showed the lowest viability losses (29.8% and 29.4%, respectively) under refrigeration. Overall, the results indicate that the association of prebiotics with structuring polysaccharides improves stability, cellular protection, and functional performance of the films. Full article

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become the dominant energy storage technology due to their versatility and superior performance across diverse applications. Silicon (Si) stands out as a particularly promising high-capacity anode material for next-generation LIBs, offering a theoretical capacity nearly ten times greater than conventional graphite anodes. However, its practical implementation faces a critical challenge: the material undergoes a ~300% volume expansion during lithiation/delithiation, which causes severe mechanical stress, electrode pulverization, and rapid capacity decay. In addressing these limitations, advanced polymer binders serve as essential components for preserving the structural integrity of Si-based anodes. Notably, self-healing polymeric binders have emerged as a groundbreaking solution, capable of autonomously repairing cycle-induced damage and significantly enhancing electrode durability. The evaluation of self-healing performance is generally based on mechanical characterization methods while morphological observations by scanning electron microscopy provide direct evidence of crack closure; for electrochemically active materials, electrochemical techniques including GCD, EIS, and CV are employed to monitor recovery of functionality. In this study, a novel self-healing copolymer (PHX-23) was synthesized for Si anodes using a combination of octadecyl acrylate (ODA), methacrylic acid (MA), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and polyethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA). The copolymer was thoroughly characterized using NMR, FTIR, TGA, SEM, and EDX to confirm its chemical structure, thermal stability, and morphology. Electrochemical evaluation revealed that the PHX-23 binder markedly improves cycling stability, sustaining a reversible capacity of 427 mAh g⁻¹ after 1000 cycles at 1C. During long-term cycling, the Coulombic efficiency of the PHX-23 polymer is 99.7%, and similar functional binders in the literature have shown similar results at lower C-rates. Comparative analysis with conventional binders (e.g., PVDF and CMC/SBR) demonstrated PHX-23’s exceptional performance, exhibiting higher capacity retention and improved rate capability. These results position PHX-23 as a transformative binder for silicon anodes in next-generation lithium-ion batteries. Full article

Thursday Island, a remote administrative hub in Australia’s Torres Strait, exemplifies the socio-technical challenges of transitioning to sustainable energy amid diesel dependence and the intermittency of renewables. As Australia pursues Net Zero by 2050, innovative storage solutions are pivotal for enabling green innovation in isolated microgrids. This study evaluates Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRFBs) and Lithium-Ion batteries as key enabling technologies, using a stochastic Monte Carlo simulation to assess their economic viability through Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS), incorporating uncertainties in capital costs, operations, and performance over 20 years. Employing a stochastic Monte Carlo simulation with 10,000 iterations, this study provides a probabilistic assessment of LCOS, incorporating uncertainties in key parameters such as CAPEX, OPEX, efficiency, and discount rates, offering a novel, data-driven framework for evaluating storage viability in remote microgrids. Results indicate VRFBs’ superiority with a mean LCOS of 168.30 AUD/MWh versus 173.50 AUD/MWh for Lithium-Ion, driven by scalability, durability, and safety—attributes that address socio-economic barriers like high operational costs and environmental risks in tropical, off-grid settings. By framing VRFBs as an innovative green solution, this analysis highlights opportunities for new business models in remote energy sectors, such as reduced fossil fuel reliance (3.6 million litres diesel annually) and enhanced community resilience against energy poverty. It also underscores challenges, including capital uncertainties and policy needs for innovation uptake. This empirical case study contributes to the sustainable energy transition discourse, offering insights for policymakers on overcoming resistance to decarbonization in geographically constrained contexts, aligning with green innovation goals for systemic sustainability. Full article

Traditional high-utility itemset (HUI) mining methods tend to overestimate utility for long itemsets, leading to biased results. High average-utility itemset (HAUI) mining addresses this problem by normalizing utility with itemset length. However, uniform utility thresholds fail to account for varying item importance. Recently, HAUI mining with multiple minimum utility thresholds (MMU) has been used for flexible utility evaluation. While the generalized HAUIM (GHAUIM) algorithm performs well, it requires two database scans and is limited to static datasets. Therefore, we developed a novel tree-based method that scans the database only once to improve efficiency by reducing storage and eliminating costly join operations. Additionally, pruning strategies and incremental updates were introduced to enhance scalability. The developed method outperformed GHAIM in efficiency. Full article

Postharvest deterioration remains a major challenge for blackberries, particularly in warm climates where shelf life is limited. This study evaluated the postharvest performance of three thornless cultivars grown under subtropical conditions: ‘Prime-Ark® Freedom’, ‘Osage’, and ‘Sweet-Ark™ Ponca’ using a two-phase cold storage regime (0 °C for 7 days, then 5 °C for 9 days). Over two seasons (2023–2024), fruit quality was assessed at days 0, 7, 12, and 16, focusing on weight loss, leakiness, red drupelet reversion (RDR), soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TTA), SSC/TTA ratio, and ascorbic acid. Cultivar responses varied: ‘Prime-Ark^® Freedom’ showed strong storage resilience with minimal weight loss and fewer disorders, although SSC and ascorbic acid levels were lower. ‘Osage’ maintained high SSC, SSC/TTA, and ascorbic acid, favoring shorter storage for fresh markets. ‘Sweet-Ark™ Ponca’ had high SSC/TTA ratios but was prone to leakiness and RDR. Ascorbic acid declined during storage in 2023 but was better preserved in 2024, especially with ‘Prime-Ark^® Freedom’. Our results provide actionable insights for cultivar selection in postharvest strategies that are critical to preserving fruit quality and extending shelf life in blackberries. Full article

Energy policies and economies of scale have promoted the expansion of renewable energy sources, leading to the displacement of conventional generation units and a consequent reduction in system inertia. Low inertia amplifies frequency deviations in response to generation–load imbalances, increasing the risk of load shedding and service interruptions. To address this issue, this paper proposes a coordinated control strategy based on neuro-fuzzy networks, applied to a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) composed of batteries and supercapacitors. The controller is designed to simultaneously emulate virtual inertia and implement virtual droop control, thereby improving frequency stability and reducing reliance on spinning reserve. Additionally, a state-of-charge (SOC) management layer is integrated to prevent battery operation in critical zones, mitigating degradation and extending battery lifespan. The neuro-fuzzy controller dynamically coordinates the power exchange both among the energy storage technologies (batteries and supercapacitors) and between the HESS and the conventional generation unit, enabling a smooth and efficient transition in response to power imbalances. The proposed strategy was validated through simulations in MATLAB R2022b using a two-area power system model with parameters sourced from the literature and validated references. System performance was evaluated using standard frequency response metrics, including performance indicators (ITSE, ISE, ITAE and IAE) and the frequency nadir, demonstrating the effectiveness of the approach in enhancing frequency regulation and ensuring the operational safety of the energy storage system. Full article

Carbonate fracture–cavity reservoirs are significant oil and gas reservoirs globally, and their efficient development is influenced by the connectivity between fracture–cavity units within the reservoir. These reservoirs primarily consist of large caves, dissolution holes, and natural fractures, which serve as the primary storage and flow spaces. The S91 unit of the Tarim Oilfield is a karstic fracture–cavity reservoir with shallow coverage. It exhibits significant heterogeneity in the fracture–cavity reservoirs and presents complex connectivity between the fracture–cavity bodies. The integration of static and dynamic data, including geology, well logging, seismic, and production dynamics, resulted in the development of a set of static and dynamic connectivity evaluation processes designed for highly heterogeneous fracture–cavity reservoirs. Methods include using structural gradient tensors and stratigraphic continuity attributes to delineate the boundaries of caves and holes; performing RGB fusion analysis of coherence, curvature, and variance attributes to characterize large-scale fault development features; applying ant-tracking algorithms and fracture simulation techniques to identify the distribution and density characteristics of fracture zones; utilizing 3D visualization technology to describe the spatial relationship between fracture–cavity units and large-scale faults and fracture development zones; and combining dynamic data to verify interwell connectivity. This process will provide a key geological basis for optimizing well network deployment, improving water and gas injection efficiency, predicting residual oil distribution, and formulating adjustment measures, thereby improving the development efficiency of such complex reservoirs. Full article

High-definition (HD) maps are essential for safe and reliable autonomous driving, but their growing size and the need for real-time updates pose significant challenges for in-vehicle storage and communication efficiency. This study proposes a lightweight and scalable HD map provisioning system based on Geohash spatial indexing and Smart Roadside Units (Smart RSUs). The system divides HD map data into Geohash-based spatial blocks and enables vehicles to request only the map segments corresponding to their current location, reducing storage burden and communication load. To validate the system’s effectiveness, we constructed a simulation environment where multiple vehicle clients simultaneously request map data from a Smart RSU. Experimental results showed that the proposed Geohash-based approach achieved an average response time (RTT) of 1244.82 ms—approximately 296.3% faster than the conventional GPS-based spatial query method—and improved database query performance by 1072.6%. Additionally, we demonstrate the system’s scalability by adjusting Geohash levels according to road density, using finer blocks in urban areas and coarser blocks in rural areas. The hierarchical nature of Geohash also enables consistent integration of blocks with different resolutions. These results confirm that the proposed method provides an efficient and real-time HD map delivery framework suitable for dynamic and dense traffic environments. Full article

Chemical Looping Combustion (CLC) technology has emerged as a promising approach for carbon capture owing to its CO₂ separation capability, which addresses the pressing challenge of global climate change. Although iron-based oxygen carriers offer economic advantages owing to their abundance and low cost, their limited cyclic stability restricts their industrial deployment. This study focused on optimizing the performance of iron-based oxygen carriers through composite modification with Al₂O₃ and TiO₂. Using Cantera (2.5.0) software and the minimum Gibbs free energy principle, conversion rates and product distributions of Fe₂O₃, Fe₂O₃/Al₂O₃, and Fe₂O₃/TiO₂ were systematically analyzed under varying temperatures (800–950 °C), oxygen carrier-to-fuel molar ratios (O/C = 1–15), and pressures (0.1–1.0 MPa). The optimal conditions were identified as 900 °C, O/C = 8, and 0.1 MPa. After 50 simulation cycles, Fe₂O₃/Al₂O₃ and Fe₂O₃/TiO₂ achieved average total reaction counts of 503 and 543, respectively, substantially exceeding 296 cycles for Fe₂O₃. The results indicated that Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ improved cyclic stability via physical support and structural regulation mechanisms, thereby offering a practical carrier composite modification strategy. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development of high-performance oxygen carriers and supports the industrial application of CLC technology for efficient carbon capture and emission mitigation. Full article

With the wide application of battery energy storage systems (BESSs) in DC microgrids, BESSs are facing increasingly severe cyber threats, among which, false data injection attacks (FDIAs) seriously undermine the accuracy of battery state estimation by tampering with sensor measurement data. To address this problem, this paper proposes an improved generative adversarial network (WGAN-GP)-based detection and defence method for FDIAs in battery energy storage systems. Firstly, a more perfect FDIA model is constructed based on the comprehensive consideration of the dual objectives of circumventing the bad data detection (BDD) system of microgrid and triggering the effective deviation of the system operating state quantity; subsequently, the WGAN-GP network architecture introducing the gradient penalty term is designed to achieve the efficient detection of the attack based on the anomalous scores output from the discriminator, and the generator reconstructs the tampered measurement data. Finally, the state prediction after repair is completed based on Gaussian process regression. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves more than 92.9% detection accuracy in multiple attack modes, and the maximum reconstruction error is only 0.13547 V. The overall performance is significantly better than that of the traditional detection and restoration methods, and it provides an effective technical guarantee for the safe and stable operation of the battery energy storage system. Full article