Advancing Open Science

Background/Objectives: “Low-fat” claims are defined by a fat threshold, with no requirements regarding the nutrients replacing fat. Reformulation often relies on refined starches and free sugars at the expense of dietary fiber. Thus, a low-fat (LF) product is not necessarily of good carbohydrate quality, a dimension that macronutrient-based classification fails to capture. Whether LF-derived poor carbohydrate quality is associated with organ-specific alterations across the gut–liver–kidney axis remains unknown. Methods: Male Wistar rats were fed for 24 weeks a purified LF diet, its ingredient-matched purified high-fat, high-sucrose counterpart (HF), or a whole-grain Chow reference of similar energy density. Carbohydrate quality was assessed using the carbohydrate-to-dietary fiber-to-free sugars ratio. Body weight and adiposity, glucose homeostasis, gut fermentation, and hepatic and renal functional and structural parameters were evaluated. Results: Only Chow met the 10:1:1 carbohydrate quality criterion. At a caloric intake that did not exceed that of Chow, LF feeding was associated with increased body weight, adipocyte hypertrophy, impaired glucose tolerance and postprandial hyperinsulinemia. Fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and branched SCFAs declined, consistent with a reduction in colonic fermentative output. Chronic LF exposure was additionally associated with hepatic and renal lipid accumulation, normoglycemic glycosuria, and podocyte structural alterations. Conclusions: A purified low-fat diet was associated with the same spectrum of gut, liver and kidney alterations as its high-fat counterpart, without excess caloric intake. These findings support an important role for nutrient sources and carbohydrate quality in shaping metabolic health beyond dietary fat content or caloric load alone.

This paper examines how architecture students identify, spatially interpret, and prioritise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within a course on urban waterfronts. Its pedagogical design was informed conceptually by UNESCO’s cognitive, socio-emotional, and action-oriented dimensions of ESD and its recommendation to use mapping-based activities. The study involved third-year architecture students and drew on student-produced analyses of SDG-based spatial mapping of selected international waterfront projects. The mixed-method research design combined: (i) systematic coding and descriptive frequency and intensity analysis of student products addressing all 17 SDGs; (ii) exploratory multimodal network mapping of project-mediated associations among SDGs, urban problems, and spatial strategies; and (iii) an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) survey completed by students to compare SDGs in relation to a prospective intervention in Istanbul waterfront. The findings show that the student products frequently combined multiple SDGs with spatial problems and strategies rather than presenting them solely as isolated categories. SDG 11 was the most consistently represented goal across the international cases. SDGs 2 and 5 emerged as the clearest potential blind spots, while SDGs 1, 7, and 16 also showed comparatively limited engagement. By contrast, the AHP results ranked SDG 13 first, followed by SDGs 11 and 3. This difference reflects the distinct contexts and analytical purposes of the two components: the product analysis examined SDG representation in international waterfront projects, whereas the AHP elicited prospective priorities for an Istanbul waterfront intervention. The study proposes an exploratory course-level framework for examining SDG literacy through spatial representation, and context-specific prioritisation, illustrating how ESD principles may be operationalised within an architecture course.

This paper proposes a computationally efficient sensorless control framework for a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG)-based wind energy conversion system (WECS) employing three-level neutral-point-clamped (3L-NPC) back-to-back converters. A high-gain observer is developed to estimate grid voltages, frequency, and electrical angle, with its estimation error analyzed using Lyapunov theory to establish uniform ultimate boundedness. An integral sliding mode control (ISMC) combined with finite-control-set model-predictive control (FCS-MPC) is employed to regulate the system. To reduce the computational burden, a two-stage search algorithm is proposed, reducing the number of evaluated switching combinations from 27 to 7 per sampling period while maintaining comparable control performance. The proposed strategy is evaluated through Processor-in-the-Loop (PIL) simulations using MATLAB/Simulink and the LAUNCHXL-F28379D DSP platform. The observer is tested under sudden variations in grid voltage amplitude, abrupt frequency changes, frequency ramps, and measurement noise. The results show that the estimated variables converge toward their actual values, with increased fluctuations under measurement noise. The control strategy is evaluated under wind-speed variations and parametric uncertainties with a stochastic wind profile. Under nominal conditions, both FCS-MPC methods show comparable control performance, while the proposed method requires less execution time. Under parametric uncertainties, the proposed method improves DC-link voltage regulation and neutral-point voltage balancing, achieving a grid-current THD of 0.99%, compared with 2.43% for conventional FCS-MPC.

Sustainable manufacturing offers firms the chance to optimize resources, improve market access, enhance long-term competitiveness, and reduce the firm’s environmental impact. However, implementation remains limited, especially in developing countries. This study investigates the barriers to sustainable manufacturing practices (SMP) in the Egyptian food industry and proposes strategies to accelerate adoption. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 27 stakeholders and participants from manufacturing firms, we developed a multi-level framework to link macro-, meso-, and micro-level barriers. The study clarifies how barriers operate in practice and reinforce one another through contextual mechanisms that sustain resistance to SMP implementation. Beyond financial and technical constraints, the critical yet underexplored sources of resistance include institutional distrust, managerial mindsets, and socially embedded norms normalizing regulatory avoidance. This study contributes to research on sustainable manufacturing by stressing the need to consider institutional, behavioral, and socio-cultural conditions alongside corporate constraints to explain the persistent gaps in implementation in developing countries. It also provides a roadmap for coordinated stakeholder action to accelerate the transition toward sustainable manufacturing.

This study comparatively optimized and evaluated the quality, bioaccessibility, intestinal integrity, advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), and sustainability metrics of Valencia orange slices using vacuum-microwave drying (VMD) and hot-air drying (HAD). Response surface methodology based on a Box–Behnken design established optimum conditions for VMD at 4 kW microwave power, 80 °C, and 2.228 mm slice thickness, and for HAD at 80 °C, 1.806 m/s air velocity, and 2.0 mm thickness. VMD demonstrated superior quality preservation, retaining significantly higher levels of bioactive phenolics, organic acids, and individual carotenoids compared to HAD. Following INFOGEST 2.0 in vitro digestion, VMD achieved a higher total phenolic bioaccessibility (~56% vs. 42%) and basolateral transport efficiency (~7.8% vs. 5.2%) while better preserving CaCo-2 intestinal barrier function (higher TEER and lower FITC-dextran permeability). Compared to HAD, VMD significantly reduced thermal degradation, resulting in lower hydroxymethylfurfural (~10 vs. ~41 mg/kg) and fluorescent AGEs (~180 vs. ~340 AU/g) (p < 0.05). Kinetic evaluation revealed a sevenfold higher effective moisture diffusivity for VMD (1.07 × 10⁻⁹ m²/s) than HAD (1.49 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s). Multivariate analysis highlighted distinct separation between treatments based on drying kinetics, bioactive retention, and thermal markers. Thermodynamic and environmental analyses revealed an operational trade-off between the systems: while HAD exhibited a lower specific energy consumption (2.32 ± 0.08 kWh/kg H₂O) and operational carbon emissions (1.01 kg CO₂−eq/kg H₂O), VMD achieved a ~78% reduction in drying duration and superior preservation of bioactive compounds, despite its higher specific energy consumption (4.12 ± 0.18 kWh/kg H₂O) and carbon emissions (1.80 kg CO₂−eq/kg H₂O).

Salinomycin, an ionophore coccidiostat widely used in livestock production, has attracted growing interest as a potential anticancer agent, although its clinical application remains limited by pronounced organ-specific toxicity. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid with documented cytoprotective properties, is increasingly consumed, making concurrent exposure plausible, yet its interaction remains unexplored. This study evaluated the cytotoxicity of salinomycin (0.39–50 µg/mL), alone and combined with two non-cytotoxic CBD concentrations (1.56 and 3.125 µg/mL), in three human cell lines—embryonic kidney-derived HEK-293, hepatoblastoma-derived HepG2, and neuroblastoma-derived SH-SY5Y—using assays of mitochondrial and lysosomal activity, membrane integrity, total protein content, and DNA synthesis, complemented by ROS measurement, apoptosis/necrosis evaluation, morphology, and an exploratory combination index analysis. CBD modulated salinomycin cytotoxicity in a strictly cell-line-dependent manner. In HEK-293 cells, it attenuated cytotoxicity, as reflected by uniformly higher IC₅₀ values, reduced ROS production, and lower median fluorescence intensities of Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide, whereas in the tumor-derived HepG2 and SH-SY5Y lines, it enhanced cytotoxicity irrespective of the CBD concentration applied, accompanied by increased ROS generation and more pronounced cell death. As all three lines are immortalized or tumor-derived, these observations describe cell-line-specific responses and cannot be extrapolated to normal renal, hepatic, or neuronal tissue.

Oral health problems are common in children with diabetes, but information from the Democratic Republic of Congo is still limited. The aim of this study was to assess caries experience, gingival status and plaque accumulation in children and adolescents with diabetes followed at a specialized center in Kinshasa. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 60 children and adolescents receiving insulin treatment. Oral examination included assessment of caries, gingival inflammation and plaque accumulation. Information on HbA1c, diabetes duration and oral hygiene habits was also recorded. Results: Girls represented 58.3% of the sample and boys 41.7%. Toothbrushing once daily was reported by 58.3% of participants and twice daily by 41.7%. All participants used toothpaste. Caries experience was present in 53.3% of the children. The mean total caries experience score was 1.03 ± 1.28, the mean gingival index 0.57 ± 0.41, and the mean plaque index 0.49 ± 0.44. Plaque accumulation was associated with a higher gingival index. In the primary analysis, diabetes duration, HbA1c and brushing frequency were not independently associated with total caries experience. Conclusions: Caries and gingival changes were frequent in this group. Plaque accumulation showed the clearest association with gingival status. These findings support regular dental follow-up and better plaque control in children and adolescents with diabetes.

Following a trajectory and avoiding obstacles are two closely linked control tasks for an autonomous vehicle. Classical reactive controllers are tuned for one operating range, do not look ahead and have no built-in way to keep a minimum distance from an obstacle. This paper presents a Linear Time-Invariant Model Predictive Control (LTI-MPC) scheme combined with a Luenberger observer for the kinematic bicycle model. The model is linearised once around and written in deviation coordinates so that the drift term of the predictor is exact. The observer, tuned with the discrete-time algebraic Riccati equation, rebuilds the heading from the noisy DGPS-RTK position and odometry speed, so no heading sensor is needed. Static obstacles are handled by a local re-planner with a designed clearance, and a closed-form rule links its blending length to the maximum reference heading. Tested in a closed loop with observer and measurement noise on five scenarios, the LTI-MPC reaches a tracking RMSE of 0.018 m at 4 m/s on a sinusoidal path; achieves, in simulation, a clearance of 0.98–0.99 m from the obstacle (the reference is designed for 1.0 m, the requirement is 0.5 m); and is the only controller among PID-type, Stanley and MPC whose accuracy degrades smoothly from 2 to 8 m/s with a single tuning. The observer converges within $1^{\circ }$ in 0.24 s. A sweep of constant-radius turns shows that the linearisation stays accurate at up to ${30}^{\circ }$ of heading change.