Search Results (93)

Commercialisation of research outcomes depends not only on technological quality but also on the competences through which research organisations identify market opportunities, coordinate stakeholders and translate knowledge into sustainable value. This study identifies and classifies commercialisation competences in research network organisations and develops a time-structured framework for operationalising their contribution to sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI). A structured review of Scopus and Web of Science publications, using predefined relevance criteria, yielded 129 competence formulations. Competence extraction was conducted by one author, while two authors independently synthesised the formulations into 25 conceptually distinct competences: five cognitive, eight functional, four personal and eight meta-competences. The 25 competences were then mapped against the triple bottom line, dynamic capabilities and ESG perspectives through a consensus-based expert assessment. Ten competences were classified as core sustainability-oriented, twelve as enabling and three as neutral. Because this classification is interpretative rather than empirically validated, it is intended as a transparent analytical proposition for subsequent testing. Each competence was linked to an Activity–Process Performance–Outcome (A–S–W) structure based on leading, diagnostic and lagging indicators, producing 75 illustrative indicators. The proposed numerical thresholds are heuristic calibration examples rather than universal benchmarks. The framework connects competence activation with process quality and commercialisation outcomes while incorporating economic, environmental and social dimensions and provides a basis for competence development, performance monitoring and future empirical validation. Full article

As higher education institutions respond to societal transformation and institutional reform, academic staff wellbeing is increasingly relevant to the conditions that sustain teaching quality, research productivity, and service performance. This study, the second phase of a research project, evaluated Academic Staff Wellbeing (ASW) as a reflective–reflective second-order construct and examined its relationships with Job Satisfaction (JS) and Academic Performance (AP), including JS mediation. A cross-sectional questionnaire with closed- and open-ended items was completed by 119 academic staff at a single Saudi university. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with 5000 bootstrap resamples was complemented by structured interviews with eight faculty members and a focus group with eight academic leaders; qualitative evidence was analyzed thematically and integrated at the interpretation stage. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. ASW explained 74.3% of the variance in JS and, together with JS, 36.1% of the variance in AP. ASW was strongly associated with JS and significantly associated with AP, whereas the JS–AP relationship and the indirect ASW–JS–AP relationship were not significant (β = 0.125, 95% bias-corrected confidence interval [−0.185, 0.474]). Qualitative findings highlighted leadership, institutional support, workload, resources, professional development, workplace quality, and recognition as organizational mechanisms. Within the limitations of a cross-sectional, single-institution design and self-reported academic performance, these findings suggest that ASW may function as a multidimensional institutional condition supporting teaching, research, and service performance through multiple organizational pathways rather than primarily through job satisfaction alone. Full article

Gene editing techniques are well-developed for model microalgae like Chlorella and Chlamydomonas. However, for the high-value species Porphyridium purpureum, its thick cell wall poses a significant barrier to genetic manipulation. Overcoming this challenge requires a robust method for preparing highly viable protoplasts. To generate protoplasts of P. purpureum, a targeted enzymatic lysis was applied based on the structural composition of the cell wall in this study. The results of single-factor experiments showed that a high protoplast yield (up to 43.55%) could be achieved under the following conditions: a total cellulase and macerozyme concentration of 2%, a cellulase-to-macerozyme ratio of 3:7, and a treatment time of 8 h in 0.2 mol/L KCl. Subsequently, Response Surface Methodology further optimized the enzymatic lysis conditions, yielding the optimal combination: a fixed combined concentration of cellulase and macerozyme at 2.2% in 0.2 mol/L KCL solution, a ratio of approximately 1:3, and an 8 h treatment, achieving a protoplast yield of 49.44%. Transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and Evans Blue staining confirmed that the protoplasts had smooth surfaces, no extracellular polysaccharide residues, and intact membranes and organelles. Furthermore, the optimal regeneration medium was ASW medium supplemented with 0.2 mol/L KCl, which might create a stable microenvironment for protoplast regeneration by balancing baseline osmotic pressure and ionic environment. This study established an effective protocol for protoplast preparation and regeneration, thereby facilitating the development of gene-editing tools for P. purpureum. Full article

Togolese agriculture is vulnerable to climate variability. In this context, this study aims to analyze the seasonal variability of climatic parameters and its effects on food production in the western Plateaux region. To achieve this, climatic data (from stations in Agou-Gare, Adéta, Amou, Badou, Kouma Konda, and Atakpamé) and agricultural data (yields, production, and areas of maize, rice, cowpea, cassava, and yam) from 1991 to 2020 were processed using RStudio 4.4.0. A methodology integrating both daily rainfall and changes in available soil water (ASW) was used to determine the rainy seasons and their durations. Seasonal rainfall totals were used to analyze spatial variability. Finally, an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model with a threshold of 10% was used to assess the effect of climate parameters on food production. The results reveal a transition from a bimodal rainfall regime to a monomodal regime, characterised by a dry season of 4–5 months and a rainy season of 7–8 months. This transition is accompanied by an increase in temperatures ranging from 24.69 °C to 34.7 °C. The results also reveal an uncertain start to the long rainy season (early or late), an extension of the short season and dry spells lasting between 11 and 34 days that affect crops. Finally, spatial variability in precipitation remains significant during the long rainy season. Agroclimatic analysis reveals that maximum temperature positively influences cowpea yields (p = 0.0079) but negatively influences cassava (p = 0.00013) and rice (p = 0.050) yields. These results could inform the development of effective adaptation strategies tailored to this environment, helping to maintain and increase food production in the context of climate change. Full article

Aquaculture solid waste (ASW) from intensive farming poses significant environmental challenges, yet its potential as a composting feedstock remains insufficiently evaluated. This study systematically assessed the feasibility of aerobic composting for ASW valorization through integrated feedstock characterization, composting process monitoring, microbial community analysis, and pot experiment validation. ASW collected from intensive aquaculture facilities was characterized by high phosphorus (mean TP: 6.80 mg/g), potassium (TK generally >10 mg/g), and iron (mean Fe: 49,112 mg/kg) content but low organic matter (17.60%) and total nitrogen (0.72%). Composted with rice straw powder, meat and bone meal, and mineral amendments, ASW was successfully converted into mature compost, with the thermophilic phase (>50 °C) lasting only 4 days and the seed germination index exceeding the 80% safety threshold within 15 days. The composting process exhibited an organic matter degradation rate of approximately 20.82%, along with low electrical conductivity and stable pH in the final product. Microbial community analysis revealed that ASW addition significantly altered bacterial and fungal community structure, enriching functional taxa associated with organic matter decomposition and nutrient transformation. Pot experiments conducted under equal nutrient input conditions demonstrated that the ASW-derived compost supported satisfactory crop growth, with the fresh weight of Fast-growing Cabbage reaching 106.95 g per plant. The compost also improved soil properties, including reduced electrical conductivity (72.8% lower than urea), increased soil organic matter (17.8% increase over original soil), and enhanced available phosphorus (93.0% increase over original soil). These results indicate that aerobic composting is a technically viable pathway for converting ASW into a qualified organic fertilizer, providing a preliminary scientific basis for future waste management strategy for the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry. Full article

Aiming at the problems of diverse defect types, large-scale differences, and complex background interference in gear surface defect detection, a lightweight model, ASW-YOLO, is proposed based on YOLOv8n. By using an ADown dual downsampling module to compress feature map resolution and preserve fine-grained information. C2f_SE channel attention is introduced to enhance small-scale defect response. The CIoU is replaced with WIoU to optimize multi-scale target localization accuracy. The experiments are conducted on the gear dataset. The comparative experiments show that mAP@0.5 of ASW-YOLO reached 94.8%, an increase of 4.5% compared to YOLOv8n, with a reduction of 9.3% in parameter count and 8.5% in computational complexity. The ablation experiments confirm the effectiveness of the three modules. ASW-YOLO achieves a 4.5% increase in mAP@0.5 and a 6.1% increase in recall compared to YOLOv8n. The generalization experiments demonstrate that the mAP@0.5 fluctuation of ASW-YOLO remains below 2% under strong highlight and striped shadow. Moreover, the model maintains over 85% mAP@0.5 under motion blur. ASW-YOLO balances precision and lightweight, making it suitable for real-time quality monitoring in industry. Full article

Biofouling is an issue of global significance that impairs marine infrastructure, causes increased fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and threatens biodiversity. Since the year 2000, self-polishing copolymer (SPC) coatings and fouling release coatings (FRCs) dominate the fouling protection coatings market. SPC technology is based on the controlled release of biocides using a mixture of acrylic and natural binders as a delivery system. FRC technology is based on PDMS providing surface properties that resist attachment of fouling organisms. FRCs often contain surface modifying agents, such as free silicone oils, to tune the physicochemical properties of the surface. However, the long-term efficacy of these agents and their migration and distribution in PDMS-based coatings have not been well studied. In this study, we employed time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) combined with multivariate analysis to examine the distribution of silicone oils as a function of exposure to artificial seawater (ASW). The results show that pure PDMS-based coatings allow uniform distribution of silicone oils with robust behavior upon ASW exposure. In contrast, epoxy–PDMS-based coatings displayed phase separation of the oils, which strongly altered their surface chemistry. Our findings suggest that the modification of mobile oils is critical to the performance of marine antifouling coatings. Furthermore, the presence of other ingredients of commercial coating formulations strongly affected the distribution of mobile oils. This study lays the foundation for future systematic research aimed at developing predictive models to optimize fouling protection coatings for the marine industry. Full article

Electrocatalytic seawater splitting is an ideal strategy for the large-scale production of green hydrogen. Compared to scarce freshwater, oceanic seawater electrolysis represents a game-changer for the hydrogen economy. Herein, we report a cost-effective one-step synthesis of binder-free, self-supported 3D nickel–manganese–cobalt (NiMnCo) coatings on titanium (Ti) substrates and evaluated their electrocatalytic performance for the hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) in alkaline media (1.0 M KOH), simulated seawater (SSW, 1.0 M KOH + 0.5 M NaCl) and alkaline natural seawater (ASW, 1.0 M KOH + natural seawater). These ternary coatings were electrodeposited on Ti substrates using an electrochemical deposition method via a dynamic hydrogen bubble template (DHBT) technique. The optimized ternary NiMnCo/Ti-2 electrocatalyst exhibited an enhanced HER activity in both alkaline and seawater media, achieving an ultra-low overpotential of 29, 59 and 66 mV to reach the benchmark current density of 10 mA cm⁻² in SSW, ASW and 1.0 M KOH, respectively. This efficient 3D ternary NiMnCo/Ti-2 electrocatalyst demonstrated stable long-term performance at a constant potential of −0.23 V (vs. RHE) and a constant current density of 10 mA cm⁻² for 50 h without any significant degradation. Furthermore, it exhibited long-term stability in alkaline electrolyte and simulated seawater during multi-step chronopotentiometric testing at variable current densities from 20 mA cm⁻² to 100 mA cm⁻² for 18 h. This superior performance can be attributed to its unique intermetallic structure and multi-component composition, which provides good Cl⁻ resistance, electrochemical stability and synergistic effects among its constituents. Therefore, the optimized NiMnCo/Ti-2 electrocatalyst is a promising candidate for practical seawater electrolysis aiming at green hydrogen production. Full article

The corrosion behavior and passive-film stability of a β-TiZrNbTa (β-TZNT) alloy were investigated in artificial seawater (ASW), focusing on the effects of pH, temperature, immersion time, fluoride ion concentration, and potential scan rate. In addition to electrochemical methods such as open-circuit potential (OCP), potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed for surface characterization. The establishment of a stable and efficient passive layer enriched in Zr-, Nb-, and Ta-oxides was responsible for the β-TZNT alloy’s superior corrosion resistance in fluoride-free ASW when compared to commercially pure titanium. Reduced passive-film resistance resulted from corrosion kinetics being greatly accelerated by decreasing the pH and increasing the temperature. The presence of fluoride ions strongly affected the passivity of the alloy due to the chemical dissolution of TiO₂ through the formation of soluble fluoride complexes, resulting in an increase in the corrosion current densities by more than one order of magnitude. A bilayer passive structure with a compact inner barrier layer and a porous outer layer was identified by EIS analysis. The stability of this structure gradually decreased with increasing fluoride concentration and acidity. Over time, passive-film degradation was dominant in fluoride-free seawater, whereas prolonged exposure in fluoride-containing media promoted partial re-passivation. Overall, these results highlight the potential and limitations of the β-TZNT alloy for marine and offshore applications by offering new mechanistic insights into the synergistic effects of fluoride ions and environmental factors on corrosion performance. Full article

Anthropogenic CO₂ emissions drive ocean acidification through changes in the carbonate system, lowering seawater pH. In contrast, salinity variations arise from physical processes such as freshwater fluxes and circulation. This study reports the preparation and Harned cell characterization of three equimolal TRIS buffer solutions (0.01 mol·kg⁻¹, 0.025 mol·kg⁻¹, and 0.04 mol·kg⁻¹) in artificial seawater (ASW) matrices with practical salinities of 35 and 50 and temperatures of 20 °C, 25 °C, and 30 °C. Determined pH_T values achieved expanded uncertainties ($U_{{\mathrm{p}\mathrm{H}}_{\mathrm{T}}}$ ≤ 0.006), meeting Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) “climate” quality standards. Absolute salinity (S_A) was concurrently measured via density (TEOS-10), revealing systematic deviations from practical salinity due to TRIS content. A nonlinear regression model was developed to predict pH_T as a function of salinity, temperature, and TRIS molality, with r² = 0.99998. These results provide a robust dataset for developing Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) for pH_T calibration under climate-relevant high-salinity environments at different temperature conditions, offering a practical tool for high-accuracy calibration in variable marine conditions. Full article

Forestry workers are exposed, through their occupation, to a variety of zoonotic pathogens. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a zoonotic agent typically transmitted through the excreta of infected rodents. Current knowledge concerning the prevalence of LCMV in wild house mice (Mus musculus) in Germany is limited, with the majority of data coming from studies during the 1960s and 1970s and only from the western and southern federal states. In this study, blood samples from 563 forestry workers, collected in 2008 from ten forestry offices in Brandenburg, Germany, were screened for LCMV-reactive antibodies. In total, LCMV-reactive antibodies were detected in 1.4% (8/563) of samples. The seroprevalence varied between 0% and 6.3% depending on the forestry office, with the highest prevalence in Alt Ruppin. A parallel serological pilot study of house mice from a neighbouring federal state also indicates a very low prevalence. Although forestry workers are often at increased risk of zoonotic infection, this seroprevalence is comparable to that from a 1960s study from what was, at that time, West Germany. This study provides the first evidence of LCMV in humans from Brandenburg and highlights the need for an increased LCMV screening effort in humans and wild rodents in Germany. Full article

This research aimed to improve our understanding of how ash and slag waste (ASW) could be used in civil engineering. The present study concentrated on the utilisation of bottom sand (ASW) in cement composites as a replacement for a part of aggregate and the evaluation of the pozzolanic properties of the material. This would enable its use as a binder in non-cementitious or cementitious composites. The basic properties of the modified mortars were investigated. The pozzolanic activity index (PAI) of the bottom sand was also tested using two methods. Analysis of the test results shows that we can replace natural aggregate with 25% bottom sand without significantly impairing the properties of the modified composites. However, the tested ASW does not exhibit pozzolanic activity. Consequently, it should not be used as a binder substitute in cementitious or non-cementitious composites. Full article

A significant portion of coal mined in Kazakhstan is mainly used for fuel energy and metallurgy. Approximately 60% of electricity is generated by coal-fired power engineering. About 19 million tons of ash and slag waste (ASW) are annually sent to dumps. After coal combustion, in ASW not only are natural radioactive nuclides NRN (U²³⁸, Th²³², K⁴⁰) concentrated, but also rare and rare earth elements (REE). In this regard, ASW that essentially turns into quasi-technogenic deposits of NRN and REE, requires systemic measures for their utilization. The possibilities of extracting REE from coal power-industry waste are estimated based on the analysis of the concentration of REE (Ce, La, Nd, Sm, etc.), NRN (U²³⁸, Th²³² and their decay products, K⁴⁰) and the established significant correlations between rare earth and radioactive elements. The purpose of this paper is to study the natural radioactivity of coals and ash and slag waste as potential raw materials for assessing the quality and extracting rare earth metals. The stated purpose involves solving the following problems: studying the features of the NRN and REE distribution in coals and ash and slag waste; assessing the possibility of using ash and slag waste as a promising source of REE extraction based on nuclear radiometric studies; and studying the spectrometry of natural gamma radiation for assessing the quality of coals. Full article

This study addresses the critical need for sustainable material development by thoroughly investigating the synergistic effects of artichoke stem waste (ASW) and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) on the properties of epoxy matrix composites. This research uniquely utilizes stereolithography (SLA)-based 3D printing technology for the fabrication and characterization of polymer matrix composites. The study systematically investigates three distinct composite formulations: artichoke stem waste/epoxy, TiO₂ nanoparticles/epoxy, and a novel hybrid of artichoke stem waste/TiO₂ nanoparticles/epoxy composites. Each formulation was prepared at three different loading concentrations to determine their optimal performance. The fabricated composites underwent comprehensive characterization, including meticulous evaluations of their mechanical (tensile), thermal (Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA)), morphological (Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)), and chemical-bonding (Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy) properties. Additionally, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and FT-IR analyses were performed to structurally characterize the raw materials (pristine (cured epoxy), ASW, and TiO₂ NPs) and the final composite structures. The findings indicate that the incorporation of ASW and TiO₂ NPs significantly enhances the performance of epoxy composites. This discovery is significant as it demonstrates the successful valorization of agricultural waste into high-performance composite materials and advances the capabilities of 3D printing technology in sustainable materials science. The results of this study offer critical insights, substantially contributing to the development of sustainable and high-value materials. Full article

Adolescents’ increasing screen time has been linked to poor sleep quality, which may, in turn, affect their academic performance. This study aimed to examine screen time patterns among Jordanian adolescents and assess their associations with sleep quality and academic achievement. A descriptive correlational study was conducted among 477 students aged 12–14 years from four randomly selected schools in northern Jordan. Participants completed the validated Questionnaire for Screen Time of Adolescents (QueST) and the Adolescent Sleep–Wake Scale–Short Version (ASWS-S), while academic performance was assessed using GPA from school records. Results showed that average screen time was 9.13 h per day. Weekend screen time emerged as a significant negative predictor of sleep quality (β = −0.27, p = 0.016). Gender and school type were also significant predictors. Adolescents with screen devices in their bedrooms and those with chronic medical conditions reported higher screen time. Although total screen time did not significantly predict academic achievement, it showed a moderate negative correlation with sleep quality (r = −0.18, p < 0.01). These findings suggest that excessive screen use, particularly on weekends, may impair sleep quality among adolescents. Interventions targeting screen habits could help enhance sleep and potentially benefit academic performance. Full article