Search Results (72)

This study investigates the potential of transient potentiometric signals generated by an array of ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) as the basis for a potentiometric electronic tongue capable of identifying and quantifying a range of inorganic and organic cations. Six distinct polymeric membrane ISEs were fabricated, differing in plasticizer type (either NPOE or DEHS), and in the presence or absence of a lipophilic ion exchanger (KTClPB) and/or an ionophore (DB18C6). Transient potential responses were recorded following the exposure of the electrode array to various cations at different concentrations. A total of 810 transient signals were analyzed through visual inspection and principal component analysis (PCA), revealing characteristic dynamic patterns influenced by membrane composition, ion type, and ion concentration. PCA was conducted both on the transient signals from each individual electrode and on the aggregated dataset comprising signals from the full six-electrode array (electronic tongue). The electronic tongue exhibited a markedly enhanced capacity for discriminating and quantifying ion concentrations in comparison to any single electrode. Full article

Background/Objectives: Acute dehydration, commonly induced through fluid restriction and/or excessive sweating, is a common weight-cutting strategy among combat sport athletes. However, its impact on muscle strength and power remains a concern. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of 2% body mass reduction via dehydration on lower-limb strength and power in elite karate athletes. Methods: Fourteen male elite karate athletes completed two conditions: euhydrated (EUH) and dehydrated (DEH) (−2% body mass via 24-h fluid restriction). Performance was assessed using squat jump (SJ) and countermovement jump (CMJ) tests, along with isokinetic knee flexion and extension at 60, 180, and 300°/s. Results: Dehydration significantly reduced squat jump height (37.19 ± 3.69 vs. 39.34 ± 5.08 cm (EUH), p = 0.04), power output (2188.2 ± 307.2 vs. 2351.1 ± 347.2 W (EUH), p = 0.001), and knee extension and flexion strength at 60°/s (p = 0.018). CMJ height and higher-velocity knee flexion/extension were unaffected (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Acute dehydration impairs lower-body maximal force production at low velocities but has no significant effect on high velocity movements. Athletes and coaches should carefully manage hydration strategies when “cutting weight” to avoid any negative performance effects. Full article

This paper presents an investigation into the influence of varying potential well depths on the performance of a dual−coupled beam energy harvester (DEH). Firstly, three varying potential well depths were established with different polynomial coefficients of nonlinear restoring force and analyzed in simulation. Numerical results revealed that whether the initial potential well depth is shallow or not, the optimal power output can be attained when the stiffness of the coupling spring is a half of the monostable−to−bistable coupling spring stiffness, which was also validated by an experiment. Specifically, at a deeper initial potential well depth of 0.64 mJ, the system demonstrated superior energy conversion capabilities. Compared to traditional BEH and LEH, the output RMS voltage of Beam 1 and total RMS power of the DEH increased by 103.06% and 49.6%, respectively. The RMS power increased by 16.4% at a potential well depth of 0.9 mJ. In addition, regardless of the potential well depth, the DEH can always achieve the optimal operating bandwidth when the coupling spring stiffness is near the monostable−to−bistable transition region. Full article

Sustainable soil management through the use of an appropriate tillage system can positively change the edaphic parameters. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects that reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT) systems have on changes in selected physical and chemical properties and enzymatic activity in various soil types. The study included the following soil types: Eutric Fluvisol, Mollic Fluvisol, Haplic Chernozem, Haplic Luvisol, Eutric Regosol, Eutric Gleysol, and Stagnic Planosol. Soil samples were collected in the Danubian Lowland and Eastern Slovak Lowland. The following parameters were determined in the soil samples: soil texture, pH, hydrolytic acidity and the sum of basic exchangeable cations, the contents of carbon (TOC), nitrogen (TN), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and the activities of dehydrogenases (DEH), catalase (CAT), peroxidases (PER), alkaline phosphatase (AlP), acid phosphatase (AcP), proteases, and β-glucosidase (BG). The reaction of the analysed soils, in the RT and CT cultivations alike, ranged from acidic to neutral, and the sorption properties differed between individual soil types. The TOC ranged from 16.53 to 42.07 g kg⁻¹ for conventional cultivation and from 15.51 to 38.90 g kg⁻¹ for reduced tillage. The values of enzymatic soil quality indices values correlated with TOC, DOC, and TN, as well as with pH, the sum of exchangeable base cations, cation exchange capacity, and degree of base saturation of the sorption complex. The tillage system determined changes in the activity of the studied enzymes, but the intensity and direction of these changes depended on the soil type. Based on the enzyme activity results, soil quality indices such as GMea and TEI were calculated. TEI proved to be a more sensitive indicator than GMea. It was shown that, of all studied soil types and regardless of the cultivation system, Eutric Gleyosols had the most variable properties. For conventional tillage, Haplic Luvisol and Eutric Regosol were characterised by the greatest uniformity. In general, the edaphic properties of soils under conventional tillage differed from those of soils under simplified tillage. Full article

Selective laser sintering (SLS) is one of the prominent methods of polymer additive manufacturing (AM). A low-power laser source is used to directly melt and sinter polymer material into the desired shape. This study focuses on the utilization of the low-power laser SLS system to successfully manufacture metallic components through the development of a metal–polymer composite material. In this study, 17-4 PH stainless powders are used and mixed with polyoxymethylene (POM) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) to prepare the composite powder material. The polymeric mixture is removed during the thermal degreasing process and subsequent sintering results in a solid metallic component. Sinterit Lisa with a 5 W, 808 nm laser source is used to fabricate the green part. For the printing parameters of 140 °C, laser power of 35.87 mJ/mm², and layer thickness of 100 μm, the printed samples achieved a maximum density of 3.61 g/cm³ and a complete shape. After sintering at 1310 °C for 180 min, the tensile strength of the shrunk sample is 605.64 MPa, the hardness is HRC 14.8, the average shrinkage rate is 22%, and the density is 7.57 g/cm³, which can reach 97% of the theoretical density. This process allows the use of a wide range of particle sizes that the usual AM technologies have, making it a low-cost, low-energy-consumption, high-speed AM technology. Full article

Background/Objectives: According to the 2023 Ministry of Health and Welfare statistics, the suicide rate among adolescents aged 15 to 24 has steadily increased since 2018, from 3.7 to 5.5 per 100,000 populations, reaching a recent high. Although previous studies have pointed out that the future risk of suicide of those who had suffered from abuse was higher than that of the general population, researchers seldom focused on adolescent groups. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the risk of suicide after youth violence and the impact of subsequent comorbid mental illness and suicide risk. Methods: This retrospective matched cohort study analyzed data from the NHIRD, covering the period from 2000 to 2015. A total of 976 cases aged 10–18 who had experienced violence were included in this study. Controlled grouping was conducted by 1:10 matching based on gender, age, and the time of medical treatment, and a control group who had not experienced violence was selected for comparison. We used the Cox proportional hazards model to analyze the risk of suicide among adolescents after exposure to violence. Results: The suicide rate among adolescents who have experienced violence was significantly higher than that of the control group after 15 years of follow-up (1.0% vs. 0.5%). The prevalence of mental illness or disorders in adolescents exposed to violence was significantly higher than in the control group (45.2% vs. 40.1%). Among adolescents who had experienced violence, the methods of suicide included poisoning (solid and liquid) (53.6% vs. 43.2%), hanging (1.2% vs. 0.6%), firearms (2.4% vs. 0%), and cutting instruments (27.4% vs. 22.8%), all of which were significantly higher than in the control group. After adjusting for gender, age, residential area, and mental health comorbidities, the risk of suicide in those who had experienced violence was 1.475 times that of the control group (95% CI = 1.125–1.933; p = 0.005). Conclusions: In this study, female, younger age, and comorbid mental disorders were identified as risk factors for suicide among the adolescent victims of violence. Exposure to youth violence was associated with an increased prevalence of emotional disorders, including depression and social isolation, which subsequently elevated the suicide risk. These findings underscore the urgent need for governmental attention to the mental health of adolescent victims of violence. Implementing targeted psychological support and intervention programs could play a crucial role in mitigating the risk of suicide among this vulnerable population. Full article

Bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas are the most studied microorganisms that biodegrade persistent perfluoroorganic pollutants, and the research of their application for the remediation of environmental sites using biotechnological approaches remains relevant. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of a known destructor of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid from the genus Pseudomonas to accelerate and enhance the destruction of long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), specifically perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorononanoic acid, in water and soil in association with the strain P. mosselii 5(3), which has previously confirmed genetic potential for the degrading of PFCAs. The complete genome (5.86 million base pairs) of the strain 2,4-D, probably belonging to a new species of Pseudomonas, was sequenced, assembled, and analyzed. The genomes of both strains contain genes involved in the defluorination of fluorinated compounds, including haloacetate dehalogenase H-1 (dehH1) and haloalkane dehalogenase (dhaA). The strain 2,4-D also has a multicomponent enzyme system consisting of a dioxygenase component, an electron carrier, and 2-halobenzoate 1,2-dioxygenase (CbdA) with a preference for fluorides. The strain 2,4-D was able to defluorinate PFCAs in an aqueous cultivation system within 7 days, using them as the sole source of carbon and energy and converting them to perfluorheptanoic acid. It assisted strain 5(3) to convert PFCAs to perfluoropentanoic acid, accelerating the process by 24 h. In a model experiment for the bioaugmentation of microorganisms in artificially contaminated soil, the degradation of PFCAs by the association of pseudomonads also occurred faster and deeper than by the individual strains, achieving a degree of biodestruction of 75% over 60 days, with the perfluoropentanoic acid as the main metabolite. These results are of great importance for the development of methods for the biological recultivation of fluorinated organic pollutants for environmental protection and for understanding the fundamental mechanisms of bacterial interactions with these compounds. Full article

The steam turbine and its digital electro-hydraulic (DEH) control system constitute vital elements within thermal power generation. However, the complexity of the on-site environment and the high production costs of the equipment hinder users, especially novices, from fully understanding and mastering the operation mechanisms and production processes. In the realm of emerging technologies, the digital twin stands out as a powerful tool for enhancing industrial training and learning for students and operators in this field. This paper details the design and implementation of a web-based digital twin steam turbine system. Initially, a pioneering web-based digital twin architecture is proposed, featuring high-fidelity equipment modeling, web-based immersive 3D displays, algorithm design and networked implementation, and data-driven model synchronization. Subsequently, the functionalities and benefits of the digital twin system in facilitating industrial training are explained, covering aspects such as steam turbine cognitive learning, DEH system simulation learning, and condition monitoring. Finally, a case study in a real thermal power plant is presented to demonstrate the practicability and effectiveness of this web-based digital twin system. This research endeavors to contribute valuable insights and potential solutions to the growing field of web-based digital twin applications in industry. Full article

Ensuring the secure and cost-effective operation of smart power microgrids has become a significant concern for managers and operators due to the escalating damage caused by natural phenomena and cyber-attacks. This paper presents a novel framework focused on the dynamic reconfiguration of multi-microgrids to enhance system’s security index, including stability, reliability, and operation costs. The framework incorporates distributed generation (DG) to address cyber-attacks that can lead to line outages or generation failures within the network. Additionally, this work considers the uncertainties and accessibility factors of power networks through a modified point prediction method, which was previously overlooked. To achieve the secure and cost-effective operation of smart power multi-microgrids, an optimization framework is developed as a multi-objective problem, where the states of switches and DG serve as independent parameters, while the dependent parameters consist of the operation cost and techno-security indexes. The multi-objective problem employs deep learning (DL) techniques, specifically based on long short-term memory (LSTM) and prediction intervals, to effectively detect false data injection attacks (FDIAs) on advanced metering infrastructures (AMIs). By incorporating a modified point prediction method, LSTM-based deep learning, and consideration of technical indexes and FDIA cyber-attacks, this framework aims to advance the security and reliability of smart power multi-microgrids. The effectiveness of this method was validated on a network of 118 buses. The results of the proposed approach demonstrate remarkable improvements over PSO, MOGA, ICA, and HHO algorithms in both technical and economic indicators. Full article

This study investigated the responses of two maize hybrids, Armagnac and Desszert R-78, to exogenous ethylene and mechanical damage as stress treatments. The amounts of benzoxazinoids (BXDs) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were examined 2 and 4 h after ethylene and mechanical damage treatments as well as at the age of 24 days, and the activity of genes encoding BXD biosynthesis and other stress-related genes was measured in shoots. In both hybrids, mechanical damage upregulated the genes responsible for the synthesis of BXDs (BX8 and BX9), the AOC1 gene encoding jasmonate, and the DEH gene encoding lipid biosynthesis enzymes. Significant genotype differences were found in the amounts of BXDs. In the case of the Desszert R-78 hybrid, the BXDs level was increased at 4 h after stress treatments compared to the control. In the case of the Armagnac hybrid, the amount of BXDs decreased in response to ethylene compared to the control. The absence/presence of a correlation between the activity of genes encoding BXDs and the amount of BXDs is thought to be due to the different rate/speed of the response in the two hybrids. Mechanical damage and ethylene treatments did not significantly affect the activities of SOD and CAT as well as the amount of MDA during the four-hour study period. Full article

Nicosulfuron, despite being a post-emergence herbicide commonly used in corn crops to combat weeds, there is still little information on nicosulfuron toxicity for soil microbiota. Little information exists on the impact of nicosulfuron on the enzymatic activities of soil dehydrogenases (Deh), urease (Ure), catalase (Cat), and alkaline phosphatase (Alp). We used a multiple dose- and time point (7, 14, 21, and 28 days) study design to determine the effect of nicosulfuron on these parameters during the first 28 days post-application. The soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter content (OM), water content, ammonium-nitrogen (NH₄-N), nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃-N), and available phosphate were also monitored. Ure was the most responsive enzyme to nicosulfuron. This herbicide exerted a transitory dose- and time-dependent inhibitory effect on Deh activity; maximum inhibition occurred at 14 days at doses from the normal recommended dose onward. For Ure, the maximal inhibitory effect started at 7 days of exposure to half the normal recommended dose and continued for another 14 days. The effect on Cat occurred later, whereas Alp activity was affected by nicosulfuron between 7 and 21 days but only for triple the normal recommended dose. OM showed the most consistent relationships with these parameters, being strongly positively correlated with Deh, Cat, and Alp activities. These results indicate that nicosulfuron may alter the soil metabolic activity, thus affecting its fertility. Full article

Increased usage of selective laser sintering (SLS) for the production of end-use functional components has generated a requirement of developing new materials and process improvements to improve the applicability of this technique. This article discusses a novel process wherein carbon black was applied to the surface of TPU powder to reduce the laser reflectivity during the SLS process. The printing was carried out with a preheating temperature of 75 °C, laser energy density of 0.028 J/mm², incorporating a 0.4 wt % addition of carbon black to the TPU powder, and controlling the powder layer thickness at 125 μm. The mixed powder, after printing, shows a reflectivity of 13.81%, accompanied by the highest average density of 1.09 g/cm³, hardness of 78 A, tensile strength of 7.9 MPa, and elongation at break was 364.9%. Compared to commercial TPU powder, which lacks the carbon black coating, the reflectance decreased by 1.78%, mechanical properties improved by 33.9%, and there was a notable reduction in the porosity of the sintered product. Full article

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) fertilization may substantially alter arsenic (As) behavior in the soil. However, a comprehensive understanding of how the soil As cycle responds to external N addition remains elusive. This study investigates the effects of various N fertilizers on soil properties and As mobility in paddy soil. Regardless of N sources, the concentrations of soluble As and SPLP-extractable As decreased with all N applications. Similarly, soil acidification occurred and dissolved iron (Fe) increased in most treatments, except for KNO₃ addition. However, only the KNO₃ application could reduce As desorption from soil minerals based on phosphate extraction. Also, KNO₃ enhanced both soil catalase (S-CAT) and dehydrogenase (S-DEH) activities. Other N treatments decreased S-CAT activities, but increased S-DEH activities. Principal components analysis indicated that phosphate extractable As was associated with NH₄⁺-N concentration and S-DEH activity, while the concentrations of soluble As and SPLP-extractable As were associated with pH, S-CAT activity, and dissolved Fe. These results demonstrated that the soil properties induced by the N application are the main drivers of As desorption in paddy soil and that KNO₃ application is more eco-friendly than other N sources in As-contaminated paddy soil. This study shed light on the reasonable application of N-bearing fertilizers and the importance of soil properties to assess As mobility in As-contaminated paddy soil. Full article

While past research has largely supported the importance of physical activity for the health of older adults, during the COVID-19 pandemic, older individuals may have reduced their opportunities and levels of physical activity to lower the risk of infection by minimizing outings or interactions with others. Additionally, the adequacy of medical resources in a region is often closely related to factors such as infrastructure and economic resources. Therefore, it is important to consider whether there are differences in health promotion among older adults living in areas with varying levels of medical resources. This study aimed to implement a physical activity program for older adults, selecting Keelung City, Taiwan, as the implementation area, and comparing the differences in implementation effectiveness among administrative districts with different levels of medical resources in the city. The study employed a two-way analysis of variance to examine the differences in the effectiveness of the physical activity program among administrative districts, where the average service population in medical institutions was higher or lower than the city average. The results revealed significant improvements in participants’ right-hand grip strength and the number of sit-to-stand repetitions in the overall sample after the program intervention. Moreover, in administrative districts where the average service population in medical institutions was higher than the city average, participants showed greater improvement in grip strength, while in districts where it was lower than the city average, participants demonstrated greater improvement in sit-to-stand repetitions. Future research could draw upon these findings to design physical activity programs tailored to different regions with distinct allocations of medical resources. Tailored program designs considering local medical resources are necessary to optimize effectiveness. Governments and organizations should focus on elderly health, especially in resource-scarce areas, by increasing investment and support for these programs to promote well-being and bridge disparities. Full article

Anthropometric assessments are commonly used to diagnose sarcopenia in older adults. However, the ongoing exploration of novel approaches aims to improve the early detection of sarcopenia. This study investigated the association between the height-changing score (HCS) and the risk of sarcopenia defined by anthropometric measurements in 340 older adults (mean age: 66.2 years). The HCS derived from the difference in height and demi-span equivalent height (DEH) was used as an indicator of declining height in the older adults. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between the HCS and the risk of sarcopenia in both male and female older adults (OR = 1.146, 95% CI [1.021, 1.286], p = 0.021). In addition, income, BMI, and nutritional status were significantly associated with the risk of sarcopenia (OR = −1.933, 95% CI [0.271, 0.986], p = 0.045; OR = −2.099, 95% CI [0.386, 0.587], p < 0.001; OR = −1.443, 95% CI [0.555, 0.866], p = 0.001, respectively). The white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, and HDL cholesterol were blood biomarkers significantly correlated with calf circumference. It can be suggested that the HCS acts as an indicator and screening tool for sarcopenia risk in older adults, highlighting the potential impact of decreased height on muscle mass loss. Encouraging nutritional support can help mitigate the risk of sarcopenia. Full article