Search Results (4,891)

Biochar has emerged as a highly attractive, sustainable support for enzyme immobilization, with dual benefits: valorization of available lignocellulosic waste and use as a stable, porous matrix for enzyme binding. This study investigated acid-modified sour cherry stone biochar (SCBM) as support for two laccases of different origins: crude laccase (Bjerkandera adusta TMF1 (CL)) and purified commercial laccase (Trametes versicolor (TvL)). The aim was to compare immobilization efficiency, activity retention and Brilliant Green (BG) decolorization in batch and air-lift reactors (ALRs). Immobilization of crude (SCBM-CL) and commercial (SCBM-TvL) laccase was successfully achieved and confirmed by SEM-EDX and FTIR-ATR analyses. Under optimized batch conditions, SCBM-TvL achieved approximately 92% of BG removal within 4 h and maintained high catalytic activity over nine consecutive cycles, whereas SCBM-CL reached almost 66% removal, with a progressive loss of activity upon reuse. In the ALR, using a 25-fold lower biochar-to-solution ratio, SCBM-TvL achieved almost complete BG decolorization within 4 h, while SCBM-CL achieved 57% within the same time. After treatment, BG solution exhibited a phytostimulatory effect, no antimicrobial activity, and 87% COD reduction, indicating reduced toxicity and organic load after enzyme treatment. Furthermore, the BG decolorization achieved by SCBM-TvL in ALRs highlights the economic advantage of this system and supports its potential for further scale-up. Full article

Insect guts harbor microorganisms with carbohydrate-active enzymes, yet their potential as enzyme-production strains and the benefits of co-cultivation remain insufficiently characterized. In this study, 180 bacterial isolates from nine insect species were screened for carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-hydrolyzing activity. Two non-hemolytic isolates, H11 and Q5-3, were assigned to the genus Bacillus based on morphological characteristics and 16S rRNA gene analysis. Their initial extracellular endoglucanase activities were 156.67 ± 4.17 and 190.36 ± 4.29 U/mL, respectively, and increased to 228.01 ± 2.73 and 283.28 ± 2.06 U/mL after orthogonal array optimization. Central composite design predicted a maximum volumetric activity of 340.81 U/mL at approximately 16% (v/v) total inoculum and a Q5-3/H11 inoculum ratio of 2.08; independent validation yielded 339.17 ± 3.97 U/mL. Additional H11 and Q5-3 monoculture controls evaluated at the same total inoculum proportion showed lower mean volumetric activities than the validated co-culture. PCR screening produced expected-size amplicons for five putative endoglucanase-related targets in both isolates. These results indicate that H11 and Q5-3 are promising insect-gut-derived candidates for extracellular endoglucanase production and that co-cultivation can enhance volumetric enzyme activity on CMC without genetic modification. This study establishes candidate strains and a validated co-cultivation process in a controlled soluble-CMC model system, providing a process-development basis for subsequent evaluation of strain interactions and performance on insoluble cellulose and representative lignocellulosic substrates. Full article

Objectives: Natural cycle frozen embryo transfer (FET) has become an increasingly preferred approach for endometrial preparation in ovulatory women. Whether modified natural cycle (mNC) protocols incorporating human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) for ovulation triggering provide any reproductive advantage over true natural cycle (tNC) protocols remains controversial. This study aimed to compare pregnancy and live birth outcomes between mNC-FET and tNC-FET cycles. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analysed 256 frozen–thawed embryo transfer cycles in ovulatory women at a single tertiary centre between January 2014 and December 2024. Of these, 91 cycles used an mNC protocol (mNC-FET group) and 165 cycles used a tNC protocol (tNC-FET group). All transfers involved a single day-5 good-quality or top-quality blastocyst, with identical luteal phase support. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, ovarian reserve markers, and embryological parameters were compared between groups. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of live birth. Results: The mNC-FET and tNC-FET groups were comparable with respect to age (29.88 ± 4.28 vs. 29.96 ± 3.78 years, p = 0.880), body mass index (24.86 ± 5.27 vs. 23.73 ± 4.58 kg/m², p = 0.145), anti-Müllerian hormone concentration (3.28 ± 2.86 vs. 3.05 ± 1.88 ng/mL, p = 0.850), and endometrial thickness (9.76 ± 1.55 vs. 9.32 ± 2.18 mm, p = 0.065). The mean number of cryopreserved embryos was slightly higher in the mNC-FET group (5.79 ± 3.47 vs. 5.00 ± 3.47, p = 0.050). Embryo quality distribution did not differ significantly between groups (top-quality blastocysts: 69.2% vs. 70.3%, p = 0.858). Clinical pregnancy rates were 58.2% (53/91) in the mNC-FET group and 55.2% (91/165) in the tNC-FET group (odds ratio [OR] 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.68–1.90; p = 0.633). Live birth rates were 46.2% (42/91) in the mNC-FET group and 37.0% (61/165) in the tNC-FET group, without a statistically significant difference (OR 1.46, 95% CI 0.87–2.46; p = 0.151). Women who achieved live birth had a significantly higher number of cryopreserved embryos than those who did not (5.91 ± 3.68 vs. 4.86 ± 3.29, p = 0.024). In multivariable logistic regression, endometrial preparation protocol was not independently associated with live birth (OR 1.27, 95% CI 0.74–2.19, p = 0.394). Conclusions: True natural cycle and modified natural cycle protocols did not differ significantly in clinical pregnancy or live birth rates in ovulatory women undergoing single frozen–thawed day-5 good-quality or top-quality blastocyst transfer. hCG-triggered ovulation did not confer a significant reproductive advantage over spontaneous ovulation. However, this does not prove that the two protocols are equivalent, and larger, adequately powered studies are needed given the relatively small sample size. Full article

Background: Although cardiac involvement is well characterized in complicated monochorionic (MC) pregnancies, whether subtle cardiovascular changes occur in uncomplicated pregnancies remains unclear. We characterized fetal and neonatal cardiovascular adaptation using echocardiography and cardiac biomarkers. Methods: In this prospective longitudinal cohort, 76 dichorionic (DC) and 68 uncomplicated monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twins underwent fetal echocardiography at 28 weeks and neonatal echocardiography within 72 h after birth. Cord blood N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) were assessed at delivery. Analyses used generalized estimating equations to account for within-pregnancy clustering and Benjamini–Hochberg correction for multiple comparisons. Associations between cardiac biomarkers and fetal echocardiographic parameters and interactions with chorionicity and gestational age at birth were also evaluated. Results: MCDA fetuses showed trends toward a higher cardiothoracic ratio, lower right ventricular fractional shortening and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, and a higher prevalence of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) compared with DC fetuses. In the early neonatal period, nominal differences in interventricular septal thickness and tissue Doppler indices did not persist after FDR correction. Cord-blood hs-cTnI (21.83 vs. 12.29 pg/mL; p = 0.015, FDR-adjusted p = 0.027) and NT-proBNP (1327.6 vs. 887.6 pg/mL; p = 0.018, FDR-adjusted p = 0.027) concentrations were higher in MCDA twins. After gestational age adjustment, the association with hs-cTnI remained relatively stable, whereas that with NT-proBNP was attenuated; neither remained significant after FDR correction (p = 0.116 for both). The TR-hs-cTnI association differed by chorionicity (p for interaction < 0.001, FDR-adjusted p < 0.004) and persisted after adjustment for gestational age at birth. Conclusions: Conventional echocardiographic measures of cardiac structure and function appear to be largely preserved in uncomplicated MCDA twins during fetal life and the early neonatal period. Higher cord-blood hs-cTnI and NT-proBNP may suggest subclinical myocardial stress associated with monochorionicity, although gestational age-adjusted findings warrant caution. Full article

Background/Objectives: Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is increasingly recognized as an important cause of adult respiratory infection, but data on pneumonia remain limited. We evaluated clinical characteristics, temporal detection patterns, and clinical factors associated with radiographic pneumonia among adults with laboratory-confirmed hMPV infection. Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective observational study at Kyorin University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan, from December 2020 to February 2026. Adults aged ≥18 years with hMPV detected by multiplex polymerase chain reaction were included. The primary outcome, documented radiographic pneumonia, was defined by newly identified pneumonia-compatible parenchymal abnormalities on chest radiography and/or chest computed tomography (CT). Logistic regression was used to identify clinical factors associated with this outcome. Results: Among 590 hMPV-positive patients, 192 adults were included; 121 were managed as outpatients and 71 were hospitalized. Pneumonia was identified in 68 adults, including 43 of 71 hospitalized patients. Adult hMPV detection shifted from summer predominance in 2022–2023 toward increased spring and winter detections in 2024–2025 after the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. By 2025, pneumonia was identified in 24.0% of outpatients and 65.5% of hospitalized patients. In the primary multivariable model, higher C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations (adjusted odds ratio per 1 mg/dL, 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03–1.22; p = 0.008) and abnormal auscultation (adjusted odds ratio, 3.45; 95% CI, 1.21–9.83; p = 0.021) were independently associated with pneumonia. Conclusions: Adult hMPV infection was frequently associated with radiographic pneumonia, particularly among hospitalized patients. Elevated C-reactive protein concentrations and abnormal auscultation may help identify adults with hMPV infection who are more likely to have pneumonia. Full article

Background/Objectives: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) triggers a systemic inflammatory response in children undergoing congenital heart surgery. Although dexmedetomidine has been proposed as an alternative to corticosteroids, the two agents have not previously been directly compared in a pediatric randomized trial. This study aimed to compare the effects of dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone on inflammatory biomarkers and analgesic outcomes in children undergoing congenital heart surgery with CPB. Methods: In this prospective, randomized, controlled exploratory trial, 50 children aged 6 months to 18 years undergoing elective congenital heart surgery with CPB were randomized 1:1 to dexamethasone (n = 25) or dexmedetomidine (n = 25), using institutional regimens that were not equipotent anti-inflammatory doses. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) were measured at baseline, immediately after separation from CPB (post-CPB), and 12 h postoperatively. The primary endpoint was IL-6 at the two postoperative time points; IL-8 was a secondary biomarker outcome. Secondary outcomes also included Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) pain scores, fentanyl consumption, and time to first rescue analgesia. Effect estimates included Hodges–Lehmann (HL) median differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs); a post hoc baseline-adjusted mixed-effects model of log-transformed concentrations served as a sensitivity analysis. Secondary and exploratory analyses were not adjusted for multiple comparisons. Results: All 50 randomized children were analyzed. Median IL-6 was lower in the dexmedetomidine group at 12 h (50 vs. 178 pg/mL; HL difference 86 pg/mL, 95% CI 59 to 144; p < 0.001); the post-CPB difference (46 vs. 77 pg/mL; HL difference 34 pg/mL, 95% CI 0 to 112; p = 0.045) was imprecise and not significant after post hoc Bonferroni correction for the two primary comparisons. In the post hoc baseline-adjusted sensitivity model, the ratio of geometric mean IL-6 concentrations (dexmedetomidine/dexamethasone) was 0.35 (95% CI 0.22 to 0.58; p < 0.001). Among secondary and exploratory outcomes, for which p-values are nominal, IL-8 was also lower post-CPB (159 vs. 381 pg/mL; p = 0.001) and at 12 h (120 vs. 311 pg/mL; p = 0.002). Dexmedetomidine was associated with lower intraoperative (83.0 ± 30.7 vs. 142.6 ± 51.7 µg; p < 0.001) and cumulative 24-h fentanyl consumption (53.8 ± 17.4 vs. 105.4 ± 32.8 µg; p < 0.001), analyzed in absolute units with incompletely documented intraoperative doses, and a longer time to first rescue analgesia (4.68 ± 0.73 vs. 1.84 ± 0.23 h; p < 0.001). Time to extubation did not differ significantly (median 2 vs. 1 h; p = 0.204). Intensive care unit length of stay, an exploratory outcome recorded in days, was distributed toward shorter stays with dexmedetomidine (median 2 [interquartile range 1–2] vs. 2 [²,³] days; p = 0.007). No pre-specified adverse events occurred in either group, although the trial was too small to exclude clinically important safety differences. Conclusions: In this exploratory trial of two non-equipotent institutional regimens, dexmedetomidine was associated with lower early postoperative IL-6 and IL-8 concentrations and lower opioid consumption than dexamethasone. These hypothesis-generating biomarker and analgesic signals do not demonstrate therapeutic superiority or patient-centered clinical benefit and require confirmation in larger, adequately powered multicenter trials. Full article

Partial hepatectomy (PH) causes bleeding and oxidative stress, which can slow early liver recovery. To address this, we made cerium-doped bioactive glass fibers (Ce-BGFs) using sol–gel electrospinning. We tested these fibers both in vitro and in a 70% PH mouse model. The fibers showed sustained ion release and lowered H₂O₂-induced ROS in hepatocytes. In vivo, Ce-BGFs lowered hepatic ROS fluorescence on postoperative day 1 compared to untreated PH controls (4.17 ± 1.20 vs. 34.52 ± 1.47). Serum AST levels decreased (66.42 ± 15.93 vs. 89.62 ± 16.66 U/L). Ce-BGFs also reduced blood loss (0.039 ± 0.016 vs. 0.102 ± 0.038 g) and bleeding times (13.67 ± 3.21 vs. 37.00 ± 1.73 s). By day 3, we observed more Ki67-positive cells, suggesting better early hepatocyte proliferation (3.92 ± 1.25% vs. 1.14 ± 0.29%). However, liver-to-body weight ratios were not significantly different at this stage. Proteomic profiling showed enrichment in pathways for oxidative stress, inflammation, and pentose phosphate metabolism. Ce-BGF treatment also led to time-dependent cytokine changes and helped preserve liver glycogen after PH. In addition, the PAS-positive area at postoperative day 1 was higher with Ce-BGF treatment than with untreated PH (10.27 ± 1.31% vs. 3.50 ± 1.03%), indicating greater hepatic glycogen preservation. These results show that Ce-BGFs provide local hemostasis and are associated with reduced oxidative stress, attenuated liver injury, enhanced early hepatocyte proliferation, and greater glycogen preservation after PH. Full article

This study evaluated mango peel co-fermented with fresh yeast waste from the ethanol industry and urea (YUFMP) as a ruminant supplement using the in vitro gas-production technique. A 2 × 4 factorial arrangement in a completely randomised design was used, with two roughage-to-concentrate (R:C) ratios (40:60 and 60:40; rice straw as roughage) and four YUFMP levels (0, 2%, 4%, and 6% of substrate dry matter, DM). Co-fermentation raised the crude protein of mango peel from 4.39% to 17.00% DM and reduced its total phenolic content from 100.30 to 73.49 mg GAE/g extract. The 40:60 ratio gave higher in vitro degradability of DM, organic matter, neutral detergent fibre (IVNDFD), and true DM (IVTD) than the 60:40 ratio at 12 and 24 h (p < 0.01), and higher total volatile fatty acids (VFA) at 24 h (65.56 vs. 57.16 mmol/L; p < 0.01). YUFMP increased asymptotic gas production from 87.85 to 100.47–102.58 mL/0.5 g DM (p < 0.01) and cumulative gas production at 12–96 h (p < 0.05), with linear and quadratic trends. At 24 h, IVNDFD and IVTD were highest at 6% YUFMP (47.90 and 69.30%; p < 0.05). The protozoal population declined linearly with YUFMP (12.75 to 9.00 × 10⁵ cells/mL at 24 h; p < 0.01), as did CH₄ concentration at 12 h (18.99 to 13.08%) and 24 h (23.21 to 14.93%; both p < 0.01), whereas absolute CH₄ volume was unaffected (p > 0.05). YUFMP did not alter total VFA or VFA molar proportions at 24 h and reduced propionate linearly only at 12 h (p < 0.01), indicating that the lower CH₄ concentration reflected dilution of CH₄ within a larger volume of fermentation gas rather than a redirection of metabolic hydrogen towards propionate. Ruminal pH (6.87–7.04) and ammonia nitrogen were unaffected (p > 0.05). Inclusion at 2–4% DM is recommended for further in vivo evaluation. Full article

In this study, we proposed and evaluated a new dielectrophoresis (DEP)-based device for the high-throughput, non-invasive separation of cells with similar physical properties. Although DEP is an established technology for separating biological particles based on their dielectric properties, the accurate separation of populations of similar cell types—such as normal cells and cancer cells of the same species—remains a significant technical challenge. In this study, separation experiments using a prototype device were conducted with normal (MCF10A) and tumor (MDA-MB-231) human mammary cells. The experiments systematically analyzed the effects of three key parameters—A.C. frequency (f), flow rate (Q), and solution conductivity (${\sigma }_f$)—on the cell separation ratio ($\Phi$). The experimental results identified optimal operating conditions at f = 57.6 kHz, Q = 5.0 mL/h, and ${\sigma }_f$ = 40 mS/m, achieving a maximum separation ratio of $\Phi$ = 72.1%. These findings demonstrate that the potential of this device to perform high-speed processing without the need for fluorescent labeling or invasive pretreatment. This study provides a fundamental framework for optimizing DEP parameters and outlines a pathway toward more efficient clinical applications and the isolation of rare cell populations. Full article

As a photocatalyst, silver phosphate (Ag₃PO₄) features high quantum yield and strong photocatalytic ability, demonstrating great potential in water splitting and the treatment of water pollutants. However, its own photo-corrosion and low solubility in water limit its application. To address these issues, the combination of Ag₃PO₄ with other semiconductor materials to form composite photocatalysts can enhance its catalytic activity and structural stability, facilitating the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater. In this work, Ag₃PO₄/g-C₃N₄/C composite photocatalytic materials were successfully prepared using biochar (C), g-C₃N₄, AgNO₃, and Na₂HPO₄·12H₂O as raw materials through a co-precipitation method. The Ag₃PO₄/g-C₃N₄/C (mass ratio 4:1:0.1) composite photocatalyst exhibited excellent degradation performance for MB and RhB and maintained good stability. During the degradation of MB and RhB, the main active species were h⁺ (holes), •O₂⁻ and •OH. The MB removal efficiency reached 97% in 40 mL of 10 mg/L MB aqueous solution within 60 min of visible light irradiation, and the removal efficiency of RhB reached 96% in 40 mL of 10 mg/L RhB aqueous solution within 80 min of visible light irradiation. After three cycles of reuse, the removal efficiencies of MB and RhB photocatalyzed by Ag₃PO₄/g-C₃N₄/C (4:1:0.1) still reached 79% and 74%, respectively. The Ag₃PO₄/g-C₃N₄/C composite photocatalyst can be applied to the degradation of organic pigment in the environment dye wastewater, contributing to environmental remediation and the green development of the ecological environment. Full article

Classifying blue basin trap captures of Tropinota hirta according to environmental conditions can support timely and data-driven management of this flower-feeding pest in almond orchards; however, imbalanced class distributions pose important challenges for machine-learning models. This study proposes an interpretable PSO-XGBoost with Partial SMOTE framework for classifying T. hirta abundance levels derived from blue basin trap captures using temporal and meteorological variables. From a biomimetic perspective, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is a bio-inspired optimization algorithm that emulates the collective search and information-sharing behavior observed in natural swarms, translating principles of biological collective intelligence into a computational optimization process. The dataset consisted of 256 trap observations categorized into High (H), Low (L), and Medium (M) abundance classes, with 180, 55, and 21 observations, respectively, indicating substantial class imbalance. Eleven temporal and meteorological variables were used as predictors, while PestCount, representing the observed number of T. hirta adults captured in the blue traps and used to derive the target classes, was excluded from the predictor set to prevent target leakage. The proposed framework combines controlled minority-class oversampling using Partial SMOTE, bio-inspired PSO for XGBoost hyperparameter optimization, and rule extraction for model interpretability. A Partial-SMOTE ratio ablation analysis identified L = 0.80 and M = 0.40 as the most favorable class-specific oversampling configuration, avoiding complete class balancing while improving overall and class-sensitive predictive performance. Performance was evaluated using stratified five-fold cross-validation, with oversampling applied exclusively to the training folds to prevent information leakage. The proposed method achieved a mean Accuracy of 89.45% and a mean Weighted F1-score of 88.79%, representing the best overall performance among the evaluated methods. The ablation analysis showed that PSO-based optimization improved conventional XGBoost, while the proposed Partial-SMOTE configuration outperformed both class-weighted XGBoost and PSO-XGBoost without oversampling. Robustness was further assessed using 10-times repeated stratified five-fold cross-validation, where the proposed method achieved 87.51 ± 3.75% Accuracy, 86.94 ± 3.71% Weighted F1-score, and 71.60 ± 7.40% Macro F1-score. Friedman and post-hoc Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with Holm correction confirmed statistically significant performance differences in favor of the proposed method. In addition, human-readable IF–THEN rules with bounded temporal and meteorological conditions were extracted from the optimized model to improve interpretability. The results indicate that integrating a biomimetic swarm-intelligence optimization strategy with controlled oversampling, blue-trap monitoring, and interpretable machine learning provides a promising framework for predicting T. hirta abundance levels and supporting environmentally compatible monitoring and pest-management decision-making in almond orchards. Full article

Sunscreen formulations based on a single class of UV filters may provide insufficient broad-spectrum protection, supporting the development of hybrid systems integrating both organic and mineral photoprotective agents with plant-derived antioxidants. This study developed and characterized an oil-in-water sunscreen emulsion containing three organic UV filters: ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine and diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate—in combination with zinc oxide and enriched with aqueous extracts of green tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves and rose (Rosa damascena) petals. The extracts were characterized in terms of total phenolic content. The sunscreen emulsion exhibited satisfactory organoleptic and physical stability throughout the evaluation period, maintaining a homogeneous appearance, a skin-compatible pH (6.97–6.76), and shear-thinning rheological behavior, with only minimal creaming. ATR-FTIR analysis showed a spectral profile consistent with the principal functional groups expected from the formulation components. The extract-enriched emulsion exhibited a higher total phenolic content than the extract-free base (0.191 vs. 0.107 mg GAE/g emulsion) and greater antioxidant activity, with ABTS IC₅₀ values of 36.37 and 43.12 mg/mL, respectively. Spectrophotometric evaluation yielded an in vitro SPF of 14.45 ± 0.18, with a UVA/UVB absorbance ratio of 2.06 and a critical wavelength of 376.4 nm, indicating broad UVA/UVB spectral coverage under the applied experimental conditions. The gravimetric immersion assay showed that 82.14% and 57.14% of the initially applied formulation remained on the PMMA plate after the first and second 20-min water immersion cycles, respectively. Antimicrobial screening revealed selective activity against Gram-positive bacteria, particularly Staphylococcus epidermidis, whereas no inhibition was observed against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or Candida albicans. Overall, the results demonstrate that combining complementary UV filters with green tea and rose extracts can provide a stable, multifunctional sunscreen emulsion with broad UVA/UVB spectral coverage under the applied in vitro conditions, antioxidant potential, favorable application properties, and selective antimicrobial activity. Full article

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are widely detected emerging pollutants, yet their interfacial behavior in the alkaline, calcium-rich sediments of arid inland river basins remains poorly quantified, which limits regional risk assessment. This study selected riverbank calcareous sediments from the Ili River and ofloxacin (OFL), a representative fluoroquinolone, and used batch adsorption–desorption experiments to quantify the retention of OFL and the regulatory roles of pH and coexisting cations. Adsorption was biphasic, with a fast stage (<1 min) followed by slow equilibration, and equilibrium was approached within 8 h. When the pseudo-first-order (PFO), pseudo-second-order (PSO), and Elovich models were all fitted by nonlinear least squares on the original q-t scale, the Elovich model gave the best description at both 1 and 10 mg L⁻¹ (R² = 0.829 and 0.589, lowest AIC), whereas PFO and PSO performed poorly over the full time range (R² = 0.20–0.53). Boyd analysis indicates that particle diffusion dominates for the two XFD datasets, whereas a significant positive intercept in a second sediment series shows that film diffusion also contributes. Desorption kinetics were also best described by the Elovich model (R² = 0.929). Isotherm analysis with 4–11 data points per temperature (rather than the three points used previously) showed that the Langmuir and Freundlich models fit the data comparably, so the results do not justify discriminating between monolayer and multilayer uptake (difference in AIC ≤ 1 at 15 and 35 °C, and 6.5 in favor of Langmuir at 25 °C); the corresponding Dubinin–Radushkevich mean free energy of 0.08–0.25 kJ mol⁻¹ indicates physisorption-dominated uptake. Thermodynamic parameters calculated from the 15/25/35 °C series by the van’t Hoff relation gave Delta-G = −20 kJ mol⁻¹ (spontaneous), Delta-H = −14.5 ± 13.2 kJ mol⁻¹, and Delta-S = 20.5 ± 44.3 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹, i.e., a weakly exothermic, entropy-assisted process whose enthalpy term is not statistically significant; the 5/15/25 °C series was non-monotonic and is therefore not used to derive the enthalpy. Desorption exceeded adsorption (maximum desorbed/adsorbed ratio 106–136%) and the Freundlich-based hysteresis index rose from −0.09 at 5 °C to 0.37 at 25 °C, so part of the sorbed OFL is retained against desorption. Coexisting cations inhibited OFL adsorption through competition for surface sites, following the order Mg²⁺ > Ca²⁺ > Na⁺ at matched molarity (0.01 mol L⁻¹), and the inhibition intensified with increasing cation concentration. Because Na⁺ was applied at the same molarity as Mg²⁺ as an ionic-strength control while Ca²⁺ was also applied at a higher concentration, the ranking reflects specific competition by the divalent cations combined with a weaker double-layer (ionic-strength) effect for the monovalent ion. Acidic pH enhanced adsorption and alkaline pH suppressed it, consistent with the change in OFL speciation from cationic through zwitterionic to anionic. This work quantifies the adsorption–desorption behavior of OFL on arid-region calcareous sediments and provides parameter values with uncertainty estimates that support risk assessment and pollution control in the Ili River Basin. From a sustainability perspective, the work converts these site-specific measurements into transferable, uncertainty-bounded parameters (Langmuir and Freundlich capacities, the linear partition coefficient Kd and the hysteresis index) for a sediment type that is widespread in arid inland river basins. It therefore supplies directly usable input for the definition and quantification of water-quality sustainability indicators, the monitoring of the sediment buffering function over time, and the setting of discharge-outlet effluent limits and the seasonal screening of secondary-pollution risk during the warm, low-flow irrigation period, thereby connecting a mechanistic sorption study to the wider objective of sustaining safe water use in a water-scarce region. Full article

In Colombia, annual sugarcane bagasse (SCB) generation reaches 10.86 Mt, and the residue has a higher heating value (HHV) of approximately 13.0 MJ kg⁻¹. This study evaluated SCB catalytic pyrolysis using natural clinoptilolite (CLI) modified by sulfuric acid (CLI-SA), phosphoric acid (CLI-PA), or ammonium chloride exchange (CLI-AC), with commercial ZSM-5 as a benchmark. A mild 2 vol.% H₂O₂ treatment was applied for 12 h at 25 °C primarily for biological stabilization and as a gentle oxidative wash; no quantitative delignification is claimed. Pyrolysis was conducted at 475 °C for 5 min under N₂ (60 mL min⁻¹) with 5 wt.% catalyst. CLI-PA achieved the highest bio-oil yield (65.1%) and estimated HHV (20.5 MJ kg⁻¹), compared with 46.5% and 16.8 MJ kg⁻¹ for ZSM-5 and approximately 16.4 MJ kg⁻¹ for the thermal liquid. Targeted GC-MS/SIM profiles, interpreted semi-quantitatively, showed a toluene-normalized area of 28.989% for CLI-PA versus 7.287% for thermal pyrolysis; oxygenated products nevertheless remained substantial. A cradle-to-gate screening LCA (1 kg catalyst, OpenLCA/CML Baseline) showed ZSM-5/CLI-PA ratios of 6.00–6.50 across nine impact categories (mean 6.19), while the estimated catalyst-related cost was 42.95-fold higher for ZSM-5. These findings identify CLI-PA as a promising low-cost catalyst under the tested conditions, while catalyst structure, acid-site distribution, reuse, gas-phase products, and effluent treatment remain priorities for further validation. Full article

Flame synthesis is a promising route for producing mixed-oxide catalysts, but the role of precursor concentration in regulating catalyst formation during self-sustained flame pyrolysis remains insufficiently understood. In this work, CuO-CeO₂ mixed-oxide catalysts were prepared by varying the total metallic precursor concentration from 0.04 to 0.28 mol·L⁻¹ while keeping the Cu/(Cu + Ce) molar ratio fixed at 35 mol.%. This strategy enables the influence of precursor concentration to be distinguished from that of metal composition and provides insight into the formation of CuO-CeO₂ catalysts under a self-sustained flame environment. The results show that precursor concentration strongly affects particle aggregation, crystallite growth, Cu species distribution and possible lattice incorporation, oxygen species distribution, and low-temperature reducibility. Among the prepared catalysts, CuCe0.20 exhibits the most favorable balance among textural characteristics, Cu-Ce interaction, oxygen species distribution and redox behavior, and surface reactive oxygen availability. As a result, CuCe0.20 achieves 90% C₃H₆ conversion at 380 °C and nearly complete conversion at 450 °C. More importantly, it maintains stable activity during a 600 min test at 450 °C with an apparent CO₂ selectivity of 99.9%. Post-reaction characterization further reveals that the CeO₂ framework and Cu-Ce interaction are largely retained, while the relative contribution of lattice oxygen increases after long-term reaction, accompanied by retained low-temperature reducibility. This work extends the design of flame-made CuO-CeO₂ catalysts from composition optimization to precursor-concentration engineering and demonstrates a practical strategy for preparing stable non-noble metal catalysts for VOC catalytic combustion. Full article