Search Results (623)

Interzeolite transformation (IZT) has emerged as a versatile strategy for accessing zeolite frameworks through controlled framework reorganization under comparatively simplified synthesis conditions. Unlike traditional synthesis approaches that frequently require organic structure-directing agents (OSDAs), highly alkaline media, and prolonged thermal treatment, IZT converts pre-existing zeolite into a new topology, enabling direct reuse of crystalline matter while reducing synthesis complexity. This review examines how structural drivers, including framework density, structural memory, and building-unit compatibility, govern transformation pathways and phase selectivity across five principal transformation approaches: (i) solution-mediated, (ii) assembly–disassembly–organization–reassembly (ADOR), (iii) mechanically assisted, (iv) steam-assisted, and (v) fully solid-state systems. These approaches promote distinct transformation pathways that govern framework reconstruction, structural inheritance, and phase selectivity. Recent advances in solvent-free, mechanochemical, steam-assisted, and microwave-assisted synthesis demonstrate the potential of IZT to reduce solvent consumption, template usage, and crystallization times. Despite these advances, major challenges remain in predicting transformation outcomes, controlling transient intermediates, and establishing scalable and quantitatively validated sustainability metrics. Collectively, these developments position IZT as a promising platform for the rational and sustainable design of next-generation zeolitic materials. Full article

Conventional photodetectors and image sensors deliver high-fidelity digital outputs but face a growing data-movement bottleneck: the energy and latency cost of transferring raw pixel streams to off-chip memory and processors increasingly dominates over both sensing and computation in modern machine-vision pipelines. An emerging response is the neuromorphic photodetector, a class of optoelectronic device that converts incident light into an electrical signal while simultaneously storing, modulating, and pre-processing that signal in a manner inspired by biological synapses and retinas. Over the past decade, demonstrations have spanned at least eight material platforms—organic semiconductors, organic–carbon-nanotube hybrids, perovskite and perovskite hybrids, metal oxides (including ultra-wide-bandgap and printable variants), wide-bandgap III-nitrides and 4H-SiC, two-dimensional materials, photo-memristors, and silicon CMOS in-sensor compute architectures—and have been realised through four distinct architectural families: phototransistor synapses, photo-memristors, heterojunction in-sensor compute, and linear photovoltaic neural networks. Here, we provide a quantitative cross-platform benchmark across forty in-scope articles, identify persistent photoconductivity as a near-universal device-physical substrate underlying synaptic functionality, characterise the responsivity–speed–energy trade-off structure observed across platforms, and present a critical assessment of energy-reporting practice in the field. We further identify three best-practice exemplars from three independent material platforms that converge on operating biases of 0.01–0.1 V and energies of 0.07–0.8 fJ per event, and we propose a unified reporting framework to enable meaningful cross-platform benchmarking of next-generation neuromorphic photodetectors. Full article

Bandstructure methods occupy a central place in the physics of nanostructures, and the multiband $\mathit{k}·\mathit{p}$ theory of Luttinger, Kohn, and Kane has served as one of the most widely used computational frameworks for modelling electronic states and energies in low-dimensional semiconductor systems for several decades. Despite its broad success, the theory harbours a fundamental mathematical difficulty that has been largely overlooked: the multiband Luttinger–Kohn Hamiltonians are non-elliptic partial differential operators for the overwhelming majority of common III–V and III-nitride crystalline materials, a fact that violates the axiomatic requirements of quantum mechanics and is the root cause of the long-standing problem of spurious solutions. In this paper, we derive ellipticity conditions rigorously for the $6\times 6$, $8\times 8$, and $14\times 14$ zinc-blende Hamiltonians, demonstrating that non-ellipticity affects a substantially larger class of materials than previously reported. We develop and justify a systematic parameter rescaling procedure for the $8\times 8$ Kane Hamiltonian and obtain admissible parameter sets for GaAs, AlAs, InAs, GaP, AlP, InP, GaSb, AlSb, InSb, GaN, AlN, and InN. The inversion-asymmetry parameter B is shown to play an essential and previously unrecognized role in maintaining ellipticity, and it is used to optimize the bandstructure fit of the rescaled parameter sets. Analysis of several known $14\times 14$ models reveals structural sources of non-ellipticity, pointing to the need for a revision of perturbative assumptions regarding out-of-basis band contributions. The consistent parametrization framework developed here provides the rigorous mathematical foundation required by inverse design methodologies, AI-enhanced electronic structure calculations, and data-driven multifidelity approaches in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Full article

Objectives: We aimed to examine associations between social marginalization, defined by the Ontario Marginalization Index (“ON-Marg”), and overall survival (OS) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods: This was a population-based retrospective cohort study using linked administrative data in Ontario, Canada, including adults ≥ 18 years diagnosed with stage II-IV EOC (2010–2022). ON-Marg dimensions included Material Resources (economic disadvantage), Households and Dwellings (housing type/density), Age and Labour Force (workforce participation), and Racialized and Newcomer Populations (recent immigrants/visible minorities), and were categorized into quintiles (Q1 least marginalized, Q5 most marginalized). The primary outcome was OS. Multivariable Cox models estimated adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for each ON-Marg dimension. Wald χ² statistics identified the dimension most strongly associated with OS. Results: Material Resources was most strongly associated with OS. Compared with Q1 (least marginalized), higher mortality was observed in Q3 (aHR 1.10; 95%CI 1.02–1.19), Q4 (aHR 1.13, 95%CI 1.05–1.22), and Q5 (aHR 1.25, 95%CI 1.15–1.35). Greater marginalization in the Racialized and Newcomer Populations dimension was associated with improved OS (Q5 aHR 0.87, 95%CI 0.80–0.94). The association between Material Resources and OS persisted in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery with chemotherapy, but not among those receiving chemotherapy alone or no treatment. Conclusions: Material Resources is an independent predictor of survival in EOC within a universal, publicly funded healthcare system, with greatest impact among patients undergoing multimodal oncologic care. Residence in highly racialized or newcomer communities was associated with improved survival. Material marginalization is highlighted as a key driver of inequity, supporting targeted system-level interventions to address financial and logistical barriers to care. Full article

Titanium alloy welded joints are key parts of deep-sea pressure hulls, which are subjected to fatigue loadings in service. In this study, axial fatigue tests, mode I fatigue crack growth tests, and mixed-mode I–II fatigue crack growth tests were conducted on the Ti-6Al-4V ELI titanium alloy welded joint, and its fatigue failure mechanism and crack growth behavior is investigated and compared with the base material. The results show that the S–N curve of Ti-6Al-4V ELI titanium alloy welded joints has a very similar slope as the base material, but its fatigue performance is lower than the base material. However, the welded joints exhibit a higher resistance in the near-threshold region under mode I loading compared to the base material. Scanning electron microscope observation indicates that the fatigue crack mainly initiates from gas pores during welding for the Ti-6Al-4V ELI titanium alloy welded joints. Under mixed-mode I–II loading, the stress intensity factor range component $\mathsf{\Delta }{K}_{\mathrm{I}}$ of welded joints is higher than that of the base material, and an equivalent stress intensity factor range model is proposed to describe the crack growth rate under both mode I and mixed-mode I–II loadings. The new model incorporates a parameter dependent on the mode mixity ratio defined by $\mathsf{\Delta }{K}_{\mathrm{I}\mathrm{I}}/\mathsf{\Delta }{K}_{\mathrm{I}}$ in this paper, and it unifies the crack growth data well under mode I and mixed-mode I–II loadings. The paper indicates that the gas pores during welding are an important factor for the poor fatigue performance of Ti-6Al-4V ELI titanium alloy welded joints. Full article

The thermodynamic prediction of the fast refueling process for vehicular hydrogen storage cylinders faces the complex problem of modeling multi-layer composite walls. Drawing on the series thermal resistance principle, this paper introduces an equivalent thermal conductivity approach, simplifying the multi-layer structure into homogeneous material. Combined with the real-gas-state equation, a coupled thermodynamic framework combining zero-dimensional gas dynamics and one-dimensional cylinder wall heat transfer is developed. The comparison and verification with the 70 MPa fast charging experimental data have demonstrated that the proposed model exhibits sufficient accuracy and robustness for the problem. By comparing the temperature rise changes of different volume type-III gas cylinders, it was found that the surface area-to-volume ratio (A/V) was the primary geometric factor—the key geometric parameter that governs the temperature rise behavior. Larger volume gas cylinders exhibit more significant temperature rise due to their lower heat dissipation efficiency. A further comparison of the thermal response characteristics between Type-III and Type-IV cylinders demonstrates that the equivalent thermal conductivity is the dominant parameter determining the temperature rise behavior: The lower this coefficient, the stronger the limitation on the cylinder’s heat dissipation capacity, and the more pronounced the temperature rise. The proposed method not only ensures accuracy but also reduces the complexity of the modeling process, providing an efficient theoretical tool for optimizing the refueling strategy and conducting thermal safety assessment of vehicular hydrogen storage systems. Full article

Mercury pollution from artisanal and small-scale gold mining remains one of the most persistent environmental threats due to the high toxicity, mobility, and bioaccumulation of Hg(II). In this work, Colombian banana pseudostem waste is valorized into a lignocellulosic carbocatalyst through pyrolysis at 500 °C followed by MnCO₃-derived MnOx functionalization, producing a sustainable material for Hg(II) remediation. The transformation of the biomass leads from a fibrous structure (~25 µm) to a pyrolyzed carbon matrix (9.56 µm), and finally to a heterogeneous Mn-modified system with bimodal particle distribution (~25 µm and ~0.85 µm), the latter being associated with highly dispersed MnOx redox-active domains. Structural and textural analyses reveal that Mn incorporation significantly enhances surface properties, increasing the BET surface area from 140.8 to 213 m² g⁻¹ while reducing pore size to the meso–microporous range (~1.9 nm). Importantly, the material retains intrinsic minerals such as Ca, Mg, K, and Si, which contribute to surface basicity and ion-exchange capacity, supporting additional Hg(II) interaction pathways. Optical and electronic characterization shows a wide band gap semiconductor behavior (≈3.4 eV) and a conduction band position at −0.892 V vs. NHE, sufficiently negative to thermodynamically drive Hg²⁺ reduction to Hg⁰ under UV-A irradiation. Hg(II) quantification was validated using a UV–Vis method based on the Hg²⁺–dipicolinic acid (DPA) complex, confirming stable complex formation with 1:2 stoichiometry (Hg²⁺:DPA) and high analytical reliability (R² = 0.948, LOD = 1.85 mg L⁻¹). Photocatalytic experiments demonstrated negligible Hg(II) reduction under UV-A light in the absence of catalyst, whereas the carbon-based materials enabled significant Hg transformation through adsorption-assisted photoinduced electron transfer. Electrochemical analyses (Rct ≈ 11 Ω) confirmed efficient charge transport, while cyclic voltammetry evidenced reversible Mn(IV)/Mn(III)/Mn(II) redox cycling, which sustains electron mediation during photocatalysis. Overall, pristine biochar acts primarily through adsorption driven by oxygenated functional groups and porous structure, whereas Mn-functionalized biochar operates via a synergistic adsorption–photocatalytic mechanism. In this system, MnOx species function as redox-active centers that facilitate electron transfer from the carbon matrix to Hg(II), while the conductive lignocellulosic-derived framework enhances charge mobility. The combination of structural carbon stability, dispersed Mn active sites, and inherent mineral functionality establishes a highly efficient and sustainable carbocatalyst, demonstrating a green and scalable approach for mercury remediation in mining-impacted regions. Full article

Aircraft design is regulated by federal law and must comply with complex regulatory documentation. The complexity of the certification process has resulted in a growing interest in digital transformation, for which models are often used to provide explicit structure. Ontological modeling is one of the most promising approaches for the digital transformation of regulatory documentation. This paper presents a novel approach to ontology development that applies ontology design patterns to construct a knowledge representation of regulatory documentation, with a focus on guidance material. The approach includes five main processes: (i) the selection of a regulatory document; (ii) the use of a natural language processing tool; (iii) a contextual analysis; (iv) the identification of patterns in the natural language; and (v) the development and implementation of ontology design patterns. The modeling approach is demonstrated using the ARP4754B: Guidelines for Development of Civil Aircraft and Systems guidance material document and is validated with a use case AC21.101-1B—Establishing the Certification Basis of Changed Aeronautical Products guidance material document. The modeling approach is then verified against an established set of regulatory documentation modeling requirements. The systematic ontological modeling approach presented in this paper enables digital transformation of regulatory documentation, a necessary step for a more efficient and effective certification process. Full article

The problem of industrial waste disposal is becoming increasingly pressing. For a long time, one of the primary methods of managing hazardous industrial waste was to dispose of it for long periods (decades) in engineered landfills. However, over time, due to various climatic, geological, and other changes, landfills begin to cause significant harm to the environment and human health. Old landfills, many built in the mid-20th century, pollute the air, soil, and groundwater. Therefore, the issue of decommissioning “old” landfills is becoming increasingly pressing. This study aimed to develop technological solutions for the safe extraction and processing of hazardous liquid waste from an aged industrial landfill. An integrated treatment chain was designed, comprising extraction, multi-barrier water treatment, vacuum evaporation, and lithification. Optimal lithification compositions were identified: for the salt concentrate–sludge–spent media mixture, a ratio of 68.2% sorbent D, 28.0% salt concentrate, and 3.8% dewatered sludge/spent media yielded a loose granular geocomposite; for oil-containing waste, the optimal ratio using lime and opoka was 1:0.9:0.5 (bottom sediments/CaO/opoka). Biotesting confirmed that the lithified waste is Hazard Class V (non-hazardous), whereas the untreated waste is Class III (moderately hazardous). The resulting geocomposite is suitable for on-site technical reclamation, closing the material cycle. Full article

Sapphire-based GaN buffers face inherent challenges from the lattice mismatch between GaN and sapphire, which leads to high threading dislocation density and limits lateral breakdown voltage. In this work, we investigated the optimization of metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth parameters—specifically carbon doping concentration, GaN buffer thickness, AlN nucleation layer thickness, growth pressure and V/III ratio—to enhance crystal quality and breakdown performance. A sapphire-based C-doped GaN buffer layer was successfully fabricated exhibiting a lateral breakdown voltage exceeding 3000 V across a 30 μm electrode gap corresponding to an average breakdown electric field of approximately 1.0 MV/cm, accompanied by low threading dislocation density, excellent surface roughness and low leakage currents. This study provides technical insights and practical growth guidelines for high-voltage sapphire-based GaN buffer layers, establishing the material basis for future high-voltage power device applications. Full article

Shallow-water hydrothermal systems in active volcanic arcs serve as natural analogs for geothermal reservoir characterization and potential sources of Critical Raw Materials (CRMs). This study examines the Panarea hydrothermal system (Aeolian Islands, Tyrrhenian Sea, 37–207 m depth) to characterize its mineralogical facies and assess CRM enrichment patterns. Sixteen sediment samples collected during 2013–2015 research cruises were analyzed using SEM-EDS, XRPD with Rietveld refinement, and XRF. Four hydrothermal alteration facies were identified: (i) a low-temperature iron oxide facies dominated by nanocrystalline goethite with enrichments in As, V, and Mo; (ii) an argillic to propylitic facies containing smectite-group clays and high-temperature silica polymorphs, consistent with alteration at 200–350 °C; (iii) a phyllic to propylitic facies showing exceptional Ba enrichment (up to 46,976 ppm) and base-metal sulfide accumulations; and (iv) an advanced argillic facies including the first documented aluminophosphate–sulfate mineral at Panarea, a svanbergite–woodhouseite solid solution. Vanadium concentrations at Panarea exceed values reported across the Tyrrhenian–Aeolian domain, ranking this site among the highest-V shallow hydrothermal fields in the Mediterranean. These findings support a genetic model involving fault-controlled seawater circulation, magmatic CO₂ input, and episodic redox fluctuations, providing baseline data for CRM cycling and geothermal evaluation in Mediterranean submarine volcanic systems. Full article

Background and Objectives: Tuberous breast is a complex congenital deformity that requires correction of the underlying stenotic anatomy. Clinical evidence on the use of conical polyurethane implants in this setting is limited. To evaluate clinical outcomes and patient-reported satisfaction following correction of tuberous breast deformity using a standardized, implant-assisted reconstructive protocol with exclusive use of conical polyurethane implants. Materials and Methods: An ambispective study included 50 patients with tuberous breast deformity treated between 2020 and 2025 by two surgeons using a standardized implant-assisted reconstructive protocol. All patients underwent systematic glandular ring release and inframammary fold repositioning, followed by placement of conical polyurethane implants. Outcomes included complications, reoperations, and BREAST-Q Augmentation V2.0 scores. The mean follow-up was 17 months (range, 9–24 months). Results: The mean patient age was 29.8 years. According to the Grolleau classification, 62% of patients were type I, 30% type II, and 8% type III. The mean implant volume was 258.2 cc. Overall complication rate was 10%, including one case (2%) of capsular contracture secondary to infection, with a reoperation rate of 8%. Postoperative BREAST-Q scores showed high levels of patient satisfaction, with mean “satisfaction with breasts” scores of 90.1 ± 11.9 and 92.0 ± 9.7 at the first and second postoperative assessments, respectively. Conclusions: Within a standardized reconstructive protocol, conical polyurethane implants were associated with high postoperative patient satisfaction and acceptable complication rates during early-to-mid-term follow-up in the correction of tuberous breast deformity. These findings suggest that the use of conical polyurethane implants within a standardized reconstructive approach is feasible in selected cases. Further comparative studies with longer follow-up are warranted. Full article

Space photovoltaics remains the primary power source for satellites and spacecraft, where high efficiency, radiation resistance, and low mass are essential requirements. While conventional III–V multijunction solar cells currently represent the technological benchmark, recent advances in materials science and device architectures have significantly expanded the design space of space photovoltaic systems. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental physical principles, material platforms, and device concepts relevant to photovoltaic operation under space conditions, with particular emphasis on the AM0 spectrum, radiation effects, and thermal cycling. Special attention is devoted to advanced architectures, including inverted metamorphic multijunction solar cells, concentrator photovoltaic systems, and emerging tandem concepts such as perovskite/silicon and all-perovskite devices. The review highlights the growing importance of system-level metrics, particularly specific power and integration flexibility, which increasingly complement efficiency as key performance indicators. Although emerging technologies offer unprecedented opportunities for lightweight and high-efficiency photovoltaic systems, challenges related to long-term stability, defect control, and scalability remain critical for their practical implementation. Overall, the future of space photovoltaics lies in the development of application-specific solutions that balance efficiency, durability, mass, and cost, enabling next-generation space missions and energy systems. Full article

With the growing demand for strategic metals and the gradual depletion of traditional metal ore deposits, coal and coal-bearing strata are regarded as potential sources of rare metals; consequently, research into the characteristics of associated elements in coal-bearing strata has become one of the primary avenues of searching for new alternative resources. To investigate the sedimentary environmental characteristics and controlling factors of the coal-bearing strata along the southern margin of the Junggar Basin, coal seams 9–15 of the Xishanyao Formation in Sulphur Gully (Early Middle Jurassic) were selected as the subject of this study. This study employed analytical techniques including industrial analysis, total sulphur analysis, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine the mineralogical and elemental geochemical characteristics of coal samples from Seylangou mining area, specifically from coal seams 9–15 and their overlying and underlying strata. Based on analyses of elemental ratios such as Al₂O₃/TiO₂, Sr/Ba, Rb/Sr, Ni/Co and V/(Ni + V), the source of material during the deposition of this deposit was identified, and the characteristics of the depositional environment, as indicated by palaeosalinity, palaeoclimate and redox conditions, were revealed. The results indicate that the macroscopic coal-rock types of coal seams 9–15 at the Sulphur Gully Coal Mine on the southern margin of the Junggar Basin are predominantly semi-dull to dull, with small amounts of filamentous coal and lustrous coal. The average proportion of the vitrinite group in the coal is 42.75%, the inertinite group is 51.40%, and the liptinite is 2.25%. The average content of inorganic matter in the coal is 3.60%, and the average maximum reflectance of the vitrinite group is 0.651%. The coal represents a transitional stage from low-rank to medium-rank coal, corresponding to a metamorphic stage of Grade I–II. The coal is classified as a bituminous coal with medium total moisture, very low ash, medium-volatile matter, medium-to-high fixed carbon and very low sulphur. The minerals in the coal seam are predominantly kaolinite, calcite and quartz. The major elements in the ceiling of the coal seam are dominated by SiO₂, followed by Al₂O₃; the coal itself is dominated by CaO, SiO₂ and Al₂O₃; and the base plate of the coal seam is dominated by Al₂O₃. The trace elements Cs and Bi are relatively enriched in the coal seam ceiling; Sr is relatively enriched in the coal; whilst Li, Cr and other elements are highly enriched in the coal seam base plate. The source rocks of the coal and the roof consist of deposits of felsic igneous rock (dacite), whilst the source rocks of the floor consist of deposits of intermediate igneous rock (andesite). The depositional environment ranges from marine brackish water at the base to transitional slightly brackish water and then to terrestrial freshwater at the top; the depositional climate was cold and arid, and the depositional environment was oxidising. This study provides valuable insights for further research into the elemental geochemical characteristics, sediment sources and depositional environments of the Xishanyao Formation coal seams in Liuhuangou, Xinjiang. Full article

Climate change threatens crop yields and farming profitability, especially in drought-prone regions, requiring a transition to climate-resilient farming systems. Concurrently, growing demand for health-promoting and bio-based materials is creating new market opportunities for farmers. Sulla (Sulla coronaria Medik; syn. Hedysarum coronarium L.), a Mediterranean forage crop, may represent a strategic resource for sustainable intensification by simultaneously providing high-value commodities and a wide range of ecosystem services. This review explores the multifunctional potential of sulla following a holistic approach and is structured in thematic chapters, exploring: i. agronomy, ii. ecosystem services and agroecological value, iii. plant biochemical profile, iv. emerging applications for the bio-based industry, v. genetic diversity (including rhizobia diversity) and breeding perspectives for target environments and end-use. A SWOT analysis synthesizes strengths, research gaps and bottlenecks hindering large-scale adoption and valorization. The review proposes a strategic framework matching research priority with specific, actionable goals. The review aims to increase awareness of the multifaceted value of sulla as a promising model legume to increase sustainability in agriculture, promote product diversification and farming profitability, while assuring important ecosystem benefits. Full article