Search Results (1,497)

Seed mucilage is a natural hydrophilic polysaccharide gel secreted by seed coat epidermal cells comprising xylan, pectin, glucomannan, and cellulose alongside minor proteins, minerals, and lipids, with its composition varying substantially across plant species. This review critically compares conventional and green extraction technologies, including ultrasound-, microwave-, enzyme-, and subcritical water-assisted extraction, on a seed-mass-normalized yield basis together with their solvent-to-seed ratios and processing times, showing that green technologies can reduce solvent consumption, energy use, and processing time relative to matched conventional controls, though the magnitude of these gains is method and species-specific rather than uniform. We synthesize how molecular weight, uronic acid content, branching pattern, and microfibril organization govern seed mucilage hydration, rheological, emulsifying, and foaming behavior, and link these structure–function relationships to its antioxidant, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial bioactivities. Beyond functional characterization, this review evaluates the translational barriers, extraction standardization, safety and regulatory status, and clinical validation that currently limit seed mucilage adoption in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Unlike previous reviews focused on ecological function or application cataloging, this review uniquely reframes seed mucilage as a structurally programmable bioactive polysaccharide, integrating molecular architecture, green process intensification, and structure–function–application relationships to bridge fundamental chemistry with industrial translation. Full article

Deep learning surrogate models trained with mean-squared-error loss produce statistically accurate but physically unconstrained flood predictions: water may flow uphill, appear spontaneously, or smooth over street-level corridors. In this work, a physics-informed training framework is developed for CNN-LSTM models that predict urban flood depths at 15 min intervals over a $128\times 128$ spatial grid. Three differentiable penalty terms are embedded directly into the loss function: (i) a gravity loss that penalizes depth increases against the water-surface-elevation gradient, (ii) a continuity loss enforcing local mass conservation with rainfall-adaptive thresholds, and (iii) a topography-aware false-alarm penalty modulated by the topographic wetness index (TWI). The framework is evaluated on the Norfolk, Virginia, flood dataset spanning two major storm events (August 2017 and September 2022) comprising 300 samples, with all variants trained on identical splits and robustness assessed over repeated random splits and leave-one-storm-out tests. A road-proximal evaluation restricted to a TWI-derived street mask quantifies street-level skill. The physics-constrained model achieves near-zero gravity violations (∼10⁻⁶) and the highest street-channel recall (0.77 ± 0.09 versus 0.44 ± 0.10 for the unconstrained baseline), the capability most relevant to downstream traffic routing, and its recall advantage more than doubles on a held-out storm, while a uniform false-alarm variant attains 16% lower mean absolute error but suppresses street recall to 0.25. The proposed TWI-modulated penalty reconciles this trade-off: it improves upon the uniform variant on every metric measured, recovering 60% higher street recall at the lowest MAE among all constrained variants and the best street-level F1 score. These results expose a fundamental tension between aggregate pixel-level error metrics and application-specific physical plausibility, and demonstrate that terrain-aware loss modulation offers a principled resolution. Full article

Graphene, with excellent mechanical and self-lubricating properties for polymer modification, can be single- or multi-layered (3–10 layers). In this study, molecular dynamics simulations have been employed to qualitatively explore the relative trends and internal modification mechanism of polyimide (PI) modification by single-layer graphene and three-layer graphene with different sizes. Small-sized single-layer graphene (SSLG), small-sized multi-layer graphene (SMLG), large-sized single-layer graphene (LSLG), and large-sized multi-layer graphene (LMLG) were introduced into the PI matrix at an identical mass fraction with initially uniform dispersion during model construction. The tensile mechanical and frictional behaviors of graphene-modified PI were systematically examined. The results indicate that graphene addition effectively improves both the mechanical and tribological properties of PI. At a fixed filler mass fraction, SSLG exhibits the strongest interaction with PI, with a binding energy of 396.8 kJ/mol. The fractional free volume of SSLG-reinforced PI reaches 15.3%, which is considerably lower than the value calculated for pure PI (20.3%). The average elastic modulus of the SSLG-modified PI is 70.4% higher than that of pure PI, an increase which exceeds that of the SMLG-modified PI (45.2%), LSLG-modified PI (26.5%), and LMLG-modified PI (14.0%). In terms of tribological properties, the SMLG-modified PI exhibits optimal friction with an average friction coefficient of 0.105, which is 48.3% lower than that of pure PI and lower than the values for the SSLG (0.138), LSLG (0.156), and LMLG (0.182) systems. This work mainly draws qualitative structure–property rules and provides key theoretical fundamentals and design principles for tailoring the mechanical and tribological performance of high-performance graphene-reinforced polyimide composites. Full article

Interconnector geometry strongly affects gas transport, polarization loss, and pressure drop in planar solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In this study, four interconnector configurations were investigated for an anode-supported planar SOFC, including one conventional straight-rib interconnector and three connected-rib interconnectors, namely circular-rib (CI), rectangular-rib (RI), and triangular-rib (TI) designs. A three-dimensional multi-physics model coupling electric field, flow field, species transport, and temperature field was established and validated against experimental polarization data of the conventional straight-rib cell. To ensure a fair comparison, all interconnectors were designed with the same interconnector–electrode contact area. The effects of rib configuration on electrical performance, overpotential components, reactant distribution, velocity distribution, and pressure drop were systematically analyzed. At 800 °C, the peak power densities of CI-SOFC, RI-SOFC, and TI-SOFC increased by 4.9%, 9.7%, and 11.7%, respectively, compared with SI-SOFC. The connected-rib interconnectors mainly reduced cathode-side activation and concentration overpotentials by improving oxygen redistribution beneath the ribs. Among the four configurations, the TI-SOFC showed the highest power density and the strongest under-rib transport enhancement, while the RI-SOFC provided a better compromise between flow uniformity and pressure drop. Full article

Efficient heat transfer is essential for the in-situ conversion of steeply dipping oil shale reservoirs. In this study, a superheated steam-driven integrated multi-branch well system was proposed, and a coupled thermo-hydro-chemical-mass transport model considering reservoir anisotropy was established in COMSOL Multiphysics-5.6 to investigate heat transfer characteristics and evaluate the effects of key engineering parameters. The numerical model was validated through comparison with an analytical solution and previously published numerical results. The results show that superheated steam preferentially migrates through hydraulic fractures and bedding-parallel high-permeability pathways, resulting in anisotropic heat transfer. Continuous steam injection gradually forms a connected high-temperature region, and most of the reservoir exceeds 500 °C after approximately 600 days. Compared with the conventional well arrangement, the proposed well system achieves more uniform reservoir heating and enlarges the effective pyrolysis region. Parametric analysis indicates that the highest thermal performance among the investigated cases is obtained with a heating well length of 22.5 m, while increasing the inter-well angle, fracture number, and fracture width enhances heat transfer and kerogen conversion. Among the investigated cases, the configuration with three hydraulic fractures achieves the best performance, with the high-temperature region (>500 °C) exceeding 80% of the reservoir after 400 days and a cumulative hydrocarbon production of approximately 4.7 × 10⁷ mol. Sensitivity analysis further demonstrates that fracture-related parameters exert a greater influence on reservoir thermal performance than heating well length and inter-well angle. These findings provide theoretical guidance for the design and performance evaluation of integrated multi-branch well systems for the efficient in-situ conversion of steeply dipping oil shale reservoirs. Full article

Background/Objectives: Police is an occupational group characterised by high and variable physical demands, shift work, and the need for sustained operational readiness. Despite the importance of maintaining good health in uniformed services, relatively little is known about dietary habits and nutritional status among police populations, particularly in Poland. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterise dietary habits and nutritional status among Polish police officers participating in the National Health Programme. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 262 Polish police officers (216 men and 46 women) aged 19–64 years. A 61-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess dietary behaviours and bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to assess body composition. Results: Suboptimal food consumption frequency patterns were observed for several food groups, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy products, nuts, and seeds. Female police officers reported more frequent consumption of fruits, vegetables, and grains, and less frequent consumption of processed meats, animal fats, sugar-sweetened beverages, energy drinks, beer, and spirits than male officers. Normal body weight according to BMI criteria was observed in 33% of participants, whereas only 16% of participants had normal fat mass index values. Excessive body weight was observed in 67% of participants, and excess fat in 82% of participants. Conclusions: The study provides a comprehensive characterisation of dietary habits and nutritional status among Polish police officers within the National Health Programme. These findings suggest the need for nutritional education, health promotion activities, and continued monitoring of dietary habits and nutritional status in this occupational group. Full article

Background: Polysaccharide–iron complexes (PICs) are widely used oral iron supplements, but their gastrointestinal tolerability varies and remains incompletely understood. As typical non-biological complex drugs (NBCDs), PICs exhibit structural heterogeneity, and their functional performance may be linked to higher-order structural attributes. Methods: In this study, two commercial PIC preparations (test samples A and B) were comparatively investigated to explore their structure–function relationship using a multi-dimensional approach. Structural properties were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), mass spectrometry (MS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, along with monosaccharide composition analysis. Functional behaviors and physiological relevance were further evaluated through in vitro acid-stress release studies and in vivo rat gastrointestinal tolerability assessments. Results: The results revealed that test sample A exhibited a glucose-only detectable monosaccharide profile but a higher and broader apparent molecular-weight distribution, indicating monosaccharide compositional uniformity together with macromolecular heterogeneity. In contrast, test sample B showed detectable glucose and mannose, a lower and narrower apparent molecular-weight distribution, higher measured free iron, and greater iron release under the tested acidic conditions. An exploratory 7-day rat gastrointestinal tolerability study (n = 4 per group) indicated that these distinct profiles may impact mucosal tolerability. Structurally stable test sample A allowed intestinal iron accumulation while maintaining mucosal integrity. Conversely, the rapid dissociation of test sample B induced observable mucosal injury, despite lower local iron retention. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the gastrointestinal tolerability of PICs may be associated with their structural attributes and release behavior, rather than total iron content alone. Overall, this exploratory study highlights a potential relationship between multi-dimensional PIC structure and functional performance, emphasizing the need for broader, structure-informed frameworks in the quality evaluation of complex iron therapies. Full article

Against the background of severe wear failure of Rotary Tillage blades restricting agricultural tillage efficiency, this study aimed to explore wear resistance differences, reveal wear mechanisms and locate critical failure zones to support blade material selection, structural optimization and localized strengthening. Five commercial IT195 Rotary Tillage blades made of 65Mn and 60Si2Mn steels were tested via a soil-bin rotary wear test rig. Microstructure, hardness and wear morphology were characterized by metallographic microscopy, Vickers hardness test and SEM, while 3D scanning and stress simulation were adopted to analyze full-cycle wear behavior of the optimal blade. The results showed that the E-type blade with 60Si2Mn possessed the best wear resistance, with minimum mass and dimensional wear loss and the gentlest wear rate, attributed to its single-phase acicular martensite and high hardness of 627.73 HV, forming uniform shallow grooves and suppressing micro-cutting and spalling. Full-cycle wear analysis demonstrated highly uneven wear distribution, with the bend transition zone linking tangential and side cutting regions identified as the critical failure zone featuring the largest wear depth and fastest material loss, verified by stress concentration from simulation. This work provides theoretical support and targeted references for material optimization, structural design and surface strengthening of key regions of Rotary Tillage blades. Full article

Provincial innovation systems can be understood as complex adaptive networks in which connectivity and resilience-enabling conditions emerge from heterogeneous local capabilities, spatial constraints, and relational configurations. Taking 95 county-level units in Jiangsu Province, China, as the study area, this study constructs a county-level innovation capability index for 2020–2023 across four dimensions: innovation input, innovation output, innovation environment, and innovation performance. Using this index as the mass variable, a gravity-based potential innovation linkage network is developed, and network analysis indicators are applied to examine its stage-specific structural changes, functional differentiation, and key transmission pathways within the model-derived network. The results show that county-level innovation capability increased across the four observations, while the intra-provincial south–north gradient remained evident. The potential network became increasingly connected, but this increase in connectivity did not lead to structural equalization. Instead, linkages were selectively reinforced around high-capability nodes and spatially proximate areas, indicating local clustering, potentially path-dependent organization, and selective connectivity. County-level units performed differentiated systemic roles as core-organizing, system-supporting, and connector nodes, shaped jointly by innovation capability, spatial location, and network embeddedness. The identified key transmission pathways exhibited a multi-level structural configuration involving intra-cluster reinforcement, intercity corridor continuity along the Yangtze River, and short-chain embedding of peripheral nodes. These findings suggest that provincial innovation systems may exhibit selective structural organization rather than uniform relational development, shaped by capability asymmetry, spatial proximity, and relational configuration. Because the network is derived from innovation capability and geographical distance, the identified linkages and pathways represent model-estimated relational opportunities rather than directly observed knowledge, technology, or innovation flows. Within this interpretive boundary, county-level nodes and key transmission pathways provide insights into system connectivity and resilience-oriented governance. Full article

Background: Oromucosal films are thin polymeric dosage forms designed to hydrate rapidly in the oral cavity and enable local or systemic drug delivery. Their performance depends on coupled processes including wetting, swelling, polymer relaxation, matrix softening, and structural failure. Because these phenomena depend strongly on the formulation composition and polymer-network organization, a mechanistic framework linking conventional characterization data to film performance is needed. This study aimed to develop a Madelung-type multifractal swelling–disintegration–release-readiness model for chitosan/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) films and to examine its relevance using a twelve-formulation experimental series. Methods: Twelve films based on chitosan (film-forming polysaccharide), HPMC K-4M (hydrophilic swelling polymer), glycerin (plasticizer), and starch (disintegrant) were prepared via solvent casting. The films were characterized for loss on drying, surface pH, mass and thickness uniformity, wetting time, swelling behavior, structural-disintegration onset, elongation response, rupture resistance, folding endurance, and surface roughness. The proposed model described water uptake, swelling-front motion, matrix integrity, local release-readiness activation, and hydration-induced loading as coupled fields across the film thickness. Results: Formulation markedly influenced hydration behavior, mechanical performance, structural stability, and surface morphology. Films F2 and F7 emerged as the most promising complementary unloaded matrix platforms for future active-compound incorporation and experimental release evaluation. F2 behaved as a high-swelling, mechanically stable starch-free matrix, whereas F7 combined faster wetting, starch-assisted structural destabilization, and favorable flexibility. Conclusions: This framework provides a quantitative link between empirical film characterization and formulation-level mechanistic interpretation. It translates conventional characterization parameters into descriptors related to the apparent water penetration, swelling capacity, matrix-failure tendency, mechanical suitability, and structural heterogeneity. The present results support candidate selection for future Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient-loaded studies but do not constitute validation of drug-release kinetics. Full article

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an invasive aquatic plant with high lignocellulosic content, offering potential as a natural fiber resource for craft-based industries. However, its extremely high initial moisture content (≈95%) presents a major challenge in fiber processing, particularly for small-scale industries that rely on traditional sun-drying methods. These methods are highly dependent on weather conditions, prone to contamination, and produce inconsistent fiber quality. This study adopts a research and development (R&D) approach to design and evaluate an innovative dryer machine specifically for water hyacinth fiber processing. The proposed system utilizes LPG-based heating and controlled airflow to achieve stable drying conditions. Experimental results show that the dryer machine can process 10 kg of wet water hyacinth within 280 min, significantly shorter than the approximately four days required for manual drying. The system reduces the moisture content to below 10%, resulting in improved fiber cleanliness, uniformity, and usability. Although the dried mass produced by the machine is slightly lower compared to manual drying, this is attributed to more effective moisture removal, leading to lower residual water content in the final product. Productivity analysis indicates improved operational consistency and higher processing capacity over extended periods (30–180 days), particularly under varying weather conditions. These findings demonstrate that controlled drying technology provides a reliable and efficient solution for lignocellulosic fiber processing in small-scale industries, contributing to improved material utilization and sustainable biomass management. Full article

Traditional windcatchers are often discussed as passive cooling devices for hot–arid climates, yet their sustainability performance under contemporary comfort-controlled operation remains insufficiently understood. This study evaluates the energy and load-based carbon implications of integrating a windcatcher into a high-thermal-mass courtyard house in Şanlıurfa, Türkiye. A combined DesignBuilder v6.1/EnergyPlus v8.2 and CFD-based assessment was used: annual heating and cooling loads were calculated through EnergyPlus-based building energy simulation, while CFD analyses were used to interpret representative airflow behavior and localized thermal effects within the semi-open iwan. Scenarios varied operational schedule, geometry, material configuration, ventilation openings, and water pool integration. The results show strongly context-dependent performance rather than uniform energy or carbon benefit. Continuous operation weakened annual performance, whereas seasonal operation produced more balanced outcomes. The P.1 configuration produced the lowest total annual energy demand among the tested scenarios, decreasing total demand from 70,929.99 to 70,806.65 kWh/a, corresponding to a reduction of 123.34 kWh/a or 0.17% relative to the baseline. However, this limited reduction was accompanied by a 6.02% increase in cooling demand and a 2.52% decrease in heating demand. Consequently, the total load-based carbon indicator increased from 18.32 to 18.60 tCO₂/year, corresponding to an increase of 0.28 tCO₂/year or 1.53%. CFD results indicate that the semi-open iwan geometry and its orientation relative to prevailing winds constrained airflow effectiveness and limited the transfer of local cooling effects to conditioned zones. This study demonstrates that vernacular passive systems should be evaluated through integrated annual energy, airflow, and load-based carbon analyses before being adopted in sustainable renovation or climate-responsive design. Full article

Understanding mass transport of structurally different drugs within ionically crosslinked hydrogel networks remains an important challenge in polymer-based delivery systems. In this study, hydrophilic amoxicillin (AMOX) and amphiphilic doxycycline (DOX) were encapsulated into calcium–alginate beads, respectively. A three-factor and three-level Box–Behnken design was utilized to examine the influences of alginate concentration (2–5%, w/v), CaCl₂ concentration (1–3%, w/v), and gelation time (15–45 min) on encapsulation efficiency (EE). EE exhibited considerable variability for both AMOX (10–86%) and DOX (10–63%). Optimal EE values were achieved at almost 3.5% alginate and 3% CaCl₂. The optimized gelation times differed between AMOX (45 min) and DOX (15 min), which is likely associated with differences in their physicochemical properties, although additional intermediate gelation times could further refine the optimal conditions. ANOVA identified CaCl₂ concentration and the quadratic effect of alginate as the most influential parameters. Furthermore, both models demonstrated robust predictive capability (R² > 0.98). In vitro release experiments demonstrated minimal drug diffusion in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and significantly accelerated release in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). These findings indicate a pH-responsive release behavior under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. The release profile was best represented by Higuchi and Korsmeyer–Peppas kinetic models. SEM and optical microscopy revealed uniform spherical beads with drug-dependent microstructural differences: hydrophilic AMOX produced smoother, wrinkled surfaces, whereas amphiphilic DOX induced localized cracking and heterogeneous microdomains. Furthermore, DLS and zeta potential measurements of the released fractions indicated nanoscale particle populations (≈190–225 nm) with moderate negative surface charge (≈−21 mV), suggesting stable colloidal dispersion during intestinal-phase release. Full article

The firing of traditional gray pottery relies on complex physicochemical reactions governing its color, dimensional accuracy, and structural stability. Unclear kiln-transformation mechanisms restrict standardized and digital production of this Chinese intangible cultural heritage. Herein, direct ink writing (DIW) was used to fabricate Hejin gray pottery green bodies from local ternary raw materials. Thermodynamic calculations, TG–DTG/DSC, XRD, XRF, and atmosphere-controlled firing tests were combined to reveal coupled phase evolution and reduction color-forming mechanisms during sintering. Two interrelated kiln-transformation processes were identified. First, sequential mineral reconstruction occurs at four critical temperatures: free water loss at 119.8 °C, two-stage dehydroxylation of hydrous silicates at 270.5 °C and 767.9 °C, and CaCO₃ decomposition at 547.9 °C. Uneven shrinkage and gas release at these temperatures induce cracking, blistering, and deformation of printed bodies. Micron-sized CaCO₃ (equivalent radius ≈ 1.31 μm) exhibits high surface energy and significantly reduces its decomposition temperature, consistent with experimental observations. Second, reducing atmospheres trigger competitive phase formation. Distinct from the conventional Fe₂O₃ → Fe₃O₄ → FeO reduction pathway, Fe oxides preferentially react with abundant Al₂O₃ to form thermodynamically stable FeAl₂O₄ spinel, yielding uniform celadon-gray tones. The final color is nearly independent of 20–90 vol% CO, and air-isolated cooling below 600 °C is mandatory to prevent secondary oxidation and reddening. This work establishes a thermodynamic framework for DIW-printed Hejin gray pottery kiln transformation, clarifies microscale defect and color-evolution mechanisms, and offers theoretical guidance for atmosphere-controlled firing and digital mass production of heritage ceramics. Full article

To enable the formulation design of 3D-printable surimi-based food systems, a surimi–flour composite batter was developed, and its printing parameters and formulation were systematically optimized using a food 3D printer, with a focus on printing accuracy, structural stability, and extrusion performance. The optimal printing parameters were identified as a flow rate of 50 mm/s, mixing time of 5 min, and syringe barrel volume of 100 mL, while the optimal formulation consisted of 25% surimi (based on flour weight), 65% water (based on total surimi–flour–water mass), and 6% butter (based on total formulation mass). Physicochemical and rheological analyses suggested that surimi promoted the transformation of bound water into immobilized water, thereby enhancing structural stability and interlayer adhesion of the printed constructs. Appropriate water addition improved hydration and extrudability, whereas butter enhanced viscoelastic properties and printing uniformity, likely through interfacial lubrication. These components collectively influenced the formation of a homogeneous gel network with pronounced shear-thinning behavior, which is essential for high-precision 3D printing. Overall, the integrated optimization of processing parameters and formulation enabled high-fidelity 3D printing of the surimi–flour composite batter, providing a formulation and processing reference for improving the printability of surimi-based composite systems in extrusion-based 3D food printing. Full article