Search Results (12,596)

Owing to high surface inertness and insufficient active sites, traditional carbons cannot anchor and disperse metal species evenly, restricting catalytic activity. Via polymer precursor design, the components, functional groups and pore architecture can be tailored molecularly and preserved upon carbonization, thus regulating carbon microstructure, surface properties and active centers efficiently. This work focuses on the synthesis and structural tuning of polystyrene-based precursors using a three-step procedure of pre-crosslinking, Friedel-Crafts hypercrosslinking, and activation. The materials possess abundant mesopores ranging from 7 to 30 nm, which serve as an ideal platform for the efficient anchoring of metal ions and mass transfer during the subsequent carbonization and functionalization processes. Based on the strong adsorption and exchange ability of sulfonic acid groups, transition metal ions such as Co, Ni and Fe were uniformly doped on the surface of nanoparticles and carbonized at 300–600 °C in an air atmosphere to realize the conversion of the polymer skeleton to a carbon matrix and the in situ formation of metal species into oxide nanoparticles. At the application performance level, the prepared Co/Ni bimetallic-carbon-doped material exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity in the alkaline oxygen evolution reaction. The overpotential is only 0.3478 V at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻². After 50 cycles of cyclic voltammetry, the voltage fluctuation is only 0.026 V. Full article

Conventional PID controllers exhibit unsatisfactory parameter-tuning performance when applied to microwave–hot air vibrating fluidized bed drying systems, which are characterized by nonlinearity, large time lag, and multi-source coupling. To address this issue, this paper proposes a self-tuning PID control system based on a multi-strategy improved Tuna Swarm Optimization (TSO) algorithm. First, a hardware control platform for the dryer is constructed on a 32-bit STM32 microcontroller embedded with the RT-Thread real-time operating system. Second, three enhancement strategies—Fuch infinite-folding chaotic initialization, Lévy flight search, and nonlinear convergence factor optimization—are integrated to overcome the inherent defects of the original TSO, namely low solution precision and premature convergence to local optima. Comparative numerical simulations of the original and improved TSO are conducted on MATLAB R2021b using six benchmark functions. Third, transfer function models of three core actuators (magnetron, PTC electric heater, and vibration motor) are established, and the improved TSO is employed to realize automatic PID parameter tuning with supplementary simulation verification. Finally, bench tests on a physical drying prototype validate the optimized control parameters. Comparative experiments with the relay feedback algorithm, particle swarm optimization (PSO), and the original TSO demonstrate that the proposed improved TSO achieves superior optimization performance for PID tuning. Practical drying tests on bitter melon slices further confirm that the improved TSO-PID control system significantly enhances drying quality, reducing average moisture content by 21.2% and total color difference by 38.7% relative to relay feedback PID control, thereby satisfying industrial production requirements. Full article

Minimal gene set design, reducing a system to its smallest functional part set, is a core synthetic biology strategy. Bacteriophages are attractive but underused chassis, yet wild-type phages are difficult to engineer. We present a comparative genomics-guided computational framework for synthetic minimal phage gene set design, demonstrated in silico on Streptococcus mutans, the primary agent of dental caries. Three S. mutans phages (M102AD, φAPCM01, SMHBZ8) were compared by synteny analysis, and their 123 proteins were annotated with InterProScan, EggNOG-mapper, and HHpred. Conserved essential genes were selected by cross-phage conservation and annotation evidence, assembled as standardized transcriptional units, codon-optimized for E. coli K-12 with a modern folding-aware optimizer, and cloned in silico into the broad host range vector pBBR1MCS-2. Seventeen genes were assembled into a 16,403 bp synthetic insert; the final 21,559 bp construct raised the mean codon adaptation index (CAI) from 0.58 to 0.96, brought GC content into the optimal range, and eliminated rare codons, while removing all internal cloning sites. A 5′ mRNA-folding screen confirmed accessible ribosome binding sites for all 17 genes; a sensitivity analysis confirmed that the gene set was robust to the selection thresholds; and AlphaFold-Multimer modeling of representative inter-module interfaces is reported. Multi-host CAI analysis indicates strong codon usage compatibility with Enterobacteriaceae hosts. We emphasize that the construct is a computationally designed multi-gene expression plasmid, not a self-replicating or packageable phage genome, and that all results are in silico predictions requiring experimental validation. Gibson Assembly, not restriction cloning, is recommended. The design logic is transferable to other phage–host systems. Full article

Aerobic composting is widely used to stabilize livestock and poultry manure and recover organic nutrients, but its performance and end-product safety depend on nitrogen conservation, gas emissions, aeration, contaminant fate, and compost maturity. This critical review synthesizes evidence from a structured search of the Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and PubMed, complemented by citation tracking. Of the 204 records identified, 58 publications were retained for the review. Among these, 45 empirical studies met the eligibility criteria and constituted the formal narrative synthesis, whereas 13 review articles or meta-analyses were used only for background information and backward citation tracking. The 45 empirical studies were classified according to their relevance to livestock-manure composting and the directness of the supporting evidence. The review evaluates relationships among biochar feedstock, pyrolysis conditions, particle size, surface properties, and amendment rate, with emphasis on physicochemical regulation, microbial responses, contaminant fate, and post-application agronomic implications. Across the selected studies, biochar was frequently associated with improved porosity and moisture regulation, lower nitrogen losses and gaseous emissions, increased humification, and reduced operationally defined labile fractions of Cu and Zn. However, these responses were highly context-dependent and were not consistently observed across manure types, biochar materials, particle sizes, amendment rates, or composting systems. Biochar may also increase pH or electrical conductivity, inhibit germination when soluble salts or water-extractable organic compounds are present, redistribute rather than permanently immobilize contaminants, and produce null or contrasting responses for antibiotic resistance genes. Evidence for heavy-metal passivation was generally stronger than evidence for suppression of horizontal gene transfer or long-term ARG attenuation. The frequently investigated amendment range of approximately 10–15% (w/w) should therefore be regarded only as a provisional, feedstock-specific starting range rather than a universally applicable recommendation. Similarly, the apparent advantages of moderate pyrolysis temperatures represent trends observed in selected studies, not quantitative optima. The review also highlights the need for process-scale validation, direct measurements of microbial activity and contaminant speciation, evaluation of biochar-derived organic contaminants, and long-term soil–plant experiments. The simple study-quality appraisal further indicates that the available evidence should be interpreted cautiously because reporting and methodological quality varied among studies. Function-oriented selection criteria should be developed to match biochar properties with manure characteristics, composting conditions, and intended agronomic use. Full article

As programmable photonic integrated circuits scale toward higher port counts and system-level reconfigurability, high-density electrical fan-out is becoming a major packaging bottleneck. Reliable Au-wire bonding to AlCu redistribution structures depends strongly on upstream wafer fabrication, although optimization often focuses on final bonding parameters. This study presents a failure-guided process-integration strategy for Ti/AlCu silicon fan-out submounts. A root-cause analysis of non-stick-on-pad (NSOP) failures was used to establish two reworkable in-line acceptance gates before irreversible assembly, covering the AlCu pattern-transfer fidelity, residual metal clearance, passivation-window integrity, and bond-pad exposure. With thermosonic bonding parameters held constant, the implementation of these gates and associated corrective actions increased the mean wire-pull force from 3.18 gf (31.2 mN) to 10.46 gf (102.6 mN), a 3.29-fold increase. All 30 measurements from the monitored-process batch exceeded the project-specific acceptance criterion of 4.3 gf (42.2 mN), and the dominant failure mode shifted from bond-pad interfacial separation to wire-neck or wire-body fracture. The optimized route enabled the high-pad-count assembly and functional verification of a programmable photonic device. Because the comparison comprised one fabrication batch per route with 30 bond-level pull tests per batch, the observed improvement is interpreted as a batch-specific process–response association rather than evidence of wafer-to-wafer or lot-to-lot reproducibility. Full article

Much of the existing Mediterranean building stock was constructed before the introduction of modern seismic and energy-performance standards and therefore requires sustainable rehabilitation addressing both structural vulnerability and poor energy efficiency. Moreover, the marked variability in seismic hazard and climatic conditions across the region calls for assessment methods capable of evaluating retrofit effectiveness under different environmental conditions. This study introduces a multi-site assessment framework for evaluating integrated seismic and energy retrofit solutions, including passive control systems—tuned mass damper, tuned mass damper inerter and base isolation—integrated with energy-oriented interventions, employed at roof or ground level, aimed at improving envelope performance or providing on-site renewable energy generation. The framework is applied to a representative three-story reinforced-concrete residential building with masonry infill walls and no thermal insulation, considering three Mediterranean sites with different seismic and climatic conditions. The structural response is simulated through a nonlinear finite element model employing lumped plasticity hinges for reinforced concrete members and infill walls. Dynamic building energy analyses are performed through simulations by means of the transfer function method, with hourly time steps and typical meteorological year. The structural and energy responses are synthesized through properly defined integrated performance indicators, which allow for comparative assessment of alternative retrofit strategies according to different design priorities. The results show that retrofit effectiveness is site-dependent. Base isolation provides the greatest structural improvement, whereas the performance of roof-level control systems varies with seismic hazard and spectral characteristics. From an energy perspective, cool roofs, green roofs and insulated ground-floor slabs modify heating and cooling demands by improving specific components of the building envelope but provide only moderate reductions in overall primary energy consumption. Conversely, photovoltaic roofs generate on-site renewable electricity and produce the best energy performance. The tuned mass damper inerter configuration combined with a photovoltaic roof achieves the most favorable integrated performance when equal importance is assigned to structural and energy objectives. The proposed framework supports the development of holistic, regionally adaptable strategies aimed at enhancing the safety, sustainability and efficiency of Mediterranean buildings. Full article

Soil contamination by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) remains a major global challenge due to their persistence, toxicity, and bioaccumulation capacity. Despite being widely used for the ex situ remediation of soils polluted by organic contaminants, bioslurry reactors (BSRs) have been scarcely employed for the bioremediation of PTE-polluted soils. BSRs are indeed capable of treating a wide range of contaminated soils, which are often unsuitable for remediation by conventional biological treatments. BSRs allow control of mixing, aeration, and nutrient conditions, thus enhancing mass transfer, pollutant desorption, and microbe–pollutant interactions. In addition, diverse microbial metabolic mechanisms can be exploited to mobilize or transform PTEs through bioleaching, redox reactions, complexation, and acid generation. Numerous studies have demonstrated substantial removal efficiencies for PTEs, such as Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Zn, and As. Despite their advantages, large-scale implementation of BSRs faces challenges related to operational costs, reactor design, energy demand, and the need for precise control of physicochemical parameters. Advances in microorganism immobilization, genetic engineering, and online parameter monitoring may represent levers for a wider application of this technology. This review represents the first systematical attempt to address the issue of BSR application to PTE-polluted soil remediation. The principles of BSR functioning are discussed together with the mechanisms of microbial bioleaching, highlighting the potentialities of BSR technology and addressing gaps and opportunities to fully exploit BSRs as a sustainable and economically viable tool for remediating PTE-polluted soils. Full article

Rational catalyst design for biomass valorization often relies on static descriptors, although water, hydrogen, electric potential, concentrated oxygenates, and reactive intermediates can reorganize catalytic interfaces during turnover. This review develops an adaptive-interface framework in which the relevant entity is the distribution of working states established under reaction conditions. Four coupled phenomena are integrated: reaction-induced restructuring; solvent-, confinement-, and wettability-controlled microenvironments; cooperative chemistry involving spillover, bifunctionality, and site proximity; and operando-to-model workflows. Studies of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, furfural, lignin-derived oxygenates, and reductive catalytic fractionation show how phase, valence, hydration, hydrogen speciation, and interfacial proton transfer can redirect elementary pathways without changing nominal catalyst composition. Representative examples include nickel oxyhydroxide phase transitions, solvent-modulated active hydrogen, water-mediated hydrogen heterolysis, and metal–support coupling of hydrogen activation with selective C–O or C=O conversion. A closed-loop workflow combining operando spectroscopy, transient/isotopic kinetics, explicit-solvent computation, microkinetics, and data-driven exploration is proposed to map working states and guide synthesis. This perspective shifts rational design from optimizing a precatalyst toward engineering the interface present during reaction. Mechanistic evidence centers on molecule-defined substrates and lignin-derived models; lignocellulosic fractionation is included as process context. Here, operando denotes catalyst-state characterization during turnover with concurrent measurement of catalytic function, not operando analysis of intact biomass. Full article

Machine learning inference is moving to the edge due to latency, energy, and privacy constraints. The growing complexity of edge workloads places increasing pressure on memory hierarchies, making data movement a major limitation for both performance and energy efficiency. Fixed-function accelerators inherit the memory wall of the von Neumann model and lack the flexibility to follow evolving models. Programmable Vector Processing Unit (VPU)-based near-memory architectures alleviate this bottleneck using standard Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) while remaining programmable, but still lack mature kernel libraries and operator-level abstractions. We address this gap with QUINN, a kernel library for integer-precision inference following quantized Open Neural Network Exchange (ONNX) operator semantics. Operator-to-dataflow mapping is well studied for conventional accelerators; we quantify it for near-memory VPUs whose vector register file is managed by explicit DMA (Direct Memory Access) transfers, using a roofline methodology combining throughput with measured off-chip traffic across dataflows, replication, and bandwidth on a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-emulated target. Matrix multiplication enters the compute-bound regime, attaining $61\%$ of the mix-weighted roof at the largest problem size, and one-dimensional convolution scales by $3.05\times$ under four VPUs; the kernels sustain $5.0$–$51.3\times$ the throughput of a scalar host on the same target. Operational intensity does not follow the same ordering: the scalar schedule retains higher intensity on every operator, so the throughput is bought with additional off-chip traffic in every case, though the gain exceeds the cost by at least $3.8\times$. QUINN thus provides a characterized operator backend, bit-exact with the ONNX semantics consumed by deployment tools. Full article

Replacing conventional petroleum-based materials in printing technology with sustainable alternatives is an approach to reducing the environmental impact of printing processes. In this research, biodegradable printing plates based on polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and silicon dioxide (SiO₂) nanoparticles were produced for embellishment printing applications, including relief printing and foil stamping. Structural properties were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while thermal behaviour was characterized using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Mechanical properties were defined through tensile testing, hardness, and surface roughness measurements. Printing plates were produced by laser engraving, and relief geometry was measured to evaluate printing plate feasibility. The plates were exposed to 80, 100, and 120 °C for 5, 10, and 15 min, followed by evaluation of mechanical properties, surface features, and relief stability. Initial functional assessment was conducted through printing trials to obtain embossed reliefs and foil-transferred prints. The results showed that SiO₂ nanoparticles increased thermal stability and stiffness and reduced thermally induced variations in hardness and thickness. SiO₂-containing plates exhibited engraved line dimensions closer to nominal values. All produced plates presented well-defined embossed elements, while successful foil transfer was achieved with PLA/PCL/SiO₂ 70/30/3, 80/20/3, and 90/10/3 formulations. The 80/20/3 and 90/10/3 blends showed the best foil stamping performance. Full article

Postharvest losses are an enormous issue for food security and account for 30–40% of fruit and vegetable spoilage. Despite the potential of biopolymer-based coatings for fruits and vegetables as sustainable materials in comparison with traditional packaging, practical use is still limited due to poor barrier and mechanical properties and uncontrolled release of active components. Therefore, the proposed micro/nanobubble-integrated biopolymer edible coatings (MNB-BEC) framework builds on emerging studies of nanobubble-assisted biopolymer films and extends these findings toward a broader conceptual framework for postharvest edible coatings for minimizing food losses. The study focused on micro/nanobubble-integrated biopolymer edible coatings as an innovative strategy for advanced postharvest preservation. The proposed concept emphasizes the physicochemical properties, higher surface area, and gas–liquid mass transfer of micro/nanobubbles in biopolymer-based coatings to design multilayer coatings with higher functionality. This integration of biopolymers with micro/nanobubbles may help in enhancing barrier, mechanical, structural, and thermal properties of the film. In addition, manipulation of gases, including ozone (O₃), CO₂, O_2, and ethylene levels, resulted in the formation of an antimicrobial environment to reduce microbial spoilage and maintain the physicochemical properties and consumer acceptability of produce by retarding oxidative stress, moisture loss, and respiration rate. Innovative concepts and hypotheses focus on MNB-BEC, bubble formation techniques, types of insert gases, biopolymers, their characterization techniques, and applications. The major challenges, including interfacial stability, release kinetics, scalability, and regulatory and industrialization issues associated with the technology, were also discussed. With developments in colloidal formation, gas–liquid interfaces, and edible coating technology, the present concept offers a comprehensive conceptual framework for MNB-BEC as a sustainable and multifunctional packaging system. Full article

Cinematic rendering (CR) is a physically based three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) visualization technique that has been applied chiefly to the external surface morphology of vascular structures. Intraluminal CR has previously been described for the cardiac chambers as black-blood cinematic rendering (BBCR), in which the opacity assigned to the contrast-enhanced blood pool is suppressed. Here, we describe the adaptation of that principle to the pulmonary vasculature as a negative-contrast intraluminal preset, in which the opacified blood pool is rendered semi-transparent so that the vessel lumen is displayed as a low-signal channel delineated by the enhancing vessel wall. We report the acquisition and rendering conditions under which the appearance was obtained in a single illustrative case performed for chest pain and showing no pulmonary vascular pathology, together with the rendering platform, base preset, and lighting configuration; the attenuation-band settings that define the appearance were tuned for the individual examination rather than applied as a fixed parameter set, were not recorded, and cannot be supplied as numerical values, so a stepwise construction procedure is given in their place. Intermediate rather than maximal compartment-specific opacification was required for the transfer function to separate lumen from wall; the case presented was acquired in an early pulmonary arterial phase, and a late split-bolus acquisition is an alternative route to the same condition that was not used here. In the case presented, the lumen of segmental and up to third-order subsegmental pulmonary arterial and venous branches was visually demonstrated on qualitative assessment by a single reader, and the preset remained stable when applied unchanged across the reconstructed 40–80% R–R window for four-dimensional display, which is a partial rather than a complete cardiac cycle reconstruction. Preset construction was less successful at the central pulmonary arteries and veins, where dense opacification and proximity to the cardiac blood pool reduced the contrast available to the transfer function. This is a single-case technical description. It demonstrates that the appearance can be produced under defined conditions and sets out the procedure by which it was constructed; it does not establish that the exact parameter values are recoverable or transferable, and it does not establish diagnostic performance, which will require prospective comparison against conventional reformats in adequately powered studies. Full article

This paper investigates millimeter-wave cluster characteristics for intra-vehicle access links in a passenger vehicle cabin. Double-directional measurements at 61.5 GHz were conducted for two selected receiver locations near the door switches. High-resolution multipath components were extracted from the measured channel transfer functions and subsequently grouped into clusters. Based on the identified clusters, the intra-cluster delay and angular characteristics were characterized and parameterized for the measured scenarios. The results indicate that the dominant clusters are primarily formed by single reflections with relatively small excess delays, while higher-order reflections contribute only weak power. The resulting scenario-specific cluster parameters provide a physically interpretable basis for evaluating future high-data-rate intra-vehicle wireless links. Full article

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models has increased significantly in recent years, with rapid advances across domains such as natural language processing, computer vision, code generation, and scientific computing. Alongside this growth, a diverse ecosystem of models and services has emerged, raising important questions about efficient and fair mechanisms for accessing and paying for inference. In particular, there is an ongoing debate between subscription-based access and per-request pricing models, the latter becoming especially relevant in the context of autonomous AI agents that dynamically consume external services. One of the emerging open protocols for enabling per-request payments is x402, which uses Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)-native payment flows. The core payment protocol does not let clients verify that inference was performed using the claimed model. In this paper, we propose a framework for verifiable paid inference that integrates x402-based micropayments with verifiable ML techniques. The framework combines a payment authorization bound to model and input commitments with a common escrow design for synchronous and asynchronous verification. Payment is released after a valid proof or after an optimistic challenge process accepts the result under its stated assumptions. The prototype demonstrates the functional feasibility of this approach, together with measured gas costs and proving times. The measurements indicate that asynchronous verification is more suitable for larger workloads and higher request volumes, whereas full-model proving is practical primarily for smaller models. Full article

Hybrid PV–BESS microgrids represent a promising solution for enhancing energy resilience; however, the implementation of black-start functions in such architectures remains a complex challenge, particularly in the presence of medium-voltage transformers and grid-following photovoltaic sources. This paper proposes and evaluates, through MATLAB/Simulink simulation, a black-start strategy for a hybrid microgrid derived from the architecture of a real 31.59 MWp photovoltaic power plant connected through a 20 kV collector network. The strategy is based on a BESS operated in grid-forming mode, responsible for voltage and frequency formation, controlled energization of the internal infrastructure, and support of the initial restoration stages, while the photovoltaic groups are synchronized at a later stage in order to reduce the energy burden imposed on the storage system. The methodology combines controlled voltage ramping for transformer inrush current mitigation, hybrid PV–BESS restoration, robustness evaluation under irradiance variation, sequential load restoration, and staged energization of the internal stations TS1–TS5. The results show that the soft-start strategy reduces the maximum instantaneous current of transformer TS2 from 188.3620 A to 0.3515 A and the maximum current of the BESS source from 4729.2 A to 57.7929 A. In the hybrid scenario, after photovoltaic source synchronization at 7 s, PV power rises to 2.75 MW, while the power supplied by the BESS decreases from 3.00 MW to 0.25 MW. The analysis of irradiance variation confirms the increased energy dependence on the BESS under reduced solar resource conditions, while sequential load restoration demonstrates the feasibility of controlled reconnection up to 30.25 MW. Overall, the study confirms that the proposed architecture and staged control logic provide a feasible and transferable framework for enhancing the resilience of large-scale photovoltaic power plants based on hybrid PV–BESS microgrids. Full article