Search Results (438)

Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes based on peroxymonosulfate (PMS-EAOPs) have shown great promise for eliminating organic pollutants from water. However, earlier research primarily concentrated on pollutant degradation at the cathode, with little attention given to the anode’s role in PMS-EAOPs. In this work, we developed a PMS-EAOP system using nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (N-CNTs) as the electrocatalyst and examined the degradation of pollutants (acetamiprid (ATP) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX)) at both the cathode and anode. Our findings indicate that SMX was rapidly degraded at both electrodes, while ATP was effectively broken down only at the cathode, demonstrating the selective nature of PMS-EAOP. At a voltage of −2 V and 2.5 mM PMS, the pseudo-first-order rate constant (k_obs) for ATP at the cathode reached 0.122 min⁻¹, with over 92% removal within 30 min. In contrast, the anode exhibited high selectivity, removing ~75% of SMX (k_obs = 0.041 min⁻¹) while less than 20% of ATP was degraded. Analysis of reactive oxygen species showed that hydroxyl and sulfate radicals were produced and contributed to pollutant degradation at the cathode. In contrast, selective oxidation occurred at the anode, likely driven by direct electrolysis-induced nonradical oxidation responsible for the selective degradation. Phosphates and bicarbonates significantly inhibited the degradation of pollutants in the PMS-EAOP process (31.7–76.4%). In contrast, chloride ions exhibited an electrode-dependent effect, with the anode being less susceptible to interference from common water anions. Overall, this study highlights that while PMS-EAOP can selectively remove contaminants, the influence of water matrix components must be taken into account when treating real wastewater. Full article

The pharmaceutical industry faces a broken drug development pipeline, characterized by high costs, slow timelines and is prone to high failure rates. The convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum technologies is poised to fundamentally transform this landscape. AI excels in interpreting complex data, optimizing processes and designing drug candidates, while quantum systems enable unprecedented molecular simulation, ultra-sensitive sensing and precise physical control. This convergence establishes an integrated, self-learning ecosystem for the discovery, development, and delivery of therapeutics. This framework co-designs strategies from molecular targeting to formulation stability, compressing timelines and enhancing precision, which may enable safer, faster, and more adaptive medicines. Full article

Coalbed methane development is constrained by reservoir characteristics including high gas adsorption, high salinity, and high closure pressure, which impose significant limitations on conventional polymer fracturing fluids regarding viscosity enhancement, proppant transport, and fracture maintenance. In this study, a novel polymer fracturing fluid system, Z-H-PAM, was designed and synthesized to achieve strong salt tolerance, low adsorption affinity, and high elasticity to withstand closure pressure. This was accomplished through the molecular integration of a zwitterionic monomer ZM-1 and a hydrophobic associative monomer HM-2, forming a unified structure that combines rigid hydrated segments with a hydrophobic elastic network. The results indicate that ZM-1 provides a stable hydration layer and low adsorption tendency under high-salinity conditions, while HM-2 contributes to a high-storage-modulus, three-dimensional physically cross-linked network via reversible hydrophobic association. Their synergistic interaction enables Z-H-PAM to retain viscoelasticity that is significantly superior to conventional HPAM and to achieve rapid structural recovery in high-mineralization environments. Systematic evaluation shows that this system achieves a static sand-suspension rate exceeding 95% in simulated flowback fluid, produces broken gel residues below 90 mg/L, and results in a core damage rate of only 10.5%. Moreover, it maintains 88.8% of its fracture conductivity under 30 MPa closure pressure. Notably, Z-H-PAM can be prepared directly using high-salinity flowback water, maintaining high elasticity and sand-carrying capacity while enabling fluid recycling and reducing reservoir damage. This work clarifies the multi-scale mechanisms of strongly hydrated and highly elastic polymers in coalbed methane reservoirs, offering a theoretical and technical pathway for developing efficient and low-damage fracturing materials. Full article

Monitoring the training load of elite soccer players is a common practice for clubs. However, limited information exists about the internal load experienced by elite soccer players. The heart rate (HR) exposure of 51 French elite soccer players was monitored using conductive vests incorporating ECG bands during two consecutive seasons using a three-zone intensity model. HR exposure was broken down into volume (i.e., total time in the three zones) and intensity (i.e., relative time in the three zones). The effect of playing position, as well as the period (monthly or daily), was assessed. Regarding seasonal exposure, a significant difference was observed between key periods of the season (i.e., preseason, in season, end-of-season) for both volume and intensity (p < 0.05). Noteworthily, monthly HR exposure was relatively constant across competitive period. For weekly exposure, a significant difference in HR volume and intensity was observed between matches and training sessions (p < 0.001) potentially highlighting gaps in players’ readiness. Note that there were small variations in terms of HR exposure between the three first training days (p < 0.05), especially for time and relative time over 90% of maximal HR (not significant). This study not only provides insight into typical HR exposure in elite football but also questions the current training periodisation. Full article

Community-Based Tourism (CBT) in East Sumba highlights its unique natural features through its archipelagic potential, which is synergistically integrated with rich traditional cultural experiences. Island-based CBT faces strategic management challenges, especially in empowering human resources—notably women—amid the inherently vulnerable and fragile nature of island tourism assets. Women’s empowerment, a key element of pro-poor tourism, significantly influences poverty reduction and helps address the high rates of stunting in East Sumba. This research aims to examine women’s empowerment within archipelago-based CBT management frameworks that impact household economic independence. The study adopts a sustainable tourism approach that involves two systems—the human system and the ecosystem—broken down into four dimensions and 32 indicators to assess the sustainability potential of each. Data analysis uses scoring methods to produce BTS and ATSI diagrams. Findings indicate that CBT in East Sumba falls within the potentially sustainable quadrant on the BTS diagram, with coordinates (6.88, 6.49). The average scores are 7.0 for the human system and 6.44 for the ecosystem, supported by the AMOEBA diagram, which shows broad tendencies. The most critical and vulnerable sustainability indicators include ecosystem integrity—particularly access to clean water—and effective mitigation strategies. Conversely, the indicators with the highest robustness include active women’s participation in Family Empowerment and Welfare Organizations and tourism diversification, which is enhanced by East Sumba’s strategic location within Indonesia’s eastern tourism corridor. Stakeholders can leverage these findings by promoting women’s empowerment through integrated tourism package innovations, thereby creating more entrepreneurial opportunities and improving household economic conditions. This research contributes to understanding women’s empowerment through sustainable tourism methods, emphasizing its role as a foundation for pro-poor tourism within island-based CBT frameworks. Full article

This study investigated the effects of dietary carbohydrate levels on growth performance, body composition, and hepatic expression of metabolic genes in Chinese hook snout carp (Opsariichthys bidens). Fish were fed five isonitrogenous diets with graded α-starch levels (8%, 14%, 20%, 26%, and 32%) for 56 days. The diet containing 14% α-starch significantly increased the weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) of O. bidens (p < 0.05). Both broken-line and polynomial regression analyses on WGR and SGR consistently indicated an optimal dietary α-starch level of approximately 14–17%. High carbohydrate diets significantly elevated plasma glucose, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels, as well as hepatosomatic and intraperitoneal fat indices. Gene expression analysis revealed that moderate carbohydrate intake upregulated lipoprotein lipase (lpl), hormone-sensitive lipase (hsl), and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (cpt1) gene expressions, enhancing lipolysis and β-oxidation, whereas excessive carbohydrate intake (>26% α-starch) suppressed these pathways but strongly induced acc1 gene expressions, promoting lipogenesis. Additionally, glycogen metabolism genes (glycogen synthase (gys) and glycogen phosphorylase (pyg) and glycolysis-related phosphofructokinase (pfk) were responsive to carbohydrate supply, while oxidative metabolism gene cs was downregulated under excessive carbohydrate, implying reduced mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. Overall, O. bidens exhibited limited carbohydrate utilization, with optimal intake supporting growth and metabolic balance, whereas excessive intake redirected glucose toward glycogen and lipid accumulation, leading to metabolic imbalance. Full article

In smart home projects, building data management at the design stage increasingly relies on digital-twin assets delivered via game engines. Without a clear governance workflow, however, these practices tend to generate non-standard building data on the consumption side, causing broken data chains and increasing construction and management risks. To address this problem, this study proposes a traceability-oriented governance workflow that strengthens IfcGUID compliance and automatically detects and converts inconsistent digital-twin assets into IFC-compliant, auditable data, thereby reducing data chain breakage and improving cross-system traceability in building data management. The workflow uses IfcGUID as a cross-system primary key and is evaluated in a virtual smart home project through a pre-test–repair–post-test experiment at the design stage. We examine four indicators of IfcGUID quality—completeness, validity, uniqueness, and stability—together with a bridge recognition rate that reflects game engine interoperability on the consumption side. The results show that all four IfcGUID indicators converge towards 1 after applying the workflow, and the bridge recognition rate approaches 100%, indicating that the risk of data chain breakage, measured on an IFC basis, is substantially reduced. Within existing toolchains, this workflow provides design teams, visualization teams, clients, and auditors with a low-cost and reproducible path for standardizing design-stage digital-twin assets and establishing a traceable, auditable baseline for cross-system interoperability and lifecycle building data management and data reuse. Full article

Aiming at the problem that obstacle avoidance flexibility and formation integrity are difficult to coexist in multi-robot formation motion, a path-deformation mapping mechanism is proposed, which deeply integrates artificial potential field and affine transformation, and drives formation adaptive adjustment in real time through path information. By using the non-uniform scaling characteristics of the affine transformation, the limitation of traditional conformal transformation is broken through, and the unity of flexibility and integrity is realized. The effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by experiments, which provide a practical solution for cooperative obstacle avoidance of multi-robot systems in complex environments. In order to verify the performance of the algorithm, a numerical simulation is carried out, and an experimental platform composed of seven omnidirectional mobile robots is built for physical verification. The simulation and experimental results show that the formation can complete the obstacle avoidance task in the complex static obstacle environment, and the average formation tracking error is maintained below 0.05 m. Compared with the traditional local obstacle avoidance or formation switching method, this algorithm significantly improves the fluency of the obstacle avoidance process and the integrity of the formation while ensuring a success rate of 100% obstacle avoidance. Full article

Background/Objectives: Unilateral biportal endoscopic spine surgery (UBE) has gained popularity due to its minimal invasiveness, endoscopic magnification, bloodless visual field, and broad application to various spinal disorders. We proposed the “no-punch” technique for UBE spine surgery, emphasizing its capability to prevent neural injury and preserve facet joints. This study aims to examine its efficacy in reducing the risk of incidental durotomy through a comparative study. Methods: A total of 914 consecutive patients with various degenerative spine disorders who underwent UBE surgery between October 2018 and July 2023 by a single surgeon in a single institute were included. The Punch Group consisted of 660 patients (830 segments) who underwent UBE surgeries using Kerrison punches. The No-Punch Group included 254 patients (330 segments) who underwent UBE surgeries without using Kerrison punches. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and operative videos to identify surgical complications, their management, and final treatment outcomes. Results: Sixty-three surgical complications (58 in the Punch Group), including incidental dural tears, nerve root injuries, incomplete decompression, epidural hematoma, and broken instruments, were identified. The No-Punch Group exhibited a significantly lower overall complication rate (8.8% vs. 2.0%), along with a reduced incidence of dural tears (3.9% vs. 0) and neural injuries (5.3% vs. 0.4%). The improvement was particularly notable in lumbar decompression surgeries (5.0% vs. 0.8%) and revision surgeries (9.9% vs. 0%). Conclusions: The “no-punch” technique enhances the safety of UBE surgery for degenerative spine disorders by understanding the injury mechanisms and modifying the surgical techniques accordingly. Full article

In this study, the heat treatment of white kidney beans was optimized by a single-factor experiment and an orthogonal experiment. Taking in vitro digestibility as an index, the optimum technological parameters for heating white kidney beans were determined as follows: water addition of 225%, medium pressure heating for 30 min, and a temperature of 110 °C. The results of scanning electron microscopy showed that the layered structure in white kidney beans disappeared, and the original particle morphology was lost. The protein network was broken, forming an irregular agglomerate or flocculent structure, and the porous structure formed by heat-induced crosslinking effectively delayed the contact of amylase. Heat-treated white kidney beans were added to rice, and their nutritional components were determined, and the glycemic index was estimated in vitro to determine the best addition amount. The results of the in vitro digestion rate showed that the rice treated with 40% white kidney beans significantly reduced the glycemic index (eGI = 41.48), and the texture analysis showed that the viscoelasticity of rice could be improved by compounding 40% white kidney beans. It also effectively improves the taste of 100% white rice. This study can provide interdisciplinary solutions for the development of staple food for diabetes and provide a scientific basis for the development of staple food with a low glycemic index and the improvement of traditional diets. Full article

Potatoes are a vital staple crop globally, valued for their high nutritional content and yield; however, they are highly susceptible to microbial attacks, mainly during postharvest handling and storage. One of the most important potato diseases that reduces the yield and quality of potatoes is Fusarium solani. Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiation has become a potential postharvest disease control method; however, its efficacy against F. solani on potatoes is poorly understood. This study investigated the in vitro and in vivo effects of UV-C irradiation against F. solani of potatoes. UV-C light (254 nm) treatment was applied to F. solani for 5, 10, and 15 min at 10, 15, and 20 cm to evaluate the in vitro effects. The treated plates were incubated at 25 °C for seven days. UV-C treatment at a 10 cm distance for 10 and 15 min successfully inhibited F. solani mycelial growth, with the 15 min exposure showing the highest inhibition rate of 57.96%. Both treatments were selected for further screening. Subsequently, ‘Sifra’ potatoes were treated with UV-C for 10 and 15 min, and the results showed low disease incidence of 33% and 22%, respectively, compared to 96% for the untreated tubers. The scanning electron microscopy assay showed broken and shrunken mycelia, along with damaged spores of F. solani, on potatoes treated with UV-C. The findings suggest that UV-C irradiation may offer a potential alternative, environmentally friendly method to chemical fungicides for controlling postharvest F. solani of potatoes. Full article

To evaluate the effects of dietary threonine levels on rice field eels (Monopterus albus), six experimental diets were formulated with graded threonine supplementation: 0 g/kg (T1), 3 g/kg (T2), 6 g/kg (T3), 9 g/kg (T4), 12 g/kg (T5), and 15 g/kg (T6). Rice field eels, with an initial body weight of 18.47 ± 0.11 g, were fed for 60 days. The weight gain ratio (WGR), specific growth rate (SGR), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) significantly increased in the T4 group, while feed conversion ratio (FCR) significantly decreased. Broken-line regression analysis determined the optimal dietary threonine requirement to be 7.5–9.0 g/kg. Concomitantly, whole-body crude protein content increased, while lipid content decreased; serum GOT and GPT activities declined, indicating reduced hepatic stress, whereas hepatic CAT and SOD activities markedly increased, enhancing antioxidant capacity. Digestive enzyme capacity was enhanced, as evidenced by elevated lipase and trypsin activities. Muscle texture properties, including cohesiveness, springiness, and chewiness, were significantly improved in the T4 and T5 groups. At the molecular level, MyoG, MyoD1, and MYF5 expression peaked in T4, while MRF4 expression increased progressively. LEfSe analysis of the microbiome, coupled with KEGG functional prediction, revealed that Corynebacterium and Methylocella were positively correlated with growth metrics; these genera likely promote muscle deposition through three enriched metabolic pathways that enhance energy and amino acid availability. Collectively, dietary threonine supplementation at 7.5–9.0 g/kg promotes growth, enhances digestive function, and improves muscle quality in rice field eels. Full article

The high acidity, alcohol, and mycotoxin levels in distiller’s grains (DGs) limit its application in practical production. To address these issues, a new DG fermentation technique was developed in this research. Firstly, four strains were selected and the fermentation conditions were optimized to ferment the fresh DGs. When the inoculum was set at 8%, the fermentation temperature was maintained at 35 °C, the fermentation time lasted for 48 h, the bacterial mixture ratio (Bacillus subtilis ASAG 216: Lactobacillus acidophilus G1: Saccharomyces cerevisiae ANP 101: Streptococcus thermophilus EFR 046) was 1:1:2:1, and the contents of crude protein in fermented DGs (FDGs) were the highest, so we chose these fermentation conditions to ferment the DGs. In addition, under these fermentation conditions, the amino acids were significantly (p < 0.05) increased while the concentrations of crude fiber and mycotoxins contents were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in FDGs than in DGs. Subsequently, the nutritional value of DGs and FDGs were evaluated using a two-step in vitro digestion method. The digestibility of dry matter, protein, and crude fiber increased by 16.23%, 13.54%, and 64.09%, respectively, in FDGs compared to that in DGs. Finally, laying hens were treated by adding 0%, 1%, 2%, and 4% FDG to the basal diet for 4 weeks. The results demonstrated that addition of 2% FDG in the diet could significantly (p < 0.05) increase the laying rate of hens compared to that fed the control diet, while addition of 4% FDG in the diet could remarkably (p < 0.05) reduce the rate of broken eggs compared to the other groups. There were no significant (p > 0.05) differences in other indices. These indicates that FDG has potential as a functional feed additive to enhance animal productivity. Full article

The novel engines nowadays with high efficiency are operated under the superpressure, supercritical, and supersonic extreme conditions that are situated in the broken reaction zone regime. In this article, the propagation and heat/radical diffusion physics of a high-pressure dimethyl ether (DME)/air turbulent lean-premixed flame are investigated numerically by direct numerical simulation (DNS). A wide range of statistical and diagnostic methods, including Lagrangian fluid tracking, Joint Probability Density Distribution (JPDF), and chemical explosive mode analysis (CEMA), are applied to reveal the local combustion modes and dynamics evolution, as well as the roles of heat/mass transport and cool/hot flame interaction in the turbulent combustion, which would be beneficial to the design of novel engines with high performances. It is found that the three-staged combustion, including cool-flame, warm-flame, and hot-flame fronts, is a unique behavior of DME flame under the elevated-pressure, lean-premixed condition. In the broken reaction zone regime, the reaction zone thickness increases remarkably, and the heat release rate (HRR) and fuel consumption rate in the cool-flame zone are increased by 16% and 19%, respectively. The diffusion effect not only enhances flame propagation, but also suppresses the local HRR or fuel consumption. The strong turbulence interplaying with diffusive transports is the underlying physics for the enhancements in cool- and hot-flame fronts. The dominating diffusive sub-processes are revealed by the aid of the diffusion index. Full article

The deterioration of uterine calcium transport capacity induced by aging is a common problem for late-laying period hens, causing decline in eggshell quality. This study aimed to investigate the effects and possible regulatory mechanisms of dietary puerarin (PU) on calcium transport and eggshell quality in aged hens. Two hundred eighty-eight Hubbard Efficiency Plus broiler breeder hens (50-week-old) were randomly allocated to three dietary treatments containing 0, 40, or 200 mg/kg puerarin (PU), with 8 replicates of 12 birds each, for an 8-week trial. The results demonstrated that dietary PU ameliorated the eggshell thickness and strength, which in turn reduced the broken egg rate (p < 0.05). Histological analysis showed that PU improved uterus morphology and increased epithelium height in the uterus (p < 0.05). Antioxidative capacity was significantly improved via upregulation of Nrf2, HO-1, and GPX1 mRNA expression in the uterus (p < 0.05), along with enhanced total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activity, and decreased levels of the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, PU treatment reduced the apoptotic index of the uterus, followed by a significant decrease in expression of pro-apoptotic genes Caspase3 and BAX and the rate of BAX/BCL-2. Additionally, calcium content in serum and uterus, as well as the activity of Ca²⁺-ATPase in the duodenum and uterus, were increased by dietary PU (p < 0.05). The genes involved in calcium transport including ERα, KCNA1, CABP-28K, and OPN in the uterus were upregulated by PU supplementation (p < 0.05). The 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that dietary PU supplementation could reverse the age-related decline in the relative abundance of Bacteroidota within the uterus (p < 0.05). Overall, dietary PU can improve eggshell quality and calcium transport through enhanced antioxidative defenses and mitigation of age-related uterine degeneration. Full article