Search Results (834)

Plantain (Musa paradisiaca) peel is an agro-industrial waste product with remarkable functional potential, attributed to its composition of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Given this scenario, this scoping review aimed to map and synthesize the scientific evidence regarding the nutritional composition and potential functionalities of plantain peel. A scoping review approach was used, and data were reported using the PRISMA-ScR checklist. The studies evaluating the use of plantain peel were included without restrictions on language or publication date. The following databases were searched: Embase, MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, and Web of Science. Additional searches were conducted through Google Scholar. The protocol has been registered prospectively on the Open Science Framework. This review’s findings included 53 studies. All of them presented methodological limitations that hindered further analysis and the generation of robust evidence. This analysis detailed the chemical composition of the peel, showing that it varies with ripeness stage and processing and is an excellent source of fiber and minerals. Several technological applications are explored, including the use of peel in the production of functional foods, the development of nanoparticles with antimicrobial activity, and its use as a substrate for the biosynthesis of industrial enzymes and citric acid. This review also addresses the possible health benefits that have already been studied in animal and in vitro models. Plantain peel is a promising agro-industrial by-product with high fiber, starch, and bioactive compound content and functional properties. Despite advances, challenges in sensory acceptance and process standardization limit industrial application. A key research gap remains in the systematic evaluation of antinutrient reduction (e.g., oxalates, phytates) and pesticide residue levels during the processing of plantain peel, a mandatory step before its widespread application in the food industry (e.g., flours and food additives). Further research on optimization and bioactive mechanisms is essential to enable its large-scale use and strengthen its role in the circular bioeconomy and human health. Full article

Chiral bound states in the continuum (BIC) metasurfaces have emerged as a promising platform for enhancing light–matter interactions, which have potential applications in advanced photonic and quantum information devices. However, simultaneously achieving near-perfect circular dichroism and highly efficient nonlinear conversion with highly symmetric structures in metasurfaces remains an open challenge. In this work, we design a $C_4$-symmetric chiral metasurface composed of eight elliptical silicon nanorods on a ${\mathrm{SiO}}_2$ substrate, where monocrystalline silicon is used as the nonlinear optical material. By combining simulations and nonlinear time-domain coupled-mode theory (TCMT), we discovered that both the optimal chirality and the nonlinear conversion efficiency can be attained simultaneously due to the critical coupling between the metasurface mode and the quasi-BIC mode. Meanwhile, a near-perfect circular dichroism (CD = 0.99) and a high nonlinear conversion efficiency of $7\times {10}^{-5}$ under a radiation intensity of $5{\mathrm{kW}/\mathrm{cm}}^2$ are numerically achieved due to the robustness of bound states in the continuum. This work offers a promising route toward high-performance chiral nonlinear photonic components, which is of great importance for the development of ultra-compact optical devices such as circular polarization detectors, chiral sensors, and nonlinear photonic chips for integrated optical and quantum information systems. Our research not only contributes to the fundamental understanding of chiral metasurfaces but also provides a practical approach for achieving high-efficiency nonlinear optical devices. Full article

Mechanical properties of lead-free hybrid perovskites have attracted growing interest because of their significance in future eco-friendly optoelectronic applications. However, there are very limited studies about the intrinsic elastic properties and high-pressure structural evolution of hybrid perovskites, and the fundamental structure–mechanical property relationships are insufficiently understood. Here, we report the elastic behavior of a three-dimensional (3D) hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite, (DABCO)RbBr₃ (DABCO = triethylenediammonium), and confirm the processability through processing with chiral metasurfaces and the generation of circular dichroism. Our in situ high-pressure synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments demonstrate that this crystal does not start to amorphize until 2.3 GPa. Density functional theory calculations reveal that its E, G and v range between 20.73 and 27.93 GPa, 8.21 and 11.62 GPa and 0.18–0.39, respectively. Additionally, due to the low elastic moduli and polar crystal structure, we fabricate a device of (DABCO)RbBr₃ composite film, which shows favorable performance for piezoelectric energy harvesting. This work utilizes (DABCO)RbBr₃ to open up new avenues for applications in manufacturing and energy harvesting. Full article

The sustainable valorization of citrus processing by-products represents a key challenge for the food industry, aiming to reduce waste while recovering valuable bioactive compounds. In this study, a cloud point extraction strategy was developed using soy lecithin as a natural, food-grade surfactant to isolate phenolic antioxidants from orange juice industry residues. Response Surface Methodology was applied to two streams of orange juice by-products, to evaluate the combined effects of pH, NaCl concentration, and lecithin content on extraction efficiency, with total polyphenolic content, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and ferric reducing antioxidant power serving as response variables. Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis was additionally employed to integrate all antioxidant responses and identify a multivariate optimum. The optimized conditions (pH 3.4, 12% NaCl, 11% lecithin) enabled maximal recovery of antioxidant constituents, highlighting the effectiveness of lecithin-based micellar systems. To assess practical applicability, the optimized extract from the oil emulsion residue (Stream A) was incorporated into tsipouro, a traditional Greek distillate, and its stability was monitored under controlled light and temperature conditions for 30 days at three concentration levels. Results demonstrated that both environmental factors significantly influenced antioxidant retention and physical stability, underscoring the importance of formulation design. Specifically, high gel concentration at 2% w/v, low temperature at 20 °C and light exposure provided the highest overall desirability for TPC, FRAP, and DPPH responses. Overall, this work introduces a green, scalable, and food-compatible extraction approach that not only supports circular economy principles but also opens new opportunities for the development of functional alcoholic beverages enriched with natural antioxidants. Full article

This study investigates the valorization of post-consumer and post-industrial recycled cotton fibers from textile waste into porous fiber-based insulation composites using a low-temperature cold-pressing process and a water-borne hybrid binder based on polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) and modified cornstarch. Insulation boards were produced with target densities ranging from 300 to 340 kg·m⁻³, achieved by systematically adjusting the percentage weight fractions of recycled cotton fibers and binder components. The influence of board density on microstructure, inter-fiber bonding, and structure–property relationships was evaluated. The resulting boards exhibited thermal conductivity values between 0.0710 and 0.0739 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹. Compressive strength measured at 10% relative deformation of the specimen thickness ranged from 46 to 162 kPa, while internal bond strength varied between 2 and 6 kPa. Water absorption decreased by approximately 18% with increasing density, indicating improved binder distribution and reduced open porosity. The PVAc–starch binder system enabled effective inter-fiber bonding without formaldehyde-based resins or energy-intensive curing, supporting a low-temperature and circular processing concept for textile waste valorization. Overall, the results demonstrate that recycled cotton fibers represent a viable feedstock for porous insulation composites combining balanced thermal, mechanical, and moisture-related performance with potentially reduced environmental impact. Full article

This article addresses a major challenge in circular economy accounting: assessing the social dimension, particularly social ties, which are often immaterial and difficult to capture. It examines a case study of how a local project managing organic waste and unsold goods fosters social ties in a priority urban neighborhood in France, and how these dynamics can be apprehended through an alternative qualitative accounting approach. The study draws on an ethnographic case of the MatOrGa project, combining participant observation, semi-structured interviews, discourse grounded analysis, and actor and flow mapping. Situated within counter-accounting and critical accounting, the research emphasizes social ties that extend beyond purely economic logic, spanning social, ecological, and economic dimensions. The new concept of counter-accounting utterances is introduced to describe empirical accounts that make visible practices, relationships, and social effects often overlooked in conventional accounting and sustainability reporting. The study shows how ethnography can function as a form of counter-accounting, producing qualitative representations of social impact that resist standardization. The findings advance social and sustainability accounting by offering a situated and reflexive approach to assessing the social impact of circular economy initiatives, while also opening the way for context-sensitive non-financial reporting. Full article

The construction sector is responsible for a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe, making the decarbonisation of the existing building stock a critical priority. In this context, Digital Building Logbooks (DBLs) are increasingly promoted as digital tools to support renovation planning, data continuity, and circular economy practices across the building lifecycle. Despite growing policy attention, the adoption of DBLs in renovation projects remains limited in practice. This study provides one of the first empirical rankings of perceived barriers, benefits, and drivers influencing DBL adoption in renovation projects across Europe. An exploratory quantitative survey was conducted with a purposively selected sample of stakeholders involved in renovation-related activities. Likert-scale responses were analysed using descriptive ranking statistics and reliability testing, while qualitative data from open-ended responses were analysed using directed content analysis. The results indicate that stakeholders strongly recognise the benefits of DBLs, particularly in terms of improved access to reliable building information, informed decision-making, and support for circular renovation practices. However, adoption is constrained by regulatory uncertainty, limited awareness, and unclear governance and operational frameworks. The most influential drivers identified relate to interoperability with existing digital tools, rising awareness of DBLs among stakeholders, regulatory support, and the availability of standardised and operationally clear frameworks for DBL implementation. Full article

This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for advanced manufacturing and recycling processes, with a focus on achieving sustainability goals. The environmental and economic impacts of additive manufacturing (AM) and innovative recycling strategies for materials like carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRPs) and 3D printing polymers are analyzed. Experimental efforts detail the preparation of recycled plastic–carbon fiber composite filaments suitable for Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). The composite exhibits enhanced mechanical, thermal, and flame-resistant properties through optimal blending of plastic waste and carbon fibers. Sustainability assessments using Open LCA 2.2.0 and SolidWorks 2022 demonstrate significant environmental benefits aligned with circular economy principles. The analysis highlights that the weight reduction results in lifetime fuel savings combined with end-of-life credits of −1.32 kg CO₂-eq for composite core versus +0.10 kg CO₂-eq for plastic parts. The recycled composite achieves a net global warming potential of −12.55 kg CO₂-eq, compared to +2.44 kg CO₂-eq for plastic components. The study emphasizes challenges such as recyclability, material degradation, and regional applicability of global LCA models, while proposing pathways for future advancements. Full article

This study develops and assesses sustainable polyvinyl chloride (PVC) composites reinforced with agro-industrial waste fillers, integrating an ontology-based lifecycle assessment (LCA) framework to enhance sustainability evaluation. Agro-waste reinforcements, including rice husk ash (RHA), coir, bamboo fibre, and wood flour, were examined for their capacity to improve the mechanical and environmental performance of PVC and to advance circular economy objectives. Empirical data from UK PVC window manufacturing were integrated with Granta EduPack, Eco Design, Eco Audit, OpenLCA, and Protégé within a multi-layered semantic pipeline that links materials, processes, and environmental indicators. The agro-filler composites exhibited lower embodied energy and CO₂ emissions than glass fibre systems, with the PVC + 30% wood flour formulation achieving the highest efficiency. The ontology framework, comprising 25 classes, 7 object properties, 26 individuals, 16 data properties, and 218 axioms (generated automatically by Protégé’s metrics feature and verified with the Pellet reasoner), ensured semantic interoperability and consistent validation across datasets, enabling transparent and traceable sustainability analysis. Overall, coupling industrial data with digital LCA and ontology reasoning provides a reproducible pathway toward net zero-aligned, sustainable PVC composite manufacturing. Full article

For nearly a century, screened Coulomb potentials have been of recognized importance in diverse areas of physics and chemistry. A key feature of interest in these potentials is the phenomenon of critical screening. This paper has three main purposes: to present an extensive, open-access, high accuracy (60 digit) benchmark reference dataset of critical screening parameters, with validation; to confirm excellent past work in the field (to 30 digits), and to correct an historical oversight in its literature; and to present the essentials of our new approach, the “Phase Method” (PM), for computing them. Using the PM, we calculate critical screening parameters, accurate to 60 decimal digits, for the Yukawa/Debye, Hulthén, Pseudo-Hulthén, and Exponential Cosine Screened Coulomb (ECSC)) potentials. The practical feasibility of such calculations on inexpensive hardware opens up new possibilities in research and education. We highlight an apparently overlooked 1989 paper of Demiralp on critical screening parameters of the Yukawa potential, which accurately calculated them to 30 decimal digits. Our main results are computations of the critical screening parameters ${\mu }_c=1/{\mathcal{D}}_c$ for screening lengths $\mathcal{D}\le 1000$ au and angular momenta $l=0,\dots ,20$. The claimed accuracy of our results is supported by several independent lines of evidence: comparison with the most accurate (30 digit) values available in the print literature for the Yukawa, Hulthén, and ECSC potentials; comparison to 60 decimal digits accuracy with exactly known eigenvalues and critical binding parameters of the Pseudo-Hulthén potential; consistency tests between computed critical parameters, for various l-values for the Pseudo-Hulthén Potential, and known exact relations between eigenvalues; and application of a novel consistency test between results with different potential parameters, that exploits an exact scaling symmetry of this entire class of potentials. Similar calculations were done for ECSC and Yukawa potentials for screening lengths up to $\mathcal{D}\le {10}^5$ and $l\le 12$, to 30 digit accuracy, which show interesting (and to our knowledge, not previously reported) periodic structure in ${\mathcal{D}}_c(n,l)$ for the ECSC potential that is not observed for the Yukawa potential. The asymptotic scaling behavior of critical parameters for the Yukawa and Hulthén potentials is explained quantitatively by simple semiclassical calculations, as is the scaling of circular states for those and other potentials. Full article

This paper investigates the relationship between the typological organisation of residential interiors and the subjective experience of spatiality, formed through sequential, visually mediated movement. It examines whether perceived spatiality derives primarily from the mental integration of the dwelling as a whole through circular movement, or from immediately accessible visual relationships such as visual accessibility and perceptual depth. An experimental study was conducted in which participants with and without professional education in architecture and interior design evaluated four typologically distinct residential interior models (circular circulation, enfilade, branched structure, and open plan), presented through standardized screen-based animated walkthrough simulations designed to replicate continuous spatial movement under controlled visual conditions. Subjective evaluations were collected using eight bipolar semantic scales. Analysis of variance showed that typological structure had a statistically significant effect on all analysed dimensions of spatiality, while professional expertise did not produce significant differences. The results support the hypothesis that perceived spatiality is predominantly shaped by immediate visual accessibility and perceptual depth rather than by circular spatial connections requiring sequential cognitive integration. The findings clarify key perceptual mechanisms of spatiality and underscore the distinction between spatial flow as a structural property and spatiality as a perceptual category, with implications for residential design and further research. Full article

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) remains a leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide, with current therapies often failing to halt its progression due to an incomplete understanding of intrinsic renal molecular mechanisms. This review highlights the pivotal role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs)—including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs)—as central regulators in the pathogenesis and progression of DKD. We systematically examine how the diabetic milieu dysregulates specific ncRNA profiles in renal cells, driving core pathological processes such as metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, fibrosis, and podocyte injury. Furthermore, we explore the emerging roles of exosomal ncRNAs in intercellular communication and their potential as non-invasive liquid biopsy biomarkers for early diagnosis and disease monitoring. Finally, we discuss the translational prospects of targeting ncRNAs through innovative therapeutic strategies, such as antisense oligonucleotides and miRNA mimics, while addressing the challenges of tissue-specific delivery and clinical implementation. Understanding ncRNA networks offers a refined, systems-level perspective on DKD and opens new avenues for precision diagnostics and targeted interventions aimed at modifying the disease course. Full article

Reliable preliminary assessment of stress redistribution and rock mass stability is a critical step in tunnel design, providing guidance before detailed numerical modeling and support design are undertaken. This study presents RockStressCalc, a Python-based computational framework that integrates classical elastic stress–displacement analysis with empirical rock mass strength evaluation for circular tunnels within a transparent analytical workflow. The tool combines Kirsch’s closed-form solution for stress redistribution around a circular opening under anisotropic in situ stress conditions with the generalized Hoek–Brown criterion to enable spatially resolved evaluation of elastic strength reserve. The framework assumes a homogeneous, isotropic, linear–elastic rock mass under plane strain conditions and introduces a Stability Factor as a stress-based indicator of proximity to initial yield. The analytical implementation is verified against finite-element simulations performed in Plaxis2D under equivalent elastic assumptions. The maximum stress difference at the excavation boundary remained below 10%, while displacement deviations were below approximately 4%. In addition, comparison between the analytical far-field Stability Factor and the numerical strength reduction multiplier demonstrated close agreement, confirming consistency between the analytical and finite-element formulations under uniform stress conditions. The results show that RockStressCalc provides a computationally efficient analytical baseline suitable for rapid parametric evaluation, sensitivity studies, educational use, and independent verification of numerical models in early-stage tunnel design. By emphasizing explicit coupling of stress redistribution and strength evaluation within a reproducible framework, rather than introducing new constitutive models, the proposed approach offers practical engineering value as a screening and benchmarking tool and provides a foundation for future probabilistic or extended tunnel stability analyses. Full article

Electronic waste (e-waste) has emerged as one of the most critical environmental challenges of the twenty-first century. It encompasses a wide range of discarded electrical and electronic equipment, including information and communication technologies, household appliances, entertainment systems, and related components. While e-waste contains valuable recoverable materials, it also harbours hazardous substances such as toxic heavy metals, flame retardants, and persistent organic pollutants. Inadequate disposal practices, particularly open dumping and landfilling, result in the generation of toxic leachates that contaminate soil as well as surface and groundwater, posing severe threats to environmental integrity and public health. Evidence indicates that landfill leachates can infiltrate groundwater at considerable depths, exceeding permissible limits of heavy metals and metalloids and contributing to serious health disorders. Consequently, the implementation of effective e-waste management strategies and environmentally sound disposal practices is imperative to minimize its detrimental environmental and human health impacts. Microalgae systems can achieve up to 98% removal efficiency and up to five cycles reusability. In this paper, the drawbacks of the traditional methods for metal recovery from e-waste and the potential of microalgae were discussed. The downstream processing and metal extraction from microalgal biomass is critically discussed as well as strategies to support the circular economy. Full article

Plastic packaging waste is an escalating environmental concern for Laos. The lack of an adequate waste management system and reliable data pose significant challenges for making informed decisions about future waste management and understanding the associated environmental impacts. This study addresses the data gap by estimating plastic packaging flows using United Nations international trade data (UN Comtrade) and a scenario-based emission model to further evaluate the environmental implications of alternative plastic packaging waste management pathways in Laos. Four case scenarios are modelled: S1 Business as Usual, S2 Ban on Open Burning and Open Dumping, S3 National Plastic Action Plan 2030, and S4 Mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility. The results show that S4 delivers the most favourable environmental performance by reducing emissions associated with a high recycling rate that replaces virgin plastic production, accounting for up to 63% lower emissions compared to S1. However, even under the most ambitious scenario S4, over 60% of waste is still landfilled, indicating that moving beyond end-of-pipe waste management is necessary. The findings highlight the need for an integrated policy package, in which mandatory extended producer responsibility acts as an enabling mechanism, alongside demand reduction, eco-design, targeted investment, and circular economy strategies, to reduce mismanaged plastic packaging waste and support long-term sustainability. Full article