Search Results (259)

Methods for the preparation of aluminum hydroxides and alumina-supported catalysts through the interaction of activated Al–In–Ga alloys with water were developed. Bayerite was obtained from an alloy containing 99.0% Al + 0.5% In + 0.5% Ga at 303 K, while pseudoboehmite was synthesized from 90% Al + 5% In + 5% Ga at 363 K. The maximum specific surface area of aluminum oxide reached 700 m²/g. Dehydration of aluminum hydroxides proceeds via a sigmoidal mechanism with induction, acceleration, and deceleration stages. The dehydration rate increases with calcination temperature. Kinetic analysis revealed both kinetic and diffusion-controlled transformation regions for pseudoboehmite and bayerite. Transformation of pseudoboehmite into γ-Al₂O₃ at 523–673 K preserves a high specific surface area of 630–640 m²/g. Two platinum deposition methods were proposed: synthesis in the presence of soluble platinum salts and incorporation of Pt into the Al–Ga–In alloy followed by reaction with water. Alongside metallic Pt, Ptδ⁺, Pt²⁺, and Pt⁴⁺ species were detected and reduced to Pt⁰ at 900 K. Alumina–platinum catalysts showed high activity in cyclohexane dehydrogenation. A Zn–Al catalyst for methanol decomposition was developed, providing up to 70% H₂ in gaseous fuel and complete methanol conversion at 573 K. Full article

Background: Acute dehydration impairs performance, but its effects on resting neuromuscular and tissue mechanics are unclear. We tested whether baseline hydration status and exercise-induced sweat loss alter the resting neuromechanical phenotype of the rectus femoris (RF) as well as skin, subcutaneous tissue (subQ), and fascia overlying the RF. Methods: Thirty physically active men were randomized to hydration guidance (EXP) or habitual intake (CON). Hydration was verified weekly using first-morning urine specific gravity (USG), with targets of USG < 1.018 (EXP) and USG > 1.018 (CON). Participants performed continuous cycling at 50% maximal power output (Wmax) until ~3% body mass loss. Shear-wave elastography quantified tissue shear modulus (kPa), and tensiomyography assessed RF twitch-derived contractile properties (Dm, Tc, Tr) before and immediately after exercise. SWE data were analyzed using mixed design repeated-measures ANOVA; TMG outcomes were analyzed using non-parametric tests. Results: Baseline measures did not differ between groups. No significant group, time, or interaction effects were observed for RF muscle, skin, or subQ shear modulus. In contrast, fascia shear modulus showed a significant time effect, while TMG outcomes did not change significantly from pre- to post-exercise (all p > 0.05). Deep fascia showed a significant main effect of time, with decreased shear modulus post-exercise (F(1, 21) = 5.06, p = 0.035, η²p = 0.194; Δ = 1.25 kPa; d = 0.41; 95% CI [0.04, 0.78]), independent of hydration group. Conclusions: Under moderate-intensity cycling with approximately 3% body mass loss, we did not detect significant hydration-group differences or significant pre–post changes in resting RF twitch-derived contractile properties or in RF muscle, skin, and subQ shear modulus. Fascia shear modulus decreased after exercise irrespective of hydration group. These findings should be interpreted cautiously: the study was underpowered to detect small effects, and the fascial finding emerged from an exploratory, layer-specific analysis without correction for multiple comparisons. It should therefore be regarded as preliminary and hypothesis-generating, requiring confirmation in adequately powered, pre-registered studies. Full article

Gallotia simonyi and G. bravoana are large lacertids inhabiting the islands of El Hierro and La Gomera, respectively, in the Canary Archipelago. Both species are critically endangered, but over the last several decades, they have been bred in outdoor terraria (G. simonyi since the 1990s and G. bravoana since 2000). In this study: (1) we describe all procedures carried out in the breeding centres and quantitatively analyse the long-term trajectory of breeding success throughout the study period; (2) we examine whether any parental individuals or specific pairs had a stronger influence on the number of successfully hatched offspring; (3) we report the trials of reintroducing individuals into the wild on each island in different years; (4) we provide information on several predator (cat-control) campaigns conducted on each island; (5) we detail the veterinary protocols and the results obtained when assessing the health status of breeding lizards; and (6) we report several educational activities carried out on each island. Gravid females laid eggs in suitable laying boxes; the eggs were then kept inside incubators with controlled temperature and humidity until hatching. Breeding produced 1267 offspring during the years considered for G. simonyi and 499 for G. bravoana. The mean NEL was 8.8 for G. simonyi and 5.2 for G. bravoana, and the mean HO was 6.4 and 3.54, respectively. Both NEL and HO were significantly higher in G. simonyi than in G. bravoana. NEL was significantly influenced by species and year, and by female snout–vent length (SVL) as a covariate, but not by male SVL. HO was significantly affected by year and by both male and female SVL, but not by species. There were significantly higher or lower values of both variables in specific years, but no clear long-term trend. Some breeding pairs had a greater influence on the dependent variables. Reintroduction into the wild has resulted in a currently stable population of G. simonyi on a small islet off the north-western coast of El Hierro, and some individuals are still present at an inland reintroduction site. For G. bravoana, some live specimens have recently been detected at a new reintroduction site. We conclude that: (1) captive breeding has been successfully carried out over the years in both centres; (2) there have been significant differences between the two species in NEL and HO; (3) female SVL was significantly related to both NEL and HO; and (4) reintroduction attempts have been only partially successful in each species. Veterinary monitoring revealed high dehydration tolerance, seasonal fluctuations in microbial flora, previous mineral imbalances that were corrected by improved nutrition, and effective parasite control that maintained overall lizard health. Except for a few individuals, most lizards were in good health. Full article

Background and Clinical Significance: Animal hoarding is a recognized form of animal cruelty characterized by the accumulation of animals under conditions of inadequate care, leading to compromised welfare and an increased risk of disease transmission. Veterinarians are often the first to identify such cases through clinical presentation. This case report describes a forensic investigation of a dog associated with animal hoarding and environmental neglect in Bangkok, Thailand. Case Presentation: A 7-year-old male mixed-breed dog was presented with seizures, emaciation, dehydration, and ectoparasite infestation. Hematological findings revealed leukopenia and anemia, and diagnostic testing confirmed infection with canine distemper virus (CDV) and Dirofilaria immitis. Despite supportive treatment, the dog died within 48 h. A subsequent site inspection, conducted using the TRACE model and based on crime scene investigation principles, identified 13 dogs housed in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. Environmental assessment revealed poor sanitation, waste accumulation, and fluorescent stains of unknown origin detected under ultraviolet light (365 nm) in the cage areas. Among the animals, infections with CDV (23.08%), Dirofilaria immitis (53.85%), and Ehrlichia canis (61.54%) were identified, indicating a high burden of infectious and vector-borne diseases. Conclusions: This case demonstrates the value of integrating clinical veterinary findings with forensic investigation in the assessment of animal neglect. The combined use of clinical, laboratory, and environmental evidence strengthens documentation and supports potential legal action. Enhanced veterinary forensic training and standardized protocols are recommended to improve early detection and intervention in animal cruelty cases. Full article

Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) remains a leading cause of pediatric mortality and morbidity, with rotavirus as the leading cause of severe disease. Post-vaccine surveillance is essential to monitor circulating pathogens and assess vaccination impact. Sicily was the first Italian region to implement universal rotavirus vaccination in 2012. We retrospectively studied 693 children hospitalized for suspected viral AGE at the Children’s Hospital of Palermo (March 2017–February 2020), testing stool samples for viral and bacterial enteric pathogens. Rotavirus remained the most common agent (13.3%), followed by norovirus (12.1%), adenovirus (11.3%), Salmonella spp. (4.6%) and astrovirus (3.2%). The study population was categorized as rotavirus-associated AGE (RV-AGE) or other-cause AGE (O-AGE). Epidemiological, clinical and virological features were compared with the pre-vaccine period (2011–2012). At least one pathogen was detected in 47.5% of samples. RV-AGE cases were older than those with O-AGE (median 32.6 vs. 30.5 months; p < 0.01) and had greater clinical severity, with higher frequency of vomiting, fever and dehydration. Rotavirus infection was significantly associated with unvaccinated status. Compared with the pre-vaccine era, rotavirus prevalence declined (32.6% vs. 13.3%), seasonal patterns were attenuated and genotype distribution shifted toward G2P[4], G9P[8] and equine-like G3P[8] strains. Despite the decline in RV-AGE following vaccine introduction, rotavirus remains a relevant cause of pediatric AGE, underscoring the need for high vaccination coverage and continued surveillance. Full article

Gel-based flexible electronic sensors have emerged as a transformative class of materials for next-generation applications. These applications are wearable electronics, soft robotics, electronic skin (e-skin), and healthcare monitoring systems. Owing to their intrinsic softness, stretchability, and biocompatibility, gels provide an ideal platform for constructing highly deformable and skin-conformable sensing devices. This paper provides insight into emerging fabrication techniques, including 3D printing, bioprinting, and microfabrication. These techniques have facilitated the creation of complex architectures with improved sensitivity and scalability. The review also focuses on recent advancements that have focused on overcoming traditional limitations. These limitations are poor mechanical strength, dehydration, limited environmental stability, and low sensitivity. In particular, the incorporation of conductive fillers and ionic species has enabled a range of sensing mechanisms. These mechanisms include piezoresistive, capacitive, piezoelectric, and ionotronic responses. Therefore, it allows for the accurate detection of strain, pressure, temperature, and biochemical signals. Finally, this review provides a summary of future research, which is expected to focus on multifunctional integration, sustainable materials, and intelligent data processing. It provides pathways to the widespread adoption of gel-based flexible electronic sensors in both consumer and clinical applications. Full article

The quality of Surface-Enhanced Raman Chemical Imaging (SER-CI) rely on several parameters, among which the uniform deposition of metallic nanoparticles impacts greatly the result. Optimizing deposition protocols for biological samples is challenging due to inherent spatial heterogeneity, preventing the distinction between deposition artefacts and true analyte distribution. However, to optimize the deposition parameters, it is necessary to have a controlled experimental model. This study presents the development of a repeatable dried gelatine–agarose hydrogel as a controlled analytical substrate with the uniform spatial homogeneity of diphenhydramine hydrochloride as the experimental model for further nanoparticle deposition optimization. With its skin-mimicking Raman fingerprint, the proposed hydrogel enables the systematic evaluation of deposition techniques without biological variability. Confocal Raman imaging performances are as follows: the normalization-based ratio (I₁₀₀₃/I₁₄₆₉) achieved an intra-day RSD of 3.6–8.2%, inter-day RSD of 6.5%, and intra-day pixel-wise RSD (%) of 8.3–12.3%. The Distribution Homogeneity Index (DHI) confirmed the analyte’s uniform distribution. Drying kinetics modelling revealed a diffusion-based dehydration process, with repeatable batch production. Application of dried hydrogels for SERS chemical imaging confirmed diphenhydramine hydrochloride detectability inside the polymeric matrix, with the proportionality of intensity based on the diphenhydramine hydrochloride concentration. A preliminary performance comparison of nanoparticle deposition by drop-casting and spray-coating demonstrates the applicability of the developed model. This standardized matrix provides a reference platform for evaluating deposition homogeneity, distinguishing method performance from sample artefacts and accelerating chemical imaging method development and performance through optimization. Full article

The subject of the presented work was the study of the pathways of geraniol transformation during its oxidation with molecular oxygen in the presence of a natural Japanese volcanic clay mineral—mironekuton—used as a green heterogeneous catalyst. Prior to the catalytic tests, a comprehensive characterization of mironekuton was carried out using SEM, XRD, EDX, FTIR, and UV–Vis techniques. The catalytic experiments were aimed at establishing reaction conditions enabling effective geraniol conversion and controlling the distribution of valuable transformation products under solvent-free conditions. The influence of temperature (75–100 °C), catalyst content (0.5–5.0 wt%), and reaction time (15–360 min) was systematically investigated. The obtained results demonstrated that pristine mironekuton exhibits moderate activity and limited selectivity toward low-molecular-weight oxygenated derivatives of geraniol, such as 2,3-epoxygeraniol, 2,3-epoxycitral, and citral. Instead, dehydration, isomerization, and dimerization reactions play a significant role, leading to the formation of higher-molecular-weight products, particularly thunbergol and 6,11-dimethyldodeca-2,6,10-trien-1-ol. Sulfuric acid treatment of mironekuton results in a pronounced enhancement of catalytic activity and a substantial shift in product distribution. This effect is directly related to the increased surface acidity, which promotes dehydration–dimerization pathways over epoxidation, leading to thunbergol as the dominant product with high and reproducible selectivity, while epoxidation products are no longer detected. Kinetic modeling of the geraniol transformation process revealed that epoxidation steps are kinetically disfavored and that epoxide species act only as short-lived intermediates, whereas dehydration–dimerization pathways are kinetically preferred. Overall, the results indicate that acid-activated mironekuton functions as an efficient and environmentally benign heterogeneous catalyst, favoring selective thunbergol formation under mild, solvent-free conditions, using molecular oxygen as a green oxidant. Full article

Conductive hydrogels have emerged as promising candidates for flexible strain sensors owing to their high water content, low elastic modulus, and intrinsic ionic conductivity. However, conventional hydrogel networks often suffer from an inherent trade-off among conductivity, mechanical robustness, and long-term stability, which limits their practical deployment in wearable sensing scenarios. The introduction of metal–ligand coordination bonds into hydrogel networks offers a versatile strategy to address these challenges: dynamic coordination cross-links can dissipate energy under deformation and reform upon unloading, thereby enhancing toughness, enabling self-healing, and contributing to ionic transport. This review focuses on metal-ion-coordinated conductive hydrogels designed for strain-sensing applications. Representative coordination systems based on Fe³⁺, Ca²⁺, Zn²⁺, Al³⁺, Cu²⁺, Ti⁴⁺, and Zr⁴⁺ are surveyed, with emphasis on their characteristic polymer matrices, ligand chemistries, and network-construction strategies. Key sensing-relevant properties—including ionic conductivity, mechanical stretchability, self-healing capability, interfacial adhesion, freezing resistance, and resistance to dehydration—are discussed in relation to coordination network design. Typical application demonstrations in large-deformation motion monitoring and subtle physiological signal detection are reviewed. Unlike existing reviews that survey conductive hydrogels broadly by conductive mechanism or sensor type, this review takes metal-ion coordination as the central organizing principle and systematically traces its influence across the full design chain—from ion–ligand coordination chemistry through network architecture to macroscopic sensing output. By comparatively analyzing seven representative metal-ion systems within a unified framework, this work aims to clarify how the choice of metal ion governs the interplay among conductivity, mechanical robustness, self-healing, and strain sensitivity—a perspective that has not yet been systematically addressed in prior reviews. Finally, current challenges—including the conductivity–mechanics coupling bottleneck, insufficient long-term stability, biosafety concerns for skin-contact deployment, the lack of standardized evaluation protocols, and device-integration barriers—are identified, and future directions for this field are outlined. Full article

Spondias mombin fruit is a seasonal product with limited valorization in Mexico, mainly because of its short shelf life and scarcity of available scientific information. In this study, two drying methods—hot air-drying and freeze-drying—were evaluated for the dehydration of S. mombin pulp. Freeze-dried samples presented a higher content of hydrolysable polyphenols (18.92 ± 5.31 mg GAE/g), whereas no significant differences were detected in condensed polyphenols. The total flavonoid content was significantly greater in the freeze-dried pulp (11.32 ± 1.27 mg CE/g). Antioxidant activity assessed by the ABTS and DPPH assays did not differ between treatments; however, the reducing power of the freeze-dried samples was greater than that of the control samples, as determined by the FRAP assay (14.40 ± 1.07 mg TE/g). HPLC–ESI–MS analysis enabled the identification and quantification of polyphenols, organic acids, and monosaccharides, highlighting the presence of compounds belonging to the methoxycinnamic acid family and ascorbic acid. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights that can serve as a basis for future research on the processing and valorization of S. mombin, contributing to the development of advanced processing strategies to improve the stability, quality, and utilization of underexploited fruits. Full article

Since differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is an excellent method for studying phase transformations in the solid state, the purpose of this study was to assess the suitability of DSC as a method for detecting physicochemical transformations occurring in solid drug products during storage, extending also beyond their expiration date. Based on the DSC measurements of 34 commercial drug products, they were divided into three groups characterized by the fact that the DSC curves show: (I) as dominant endothermic peaks reflecting active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) melting, with no additional peaks from excipients, (II) in addition to the peaks reflecting APIs melting, additional peaks related to the excipients, and (III) two peaks characteristic of lactose monohydrate dehydration and melting. Analysis of the temperature ranges and the shape of the DSC peaks showed no significant differences between the six series of measurements performed between 2011 and 2022, suggesting that physicochemical changes in drug products could not be detected during storage. Only the use of principal component analysis (PCA) made it possible to separate the DSC curves obtained during long-term storage of drug products. This allows DSC to be used to detect the first signs of deterioration, but only for drug formulations in group one. Of the drug products in groups two and three, this is only possible for 14 products. It follows that the suitability of DSC for identifying physicochemical changes in products stored for long periods of time is affected by the API content and complex composition of the tablet matrix. Full article

To investigate how the content of silica fume (SF) influences the performance of foam concrete (FC) after high-temperature exposure and the underlying mechanisms, this study prepared standard FC cube specimens with SF contents of 0%, 0.15%, 0.2%, 0.25%, and 0.3%. The working properties of the material at room temperature were systematically tested, and the mass loss, residual compressive strength, failure mode, microstructure and acoustic emission (AE) data at different temperatures (100 °C, 200 °C, 300 °C and 400 °C) were analyzed. The test results indicate that increasing the SF content reduces the fluidity of the fresh paste yet significantly enhances the compressive strength and lowers the water absorption of FC at room temperature. After high-temperature exposure, the effect of SF exhibits a dual character: at 200 °C and below, SF effectively mitigates the performance degradation of FC. However, when the temperature reaches 300–400 °C, specimens with an excessively high SF content (e.g., 0.3%) experience rapidly built-up internal steam pressure that cannot escape in time, which triggers the formation and propagation of a microcrack network and leads to a sharp drop in strength. Based on AE detection and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image analysis, the failure process of silica fume foam concrete (SFFC) proceeds through three stages: free water evaporation at low temperatures, dehydration shrinkage of the C-S-H gel at medium temperatures, and finally, structural failure marked by the collapse of the C-S-H gel network at high temperatures. This study indicates that an SF content of 0.25% allows FC to achieve an optimal balance between mechanical properties and high-temperature stability. The findings provide a theoretical basis for optimizing FC mix proportions and enhancing fire prevention design. Full article

Conventional high-temperature calcination for activating MFI zeolite membranes is energy-intensive and prone to inducing defects. Here, we demonstrate that a rapid ozonation treatment at 200 °C for only 1 h effectively decomposes organic templates while preserving membrane integrity. The resulting membrane exhibits H₂/CH₄ and H₂/N₂ ideal selectivities of 10.3 and 6.5, respectively, at room temperature, with C₃H₈ and SF₆ permeances below the detection limit. These results confirm a dense, defect-minimized architecture and good molecular sieving performance of the zeolite membrane. In contrast, extending ozonation to 48 h leads to defect formation and a marked reduction in selectivity. For H₂/CH₄ mixture separation, the membrane achieves a selectivity of 23.8 at 100 °C, which is highly competitive among reported MFI membranes. In isopropanol dehydration, it achieves a water flux of 2.3 kg·m⁻²·h⁻¹ and a separation factor of 3278 at 70 °C with a 10 wt% water feed, while maintaining >99.5 wt% water content in the permeate over a broad operating temperature range (30–70 °C). This work establishes rapid ozonation as a scalable, energy-efficient activation method for high-performance MFI zeolite membranes in both gas and liquid separations. Full article

Postharvest dehydration is a major determinant of cucumber freshness and marketability, yet early reductions in internal water status are difficult to detect using conventional quality assessment methods. This study presents a non-destructive, physiology-informed deep learning approach that links cucumber surface color and texture patterns to internal hydration level for automated freshness classification. A time-resolved dataset comprising 4160 RGB images of cucumber fruits was paired with gravimetrically determined relative water content (RWC), used as an objective indicator of internal hydration status. Based on RWC, fruits were classified into four freshness categories: Very Fresh (≥98%), Moderately Fresh (95–98%), Low Freshness (90–95%), and Spoiled (<90%). A custom convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained using standardized RGB images and evaluated on an independent test set. The model achieved an overall classification accuracy of 91.35% and a Cohen’s Kappa coefficient of 0.875, indicating strong agreement between predicted and actual freshness classes. Classification performance was highest for the extreme freshness states, with F1-scores exceeding 0.94 for Very Fresh and Spoiled fruits, while intermediate classes showed greater overlap, reflecting the gradual nature of postharvest water loss. Model interpretability analyses revealed that the CNN consistently focused on physiologically meaningful surface color and texture features associated with dehydration. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of physiology-informed deep learning to advance non-destructive freshness assessment in cucumbers, offering a realistic pathway toward hydration-based sorting, improved shelf-life management, and intelligent quality monitoring in modern postharvest supply chains. Full article

Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is gaining interest in multiple industrial applications. BNC dehydration would improve its industrialization while affecting its techno-functional properties (water binding or gelling capacity). This work analyses this aspect in a representative food system where these are fundamental properties: low-fat sausages with pre-emulsified sunflower oil. Native (n-BNC) and freeze-dried (d-BNC) bacterial nanocelluloses were studied at different concentrations. During thermal processing, all batters exhibited the typical viscoelastic transition associated with protein gelation. Formulations containing d-BNC developed a higher final elastic moduli and a broader concentration range of structural reinforcement compared to n-BNC systems. In the cooked sausages, BNC incorporation enhanced hardness, cohesiveness, and water-holding capacity, particularly at intermediate concentrations. Micrographs showed that d-BNC led to a finer and more homogeneous microarchitecture, while n-BNC aggregated in hollows of the meat protein network. Additionally, the Pickering effect of dried BNC produced meat emulsions with smaller oil droplets in agreement with the differences in lightness detected. Results suggest that freeze-dried BNC could be a convenient and effective option for the food industry due to its low weight, longer storage period, and easy handling compared to native BNC. Full article