Search Results (23,240)

Lactic acid bacteria exhibit high adaptability to their environment due to their wide variety of enzymes. Despite extensive knowledge of bacterial cell walls, the subcellular localization of β-galactosidase in many probiotic lactic acid bacteria, including Limosilactobacillus fermentum, remains unclear. Determining the cellular localization of such enzymes may improve insight into bacterial metabolic mechanisms and support the development of efficient downstream processes, as well as applications. In this study, three cell disruption strategies (mechanical homogenization and chemical disruption with different agents) were applied to assess the subcellular localization of β-galactosidase from the Ll. fermentum LF08 strain. Enzyme activity was measured in a ferment broth, a supernatant and cell-associated fractions. No and very low β-galactosidase activity was detected in the ferment broth and the supernatant, respectively, when either chemical or mechanical treatment was applied, whereas the main enzyme activity was assayed in the cell suspension fraction. Combined lysozyme and CTAB treatment resulted in a 21.4-fold increase in β-galactosidase activity in the supernatant fraction (2.14 U/mL), compared with CTAB treatment alone (0.10 U/mL). Bioinformatic analyses provided additional significant information to propose the potential cell wall association (maybe the outer side of the cell wall) of the subcellular localization of β-galactosidase. This feature may support understanding of the interactions between probiotic bacteria and host tissues, as well as the development of probiotic immobilized cell systems for applications such as the elimination of lactose, designing novel functional foods. Full article

Platinum and palladium nanoparticles (Pt- and Pd-NPs) were synthesized using a green reduction approach with ascorbic acid (AA) or saponin from Quillaja bark (Qb) as reducing agents and stabilized with conventional polymers (PVP, polyvinylpyrrolidone, PEG, polyethylene glycol) or natural surfactants (CG (coco glucoside), Qb). The influence of stabilizer type on reduction efficiency, particle size, and colloidal homogeneity was investigated. Pt-NPs exhibited consistently high reduction efficiencies (>87%) in all systems, whereas Pd-NPs showed lower efficiencies and greater sensitivity to synthesis conditions. AFM and DLS analyses confirmed the formation of particles within the nanometric range. In AA-based systems, Pt-NPs were generally smaller than Pd-NPs, while the opposite trend was observed in Qb-based systems. Natural surfactants provided effective NP stabilization, low values of polydispersity index (PdI), good size control, and stable nanostructures. The results demonstrated that biosurfactant-based stabilizers, particularly CG and Qb, can successfully replace synthetic polymeric stabilizers in the green synthesis of noble metal NPs, supporting the development of more sustainable and environmentally friendly synthesis approaches. Full article

The growing demand for sustainable construction materials has stimulated interest in alternative binders derived from waste resources. This study investigates the use of calcined crab shell (CCS), a calcium-rich marine biowaste, as a partial replacement for Portland limestone cement. Cement pastes containing 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% CCS were prepared and evaluated through compressive strength, water absorption, open porosity, bulk density, SEM, XRD, FTIR, and TGA analyses. The results showed that incorporating 10% CCS produced the most favorable performance, increasing compressive strength from 17.6 MPa to 33.6 MPa after 28 days of curing. This improvement was accompanied by reduced porosity, increased bulk density, and the development of a denser and more homogeneous microstructure. Physicochemical analyses suggest that CCS acts both as a filler and as a source of reactive calcium species. The CaO generated during calcination may participate in hydration processes and influence the formation of hydration products, contributing to matrix densification. In contrast, the incorporation of 15% CCS resulted in increased porosity, a less homogeneous microstructure, and lower mechanical performance. These findings indicate that replacing Portland limestone cement with up to 10% CCS can improve the properties of cement pastes while promoting the valorization of marine shell waste and reducing cement consumption, thereby supporting the development of more sustainable construction materials. Full article

Photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants has emerged as a promising approach for wastewater treatment due to its environmental friendliness and high efficiency under mild conditions. This study focuses on evaluating materials for the decolorization of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO), which are commonly used cationic and anionic dyes, respectively, known for their persistence and toxicity in aquatic environments. The research investigates the synthesis of a Mott–Schottky junction at the interface of two materials using MXene as a dopant. We synthesized three MXene-containing Porous Organic Polymers (POP-2MX, POP-6MX, and POP-10MX), incorporating 2%, 6%, and 10% MXene, respectively. UV–Vis spectroscopy tests revealed that all polymers exhibited high degradation efficiency; however, POP-6MX demonstrated the best overall activity. Under illumination of a 500 W Xenon lamp (λ > 420 nm) with a catalyst loading of 1 mg/mL, POP-6MX achieved complete adsorption-corrected degradation of MB and MO within 10 and 45 min, respectively. This research also investigated the influence of pH on photocatalytic performance under homogeneous aqueous conditions, revealing that neutral pH provides the optimal environment for degradation activity. The photocatalytic mechanism follows a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dominated pathway, primarily driven by superoxide radicals (•O₂⁻) and hydroxyl radicals generated through photochemical reactions. These results demonstrate the potential of POP-1/MXene composites as efficient and recyclable photocatalysts for sustainable dye wastewater treatment applications. Full article

Multitasking is pervasive in multimodal interaction, particularly within safety-critical domains like driving. Evaluating the impact of In-Vehicle Multimodal Interaction (IVMI) on drivers is critical, yet existing methods predominantly rely on post hoc subjective surveys or coarse unimodal monitoring. Grounded in Multiple Resource Theory and following a Research through Design methodology, we operationalized this theory into a non-intrusive tool chain that evaluates IVMI impact from multimodal behavioral signals (visual, touch, and driving) and supports real-time, objective evaluation in both simulated and real-world domains. To mitigate the Sim-to-Real gap, the method combines real-world multimodal data acquisition with a modality-decoupled cross-domain calibration. Its feasibility was evaluated through a simulator study ($n=27$) and a small-nscale real-world on-road pilot study ($n=3$). The results suggest that the tool chain effectively acquires high-fidelity data to support the previously developed evaluation model (Quadratic Weighted Kappa = 0.916) and achieves a preliminary calibration of cross-domain latent feature spaces. As its reference labels are behaviorally derived and share a common basis with the model inputs, this agreement indicates internal consistency rather than independent construct validation. Crucially, while multimodal interaction behaviors (visual and touch) exhibited relatively high cross-domain consistency, real-world driving behaviors showed systematic magnitude suppression. This finding is tentatively interpreted, as a hypothesis to be tested in future work, through the lens of Risk Homeostasis Theory, and highlights the necessity of monitoring multimodal interaction behaviors rather than relying solely on vehicle telemetry. Overall, this research develops and provides preliminary feasibility evidence for a theory-driven cross-domain tool chain, indicating its potential to objectively quantify multimodal interaction impacts in real-world multitasking contexts. Given the small, homogeneous on-road sample, these pilot-stage results should be read as feasibility evidence and a methodological basis for future large-scale, demographically diverse validation. Full article

In this work, ternary Mo–Ni–X (X = Al, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, W) thin films with nominal composition Mo₈₀Ni₁₀X₁₀ (at. %) were prepared by magnetron sputtering and evaluated as electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. The influence of alloy composition, substrate type, and deposition temperature on catalytic performance was systematically investigated. Electrochemical screening revealed a strong dependence of HER activity on both substrate conductivity and ternary alloying, with Al-, Cr-, and W-containing systems showing the best performance on glassy carbon substrates. This highlights the importance of interfacial charge-transfer efficiency in determining catalytic behavior. The Mo₈₀Ni₁₀Cr₁₀/GC system was selected for detailed analysis. Deposition temperatures ≥ 500 °C resulted in enhanced HER activity, reaching an overpotential of η₁₀ = −222 mV at j = −10 mA cm⁻². The improved performance is attributed to temperature-induced microstructural optimization and electrochemically driven surface reconstruction, leading to the formation of a Ni-enriched active interface. AFM analysis confirmed surface restructuring during operation, with roughness increasing from ~1 to ~3 nm, indicating the formation of additional electrochemically accessible active sites. XPS results suggest partial depletion of Mo during cycling, while Cr mainly contributes to structural stabilization of the evolving thin film. Overall, the results demonstrate that HER performance is governed by the coupled effects of alloy composition, substrate-dependent charge transport, and in situ surface reconstruction. This work highlights magnetron sputtering as a scalable approach for designing homogeneous noble-metal-free thin-film electrocatalysts with tunable activity. Full article

Modular multi-gun DC fast chargers can improve converter-capacity utilization by allowing charging guns to share power modules, but additional internal reachability also increases switching devices, layout complexity, reconfiguration exposure, and fault-related burden. This paper investigates topology and gun-to-module-ratio co-design for modular DC fast chargers from a device-level architecture perspective. A unified screening framework is developed to compare fixed, ring, partitioned, and semi-flexible layouts under common demand patterns, coefficient settings, and probabilistic module outages. A normalized cost-aware planning score evaluates delivered charging service against architecture burden, while exact small-scale benchmarks, repeated-seed sweeps, hotspot cases, robustness analysis, and continuous-operation references are combined to separate robust conclusions from conditional ones. The results show that fixed topology is the most conservative and robust option under balanced demand and high switching burden, whereas partitioned topology gives the most statistically regular behavior across broad sweeps. Semi-flexible layouts are not globally superior; their advantage appears mainly under persistent hotspot demand and moderate switching burden. These findings position bounded module sharing as a conditional charger-design regime for hotspot-prone applications. The results apply under homogeneous-module, graph-level, structured-demand, and proxy-cost assumptions and provide planning-stage architecture-screening guidance instead of hardware-calibrated cost predictions. Full article

This study focuses on the 130QJ25–33 multi-stage submersible well pump to resolve low efficiency and flow instability under low-flow conditions by redesigning tandem space guide vanes. CFD simulations and physical experiments are carried out for validation. A grid independence analysis is completed to determine the optimal grid scheme with 9.413 million cells. The relative error of hydraulic performance between numerical simulation and the experiment is less than 10%, which verifies the accuracy of the numerical model. An orthogonal experiment is adopted to optimize three key geometric parameters: wrap angle, installation angle and axial position. Under the operating range of 0.6 Qd–1.1 Qd, the optimized tandem guide vane structure raises the pump head by 12.4% and improves efficiency by up to 8.7%. These data are derived from the comparative external characteristic tests of the original model and the optimized model. The optimized structure effectively suppresses flow separation and vortices, homogenizes flow and pressure distribution, reduces hydraulic loss, balances blade loading, and improves operational stability. The results provide theoretical and engineering guidance for high-efficiency guide vane design of well submersible pumps. The structure can effectively reduce the hydraulic loss in the pump, improve the flow efficiency, and significantly improve the hydraulic matching performance of the guide vane. Full article

This study evaluates the influence of heat treatment parameters on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of CA-50 low-carbon steel rebars (0.20–0.25 wt.% C) processed by the Thermex route. A full 2³ factorial design combined with response surface methodology was employed to investigate the effects of residence time (15–35 min), heating rate (5–15 °C/min), and soaking temperature (730–850 °C). Corrosion behavior was assessed by linear potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. The corrosion potential (E_corr) varied between −520.6 and −618.1 mV, with optimal values close to −535 mV obtained at low heating rates and short residence times. Polarization resistance (R_p) ranged from 70.4 kΩ to 166.6 MΩ, with the highest value observed for treatment at 790 °C, 10 °C/min, and 25 min, representing an increase of more than fivefold compared to the reference condition. Statistical analysis revealed that residence time and heating rate significantly affect E_corr (R² = 96.8%), while R_p is governed exclusively by residence time (p = 0.004). Microstructural analysis correlated refined and homogeneous ferritic–pearlitic structures with improved corrosion resistance, whereas grain coarsening led to severe electrochemical degradation. Full article

In the context of rapid urbanization, the traditional spatial fabric and cultural connotations of historic districts are increasingly threatened, leading to growing problems such as architectural homogenization and weakened public identity. As an important dimension linking spatial form and public cognition, urban memory has gradually become a key entry point for the study of historic district conservation and renewal. At the same time, the large volume of user-generated content accumulated on social media provides a new data foundation and research pathway for architectural and urban memory studies. Taking the Sajinqiao area in Xi’an as the study area, this study uses Weibo texts containing the keyword “Sajinqiao” from 2018 to 2025 as the basic dataset. A Chinese-RoBERTa pretrained language model was employed to identify and screen high-focus Weibo samples, and a classification framework of five types of memory elements was constructed, including roads, areas, nodes, business units, and food entities. On this basis, memory elements were extracted, standardized, and quantified in terms of memory intensity to analyze their evolutionary characteristics. The results show that, first, urban memory in the Sajinqiao area exhibited marked stage-based fluctuations during the study period. Second, business- and consumption-related elements remained dominant in the type structure over the long term. Third, core urban memory was primarily supported by local food entities and related business units, indicating that public memory gradually shifted from experience-oriented memory to destination-oriented memory. This study provides an operational framework for the identification, quantification, and dynamic assessment of urban memory in historic districts, and offers empirical support for memory-oriented conservation and renewal strategies in the Sajinqiao area and similar historic districts. Full article

Background: Hugan tablets (HGP) are a commercially available traditional Chinese medicine preparation used for liver disorders, but the mechanisms underlying their effects on alcoholic liver injury (ALI) remain incompletely understood. This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects and potential mechanisms of HGP in ALI. Methods: An ALI mouse model was established using a Lieber–DeCarli ethanol liquid diet. The effects of HGP were evaluated using biochemical and histopathological assessments, followed by integrated liver and serum metabolomics, liver transcriptomics, and ELISA-based protein validation. Results: HGP alleviated alcohol-induced liver injury, hepatic lipid accumulation, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses. Integrated multi-omics analyses indicated that HGP treatment was associated with changes in hepatic glutathione metabolism, PPAR signaling, and antioxidant-related processes. ELISA validation showed increased measured concentrations in liver homogenate supernatants of PPARγ, NRF2, GCL, and GPX4 following HGP treatment. These findings support the potential involvement of a PPARγ/NRF2/GPX4-related antioxidant network. Conclusions: HGP alleviated ALI in mice, and its effects may be associated with modulation of hepatic glutathione metabolism and a PPARγ/NRF2/GPX4-related antioxidant network. These findings provide experimental evidence for the potential use of HGP in alcohol-induced liver injury. Full article

Background/Objectives: A major advantage of 3D printing technology is the ability to modify drug release by adjusting formulation composition and printing parameters. The aim of this study was to develop and characterize 3D-printed tablets containing prednisolone acetate and to investigate the effects of formulation composition and printing parameters, namely infill density and pattern, on the drug release profile. Methods: Filaments composed of polyvinyl alcohol, sorbitol, and prednisolone acetate, with sodium alginate incorporated in selected formulations, were prepared using hot melt extrusion. The obtained filaments were characterized and used for the fabrication of tablets via fused deposition modeling. The resulting tablets were evaluated in terms of mass variation, dimensions, hardness, content uniformity and drug release rate. Results: The extrusion of polyvinyl alcohol and prednisolone acetate in the absence of additional excipients resulted in a defective filament, highlighting the need for sorbitol incorporation. In contrast, all other filament formulations (F2-F4) exhibited a uniform structure and homogeneous drug distribution. The 3D-printed tablets complied with pharmacopeial requirements for mass variation and content uniformity and demonstrated good precision and reproducibility in terms of dimensions and hardness. Lower infill density was associated with faster drug release, while the presence of sodium alginate resulted in slower release, particularly at higher infill percentages and with a gyroid infill pattern. Furthermore, formulations with higher sorbitol content demonstrated an increased release rate of prednisolone acetate. Conclusions: Infill density was identified as the dominant factor affecting release kinetics. Among the tested formulations, A100G (gyroid structure with 100% infill density), containing prednisolone acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, sorbitol, and sodium alginate, proved most suitable for achieving sustained drug release. Full article

Preferential flow paths and ineffective water circulation are difficult to quantify in ultra-high water-cut reservoirs because long-term waterflooding intensifies dynamic heterogeneity and oil–water flow interactions. This study develops a displacement unit (DU)-scale method that integrates dynamic liquid-volume splitting, saturation tracking, and techno-economic water-cut evaluation while considering time-varying reservoir properties. The method was applied to a typical ultra-high water-cut block in the Daqing Oilfield to characterize the temporal evolution of preferential flow paths. A total of 902 DUs were delineated from streamline envelopes, and validation with production profile data from representative wells showed an accuracy exceeding 82%. Under an oil price of 60 USD/bbl, the proposed economic water-cut criterion identified 368 economically strong preferential-flow DUs, accounting for 40.79% of all DUs. Two indicators, the water-cut profit–loss margin (Δf_w) and oil displacement efficiency (E_d), were then used to establish a Δf_w-E_d classification matrix. The DUs were divided into four types: economically ineffective strong-channeling units, channeling units with remaining potential, mature stable production units, and homogeneous units. The results support differentiated control measures, such as channel plugging, profile control, cyclic waterflooding, and fluid-rate optimization, for improving waterflood management in mature reservoirs. Full article

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) frequently require cranioplasty procedures to restore skull integrity and protect underlying brain. Conventional cranial implants are often limited by inadequate osteointegration, risk of inflammation, infection, or the need for secondary surgical interventions. In this study, a multifunctional strategy for cranial reconstruction is proposed, combining additive manufacturing, bioactive surface functionalization, and local drug delivery. Porous polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds were fabricated by Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) to obtain lightweight structures with controlled porosity. The scaffolds were subsequently functionalized with hydroxyapatite coatings, deposited through sol–gel, to provide osteointegrative properties. To locally modulate post-implant inflammatory responses, a drug delivery system based on polycaprolactone (PCL) microparticles loaded with dexamethasone was developed and entrapped within hydroxyapatite-coated PLA structures. The produced systems were extensively characterized in terms of morphology, mechanical and thermal behavior, structural properties, biological response, and drug release behavior. Results demonstrated that the 3D-printed scaffolds exhibited homogeneous hydroxyapatite coatings, whose continuity and retention were enhanced by NaOH surface pre-treatment. Biological assays demonstrated that HAp coating significantly improved cell viability and osteogenic differentiation, confirming the osteoconductive potential of the scaffolds for craniofacial bone regeneration applications. Dexamethasone-loaded PCL microparticles were successfully integrated into the coated scaffolds, exhibiting controlled drug release, absence of cytotoxicity, and homogeneous distribution within the porous architecture, thereby demonstrating the feasibility of a multifunctional platform combining bone-regenerative and therapeutic delivery functionalities. Overall, the proposed multifunctional scaffolds represent a promising, low-cost and customizable approach for advanced cranioplasty applications, integrating structural support, osteointegration and local anti-inflammatory therapy within a single system. Full article

Here we describe a compact radiofrequency (RF) magnetic field generator designed to generate fields within millimeter-scale volumes. The device consists of printed multilayer circuit board (PCB) coils stacked in a paired parallel configuration. Compared to conventional solenoidal systems, this architecture significantly reduces device size, sample volume, and power requirements. We characterize the RF response of the system, including impedance and scattering parameters, and describe the behavior near ~330 kHz, which overlaps with frequencies common in magnetic nanoparticle heating, magnetic actuation, and other applications requiring localized fields. Electromagnetic modeling is used to evaluate magnetic field amplitude and spatial homogeneity (finding a maximum local deviation from the mean field of 5.5%). The mean B_z field across a 5 mm × 5 mm ROI centered between paired PCBs was 6.3 ± 0.1 mT/A (compared to 6.1 ± 1.0 mT/A measured experimentally). These results demonstrate operating parameters consistent with nanoparticle heating applications for PCB-based coil pairs. Full article