Search Results (542)

Postharvest losses of fresh produce remain a major global challenge, with fruits and vegetables estimated to suffer losses of 20–40% worldwide. This study developed sodium alginate-based edible coatings incorporating pectin and bioactive compounds derived from orange peel, chitosan, and clove essential oil for postharvest preservation of cherry tomatoes. Orange peel was utilised as a dual-purpose raw material for simultaneous extraction of pectin and bioactive compounds, supporting a sustainable dual valorisation strategy aligned with circular bioeconomy principles. The use of chitosan significantly reduced film moisture content, indicating denser polymer network formation with lower water retention. FTIR analysis indicated intermolecular interactions among alginate, pectin, chitosan, and clove oil components through hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions. Mechanical analysis demonstrated that formulation modifications had minimal effect on Young’s modulus but significantly influenced peak force values, suggesting alterations in structural integrity and fracture resistance of the films. Incorporation of clove essential oil in F3 substantially improved DPPH radical scavenging activity relative to F1 and F2, and showed the highest total phenolic content (TPC) on a wet-weight basis, with the best overall visual quality among coated formulations observed when stored at 4 °C for 15 days. The uncoated control developed visible mould growth during storage. The developed coating systems show potential as sustainable alternatives for enhancing postharvest quality and extending the storage stability of fresh cherry tomatoes, pending quantitative postharvest validation. Full article

Aiming at the drawbacks of the end-mounted six-axis force/torque sensor scheme for parallel manipulators in environmental interaction, including vulnerability to machining dust erosion and occupation of end-effector workspace, as well as the limitations of the end-sensor scheme for human-robot compliant operation with narrow interaction range and the high-cost characteristic of current-based sensorless force estimation, this paper takes the 6-RUS parallel mechanism as the research object and proposes an end-effector-free force-measurement scheme with sensors embedded in the US links. Single-axis tension/compression load cells are coaxially embedded within six US links. Bearing fit and tolerance constraints are adopted to suppress lateral load disturbances, so that the tension/compression load cells only acquire the axial forces of the links. The quasi-static static mapping relationship of the mechanism is established based on screw theory. Taking static nonlinear disturbances such as link self-weight, joint clearance and assembly errors into consideration, a multilayer perceptron (MLP) is constructed, whose inputs are six revolute joint angles and six-channel sensor readings of limb tension/compression load cells, and whose output is the six-dimensional interaction force at the end-effector. Thereby, the interaction force estimation at the end-effector of the quasi-static 6-RUS parallel mechanism is realized. The experimental results demonstrate that when the moving platform of the parallel mechanism keeps static or moves at low constant speed, the proposed scheme combining force-sensing limbs and the MLP can realize real-time estimation of external interaction forces exerted on the end-effector with low training cost. It provides a low-cost and high-robustness solution of limb-embedded sensors for parallel manipulators oriented to environmental interaction and human-robot interaction. Full article

Economic diversification remains a central policy challenge for small, sectorally concentrated jurisdictions. This paper examines whether jurisdiction-level ESG conditions and fiscal-revenue outcomes are individually and jointly associated with growth in Macau’s non-gaming economy over the period of 2009–2025. A jurisdictional ESG composite index is constructed from three publicly verifiable sub-indicators: energy intensity, workplace injury incidence and professional-services density. A Complementary Tax Revenue Shortfall (CTRS) is derived from the gap between projected and collected Complementary Tax revenues and is interpreted as a forecast–outturn gap rather than a direct measure of fiscal incentives. Using OLS estimation with HC3 and Newey–West standard errors and wild-cluster-bootstrap inference, and controlling for visitor arrivals, labour-force growth, Hong Kong GDP growth and a COVID-19 dummy, this study finds that a wider revenue shortfall is positively associated with non-gaming growth, while the ESG index enters positively but only at the ten-percent level. The interaction term is negative and statistically insignificant. Because the sample is short (T = 17; 16 usable growth observations) and the constructs are proxies, the findings should be read as preliminary and associational rather than causal. They nonetheless offer a transparent, replicable template for assessing fiscal and ESG channels of diversification in a gaming-dependent microeconomy. Full article

Receptor-mediated endocytosis requires a particle to approach the cell membrane to within a few nanometers before ligand–receptor binding can occur. Existing continuum models often start from an already established contact and do not explicitly describe how crowding particles on the extracellular side influence the distribution of the particle near the membrane. We examine entropic depletion forces as one possible nonspecific contribution to this initial approach. For ideal depletants, the Asakura–Oosawa excluded-volume construction gives an exact depletion potential for the planar geometry before contact. The potential and force vanish continuously at the onset of excluded-volume overlap. This interaction provides a possible contribution to membrane proximity before specific binding, while its extension to curved wrapping geometries requires additional approximation. Within a reduced continuum model, we combine depletion attraction, ligand–receptor binding, membrane deformation, and cytoskeletal viscoelastic dissipation. The viscoelastic contact is formulated through a hereditary integral and a standard linear solid. The kinetic model gives a conditional minimum ligand density for complete engulfment, a finite particle-size window, and a stiffness-dependent upper limit. When the stationary radius lies inside the domain of finite positive wrapping times, the estimated wrapping time has a minimum at a radius that decreases with increasing binding energy density. At fixed viscosity and other independent parameters, the same time approximation predicts slower wrapping as cell stiffness increases. The two positive roots defining the size window merge at a limiting parameter value, which characterizes closure of the admissible size interval. Depletion attraction is interpreted as one possible contribution to particle-membrane association, alongside electrostatic interactions, steric effects, and membrane fluctuations. The present analysis identifies how nonspecific attraction, specific adhesion, and mechanical resistance can contribute to different stages of membrane wrapping. Full article

To further refine rehabilitation protocols for transverse patellar fractures, this study conducted numerical simulations in Abaqus to investigate the interaction between a nickel–titanium shape-memory-alloy patellar concentrator and fractured patellar bone under variations in patellar loading, quadriceps muscle tension, knee-flexion angle, and fracture-site width. Lower knee-flexion angles primarily generated bending moments in the patellar concentrator, whereas greater flexion angles primarily generated tensile forces. Across the simulated knee-flexion range of 0–150°, the predicted quadriceps muscle force ranged from 240 to 670 N. Based on the simulated mechanical response, under the prescribed modeling assumptions, the 60–90° knee-flexion range showed a comparatively favorable balance between predicted fracture closure and implant loading. Comparison with previously published computational studies showed that the loading and angular conditions examined in this study were within the ranges reported in the literature, while extending the analysis to less frequently studied flexion conditions. However, because direct experimental validation, mesh-convergence testing, and comprehensive sensitivity analysis were not included, these values should be interpreted as model-based estimates requiring further experimental and clinical validation. Full article

Grounded in a human–land coupling framework, this study takes Purple Mountain, a representative composite urban mountain heritage site, as the research object. It integrates historical archives, field survey data, and multi-source geospatial data, and adopts a set of GIS-based spatial statistical methods, including the nearest neighbour index, kernel density estimation, standard deviational ellipse, coupling coordination degree model, and Geodetector. This paper systematically explores the spatial differentiation, spatiotemporal evolution, human–land coupling patterns, and multidimensional driving mechanisms of four heritage types: geomorphological relics, ritual architecture, modern commemorative heritage, and eco-scenic heritage. The results show that: (1) Heritage resources across Purple Mountain display statistically significant clustering, with ritual architectural heritage exhibiting the highest agglomeration degree; heritage sites form an east–west high-density corridor along the southern foothills, presenting a consistent northeast–southwest spatial orientation. (2) Purple Mountain heritage has undergone multi-stage diachronic evolution. Jointly driven by topographic constraints and socio-cultural forces, its heritage quantity, spatial coverage, and functions fluctuated across dynasties, with an overall expanding trend. (3) A total of 63.07% of the study area’s grid units are in a near-dissonant human–land coupling state, while highly coordinated units are concentrated in the southern core corridor of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, and Linggu Temple, with remarkable disparities among heritage types in coupling patterns among the four heritage categories. (4) Historical and cultural aggregation density dominates heritage spatial differentiation, while topographic factors show weak explanatory power, and all influencing factor interactions present prominent non-linear enhancement effects. This study establishes a three-level quantitative framework of “spatial pattern—coupling coordination—driving mechanism”, enriching the theoretical framework of human–land coupling for urban mountain heritage, and provides scientific support for refined coordinated governance of mountain heritage embedded in high-density urban environments. Full article

This study examines the determinants of digital engagement during geopolitical crises, using the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces on 3 January 2026 as a case study. The aim is to identify which message attributes drive audience interaction and how their effects vary across platforms with distinct communicative architectures. A corpus of 1000 posts collected during the seven days following the event was assembled, evenly distributed between Instagram and X and between Spanish and English, and coded through quantitative content analysis. The effects of news frames, responsibility attribution, message type, format, and source type on likes and comments on both platforms—as well as reposts on X—were estimated using negative binomial regression. Findings reveal that both platforms operate as distinct ecosystems: on X, conflict and legality frames, shock-driven messages, and video amplify interaction, whereas on Instagram, humor emerges as the only robust positive driver. Citizen and influencer accounts substantially outperform institutional sources, explicit responsibility attribution significantly reduces participation—challenging the applicability of Situational Crisis Communication Theory—and Spanish-language posts concentrate higher levels of engagement. Full article

The construction industry’s dependence on ordinary Portland cement (OPC) makes low-carbon binder systems an urgent priority; yet, the nonlinear interactions among multiple supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and nanomaterials complicate rational mix design. This study fuses explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) with a hierarchy of closed-form mathematical formalisms and an experimental durability programme for a quaternary sustainable concrete in which OPC is partially replaced by sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA, 40 kg/m³), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS, 60 kg/m³), natural zeolite (20 or 40 kg/m³) and nano-silica (0–20 kg/m³) at a constant water–binder ratio of 0.45. Thirteen mixes were tested for compressive and flexural strength, rapid chloride penetration (RCPT) and sulfuric acid resistance at 7, 28 and 56 days. The optimum blend (12 kg/m³ nano-silica) reached 45.0 MPa at 28 days, 49.5% above the control, while reducing chloride charge by 70% and acid mass loss by 65%. Information theoretic discrimination among three competing hydration kinetics laws selects the hyperbolic rate model with an Akaike weight of 1.000 (ΔAIC_c > 32), showing the blend raises the ultimate strength ceiling by 46% while delaying half-strength by only two days. Within this mix series, effective binder (k-value) analysis indicates that, at low dosage, one kilogram of nano-silica contributes 28-day strength broadly comparable to that of several tens of kilograms of OPC (a dataset-specific, dose-dependent estimate rather than a general mass equivalence), and three independent estimators—the experimental peak, the response surface stationary point (12.8 kg/m³) and the marginal efficiency zero (13.2 kg/m³)—converge on an optimum nano-silica dosage of 3.0–3.3% of binder. Principal component analysis compresses the six-dimensional strength–durability response into a single latent statistical axis (interpreted as an indicator of pore connectivity) carrying 91.5% of the variance, and a Fickian error function solution seeded by Berke–Hicks conversion of RCPT charge projects a 3.4-fold extension of the chloride-initiation service life (36.7 versus 10.8 years at 50 mm cover). Six machine learning models were benchmarked; extremely randomized trees performed best (R² = 0.9905, RMSE = 0.920 MPa; leave-one-out R² = 0.986; bootstrap 95% CI on R² [0.981, 0.996]), and SHAP force plot attributions were triangulated with Sobol global sensitivity indices (curing age 75.4%, nano-silica 23.1% of output variance) and response surface significance tests. The optimized mixes cut embodied CO₂ by 26–32% and improve eco-strength efficiency 2.1-fold; grey relational analysis over six strength, durability and carbon criteria ranks the 12 kg/m³ nano-silica mixes first. The framework demonstrates how interpretable machine learning, information theoretic model selection, diffusion theoretic service-life projection and experimental durability evidence can be unified into a transparent, physically validated basis for sustainable concrete mix design. Full article

The pyranoside-into-furanoside (PIF) rearrangement is an uncommon but important process in carbohydrate chemistry. The quantum chemical investigation of the driving force of the recently discovered TfOH-catalyzed ring contraction revealed that it stemmed from the π–π interactions of the phenyl rings in benzoyl-protecting groups. In this study, we focused on the kinetic aspects, which included preliminary 2-O-benzoyl group rotation followed by the protonation of the endo-cyclic O5 atom. Using a combination of DFT and DLPNO-CCSDT methods, we found that in some cases, DFT may not produce adequate energies at the rate-limiting stage of the pyranoside ring opening, presumably due to inadequate modeling of Van der Waals interactions. Predicted rate constants for the PIF rearrangement of the β-O-methyl and β-S-ethyl galactosides were in agreement with NMR kinetic experiments, as the latter reacts significantly slower. The estimated constant for the β-O-phenyl galactoside supports its inability to undergo ring contraction and suggests temperatures of over 400 K for such transformation. The proposed mechanism was additionally confirmed by substituting the triflic acid with the much weaker trifluoroacetic one, which led to a drastic decrease of the reaction rate both in computations and in the experiment. Full article

The biological carbon pump plays a central role in regulating atmospheric CO₂ by transporting carbon from the surface ocean to depth. Although diel vertical migration and the Active Migrant Pump (AMP) are increasingly recognized as important components of carbon sequestration, previous reviews have focused primarily on carbon fluxes and individual migrant groups, with less attention to how taxonomic and functional biodiversity, community composition, biomass, and environmental forcing interact to shape active carbon transport. Here, we synthesize current knowledge on the biodiversity underlying the AMP and evaluate how organismal identity, functional traits, behavior, life history, and biomass influence the magnitude, pathways, and efficiency of active carbon export. We further examine major mechanisms of active carbon transport and their links to biodiversity across ocean basins, and assess how climate-driven changes in species composition, migratory behavior, and ecosystem structure may alter the AMP. The review identifies three major knowledge gaps: substantial uncertainty in the biomass of migrating organisms, insufficient taxonomic resolution of key migrant groups, and limited incorporation of biodiversity and functional traits into carbon-flux models. Active carbon transport is determined by interactions between biodiversity, biomass, organismal traits, migration behavior, and environmental factors. Explicit integration of these dimensions into biogeochemical models is therefore essential for improving estimates of the AMP and predicting its response to ocean change. Full article

To address contact force estimation and compliant control for biomimetic robotic arms interacting with uncertain environments, an adaptive variable-damping impedance control method based on a fuzzy-controlled forgetting-factor strong tracking Kalman filter (FSKF) is proposed. The proposed method improves the conventional strong tracking Kalman filter (SKF) by introducing a fuzzy control strategy to adaptively adjust the forgetting factor, thereby enhancing the filtering performance and improving the accuracy of contact force estimation. The estimated contact force is subsequently incorporated into an adaptive variable-damping impedance controller to achieve simultaneous contact force estimation and compliant control of the biomimetic robotic arm. During biomimetic robotic arm motion, the proposed controller utilizes the estimated contact force to adaptively regulate the damping coefficient, compensating for force-tracking errors caused by environmental uncertainties and thereby improving both force and position tracking performance. The simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed adaptive variable-damping impedance controller has better force and position tracking accuracy compared with the conventional impedance controller. Compared with traditional methods, the estimation accuracy based on FSKF has improved by about 7.3%. These results demonstrate the potential of the proposed method for prosthetic systems and other applications involving compliant robot–environment interaction. Full article

Fully actuated multirotor UAVs (FA-mUAVs) have attracted attention for aerial physical interaction because they generate translational forces without tilting the vehicle, thereby supporting interaction precision and payload-transportation stability. However, this capability relies on an accurate center-of-mass (CoM)-dependent thrust-to-wrench allocation geometry. When the CoM shifts due to payload variation or physical interaction, the nominal allocation geometry produces incorrect moment arms and recurrent unintended torques. Existing robust and robust-adaptive approaches compensate for these effects through the input channel while leaving the allocation geometry unchanged. Conversely, allocation-level CoM correction addresses the geometric source of the mismatch but does not by itself provide transient robustness during estimator convergence or against non-CoM disturbances. This paper proposes a transient-buffered allocation-geometry adaptation framework that addresses these two limitations within a single architecture. The framework combines an input-channel robust layer with allocation-level CoM adaptation: the robust layer buffers instantaneous mismatch and residual disturbances, while the adaptation layer processes the filtered compensation signal generated by the robust layer through the CoM-dependent regression to estimate the CoM and update the allocator, without assuming a unique separation of CoM-induced and non-CoM components. Stability analysis establishes boundedness and phase-dependent convergence of the CoM-estimation error. Real-flight experiments show that adding the CoM-estimation/allocation-update path to a retained disturbance-observer (DOB) robust baseline improves attitude regulation and reduces rotational compensation demand. Full article

This study investigates a simulation-based estimation–control chain that integrates an interactive multiple model adaptive unscented Kalman filter (IMM-AUKF) with a multiple-input multiple-output model predictive controller (MIMO-MPC). A seven-degree-of-freedom vehicle model and a Pacejka tire model are used to represent nonlinear vehicle dynamics. The controller updates model and regression region steering constraints from the estimated adhesion state and jointly allocates front/rear steering and longitudinal force commands. The revised experiments use a 0.5 ms plant integration step and a consistent 20 ms estimator/controller update. Under high-adhesion double lane change (DLC), the proposed chain lowers speed RMSE from 0.7950 to 0.1833 m/s and mean adhesion estimation RMSE from 0.1567 to 0.0812. Under variable-adhesion single lane change (SLC), lateral RMSE decreases from 0.1816 to 0.1649 m, speed RMSE from 0.7983 to 0.2505 m/s, and mean adhesion estimation RMSE from 0.1622 to 0.0949. Heading error is not uniformly improved and is reported as a design trade-off. These results provide reproducible simulation evidence, while hardware-in-the-loop and real-vehicle validation remain future work. Full article

Background/Objectives: Telerehabilitation for physiotherapy programs (TelePhysio) has been shown to improve knee extension force (KEF) in older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but factors associated with responsiveness remain unclear. This exploratory secondary analysis investigated whether baseline eating behaviors modified the effectiveness of TelePhysio in KEF. Methods: This secondary analysis included 74 older patients with T2DM enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. The participants were assigned to the TelePhysio (n = 39) or non-intervention group (n = 35). Baseline eating behaviors were assessed using an Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was performed using 6-month KEF as the dependent variable, adjusting for baseline KEF, age, sex, body mass index, diabetic polyneuropathy, intervention group, baseline eating behavior score, and their interactions. The original trial was prospectively registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR; UMIN000024416; registered on 15 October 2016). Results: A significant interaction was found between the intervention group and baseline eating behavior score (B = −0.0064, p = 0.0352). Estimated TelePhysio effects on eating behavior scores corresponding to mean − 1 standard deviation (SD), mean, and mean + 1 SD were +0.36, +0.12, and −0.12 Nm/kg, respectively. None of the seven domain-specific group-by-domain interactions reached statistical significance. Sensitivity analyses using KEF changes showed a similar directional trend but were not statistically significant (p = 0.2913). Conclusions: Baseline eating behaviors may be associated with differential responsiveness to TelePhysio in older adults with T2DM. The estimated effect of TelePhysio on KEF was smaller at higher baseline Eating Behavior Questionnaire scores. These findings should be cautiously interpreted because the interaction was not confirmed using sensitivity analysis regarding changes in the KEF. Full article

Cuffless blood pressure estimation using the finger-pressing method remains sensitive to improper finger centering and inconsistent contact force, which degrade the accuracy of the oscillometric envelope and PPG signal morphology. This paper details the development of a research prototype that integrates three force sensors and a photoplethysmograph (PPG) sensor to quantify the finger–device interaction. This system is intended as a pre-clinical research tool rather than a clinically validated medical device. We implement a weighted centroid algorithm for center of pressure (CoP) feedback to guide geometric centering, alongside a Hybrid Ridge Regression model to estimate the total contact force. The system was evaluated on a pre-clinical pilot cohort of 48 healthy participants (1274 recordings), comparing inflationary (ramp-up) and deflationary (ramp-down) interaction modalities. Force calibration achieved a mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.2 g, with hardware analysis confirming a limited zero-load baseline drift of −0.29% over 50 days. The best single-recording calibrated model achieved a mean absolute error (MAE) of 5.55 mmHg (systolic) and 5.20 mmHg (diastolic), with a mean error (ME) ± standard deviation (SD) of $+0.50\pm 7.25$ and $+1.19\pm 6.47$ mmHg, respectively, in this pilot cohort, demonstrating the feasibility of the three-point force-sensing design with CoP tracking. Full article