Search Results (952)

Dynamic inductive charging (DIC) combined with hybrid energy storage systems (HESSs) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities offers a promising pathway toward extended-range electric vehicles with grid integration benefits. However, real-time optimal energy management remains challenging due to multi-axis coil misalignment, component aging, and bidirectional power flow uncertainty. This paper proposes an adaptive digital twin driven artificial intelligence (AI) energy management framework integrating physics-informed neural networks (PINNs), soft actor critic (SAC) deep reinforcement learning, and model predictive control (MPC) for optimal power distribution among a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), lithium-ion battery, supercapacitor, dynamic wireless charging, and grid interface in four-wheel drive electric vehicles (4WD-EVs). The framework features: (1) a self-evolving digital twin with online learning via Elastic Weight Consolidation (EWC) updating every 50 cycles; (2) a PINN-based state estimator for battery-state estimation, with an average inference time of 1.1 ms and a worst-case latency of 2.8 ms; (3) a hierarchical SAC–MPC strategy with high-level mode selection and low-level power optimization; (4) real-time five-degree-of-freedom WPT misalignment compensation, achieving a mean efficiency of 91.5% under the evaluated dynamic lateral misalignment conditions, with a 50 mm displacement amplitude; (5) degradation-aware V2G optimization generating €582.50/year in revenue while reducing battery aging by 31.8%; and (6) comprehensive techno-economic analysis yielding a discounted payback period of approximately 5.57 years and a net present value of approximately €3777 over a 10-year horizon. Validated through 200+ hours of hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation on the dSPACE/NVIDIA Jetson platform, the proposed approach achieves a 24.3% cost reduction and 31.8% lower battery degradation. The MPC controller exhibits an average execution time of 32.1 ms, a 95th-percentile latency of 44.8 ms, and a worst-case latency of 62.4 ms, while remaining within the 100-ms real-time control deadline. Results demonstrate the viability of adaptive digital twins for next-generation EVs with autonomous charging and multi-source architectures. Full article

Renewable energy can be harvested from salinity gradients using reverse electrodialysis (RED); however, the open-circuit voltage and power output of this process can be significantly reduced by multivalent ions and natural organic matter found in natural waters. In this work, a tailor-made polyepichlorohydrin-based anion exchange membrane (AEM) surface was modified using an electrophoretic layer-by-layer (LbL) polyelectrolyte assembly. Negatively charged poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) and positively charged poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) were employed to construct three-layer architectures in which PEI served as the interlayer. The results indicate that the molecular weight of the PEI interlayer strongly influences the surface composition and charge of the final AEMs. RED experiments performed in the presence of Na₂SO₄ revealed that AEMs incorporating the high-molecular-weight PEI exhibited enhanced apparent Cl⁻/SO₄²⁻ selectivity and delivered an increased power density. Fouling tests using a real humic–fulvic acid mixture demonstrated that the hydrophilic PSS top layer effectively mitigated organic fouling and preserved RED performance. Furthermore, short-term stability testing provided a preliminary indication of the stability of the polyelectrolyte layers under short-term operating conditions. This study highlights the critical role of interlayer molecular weight in defining the surface chemistry, apparent ion selectivity, and antifouling behavior of LbL-modified tailor-made AEMs, providing important design guidelines for improving RED performance in realistic feedwaters. Full article

Lead contamination remains a significant environmental and public health concern, creating a demand for analytical platforms that combine sensitivity, simplicity, and long-term stability. In this work, a graphene-containing molecular membrane matrix was developed for the fabrication of single-piece all-solid-state potentiometric sensors for Pb(II) detection. The sensing membrane consisted of poly(vinyl chloride), plasticizers, a Pb(II)-selective ionophore, lipophilic ionic sites, and dispersed graphene nanostructures, forming an integrated molecular sensing interface. Within the membrane phase, selective complexation of Pb(II) ions by the ionophore was coupled with graphene-assisted ion-to-electron transduction, enabling efficient signal generation without the need for a separate solid-contact layer. The influence of graphene incorporation and membrane thickness on sensor performance was systematically investigated. Among the tested configurations, a membrane prepared from 40 µL of sensing cocktail provided the best overall performance, combining high electrical capacitance, favorable surface properties, and superior potential stability. SEM imaging revealed a homogeneous membrane morphology without large graphene agglomerates, indicating effective dispersion of graphene within the polymer matrix. The optimized sensor exhibited a near-Nernstian slope of 30.3 mV dec⁻¹, a linear response range from 1.0 × 10⁻⁷ to 1.0 × 10⁻² M, a detection limit of 6.3 × 10⁻⁸ M, and a potential drift of only 0.35 mV h⁻¹. These results demonstrate that direct incorporation of graphene into an ion-selective membrane is an effective strategy for constructing robust and scalable single-piece potentiometric sensors for Pb(II) monitoring and highlight the potential of developed membrane materials for electrochemical sensing applications. Full article

Nanofiltration membranes have emerged as a crucial class of pressure-driven separation materials, positioned between ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis in terms of selectivity, permeance, operating pressure, and energy consumption. Their ability to remove fine contaminants—including multivalent ions, organic micropollutants, dyes, and macromolecules—has made them essential in water and wastewater treatment, pharmaceutical processing, and various industrial applications. In spite of their growing relevance, the performance of polymeric nanofiltration membranes, such as polyamide, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyvinylidene fluoride, and polyimide, is still constrained by weak hydrophilicity and a strong susceptibility to fouling, which collectively decrease permeance, increase operational costs, and shorten membrane lifespan. In recent years, substantial research efforts have focused on designing and engineering the surface chemistry and structural characteristics of nanofiltration membranes to improve water permeance, reduce foulant adhesion, and improve long-term stability. This review provides a comprehensive and comparative assessment of the most recent modification techniques applied to polymer-based nanofiltration membranes. Strategies such as polymer blending, nanoparticle incorporation, physical surface coating, plasma treatment, chemical attachment, layer-by-layer assembly, and interfacial polymerization are critically examined with respect to their effectiveness and practical limitations supported by recent research examples. Special attention is given to how these modification methods affect membrane morphology, hydrophilicity, permeance, and antifouling properties. Eventually, the review highlights emerging ideas and forward-looking design directions that may guide the next generation of nanofiltration membranes toward higher efficiency, improved durability, and broader industrial applicability. Full article

Carbohydrates are among the most highly oxygenated biomolecules in nature, possessing dense arrays of hydroxyl, ether, carbonyl, carboxylate, phosphate, and sulfate functionalities that govern hydration, hydrogen bonding, molecular recognition, and supramolecular organization. Their stereochemically organized oxygen-donor groups provide numerous appropriately oriented diol motifs capable of selective and reversible coordination with boric acid and borate ions. This review examines the structural and physicochemical principles underlying carbohydrate–borate interactions, with particular emphasis on oxygen-rich biological interfaces. Pentoses, hexoses, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, glycolipids, and membrane-associated glycoconjugates are considered to illustrate how hydroxyl-group orientation, molecular conformation, pH, hydration, and local environment determine borate recognition, complex stability, and dynamic assembly. Evidence from NMR and other spectroscopic methods, crystallography, mass spectrometry, calorimetry, and molecular simulations demonstrates that borate coordination follows common stereochemical and thermodynamic principles despite the remarkable structural diversity of carbohydrates. Biological examples include borate-mediated crosslinking in plant cell walls and interactions involving microbial carbohydrates, marine polysaccharides and glycoconjugates, photosynthetic membrane lipids, and cyanobacterial heterocyst glycolipids. Particular attention is given to distinguishing experimentally established borate complexes from membrane-associated interactions that remain proposed and require further characterization. Reversible borate crosslinking of oxygen-rich carbohydrate networks also provides the chemical basis for emerging applications in responsive hydrogels, biosensors, supramolecular assemblies, drug-delivery systems, and functional biomaterials. Collectively, the available evidence indicates that the spatial organization of oxygen donor atoms within carbohydrates provides the molecular basis for selective borate recognition, whereas boron can convert this functionality into reversible higher-order organization. This oxygen-centered perspective integrates coordination chemistry, glycobiology, membrane biology, and materials science into a unified framework for understanding carbohydrate–borate interactions in natural and engineered systems. Full article

Microbial melanins are natural pigments with broad application potential, and Aureobasidium melanogenum is a promising strain for industrial production of melanin. However, the separation, purification, and biological activities of melanin derived from this strain remain largely unexplored. In this study, an efficient extraction and purification process for melanin from the fermentation broth of A. melanogenum GXZ-6 was established through single-factor optimization, and the final purity of the melanin reached 94.4%. Spectroscopic stability tests showed that the melanin was highly stable under dark, natural light, a wide pH range (2–12), and temperatures ≤ 37 °C. However, UV light, high temperature (>50 °C), ultrasonication, and certain metal ions (especially Cr³⁺) markedly altered its absorbance at 225 nm. More importantly, the purified melanin exhibited concentration-dependent antiproliferative activity against human cancer cell lines of A549, HCT116, MCF-7, and HepG2, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 25.50 to 72.33 μg/mL. HepG2 cells were the most sensitive (IC₅₀ = 25.50 μg/mL), and the melanin showed moderate selectivity toward normal hepatocytes (LO2). Mechanistic studies revealed that melanin effectively inhibited HepG2 cell migration, induced apoptosis, depolarized the mitochondrial membrane potential, and activated the caspase-3/PARP pathway. In summary, this study provides a simple, scalable, and environmentally friendly process for producing high-purity melanin with potential antitumor activity. Full article

Calcium ions (Ca²⁺) function as ubiquitous second messengers that translate environmental and developmental cues into spatially and temporally defined cellular responses in plants. This review summarizes the cellular architecture and molecular mechanisms that generate, shape, and terminate Ca²⁺ signals, with emphasis on plasma-membrane channels, intracellular stores, pumps, exchangers, and organelle-associated transport systems. We also examine the development of live Ca²⁺ indicators, from chemical dyes and aequorin to ratiometric and single-fluorophore genetically encoded calcium indicators, and discuss principles for selecting sensors for different tissues and subcellular compartments. Recent studies have applied these tools to abiotic stress, plant immunity, polar growth, development, symbiosis, and systemic signaling. Accurate quantitative imaging nevertheless requires careful matching of sensor properties to the target cellular environment and rigorous control of motion, spectral interference, and analytical procedures. Combining improved indicators with advanced microscopy, genetic validation, and standardized data analysis should help connect distinct Ca²⁺ signatures with their molecular origins and physiological roles. Full article

In the present work, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was selected as the primary raw material and fully dissolved in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent. Hydroxymethyl cellulose (HMC), acrylic acid (AA) monomer with outstanding chelating performance, and UR were added in sequence. On this basis, composite nanofiber membrane substrates of PVP/AA/HMC/UR were fabricated by means of electrospinning. Afterwards, silane coupling agent KH-560 was blended with polylactic acid (PLA). A uniform PLA/KH-560 functional coating was covered on the surface of the as-prepared nanofiber membrane via microfluidic coating treatment, and the target composite nanofiber adsorbent was ultimately obtained. Relevant performance characterization results indicated that moderate addition of HMC could greatly optimize the tensile strength of the membrane material, whereas excessive HMC dosage would cause a deterioration in mechanical strength. Moreover, the breaking elongation presented a slight declining trend, and the integrated mechanical stability of the membrane could fully meet the service demands for cyclic reuse. As a functional monomer, acrylic acid effectively boosted the material’s adsorption performance toward typical heavy metal ions, including Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺. In simulated acidic wastewater generated from rare earth mining and extraction (pH = 3 and pH = 6.5), the removal efficiency of the as-prepared material for the three heavy metal ions all exceeded 95%. Even after being soaked in strong acid solution at pH 2 for 8 h, its adsorption rate was still maintained at 88.5%. In the cyclic experiment, the adsorption efficiency stayed above 75% after two recycling runs, decreased to roughly 55% in the third cycle, and dropped below 30% at the fourth reuse stage. The introduction of UR imparted remarkable acid-resistant structural stability to the composite material. The membrane structure remained complete without damage after long-term immersion in a pH 2 strong acid environment, and high-efficiency heavy metal removal capability could be guaranteed when the solution pH was not lower than 3. Targeting the practical treatment dilemma of acidic heavy metal-containing wastewater from rare earth exploitation and extraction, this research successfully developed a novel eco-friendly adsorbent featuring superior acid resistance, high adsorption performance and certain recyclability. This newly designed material makes up for the deficiencies in traditional adsorbents represented by activated carbon, including poor heavy metal removal ability in acidic media and secondary pollution risks resulting from disposable use. The research findings can offer a novel technical reference and feasible approach for the purification of acidic rare earth wastewater in practical engineering applications. Full article

Extracting lithium from salt-lake brines boasts distinct advantages including low production cost, low energy consumption and low environmental risks, and will serve as a primary supply source of lithium salts in the future. This trend raises higher demands for the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of lithium extraction technologies. Nanofiltration (NF) membranes, renowned for their superior discrimination between monovalent and divalent ions, have been extensively utilized to obtain Li⁺ from Mg²⁺-rich saline brines. In this study, positively charged NF membranes aimed at Li⁺/Mg²⁺ fractionation were fabricated via surfactant-interlayer-assisted interfacial polymerization (SIAIP). Catechol (CA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) were utilized to construct the CA/PEI interlayer, and oil-phase dodecyl phosphate (DDP) was used as an additive for interfacial polymerization (IP). The strongly bonded CA/PEI nanoaggregates improved interlayer stability and preserved the positive charge of the double-layer membrane. DDP adsorbed piperazine (PIP) at the two-phase interface through electrostatic interactions, accelerating PIP diffusion and forming a thick polyamide (PA) layer with uniform pores. The combination of CA/PEI interlayer and DDP synergistically enhanced size-sieving and Donnan effects. With MgCl₂ and LiCl rejections of 97.9% and 36.2% respectively, the optimized membrane shows superior selectivity for Li⁺ over Mg²⁺. Moreover, the membrane exhibited weak electrostatic screening and concentration polarization, showing excellent operational stability under varied Mg²⁺-Li⁺ ratios and feed concentrations. Full article

Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical for advanced manufacturing and clean energy, yet their separation remains extremely challenging due to the nearly identical ionic radii of adjacent lanthanides. Conventional solvent extraction, ion exchange, and precipitation methods are limited by their high reagent consumption, slow kinetics, poor selectivity, and environmental burdens. Nanofiltration (NF) offers a green and efficient alternative—operating in the aqueous phase with low energy demand and continuous high throughput. This review systematically summarizes NF-based REE separation. We first elucidate the fundamental mechanisms (size exclusion, Donnan exclusion, dielectric exclusion, and complexation enhancement), and discuss how lanthanide hydration chemistry underpins these synergistic effects. Membrane materials, from commercial to biomimetic, are critically surveyed, with an emphasis on strategies to overcome the trade-off between permeability and selectivity. The impacts of operating conditions and solution chemistry are analyzed, and NF applications ranging from single REE systems to real leachates are assessed. A comparative evaluation positions NF against conventional technologies. Key challenges remain: poor adjacent REE selectivity, membrane fouling, performance loss at high salinity, chemical instability, and a gap between model and real feeds. Future directions include designing high-selectivity membranes, integrating machine learning optimization, establishing standardized protocols, and realizing closed-loop process integration. Full article

Polyamide nanofiltration (NF) membranes offer a scalable and energy-efficient pathway for lithium concentration from lake brines and battery leachates, but practical implementation hinges on achieving high selectivity of Li⁺ over Mg²⁺. The active layer of these membranes can be positively or negatively charged, carrying both amine groups that can be protonated and carboxyl groups that can be deprotonated with an ionization state that is set by the feed pH. Here, molecular dynamics simulations are used to elucidate how pH-dependent charged functional groups within the polymeric nanostructure of NF membranes govern Li⁺/Mg²⁺ selectivity, arising from electrostatic charge interactions between ions and functional groups at the molecular scale as well as steric size exclusion within the membrane pore structure. Although single-salt Li⁺ or Mg²⁺ feed solutions exhibit similar ion penetration behavior, mixed Li⁺/Mg²⁺ feeds show markedly enhanced Li⁺/Mg²⁺ selectivity at low concentrations when the membrane is positively charged. This selectivity arises because Mg²⁺ interacts more strongly than Li⁺ with repulsive protonated amine (NH₂⁺) groups, suppressing divalent ion transport, an effect that emerges specifically when the two cations compete for the same ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{-}$ ions in a mixed feed. In contrast, for negatively charged membranes, attractive interactions with deprotonated carboxylate (${\mathrm{COO}}^{-}$) groups strongly hinder the transport of both ions, resulting in poor selectivity. Ion clustering within membrane pores further reduces transport through steric effects. These results provide molecular-level insight into how charged functional groups control mono/divalent ion selectivity when competing ions are present and highlight positively charged membranes as optimal platforms for lithium separation applications. Full article

The calcium ion-transporting ATPase (Ca²⁺-ATPase) gene family maintains plant intracellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis and regulates growth, development and stress immunity; however, its functions remain poorly characterized in Malus domestica. Here, we performed a genome-wide identification of apple Ca²⁺-ATPase genes and obtained 45 members, which were classified into MdACA (39) and MdECA (6) subfamilies and unevenly distributed on 14 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis of Ca²⁺-ATPase genes from Malus domestica, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Oryza sativa classified these proteins into five subgroups. The ACA and ECA subfamilies were highly conserved across species, whereas Group D was apple-specific. Collinearity and Ka/Ks analyses indicated that segmental duplication and purifying selection dominated the evolution of apple Ca²⁺-ATPase genes. Promoter cis-element prediction uncovered numerous regulatory elements related to phytohormone signaling, growth, development and stress defense. Codon usage bias analysis indicated that AUG (methionine) was the dominant codon. Tissue expression profiles showed differential expression of apple Ca²⁺-ATPase genes in various organs. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assays demonstrated widespread responses of Ca²⁺-ATPase genes to Alternaria alternata infection, exogenous CaCl₂, salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA), among which MdACA39 was strongly induced under all treatments. Subcellular localization verified that MdACA39 resides on the plasma membrane. Moreover, transient overexpression of MdACA39 significantly enhanced apple resistance to A. alternata, likely due to the activation of SA, MeJA and Ca²⁺ signaling-mediated immune pathways, the induction of disease resistance-related genes, and elevated antioxidant enzyme activity. Collectively, this study systematically characterizes the apple Ca²⁺-ATPase family and identifies MdACA39 as a key regulator of fungal resistance, providing valuable gene resources for dissecting Ca²⁺ signaling-mediated disease resistance in apple. Full article

To overcome the limitations of insufficient driving force in traditional microbial desalination batteries, this paper constructs a microbial anode-membrane capacitive deionization (B-MCDI) coupling system. For the first time, direct coupling between extracellular electron transfer in Shewanella oneidensis and double-layer adsorption at the MCDI cathode is achieved at the circuit and material levels, realizing self-driven, low-energy desalination. High-specific-surface-area carbon felt is used as the anode, and a stable electrogenic biomembrane (output voltage >400 mV) is formed after directional domestication with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Activated carbon is used as the cathode to construct the MCDI electrode. In the three-chamber reactor, the desalination chambers are separated by cation and anion exchange membranes. Under the drive of the bioelectric field, Na⁺ and Cl⁻ selectively permeate into the cathode and anode chambers, respectively, effectively suppressing the co-ion effect. Under optimal operating conditions (external resistance 1000 Ω, initial NaCl concentration 2.0 g/L), the system achieved a cumulative desalination rate of 85.1% after 12 h of operation, with a salt adsorption capacity of 162.1 mg/g, an average desalination rate of 13.51 mg/(g·h), and an energy consumption of only 0.58 kWh/m³. This demonstrates that bioelectric energy can effectively provide targeted power to drive capacitive adsorption and desalination. Under initial NaCl concentrations of 1.0 g/L and 3.0 g/L, the highest desalination rates reached 78% and 68%, respectively. The maximum instantaneous desalination rate occurred within 0.5–1.0 h (64 mg/h under 2.0 g/L conditions), exhibiting a three-stage kinetic characteristic of “fast-slow-equilibrium”. The energy consumption in this study was only 0.51 kWh/m³, further demonstrating the high energy efficiency of bioelectrically coupled MCDI in low-salinity treatment areas. Therefore, this B-MCDI can serve as a theoretically feasible proof-of-concept technology for desalination of brackish water that meets the requirements of self-driven, low-energy consumption, and has promising applications in decentralized water supply systems in areas with limited energy supply or no available electricity. Full article

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) involves not only amyloid-β and tau pathology but also extensive disturbances in lipid metabolism, membrane organization, neuroinflammatory signaling, and tissue homeostasis. Conventional lipidomics has identified changes in phospholipids, sphingolipids, sulfatides, ceramides, gangliosides, and cholesterol-related pathways, but tissue homogenization removes their anatomical context. The aim of this review is to critically assess how matrix selection, sample preparation, ionization polarity, and emerging analytical strategies influence the detection and interpretation of spatial lipid alterations specifically associated with AD neuropathology. Current evidence shows that AD-related lipid remodeling is region- and lesion-specific, with recurrent findings including ganglioside accumulation, sulfatide depletion, ceramide-related alterations, phospholipid remodeling, lysosomal lipid changes, and disturbed cholesterol homeostasis within or around amyloid plaques. Matrix chemistry strongly influences lipid-class coverage, ionization efficiency, spectral background, adduct formation, spatial resolution, and biological interpretation. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization with Laser-Induced Post-Ionization (MALDI-2), ion mobility, reactive matrices, on-tissue derivatization, structural lipidomics, single-cell imaging, and spatial multiomics are expanding molecular coverage and annotation confidence. However, broader translation requires standardized workflows, structurally validated assignments, quantitative quality control, larger human cohorts, and improved interlaboratory reproducibility. Collectively, the available evidence indicates that the principal value of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MALDI-MSI) in AD lies not merely in detecting altered lipid abundance, but in resolving lesion-specific lipid microenvironments whose interpretation depends directly on matrix chemistry, spatial resolution, and structural validation. Full article

Plant-derived natural products remain a major source of anticancer chemical diversity, yet much of the preclinical literature still describes their activity through compound-centered readouts such as IC₅₀ values, reactive oxygen species generation, mitochondrial depolarization, BCL-2-family remodeling, caspase activation, and PI3K/Akt or NF-κB inhibition. Although informative, these mechanisms do not fully explain why the same phytochemical induces apoptosis in some cancer cells, and cytostasis or adaptation in others, while normal cells frequently activate cytoprotective responses. Rather than replacing conventional compound-centered approaches, we integrate established concepts into a complementary vulnerability-state framework for interpreting plant-derived natural-product-induced selective apoptosis. In this framework, selective apoptosis occurs when phytochemical-induced stress intersects with pre-existing cancer-cell vulnerabilities, overwhelms adaptive buffering, and remains below the injury threshold of normal cells. We organize current evidence around redox imbalance, mitochondrial priming, membrane remodeling, ion-channel and cell-volume dysregulation, and survival-pathway addiction, emphasizing that pathway modulation becomes mechanistically meaningful when linked to differential cellular sensitivity. We further highlight membrane–ion biology as an underexplored contributor to phytochemical responses and discuss how chemical standardization, orthogonal cell-death assays, matched normal-cell models, organoids, and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic considerations can advance the field from descriptive cytotoxicity toward mechanism-informed phytopharmacology. Full article