Search Results (609)

Agrivoltaics is a promising technique, especially in view of the rapid population growth associated with the expansion of cultivated areas to satisfy the food demands of the population, and the increase in solar power plants, which require considerable space to supply the population with energy. Thus, the transition from agricultural to agrivoltaics systems and the transition from PV power plants to agrivoltaics systems can enable more efficient use of land for energy and agricultural production. However, the configuration of agrivoltaics systems, namely panel elevation, spacing between panels and between rows of panels, and panel size, defines the amount of material used. As a result, configuration can have a major impact on the environment. The aim of this study is to highlight the environmental impact from converting 1 ha of land used entirely for agricultural production to 1 ha of an agrivoltaic system, and from converting 1 ha of land used entirely for solar photovoltaic energy production to 1 ha of an agrivoltaic system through a life cycle assessment. Three different configurations of agrivoltaics systems are considered to assess the environmental potential of agrivoltaics configurations. This analysis is performed with SimaPro 9.4 software, using the ReCiPe Midpoint (H) method and the Eco-invent database. The study determined impacts on global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, ionizing radiation, ozone formation, mineral resource scarcity, fossil resource scarcity, water consumption, and land use through the determination of the Land Equivalent Ratio (LER). The results show that impacts are highest for PV power plants, followed by the agrivoltaic system with the largest PV panels for all indicators, except for stratospheric ozone depletion, where impacts are highest for agrivoltaics and agricultural use systems. The results of the land evaluation showed that the agrivoltaic system Case 3 gave the best performance, with a Land Equivalent Ratio of 148.7%. Full article

In view of the fact that there are few reports on the preparation of NbC coating by high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) technology. In this study, the effects of NbC interlayer thickness on the microstructure, corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity of Nb/NbC/C multilayer coatings for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) bipolar plates were studied by using the high ionization characteristics of HiPIMS technology. A series of Nb/NbC/C multilayer coatings with varying NbC interlayer thicknesses was deposited via HiPIMS by modulating the deposition time (20, 40, and 60 min). The microstructure and properties of the coatings were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, interfacial contact resistance (ICR), and corrosion current, among other methods. The results indicate that as the NbC interlayer thickness increases, the total coating thickness increases from 0.43 μm to 1.42 μm. All coatings exhibit a uniform and dense microstructure lacking typical coarse columnar structures. Raman and XPS analyses show that the I_D/I_G ratio increases from 1.98 to 4.04, indicating an increase in sp²-hybridized bond content and a decrease in sp³ content. At a deposition time of 60 min, the coating achieved optimal performance, yielding a critical load (Lc1) of 31.9 N, the lowest average friction coefficient (0.27), the minimum corrosion current density, and an interfacial contact resistance of 7.5 mΩ·cm². These results demonstrate that the NbC interlayer thickness significantly governs the structure and properties of the Nb/NbC/C multilayer coatings. Specifically, an appropriate increase in the NbC interlayer thickness optimizes the sp²/sp³ hybrid bond ratio, thereby enhancing the overall coating performance. Full article

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of a sub-milliwatt graphene-based micro thermal conductivity detector (µTCD) that utilizes a suspended multilayer graphene (MLG) bridge to sense volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the gas phase based on their thermal transport properties. The graphene bridge is transferred onto a silicon chip with integrated microchannels using a photolithography-free process. By incorporating microchannel designs, this approach enables precise transfer of suspended MLG dimensions without conventional patterning steps. A key innovation of this work lies in the use of an ultra-low thermal mass suspended graphene architecture, which significantly increases temperature rise per unit input power, thereby enhancing sensitivity per unit power compared to conventional metal-based TCDs. The fabricated µTCD successfully produces chromatograms of multiple VOC species, closely matching those obtained using a standard flame ionization detector (FID). The device demonstrates an estimated limit of detection (LOD) of 190 ppm while consuming an average power of 151 µW under DC operation. Full article

Terahertz (THz) metamaterial biosensors have emerged as a powerful platform for label-free, non-ionizing biodetection, yet their clinical translation is severely hindered by limited sensitivity, poor anti-interference capability, and a fragmented research chain that rarely extends beyond simulation. Two-dimensional transition metal carbides/nitrides (MXenes) offer a transformative alternative to conventional gold-based metamaterials, providing metal-like high conductivity, abundant surface functional groups for specific biomolecular capture, excellent biocompatibility, and mechanical flexibility. This review systematically examines the recent progress of MXene-based THz metamaterial biosensors, covering structural design strategies, material synergistic system, machine learning-assisted optimization, and performance evaluation metrics. While most studies remain in the simulation stage, a landmark in vivo validation by Yang et al. achieved real-time thrombus monitoring with 94.7% sensitivity and 92.3% specificity, bridging the gap between simulation and clinical application. We identified key bottlenecks hindering clinical translation and propose future directions toward clinically adaptive, full-chain development. This review provides a roadmap for transitioning MXene-based THz biosensors from laboratory simulation to practical point-of-care diagnostics. Full article

The increase in small satellites demands the integration of commercial components to reduce costs and development time. However, the lack of standardized system-level methodologies to mitigate radiation-induced degradation limits their adoption. Although majority-carrier technologies such as MOSFET transistors dominate space power electronics, modern commercial off-the-shelf BJT transistors present a robust and cost-effective alternative. This paper evaluates the viability of the new-generation commercial off-the-shelf BJT transistors in space radiation environments by analyzing their response to total ionizing dose (measured at the circuit level) and single-event effects (inferred from component-level data). A fault-tolerant design methodology is proposed based on the strict definition of the safe operating area: the collector-emitter voltage is limited to safe values to mitigate single-event burnout, and an overdrive margin, specifically a 5× worst-case factor, is applied to compensate for the parametric degradation of the current gain. These strategies are empirically validated through two circuits: a voltage clamp and a proportional base driver operating in the 5 W to 40 W range. Experimental tests on the voltage clamp demonstrate stable operation up to one hundred kilorads, exceeding the 50 krad mission requirement by 100%. This indirectly supports the proportional base driver through shared mitigation principles, which rely on base current over-dimensioning to compensate for TID degradation. In conclusion, by applying appropriate derating rules, commercial off-the-shelf BJT transistors constitute a viable and robust alternative for small satellite power systems, mitigating the need for expensive radiation-hardened components. Full article

Larrea ameghinoi Speg., an endemic species of Argentine Patagonia traditionally used in folk medicine to treat fever, stomach disorders, respiratory conditions, back pain, and as an emmenagogue, among others, still remains chemically and biologically underexplored compared to the other four members of the genus. This study aimed to perform a comprehensive metabolomic characterization of methanolic extracts from two populations (EMLaSAO and EMLaMAQ) using ultra-high-resolution liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC–ESI–QTOF–MS) and to evaluate their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and enzyme-inhibitory activities of relevance to human health. Thirty-three compounds were tentatively identified by extensive UHPLC–MS analysis, including flavones, two major lignans, and oleanane-type triterpenes. Both extracts exhibited high phenolic content (215–239 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g extract) and strong free radical scavenging activity, as evidenced by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH, EC₅₀ ≈ 10 μg/mL), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and Trolox equivalent antioxidant activity (TEAC) assays. In addition, significant inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase (IC₅₀ ≈ 50 μg extract/mL) and α-glucosidase, together with selective antibacterial activity against methicillin-sensitive and resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 125 μg extract/mL), were recorded. These findings suggest that L. ameghinoi possesses a distinctive phytochemical composition conferring multitarget bioactivity, differing from other Larrea species dominated by lignans such as nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) and its derivatives. Overall, this work supports the potential of L. ameghinoi as a novel source of bioactive metabolites for managing oxidative stress-related disorders and opportunistic infections. This warrants future in vivo studies investigating biological activities associated with oxidative stress and their relevance to human health. Full article

Electron emission from hydrogen atoms induced by antiproton impact at intermediate energies is investigated using the one-centre Basis Generator Method within a semi-classical impact-parameter framework. The formulation employs a single-centre expansion of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation with a pseudostate basis consisting of hydrogenic orbitals acted upon by powers of a Yukawa-regularized potential, providing a compact and effective representation of the electronic continuum. Ionization probabilities are obtained by projecting the time-evolved wavefunction onto Coulomb continuum states, from which energy-differential cross sections (EDCS) are extracted. Exponential piecewise functions are constructed to interpolate between the pseudostate eigenenergies, yielding smooth EDCS profiles for each partial wave. The total EDCS, reconstructed by summing over all partial-wave contributions, exhibits good agreement with results from other pseudostate-based approaches. Full article

Liver cancer remains a significant global health burden, requiring the development of precise nucleic acid delivery systems. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are leading candidates; however, their efficiency is governed by the pK_a of ionizable lipids, which dictates nanoparticle stability and endosomal escape. In this study, we employed a machine learning–driven quantitative structure–activity relationship framework to predict the pK_a of ionizable lipids derived from the DLin–KC2–DMA scaffold. Utilizing a dataset of 56 compounds, we compared Random Forest, Artificial Neural Network, and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) models integrated with Permutation Importance (PI) for feature selection. The optimized PI–XGB model exhibited exceptional predictive accuracy (R² = 0.970, R²_CV = 0.901, RMSE_test = 0.115) and robust generalization confirmed via external validation (RMSE_ext. = 0.313). Mechanistic insights derived from SHapley Additive exPlanation analysis identified charge distribution, molecular topology, and polarity as critical determinants of lipid ionization. These results demonstrate the power of interpretable machine learning in elucidating molecular structure–property relationships, offering a robust computational strategy for the rational design of next–generation ionizable lipids to optimize LNP–mediated gene therapy for liver cancer. Full article

Phenolic-rich extracts from Satureja montana were evaluated before and after diazomethane treatment to determine how chemical derivatization influences their antioxidant capacity. Native and modified extracts were compared experimentally by measuring total phenolic content, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and Fe²⁺-chelating ability. EN1 exhibited the highest concentration of phenolic compounds, reaching 1278.54 mmol/g, whereas EM2 retained only 1.99 mmol/g. In the FRAP assay, reducing power followed the order EN1 (9.36) > EN2 (3.72) > EM2 (2.08), with EM2 still exceeding caffeic, chlorogenic, and ferulic acids. In contrast, the modified extracts showed superior metal chelating capacity, with EM1 and EM2 displaying IC₅₀ values of 0.70 and 0.82 mg/mL, respectively, both markedly lower than those of the native extracts and the pure standards. To rationalize these differences, a DFT study was performed at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level, examining 18 proposed phenolic acids and their methylated derivatives associated with the extracts. All methylation reactions were thermodynamically favorable, particularly for compounds 18 (−57.10 kcal/mol), 16 (−53.96), 6 (−53.34), and 3, 9, and 11 (−52.71). Solvent effects were found to be structure-dependent: caffeic acid showed BDE values of 72.29, 73.59, and 74.43 kcal/mol in the gas phase, water, and benzene, respectively, whereas syringic acid displayed values of 80.44, 77.09, and 80.65 kcal/mol under the same conditions. Likewise, the ionization potential of caffeic acid decreased from 180.09 kcal/mol in the gas phase to 133.26 kcal/mol in water and 154.22 kcal/mol in benzene. Among all analyzed species, methyl 3,4-dihydroxycinnamate exhibited the lowest BDE (71.60 kcal/mol) as well as the most favorable ΔG°r toward HOO• (−11.06 kcal/mol). Full article

Femtosecond laser processing has become a powerful approach for high-precision micro- and nanofabrication in transparent materials, owing to its ultrashort pulse duration and minimized thermal effects. However, the limited predictability of processing depth remains a major obstacle to practical applications. Here, we present a morphology prediction framework for femtosecond Bessel laser processing of ZnS that integrates plasma physics modeling with deep learning. Through combined experimental measurements and plasma physics simulations, the influence of laser pulse energy on electron density evolution and material removal depth is systematically investigated. The results reveal the dominant roles of multiphoton ionization, avalanche ionization, and free-electron dynamics in deep-volume processing, and demonstrate the strong sensitivity of the processing morphology to the plasma distribution. Conventional plasma models can accurately reproduce the ablation diameter, yet exhibit significant limitations in predicting the processing depth. We propose a physics data-based framework for femtosecond Bessel beam processing, which integrates a depth-residual regression network conditioned on the peak electron density distribution to effectively learn and compensate for systematic modeling errors in plasma-based simulations. This strategy leads to excellent agreement between predicted and experimental processing depths and three-dimensional morphologies under various energy conditions. The model achieves a mean absolute error (MAE) of 4.9 nm at the pixel level for 3D crater reconstruction. Under rigorous crater-grouped cross-validation with Leave-One-Group-Out evaluation, the model achieves a mean R² of 0.74 across 8 independent craters, demonstrating reliable generalization to unseen energy conditions. These results demonstrate that incorporating physical priors into data-driven learning provides an effective pathway to overcoming accuracy limitations in modeling complex laser–matter interactions. This approach offers a reliable tool for quantitative prediction and parameter optimization in deep femtosecond laser processing of transparent materials and enabling highly controllable and reproducible micro- and nanofabrication for advanced photonic and three-dimensional optical applications. Full article

Aging is one of the most complex biological processes, which leads to a gradual decline in the function of organs, tissues and cells, and significant increases in the risks of many age-associated diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. Protein biomarkers have attracted increasing attention in research on aging and age-related diseases. Considering the fact that proteins are large heterogenous biomolecules due to coding polymorphisms, alternative RNA splicing and post-translational modifications (PTMs), including glycosylation, phosphorylation, and methylation, mass spectrometry (MS)-based top-down proteomics (TDP) is a powerful technology that allows for measuring proteins without proteolysis, thus characterizing intact forms of proteins, which provides information on primary sequences, including their modifications. This review provides an overview of TDP technologies, with a particular focus on the separation, ionization, and fragmentation of intact proteins and introduces the most recent applications of TDP to the discovery of proteoform-resolved biomarkers associated with aging and age-related diseases. Full article

This paper presents a modular Power Conditioning and Distribution Unit (PCDU) designed for small satellites. The proposed system features a highly adaptable architecture capable of managing a total power throughput of up to 100 W, with specific limits defined by mission-dependent thermal and redundancy configurations. Aligned with the New Space paradigm, the implementation relies on Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components, a strategy that drastically reduces development and manufacturing costs without compromising reliability. The system has been optimized for operation in harsh environments, including high vacuum, ionizing radiation, and extreme thermal gradients. The design incorporates strict redundancy and fault-tolerance criteria to provide a robust solution for critical subsystems. Comprehensive validation was performed through functional testing, Total Ionizing Dose (TID) radiation campaigns, and Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) cycles. Experimental results demonstrate that the PCDU withstands high-vacuum thermal cycling and cumulative radiation doses exceeding 75 kRad. These findings confirm that the developed unit is a cost-effective, high-reliability solution suitable for both Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and deep-space missions. Full article

Background/Objectives: Onion (Allium cepa) peems are an underutilized by-product rich in polyphenols. This study evaluated the physicochemical profile, and bioactive potential (antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticoagulant) of Moroccan red onion peels using integrated in vivo, in vitro, and in silico approaches. Methods: Moisture, pH, ash content, and mineral elements were determined, followed by phytochemical screening and three extractions: decoction E0, aqueous Soxhlet E1, and hydroethanolic Soxhlet E2 (70/30; ethanol/water, v/v). The measurement of polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins was carried out using colorimetric methods, while the molecular profile was studied by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to ultraviolet detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC/UV-ESI-MS). Biological activities were determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and total antioxidant capacity assays (in vitro antioxidant); microdilution (antimicrobial); prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time (anticoagulant); and α-amylase/α-glucosidase enzymatic inhibition and oral glucose tolerance tests on normoglycemic rats. Also, acute toxicity was evaluated, and molecular interactions between these proteins and ligands (docking, molecular dynamics, and MM-PBSA) were analyzed. Results: Physicochemical analyses showed an acidic pH (3.06) and high ash content (15.21%), with the concentration of regulated elements remaining within FAO/WHO limits. The extractive content was between 6.90% E0 and 19.18% E2. The E1 extract had the maximum amount of total polyphenols (178.95 mg GAE/g); on the other hand, E2 was the richest in flavonoids by 121.43 mg QE/g. The HPLC/ESI-MS analysis of E0 revealed 20 compounds, among which flavonoids (84.93%) were predominant, with isorhamnetin (30.26%), followed by quercetin and its glycosylated forms. E1 showed the most potent antioxidant effects (IC₅₀ DPPH, 22.38 µg/mL, as that of ascorbic acid). The antibacterial activity of E0 was especially potent towards Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC 75 µg/mL). A mild dose-dependent anticoagulant effect was seen. Antidiabetic activity was found to be outstanding: α-amylase (IC₅₀ 62.75 µg/mL) and α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ 8.49 µg/mL, stronger than acarbose) inhibitions were corroborated in vivo by a considerable decrease in the glycemic area under the curve. The molecular docking study in silico demonstrated strong molecular interactions, especially for quercetin 4′-O-glucoside with good binding energies. Conclusions: A. cepa peels from Morocco can be considered a safe plant matrix containing bioactive flavonoids with strong antioxidant and selective antimicrobial activities and promising antidiabetic effects, supported by molecular modeling. Full article

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have quickly achieved certified energy conversion efficiency reaching a certified record of 27.3% for single-junction cells, while having a low mass, thin-film form factor and high specific power, which are attractive for space energy systems. However, their long-term reliability in extraterrestrial environments is not adequately ensured by terrestrial qualification routes, and standardized space-related test protocols remain insufficiently developed. This review critically summarizes the current understanding of the degradation of PSCs under the influence of key environmental factors in space—ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, thermal vacuum exposure and thermal cycling, and ultraviolet radiation AM0, as well as atmospheric oxygen in low orbits. The central task of the work is to develop and justify the need to create specialized PSCs test protocols for space applications, since existing ground standards do not reflect the multifactorial nature and extreme orbital loads. It has been shown that thermal vacuum accelerates ion migration, interphase reactions, and degassing, while AM0 UV and atomic oxygen introduce additional photochemical and oxidative mechanisms of destruction; at the same time, stressors often act synergistically and are not detected by single-factor tests. Next, the limitations of the current IEC and ISOS are discussed and an approach to their expansion is formulated through the ISOS-T-Space and ISOS-LC-Space protocols, which integrate high vacuum, AM0 lighting, extended temperature ranges and controlled particle irradiation. It is concluded that the development and interlaboratory validation of such space-oriented protocols is a key condition for the correct qualification of PSCs and targeted optimization of materials and interfaces to meet the requirements of space energy. Full article

Some windowless semiconductor photodiodes can detect not only photons but also charged particles, cover a wide spectral range including a part of the ionizing radiation region and, thus, play important roles for synchrotron radiation experiments. To understand the spectral, angular and polarizing properties of semiconductor photodiodes, complex amplitude coefficients of transmittance or reflectance are calculated based on rigorous formulation using Fresnel equations with complex optical constants of the composing materials, whose validity was verified by comparison with experiments. Concrete examples of the behavior on the complex plane are shown as a function of complex optical constants, film thickness, angle of incidence and the wavelength. The results show that the optical properties of the layered system are sensitive to its layer thickness, the angle of incidence and the wavelength in the ultraviolet region where optical indices of the composing materials steeply change. It has been shown that oblique incidence photodiodes are useful as polarization-sensitive devices, and that the graphical technique using the amplitude coefficients expressed on the complex plane is effective and powerful to search for optimal conditions for complex optical constants, film thickness and/or angle of incidence. Full article