Search Results (1,420)

A major drawback of many proposed biobased alternatives of the most commonly used petroleum-based packaging materials is their relatively poor physical properties. In order to develop more viable alternative packaging materials, these properties need to be modified, while maintaining and improving the other desired characteristics. An investigation was done on corona-charged curcumin-containing PLA films to determine how the addition of the polyphenol impacts its physical properties. Measurements of the surface potential of the films were performed, as was the impact of low pressure on the electret properties. The effect of the corona discharge treatment on the physicochemistry of the surface of composite PLA films was investigated systematically using some complementary surface analytical techniques, such as surface wettability and morphology by scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical properties and conductance of the films were also investigated. A dependency of the decay of the surface potential on the film type and the polarity of the corona was found. It was also established that modifying the surface of the films with corona discharge can cause an increase in their wettability and surface free energy, while also improving their adhesion properties. This is caused by the creation of polar functional groups on the film surface during the charging process. It was also determined that the introduction of curcumin in the PLA films decreases their stiffness, which may be caused by a decrease in intramolecular cohesion. Full article

The Internet of things (IoT) is rapidly pervading daily life and linking everything. Although higher connectivity offers many benefits, including higher productivity, robotic processes, and decision-making guided by data, it also poses a number of security dangers. Modern risks to data authenticity and confidence are getting harder to handle through typical central safety solutions. In this paper, we present a detailed investigation of the latest innovations and approaches for assessing reputation and confidence in the blockchain-empowered Internet of Things (BIoT) area. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across major electronic databases, including IEEE, Springer, Elsevier, Wiley, MDPI, and top indexed conference proceedings. The publication year was restricted to the period from 2018 to 2025. The methodological quality of a total of 122 studies met the inclusion criteria assessed using predefined quality measures. We figure out existing flaws at each layer of IoT architecture, illustrating how autonomous, transparent, and impenetrable blockchain ledgers address these flaws. Plus, we analytically compare public, private, consortium, and hybrid blockchain networking architectures to emphasize the underlying compromises among security, reliability, and decentralization. We also assess how reputation evaluation techniques evolved over time, moving from classical fuzzy logic and weighted average models to modern mature game theory and machine learning (ML) models, addressing their limitations in terms of computational overhead, scalability, adaptability, and deployment feasibility in IoT systems. Additionally, we outline future directions for BIoT system trust assessment and identify research limitations and potential solutions. Our research indicates that although ML-driven models offer more accurate predictions for identifying illicit node activities, they are still constrained by limited unbalanced data and high processing overhead. Full article

While many [FeFe]-hydrogenase biomimetics are effective proton-reduction catalysts, few are active for H₂ oxidation, and examples containing both a pendant amine group, able to act as a proton relay, and a second redox center, both essential features of the enzymes, are rare. Here we report the preparation and oxidation chemistry of two ferrocene-functionalized amino-diphosphines (PCNCP), (CH₂PR₂)₂NCH₂Fc (R = Ph (1), Cy (2)), and their ethylenedithiolate (edt) diiron complexes, [Fe₂(CO)₄(μ-edt){κ²-(R₂PCH₂)₂NCH₂Fc}] (R = Ph (3), Cy (4)). Their crystallographic characterization shows that PCNCP occupies an apical–basal position. CV responses are slightly R-dependent, showing for 3 and 4 in three separate oxidative processes assigned to successive one-electron oxidation of the diiron core (quasireversible), appended Fc (reversible), and the amine–diiron moiety (irreversible), as confirmed by IR and UV–Vis spectroelectrochemical studies supported by Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Time-dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) calculations. The first oxidation results in a structural rearrangement of the Fe(PNP)(CO) unit and the formation of a semi-bridging carbonyl. Slow protonation of 3 with HBF₄∙Et₂O affords the corresponding N-protonated cation in acetone, whilst μ-hydride products dominate for both 3 and 4 in CD₂Cl₂. A preliminary H₂ oxidation study was carried out with 3, and while there was some evidence of activity, it was much lower than reported for alkyl-functionalized PCNPC diiron derivatives. Full article

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are an essential component for the maintenance of cellular function. However, if produced in excess, ROS can drive cellular dysfunction and compromise cell viability. Indeed, uncontrolled ROS production plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D), contributing to the loss of β-cell function and the impairment in insulin signalling, as well as driving the development of diabetic complications, which can severely compromise quality of life. T2D is characterised by persistent hyperglycaemia, which is a leading contributor to ROS overproduction in this disease state. This enhanced, almost uncontrolled, increase in glucose metabolism upregulates several ROS-producing pathways, including the hexosamine pathway, protein kinase C, NADPH oxidase and the mitochondrial electron transport chain. There is accumulating evidence to suggest that in a bid to preserve redox homeostasis, ROS acts to suppress glucose metabolism by inactivating several enzymes involved in the regulation of glycolytic flux, including glucokinase, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphofructokinase-1 and pyruvate kinase. Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) is a multi-faceted transcription factor, with a central role in ROS signalling and redox homeostasis. Whilst NF-κB mediates the transcriptional regulation of many pro-oxidants, NF-κB activity is also regulated by the oxidative status, with ROS having both inhibitory and stimulatory roles in these signalling pathways. Interestingly, NF-κB is also involved in controlling the delicate balance between glycolytic flux and mitochondrial respiration. This review will summarise the interplay linking hyperglycaemia with ROS formation, emphasising the role of glucose metabolism in the process, and the crosstalk of these pathways with NF-κB. Full article

In many organizations, business intelligence systems support analytical reporting and operational decision making. As data volumes grow and analytical tasks become more complex, architectures based on centralized processing pipelines increasingly face limitations related to scalability and timely response. These challenges motivate the development of alternative architectural approaches capable of operating efficiently in data-intensive environments. This study presents a modular multi-agent business intelligence framework that distributes analytical tasks across autonomous agents and applies lightweight reinforcement learning at the decision-making stage. The analytical workflow is decomposed into agents responsible for data collection, preprocessing, analytical modeling, and decision execution. Decision adaptation relies on localized policy updates driven by operational feedback, which avoids complex learning coordination and helps preserve system stability and interpretability. The proposed framework is evaluated using real-world transactional data from an electronic commerce setting. Experimental results show that the approach consistently outperforms centralized analytical pipelines and non-agent machine learning baselines in terms of processing efficiency, classification accuracy, and balanced classification performance. Threshold-independent evaluation further confirms stronger discriminative behavior across varying decision thresholds. In addition, stability analysis across repeated experimental runs indicates reduced performance variance and more predictable system behavior. These findings suggest that the proposed multi-agent business intelligence framework provides a practical and scalable alternative to centralized analytical architectures for data-intensive decision-support environments, while maintaining the robustness and transparency required in enterprise systems. The evaluation is limited to a single dataset and a classification task, and results should be interpreted within this scope. Experiments on the Online Retail dataset (UCI Machine Learning Repository) show an average accuracy of 0.89 ± 0.012 (baseline: 0.74 ± 0.029) and decision latency of 94 ± 9 ms (baseline: 137 ± 16 ms) across 10 independent runs, indicating stable behavior under repeated execution. Full article

Polymer blends are an essential category of materials formed by physically combining two or more polymers. The plasticizing process is advantageous for brittle or rigid polymer systems that need improved flexibility or ductility. The increasing demand for environmentally friendly and high-performance polymeric materials has spurred research into alternative plasticization methods. The use of ionic liquids as non-volatile plasticizers in polymer blends is owing to their outstanding properties. In this short review, several ionic liquids employed in polymer blends and some polymers used in blends with ionic liquids are listed. Additionally, the plasticizing effects of ionic liquids on the properties of polymer blends are concisely elucidated. This review also provides a brief overview of the potential applications of polymer blends plasticized with ionic liquids. In summary, many studies reveal that ionic liquid-based plasticization impacts the structural, thermal, conductive, and mechanical properties of polymer blends. The potential applications of polymer blends plasticized with ionic liquids cover various fields, including energy systems, packaging, electronics, and soft robotics. Full article

Continuous plantar-pressure monitoring is important for objective gait analysis and early detection of abnormal loading; however, many existing solutions remain laboratory-bound (force plates and instrumented walkways) or rely on costly in-shoe multilayer sensor arrays. Here, we developed and optimized a fully screen-printed pressure-sensing insole based on carbon–polymer nanocomposite layers, with an emphasis on manufacturability and process control to bridge the gap between proof-of-concept force-sensitive resistor (FSR)-based insoles and scalable printed-electronics manufacturing workflows. Composite pastes containing carbon fillers (graphene nanoplatelets, carbon black, and graphite) were formulated to improve sensor repeatability and sensitivity. Sensors were characterized under compression loads from 100 N to 1300 N, showing a sensitivity of 10.5 ± 2.8 Ω per 100 N and a sheet-to-sheet coefficient of variation of 22.1% in resistance response. The effects of paste composition, screen mesh density, electrode layout, and lamination on sensitivity and repeatability were systematically evaluated. In addition, correlation analysis of resistance values from integrated quality-control meanders proved useful for monitoring screen-printing process stability. The final insole integrates printed carbon sensing pads and contacts, a dielectric spacer, and an adhesive layer in a thin, flexible format suitable for integration with wearable electronics. In practical static-load tests, repeated manual placement of weights yielded coefficients of variation as low as 4% at 500 g and a detection limit of ~0.1 N, comparable to a very light finger touch. These results demonstrate that low-cost screen-printed electronics can provide robust pressure sensing for wearable plantar-pressure monitoring. Full article

This study investigates the potential of pure chitosan powder as an effective, sustainable, and low-cost adsorbent for the removal of synthetic dyes from aqueous media. The work demonstrates the potential of pristine chitosan for practical wastewater treatment applications by adsorbing two commonly used textile dyes, methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB). To elucidate the adsorption mechanism, chitosan was comprehensively characterized using zeta potential analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM–EDX), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis, and point of zero charge (pHpzc) determination. FTIR analysis revealed notable shifts in –NH₂ and –OH functional groups after dye adsorption, confirming their involvement in electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding with MO and MB. SEM images demonstrated significant surface morphological changes following adsorption, while EDX spectra confirmed successful dye uptake through the appearance of sulfur and nitrogen signals characteristic of MO and MB, respectively. Zeta potential and pHpzc results explained the strong pH-dependent adsorption behavior, highlighting favorable electrostatic attraction between chitosan and the ionic dyes. The optimum adsorption conditions were achieved at adsorbent dosages of 0.5 g for MO and 1.0 g for MB, a contact time of 30 min, initial dye concentrations of 20 and 100 mg/L, and solution pH values of 3 for MO and 9 for MB at room temperature. The adsorption data fit the Langmuir isotherm model, indicating monolayer adsorption on a homogeneous chitosan surface, with maximum adsorption capacities of 7.843 mg/g for MO and 7.605 mg/g for MB. Kinetic studies showed that adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order model, suggesting chemisorption as the dominant mechanism. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption process was endothermic and non-spontaneous under the investigated conditions. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that unmodified chitosan is a practical, eco-friendly adsorbent for dye removal, achieving removal efficiencies comparable to many modified chitosan composites, and represents a promising candidate for sustainable wastewater treatment. Full article

Molecular hydrogen, the basis of hydrogen energy, is formed in many physical and chemical processes, including the absorption of gamma-ray energy by liquid cyclohexane. From the point of view of energy consumption, the stages of gamma radiolytic formation of molecular hydrogen have not been quantified. By means of a new energy method, we analyzed the amounts of released molecular hydrogen during gamma irradiation of liquid cyclohexane in the absence and presence of small additives of bicyclic mono- and dienes RH (initial concentrations of C₀(RH) ≈ 5 × 10⁻³ M/L), depending on the first ionization potentials of the components of solutions determined in the gas phase. Using the new energy method, four primary intermediates—radical anion, electronically excited molecule, radical cation, and superexcited molecule—of liquid cyclohexane gamma radiolysis were identified. Energy, mechanistic, and spin relationships and connections between these four cyclohexane intermediates were established. The experimental value of the adiabatic electron affinity of the cyclohexane molecule is −2.01 eV. The energy of formation of the superexcited cyclohexane molecule is 18 eV (gas phase). Using the energy method, it is shown that an increase in C₀(RH) concentrations from 5 × 10⁻³ to 0.1 M/L leads to a change in the mechanism of RH consumption. Instead of RH activation, as a result of the single electron transfer reaction, RH polymerization begins, which is initiated by cyclohexyl radicals. Full article

Communication is defined as the process of transferring data and exchanging information between interconnected systems. Due to the increasing reliance on digital infrastructures by the military, financial, and healthcare sectors, it is important to ensure the confidential, authentication, and tamper-proof nature of communications. In addition, the increasing need for secure communications in the fields of network security and cryptography have led to the development of numerous systems. The basic requirement of these systems is that under the same key, identical plaintexts do not result in identical ciphertexts. The most significant contribution to this requirement has came from block cipher modes. There are many traditional modes of operation such as the Electronic Code Book (ECB) compromises between simplicity and security. Probabilistic Modes such as the Cipher Block Chaining Mode (CBC) provide a method to randomize data so that the potential for pattern analysis is eliminated, while Deterministic Modes such as ECB enable potential access to the patterns within the plaintexts. Conversely, since the randomization is in the Probabilistic Mode, there is no access to the patterns; however, the sequentiality of the blocks creates dependence and increases the computing overhead. To address these issues, a novel block cipher mode that provides the highest level of security and the most effective method for performing encryption and decryption will be proposed in this paper. It is anticipated that the improved security features and efficient encryption and decryption procedures will significantly improve confidentiality. The methods proposed will utilize compact key structures, parallel processing, a header generation based on multiple random values, and a Key-derived S Box. The experimental results show that SEBCM is more effective than CBC with respect to speed in both encryption and decryption. Full article

Nickel(II) and palladium(II) ions are capable of forming complexes with macrocyclic terapyrrole structures such as the porphyrin or corrin ring. Many different derivatives of these complexes are synthesized and studied because these compounds have potential numerous applications, including catalysis, various light-driven chemical reactions and processes related to intramolecular and intermolecular energy redistribution. Nickel porphyrins exhibit neither fluorescence nor phosphorescence when excited with light; however, palladium porphyrins, when excited to the singlet state, very quickly transform into the triplet state, and unlike nickel porphyrins, deactivation of the excited states occurs by phosphorescence. Palladium corrin has dual luminescent properties and exhibits both a weak fluorescence and strong phosphorescence. These photophysical differences are based on the complex energetic redistribution of singlet and triplet excited states interacting with each other in the intersystem crossing process. Based on the results of calculations at the DFT/TDDFT and CASSCF/NEVPT2 levels of theory, the structure of electronic excited states of model nickel(II) and palladium(II) complexes with corrin and porphyrin macro-rings was characterized and potential paths of photophysical processes leading to the occupancy of low-lying triplet states were described. In nickel complexes, very low-energy triplet states are the main cause of the rapid radiationless deactivation of excited states via triplet photophysical pathways. Full article

Halide perovskites have many advantages in environmental remediation. The photocatalytic performance of halide perovskites is often hindered by low specific surface area and rapid photogenerated carrier recombination. The aim of this work is to prepare a green, novel photocatalyst in the form of biochar-anchored Cs₃Bi₂Br₉ perovskite composites. The rose-petal-derived biomass carbon (RC) provides adsorption sites and high electrical conductivity, while the perovskite Cs₃Bi₂Br₉ can efficiently capture visible right and degrade pollutants, and the reciprocal effect can enhance the photocatalytic efficiency of the composite. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the Cs₃Bi₂Br₉ particles were loaded on the surface of RC. Compared with bare Cs₃Bi₂Br₉, Cs₃Bi₂Br₉/RC composite has a more perfect structure, higher specific surface area, enhanced ability to absorb visible light, and reduced bandgap value. As visible-light-driven photocatalysts, the prepared Cs₃Bi₂Br₉/RC composites can enhance the removal efficiency of Rhodamine B. The Cs₃Bi₂Br₉/RC–0.2 composite displays the highest degradation efficiencies for RhB (10 mg/L), reaching 98% within 60 min. And the rate constant (k) is 1.9 times that of bare Cs₃Bi₂Br₉. The results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) show that the interaction between RC and Cs₃Bi₂Br₉ speeds up charge carrier separation and transfer. During photocatalytic process, holes (h⁺) and superoxide radicals (·O₂⁻) played major roles. The composites also showed excellent stability. It is meaningful to deal with a large number of withered rose petals to make them high-value products. This work not only provides a guideline for the construction of perovskite composites materials but also shows the promising prospects of biochar composites in deep treatment for contaminated water. Full article

The therapeutic efficacy of antibiotics has been significant in extending human life expectancy by combating virulent bacterial infections. Nevertheless, multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms remain a global crisis as these bacteria have developed resistance to conventional antibacterial agents. An unexplored antibiotic target found exclusively in bacteria is the Na⁺-translocating NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (NQR), which is an indispensable membrane-bound bacterial enzyme complex that enables cellular functionality and is present in many infectious bacterial species, including Vibrio cholerae and H. influenzae. NQR serves as an essential complex in the bacterial electron transport chain (ETC) and operates as a highly conserved primary Na⁺ pump that drives many bioenergetic functions. This six-subunit protein shuttles electrons from NADH to ubiquinone, which drives the translocation of Na⁺ ions and creates a gradient that provides the driving force for various cellular processes. We have synthesized and evaluated a series of 1,4-naphthoquinones that exhibit high potency against NQR with minimal cytotoxicity and potential to serve as new, NQR-targeting antibacterial agents for use against V. cholerae. Full article

Diagnostic errors have been a critical concern in healthcare, leading to substantial financial burdens and serious threats to patient safety. The Improving Diagnosis in Health Care report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) defines diagnostic errors, focusing on accuracy, timeliness, and communication, which are influenced by clinical knowledge and the broader healthcare system. This review aims to integrate existing literature on diagnostic error from a systems-based perspective and examine the factors across various domains to present a comprehensive picture of the topic. A narrative literature review was structured upon the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model that focuses on six domains central to the diagnostic process: Diagnostic Team Members, Tasks, Technologies and Tools, Organization, Physical Environment, and External Environment. Studies on contributing factors for diagnostic error in these domains were identified and integrated. The findings reveal that the effectiveness of diagnostics is influenced by complex, interconnected factors spanning all six SEIPS domains. In particular, socio-behavioral factors, such as team communication, cognitive bias, and workload, and environmental pressures, stand out as significant but difficult-to-capture contributors in traditional and commonly used data resources like electronic health records (EHRs), which limits the scope of many studies on diagnostic errors. Factors associated with diagnostic errors are often interconnected across healthcare system stakeholders and organizations. Future research should address both technical and behavioral elements within the diagnostic ecosystem to reduce errors and enhance patient outcomes. Full article

We employ the Dynamical Projective Operatorial Approach (DPOA) to investigate the ultrafast optical excitations of germanium under intense, ultrashort pump pulses. The method has very low resource demand relative to many other available approaches and enables detailed calculation of the residual electron and hole populations induced by the pump pulse. It provides direct access to the energy distribution of excited carriers and to the total energy transferred to the system. By decomposing the response into contributions from different multi-photon resonant processes, we systematically study the dependence of excited-carrier density and absorbed energy on key pump-pulse parameters: duration, amplitude, and photon energy. Our results reveal a complex interplay between these parameters, governed by resonant Rabi-like dynamics and competition between different multi-photon absorption channels. For the studied germanium setup, we find that two-photon processes are generally dominant, while one- and three-photon channels become significant under specific conditions of pump-pulse frequency, duration, and intensity. This comprehensive analysis offers practical insights for optimizing ultrafast optical control in semiconductors by targeting specific multi-photon pathways. Full article