Search Results (13,194)

Finger vein recognition (FVR) has significant potential in biometrics due to its high accuracy and intrinsic liveness detection capabilities. However, the increasingly stringent privacy regulations have presented severe data security challenges for traditional centralized training. While federated learning (FL) mitigates these privacy concerns through a decentralized training paradigm, conventional FL algorithms that seek a single global model experience significant performance degradation on non-independent and identically distributed (Non-IID) data in real-world cross-institutional deployments. This degradation stems primarily from a dual-heterogeneity issue that involves domain shift caused by hardware discrepancies across acquisition devices, and label skew resulting from nonoverlapping user identities. To address this dual-heterogeneity challenge, we propose a personalized federated learning framework driven by hierarchical parameter decoupling and subspace metric. First, we designed a hierarchical parameter decoupling architecture. Macroscopically, the architecture retains the classifier locally to isolate label heterogeneity; microscopically, it introduces an additive parameter decomposition that decouples the feature extractor on a global full-rank basis (to capture domain-invariant semantics, namely, the shared physiological vein topologies) and a local low-rank adapter (that accommodates device-specific characteristics, such as hardware-induced noise and illumination discrepancies). Furthermore, we propose a subspace similarity matching strategy based on principal angles on the Grassmann manifold. By exploiting the geometric properties of low-rank projection matrices, this strategy accurately quantifies the underlying distribution discrepancies among clients to guide personalized weighted aggregation. Extensive experiments on six public finger vein datasets demonstrate that the proposed framework significantly improves the overall recognition performance and mitigates performance degradation caused by data heterogeneity. Full article

The geological environment evaluation of abandoned open-pit mines frequently encounters challenges, including the reliance of subjective weighting on judgment matrices, the complexity of weight adjustment, and the inadequate interpretation of systematic evaluation results. Addressing these limitations in existing AHP/FAHP and their combinatory weighting models, this study proposes the IRBMO-G1-EWM-FCE framework. This framework embeds the Improved Red Billed Blue Magpie Optimizer (IRBMO) into the improved G1 method to optimize indicator contribution rates, and subsequently integrates EWM, game theory combinatory weighting, and Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE) to evaluate three abandoned quarries in the Yellow River Basin of Shaanxi Province. The results demonstrate that across 20 independent runs, IRBMO yields a mean fitness value of 1.6496, lower than the 1.7732 of RBMO, with a 63.8% reduction in standard deviation, thereby indicating superior convergence accuracy and stability. The comprehensive membership degrees of the three quarries are A = [0.405,0.143,0.452], B = [0.405,0.450,0.145], and C = [0.742,0.077,0.181], corresponding to evaluation grades of Grade III, Grade II, and Grade I, respectively. While circumventing the construction of complete judgment matrices and consistency modifications, this method incorporates both expert experience and data discreteness into the evaluation, thereby providing an interpretable quantitative tool for geological environment classification, governance priority identification, and restoration decision-making for abandoned open-pit mines. Full article

This work examines the nonlinear dynamics of a generalized Korteweg–de Vries–Zakharov–Kuznetsov equation, a model that appears in plasma physics, shallow water flows, and nonlinear wave propagation. By applying a solitary-wave transformation, the governing partial differential equation is reduced to an autonomous dynamical system, enabling a direct study of its phase portraits and equilibrium behavior. Stability of the fixed points is assessed through Jacobian matrices and eigenvalue classification, revealing parameter regimes that admit saddle states, centers, and oscillatory structures. The system’s richer behavior is explored by varying key parameters, with phase-space trajectories exhibiting periodic, quasiperiodic, and irregular wave patterns. To probe the onset of complexity, we employ several diagnostic tools, including time-series evolution, Lyapunov exponents, bifurcation analysis, sensitivity tests, and Poincaré sections, which together indicate transitions to chaotic motion. The resulting dynamics are further captured using a nonlinear autoregressive neural network, which accurately reproduces the observed trajectories. The combination of analytical and computational perspectives provides a clear framework for understanding this generalized equation and offers a practical approach for investigating other nonlinear systems with a similar structure. Full article

The increasing demand for clean-label meat products has accelerated interest in natural bioactive compounds, including essential oils, plant polyphenols, and bacteriocins, as alternatives to synthetic preservatives. These compounds have the potential to enhance product safety and shelf life while meeting consumer expectations. Many natural bioactives exhibit antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, enabling them to reduce lipid oxidation and inhibit the growth of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in meat systems. Despite these benefits, their practical application remains limited by instability, volatility, poor solubility, and undesirable sensory effects. Encapsulation technologies have emerged as effective approaches to overcome these limitations by enhancing stability, controlling release behavior, and improving compatibility with complex meat matrices. This review synthesizes evidence from 154 studies published between 2010 and 2026 on the application of encapsulation technologies, including microencapsulation, nanoemulsions, liposomes, and cyclodextrin-based systems, for natural bioactives in meat systems. Encapsulated bioactive delivery systems are evaluated by integrating spoilage mechanisms, delivery system design, and application strategies. Encapsulation approaches are discussed in terms of structure–function relationships, release behavior, and interactions with meat components. Application strategies, including direct incorporation, edible coatings, and active packaging, are comparatively analyzed based on their functional performance in meat systems. Overall, nanoscale delivery systems are particularly effective in improving the dispersion, stability, and functional performance of hydrophobic bioactives, while controlled-release systems offer prolonged protection but often exhibit reduced predictability when translated from model systems to real meat matrices. Current challenges related to scalability, cost, regulatory constraints, sensory impact, industrial implementation, and the safe design of sustained-release antimicrobial systems are also addressed, thereby providing a framework for the rational development and implementation of effective clean-label preservation strategies in meat systems. Full article

Background: Conventional ophthalmic eye drops have low bioavailability (<5%) and poor patient adherence, driving the development of sustained-release ophthalmic drug delivery systems. The lacrimal drainage system represents a unique anatomical site for minimally invasive depot formulations. Objective: To summarize and critically appraise punctal and intracanalicular drug delivery systems, occlusive devices, and in situ-forming hydrogels with respect to composition, release mechanisms, clinical efficacy, safety, and critical quality attributes (CQAs). Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov, and patent/regulatory sources, including FDA materials and Google Patents, covering 2001–2026. Anatomical features, materials, active pharmaceutical ingredients, release profiles, and adverse events were analyzed. Results: Seventy-one sources were included. Occlusive plugs without an active pharmaceutical ingredient demonstrate premature expulsion in up to 57.4% of cases and bacterial colonization in 44%. Drug delivery systems provide release from 7 days (PEGDA hydrogels) to 3 months (Eximore, Ocular Therapeutix™). DEXTENZA^® (dexamethasone) is FDA-approved for postoperative inflammation, whereas pivotal trials of travoprost (OTX-TP) and latanoprost systems (L-PPDS, EXP-LP) did not demonstrate superiority over placebo or eye drops. In situ systems eliminate size-fitting requirements but face challenges related to gelation control and biodegradation. Conclusions: We propose the following candidate CQAs: retention (>80% over 4 weeks), swelling degree (30–60%), controlled burst release (<40% within 24 h), and mechanical compatibility. The proposed QTPP matrices for punctal, intracanalicular, and in situ systems may guide the development of ophthalmic drug delivery platforms. Full article

This review critically analyzes bioactive compounds derived from agro-industrial by-products, including polyphenols, natural pigments, dietary fiber, prebiotics, lipids, proteins, and bioactive peptides. The review examines their chemical characteristics, major agro-industrial sources, and recovery strategies, highlighting both conventional technologies and emerging green technologies, such as ultrasound-assisted extraction, supercritical fluids, and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs). Across compound classes, common patterns are identified, including the importance of external plant tissues as primary biological reservoirs, as well as a methodological convergence in extraction processes despite the wide chemical diversity of the molecules. Shared challenges related to compound stability, scalability, and process efficiency are also discussed. The results demonstrate that agro-industrial by-products should be understood as complex, integrated matrices rather than isolated sources of individual compounds, thereby supporting the development of unified biorefinery schemes. Unlike previous reviews focused on individual compound classes, this review integrates multiple classes of bioactive compounds, green extraction technologies, analytical characterization strategies, and industrial valorization approaches within a circular biorefinery framework. In conclusion, this review helps bridge the current fragmented understanding of waste valorization and highlights key opportunities for the sustainable development of high-value-added functional ingredients within the framework of the circular economy. Full article

Praziquantel (PZQ) is a widely used antiparasitic drug in aquaculture; however, data on its environmental fate, tissue distribution, and metabolite kinetics in fish following bath treatment remain limited, particularly with respect to its metabolites. This study investigated the long-term elimination of PZQ and its two major metabolites, trans-4-hydroxypraziquantel (TPZQ) and cis-4-hydroxypraziquantel (CPZQ), in water and selected biological matrices of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) following a 24 h therapeutic bath with PZQ administered at 4 mg/L. Results showed a rapid decrease in PZQ in water after the transfer of fish to clean water, accompanied by a transient increase in its metabolites, with TPZQ as the predominant metabolite. PZQ tissue residues were highest in the hepatopancreas, caudal kidney, and skin, where the parent compound remained detectable up to day 14 of the experiment. Among the metabolites, higher concentrations of CPZQ were detected across all examined tissues; however, its elimination rate was faster than that of TPZQ. This difference was most pronounced in plasma and skin, where TPZQ remained detectable until day 7 of the experiment, whereas the cis-form was detected only up to day 3. Similar to the parent compound, the highest concentrations of both monitored metabolites were observed in the hepatopancreas and caudal kidney, where they remained detectable until day 7 of the experiment. These findings provide comprehensive insight into the distribution and elimination of PZQ in grass carp following 24 h bath administration and contribute valuable data that may support environmental risk assessment and future withdrawal-period evaluation in aquaculture. Full article

To address the inherent drawbacks of peroxymonosulfate advanced oxidation processes (PMS-AOPs), including the low efficiency of reactive species production, short radical half-lives, and restricted pollutant degradation performance, sodium salt-assisted modification was adopted to fabricate ZIF-8-derived carbon. In this study, sodium salt-assisted modification was adopted to treat ZIF-8, and the chlorine-doped derived carbon materials HNC-T_x-Cl were prepared for peroxymonosulfate activation and tetracycline degradation in water. Compared with NC-800 fabricated by direct calcination of ZIF-8 at 800 °C, HNC-800-Cl synthesized via NaCl-assisted calcination exhibits more abundant pore structures and richer carbon defects, with a specific surface area of 1115 m²/g and a high graphitic defect ratio I_D/I_G of 1.20. Catalytic tests reveal that HNC-800-Cl achieves 93.39% tetracycline removal within 90 min at a catalyst dosage of 0.05 g L⁻¹ and PMS concentration of 0.1 mM. The system possesses a strong anti-interference ability toward complex water environments, maintaining a favorable degradation performance in the presence of coexisting anions, natural organic matter and actual water matrices. It also exhibits outstanding cycling stability, retaining a removal rate of 80.34% after five recycling runs. Radical quenching experiments and EPR characterization verify that superoxide radical (·O₂⁻) is the dominant reactive species during tetracycline degradation. Both the radical and non-radical pathways are clarified to illustrate the mechanisms of PMS activation and pollutant degradation. This work provides a novel catalytic material strategy to overcome the deficiencies of conventional PMS-AOPs, and offers a new perspective for structural regulation and non-metallic doping modification of ZIF-8-derived carbon materials. Full article

Given the prevalence of chronic wounds and soft tissue defects, which are associated with major complications such as persistent inflammation, poor vascularization, infection risk, and delayed tissue remodeling, there is a need for new materials that can overcome these limitations. Fibrin-based materials have attracted researchers’ attention for their roles in hemostasis and wound healing, as well as their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and ability to mimic the extracellular matrix. Regarding the clinical applicability of fibrin-based materials, they are currently available on the market as fibrin sealants. However, efforts are underway to improve their properties by developing hydrogels, platelet-derived fibrin matrices, and composite scaffolds that enhance mechanical stability, bioactivity, and the controlled release of cells or therapeutic agents. In addition, the number of clinical studies and registered clinical trials reflects interest in the potential applicability of fibrin-based materials in medical applications. However, the available clinical evidence remains limited for many emerging systems, and further validation is required. Although significant limitations remain, including rapid degradation, variable mechanical strength, and the need for standardized manufacturing processes, recent advances in hybrid systems and biofabrication technologies suggest promising future potential for personalized regenerative therapies. Full article

Tea tree essential oil (TTO), extracted from Melaleuca alternifolia, is a terpene-rich botanical antimicrobial with demonstrated broad-spectrum activity against foodborne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. Its bioactivity is principally attributed to oxygenated monoterpenes, most notably including terpinen-4-ol, γ-terpinene, and α-terpinene, whose structure–activity relationships govern interactions with microbial membranes and intracellular targets. This review provides a comprehensive, mechanistically grounded analysis of TTO as a sustainable antimicrobial platform for food preservation applications. The physicochemical determinants of TTO performance are critically assessed, encompassing chemotype-dependent compositional variability, hydrophobicity, limited aqueous solubility, and oxidative instability, with emphasis on how these properties constrain efficacy in complex food matrices. Antimicrobial mechanisms are systematically examined, including membrane permeabilization, disruption of cellular homeostasis, oxidative stress induction, and quorum-sensing interference. Focus is placed on nanostructured delivery systems, including nanoemulsions, biopolymer-based encapsulants, and hybrid nanocomposites, that improve physicochemical stability, modulate release kinetics, and potentiate antimicrobial activity. The integration of these engineered formulations into edible coatings, active packaging, and sanitation protocols across fresh produce, meat, and dairy systems is evaluated in the context of practical food safety applications. Translational limitations are addressed, including volatility, sensory incompatibility, regulatory constraints, and concentration-dependent cytotoxicity considerations. Collectively, this review positions TTO-based nanoformulations as a scientifically promising and technologically scalable approach to next-generation food preservation, while identifying critical gaps that must be resolved to support regulatory acceptance and commercial implementation. Full article

The rapid development of airport economic zones has significantly reshaped regional land-use structures and industrial spatial organization. Taking the Nanjing Airport Economic Zone as the study area, this study integrates multi-source geospatial data, including land-use data, enterprise registration records, Points of Interest (POIs), transportation networks, nighttime light intensity, population, topography, and ecological-environmental variables for 2013, 2018, and 2023. Land-use transition matrices, spatial autocorrelation analysis, standard deviation ellipse analysis, Geodetector, and Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) models were employed to examine land-use transition, industrial spatial restructuring, and their influencing factors from 2013 to 2023. The results show that: (1) Land-use change in the study area was mainly characterized by the decline of cropland, the expansion of impervious surfaces, and the shrinkage of water bodies. From 2013 to 2023, cropland decreased from 81.07 km² to 70.12 km², impervious surfaces increased from 10.98 km² to 25.65 km², and water bodies decreased from 5.50 km² to 1.79 km². The conversion from cropland to impervious surfaces was the dominant transition pathway, covering 14.67 km². (2) Industrial space exhibited significant spatial clustering, with a Moran’s I value of 0.9639 in 2023. The standard deviation ellipse results indicate that industrial space expanded during 2013–2018 and contracted during 2018–2023, suggesting a shift from extensive outward expansion to relative agglomeration around the core area and major transport corridors. (3) Nighttime light intensity and distance to major transport access points were important explanatory factors for industrial spatial distribution, with q-values of 0.396 and 0.310, respectively. The interaction between slope and metro accessibility showed the strongest explanatory power, with a q-value of 0.6967. The MGWR results further revealed the spatial heterogeneity of the effects of transportation, economic activity, population concentration, and ecological constraints. Overall, land-use transition and industrial spatial restructuring in the Nanjing Airport Economic Zone were jointly shaped by transportation accessibility, economic vitality, population agglomeration, and ecological constraints. These findings provide a reference for land-use optimization and industrial spatial governance in airport economic zones. Full article

Background: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a major cause of morbidity and lower extremity amputation. Numerous advanced wound therapies with various mechanisms of action have been developed to improve healing outcomes; however, the comparative certainty of evidence supporting these interventions remains unclear. This study evaluates randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of DFU therapies using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework. Methods: A narrative synthesis of RCTs published between January 2016-January 2026 evaluating therapies for DFUs was performed. For studies that reported 12–week healing outcomes, risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool and certainty of evidence for each therapy subgroup was evaluated using the GRADE framework. Results: A total of 143 RCTs were included with 45 RCTs undergoing GRADE assessment. The proportion of studies demonstrating statistically significant improvements in 12-week healing rates relative to controls varied and was not reflected in the GRADE assessment. Moderate-certainty evidence was assigned to the hyperbaric oxygen therapy subgroup. Low-certainty evidence was assigned to silver dressings, biosynthetic scaffolds, stem cell therapy, and negative pressure wound therapy. Very low-certainty evidence was assigned to topical oxygen, synthetic structural scaffolds, moisture-retaining dressings, local antimicrobial delivery, placental-derived skin substitutes, platelet-rich plasma, acellular dermal matrices, allografts/xenografts, and off-loading devices. No therapy subgroup was assigned high-certainty evidence. Conclusions: The certainty of evidence supporting DFU therapies varies substantially across intervention categories. These findings highlight the need for larger, methodologically rigorous comparative trials to clarify the effectiveness of DFU therapies and guide evidence-based wound care. Full article

Engineered cementitious composites (ECCs) reinforced with imported polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or polyethylene (PE) fibers exhibit high tensile deformability, but the fiber cost limits the wider application of ECCs. In this study, locally produced PVA and PE fibers were used to develop lower-cost ECC, and PVA–PE fiber hybridization was adopted to improve tensile deformability. Based on matrices with various fly ash volumes, the single-fiber pullout behavior was first investigated at the micromechanical level. The results showed that PVA and PE fibers failed mainly by rupture and pullout, respectively, and that the chemical bonding between PVA fibers and the surrounding matrix decreased with increasing fly ash volume. The effects of single-fiber addition and hybrid-fiber addition on the macromechanical properties of ECC were then examined. The results indicated that ECC reinforced with hybrid PVA–PE fibers exhibited enhanced tensile performance compared with ECC reinforced with either PVA or PE fibers alone, with an ultimate tensile strain exceeding 5.3%, an average crack width below 39 μm, and hybrid reinforcing effect coefficients of 1.17–1.30, indicating a positive hybrid effect. Overall, the lower-cost ECC incorporating hybrid local fibers developed in this study demonstrates promising tensile deformability and crack-control capacity. Full article

Sample preparation is frequently a time-consuming process and can be a major bottleneck in many analytical techniques that involve some form of modification to a sample so that it can be analyzed without interference or to increase its sensitivity. As part of the movement towards “green analytical chemistry”, the reduction in organic solvent usage and toxicity via alternative solvents compared to those traditionally used in analytical chemistry has gained increasing interest. Although ionic liquids were thought to have limitations, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are being looked at as alternatives to traditional organic solvents in analytical chemistry because of their ability to produce a “tunable” set of physico-chemical properties that enable the selective and efficient extraction of a wide variety of analytes from a very diverse array of matrices. Although deep eutectic solvents have attracted increasing attention in analytical extraction applications, a systematic comparison of their performance across various extraction techniques is still lacking. This review fills this gap by offering a comprehensive and integrated evaluation of DES-based extraction approaches, emphasizing the interdependence between solvent characteristics, extraction efficiency, selectivity, and sustainability. The insights presented herein are intended to support the rational selection of appropriate DES-based extraction strategies for diverse analytical purposes. Moreover, these findings are expected to contribute to the advancement of greener, more efficient sample preparation methodologies within the field of green analytical chemistry. In this review article, we describe several analytical chemistry techniques that utilize DESs, such as dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction, solid-phase extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, etc., and explain the basic principles and mechanisms behind each technique. Additionally, comparative evaluations are provided to identify the relative advantages and disadvantages of the techniques mentioned above in terms of extraction efficiency and selectivity, and speculation regarding future trends and challenges in DES-based extraction systems will also be included. By integrating recent advances and comparative performance assessments, this review serves as a reference for researchers and industry practitioners, fostering innovation and promoting the wider adoption of sustainable extraction technologies. Full article

The bioconversion of agro-industrial waste represents a promising strategy for the valorisation of residual biomass. However, the chemical complexity of these matrices and the presence of potentially inhibitory compounds limit their direct use in several bioprocesses. In this study, a quantitative, time-resolved method was used to select bacteria for bioconverting agro-industrial by-products. The growth dynamics of bacterial strains were screened using olive and grape pomace at different compositions (up to 15%) and formulations. An integrated scoring approach (0–1) was used to compare strain behaviour across experimental conditions. The results revealed strain-dependent variability, with a matrix concentration of 10% defined as the growth-limiting concentration, with approximately 50% positive results. Among the tested strains, Bacillus subtilis BL showed a consistent and reproducible response across different by-products and formulations, maintaining stable spore viability over time, particularly in formulations supplemented with calcium carbonate (on average 10⁹ UFC/mL after 144 h). Mixed agro-industrial matrices promoted a more homogeneous and stable microbial response than individual components (reaching 10⁹ CFU/mL after approximately 100 h), supporting their direct use in a real operating environment. Overall, this work proposes a transferable quantitative approach to selecting microorganisms suitable for bioconversion of agro-industrial by-products, providing a methodological basis for developing more reliable and reproducible formulations. Full article