Search Results (4,974)

The Permian Taiyuan and Shanxi Formations of the Upper Paleozoic in the Ordos Basin are the primary source rock sequences for tight sandstone gas. The core problem lies in the uncertainty surrounding the gas generation process at the overmature stage. To clarify hydrocarbon generation processes and the potential of coal, carbonaceous mudstone and dark mudstone, we integrate basin modeling and hydrocarbon generation pyrolysis thermal simulation experiments. Using PetroMod software and measured well data on vitrinite reflectance (Ro), total organic carbon (TOC), T_max and hydrocarbon generation potential (S₁ + S₂), we quantitatively reconstruct the burial, thermal, maturity and hydrocarbon evolution histories of the southern Ordos Basin. The results indicate that the main oil generation window is concentrated at 400 °C, and gas yield increases continuously from 350 °C to 700 °C without a peak, showing that coal and carbonaceous mudstone still have considerable hydrocarbon generation potential under extreme high-temperature conditions. Combining the hydrocarbon generation ratio, rock density and TOC data, coal is identified as the predominant source rock in the southern Ordos Basin. This study provides a scientific basis for tight gas exploration in cratonic basins, enhances the understanding of gas generation in coal-bearing source rocks, and offers a new perspective for oil and gas resource evaluation. Full article

While Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. (Z. bungeanum) pericarps are a globally prized spice, their leaves are frequently discarded as agricultural waste. This study systematically characterizes the aromatic potential of leaf by-products compared with traditional pericarps under diverse extraction strategies, utilizing an integrated flavoromics and sensomics approach. Qualitative GC-MS-O analysis revealed that leaf-derived fractions possess superior aromatic diversity: leaf essential oil and volatile solvent extract yielded 71 and 68 odorants, respectively, significantly surpassing pericarp counterparts (65 and 43 compounds). Concurrently, HS-GC-IMS profiling confirmed that targeted extraction allows leaf-derived flavors to replicate and exceed traditional spice complexity. Specifically, the leaf solvent extract achieved aromatic parity with pericarps by effectively mirroring the core spicy–citrus profile through cuminaldehyde and limonene retention. Conversely, distilled leaf essential oil unlocked a distinctive herbal–woody sensory innovation, driven by eucalyptol and a broader variety of aldehydes and ketones. Sensomics validation, incorporating aroma recombination, omission experiments, and partial least-squares regression modeling, conclusively identified β-myrcene, limonene, caryophyllene, and humulene as core molecular markers dictating these perceptual shifts. Ultimately, this research provides a robust theoretical foundation for upcycling Z. bungeanum leaves into valuable flavoring resources, facilitating circular bio-economy practices by delivering functional equivalence and entirely novel sensory experiences for the global food industry. Full article

Frankincense is a natural oleo-gum resin obtained from several Boswellia tree species, playing important roles in supporting the spiritual, cultural, and socioeconomic livelihoods of communities across East Africa. Despite their cultural and economic value, the Ethiopian market still lacks scientifically based criteria to evaluate and properly classify this raw material, with traditional grading relying on gum size, color, collection area, and impurity content. Frankincense-derived essential oil value is much higher than that of gum, making this valorization route very enticing. This work compares the extraction potential and chemical profiles of hydrodistilled essential oils from various commercial grades and also different Ethiopian harvest locations (Afar, Humera, Assosa, Shire, Metema, South Omo, Borena and Jigjiga). The essential oils were extracted using hydrodistillation with a Clevenger-type apparatus, and their chemical composition was identified with GC-MS. The results revealed no substantial quantitative and qualitative differences among commercial grades, showing that essential oils can be obtained indiscriminately from classification. As for harvesting locations, both the extraction yield and essential oil compositions varied substantially. With the economic value of frankincense essential oil around six times that of the raw resin required to obtain it, these results show the importance of revising the commercial grading system to reflect chemical composition and promote the value-added processing of both black and white frankincense, rather than relying mainly on raw resin exports. Full article

Soybean is an important global crop used for oil, food, and feed production. To increase yield and land-use efficiency, growers often plant soybean at a high density or use intercropping systems. Under these systems, soybeans frequently experience shade stress, which directly affects agronomic traits such as plant height. Although researchers have well documented the genetic basis of plant height under normal conditions, the loci responsible for height variation under shade stress remain largely unexplored. Therefore, we performed a restricted two-stage multi-locus multi-allele genome-wide association study (RTM-GWAS) using SNP linkage disequilibrium block (SNPLDB) markers to identify QTLs associated with soybean plant height under shade stress. We evaluated a natural population of 181 soybean accessions for plant height traits under both normal and shaded conditions across four environments for three years. Using the Soybean40K chip, we derived 11,463 SNPLDB markers and identified 42, 33, and 28 significant SNPLDBs associated with plant height, average internode length, and number of main-stem nodes, respectively. For each SNPLDB, we estimated haplotype (allele) effects and assembled QTL–allele matrices to summarize the population’s genetic composition. Four SNPLDB loci proved stable across multiple environments, exhibiting high −lg(p) values and explaining substantial phenotypic variation. Finally, we projected that 80 candidate genes resided within 180 kb of these stable loci, and we identified four strong candidate genes linked to plant height traits based on combined positional and functional evidence. These results clarify genetic factors that influence soybean height under shading and could aid development of high-yielding soybean varieties. Full article

Mounting acaricide resistance in Tetranychus mexicanus (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae), among the most damaging phytophagous mites in tropical and subtropical crops, has intensified the search for botanical alternatives. An oil-in-water nanoemulsion of Thymus vulgaris essential oil (TVEO-NE) was developed and evaluated for lethal and sublethal effects on adult females of T. mexicanus. TVEO, composed mainly of thymol (45%) and p-cymene (37%), was formulated by low-energy emulsification yielding stable dispersions (~200 nm; PDI < 0.25; zeta potential of −22.2 mV). At 30.0 mg a.i./mL, TVEO-NE caused 68.3% corrected mortality at 72 h and suppressed fecundity by ~44–52%; vehicle controls exerted only moderate effects, identifying the essential oil as the primary bioactive driver. Morphological examination revealed collapse of female idiosomata and disruption of excretory pellet architecture, corroborating the bioassay data. Molecular docking against a cathepsin L homology model revealed that thymol and p-cymene interact exclusively via hydrophobic contacts and display substantially lower ChemPLP fitness scores than the reference cysteine protease inhibitor E64, indicating weak predicted binding affinity and arguing against enzyme inhibition as the primary mechanism. Taken together, bioassay, morphological, and docking are consistent with supporting membrane partitioning as a plausible primary mode of action, positioning TVEO-based nanoemulsions as promising botanical tools for T. mexicanus management. Full article

Global demand for sustainability drives interest in bioenergy from sustainable feedstock. Agro-industrial waste such as brewer’s spent grains (BSG) is an important by-product of brewing. This study provides a comprehensive review of the current technologies of BSG for energy recovery and BSG-based materials for energy storage applications. The latest scientific progress, not only from conventional processes on anaerobic digestion, combustion, gasification, pyrolysis, torrefaction, and hydrothermal liquefaction but also from several integrated technologies, pretreatment methods, and additives/catalysts regarding the improvement of energy efficiency and process sustainability, was reviewed. In addition, the co-feedstock practices (co-combustion, anaerobic co-digestion, hydrothermal co-liquefaction, anaerobic co-fermentation) and co-production were examined. AD of BSG yields about 302 NL CH₄/kg COD, generating roughly 0.39 kWh of electricity/kg BSG and 1.71 MJ of thermal energy/kg BSG. Ultrasonic pretreatment enhances methane production up to four times (107 L CH₄/kg TVS) and reduces CO₂ emissions by 0.083 t CO₂eq/t BSG. Anaerobic co-digestion of BSG with other brewery waste increased the yield up to 88 mL CH₄/g TVS, generated approx. 0.348 kWh/kg TVS electricity, and reduced emissions by 0.114 kg CO₂eq/kg TVS. Bioethanol yields can reach 72%, while biohydrogen generation was up to 5154 mL H₂/g glucose. BSG pyrolysis provides up to 71.8% bio-oil, and its calorific value is 18–25 MJ/kg. BSG-derived activated biocarbon has a notable surface area (1792 m²/g) for lithium–sulfur batteries. The assessment showed that BSG’s transformation into bioenergy and energy storage materials aligns with waste reduction and sustainable development goals. However, future research on combined alternative wastes, integrated technologies, green nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence technology could lead to optimal performance and facilitate their industrial application. Full article

To tackle the environmental challenges associated with industrial oily wastewater discharges and recurrent marine oil spill incidents, developing high-efficiency oil–water separation technologies represents a pressing environmental challenge. This research presents a novel design approach comprising the deposition of a stable SiO₂ anchoring layer followed by the fabrication of a PDA/CS crosslinked coating, thereby achieving successful construction of a superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic (SH/UWSO) coating on stainless steel meshes (SSM). In the first step, SiO₂ microspheres were deposited via vapor deposition to create a micro-rough surface architecture. Subsequently, a dopamine/chitosan (DA/CS) reaction solution was introduced to form a Polydopamine/chitosan (PDA/CS) coating, yielding a SiO₂@PDA/CS-SSM separation membrane. The resulting membrane exhibited separation efficiencies surpassing 99% for various oil–water mixtures, achieving a flux of 1.24 × 10⁵ L·m⁻²·h⁻¹ in petroleum ether systems. Notably, the membrane maintained high efficiency and structural stability even after 25 separation cycles, immersion in strong acid and base solutions for 72 h, and 100 abrasion tests. The rational design of the anchoring and crosslinking layers endows SiO₂@PDA/CS-SSM with high efficiency and stability, making it an effective oil–water separation material. Full article

The edible seeds of pumpkin plants (genus Cucurbita) are becoming increasingly appreciated as functional foods for their nutritional benefits, medicinal properties, and bioactive compounds, including lipids, proteins, and antioxidants. Particularly, the naked seeds of Cucurbita pepo var. styriaca have proved to yield both an edible oil showing anti-inflammatory properties in treating skin disorders and hydro-alcoholic extracts effective in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. In this study, a detailed and extensive analysis of the eco-friendly alcoholic extract of the seeds of this variety was accomplished by using LC-HRMSMS techniques, with the main aim to broaden the knowledge on bioactive lipids other than the already reported fatty acids. The obtained results highlighted the occurrence of numerous compounds belonging to different classes of polar and neutral lipids, such as phospholipids, sphingolipids, glycolipids, acylglycerols, and oxylipins. Noteworthily, a significant presence of Cer-(EO)LCBs, i.e., Cer-EOS-type ceramides with different long chain base (LCB) and fatty acid composition, was detected, representing a real novelty for pumpkin. Additionally, a good number of multiflorane-type triterpenoids were detected, only some of which were previously reported in this plant. These findings highlight the nutraceutical value of these edible seeds. Full article

Background/Objectives: Otomycosis is a recurrent fungal infection of the external auditory canal. This disease is difficult to manage with current antifungal agents due to irritation, ototoxicity risk, and emerging resistance. Natural essential oils have been proposed as alternatives, yet their clinical application in otic formulations remains limited due to their poor solubility and stability. In this study, we report the first ear-drop formulation combining microemulsified Ocimum gratissimum essential oil and acetic acid for otomycosis treatment. Methods: The essential oil was quality-validated with eugenol content superior to 60%. A systematic formulation study was performed, and the Tween 20/isopropanol (4:1, w/w) mixture was selected as the optimal surfactant system, yielding a stable microemulsion with high encapsulation efficiency (~98%) and relevant physicochemical stability (up to 28 days). The final formulation containing 1% acetic acid and 0.3% micro-emulsified essential oil met pharmacopeial requirements in terms of appearance, pH, viscosity, and microbial limits. Results: Importantly, this micro-emulsified eardrop demonstrated significantly greater in vitro antifungal activity than 3% boric acid and 2% acetic acid eardrops in twelve clinical fungal isolates from Vietnamese swimmers, especially on Curvularia, Cunninghamella, Aspergillus terreus, and Bipolaris. Although less pronounced than 1% clotrimazole, the finalized formulation demonstrates better antifungal kinetics and a broader activity spectrum. Conclusions: This work provides relevant experimental evidence on the use of Ocimum gratissimum essential oil in a microemulsion delivery system and demonstrates its efficacy against clinically relevant otomycosis pathogens. The results establish a foundation for future in vivo and clinical studies. Full article

This Communication reports limited engineering screening data on polymer liner candidates for flexible composite pipes used in oil and gas service. Three exposure conditions were considered: hydrothermal aging in superheated water, thermal-oxidative aging in dry air, and hydrocarbon-medium exposure. Superheated-water immersion for up to 1000 h, dry-air aging for 168 h, and 7-day hydrocarbon exposure were used to describe changes in tensile properties, Shore hardness, mass, and thickness. Complete replicate records were available only for the thermal-oxidative aging dataset; therefore, most hydrothermal and hydrocarbon-medium results are reported as descriptive summary data. In the recorded data, EPDM formulation CL-2-1 retained approximately 89% of its tensile strength after 1000 h in superheated water. Sample L showed a smaller mean tensile-strength decrease than Sample Z after 168 h at 150 °C in dry air. In the hydrocarbon-medium summary data, XL95A/05B-S1 showed lower mass increase and smaller tensile-strength and yield-stress decreases than PERT XRT70H across the tested temperature range. The Communication provides case-specific screening evidence and identifies the need for replicated testing, statistical analysis, longer aging series, and structural characterization before general material-selection or durability conclusions are made. Full article

Liquid storage tanks are widely used in sectors such as water treatment, oil and gas, food processing, and chemical manufacturing. Knowing the exact amount of liquid in a tank is essential for ensuring safety, preventing spills, and optimizing process control; therefore, the liquid level in a tank must be maintained at a precise reference point. This is where liquid level control for tanks becomes crucial and constitutes a fundamental problem in the industrial sector due to nonlinearities, multivariable coupling, and stochastic disturbances. Given the drawbacks of available control methods, such as classical Model Predictive Control (MPC), which are highly dependent on model accuracy and struggle to reject complex stochastic noise, predicting random disturbances represents a major technological challenge. A new approach is proposed to specifically address the problem and challenge of the four-tank system, where water levels in two lower tanks must be controlled by two pumps, often with varying delays and significant parameter disturbances. To establish a relationship between expected performance and MPC parameters, this approach uses a novel hybrid nonlinear MPC, Extended State Observer, and Physics-Informed Neural State Estimation (NMPC-ESO-PINSE) architecture. A Physics-Informed Neural State Estimation (PINSE) layer, chosen for its learning capacity, is designed to filter sensor noise by applying Bernoulli’s physical laws, while an Extended State Observer (ESO) is integrated to capture and compensate for unmodeled uncertainties in the process. Finally, a proposed hybrid (NMPC-ESO-PINSE) strategy leverages these clean, physically consistent state estimations to solve a non-convex optimization problem via Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP), computing optimal pump voltages. Extensive numerical simulations demonstrate the superior resilience of this decoupled framework against parametric drifts and continuous noise sequences, yielding a +27.36% reduction in global Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) compared to standard NMPC, accelerating the closed-loop settling time to 15.2 s, and restricting transient overshoot to just 0.18%. Full article

The consumption of vegetable oils is steadily increasing, especially in Asian countries. Once used, the utilized cooking oils are either thrown into landfills or dumped there, endangering both the environment and people. One common method is to convert waste cooking oil (WCO) into biofuel; however, since WCO contains many free radicals, burning it releases large quantities of pollutants, meaning that disposal of WCO poses significant environmental risks. To stabilize the WCO (Cocos nucifera) before converting it into biofuel, this study analyzed the extraction, optimization, and use of antioxidant-rich bio-oil from Anisomeles malabarica leaves as a natural additive. Solvent screening revealed that a hexane–ethanol ratio of 4:2 was optimal for generating 76.7% bio-oil at room temperature. A maximum yield of 77% was attained by temperature and time optimization, which determined that 50 °C and 20 min were ideal. The extraction exhibits zero-order kinetics during the increasing phase, according to kinetic studies, with rate constants ranging from 0.54 to 1.44% min⁻¹ (R² = 0.950–0.997). The Peleg equilibrium model (average R² = 0.806) was used to describe the extraction profile. The regression equation ln(k) = 1799.3 × (1/T) − 10.828 (R² = 0.9748, p = 0.0002) was obtained using Arrhenius analysis. It was found that the compounds responsible for the antioxidant scavenging activity were found to be phytol, hexadecenoic acid, and tocopherol (vitamin E). The DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) test confirmed that 3% (v/v) bio-oil scavenged about 95% of free radicals, whereas the conjugated diene experiment demonstrated that over 90% of lipid oxidation in WCO was prevented. The combustion and emission properties of biofuel (WCB), which was created by transesterifying bio-oil-treated WCO, were compared to those of neat diesel and untreated WCO-derived biofuel (WC). In comparison to both WC50 and neat diesel, WCB50 demonstrated an equivalent in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate, but significantly reduced emissions of NO_x, CO, hydrocarbons, and smoke. These results show that Anisomeles malabarica bio-oil works well as a natural antioxidant addition for clean combustion and biodiesel stabilization. Full article

This study investigated the impact of pulsed electric field (PEF) pretreatment on the characterisation and antioxidant activity (AA) of baobab seed oil. Prior to extraction, PEF treatments of 1–3 kV/cm at 40–120 pulses and specific energies (SE) of 1.60–43.2 kJ/kg were applied. No differences in oil yield (9.50–11.85%) were observed; however, PEF at a SE of 19.20 kJ/kg produced a higher yield than the control at 9.55% (p < 0.05). PEF did not alter the refractive index, specific density, acid value (AV), free fatty acids, peroxide value (PV), iodine value and fatty acid profile (p > 0.05). The PV was less than the Codex specification (≤15 mEq/kg); however, the AV (5.54–10.50 mg KOH/g) were above the recommended limit of 4 mg KOH/g. The latter is likely attributed to the initial quality of the seeds irrespective of PEF treatment. Regarding antioxidants, DPPH-RS responded to PEF (p < 0.05), with a non-linear trend across treatments. The DPPH-RS of PEF-treated oils ranged from 38.89–76.23%, compared to 49.9% for the control. This demonstrates that PEF preserved the quality of baobab oil, while its effect on AA depended on treatment intensity: lower energy levels enhanced DPPH-RS, whereas higher intensities reduced it. Full article

Temperature and pressure are critical controlling parameters in the in situ conversion process (ICP) of oil shale. Clarifying the mechanisms governing organic matter pyrolysis is essential for reliably extrapolating laboratory findings to geological conditions. This review systematically summarizes the effects of temperature and pressure on shale pyrolysis and on hydrocarbon generation kinetics. Temperature is the primary factor controlling pyrolysis rates and product distribution, with an optimal temperature window enhancing shale oil yield while suppressing secondary cracking. Low heating rates favor thorough pyrolysis, although their influence on reaction pathways is generally overlooked in current kinetic models. Pressure effects are stage-dependent: during organic matter conversion, they are minor, whereas, in the product expulsion stage, high pressure inhibits hydrocarbon expulsion, prolongs residence time, and promotes secondary cracking, thereby reducing overall oil yield while increasing light fractions. Discrepancies in reported pressure effects arise from variations in experimental systems, sample forms, and medium conditions. The coupling of temperature and pressure is synergistic rather than additive. Given that current kinetic models largely neglect pressure and heating-rate effects, and that temperature–pressure coupling mechanisms remain unclear, future research should focus on thermal simulation experiments across wide ranges of pressures and heating rates, complemented by ReaxFF molecular dynamics to elucidate reaction pathways and guide kinetic model development. Further in situ experiments under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions are needed to characterize coupled pore evolution and fluid migration. Ultimately, integrated thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) models should be developed to capture hydrocarbon generation, retention, and expulsion, providing a robust theoretical framework for optimizing ICP technology. Full article

Distillation is widely used for essential oils extraction, and distillation time (DT) influences the quality and quantity of oils. This study presents the effects of 14 DTs (1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 120, 160, 200, 240, 280, 360, and 480 min) on leaf oils from Thuja occidentalis L., aiming to maximise the yield and modulate chemical profiles. Also, a safety assessment of T. occidentalis oils obtained at different DTs was conducted based on thujone levels under International Fragrance Association (IFRA) guidelines. Oil yield varied with DT, reaching a maximum at 40–80 min (0.54 ± 0.04% and 0.59 ± 0.02%, respectively). Monoterpenes (sabinene, fenchone, and thujone) decreased with prolonged DT, whereas higher molecular weight compounds, including sesquiterpenes (caryophyllene) and diterpenes (hibaene and rimuene) increased. Principal component analysis (PCA) grouped samples into three stages, early (1–10 min), mid (20–80 min), and late (120–480 min), with clear compositional separation (PC1: 68.4%, PC2: 11.8%). As DT increased, the fragrance profile progressively shifted from monoterpene-rich characteristics in the early-stage oils to more persistent aromas associated with sesquiterpenes (caryophyllene, α-cadinol, and α-eudesmol) and diterpenes (hibaene and rimuene) in the late-stage oils. Safety assessment revealed that early-stage oils contained high thujone levels (67.19–71.88%), limiting their allowable use. In contrast, prolonged DTs (≥200 min) reduced thujone content, increasing permissible usage across multiple IFRA categories. Overall, DT significantly influences the oil yield, chemical composition, and regulatory applicability of T. occidentalis oils, with extended distillation enhancing formulation flexibility in cosmetic and fragrance applications. Full article