Search Results (7,211)

This study investigates the thermal decomposition, ignition, combustion, and gasification processes of composite fuels derived from anthracite coal and pine sawdust. The research highlights the non-additive behavior of composite fuels, demonstrating enhanced reactivity and combustion efficiency compared to simple mixtures. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed distinct stages of thermal decomposition, with composite fuels exhibiting combined processes of volatile release and coke residue decomposition, unlike mixtures. Ignition experiments in a vertical tubular furnace showed reduced flash delay times for composites, attributed to the formation of active surface centers during mechanical activation. Flare combustion studies confirmed more stable and complete combustion of composites, achieving higher temperatures and improved flame stability. Plasma gasification experiments indicated that composite fuels provide more uniform gas evolution, with higher yields of hydrogen (H₂) and carbon monoxide (CO), while reducing nitrogen oxide (NO) emissions. The findings underscore the potential of composite fuels for optimizing energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact in coal-fired power plants, supporting the transition to sustainable energy solutions. Full article

The chemical identity of oxygen species plays a decisive role in determining the optical stability of halide perovskite QD films. Here, real-time in situ spectroscopic monitoring, together with steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements, is utilized to differentiate the effects of molecular oxygen and plasma-activated oxygen species on CsPbBr₃ QD films. The films maintain nearly unchanged emission intensity, spectral profile, and carrier lifetimes when stored in vacuum or exposed to molecular O₂ even under UV illumination, demonstrating that neutral O₂ exhibits minimal reactivity toward the [PbBr₆]⁴⁻ framework. In contrast, oxygen plasma generates highly reactive atomic and ionic oxygen species that induce rapid and spatially heterogeneous photoluminescence quenching. This degradation is attributed to Br⁻ extraction, Br-vacancy formation, and subsequent Pb–O bond generation, which collectively introduce deep trap states and enhance nonradiative recombination. These findings clearly indicate that reactive oxygen species rather than molecular O₂ are the dominant driver of oxygen-induced luminescence degradation, providing mechanistic insight and offering processing guidelines for the reliable integration of perovskite nanomaterials in optoelectronic devices. Full article

Graphitic nanomaterials have emerged as foundational components in nanoscience owing to their exceptional electrical, mechanical, and chemical properties, which can be tuned by controlling dimensionality and structural order. From zero-dimensional (0D) quantum dots, carbon nano-onions, and nanodiamonds to one-dimensional (1D) nanoribbons, two-dimensional (2D) nanowalls, and three-dimensional (3D) graphene foams, these architectures underpin advancements in catalysis, energy storage, sensing, and electronic technologies. Among various synthesis routes, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) provides unmatched versatility, enabling atomic-level control over carbon supply, substrate interactions, and plasma activation to produce well defined graphitic structures directly on functional supports. This review presents a comprehensive, dimension-resolved overview of CVD-derived graphitic nanomaterials, examining how process parameters such as precursor chemistry, temperature, hydrogen etching, and template design govern nucleation, crystallinity, and morphological evolution across 0D to 3D hierarchies. Comparative analyses of Raman, XPS, and XRD data are integrated to relate structural features with growth mechanisms and functional performance. By connecting mechanistic principles across dimensional scales, this review establishes a unified framework for understanding and optimizing CVD synthesis of graphitic nanostructures. It concludes by outlining a path forward for improving how CVD-grown carbon nanomaterials are made, monitored, and integrated into real devices so these can move from lab-scale experiments to practical, scalable technologies. Full article

The development of males and females of the cephalopod Amphioctopus fangsiao is asynchronous. The male produces sperm after maturity for storage in a spermatophore prior to mating. After mating, the sperm enter the female spermatheca for storage until ovulation occurs, a period that lasts for 8 months. This is a biologically uncommon phenomenon because sperm cells generally fail to maintain their ability to fertilize for a long time after being ejaculated. However, the molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon are still not clear. Sperm cells are stored in the male spermatophore and the female spermatheca, each of which provides a suitable environment. To determine the molecular basis of the sperm storage mechanisms in A. fangsiao, protein profiles from spermathecal fluid and seminal plasma were characterized separately using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. The antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and Thioredoxin (Trx), and the glycolytic enzymes lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), hexokinase (HK), pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK), and ATP synthase were significantly enriched in the spermathecal fluid. Catalase (CAT), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), triosephosphate isomerase (TIM), phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK), and Chitinase were significantly enriched in the seminal plasma. The antimicrobial proteins transforming growth factor beta regulator 1 (TBRG1) and interleukin enhancer binding factor 2 (ILF2) and the extracellular matrix-related proteins transforming growth factor beta induced protein (TGFBIp) and thrombospondin type-1 domain-containing protein 4 (THSD4) were also significantly expressed in the spermathecal fluid. These proteins may be crucial for successful long-term sperm storage. We measured the activities of four antioxidant enzymes based on the proteomic results, supporting the antioxidant mechanism during the sperm storage process. This study enhances our understanding of the sperm storage ability of A. fangsiao. Full article

This review explores the synergistic integration of edible coatings and non-thermal preservation technologies as a multifaceted approach to maintaining food quality, safety, and sustainability. Edible coatings—composed of polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, or composite biopolymers—serve as biodegradable barriers that control moisture, gas, and solute transfer while acting as carriers for bioactive compounds such as antimicrobials and antioxidants. Meanwhile, non-thermal techniques, including high-pressure processing, cold plasma, ultrasound, photodynamic inactivation, modified atmosphere packaging, and irradiation, offer microbial inactivation and enzymatic control without compromising nutritional and sensory attributes. When combined, these technologies exhibit complementary effects: coatings enhance the stability of bioactives and protect surface quality, while non-thermal treatments boost antimicrobial efficacy and promote active compound penetration. The review highlights their comparative advantages over individual treatments—improved microbial inhibition, nutrient retention, and sensory quality. It further discusses the possible mechanisms through which edible coatings and selected hurdles induced microbial decontamination. Finally, the study identified major drawbacks and provided strategic recommendations to overcome these limitations, including optimizing coating formulations for specific food matrices, tailoring process parameters to minimize adverse physicochemical changes, and conducting pilot-scale validations to bridge the gap between laboratory success and industrial application. Full article

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) is a fast, reagent-free technology for dye removal, yet its performance is highly dependent on the operating conditions and on plasma–catalyst interactions. In this work, a coaxial falling-film dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor was optimized for the degradation and decolorization of organic dyes, with ceria (CeO₂) employed as a catalyst. For the first time, CeO₂ prepared via a supercritical antisolvent (SAS) micronization route was tested in plasma-assisted dye decolorization and directly compared with its non-micronized counterpart. Optimization of plasma parameters revealed that oxygen feeding, an input voltage of 12 kV, a gas flow of 0.2 NL·min⁻¹, and an initial dye concentration of 20 mg·L⁻¹ resulted in the fastest decolorization kinetics. While the anionic dye Acid Yellow 36 exhibited electrostatic repulsion and negligible plasma–ceria synergy, the cationic dyes Crystal Violet and Methylene Blue showed strong adsorption on the negatively charged CeO₂ surface and pronounced plasma–catalyst synergy, with SAS-derived CeO₂ consistently outperforming the non-micronized powder. The SAS catalyst, characterized by a narrow particle size distribution (DLS) and spherical morphology (SEM), ensured improved dispersion and interaction with plasma-generated species, leading to significantly shorter decolorization radiation times compared to the literature benchmarks. Importantly, this enhancement translated into higher energy efficiency, with complete dye removal achieved at a lower specific energy input than both plasma-only operation and non-micronized CeO₂. Scavenger tests confirmed •OH radicals as the dominant oxidants, while O₃, O₂•⁻, and e⁻_a played secondary roles. Tests on binary dye mixtures (CV + MB) revealed synergistic decolorization under plasma-only conditions, and the CeO₂-SAS catalyst maintained high overall efficiency despite competitive adsorption effects. These findings demonstrate that SAS micronization of CeO₂ is an effective material-engineering strategy to unlock plasma–catalyst synergy and achieve rapid, energy-efficient dye abatement for practical wastewater treatment. Full article

The pervasive contamination of water bodies by refractory organic pollutants necessitates the development of advanced purification technologies. Plasma has emerged as a promising solution, capable of generating a broad spectrum of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), UV photons, and electrons in situ, thereby directly degrading contaminants. However, the practical application of plasma-alone systems is often constrained by limited energy efficiency and insufficient mineralization capacity. To overcome these challenges, the integration of plasma with homogeneous advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) has been established as a highly effective strategy. By coupling plasma with catalysts such as peroxymonosulfate (PMS), peracetic acid (PAA), periodate (PI), and Fenton reagents (Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺), a remarkable synergistic effect is achieved. This synergy arises from the multi-modal activation of catalysts by plasma via energetic electrons, UV photolysis, and radical-induced reactions, while the catalysts, in turn, consume long-lived plasma products and regulate reaction pathways. The resultant ‘plasma/catalytic’ system significantly enhances the degradation rate and mineralization efficiency of pollutants, broadens the operational pH window, and improves overall energy utilization. This review systematically examines the mechanisms, performance, and influencing factors of these hybrid systems, and discusses current challenges and future prospects to guide the development of this synergistic technology for sustainable water remediation. Full article

Pea protein isolates (PPIs) from Pisum sativum have emerged as strategic ingredients at the interface of nutrition, sustainability, and functional food design. This review synthesizes advances linking isolation procedures with molecular structure and techno-functional performance. We compare alkaline extraction–isoelectric precipitation with wet and dry fractionation, as well as green/fermentation-assisted methods, highlighting the purity–functionality trade-offs driven by denaturation, aggregation, and the removal of anti-nutritional factors. We relate globulin composition (vicilin/legumin ratio), secondary/tertiary structure, and disulfide chemistry to interfacial activity, solubility, gelation thresholds, and long-term emulsion stability. Structure-guided engineering strategies are critically evaluated, including enzymatic hydrolysis, deamidation, transglutaminase cross-linking, ultrasound, high-pressure homogenization, pH shifting, cold plasma, and selected chemical/glycation approaches. Application case studies cover high-moisture texturization for meat analogues, emulsion and Pickering systems, fermented dairy alternatives, edible films, and bioactive peptide-oriented nutraceuticals. We identify bottlenecks—weak native gel networks, off-flavors, acidic pH performance, and batch variability—and outline process controls and synergistic modifications that close functionality gaps relative to animal proteins. Finally, we discuss sustainability and biorefinery opportunities that valorize soluble peptide streams alongside globulin-rich isolates. By integrating extraction, structure, and function, the review provides a roadmap for designing PPI with predictable, application-specific performance. Full article

Background: Korean red ginseng marc (KRGM), a by-product of Korean red ginseng (KRG) processing, retains numerous bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. Among them, KRGM-derived gintonin (KRGM-gintonin) is particularly rich in lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and phospholipids, which have been linked to favorable metabolic effects. This study investigated the anti-obesity potential of KRGM-gintonin in high-fat diet (HFD)–induced obese mice, focusing on its impact on weight regulation, liver health, and energy metabolism. Methods: Obese mice (C57BL/6N, 4 weeks, male) were administered KRGM-gintonin either orally for 25 weeks or through intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection for 14 weeks. Throughout the study, body weight, food intake, metabolic parameters, liver tissue morphology, behavioral performance, and thermogenic gene expression were carefully monitored to evaluate treatment effects. Results: Both oral and ICV administration of KRGM-gintonin significantly reduced body weight gain in HFD-fed obese mice without altering food intake, suggesting enhanced energy expenditure. Treatment through both routes improved physical performance and increased metabolic rate. Oral KRGM-gintonin also alleviated fatty liver, reduced plasma triacylglycerol and cholesterol levels, and promoted the expression of thermogenesis-related genes, including uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), specifically in brown adipose tissue. Additionally, oral administration lowered tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression, indicating anti-inflammatory activity and further supporting metabolic health. Conclusions: KRGM-gintonin exerts strong anti-obesity effects, primarily through oral administration, with supportive evidence from central ICV action. These findings highlight its potential as a functional therapeutic agent for obesity prevention and management, offering dual benefits in metabolic regulation and inflammation control. Full article

Cuban sugarcane wax alcohol (policosanol) is a blend of eight characteristic aliphatic alcohols extracted from the Cuban sugarcane and widely recognized for its multifunctional applications and therapeutic properties. In the present study, the potency of policosanol (POL) was assessed for its ability to prevent metabolic stress and associated disorders posed by a high-cholesterol (HC) and high-galactose (HG) diet in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Adult zebrafish (n = 56/group) were fed either with an HC+HG diet (containing 4%, w/w cholesterol and 30%, w/w galactose), or an HC+HG amalgamated diet with POL (final 0.1% w/w or 0.5% w/w). Zebrafish in the specified groups were sacrificed post-30 weeks of feeding, and blood and organs (liver, brain, and eyes) were processed for biochemical, histological, and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. After 30 weeks of feeding, the highest mortality (12.5%) was noticed in the HC+HG supplement group, which was reduced to 4.5% with co-supplementation of POL (0.1% and 0.5%). In a dose-dependent manner, POL significantly reversed HC+HG elevated levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), glucose, and malondialdehyde (MDA), while substantially augmenting plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), sulfhydryl content, ferric ion reduction ability (FRA), and paraoxonase (PON) activity. In addition, POL mitigated HC+HG-induced hepatomegaly, inflammation, and fatty liver changes. Consistently, POL minimizes ROS generation and cellular senescence in the brain and substantially improves HC+HG-induced cognitive changes (cessation of swimming ability and motion), with a marked ~5 times higher swimming distance. Notably, POL mitigated the HC+HG-induced corneal opacity and attenuated oxidative stress, apoptosis, 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) accumulation, and myelin sheath degeneration in the retina. The findings underscore the therapeutic potential of policosanol in attenuating oxidative stress, metabolic changes, and various organ damage caused by prolonged exposure to the HC+HG diet. Full article

Nitric acid (HNO₃) is predominantly produced in large production plants using the Ostwald process. In view of its widespread application as synthetic fertilizer, small- scale and local production has become of interest. The chemical precursor of nitric acid is NO_x gas, which can be produced from air at percentage-level concentrations using small-scale, electrically powered warm plasma reactors. Using gas-phase plasma, the downstream conversion of NO_x into fertilizer is a crucial, but as yet understudied step. This work aims to help close this gap and support the further development of plasma-driven nitrogen fixation and subsequent NO_x scrubbing. The chemistry of NO_x absorption through gas scrubbing is investigated at a 1% NO_x concentration using a synthetic mimic of a plasma-produced NO_x stream in order to maintain maximal controllability. pH values of the scrubber solution were kept in the range of 1 to 5 and it was recirculated for up to 30 h. The kinetics of NO_x absorption were found to be strongly pH-dependent, requiring several hours of recirculation to reach steady state conditions. Once at steady state, the NO_x removal efficiency turned out to be rather pH independent and reached around 84% for experiments at pH 1–4. The formation of nitrous acid (HNO₂) byproduct reached a constant value of around 3.43 mM based on a dynamic equilibrium of its formation and decomposition. Approaches to minimize undesired nitrite and nitrous acid byproduct formation are discussed. Full article

The key technological step in realizing the energy utilization of cellulose lies in the hydrolysis of cellulose into glucose. To achieve clean and efficient energy utilization of cellulose, this study innovatively proposes a technical approach of plasma acid synchronous catalytic hydrolysis of cellulose, which breaks through the limitations of conventional stepwise acid-production hydrolysis and enables the simultaneous generation of acid and hydrolysis of cellulose within the same reaction system. The effects of operating voltage, discharge gap, and reaction time on hydrolysis efficiency were systematically investigated, and a comparative study was conducted on the hydrolysis performance between the synchronous method and the two-step method. The results indicate that within the same reaction duration, the synchronous method demonstrates a significantly higher cellulose conversion rate. Specifically, at a reaction time of 60 min, the average conversion rate of the synchronous method is approximately 32.8% higher than that of the two-step method, while the average specific energy consumption is only 16.7% of the latter. Mechanism analysis reveals that the high-energy electrons and H⁺ generated by plasma discharge effectively facilitate efficient energy transfer to cellulose molecules, significantly reducing the activation energy of the hydrolysis reaction. This process accelerates the efficient release of glucose units, thereby enabling faster hydrolysis at lower energy consumption. Full article

Background: Nintedanib (NIN), an intracellular inhibitor of tyrosine kinases that inhibits processes fundamental to the progression of pulmonary fibrosis (PPF), is used in the treatment of patients with PPF associated with systemic sclerosis. During NIN therapy, adverse events lead to a permanent dose reduction and treatment discontinuation. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) can be used to manage and optimize drug administration based on the measurement of drug concentrations. Therefore, TDM can be helpful in minimizing the impact of adverse events and help patients remain in therapy. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a new bioanalytical UPLC-MS/MS method enabling the determination of NIN and its active metabolite in the plasma of patients with PPF associated with systemic sclerosis. Methods: Sample preparation was carried out using protein precipitation with an extraction mixture: acetonitrile neutralized with 2 M sodium carbonate. Analytes and the internal standard (intedanib-d3) were monitored using mass spectrometry (MS) and positive-ion-mode electrospray ionization by MRM. Chromatographic analysis was performed on a Zorbax SB-C18 column kept at 40 °C using isocratic elution. The mobile phase contained 0.1% formic acid in water; acetonitrile (35:65 v/v) was pumped at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The analysis time was 5 min. Results: The method was verified according to the EMA guidelines over a concentration range of 2.00–200.00 ng/mL. The correlation coefficients for the calibration curves were found to be 0.9991 and 0.9957 for NIN and its metabolite BIBF 1202, respectively. The within- and between-run precision and accuracy of LLOQ were evaluated for NIN and BIBF 1202 to be within RSD 2.96%, 4.53%, 5.51%, and 6.72% and in the ranges of 102.2–107.3%, 98.0–101.8%, 104.3–114.2%, and 99.1–104.9, respectively. The stability of the analytes in plasma after 4 h at 30 °C was found to be satisfactory, meeting the assumed bias criteria below 15%. Conclusions: The proposed method was successfully applied to analyze two active compounds—NIN and BIBF 1202—in plasma samples at two time points: trough (pre-dose concentration) and 2–3 h (maximum concentration) after the administration of NIN. Full article

The extensive genetic diversity of HIV-1, also represented by the circulation of multiple subtypes and circulating recombinant forms (CRFs), poses significant challenges for accurate subtype classification, especially when sequencing is limited to partial genomic regions. This study evaluated the performance of four commonly used automated subtyping tools (Stanford HIVdb, COMET, REGA, and Geno2pheno) by comparing their outputs with molecular phylogenetic analysis (Mphy), considered the gold standard, using three NGS-derived sequence data sets: protease-reverse transcriptase (PR-RT), pol, and near full-length (NFL). One hundred plasma samples were processed to generate sequences of increasing length, which were analyzed to assess concordance, sensitivity, and specificity. NFL-based Mphy identified a higher proportion of circulating recombinant forms (51.6%) than PR-RT and pol (44.1%) and enabled the reclassification of 13 samples as more complex CRFs. Automated tools displayed good concordance with Mphy for PR-RT and pol, particularly for pure subtypes, whereas concordance decreased considerably for NFL sequences, especially among non-B subtypes and CRFs. Sensitivity varied substantially across tools and subtypes, while specificity remained consistently high. Overall, the findings indicate that whole genome or NFL sequencing enhances the detection of CRFs and that the accuracy of automated tools is strongly influenced by the completeness and updating of their reference databases. Full article

Protein fouling can significantly reduce the filtrate flux, capacity, and virus retention during processing of plasma- or mammalian cell-derived biopharmaceuticals through virus removal filters. We use focused ion beam (FIB) milling and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to directly evaluate changes in 3D pore structure in a Viresolve^® Pro membrane due to fouling by human serum immunoglobulin G. Protein fouling causes a significant reduction in the membrane porosity, which decreases by approximately 40% in the size-selective region near the exit of the highly asymmetric Viresolve^® Pro membrane after the filter is fouled to 90% flux decline. There is a corresponding reduction in the number of small pores by more than a factor of two. Model simulations of flow and particle transport in the protein-fouled membrane are in good agreement with independent experimental measurements of the permeability and location of particle capture. Simulations show an upstream shift in the location of nanoparticle capture (away from the filter exit) by about 0.4 µm for the membrane fouled to 90% flux decline. This is due to pore constriction from protein deposition, highlighting how fouling redistributes flow paths within the membrane. These results demonstrate the capability of using FIB-SEM to directly evaluate the effects of protein fouling on the 3D pore structure in virus removal filters, providing important insights into how protein fouling alters the performance of these highly selective membranes. Full article