Search Results (67,182)

Milk is a globally important food valued for its nutritional content and accessibility, with extended-shelf-life products such as ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk increasing market reach but often altering flavour and impacting consumer acceptance. Despite the central role of aroma in determining flavour, analytical approaches in dairy research are frequently applied in isolation, limiting mechanistic insight into how processing-driven changes in volatile compounds influence sensory perception. This review critically examines analytical strategies for characterising aroma in bovine drinking milk, with emphasis on sample preparation, volatile extraction, chromatographic profiling, and sensory methodologies. Across the literature, inconsistent experimental design, limited consideration of aroma-active compounds, and the separation of chemical and sensory analyses emerge as key constraints. Evidence indicates that no single analytical approach is universally optimal, with method performance dependent on matrix composition and analytical objectives; however, multidimensional chromatography and integrated sensory–instrumental approaches provide clear advantages for resolving complex flavour systems. This review highlights the need for standardised, matrix-appropriate methodologies and demonstrates that improved integration of chemical and sensory data is essential for advancing mechanistic, consumer-relevant flavour characterisation in milk. Full article

Stroke causes approximately 12.2 million new cases and 6.5 million deaths annually, with survivors requiring coordinated care across pre-hospital, acute, rehabilitative, and preventive phases. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies, including smartphone applications, wearable sensors, and tablet-based platforms, have shown clinical potential across these contexts, yet a structured mapping of their distribution across the full stroke care continuum is lacking. We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for publications from January 2019 to March 2025. Studies evaluated mHealth interventions in which the mobile platform directly performed diagnostic, therapeutic, or rehabilitative functions in stroke populations. Of 4524 records identified, 17 met the inclusion criteria. Studies originated from eight countries and used heterogeneous designs: five randomized controlled trials, five non-randomized studies, four cohort studies, and three diagnostic accuracy studies. Median sample size was 37 participants (range 10–2249). Evidence concentrated at two poles: six studies addressed acute diagnosis and ten addressed rehabilitation, predominantly in the chronic phase. One study addressed secondary prevention; two targeted early rehabilitation, the period of maximum neuroplasticity after discharge. All seventeen studies covered a single care phase. Smartphone platforms dominated acute contexts; wearable and mixed-modality systems were confined to rehabilitation. The mHealth stroke landscape is fragmented and phase-specific, exhibiting a silo effect in which interventions operate as isolated tools rather than components of an integrated care system. An important gap is the near-absence of research in early rehabilitation. Future priorities include cross-continuum design, expansion into cognitive and secondary prevention domains, and progression toward adequately powered trials. Full article

To investigate simultaneously both the effect of fin cross-sectional shape on heat transfer and the influence of different polymeric materials, test samples were manufactured by 3D printing in the form of bushings with attached radial fins of varying cross-sections. Through the research undertaken, the aim was to obtain information regarding the length of the fin at which a certain temperature is reached; therefore, the length that ensures efficient heat transfer to the external environment. Dedicated testing equipment was designed and built to test the thermal transfer in fins made of three different materials (polylactic acid (PLA)-based materials, i.e., standard PLA, PLA with carbon black (protopasta), and PLA with graphene (prografen)) and, respectively, with different sizes and shapes of the cross-section (circular, square, equilateral triangular, and rectangular). The experimental results were mathematically processed to develop empirical models that illustrate both the direction and the intensity of the influence of the input factors on the fin length at which a specific temperature is reached. Under certain conditions, radial components with a circular cross-sectional area of 20 mm² showed significant differences depending on the polymer type. For the polylactic acid material, this length was 42% higher than for prografen and 25% higher than for protopasta. Full article

This review summarizes the research on the end effectors of agricultural harvesting robots (2010–2025) and extracts two core design principles. First of all, the selection of end effectors must follow the biological characteristics of fruits: rigid grippers are suitable for hard skinned and regular fruits; soft grippers can reduce the damage of fragile crops to a certain extent; suction cups are suitable for smooth, barrier free surfaces; the envelope type is suitable for soft and lossless picking scenes; the combined suction and grip design is more suitable for unstructured environments. Secondly, the separation mode should match the characteristics of the stem: motion separation (torsion/pull) is suitable for weak stems, while cutting is mainly used for hard stems. Unlike previous literature, this review provides a field deployability checklist (including dust/water proofing, cleanliness, maintenance, aging prevention, and aspiration prevention) to narrow the results of the laboratory and the real field environment. The three future directions of multimodal perception, variable stiffness driving and reinforcement learning are logically related to the analysis in this paper: multimodal perception optimizes the perception limit, variable stiffness solves the rigid–flexible trade-off, and reinforcement learning provides adaptive strategies for different crops. This framework can match the end effector design with the crop-specific field conditions. Full article

The transition toward low-carbon energy systems has intensified interest in sustainable hydrogen production technologies. One of the most promising methods for producing green hydrogen is water electrolysis powered by renewable energy. This work reviews recent advances in electrode materials used in four major electrolysis technologies: alkaline (ALK), proton exchange membrane (PEM), solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC), and anion exchange membrane (AEM). A bibliometric analysis of scientific publications from 2021 to 2025 highlights the rapid growth of research and the increasing importance of electrode materials in improving electrolysis performance. Operating environments, material requirements, and catalytic properties are compared across these systems. Recent developments in electrocatalysts—including transition-metal alloys, heterostructured catalysts, defect-engineered materials, and nanostructured systems—are evaluated in terms of catalytic activity, durability, and scalability. Particular attention is given to reducing noble metal usage while maintaining high electrochemical performance. Results indicate that transition-metal-based catalysts and engineered interfaces can achieve activity comparable to noble-metal systems while offering better cost efficiency. However, challenges related to long-term durability, large-scale synthesis, and standardized testing persist. Continued interdisciplinary research in materials design and electrochemical engineering is essential to enable efficient, durable, and cost-effective green hydrogen production. Full article

To address the vibration reduction problem of the six-degrees of freedom(6-DOF) half-vehicle model and to improve ride comfort and handling stability, a piezoelectric stack actuator based on the inverse piezoelectric effect was introduced. A 6-DOF half-vehicle dynamic model coupling the cab, body, and wheels was established based on the Lagrange equation. Based on this model, a vertical-pitch dual sliding surface RBF neural network sliding mode control strategy was proposed, with two independent RBF neural networks designed to separately approximate, online, the comprehensive uncertainties in the vertical and pitch channels associated with unmodeled dynamics, external disturbances, and modeling simplifications. The variable-speed reaching law (dsat) function was used to design the sliding mode reaching law, balancing sliding surface convergence speed and vibration suppression. Six indicators, including vertical acceleration of the cab and vertical acceleration of the vehicle body, were selected as performance evaluation metrics to establish the fitness function. Combined with a genetic algorithm, the dual sliding surface coefficients, RBF network parameters, adaptive update rates, and variable-speed reaching law parameters were globally optimized. The vibration reduction effects of four schemes—passive control, traditional sliding mode control, RBF sliding mode control, and genetic algorithm optimized RBF dual-sliding-mode control—were compared and analyzed. Simulation results show that the genetic algorithm optimized RBF dual-sliding-mode control achieves improved vibration suppression in several key ride-comfort-related indices and provides better overall coordination among ride comfort, suspension working space, and tire dynamic deflection. The research results validate the effectiveness of this method and provide a new solution for addressing vehicle vibration reduction problems. Full article

The concept of awareness in the visual arts has become an ethical, professional, and social imperative. Adopting a sustainable approach to creative practice is no longer a trend but an established and necessary field of inquiry. Within this context, awareness has been expressed not only through eco-branding and design campaigns but also through artworks and contemporary artistic practices that embody sustainable values both aesthetically and philosophically. Visual arts thus function as a reflective and critical tool, capable of reassessing past and present paradigms, encouraging more responsible uses of resources, promoting environmental sustainability, and shaping public attitudes through conscious and critical forms of expression. This study adopts a qualitative approach to examine transformations in contemporary art practices within the Saudi Arabian art scene. Selected artworks are analysed to explore historical and conceptual narratives shaping artistic production. The research is based on a bibliographic and documentary review that includes academic literature, exhibition catalogues and press sources related to the Saudi cultural context. Data are gathered through observing artworks and, where possible, through interviews with artists. A comparative analysis was developed, with the study framed by art practices, their concepts, and their ecological contributions, leading to a sustainable awareness and their potential role in encouraging social change. The comparative study among artists provides an innovative research framework and initiates a broader dialogue on sustainable creative practices rooted in Saudi cultural contexts. The findings highlight how visual arts contribute to ecological awareness and climate activism through art installations, recycled materials, and digital practices, reinforcing sustainability as a core value within contemporary Saudi society. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a central driver of transformation in innovation management, reshaping how organizations design strategies, develop offerings, and generate knowledge. This study examines how innovation management has evolved from the pre-ChatGPT era—characterized by analytics, automation, and decision support—to the post-ChatGPT period, marked by the widespread adoption of generative AI (GenAI) and human–AI collaboration. Using a structured literature review of Scopus-indexed studies published between 2020 and 2025, the paper identifies the following six dominant thematic dimensions of AI-enabled innovation management: strategic and business model innovation, product and service innovation, sustainability-oriented innovation, organizational agility and capabilities, human-centric innovation, and knowledge, learning, and research. The findings reveal a conceptual shift from efficiency-driven applications toward more creative, strategic, and collaborative uses of AI, with generative models acting as co-creators rather than mere analytical tools. The study contributes by synthesizing the fragmented literature into an integrative framework that captures this transition and by highlighting emerging research gaps, particularly in sustainability and human-centered innovation. Practical implications for managers and policymakers are discussed. Full article

The degradation of material surface structures caused by cavitation is of a mechanical nature due to cyclic local fatigue loading. Its intensity depends on both the material’s mechanical properties and its surface microstructure. Evaluating the surface structure resistance to cavitation loading can be performed based on experimentally determined mechanical properties and/or through macro- or microscopic analysis of the eroded structure. Manufacturers, designers, and users of hydromechanical equipment operating under cavitation conditions are interested in materials whose properties and structures can withstand cavitation loading. For this reason, the current experimental research in the field focuses on establishing relationships that express the influence of either mechanical properties or surface microstructure on the resistance of material structures to cavitation erosion. The current paper aligns with this research direction and aims to determine statistical relationships between mechanical properties and the cavitation erosion resistance of aluminum-based alloys. The mechanical properties considered include ultimate tensile strength (R_m), yield strength (R_p0.2), surface hardness (HB), resilience (KCU), and elongation at fracture (A5). Cavitation resistance is evaluated using the parameter R_cav, defined according to the ASTM G32-2016 standard. The experimental results were obtained from cavitation tests conducted using a standard vibratory device that complies with ASTM G32 requirements. Full article

The application of traffic-calming measures (TCMs) constitutes an important preventive approach that improves road safety, particularly for vulnerable road users in urban environments. Due to economic considerations, the most commonly implemented measures are road humps (including speed humps, speed tables, and speed cushions), which significantly influence driver behaviour and contribute to speed reduction. Previous studies have demonstrated their considerable effectiveness; however, they remain limited and do not fully address certain important aspects, such as the relationship between speed reduction and the distance from a road hump, or operating speed as a function of road hump type while accounting for the influence of other contextual variables. This study considers three types of road humps installed on streets with a speed limit of 30 km/h in the city of Szczecin, Poland. To complement existing research, vehicle speeds were recorded using multiple speed measurement devices deployed along the analysed street sections. The placement of these devices on short street sections accounted for the influence of the following factors: street type, the presence of protective bollards, different parking conditions and arrangements near the analysed road humps, and their location relative to junctions. To ensure consistency and comparability of the analyses, each type of road hump was examined on the same street. Standard statistical analyses were performed for all speed datasets, with speed treated as the dependent variable and the aforementioned factors as independent variables. These analyses enabled the estimation of operating speed and the zone of influence for the three types of road humps, considering various determinants. The results indicate that vehicle speed is strongly dependent on the distance from a given road hump, its location within a street section between junctions, and the parking conditions in its vicinity. The outcome of this research is the development of a comparative framework for different types of road humps, with their corresponding operating speeds and zones of influence under specific contextual data. It may serve as a basis for design decision-making when planning road humps on short sections of residential streets (up to 250 m between junctions) located in suburban areas. The framework should be further supplemented and updated by other researchers as new empirical evidence and research experience become available. Full article

The addition of sulfoaluminate cement (SAC) to ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) enables sustainable high-speed construction due to the high 7-day strength without thermal curing. The fast hydration of SAC, however, endangers the admixture efficacy, which may compromise the structural integrity of the infrastructure components. This study investigates the effect of the physical form of polycarboxylate ether (PCE) superplasticizers on the performance of UHPC with the incorporation of SAC in ambient conditions. A paired experimental design of 32 mixtures compared liquid superplasticizers (LSPs) and powder superplasticizers (PSPs) in various binder compositions (OPC/SAC of 1/4–4/1) and water-to-binder ratios (0.18–0.21) at a constant dosage of admixtures of 1% except where w/b 0.18 (1.5% superplasticizers and 1% retarders were used). Findings indicate that LSPs enhance workability and compressive strength by 45% and 10.03%, respectively. The underlying mechanism is explained by comprehensive microstructural characterization through the use of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. SEM study showed a 23% decrease in porosity, and XRD patterns showed the increased formation of amorphous C-S-H gel for LSPs. The higher levels of Al³⁺ incorporated into the gel structure (C-A-S-H) of the liquid forms was also verified by FTIR spectra. Mechanically, the research reveals one of the kinetic mismatches, where the rate of SAC hydration is greater than the rate of powder dissolution, which leads to a failure to fully disperse and shear-controlled failures. LSPs, in contrast, make it possible to disperse particles immediately, so the matrices become more dense and shift to axial failure. These results provide practical guidelines to infrastructure engineers to use liquid superplasticizer in SAC-based systems in order to achieve sustainability and reliability in terms of performance in precast and fast-track construction projects. Full article

Background: Patients described as high-need, high-cost (HNHC) represent a subset of individuals with complex multimorbidity whose healthcare trajectories are characterised by recurrent instability and intensive use of acute care services. Concepts such as trajectory disruption, resilience, and complex adaptive behaviour are widely discussed in health systems research, yet linking these ideas to longitudinal patient care remains limited. The PaJR (Patient Journey Record) relational system was designed using principles from complex adaptive systems theory, enabling longitudinal observation of patient trajectories in real-world care. Objective: This study develops a middle-range theory grounded in longitudinal relational monitoring data. Methods: Two datasets (MonashWatch and Irish cohorts) provide empirical grounding through descriptive analysis of signal clustering, distribution, and multi-domain patterns. Monitoring calls capture structured patient-reported signals across multiple domains, including illness, medication, healthcare utilisation, social support, environmental factors, and self-care. Results: Results demonstrate long-tail signal distributions, temporal clustering, and multi-domain instability preceding admission. Alerts frequently occurred in clusters across consecutive monitoring calls 88% of alert calls were part of a consecutive alert sequence, with approximately 64% of alert calls occurring immediately after a previous alert. Alerts were also commonly multi-domain, with approximately 64% involving disturbances across more than one domain simultaneously.Conclusions: Longitudinal relational monitoring reveals instability patterns in patient journeys that are not visible in episodic health-system data. Recognising these instability phases may enable earlier, more adaptive responses for patients with complex healthcare needs and provides empirical grounding for emerging theories of healthcare trajectories within complex adaptive systems. Although grounded in relational monitoring data, the instability–plasticity framework may extend to inform interpretation across physiological and connected health monitoring systems. Full article

This study evaluates the potential of motorhome tourism to catalyze socioeconomic development in rural municipalities of southeastern Spain (provinces of Jaén, Granada, and Almería). Addressing the critical challenge of rural depopulation in “Empty Spain” (España Vaciada), the research employs a mixed-methods approach covering the period 2022–2024. The methodology is centered on a two-tier empirical design: (i) a provincial-level analysis of eight municipalities, and (ii) an in-depth case study of Vélez-Blanco. A fundamental component of the research was the direct ethnographic validation and field audit conducted by the Fernández-Dutto family during an extensive journey from March to September 2025. By staying two to three nights at each location, the researchers performed in situ assessments of infrastructure quality and bioclimatic efficiency, providing a primary “ground-truth” dataset. These observations calibrate the longitudinal data obtained from the National Statistics Institute (INE) and digital platforms, which were utilized strictly as secondary screening tools for site selection. The results indicate statistically significant correlations between infrastructure quality, proximity to heritage attractions, and increases in local tourism-related expenditure. The study highlights how experiential fieldwork captures nuances in traveler behavior and site functionality that official records often overlook. The paper concludes by identifying strategic investment opportunities, specifically recommending the development of a motorhome service area in the municipality of María (María-Los Vélez area). This intervention is proposed as a vital catalyst to complete the regional tourism circuit and foster economic resilience in the heart of Almería’s rural landscape. Full article

For almost fifty years, Crew Resource Management (CRM) has been a cornerstone of aviation safety and training. This narrative review examines the current state of CRM training and identifies key directions for future development, including the integration of artificial intelligence, increasing attention on mental health and resilience, and workforce diversity. While there is evidence of gradual evolution in CRM practices, reflected in updated regulatory frameworks, competency-based approaches, and a growing community of human factors and aviation psychology specialists, progress remains uneven across the industry. We argue that many aviation operators and training organizations still lack robust institutional mechanisms to systematically translate emerging scientific evidence into training design and delivery. As a result, advances in research on teaching and learning methods and human performance are not consistently brought forward into everyday training practices. The review concludes with a set of practical recommendations aimed at strengthening knowledge exchange between researchers and operational stakeholders, enhancing evidence-informed training, and supporting the modernization of CRM in a rapidly changing operational environment. Full article

Eco-labeling has become an important tool for stimulating sustainable production and consumption, but the rapid increase in schemes can lead to a fragmented and sometimes confusing landscape. The purpose of this study is to map the eco-labeling landscape with a systematic review, trace the design and governance patterns, and identify gaps that prevent coherence. A systematic literature review was conducted using peer-reviewed journals and conference articles. The process followed predefined selection criteria, with consistent coding and synthesis used to categorize eco-labels by sector, region, governance type, and methodological features. The review shows a varied but fragmented eco-labeling landscape, with considerable overlap and inconsistency across sectors and regions. Governance approaches differ significantly: some schemes use third-party verification, while others depend on voluntary or industry-led systems. Major gaps include a lack of harmonization, poor integration of social factors, and little clear evidence that these labels change consumer behavior or drive meaningful sustainability results. Future research should focus on developing harmonized frameworks, strengthening meta-governance, and integrating social alongside environmental criteria. Policy efforts should aim to improve comparability and credibility, while balancing diversity and innovation. Advancing systematic evaluation of eco-label performance will be essential for informing coherent governance and guiding the future of sustainable consumption and production. Full article