Search Results (1,870)

This study develops the BIO-SPA Certification Model, a novel framework for evaluating the spatial organisation and biophilic design performance of spa centres within hotel and resort facilities. The research focuses on spa environments in five-star accommodation establishments in Antalya, Türkiye. The methodology integrates two assessment components: spatial design performance (SPA) and biophilic design performance (BIO). Spatial evaluations examined architectural layouts, functional zoning, circulation systems, and operational relationships, while biophilic evaluations assessed natural elements, restorative qualities, and sensory environmental conditions. A weighted multi-criteria scoring system was employed to calculate composite BIO-SPA scores and certification levels. The results revealed significant differences between spatial efficiency and biophilic quality. Some facilities demonstrated strong operational organisation but limited integration of nature-based experiences, whereas others achieved higher biophilic performance despite lower spatial efficiency. None of the analysed facilities attained the highest certification level within the proposed framework. The findings indicate that existing spa certification systems remain limited in assessing restorative spatial quality and biophilic integration. The BIO-SPA Certification Model contributes to the literature by providing a measurable and verifiable framework that integrates wellness-oriented design principles with spatial performance evaluation in spa environments. Full article

The internal quality of watermelons has garnered extensive attention. Conventional destructive quality detection for watermelons causes fruit loss, while existing acoustic techniques often rely on a single evaluation index. To address these issues, this study proposes a non-destructive method for comprehensive watermelon quality detection using acoustic and vibration signals. Signals from two watermelon varieties were collected under impact excitation to extract six time-domain and frequency-domain features. Factor Analysis of Mixed Data (FAMD) was employed to integrate ripeness, Soluble Solids Content (SSC), firmness, and sensory scores into a Comprehensive Quality Index (CQI), categorizing samples into High-Quality, Medium-Quality, and Low-Quality groups. Following physically constrained data augmentation to mitigate small sample size and class imbalance, an Extremely Randomized Trees (Extra-Trees) model was constructed. Results demonstrate that the Extra-Trees model achieved an overall testing accuracy of 0.92, with recall rates of 0.93 and 1.00 for Low-Quality and High-Quality watermelons, respectively. Recognition for Medium-Quality samples was lower due to overlapping physical and acoustic characteristics. Ultimately, this system aligns with actual consumer demands, providing technical support for low-cost, portable, and non-destructive watermelon grading. Full article

This research focused on the formulation of a health-oriented, clean-label food product fortified with encapsulated bioactive compounds from Sambucus nigra, Aronia melanocarpa, and Echinacea purpurea. To evaluate the protection of these sensitive compounds during production and storage, a comprehensive characterization was performed. This included basic physicochemical analyses, phenolic profiling, antioxidant activity tests, as well as rheological and textural measurements. Furthermore, sensory analysis, consumer evaluation, and microbiological stability during storage were assessed. Results from Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses confirmed the structural integrity of the capsules post-processing. Additionally, the application of a starch–psyllium carrier ensured that the textural and rheological properties remained fully comparable to the control sample, preventing undesirable matrix alterations. Specifically, product hardness (1.17–1.23 N) and adhesiveness (8.17–8.94 N·s) were maintained at stable levels, while color alterations were minor and likely noticeable only to trained observers (ΔE* < 3.2). Microbiological evaluation demonstrated that the application of different formulated products effectively inhibited the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, with inhibition rates increasing from 3.4 to 39.7%. Collectively, the experimental data demonstrate that encapsulation is a highly effective strategy for fortifying fruit-based systems with sensitive extracts, successfully maximizing bioactivity retention while maintaining high product quality and sensory appeal. Full article

Interior built environments influence user behavior through more than deliberate rational evaluation. They shape attention, movement, affective comfort, perceived safety, wayfinding, and well-being through bounded cognition, affective appraisal, heuristics, embodied perception, and automatic approach–avoidance processes. The research gap addressed in this review concerns the fact that prior work on interior environments, wayfinding, indoor environmental quality, neuroarchitecture, atmospherics, and behavioral decision-making remains fragmented across separate studies, and existing reviews rarely explain how these mechanisms can be organized into a design-usable framework for interior built environments. This narrative review synthesizes foundational and recent literature across building design, environmental psychology, neuroarchitecture, virtual reality, indoor environmental quality, wayfinding, and behavioral decision-making to clarify how decision mechanisms translate into interior design variables such as lighting, color, spatial organization, materiality, form, sensory atmosphere, environmental legibility, thermal comfort, and controllability. The review distinguishes bounded rationality, heuristics and biases, dual-process accounts, affective and atmospheric processing, prospect–refuge dynamics, mere exposure, and room-effect research rather than treating them as a single “non-rational” category. It proposes an integrative framework in which interior cues are processed through perceptual and affective appraisal; moderated by individual, cultural, contextual, temporal, and ethical factors; and expressed through behavioral outcomes such as navigation, approach or withdrawal, dwell time, perceived quality, usability, stress regulation, and well-being. The paper contributes to human-centered building design by formalizing a mechanism-based account of how interior environments can support behavior without reducing users to passive recipients of environmental manipulation. It concludes with practical implications for design briefing, post-occupancy evaluation, VR-based testing, healthcare and workplace audits, safety-critical settings, and future longitudinal validation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Wearable technology is increasingly used to provide biofeedback in physical rehabilitation; however, there is no consensus on which biofeedback parameter is most appropriate for clinical use, as most studies evaluate only one arbitrarily selected parameter. This study presents a wearable multimodal biofeedback system integrating multiple parameters selected based on the prior literature and evaluates its feasibility, usability, and implementation within a rehabilitation context through a longitudinal post-stroke case study. Methods: The system integrates inertial and electromyographic sensors to monitor centre of mass (CoM-B), joint angle (ANG-B), and muscle activity (EMG-B), delivering real-time sensory cues based on the monitored parameters. Feasibility was assessed in a post-stroke participant (male, 32 years, 29 months post-stroke, left hemiparesis, Fugl-Meyer Lower Extremity Score = 27) across 15 sessions involving stand-to-sit, split-stance weight shifting, and walking tasks. Each task was practiced with all three biofeedback parameters, with five sessions per parameter. Results: The motor performance varied across biofeedback parameters and tasks. CoM-B was associated with favourable trends in motor performance during stand-to-sit, showing improvements in medio-lateral displacement (0.03/session); ANG-B during walking, showing increased ankle dorsiflexion (1 deg/session); and EMG-B during split-stance weight shifting, showing increased tibialis anterior activation (5 µV/session). Conclusions: The findings generate the hypothesis that the ability of biofeedback to elicit favourable motor performance is task-dependent, suggesting that the choice of biofeedback parameters may need to be adapted to task demands. The system demonstrated high usability and feasibility, supporting its potential for post-stroke rehabilitation. Further studies are needed to test the generated hypothesis and evaluate the system efficacy. Full article

The effects of ambient storage (A), cold storage (C), and frozen storage (F) on the quality, metabolomic characteristics, and sulfur-related aroma of red onion ‘Kewei Red 10’ (R10) and yellow onion ‘Kewei Yellow 14’ (Y14) were investigated using integrated non-targeted and volatile metabolomics. Ambient storage accelerated shrinkage, firmness loss, and sensory deterioration in both cultivars, whereas low-temperature storage effectively delayed quality decline. R10 exhibited better tolerance to frozen storage, while Y14 performed better under cold storage. Metabolomic analysis revealed that amino acids and lipid-related metabolites were closely associated with onion senescence in both cultivars. In contrast, flavonoids were enriched in preservation-associated subclasses in R10, whereas organic acids and their derivatives were more strongly associated with delayed senescence in Y14. Volatile metabolomic analysis identified sulfur compounds and heterocyclic sulfur compounds as the major contributors to onion aroma. Sulfur-related volatiles showed distinct cultivar-dependent accumulation patterns, with many sulfur compounds accumulating prominently in ambient-stored R10-A, whereas cold-stored Y14-C maintained relatively higher levels of characteristic onion-like aroma compounds. These findings demonstrate distinct metabolic adaptation strategies between red and yellow onions during storage and suggest that cultivar-specific storage conditions are required to optimize both shelf life and flavor quality. Full article

Façades play a decisive role in shaping the visual and symbolic character of historic urban environments. Recent European funding schemes promoting energy-efficient retrofitting have accelerated interventions on building envelopes. Although aligned with decarbonization objectives, these processes are generating significant chromatic and material transformations that risk eroding the visual coherence and cultural sustainability of consolidated urban areas. In the historic Ensanches of San Sebastián, the replacement of traditional envelope systems with new cladding solutions is leading to the loss of the architectural style of some facades and altering their materials, textures, and colors. A progressive “contagion effect” has been identified, whereby dissonant chromatic schemes—often associated with the proliferation of so-called “zebra blocks”, residential buildings with façades clad in alternating black and white stripes that have proliferated in recent urban developments—are replicated across adjacent buildings, gradually weakening spatial continuity and the genius loci of the neighborhood. In response to this phenomenon, this research develops a systematic methodology to analyze, quantify, and anticipate chromatic transformation in consolidated urban fabrics. The study combines historical morphological analysis, classification of architectural periods, and chromatic mapping of recent façade interventions. Based on this framework, a CARI, Chromatic Alteration Risk Index is proposed to evaluate the potential impact of façade alterations on urban chromatic coherence. Drawing on an epidemiological framework, the methodology enables the identification of critical transformation clusters, the assessment of contagion dynamics, and the definition of regulatory thresholds for color and material interventions. By integrating perceptual criteria, urban morphology, and spatial distribution patterns, the study moves beyond descriptive diagnosis and offers a transferable tool for municipal planning. The proposed approach supports the proactive regulation of façade rehabilitation processes, balancing energy efficiency objectives with the preservation of collective memory, material identity, and urban sensory quality. This study proposes a quantitative model of “urban chromatic contagion” to assess how façade color interventions propagate within a neighborhood. We define the Chromatic Integration Percentage (CIP) and the Chromatic Alteration Risk Index (CARI) of the analyzed area. Results indicate that poorly regulated façades show higher chromatic dissonance (low CIP) and act as contagion hotspots, while a clear risk gradient emerges: highly protected buildings present lower risk, whereas mixed typologies and recent rehabilitations concentrate higher CARI values. The model supports preventive urban color management by identifying areas at risk before visible alteration. Full article

Bitter phytochemicals, including alkaloids, terpenoids, and bitter glycosides, are abundant in medicinal food plants and exhibit well-documented anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and other bioactivities relevant to human health. However, the inherent bitterness of these compounds presents a significant sensory barrier to patient compliance and limits their application as functional food ingredients. This review provides a comprehensive and interdisciplinary synthesis of current knowledge on bitter compounds in medicinal food plants, integrating perspectives from phytochemistry, molecular pharmacology, and sensory science. We summarize the major chemical classes of bitter phytochemicals, critically evaluate methods for their isolation and identification—from classical sensory-guided fractionation to modern computational approaches such as molecular docking and metabolomics—and analyze three principal strategies for bitterness regulation: physical removal, biological transformation, and sensory modulation (including molecular inclusion and TAS2R receptor blocking). We also briefly touch upon the extraoral expression of TAS2Rs and there suggested links to local immune responses and metabolic regulation, noting that this may be relevant to the concept of “taste–bioactivity homology.” The review further highlights ongoing challenges, such as the identification of unknown bitter compounds and the lack of standardized sensory evaluation systems, and outlines possible directions for improving bitterness analysis and regulation in medicinal food plants. Full article

For over 70 years, microalgae have been considered promising ingredients for developing sustainable, nutritionally rich foods. Their high protein content, presence of essential amino acids, fatty acids, natural pigments, and a myriad of bioactive compounds position them as potential alternatives to conventional ingredient sources. However, despite their significant potential, the large-scale incorporation of microalgae into food products remains limited. This study presents a critical analysis of the main challenges associated with the use of microalgae in the food industry. Key bottlenecks include high production costs, technological difficulties related to biomass processing, and challenges in extracting desirable compounds. Additionally, the strong flavor, odor, and intense coloration of microalgal biomass can negatively affect sensory acceptance in food products. Other limitations involve scalability issues in cultivation systems, risks of contamination during production, and regulatory constraints related to food safety approval. Consumer perception and limited familiarity with microalgae-based foods also contribute to slower market adoption. Therefore, although microalgae represent a promising and sustainable food resource, overcoming technological, economic, and sensory barriers is essential for their broader integration into the food industry and for achieving successful market consolidation. Full article

Salmonella remains one of the most critical zoonotic pathogens in the poultry sector, linked to animal disease, foodborne illness, and the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Poultry acts as a major reservoir, enabling Salmonella transmission from hatchery to retail products through horizontal, vertical, and environmental routes. Despite the use of biosecurity, vaccination, antibiotics, and chemical decontamination, effective and sustainable control across the poultry value chain remains difficult, particularly in the face of rising multidrug-resistant strains and growing consumer concerns over chemical residues. Bacteriophages (phages), viruses that selectively infect and lyse bacteria, have emerged as a promising biological alternative for Salmonella control. Although many studies have reported the effectiveness of phages against bacterial species, including Salmonella, in the poultry industry, reports on their full potential to combat antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella across the entire poultry value chain remain limited. Therefore, this review synthesizes current evidence on the application of phages throughout the poultry value chain, including on-farm interventions, processing plant decontamination, and food packaging and storage. Findings from the reviewed articles indicate over a 90% reduction in Salmonella spp. in poultry farms and post-harvest meat, along with lower mortality in phage-treated groups compared to untreated groups; however, these outcomes depend on several factors (e.g., phage strains, concentrations, application methods, and environmental conditions). Laboratory, pilot, and field studies consistently demonstrate that phage preparations, especially when formulated as cocktails or combined with complementary interventions, can achieve substantial reductions in Salmonella, including antibiotic-resistant serovars, in live birds, eggs, poultry environments, and meat products. Unlike antibiotics and chemical sanitizers, phages act with high specificity, preserving beneficial microbiota and maintaining the sensory and nutritional quality of poultry products. Their safety has been supported by toxicological and genomic assessments, and several phage-based products have obtained regulatory approval, including Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status for food applications in the United States. By integrating efficacy, safety, regulatory, and practical deployment data, this review highlights bacteriophages as a scientifically validated and One Health–aligned tool capable of reducing Salmonella transmission from farm to fork across the poultry value chain, thereby laying the foundation for their future adoption in the poultry industry. Phage-based interventions offer a sustainable pathway to enhance food safety, limit antimicrobial resistance (AMR) dissemination, and strengthen consumer confidence in poultry products. However, the major limitation is the emergence of phage-resistant bacterial strains, as well as the potential involvement of some phages in the transfer of resistance and virulence genes, which could raise public concern. Nevertheless, the use of phage cocktails and whole-genome sequencing, involving tools such as ResFinder and virulence finder, can facilitate the selection of safe phages for application. 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

Sensory impairment affects over 1.3 billion people worldwide, yet the field still lacks a mechanistically specified theoretical framework explaining how communication inaccessibility contributes to stress-related health disparities in these populations. Existing models remain fragmented, addressing biological, psychological, and social factors in isolation rather than as interconnected systems. This concept paper presents the Communication-Endocrine-Stress Adaptive Regulation (CESAR) Model, an integrative biopsychosocial framework that integrates communication access, social support, stress regulation, and neuroendocrine function into a unified causal pathway. The CESAR model proposes that sensory impairment creates communication barriers may reduce social support, increase perceived stress, dysregulate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, and ultimately impact reproductive health and psychological well-being. This integrative framework synthesizes evidence from disability studies, stress physiology, and communication sciences to provide a comprehensive theoretical foundation for understanding adaptation in sensory-impaired populations. The model incorporates feedback loops, moderating factors (sex, age, impairment type, duration), and environmental contexts (accessibility policies, healthcare access) that influence adaptive outcomes. By proposing specific causal pathways and testable hypotheses, the CESAR model provides a roadmap for future empirical research and targeted interventions that address the root causes of health disparities in sensory-impaired populations rather than merely treating symptoms. Full article

In many industrial dairy products, yeasts are generally regarded as contaminants. However, in traditional fermented milks, they may contribute to distinctive sensory, technological, and functional properties through associations with bacterial partners, including lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Despite this, a structured synthesis of yeast–bacterium associations across fermented milk typologies is currently lacking. To address this gap, a PRISMA-informed literature search identified 42 studies across 24 traditional fermented milks reporting paired bacterial and fungal communities. A genus-level co-occurrence analysis was used to identify which yeast–bacterium pairs were most frequently co-detected across independently documented products. The main co-occurrence patterns selected for detailed bibliographical discussion were Kluyveromyces with Acetobacter and LAB, including Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Lentilactobacillus and Lacticaseibacillus; Pichia with LAB; Saccharomyces with LAB, especially Lactobacillus; Kazachstania with Acetobacter; Candida with Leuconostoc and Enterococcus; and Geotrichum with Pseudomonas and Enterococcus. For the selected associations, possible interaction mechanisms and implications for sensory identity, technological potential, and microbiological safety were discussed by integrating evidence from milk co-cultures, controlled model systems, and related fermented foods. Overall, this review provides a structured synthesis of yeast–bacterium associations in traditional fermented milks and identifies candidate consortia for future experimental validation. Full article

Population aging has increased the need for public open spaces that older adults can use safely, comfortably, and confidently. In many urban parks and community squares, however, resting facilities are still designed as standardized street furniture, with cold materials, insufficient hand support, limited wheelchair-inclusive space, and weak support for everyday social interaction. This study examines age-friendly public facilities as micro-scale spatial elements that shape sitting, standing, staying, communication, and willingness to remain in small urban open spaces. Drawing on field observation, behavioral analysis, semi-structured interviews, and a multi-criteria design-evaluation process, the study identifies older adults’ key facility-use needs and translates them into design indicators and alternative facility schemes. The results show that physical support and inclusive spatial use are the most important design priorities. Standing-up assistance, sitting-posture support, perceived structural stability, and age-appropriate dimensional adaptation were more influential than purely decorative or auxiliary functions. Among the three alternative schemes, the modular pergola system performed best because it combined stable hand support, independent seating, an age-friendly interactive table, shaded resting space, wheelchair-inclusive layout, and wood-based sensory comfort. The sensitivity analysis further confirmed that this scheme maintained a stable advantage under most weight-adjustment conditions. The findings suggest that age-friendly public facility design should move beyond the improvement of individual furniture products and instead integrate bodily support, spatial accessibility, social interaction, material comfort, and environmental pattern quality. This study provides a design-decision framework for improving the inclusiveness, accessibility, and health-supportive capacity of urban public open spaces for older adults. Full article

Understanding the early life history of the endangered largemouth bronze gudgeon (C. guichenoti) is crucial for optimizing artificial rearing and conservation strategies. To provide a unified scientific basis for these efforts, this study characterized the ontogeny of C. guichenoti larvae from hatching to 30 days post-hatch (dph) by integrating analyses of allometric growth, digestive histology, and enzyme activities. Morphometric analysis revealed that total length increased exponentially with age. Positive allometric growth was observed in swimming organs (pectoral, dorsal, and caudal fins) and eye diameter, indicating a priority in developing locomotion and sensory capabilities for survival in lotic environments. Histological examination showed that the digestive tract became patent by 4 dph, and functional structures were established by 5 dph, coinciding with yolk sac absorption and the initiation of exogenous feeding. The digestive system reached near-adult maturity by 20 dph. Enzyme activity profiles showed that trypsin activity increased continuously, peaking at 30 dph, while amylase and alkaline phosphatase peaked at 20 dph. Lipase activity remained low until a slight increase at 30 dph. These results indicate that C. guichenoti larvae adopt a “locomotion-first” strategy, with the digestive system becoming functional at 5 dph and maturing by 20 dph. These findings collectively define the critical windows for artificial propagation, specifically guiding the timing of initial feeding and feed formulation. Full article