Search Results (5,619)

The increasing demand for sustainable materials in additive manufacturing has driven the development of bioplastics derived from renewable biomass, including microalgae. In this study, the rheological behavior of a 20 wt.% aqueous gel prepared from native Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) starch, plasticized with 30 wt.% glycerol, was investigated to assess its suitability for extrusion-based 3D printing (direct-ink-writing, DIW). Steady shear analysis revealed a pronounced yield stress (${\tau }_0$ = 271.93 Pa) and strong shear-thinning behavior, described by the Herschel–Bulkley model (K = 59.47 Pa·sⁿ, n = 0.67), indicating structural stability at rest and efficient flow under shear. Oscillatory measurements confirmed a predominantly elastic response, with storage modulus (G′ $\approx$ 13,500 Pa) greatly exceeding loss modulus (G″) and a low loss factor (tan $\delta \approx$ 0.1), demonstrating gel integrity and shape retention. Temperature-dependent analysis indicated enhanced network strength without thermal softening, while thixotropic recovery tests showed rapid structural rebuilding after shear removal. Notably, a $~$50% increase in G′ during recovery highlights improved interlayer adhesion potential. These results show that C. vulgaris starch exhibits the key rheological characteristics required for DIW-type extrusion printing, including yield stress, shear-thinning behavior, viscoelastic stability, and rapid recovery, making it a promising candidate for this application. Full article

Coastal reclamation reshapes tidal hydrodynamics in semi-enclosed bays by removing intertidal storage, modifying channel conveyance, and redistributing tidal exchange among connected sub-regions. This study quantifies the multi-decadal cumulative impacts of reclamation on tidal currents and tidal prism in Yueqing Bay, China, using shoreline and bathymetric reconstructions for 1978, 2002, 2013, and 2020; hydrological observations; and a two-dimensional MIKE21 FM tidal hydrodynamic model. Characteristic cross-sections were used to estimate bay-wide and sub-regional tidal prisms, and representative stations were used to diagnose current-speed responses. The bay-wide tidal prism decreased from 15.235 × 10⁸ m³ in 1978 to 12.316 × 10⁸ m³ in 2020, corresponding to a reduction of 2.919 × 10⁸ m³ (19.16%). The strongest loss occurred during 1978–2002, when large-scale reclamation and closure of the Xuanmen Channel removed tidal storage and redirected flow into the remaining main-channel system. Although reclamation intensity weakened after 2013, mean current speed still changed by −0.050 to 0.033 m/s and sub-regional tidal-prism shares continued to adjust, indicating delayed hydrodynamic reorganization rather than immediate stabilization. These results show that reclamation impacts cannot be explained by reclaimed area alone; they depend on project timing, spatial layout, and the connectivity with key tidal pathways. The findings support staged assessment and pathway-sensitive shoreline management in reclaimed semi-enclosed bays. Full article

Sustainable starch-based bioplastics have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional plastics for fresh produce packaging, yet their efficacy in preserving highly perishable fruits remains underexplored. Strawberries cv. San Andreas, prone to rapid postharvest deterioration, require packaging that balances moisture retention and gas exchange to maintain quality. This study developed lucuma seed starch-based bioplastics incorporated with free (EO) or microencapsulated (EOM) lemon verbena essential oil and evaluated their performance during 16 days of refrigerated storage (4 °C) compared to non-active bioplastic (Control) and commercial low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Microencapsulation enhanced the stability and controlled release of bioactive compounds. The EOM treatment reduced weight loss to 12.81% (vs. 18.25% in Control and 6.29% in LDPE), while preserving firmness at 3.87 N (vs. 2.19 N in LDPE). Strawberries packaged in both EO and EOM exhibited complete suppression of visible decay (0% incidence) throughout storage, in stark contrast to LDPE (57.34% incidence). The EOM system also maintained higher levels of total phenolics (205.51 mg GAE/100 g FW), antioxidant capacity (289.05 µmol TE/100 g FW), and anthocyanins compared to LDPE and Control treatments. These findings demonstrate that lucuma seed starch bioplastics containing microencapsulated lemon verbena essential oil represent a sustainable and functional packaging strategy to extend shelf life and preserve the quality of highly perishable strawberries during refrigerated storage. Full article

Tomato is susceptible to various fungal pathogens, including Alternaria alternata and Curvularia spicifera, which can cause extensive post-harvest losses. Chemical fungicides have limited effectiveness in controlling post-harvest fungal pathogens and pose risk to human health and the environment. Therefore, this study assessed indigenous isolates of three species of Trichoderma (Tr1: T. longibrachiatum; Tr2: T. harzianum; and Tr3: T. asperellum) as biocontrol agents against two fungal pathogens in vitro and in vivo and determined their physicochemical analysis and plant-growth-promoting traits. The three species of Trichoderma exhibited catalase production in vitro, while T. longibrachiatum and T. asperellum showed the highest potential for plant-growth promotion by producing indole-3-acetic acid and phosphate solubilization but not nitrogen-fixing capability. T. harzianum showed lower potential in these traits. Mycelial growth was found to be maximum (5.77–12.27 cm) at 30 °C and a pH of 7–9, but inhibition (2.60–5.13 cm) was recorded at the highest temperature (45 °C) and pH (11). In vivo, studies on tomato fruits indicated that T. longibrachiatum and T. asperellum significantly (p < 0.05) reduced lesion diameters of A. alternata by 53.60% and 48.71%, respectively, and C. spicifera by 55.58% and 56.19%, respectively, relative to the infected control. Besides their antifungal efficacy, the three species of Trichoderma enhanced tomato seedling growth, particularly at 1/10 filtrate dilution, and improved fruit quality parameters by increasing firmness and nitrate content, while reducing oxidative stress. Physicochemical analysis indicated that Trichoderma-treated fruits had better firmness, pH, and nitrate value coupled with a reduction in oxidative stress (reduced malondialdehyde content) compared to pathogen-infected controls. The indigenous isolates of the three species of Trichoderma provided high efficacy as biocontrol agents of the two fungal pathogens that cause post-harvest losses of tomato, suggesting that biological control can replace synthetic chemicals in preserving tomato under storage conditions and contribute to agricultural sustainability. Full article

Microgrids are important technologies for increasing the penetration of renewable energy sources (RESs). Compared with AC microgrids, DC microgrids avoid frequency regulation and reactive-power compensation. Moreover, many RES interfaces and energy storage systems (ESSs) are DC or DC-link based; therefore, they can be integrated into DC buses with fewer conversion stages, reducing conversion losses. Consequently, DC microgrids have attracted increasing attention. This paper reviews DC microgrid topologies, hierarchical control methods, and protection schemes. First, the representative topologies are compared from the perspectives of structural features, control implications, protection requirements, and application scenarios. Next, primary, secondary, and tertiary control strategies are analyzed, with emphasis on droop control, virtual impedance, virtual inertia, fractional-order control, communication delay, and energy management. Protection issues, including fault detection, fault interruption, and ground-fault protection, are then discussed with respect to topology–control interactions. Finally, future research trends and challenges for DC microgrids are summarized. Full article

Tailings storage facility (TSF) failures have caused severe casualties and economic losses. This study used Enhanced Small Baseline Subset InSAR (E-SBAS-InSAR) and 88 Sentinel-1A images to retrieve the 2022–2024 surface deformation time series of the Shiguilong TSF, located in the Fe–Cu polymetallic metallogenic belt of the middle–lower Yangtze River. The reliability of the results was assessed through consistency comparisons with Small Baseline Subset InSAR (SBAS-InSAR) and Persistent Scatterer InSAR (PS-InSAR). A time-series decomposition model was applied to extract seasonal deformation components and analyze their lagged responses to temperature and intense rainfall events. The results show that: (1) E-SBAS-InSAR achieved a monitoring-point density nearly 7 times higher than SBAS-InSAR, enabling dense and long-term deformation characterization; (2) subsidence at Shiguilong continued to increase, with cumulative subsidence reaching −76.8 mm and a maximum annual mean subsidence rate of −22.78 mm/yr; (3) deformation was mainly controlled by long-term consolidation of loose tailings and creep of dam–tailings materials, while seasonal factors induced stage-dependent fluctuations; (4) seasonal deformation showed lagged responses of 6 days to temperature variations and 2 days to intense rainfall events, with rainfall exerting a more pronounced influence. This work is significant for TSFs monitoring under complex surface conditions. Full article

Postharvest seed cleaning is critical for ensuring high-quality rice seeds suitable for storage and planting. Traditional cleaning systems, which are often limited to one or two sieves, are insufficient for removing all impurities, resulting in reduced seed purity and potential germination issues. This study was designed to enhance the rice seed cleaning system by integrating a high-efficiency blower with a triple-sieving mechanism. The system utilized three sieves with progressively smaller mesh sizes to systematically separate contaminants such as dust, broken grains, husks, and other foreign particles. A controlled airflow from the blower distributes rice seeds uniformly across the sieves, optimizing separation while minimizing mechanical damage. Compared to existing conventional systems, the proposed design demonstrated significantly improved cleaning performance, resulting in higher seed purity levels and overall enhanced seed quality. The triple-sieve configuration, coupled with precise airflow control, led to more effective impurity removal and uniform seed handling. The improved seed-cleaning system offers several agronomic benefits, including reduced postharvest losses, increased seed germination rates, and improved crop establishment. By producing cleaner, higher-quality seeds, this system has the potential to support more efficient and productive rice cultivation. Full article

This research introduces a unique optimization framework centered on the Geese V-Formation Algorithm to enhance the technical planning of distributed energy resources in renewable microgrid-oriented radial distribution systems. The proposed methodology addresses the optimal placement and sizing of photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, battery energy storage systems, and capacitor banks to provide comprehensive voltage support, minimize active power losses, and refine overall grid functionality. Drawing inspiration from the aerodynamic efficiency of migratory geese, the Geese V-Formation Algorithm integrates dynamic leader-follower coordination, adaptive role rotation, and cooperative information exchange mechanisms. These features allow the algorithm to effectively balance global exploration and local exploitation, making it uniquely suited to address the complex, nonlinear, and multi-objective nature of modern microgrid design. The effectiveness of this approach was evaluated through rigorous simulations on the IEEE-33 and IEEE-69 bus distribution systems utilizing the Python programming language. The empirical results indicate that the Geese V-Formation Algorithm achieves substantial power loss reductions, reaching 91.62% and 92.45%, respectively, when integrating solar and wind resources with energy storage and reactive power compensation. Furthermore, the optimized configurations significantly improved bus voltage profiles and enhanced substation power factors, confirming the technical effectiveness of the framework under the considered benchmark constraints. By providing a technical decision-support approach for engineers and utility planners, this framework facilitates the deployment of reliable, decentralized renewable energy systems that align with global energy transition objectives and promote sustainable infrastructure development. Full article

The reformulation of cookies using alternative flours and structured lipid systems represents a promising strategy for improving their nutritional profile. The present study characterized the dough properties, baking behavior, compositional attributes, and 48-day storage physicochemical and textural stability of cookie formulations combining mesquite or wheat flour with varying proportions of shortening and monoglyceride-based oleogel. A multifaceted modeling and temporal analysis approach was employed to assess the impact of flour type, fat blend, and storage duration on critical physicochemical variables. The findings of the study indicated that the type of flour was the predominant factor influencing moisture retention, ash content, and the rate of bake loss. In contrast, the fat blend was found to regulate oil migration and dough mechanical parameters. Oleogel-rich systems demonstrated superior stability over time, as evidenced by a diminished color change and a decelerated textural hardening process in comparison to conventional shortening controls. Concurrently, these systems maintained water activity levels below the established microbiological safety thresholds. Sensory analysis demonstrated that oleogels effectively replicated the mouthfeel and acceptability of conventional fats, exhibiting comparable hardness and crunchiness to traditional formulations. However, mesquite flour-rich formulations exhibited higher bitterness and lower adhesiveness. These findings demonstrate that oleogel incorporation provides a viable strategy for mitigating textural staling and improving lipid profiles of cookies. Full article

Three packaging methods were applied to fresh red apricots: P1 (plastic basket), P2 (breathable foam box), and P3 (perforated corrugated carton). To evaluate the effects of different packaging methods on apricot quality during simulated transportation and subsequent cold storage, fruit quality parameters were measured at 0 h, after 48 h of simulated vibration, and on days 3, 6, and 9 of cold storage. The results showed that, compared with P2 and P3, P1 more effectively maintained fruit surface color and firmness, delayed declines in soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), ascorbic acid content, and moisture content, and reduced water loss and overall weight loss. P1 also suppressed the increase in respiration rate, enhanced peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities, suppressed increases in polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) accumulation, and reduced lipid peroxidation. Additionally, P1 alleviated damage to the cell wall, maintained the structural integrity of the pulp cell walls, and improved the percentage of sound fruit. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed that P1 delayed the degradation of the pulp cell wall and maintained the structural integrity of fruit cells. In conclusion, P1 (plastic basket) was the optimal packaging method for maintaining postharvest quality of fresh apricots during simulated transportation and cold storage. Full article

Referring Expression Comprehension (REC) localizes a target object in an image given a natural-language referring expression and is a core benchmark for fine-grained vision–language alignment. Recent detection-style multimodal Transformers achieve strong REC performance but typically rely on high-capacity visual and textual backbones, incurring substantial storage and compute costs. Replacing these backbones with lightweight alternatives greatly reduces model size, yet often degrades cross-modal alignment and yields a persistent accuracy gap. We propose CARM, a minimally invasive Cross-modal Alignment Recovery Module inserted between lightweight backbones and the downstream multimodal Transformer, requiring no changes to either component. CARM injects complementary priors via bidirectional prompts and uses a Cross-Attention Gate (CAG) to adaptively filter and scale prompt-induced updates; it further integrates Tree-of-Attributes Prompts (TAPs) to strengthen fine-grained grounding of attributes such as color, size, and spatial location. On RefCOCO, switching to lightweight backbones drops P@1 (IoU ≥ 0.5) to 84.51, while CARM improves it to 86.23, recovering most of the loss. Meanwhile, the overall model storage (checkpoint) is reduced by about 80%, demonstrating that the cross-modal alignment degradation induced by compression can be effectively restored. Full article

Accurate design and performance assessment of solar thermal domestic hot water systems coupled with a heat pump auxiliary typically requires transient simulation, as the system’s behavior depends on multiple interactions among collector characteristics, storage stratification, control logic, weather, and draw-off timing. Monthly methods such as the f-chart are useful for first-pass estimates, but they do not resolve stratification, thermostat operation, or demand timing, and they may become inaccurate for stratified thermostat-controlled systems. Direct comparisons of locally inspectable symbolic and black-box surrogate families for this system class remain limited. A 10,982-case development dataset was generated from minute-resolved annual MATLAB simulations, parameterized by collector area, optical efficiency, and first- and second-order loss coefficients. Three surrogate families were benchmarked under a unified protocol, random forest-assisted shape-constrained symbolic regression (SR), feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) models, and Automatic Learning of Algebraic Models for Optimization (ALAMO), with the f-chart used as a monthly reference method. The targets were the 12 monthly solar fractions under the direct solar heat definition and the corresponding annual mean solar fraction, evaluated on the same independent 991-case test set. SR achieved the lowest average error (mean absolute percentage error, MAPE = 0.82%; root mean square error, RMSE = 0.006), followed by the ANN (MAPE = 2.07%, RMSE = 0.028) and ALAMO (MAPE = 3.67%, RMSE = 0.060), with Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) values above 0.98 for all models. Evaluation times were 0.0026–0.124 s per target, compared with about 1000 s for one full-year simulation. These results define the study as a common protocol benchmark within the studied simulator-defined envelope. SR gives the strongest accuracy with local symbolic inspectability, the ANN remains the flexible retrainable option, and ALAMO provides compact algebraic evaluation with the shortest learned model runtime. Full article

This study investigated the impacts of electron beam irradiation (EBI) on the storage quality of passion fruit by regulating membrane lipid composition and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging capacity. Among the tested doses, 0.2 kGy EBI was the most effective in maintaining fruit quality, as indicated by lower relative electrical conductivity and weight loss, together with higher hue angle and commercially acceptable fruit rate during storage. Mechanistically, EBI reduced superoxide anion production and malondialdehyde accumulation, indicating alleviated oxidative damage and membrane lipid peroxidation. EBI also suppressed the activities of membrane lipid-degrading enzymes, thereby slowing the degradation of phospholipids and unsaturated fatty acids while reducing the accumulation of phosphatidic acid, diacylglycerol, and saturated fatty acids. In addition, EBI enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes and maintained higher levels of ascorbic acid, glutathione, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging ability. These results indicate that EBI improves the storage quality of passion fruit mainly by preserving membrane lipid integrity and strengthening ROS-scavenging capacity. Full article

Industrial processes consume large amounts of thermal energy, while many recoverable heat streams remain unused because heat sources and sinks differ in time, temperature level, power demand, and operating schedule. Thermal energy storage (TES) can decouple heat supply from heat demand and support waste heat recovery, peak-load reduction, process heat electrification, and flexible operation of continuous, batch, and intermittent processes. This narrative review assesses industrial TES from a process integration perspective rather than from a storage-material perspective alone. Sensible, latent, thermochemical, sorption-based, hybrid, and steam-based storage systems are compared with respect to delivery temperature, storage duration, charging and discharging power, response time, heat losses, reliability, integration complexity, and techno-economic feasibility. Sector-specific opportunities are discussed for the iron and steel, cement, ceramics, chemical and petrochemical, pulp and paper, and food and beverage industries. The review shows that deployment is constrained less by the availability of storage concepts than by heat exchanger limitations, inconsistent Key Performance Indicator (KPI) definitions, unclear system boundaries, scarce long-term operating data, and insufficient coupling with pinch analysis, heat exchanger network design, control, and safety requirements. A practical technology-selection workflow and a research roadmap are proposed for scalable, reliable, and economically viable industrial TES deployment. Full article

Temporary plugging and flow diversion in multi-fracture reservoirs require gel particles that can provide stable plugging in dominant fractures while enabling low-residue deplugging after treatment. In this study, ester-bond-cleavable self-degradable gel particles were prepared by aqueous free-radical crosslinking using acrylamide, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, and polyethylene glycol diacrylate as a hydrolysable crosslinker. An MBAA-crosslinked particle was used as a nondegradable control. FTIR and SEM results confirmed the formation of ester-containing crosslinked networks with tunable morphology. Among the prepared samples, EGP-2 showed a balanced hydration and mechanical response, with an equilibrium swelling ratio of 7.12 g/g at 80 °C and 100,000 mg/L salinity, a storage modulus of 205 Pa at 1 Hz, a compressive stress of 54.2 kPa at 30% strain, and a height recovery ratio of 91.8%. In single-fracture tests, EGP-2 achieved plugging efficiencies of 98.6% and 97.4% in 0.5 and 1.0 mm fractures, respectively, with corresponding erosion retention ratios of 94.1% and 92.6%. In a three-parallel-fracture model, EGP-2 reduced the dominant-fracture flow split ratio from 78.4% to 32.8%, while increasing the combined flow split ratio of the medium and narrow fractures from 21.6% to 67.2%, corresponding to a flow diversion efficiency of 58.2%. After aging at 120 °C for 96 h, EGP-2 exhibited a mass loss ratio of 78.4% and a G′ retention ratio of 25.4%. Subsequent flowback tests showed a flowback ratio of 82.6%, a permeability recovery ratio of 88.7%, and a residue ratio of 10.9%. These results demonstrate that ester-bond-cleavable gel particles can integrate temporary plugging, flow diversion, and controlled deplugging, offering a low-residue strategy for multi-fracture reservoir conformance control. Full article