Search Results (10,329)

Photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants has emerged as a promising approach for wastewater treatment due to its environmental friendliness and high efficiency under mild conditions. This study focuses on evaluating materials for the decolorization of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO), which are commonly used cationic and anionic dyes, respectively, known for their persistence and toxicity in aquatic environments. The research investigates the synthesis of a Mott–Schottky junction at the interface of two materials using MXene as a dopant. We synthesized three MXene-containing Porous Organic Polymers (POP-2MX, POP-6MX, and POP-10MX), incorporating 2%, 6%, and 10% MXene, respectively. UV–Vis spectroscopy tests revealed that all polymers exhibited high degradation efficiency; however, POP-6MX demonstrated the best overall activity. Under illumination of a 500 W Xenon lamp (λ > 420 nm) with a catalyst loading of 1 mg/mL, POP-6MX achieved complete adsorption-corrected degradation of MB and MO within 10 and 45 min, respectively. This research also investigated the influence of pH on photocatalytic performance under homogeneous aqueous conditions, revealing that neutral pH provides the optimal environment for degradation activity. The photocatalytic mechanism follows a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dominated pathway, primarily driven by superoxide radicals (•O₂⁻) and hydroxyl radicals generated through photochemical reactions. These results demonstrate the potential of POP-1/MXene composites as efficient and recyclable photocatalysts for sustainable dye wastewater treatment applications. Full article

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and familial hypertriglyceridemia (FHTG) represent a spectrum of inherited conditions with profoundly different etiologies, risk profiles, and therapeutic implications. Despite decades of clinical experience, their formal diagnostic definitions remain rooted in frameworks developed before the genomic era (the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network (DLCN) score), leading to substantial gaps in diagnostic accuracy. This review traces the historical evolution of diagnostic criteria for FH and FHTG from early phenotypic observation to contemporary genomic and biomarker-driven models. It systematically evaluates the major limitations of current criteria, including the (DLCN) score, and integrates evidence from landmark Mendelian randomization (MR) studies to identify persistent gaps. A narrative synthesis of landmark clinical, epidemiological, and genetic studies was performed, encompassing the original discovery of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) receptor pathway, the development of international diagnostic criteria, and contemporary mendelian randomization (MR) evidence on the causal roles of LDL-C, lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], triglyceride-rich lipoprotein remnants, and apolipoprotein B (ApoB). Current diagnostic frameworks suffer from age-dependent confounding of LDL-C measurements, failure to account for Lp(a)-mediated phenocopies, inadequate discrimination between monogenic and polygenic etiologies, sex differences, ethnicity, and inapplicability to pediatric populations. MR data reveal that the causal architecture of cardiovascular risk in these disorders is particle-centric (ApoB) rather than LDL-C-centric, and that remnant cholesterol, not triglyceride per se, drives atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk in FHTG. We evidenced the evolution of treatment options and the morbidity and mortality rates for FH and FHTG from the 1970s until the 2020s. Future diagnostic paradigms should integrate lifetime Lp(a) measurement, polygenic risk scoring, ApoB quantification, and cascade genomic testing to replace phenotype-only approaches. This review concludes by proposing a four-step integrated diagnostic algorithm for FH and FHTG. Full article

Industrial defect image generation is an effective way to alleviate data scarcity and class imbalance in visual inspection. In industrial images, defects usually appear as local asymmetric perturbations on globally regular background structures, which makes defect synthesis dependent on both background consistency and local anomaly fidelity. Existing generative methods still face difficulties when only limited anomalous samples are available, especially in representing fine-grained discrepancies among defect categories, coordinating global and local branches across diffusion stages, and constraining small defect regions and their boundary transitions. To address these issues, this paper develops a symmetry-aware multi-constraint diffusion framework based on the dual-branch architecture of DualAnoDiff. The framework treats multi-class industrial defect generation as a joint optimization problem involving class-conditioned discrepancy representation, diffusion-stage-aware branch coordination, and saliency-guided regional supervision. First, Class-Conditioned Shared-Basis LoRA (CSB-LoRA) models category-specific defect characteristics by combining cross-class shared low-rank bases with class-dependent coefficients, allowing common structural priors and class-specific asymmetric patterns to be represented simultaneously. Second, Temporal Dual-branch Attention Modulation (TDAM) adjusts branch interaction, background information injection, and residual feature fusion according to the denoising stage, so that the generation process can gradually shift from global structure restoration to local defect refinement. Third, Saliency-Guided Reconstruction Loss (SGRL) applies stronger spatial constraints to defect regions and boundary neighborhoods, improving local detail preservation and defect-background continuity. Experiments on the MVTec AD dataset show that the proposed method improves both generation quality and perceptual diversity compared with DualAnoDiff. The average IS increases from 1.93 to 2.07, and IC-LPIPS increases from 0.38 to 0.41. When the generated samples are used for downstream defect segmentation, AP-P improves from 84.5% to 85.7%, and F1-P improves from 78.8% to 79.3%. These results indicate that the generated samples can serve as useful synthetic training data for few-shot and class-imbalanced industrial inspection. Full article

The increasing generation of organic waste and the growing demand for sustainable solid fuels have intensified interest in hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) as a pathway for biomass valorization within circular bioeconomy systems. HTC uses subcritical water to upgrade moist biomass into hydrochar with improved fuel properties and combustion behavior. This review correlates key HTC parameters, including temperature, residence time, pH, and the nature of feedstock, with the chemical evolution and thermal reactivity of different hydrochars. Data synthesis identifies a typical ‘kinetic optimization’ range between 180 and 220 °C for conventional lignocellulosic feedstocks. Within this thermal interval, activation energy (E_a) decreases from 180–260 kJ/mol for raw biomass to 70–180 kJ/mol for hydrochars, while the high heating value (HHV) reaches up to ~28 MJ/kg. The results further demonstrate that feedstock composition strongly influences combustion reactivity and kinetic behavior under similar HTC conditions. The integration of isoconversional methods with thermodynamic parameters (ΔH, ΔG, ΔS) confirms a transition toward more ordered and thermally stable carbon structures. Additionally, Criado’s master plots indicate a shift from diffusion-controlled to reaction-controlled combustion mechanisms with increasing HTC severity. These findings provide valuable insights into the optimizing of HTC conditions for balance energy densification and combustion reactivity, offering a comprehensive understanding to guide future hydrochar-based energy applications and scale-up studies. Full article

Global warming is reshaping terrestrial water cycling and near-surface climate risks through atmospheric moistening, enhanced precipitation variability, rising evaporative demand, and more frequent compound extremes. This narrative review synthesizes recent advances in land–atmosphere interactions and atmospheric water cycle feedbacks, and its distinctive contribution is to connect physical feedback chains with human land surface perturbations, compound risk, and observation model machine learning evidence. We reviewed the literature from Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, publisher databases, and Crossref metadata, prioritizing peer-reviewed studies published mainly during 2010–2026 while retaining foundational work on soil moisture feedbacks, moisture recycling, irrigation, aerosols, and boundary-layer processes. The synthesis emphasizes where evidence is robust, where feedback signs are regime dependent, and where uncertainty still propagates from evapotranspiration partitioning, boundary-layer diagnosis, aerosol–cloud interactions, human water management, and nonstationary climate conditions. The review concludes that the same land surface perturbation may cool locally, increase humid heat exposure, alter downwind precipitation, or intensify water depletion, depending on the climate regime, season, scale, and management. Future research should therefore move beyond single-variable correlation analyses toward causal, cross-scale, and risk-oriented attribution frameworks that integrate multi-source observations, process models, moisture tracking, and physically constrained machine learning. Full article

Given the critical need for scalable technologies that decouple industrial production from fossil feedstocks, this study introduces a green hydrogen-driven and carbon-negative industrial complex that employs renewable energy to simultaneously produce methanol and Fischer–Tropsch hydrocarbon products via feedstocks of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water. The proposed complex (FARMOW) integrates six major sections: (i) a Fischer–Tropsch synthesis process (FTSP), (ii) an alkaline water electrolysis process (AWEP), (iii) a reverse water–gas shift process (RWGSP), (iv) a methanol synthesis process (MSP), (v) an off-gas combustion process (OGCP), and (vi) a water treatment process (WTP). In this complex, the green hydrogen produced from AWEP is reacted with CO₂ from a carbon capture unit and sent to the MSP and FTSP sections, respectively, to generate methanol and Fischer–Tropsch hydrocarbon products. The byproduct (water) from the complex is utilized to generate steam through rigorous process simulation, and the technical efficacy of the complex has been modeled and validated, yielding high-value hydrocarbons, methanol, steam, and oxygen. Furthermore, a comprehensive techno-economic assessment with sensitivity analysis is performed to evaluate the commercial flexibility of the system under varying market conditions. Full article

Electrocatalytic nitric oxide reduction (NORR) shows great potential for mitigating NO_x emissions from motor vehicles and other internal combustion engine exhausts, enabling the resource utilization of pollutant NO and the synthesis of NH₃ under mild conditions. The overall performance of NORR largely depends on the development of efficient electrocatalysts. Based on a coordination-engineering strategy, this study constructs a series of Sc-based single-atom catalyst systems coordinated with nonmetal heteroatoms (X = B, C, O, Si, P, S, As, Se, Te), denoted as Sc@XN₃, and systematically investigates their NORR reaction pathways, limiting potentials (U_L, the minimum applied potential required to make all elementary steps downhill in free energy), and selectivity using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The results indicate that Sc@CN₃, Sc@PN₃, and Sc@SN₃ possess relatively low U_L, with values of −0.17, −0.31, and −0.07 V, respectively, among which Sc@SN₃ is thermodynamically the most favorable. Moreover, Sc@CN₃ and Sc@SN₃ can suppress the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the formation of N₂O/N₂ by-products, thereby affording higher selectivity toward NH₃ formation. Considering the characteristics of NO_x emissions from engine exhaust, these coordination-engineered Sc centers show promising potential for future electrified aftertreatment systems that couple NO_x control with ammonia-based energy utilization in vehicles. This study clarifies at the atomic scale how the coordination environment modulates the electronic structure and catalytic behavior of Sc single-atom centers and provides theoretical guidance for the rational design of high-performance NORR electrocatalysts targeted at automotive exhaust NO_x control. Full article

This scoping review maps and synthesizes scientific evidence on the use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in wine fermentation, focusing on their contribution to ester formation and aroma modulation. The review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A total of 71 original articles published between 2000 and 2025 were included, and evidence mapping was combined with an exploratory textual analysis of abstracts using Iramuteq^® to characterize thematic trends, methodological approaches, and knowledge gaps. The textual analysis highlighted fermentation ecology, inoculation strategies, and aroma modulation as central themes, with ester formation emerging as a key topic. Torulaspora, Hanseniaspora, Lachancea, Metschnikowia, and Candida/Starmerella were the most frequently investigated genera, reflecting their potential to diversify wine sensory profiles beyond those typically associated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentations. Non-Saccharomyces yeasts proved particularly relevant in the synthesis and modulation of ethyl and acetate esters linked to fruity and floral characteristics, especially in mixed fermentations. Key knowledge gaps include the limited transferability of laboratory-scale results to industrial conditions, insufficient understanding of interspecies interactions, and the need for stronger sensory validation of volatile compounds. These findings highlight the potential of non-Saccharomyces yeasts as tools for innovation, terroir expression, and enhanced sensory complexity in winemaking. Full article

This review evaluates the current state of knowledge on the use of wood fibres and related woody materials as partial substitutes for peat in substrates used for forest nursery production, with particular emphasis on container seedlings. The review was prepared as a structured narrative synthesis of the available literature, focusing on substrate composition, physical and chemical properties, tree seedling growth, root development, water regime, fertilisation, operational handling, economic aspects and remaining research needs. The available evidence shows that wood fibres are technically promising components of peat-reduced growing media, but their performance depends strongly on the raw-material origin, processing method, substrate proportion, tree species, and cultivation management. The most reliable results have been obtained with partial substitution systems, whereas peat-free solutions remain species-specific and require careful optimisation of irrigation, nitrogen supply, pH control, and substrate quality. Although wood-based materials may improve resource efficiency and, under favourable local conditions, reduce substrate costs, wider implementation is constrained by variable material quality, limited standardisation and insufficient operational-scale validation. The main remaining research need is to define species-specific application thresholds and management protocols and to link nursery performance with outplanting success and full production economics under commercial conditions. Full article

This article presents a systematic analysis of the application of advanced mathematical and computational approaches in dental bioengineering, with a focus on biomaterials processing and machining-related technologies. The aim is to critically synthesize current knowledge on the use of numerical simulations, statistical modeling, and algorithm-based methods in the analysis and optimization of technological processes in dentistry. The review was conducted following the PRISMA framework to ensure a transparent and reproducible selection of relevant studies addressing the intersection of dental applications, manufacturing processes, and computational modeling. The results reveal that the current research does not constitute a unified modeling framework, but rather a heterogeneous set of approaches targeting specific aspects of biomaterial processing. The analyzed studies demonstrate the application of finite element analysis, empirical statistical models, and geometry-based computational methods, particularly in processes such as drilling and grinding of ceramic dental materials. These approaches enable detailed analysis of mechanical and thermal loading conditions, as well as partial optimization of process parameters. However, their applicability is often limited by their empirical nature, lack of integration, and insufficient linkage to real-time process control. The synthesis highlights a significant research gap in the development of integrated and multiphysics modeling frameworks capable of combining mechanical, thermal, and geometrical aspects of machining processes. Future research should focus on the implementation of digital twins, adaptive process control, and personalized modeling strategies to enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and predictability of dental biomaterial processing. Full article

Viscosity reducers are essential additives for water-based drilling fluids (WBDFs), serving to counteract the rheological degradation induced by the high-temperature and high-salinity conditions commonly encountered in deep and ultra-deep well drilling. This paper systematically reviews the research progress in this field, categorizing viscosity reducers into three major systems: modified natural materials, industrial waste utilization, and synthetic polymers. Modified natural material viscosity reducers, derived from renewable materials such as lignin and humic acid via chemical modification, are environmentally friendly products. The preparation of viscosity reducers from industrial wastes realizes both resource recycling and economic benefits. Synthetic polymer viscosity reducers, incorporated with functional monomers such as sulfonic and carboxylic groups, achieve high performance with temperature resistance exceeding 220 °C as well as excellent salt and calcium tolerance via rational molecular design, and represent the current mainstream research direction in the field. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the action mechanisms of various viscosity reducers, summarizes the performance characteristics, synthesis methods and application status, and identifies challenges in structure–property relationship elucidation, extreme working condition adaptability, and technology transfer efficiency. Finally, future development trends are discussed, with emphasis on precision molecular design, ultimate performance requirements for ultra-deep wells, environmentally sustainable approaches, and the establishment of standardized evaluation protocols. This review aims to provide both theoretical insights and practical guidance to support the efficient development of deep oil and gas resources. Full article

Background: Hyaluronan (HA) is a critical extracellular matrix component that we have demonstrated to be important for embryonic endochondral bone formation and postnatal synovial joint formation, supporting normal articular cartilage (AC) architecture and chondrocyte function. Although the embryonic requirement for Hyaluronan Synthase 2 (Has2), the main HA-producing enzyme in skeletal tissues, has been extensively investigated, the cartilage-cell-specific roles of Has2 and HA in maintaining postnatal cartilage and joint integrity are not well-defined. Methods: In this study, we used a tamoxifen-inducible, cartilage-specific Has2 conditional knockout mouse model (AggrecanCreERT2Cre/+; Has2^fl/fl). A total of 20 male mice were collected, followed with tamoxifen administered at 3 weeks of age and tissues analyzed at early and late post-induction time points using histological and matrix-based assessments. Results: Administration of tamoxifen at 3 weeks of age resulted in near-complete absence of HA in AC and growth late (GP) at 4 weeks, one week after the induction, as confirmed by highly specific HA staining Hyaluronan binding protein (HABP) immunohistochemistry. These early changes establish that Has2-dependent HA synthesis is indispensable for maintaining matrix integrity, columnar organization, and postnatal GP maturation. We further extended these findings into later developmental stages, showing that by 11 weeks of age (8 weeks after induction), tibial joints exhibit AC surface irregularity, proteoglycan depletion, disrupted zonal architecture, and changes in the osteochondral unit consistent with early degenerative features. Conclusions: Taken together, these data suggest that HA deficiency triggered in early postnatal life is associated with increased cartilage vulnerability, supporting an important role for Has2 in cartilage maturation and long-term joint integrity. Full article

Chronic epididymitis and orchitis represent significant yet frequently under-recognized contributors to male infertility, particularly among men of reproductive age. These conditions arise from persistent inflammatory or immunological processes affecting the epididymis and testis, leading to impaired spermatogenesis, altered sperm maturation and possible obstruction of the male reproductive tract. Infectious aetiologies, especially those linked to sexually transmitted pathogens and uropathogens, remain predominant; however, non-infectious mechanisms, including autoimmune activation, post-vasectomy changes and idiopathic inflammation, also play critical roles. The persistent inflammatory milieu induces cytokine release, oxidative stress and structural tissue remodelling, ultimately compromising the functional and immune-privileged microenvironment necessary for optimal sperm production and transport. Diagnostic evaluation requires a multimodal approach incorporating clinical examination, microbiological testing, semen analysis and scrotal ultrasonography, with advanced imaging and molecular assays reserved for complex or equivocal cases. Management is individualized and may involve antimicrobial therapy, anti-inflammatory treatment, immunomodulation or microsurgical intervention in cases of ductal obstruction. Assisted reproductive technologies provide additional options when natural conception is not feasible. Despite increased recognition of their impact, chronic epididymitis and orchitis remain insufficiently studied, with gaps in standardized definitions, biomarker validation and long-term outcome data. This review provides a focused synthesis and phenotype-driven clinical framework for chronic epididymitis and orchitis through a fertility-preservation lens, bridging urological and andrological perspectives and integrating evidence on subclinical inflammation, contemporary diagnostic biomarkers and a staged therapeutic pathway. Full article

Drought is one of the major abiotic stress factors limiting crop yield and quality, posing a significant threat to sensitive species like cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). This study evaluated the potential of bitter melon (Momordica charantia cv. Nusret F₁) and squash (Cucurbita pepo cv. Aygır F₁) as rootstocks to improve drought-related performance in cucumber scions (Akıncı F₁ and Baymali F₁). Grafted and non-grafted plants were grown under two irrigation regimes for 21 days: well-watered control (100% field capacity) and a water-withholding drought treatment. Drought stress significantly reduced morphological parameters across most experimental groups. Under drought conditions, the Akıncı F₁/Aygır F₁ combination showed the highest proline accumulation. This biochemical response was accompanied by pronounced reductions in dry leaf and dry biomass. This pattern suggests that proline accumulation is more closely associated with stress severity than with growth maintenance under drought conditions. Conversely, the Baymali F₁/Aygır F₁ combination maintained relatively higher leaf dry weight under drought, suggesting better growth maintenance under drought. Plants grafted onto Nusret F1 generally produced the lowest biomass but showed enhanced proline synthesis, indicating a stronger stress response despite reduced growth. In conclusion, while Aygır F₁ supports higher growth and biomass maintenance under well-watered conditions, drought responses are strongly influenced by scion-rootstock compatibility and distinct physiological strategies, highlighting the importance of distinguishing growth performance from biochemical stress indicators such as proline accumulation. Full article

Copper-based catalysts supported on γ-Al₂O₃ were prepared by wet impregnation and evaluated for the catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) of phenol. Citric acid was used as a complexing agent to enhance copper stabilization, and lanthanum was incorporated as a structural promoter. The effects of calcination temperature, heating rate, Cu loading, and La incorporation route on catalyst structure and performance were systematically investigated. Thermal treatment and La incorporation-controlled phase evolution and copper oxidation state. Calcination at 900 °C promoted the development of CuAl₂O₄- and CuAlO₂-type phases, as suggested by XRD, while XPS showed that the Cu²⁺/Cu⁺ ratio increased progressively with temperature, consistent with stronger metal–support interactions. Citric acid, incorporated at a CA:Cu molar ratio of 1:1, reduced copper leaching by up to 50% compared to catalysts prepared without the complexing agent, regardless of calcination temperature. Co-impregnated Cu–La catalysts achieved complete phenol conversion within 20–30 min and TOC removals of 84–95%, depending on synthesis conditions. The combination of La incorporation, calcination at 900 °C, and citric acid-assisted impregnation yielded the best stability–activity balance, with Cu5.0/La-A-900-1 showing 91% TOC removal and only 18% Cu leaching after 2 h of reaction. XPS, catalytic performance, and leaching results indicate that CWPO activity is governed by the balance between redox accessibility (Cu²⁺/Cu⁺) and structural stabilization of copper species. The results indicate that CWPO proceeds through a combined surface-mediated and homogeneous Fenton-like pathway, where the relative contribution of each depends on copper stabilization and leaching. Full article