Search Results (36,904)

Tunnel kilns are widely used in ceramic manufacturing due to their continuous operation, stable performance, and relatively high thermal efficiency. However, the firing stage remains highly energy-intensive and is a major source of environmental impact, necessitating advanced strategies for performance optimization and sustainability. This study presents a comprehensive and critical review of recent developments in tunnel kiln technology, focusing on heat transfer mechanisms, thermal modeling, process optimization, airflow management, energy recovery, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and environmental sustainability. The literature shows that kiln performance is governed by strongly coupled interactions among fluid flow, heat transfer, combustion, and material transformations. Although significant progress has been achieved through analytical modeling, experimental studies, and numerical simulations, many approaches rely on simplified assumptions or isolated subsystem analyses, limiting their applicability to real industrial conditions. Key findings emphasize the importance of optimizing airflow distribution, kiln geometry, and product arrangement to enhance convective heat transfer and temperature uniformity. Energy optimization strategies—including waste heat recovery, combustion control, and reduction in kiln car thermal mass—demonstrate considerable potential, but their effectiveness depends on integrated, system-level implementation. Environmental analyses identify the firing stage as the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting the need for coordinated energy and emission reduction strategies. In this context, Digital Twin and Industry 4.0 technologies offer promising capabilities for real-time monitoring, predictive control, and data-driven optimization. Generally, this review underscores the need to transition from isolated optimization approaches to integrated, multi-scale frameworks that combine advanced modeling, experimental validation, and intelligent digital systems to achieve sustainable and energy-efficient ceramic manufacturing. Full article

With the continuous advancement in reproductive biology, oocyte vitrification has become a critical technology for preserving female germplasm and protecting it from environmental disruptions. This technique also eliminates temporal and spatial constraints in animal embryo engineering research. However, during the vitrification of animal oocytes, exposure to low temperatures and high concentrations of cryoprotectants can cause various forms of damage, including cytoskeletal disruption, spindle abnormalities, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, oxidative stress and epigenetic modifications. These issues are now understood to severely restrict the subsequent developmental competence of oocytes, resulting in lower cleavage and blastocyst formation rates than those of fresh oocytes. Currently, the mechanisms of cryodamage in vitrified oocytes remain poorly understood, and standardized strategies to enhance vitrification efficiency have yet to be firmly established. This review provides a formal overview of the physiological factors underlying oocyte sensitivity to vitrification, alongside the mechanisms of cryodamage and the variables influencing post-thaw survival and reproductive success. It evaluates strategies for mitigating vitrification-induced stress, compares interspecies differences, and addresses current research limitations. By identifying future directions, this review offers new insights for optimizing mammalian oocyte cryopreservation techniques. Full article

Bamboo is a rapidly renewable lignocellulosic resource widely used in construction, composites, and bio-based materials. However, its practical applications are often limited by high hygroscopicity, biological degradation, and dimensional instability under humid conditions. This review synthesizes current research on bamboo structure, microbial interactions, and material modification strategies to better understand how bamboo-associated microbiomes influence both deterioration and potential material enhancement. We summarize conventional chemical and thermal modification approaches that improve hydrophobicity, durability, and mechanical stability while also discussing their technical limitations. Emerging studies on bamboo-associated microbial communities reveal complex interactions between fungi, bacteria, and lignocellulosic substrates, including enzymatic degradation, nutrient cycling, and potential bioprotective functions. Advances in multi-omics technologies have further provided insights into the functional gene pools and metabolic pathways involved in bamboo–microbe interactions. Recent conceptual developments in microbiome engineering and engineered living materials (ELMs) suggest possible future directions for integrating microbial functionality into bamboo-based materials. However, direct experimental evidence for microbial enhancement of bamboo structural performance remains limited. Future interdisciplinary research integrating material science, microbial ecology, and synthetic biology will be essential to evaluate the feasibility and safety of such biohybrid systems. Full article

This study evaluates mission-long inter-sensor radiometric calibration biases in Sensor Data Record (SDR) and/or Temperature Data Record (TDR) radiances from NOAA microwave sounders, including Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) (Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership or SNPP, NOAA-20, NOAA-21) and Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) (NOAA-19). Using four complementary validation techniques within the Inter-Sensor Radiometric Bias Assessment (iSensor-RCBA) system—32-day averaging, Community Radiative Transfer Model (CRTM) Double Difference (DD), Simultaneously Nadir Overpass (SNO), and sensor-DD via SNO—we characterize long-term performance. Results indicate that the SDR/TDR radiance quality remains stable and generally meets scientific requirements throughout their operational lifetimes with minimal anomalies; observed anomalies were infrequent and primarily correlated with calibration-table updates or spacecraft events or instrument degradation. Moreover, this research examines how radiometric calibration biases for the three ATMS instruments vary with Earth scene radiance or temperatures using the CRTM and SNO methods, as well as the radiance-dependency of inter-sensor calibration biases across the three instruments. Notably, due to its exceptional stability over 14 years, despite an approximate two-month data gap, the SNPP ATMS TDR and SDR datasets are recommended as the ideal reference to link legacy AMSU-A and Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) with Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), QuickSounder, and MetOp-Second Generation (MetOp-SG) microwave instruments. Beyond quantifying data quality, our multi-method framework with iSensor-RCBA effectively diagnosed critical issues, including a simulation error for CRTM ATMS radiance related to the CRTM spectral-response approximation and a NOAA-19 AMSU-A channel-8 performance anomaly. These findings confirm the long-term integrity of NOAA microwave sounder records and reinforce the value of integrated cross-sensor calibration assessments. Full article

Traceability systems are increasingly central to ensure food safety, quality, biosecurity, and sustainability in agrifood supply chains. Despite advances in digital technologies, adoption and effective implementation remain uneven, with many producers still relying on paper-based systems. This study examines the motivations and conditions that enable or constrain the participation in traceability systems by Australian red meat and honey producers using the Digital Maturity Framework (DMF) as a diagnostic lens. Drawing on seven focus groups and five individual interviews involving a total of 73 producers and supply chain stakeholders from both sectors, the study investigates how value perceptions, technology and infrastructure, data analytics and management, capability, and data governance, influence producers’ engagement with traceability systems. Our findings indicate that while regulatory pressure and market opportunities incentivise adoption, several challenges persist, including high costs, limited digital skills, data sharing concerns, and sector-specific constraints. The red meat sector demonstrates higher digital maturity, driven largely by compliance mandates and an established regulatory system. In contrast, the honey bee sector exhibits more fragmented traceability adoption, challenged by the predominance of small-scale producers and limited trust in data sharing mechanisms. The comparison between two sectors reveals the influence of sectoral context. In particular, the regulatory frameworks and supply chain coordination play a relevant role in the adoption of traceability technologies. Overall, this research reveals the need for tailored policy and industry support, including regulatory harmonisation, improved data interoperability, digital infrastructure, and capacity-building initiatives to enable more consistent and broader traceability implementation across agrifood systems. Full article

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) exhibit great application potential in the fields of intelligent sensing and Internet of Things terminal devices due to their advantages of self-powering, simple structure, and high sensitivity. A self-powered alarm sensor for smart manhole covers is proposed to realize real-time monitoring of water immersion and abnormal displacement without external power supply. Experimental results show that the sensor can generate distinguishable voltage signals under water immersion and different displacement states, enabling rapid recognition of potential hazards such as manhole cover offset and accumulated water. On this basis, a reliable intelligent alarm system is constructed, which can receive, analyze, and warn of abnormal signals in real time. Therefore, it can even directly replace commercial manhole covers, demonstrating the broad application prospects of TENG in the field of intelligent monitoring. With the continuous advancement of TENG technology, the functions of this manhole cover alarm will be further expanded and optimized in the future, providing stronger support for the construction of smart cities. Full article

Global water pollution driven by industrial and agricultural expansion has resulted in the widespread occurrence of persistent contaminants, particularly pharmaceuticals and heavy metals, in groundwater systems. Conventional treatment methods often prove inefficient, costly, and environmentally unsustainable, highlighting the need for innovative in situ remediation technologies. Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRBs) have emerged as a promising and energy-efficient solution for the long-term purification of contaminated aquifers. Their efficiency arises from passive operation, relying on natural groundwater flow to promote pollutant removal through adsorption, ion exchange, precipitation, and redox-driven transformations. This review emphasizes the superior performance of materials such as Activated Carbon, Biochar, Zeolites, and Zero-Valent Iron (ZVI) in the immobilization and reduction in pharmaceuticals and metal ions. Key challenges to PRB longevity include permeability loss and reactive media depletion due to mineral precipitation and biofouling. Advances in hybrid PRB configurations, coupled with electrokinetic (EK) and bioreactor systems, and predictive modeling, particularly Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), offer pathways to enhance performance, optimize design, and ensure sustainable operation. Overall, PRBs represent a scalable and environmentally sound approach to groundwater remediation, with future progress relying on the development of multifunctional, regenerable materials and integrated design strategies. Full article

Soil salinization poses a persistent threat to irrigated agroecosystems, yet remote sensing-based salinity assessment remains predominantly calibrated against bulk electrical conductivity without fully integrating crop physiological variability. This review examines the evolution of remote sensing approaches for soil salinity mapping (1994–2024), with particular emphasis on the role of crop salt tolerance in shaping spectral interpretation and mapping accuracy. A systematic synthesis of 58 peer-reviewed studies retrieved from the Scopus database was conducted using bibliometric analysis and structured full-text thematic classification to evaluate methodological trends and conceptual integration across soil, crops, and spectral domains. The results reveal substantial technological advancement, including multispectral and hyperspectral sensing, machine learning frameworks, and multi-source data integration. However, most approaches remain surface-oriented and statistically calibrated, with limited operationalization of crop-specific tolerance thresholds, root-zone salinity dynamics, and hydrochemical variability. The findings indicate that crop salt tolerance functions as a mediating factor within the soil–plant–spectral continuum, influencing the stability and transferability of spectral–salinity relationships. Integrating physiological tolerance parameters and subsurface processes into modeling frameworks is essential for improving agronomic interpretability and supporting more reliable salinity management in irrigated systems. Full article

The accelerated processes of industrialization and urbanization have led to increasingly prominent environmental risks by emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in wastewater. These contaminants are characterized by low concentrations, high toxicity, and complex composition, making their efficient removal crucial for safeguarding ecological security and human health. Advanced oxidation processes exhibit significant potential for the removal of EOCs due to their high degradation efficiency. However, current treatment paradigms remain constrained by several critical issues. Notably, the routine over-oxidation of low-toxicity small-molecule organics solely aims to satisfy chemical oxygen demand (COD) compliance standards. This unnecessary practice not only increases operational costs and carbon footprint but also leads to energy waste and reduced overall treatment efficiency. Based on the current technological landscape, this paper analyzes the core challenges in the removal of EOCs at present. In light of policy orientations and technological trends, it outlines future research directions and industrial development pathways, providing insights for achieving the synergistic goals of efficient removal of EOCs, low carbon emissions, and cost-effective operation. Full article

Biochar (BC)-activated peracetic acid (PAA)-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) were increasingly considered as cost-efficient and eco-friendly water treatment technologies for the removal of organic pollutants. However, the specific role of intrinsic carbon, nitrogen species and structure properties played in activation mechanism is still vague. In this study, the waste tea residues-based biochar (WTBC) was prepared by thermal carbonization and applied to activate PAA for the degradation of bisphenol A (BPA). The product carbonized at 800 °C (WTBC800) possessed larger specific surface area (342.57 m²/g), more abundant porous structure and massive defects state (I_D/I_G = 3.53), and exhibited a superior activation performance with 83.7% BPA removal within 120 min. Adsorption and non-radical oxidation pathways [e.g., the mediated electron transfer process (ETP) and singlet oxygen (¹O₂) generation] were evidenced to play the dominant roles in the BPA degradation through the formation of metastable complex WTBC-PAA*. The graphitic carbon, functional nitrogen species, defects structure and persistent free radicals (PFRs) in WTBC were proposed to contribute to the activation of PAA. Overall, relatively higher dosages of WTBC (0–0.5 g/L) and PAA (0–1.5 mM) facilitated the BPA degradation. The solution pH and water matrix (e.g., Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, HCO₃⁻ and SO₄²⁻) presented a negligible effect on the BPA degradation in WTBC/PAA system. This study not only proposes a sustainable approach for organic pollutants removal in wastewater, but also promotes the resource re-utilization of agricultural waste. Full article

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs), increasingly prevalent due to technological advancements, have raised significant concerns regarding their potential biological effects on living organisms. While much attention has focused on human health, growing evidence suggests that EMFs can also affect invertebrates, which play vital ecological roles. This study investigates the biochemical and cell death biomarker responses to EMF exposure for 24 h or 72 h in Parasteatoda tepidariorum. The focus is placed on the 10 MHz frequency, which is relevant to environmental exposure scenarios. Biochemical biomarkers include heat shock proteins (HSP70) and the percentage of apoptotic and living cells in individuals at their embryonic, young and adult stages. Results indicate that exposure to EMFs can induce measurable stress responses at the biochemical level, with variations depending on developmental stage and protective structures. Embryos outside of the egg sac exhibited significantly elevated levels of HSP70 and apoptosis markers compared to those within the sac, suggesting a partial protective effect of the cocoons. Furthermore, differences in biomarker sensitivity were observed across all the developmental stages and increased with prolonged exposure. These findings contribute to the understanding of EMF-induced biological effects in invertebrates and support the use of P. tepidariorum as a model species for environmental electromagnetic pollution. Full article

Background: Open banking (OB) is rapidly transforming financial ecosystems by enabling controlled data sharing among multiple actors through application programming interfaces (APIs). While this transformation promises innovation and competition, it also introduces complex security challenges that extend beyond purely technical considerations. Despite growing attention in academic and professional domains, existing reviews provide limited integration of security concerns with global adoption patterns and cross regional variation. Methods: This systematic review analyses empirical and conceptual research on security in OB published between 1999 and 2025, capturing early digital banking studies that later informed the development of OB. The literature is structured into three distinct phases: foundational digital banking developments, regulatory formalisation of OB frameworks, and post-implementation expansion of OB ecosystems. A comprehensive search was conducted across major academic databases and scholarly portals, complemented by relevant regulatory and policy sources. Following duplicate removal, title and abstract screening, full-text eligibility assessment, and methodological quality appraisal, 117 studies were retained for qualitative synthesis. Results: The findings reveal recurring security challenges arising from the interaction between technological infrastructures, regulatory frameworks, and user behaviour within OB ecosystems. Technical safeguards such as APIs, strong customer authentication, and encryption are necessary but insufficient when they are misaligned with regulatory implementation and user behaviour. Behavioural factors, including trust, consent understanding, and security-related decision making, play a central role in shaping ecosystem resilience. Based on this synthesis, the study develops a tri-dimensional security framework integrating technological, regulatory, and behavioural dimensions. The bibliometric analysis of 117 studies reveals that technological security dominates the literature (58%), followed by regulatory governance (44%) and behavioural dimensions (42%). However, only 17.9% of studies integrate all three dimensions simultaneously. APIs and authentication mechanisms represent the most frequent technological terms, while PSD2 and GDPR dominate regulatory discourse. Trust and decision-making are the most recurrent behavioural constructs. The relatively low proportion of fully integrated studies confirms a structural fragmentation within OB security research, thereby empirically justifying the proposed tri-dimensional framework. Chronologically, early studies (1999–2015) predominantly focused on technical security mechanisms and regulatory compliance, whereas more recent research (2020–2025) increasingly highlights the interplay between regulatory frameworks and user behaviour, suggesting a shift towards a more holistic understanding of security within OB adoption. Conclusions: This systematic review concludes that integrating technological, regulatory, and behavioural perspectives advances a more comprehensive understanding of security in OB ecosystems. The proposed tri-dimensional security framework provides a structured foundation for future research and supports policy-relevant and practice-oriented security design. Full article

Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) have emerged as essential light sources for atomic-precision measurement, quantum-secure communication, high-speed optical transmission, and laser coherent scanning detection, owing to their low power consumption, high-quality beam characteristics, and ease of two-dimensional integration. However, the fundamental limitation on linewidth narrowing in VCSELs arises from their inherently short resonator, resulting in a natural linewidth on the order of 50–100 MHz. This limitation prevents conventional VCSELs from meeting the stringent requirements of advanced applications, making the ultra-narrow linewidth a key focus in optoelectronics research. This review analyzes representative achievements and application scenarios of narrow-linewidth VCSELs, evaluates the merits and limitations of industrial-grade devices, and envisions future directions in next-generation optoelectronic systems. Distinct from existing reviews, it integrates key single-mode fabrication techniques, quantitative linewidth requirements across applications, silicon photonic integration, and scalable manufacturing trends, establishing a complete mechanism–technology–application–industry analytical framework. Full article

Speech Emotion Recognition (SER) is a key enabling technology for advanced human–computer interaction and affective computing. This paper presents an adaptive hybrid SER framework that combines a deep neural feature extraction module with a heterogeneous ensemble of machine learning classifiers, including XGBoost, Support Vector Machines (SVMs), and Random Forest. To overcome the limitations of static fusion strategies, a confidence-gated meta-classification mechanism is introduced to dynamically weight the contribution of each base classifier according to its instance-level reliability. The proposed approach is evaluated on two widely adopted benchmark datasets, EmoDB and SAVEE, achieving competitive accuracies of 98.88% and 91.92%, respectively. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed fusion strategy significantly improves robustness against inter-speaker variability and emotional ambiguity, while maintaining low computational complexity suitable for real-time implementation. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the proposed framework as a robust and efficient solution for speech emotion recognition. While the model is evaluated on benchmark datasets, it is intended as a foundational component for future emotion-aware systems, including applications in human–computer interaction. Full article

Processing of nickel ores is a key aspect of modern metallurgy due to the growing demand for nickel in stainless steel, battery production, and advanced materials. The depletion of high-grade sulfide ores has shifted attention toward oxidized (lateritic) nickel ores, which are characterized by complex mineralogy and low metal content. This study presents a comparative review of major processing technologies, including pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical, and hybrid approaches, with particular emphasis on their applicability to Kazakhstan’s limonitic laterites with high iron and low nickel content. The analysis shows that the most suitable processing routes for such ores include atmospheric acid leaching (AL), high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL), metallothermic reduction, and combined flowsheets integrating thermal and leaching stages. Among these, AL and hybrid approaches are identified as the most promising under resource-constrained conditions. Despite recent technological progress, challenges remain related to energy consumption, economic feasibility, and environmental impact. The study highlights the importance of developing energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies, including hydrogen-based reduction, and provides practical recommendations for selecting and adapting processing methods for Kazakhstan. Full article