Search Results (1,112)

Earth-based materials are promising candidates for balancing thermal performance, hygrothermal regulation, and environmental sustainability. The objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the hygrothermal behavior of two earthen materials, structural cob and lightweight insulating earth, against conventional reference concrete, taking into account not only their insulating properties but also their ability to regulate coupled heat and moisture transfers. Experimental tests show a significantly higher hygroscopic buffering capacity for earth-based materials, with an MBV of 2.23 g/(m²∙%RH) for the structural material and 1.21 g/(m²∙%RH) for the insulation material, compared to less than 0.5 g/(m²∙%RH) for concrete. The sorption isotherms confirm distinct water storage behaviors, with an average sensitivity to relative humidity of 10.47% for the insulation material, compared to 3.8% for concrete and 2.25% for the structural material, in addition to an average reduction of 26% in the adsorption capacity between 23 °C and 45 °C for both earthen materials. Coupled heat–moisture simulations in COMSOL quantitatively demonstrate the hygrothermal superiority of bio-based materials over conventional concrete, as concrete promotes interstitial moisture accumulation due to its low vapor permeability. The parametric sensitivity analysis highlights the effect of hygrothermal properties, where diffusivity controls transport kinetics and sorption governs water storage, while thermal conductivity modulates the spatial redistribution of thermo-hygric fields. The next and final step made it possible to link the phenomena observed at the material scale to the actual energy performance of the building, confirming the potential of the double-wall cob + lightweight earth system to reduce heating and cooling requirements and maintain stable indoor comfort, where the annual heating demand is reduced by approximately 24% compared to the conventional prototype. Full article

Exploitation of deep (>4000 m) tight geothermal reservoirs is constrained by low native permeability and premature thermal breakthrough, limiting sustainable heat recovery. Here, we investigate THM (thermo–hydro–mechanical) controls on fluid flow and heat transport during cold-water reinjection in deep tight sandstone reservoirs through an integrated framework linking two-dimensional mechanistic analysis with three-dimensional field-scale modeling. A two-dimensional thermo-poroelastic model reveals that strong thermal contrasts induced by cold-fluid injection cause contraction of the rock framework and transient pore-space dilation under confinement, producing short-term permeability enhancement. This process alters local flow capacity and redirects early cold-front migration, with persistent impacts on subsequent heat transport. Field-scale simulations further quantify the coupled effects of well spacing and reinjection temperature on thermal breakthrough, defined as a 1 °C decline in production-well temperature. Increased well spacing delays cold-front arrival and significantly retards breakthrough, whereas lower reinjection temperature enhances early heat extraction but accelerates convective transport, leading to earlier breakthrough. The combination of thermally enhanced permeability and intensified convection promotes preferential flow channels, increasing breakthrough risk. Balancing thermal-breakthrough delay against the heat-extraction driving force, the simulations delineate a favorable engineering window for the investigated conditions and clarify how cooling-sensitive permeability evolution affects preferential flow and reservoir-scale thermal response. Full article

Low-temperature-induced fertility restoration in thermo-sensitive genic male sterile (TGMS) lines severely impairs hybrid seed purity, which is a major bottleneck for two-line hybrid rice production. Most commercial TGMS lines rely on the single tms5 locus, leading to high climatic vulnerability. In this study, we developed a dual-locus strategy by target genome editing of TMS5 and MS1 in indica rice GH89. Adenine base editing at the MS1 locus exhibited a high editing efficiency of 93.5%. Transgene-free homozygous single mutants (GH89-tms5 and GH89-MS1) and double mutant (GH89-tms5 + MS1) were generated for phenotypic analysis. The double mutant GH89-tms5 + MS1 remained completely sterile for 5 and 10 days under controlled low temperature (23.5 °C), with only minimal fertility restoration after 15 days. In the field, it maintained complete sterility for 84 consecutive days and was fully insensitive to short-term low temperature fluctuations, outperforming single mutants and commercial control Y58S. Moreover, the double mutant retained most key yield-related agronomic traits of the wild type with only minor variations. This dual mutation forms a “double-lock” fertility regulatory system, significantly increasing the low-temperature duration threshold for fertility restoration. The GH89-tms5 + MS1 line exhibits promising potential for future rice breeding applications. Full article

To clarify how injection-induced cooling and reservoir properties jointly control rock damage during hydraulic fracturing of deep shale reservoirs, this study develops a coupled thermo–hydro–mechanical phase-field model incorporating fracture pressurization, matrix seepage, heat transfer, thermoelastic stress redistribution, and tensile damage evolution. The hydraulic fracture component is verified against the classical KGD analytical benchmark, and the thermal damage component is benchmarked against a ceramic quenching experiment. The phase-field formulation is constructed using tensile-compressive strain-energy decomposition so that only the tensile part of the elastic energy contributes to damage evolution, while the compressive stiffness is retained. The results show that low-temperature fluid injections produce a steep but spatially limited cooling zone near the fracture wall. The constrained contraction of the cooled rock generates additional thermoelastic tensile stress, strengthens fracture-tip stress localization, and accelerates phase-field damage accumulation. In the baseline case, thermal cooling increases the peak tensile stress near the fracture tip along profile c from 10.2 MPa in the hydraulic-only case to 22.5 MPa at t = 2 h, while the phase-field damage value increases from 0.03 to 0.77. Five-case sensitivity analyses show that, as α_T increases from 0.5 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.5 × 10⁻⁵ 1/°C, the fracture-tip tensile stress at t = 2 h increases from approximately 18.6 MPa to 25.7 MPa, and the damage value increases from approximately 0.80 to 0.96. As permeability increases from 0.0001 mD to 0.01 mD, the pore pressure at 2 m from the fracture wall increases from approximately 50.4 MPa to 71.2 MPa, and the tensile stress along profile c increases from approximately 16.4 MPa to 21.8 MPa. These results demonstrate that coupled thermal and hydraulic effects govern fracture initiation, localization, and propagation tendency during thermally assisted hydraulic fracturing in deep shale reservoirs. Full article

The evaluation of biomass boilers using partial approaches limits system understanding, because energy, exergy, dynamic, and emergy analyses describe complementary, but not equivalent, dimensions of thermo-industrial performance. In response to this gap, an integrated methodological framework is proposed to analyze two representative steam generator technologies in the sugar industry, fueled with ternary mixtures of sugarcane bagasse, Agricultural Crop Residues (ACR), and Dichrostachys cinerea, with the aim of identifying robust operating windows from a simultaneously thermal, exergetic, transient, and sustainability perspective. The methodology combines: (i) a direct and indirect steady-state model to quantify thermal losses and efficiency; (ii) an exergy model to assess conversion quality; (iii) a two-node coupled transient dynamic model capable of representing the differentiated response of the combustion zone and the water/steam system to moisture perturbations; and (iv) an emergy model to estimate the overall sustainability of the process. The results show that the effective moisture content of the mixture is the dominant control variable, since it determines the lower heating value on a wet basis, the specific fuel consumption, the main thermal loss, and the dynamic stability of the system. In the transient domain, a +5% step perturbation in moisture generates drops of 11.14–12.20 °C and 17.76–19.39 °C in furnace temperature for G1 and G2, respectively, while the steam response is damped to 1.03–1.14 °C and 2.39–2.65 °C. Likewise, moisture explains the magnitude of the response with coefficients of determination above 0.99, and the sensitivity analysis identifies the controller time constant, the thermal mass of the water/steam system, and the emissivity as the most influential parameters. Overall, the proposed framework makes it possible to go beyond isolated efficiency assessment and move toward a holistic characterization of biomass boiler performance under technically plausible ternary mixtures. Although the proposed methodological framework is transferable to other biomass combustion contexts, the numerical results—including optimal compositional zones, emergy indicators, and dynamic sensitivity coefficients—are specific to the Cuban sugar industry conditions, adopted transformities, and the biomass types evaluated herein. Full article

Rising global temperatures and recurrent heat waves increasingly threaten vegetable production, as vegetable crops are more thermosensitive than most field crops. Vegetable crops frequently experience severe reductions in pollen viability, fruit set, marketable yield, and quality under heat waves. Numerous reviews have substantially advanced our understanding of heat stress perception, signal transduction networks, transcriptional regulation, and thermotolerance mechanisms, primarily in model species and major field crops. However, comprehensive review articles of field-applied mitigation strategies specifically tailored to vegetable production remain limited. This review provides a critical analysis of the use of genetic resources (cultivars and grafting), field management approaches (optimized planting dates, crop rotation, canopy management, and intercropping), irrigation, nutrient optimization, biostimulants, microbial inoculants, and physical microclimate modification strategies. The research consolidates current applied and mechanistic evidence on heat-stress mitigation in vegetable crops and identifies targeted, actionable priorities for field adoption. Emphasis is placed on the integration of complementary mitigation strategies at the field scale where combined approaches may generate synergistic effects. Key research gaps include limited studies on combined heat–drought/salinity stress, lack of standardized field protocols for biostimulants, and insufficient farm-scale economic evaluations of mitigation strategies. Advancing interdisciplinary, field-validated, and climate-smart management frameworks will be essential to ensure sustainable vegetable productivity and quality stability in accelerating global warming. Full article

This study proposes a novel simulation-driven intelligent framework for the performance and reliability assessment of renewable energy-integrated pavement systems by unifying coupled multiphysics finite element modeling, structured dataset generation, and graph-based artificial intelligence within a single computational paradigm. The proposed pavement is formulated as a seven-layer multifunctional infrastructure system comprising the asphalt surface, intermediate binder, base layer, thermoelectric energy layer, piezoelectric insert zone, subbase, and subgrade soil, thereby enabling simultaneous consideration of structural load transfer, thermal gradient-driven energy harvesting, moisture-sensitive support behavior, and reliability-oriented performance interpretation. A three-dimensional thermo-hydro-mechanical Abaqus model was developed to simulate the concurrent effects of moving wheel load, solar heat flux, rainfall infiltration, and internal moisture diffusion, and it was subsequently used to construct an AI-ready dataset containing 6000 simulation cases and 68 variables spanning geometric, material, environmental, traffic, uncertainty, structural, thermal, hydraulic, renewable-energy, and probabilistic reliability descriptors. To preserve the physical hierarchy of the layered pavement within the learning process, a Layer-Coupled Reliability Graph Operator Network (LaRGO-Net) was proposed, in which pavement layers are represented as interacting graph nodes linked through adaptive interlayer coupling and optimized through multi-task, physics-aware, and coupling-consistent learning. Experimental evaluation across nine progressive configurations demonstrated a monotonic improvement from baseline dense and graph-convolution models to the full LaRGO-Net formulation. The final model achieved the best overall performance with mean RMSE = 0.040, mean MAE = 0.028, mean $R^2=0.994$, and reliability prediction accuracy characterized by F1 = 99.21 and AUC = 99.53. These results confirm that the proposed framework provides a highly accurate, physically interpretable, and reliability-aware surrogate for next-generation pavement systems capable of simultaneously supporting structural serviceability, renewable-energy functionality, and intelligent decision-making. Full article

This work presents a case study of sensitivity analysis applied to the modeling of ethanol steam reforming (SRE) in a catalytic porous medium, with a focus on hydrogen production. Considering the high variability of parameters reported in the literature, the objective is not to propose a universal model, but rather to assess the impact of uncertainties associated with input parameters on the model outcomes. The model was developed under steady-state conditions, coupling flow in porous media, species transport, and heat transfer, with kinetics described as a function of partial pressures. The sensitivity analysis was conducted through the systematic variation of kinetic and physicochemical parameters within ranges associated with their uncertainties. The results indicate that activation energy is the parameter most sensitive to uncertainty variation, exhibiting the greatest impact on hydrogen production. The thermal properties of the medium, particularly thermal conductivity and solid density, also stand out, highlighting the role of thermo-kinetic coupling. In contrast, parameters such as porosity, water reaction order, and particle diameter exhibited low sensitivity under the analyzed conditions. As a main contribution, this work establishes a sensitivity hierarchy associated with parameter uncertainties and provides guidance for other researchers regarding the prioritization of their determination and calibration in hydrogen production models. Full article

The thermo-mechanical degradation of the base–subgrade interface in airport pavements was investigated using a three-dimensional sequentially coupled finite element framework in ABAQUS 2023, in which progressive interfacial debonding was described by a bilinear cohesive-zone model through the damage variable CSDMG. The results show that thermal loading markedly accelerates interface degradation when combined with moving wheel loads. Compared with the wheel-loading-only condition, thermo-mechanical coupling advances the first damage initiation from 0.04993 h to 0.00254 h and shortens the severe-degradation stage from 1.000 h to 0.00927 h. This acceleration is attributed to a thermal stress pre-weakening effect, whereby constrained thermal deformation partially consumes the available cohesive resistance and shifts the interface closer to the softening threshold before external loading is applied. A decomposition of the mixed-mode initiation criterion further indicates that the first damage event is governed by synergistic normal–shear interaction, with the normalized contribution ratio (t_n/t_n⁰)²:(t_s/t_s⁰)² = 0.38:0.62, showing that wheel-induced shear is the dominant trigger while tensile opening induced by thermal curling provides substantial preconditioning assistance. In addition, a representative normalized comparison between simulated average CSDMG and cumulative AE hit count demonstrates a consistent stage evolution from distributed deformation to accelerated localization and residual stabilization. These findings indicate that the base–subgrade interface should be treated as a temperature-sensitive weak layer in airport pavement assessment, particularly near joints and other discontinuity-controlled regions. Full article

This study identified the fertility alteration characteristics and cytological mechanisms of the thermo-photo-sensitive genic male sterile (TPSGMS) wheat line K64S. The fertility-sensitive stage of K64S extends from pollen mother cell formation to the tetrad development stage, with critical fertility alteration thresholds of 14–14.5 °C for temperature and 9–9.5 h for daylength. Under low-temperature and short-day conditions, K64S exhibits complete male sterility, whereas it returns to fertility under high-temperature and long-day conditions. Cytological analysis shows that K64S undergoes normal meiosis and successfully forms normal uninucleate microspores. 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining revealed the uninucleate microspores failed to form binucleate microspores, with abortion occurring during the late uninucleate stage. Transmission electron microscopy indicates the pollen abortion in sterile K64S arises primarily from premature tapetal degeneration (a form of programmed cell death, PCD), initiated at the pollen mother cell stage, which disrupts nutrient supply and leads to abnormal nuclear division during subsequent microspore development. These findings provide insights into the cytological mechanism of pollen abortion in TPSGMS wheat and may guide hybrid wheat breeding and application. Full article

Accurate measurement of the temperature in the cutting zone is essential for closed-loop machining. However, it remains difficult due to the small size of the tool–chip contact area, its partial concealment by chips and the steep thermal gradients present. This study presents an integrated framework that combines a thin-film thermocouple (TFTC) on the rake face of a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) tool with a thermo-mechanical wear-coupled simulation in order to monitor cutting temperature and predict tool wear. The three-dimensional finite-element turning model includes a moving heat source that represents plastic and frictional heat at the tool–chip interface, as well as an Archard-type wear law that is enhanced by a temperature correction factor. The TFTC is fabricated by magnetron sputtering NiCr and NiSi films onto an insulating layer, after which it is embedded in the tool as a minimally intrusive in situ sensor. Turning experiments on AISI 1045 steel were performed at spindle speeds of 1000–3000 rpm, feeds of 0.05–0.20 mm/rev and depths of cut ranging from 0.3 to 1.0 mm under dry, wet (emulsion) and cryogenic (liquid nitrogen) cooling conditions. Simulated temperature fields reveal strong localisation at the tool–chip contact and a nonlinear increase in peak rake-face temperature with spindle speed, which fits a quadratic regression with R² = 0.99. The TFTC shows a response time of around 0.3 s with less than 5% overshoot, and its thermoelectric voltage is almost perfectly linear with temperature (R² = 1), with a sensitivity of approximately 12 µV/°C. During cutting, TFTC readings agree with infrared measurements within ±3 °C and demonstrate improved robustness in occluded zones. The coupled wear model replicates the observed wear growth trend with the compact expression VB = 0.0001·t^0.8. Sensitivity tests indicate that thermo-mechanical coupling increases wear rates compared to single-factor models, and that cooling reduces thermal loads by approximately 15% (wet) and 25% (cryogenic). Full article

Cell culture is foundational to biomedical advancements, yet its widespread clinical and practical distribution is severely constrained by the high infrastructural costs of cryogenic logistics and the physical stressors of liquid-phase transit. Herein, we propose a proof-of-concept cryogen-free cell transportation strategy leveraging a rapid reversible thermoresponsive collagen (RRTC) hydrogel regulated by simulated body fluid (SBF). Operating via temperature-driven physical network assembly and disassembly rather than chemical crosslinking or chemical modifications, the RRTC system undergoes a rapid sol-to-gel transition within 60 s at 37 °C for efficient cell encapsulation, and completely reverses to a free-flowing sol state within 60 s at 4 °C to facilitate enzyme-free, non-destructive cell retrieval. Using L929 fibroblasts as a standardized benchmarking cell model, the biophysical protection of the matrix was systematically evaluated under both static simulated transit (48 h and 120 h) and real-world trans-city courier transportation (an approximate 50 h round trip via SF Express) within a passively temperature-shield configuration. The SBF-regulated 3D physical confinement successfully shielded cells from manual handling, multi-axis shipping vibrations, and environmental thermal fluctuations. Post-transport evaluations demonstrated that the encapsulated cells maintained a high viability above 90% and a stable recovery yield of approximately 78%, while exhibiting robust subsequent 2D re-adhesion and sustained re-culture capacity. This thermoresponsive matrix provides a potential matrix for short-term cryogen-free cell transportation and post-transport recovery, while further studies using additional cell types, longer transportation periods, and functional assays are required to evaluate its broader applicability. Full article

Injectable hydrogels have attracted substantial and rapidly growing interest due to their ability to be administered into cavities of any shape and provide local therapeutic treatment. This study reports the synthesis and characterization of thermosensitive microgels and hydrogels obtained via photoinitiated copolymerization of methacrylated gelatin (GN-MA) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) in the absence and presence of N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA). The effects of monomer concentration, crosslinker content (MBA), and irradiation time on product yield, grafted chain length, and material properties were systematically investigated. Depending on the polymerization conditions, microgel samples exhibited hydrodynamic diameters in the range of 354–1022 nm at 20 °C, which decreased to 183–308 nm upon heating to 40 °C. Freeze-drying of the microgel dispersions resulted in the formation of a porous sponge-like structure with pore sizes of 50–90 µm. Rheological studies of the hydrogel properties demonstrated evident thermoresponsive behavior, with storage moduli (G′) ranging from 20 to 600 Pa, matching the mechanics of certain soft tissues. The hydrogels showed high equilibrium swelling capacity at 20 °C, which was reduced at 40 °C, as well as temperature-dependent moxifloxacin release (38–88% over 6 days) and excellent biocompatibility (>85% cell viability) with human skin fibroblasts. These findings make them promising for biomedical applications such as postoperative cavity filling and local drug delivery. Full article

The expansion of floriculture into climatic transition regions requires precise tools to mitigate thermo-hydric risks. Gladiolus (Gladiolus × grandiflorus Hort.) is sensitive to temperature extremes, requiring strategic planning of planting schedules and heat stress mitigation. The objective in this study was to evaluate the PhenoGlad model for its ability to simulate developmental stages and heat stress damage in eight gladiolus cultivars across multiple environments and planting dates in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Midwest Brazil. Field experiments were conducted in five municipalities during the autumn, winter, and spring growing seasons. Model performance was evaluated by starting the simulation at planting or at emergence, using the statistics root mean square error (RMSE), bias index (BIAS), Willmott’s index of agreement (d), and the correlation coefficient (r). Simulations starting at emergence reduced the error in predicting the timing of developmental stages (from 5.34 to 3.16 days). For leaf development, the model was highly accurate, with an RMSE lower than one leaf for different planting dates, sites, and cultivars. Furthermore, the model accurately predicted extreme heat stress events (daily maximum temperatures > 34 °C associated with low relative humidity), which resulted in severe damage and inhibition of reproductive development in the field. In conclusion, the PhenoGlad model is a robust decision-support system and agricultural engineering tool for production scheduling and climate loss mitigation in tropical floriculture. Full article

To overcome the limited high-temperature capability of silica-based fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) and the accuracy degradation of gold-coated FBGs induced by residual stress, a temperature sensor based on a gold-coated FBG with high-temperature alloy packaging is proposed and fabricated. By introducing a high-temperature annealing pretreatment to the gold-coated fiber, residual stress is effectively relieved, enabling high-precision temperature measurement in high-temperature environments. Within the range of 20–800 °C, the annealed sensor achieves an accuracy of 0.72% F.S., a sensitivity of 9.65 pm/°C, and a linearity of 0.9997, in close agreement with theoretical predictions. After ambient vibration and high-temperature thermo-vibration tests, the maximum center wavelength shifts are 13 pm and 46 pm, corresponding to temperature variations of approximately 1.35 °C@24 °C and 4.77 °C@800 °C. These results demonstrate stable sensor performance under high-temperature testing conditions. In addition, a fitting formula applicable to different center wavelengths is proposed, significantly reducing calibration effort. The sensor features a simple structure, easy installation, and reliable performance, providing an effective solution for temperature sensing in extreme environments. Full article