Challenge For Industry Research Articles

One-step mass-production of CeO2 nanoparticles embedded in free-standing porous carbon as haloperoxidase mimetic coating to combat biofouling on steel surface

Marine biofouling poses significant challenges for maritime industries, leading to increased maintenance costs and ecological disturbances. While Cu-based biocide coatings are effective in combating biofouling, they raise environmental concerns and have limited lifespans. This has spurred interest in sustainable alternatives inspired by marine organisms, such as haloperoxidases (HPOs) found in certain algae, which can convert H2O2 and Br− in seawater into HOBr to mitigate biofouling. However, the practical implementation of HPOs is limited by their stability and cost. Nanozymes like CeO₂ have emerged as promising alternatives; however, conventional coating methods—typically involving the replacement of Cu-based biocides with CeO2 nanoparticles (NPs) in resin—restrict their exposure to H2O2 and Br⁻, resulting in significant activity loss. This study presents a simple method for mass-producing CeO2 NPs embedded in free-standing porous carbon as HPO mimetics. The optimized sample demonstrates exceptional HPO-like activity and antibacterial performance. Most importantly, we have shown that these HPO mimetics can be directly grown on steel surfaces during preparation, eliminating the need for a dispersant. This direct coating technique effectively addresses the challenges associated with conventional resin method, facilitating the development of a sustainable antibacterial and antifouling coating with preserved activity.

Essential Oils Against Spoilage in Fish and Seafood: Impact on Product Quality and Future Challenges

The preservation of fish and seafood represents a significant challenge for the food industry due to these products’ high susceptibility to microbial spoilage. Essential oils (EOs), classified as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS), have become a natural alternative to synthetic preservatives due to their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. This review aims to analyze the specific potential of EOs in extending the shelf life of fish and seafood products, offering a natural and effective preservation solution. It provides a detailed overview of EOs applications and mechanisms, highlighting their role in controlling spoilage microorganisms while maintaining product quality. The main methods of EOs application include immersion, spraying, and pipetting, with antimicrobial effectiveness influenced by factors such as concentration, exposure time, and food characteristics like chemical composition and biofilms. Direct EOs application shows challenges that can be countered by exploring nanoemulsion technology as an effective strategy to enhance EOs stability and controlled release, maximizing their preservation impact. Additionally, coatings made from chitosan, gelatin, Farsi gum, and carrageenan, combined with EOs such as oregano, clove, and thyme have shown efficacy in preserving species like rainbow trout, mackerel, and shrimp. However, the commercial feasibility of using EOs in fish preservation depends on consumer acceptance and regulatory compliance. This review offers valuable insights for the industry and researchers by highlighting the practical applications and commercial challenges of EOs in seafood products, underscoring the importance of consumer acceptance and regulatory adherence for market viability.

Fortified bread with encapsulated ingredients: impacts and potential applications.

Waste production is a major challenge in the food industry. The use of 'functional food' by adding bioactive compounds is a promising solution to reduce it. However, many bioactive compounds are unstable when subjected to industrial and environmental conditions. Microencapsulation technology is a useful method to preserve these molecules. This review categorizes microencapsulated functional bread additives, including enzymes, salts, alcohols, oils, herbal compounds, probiotics, and acids, and demonstrates various beneficial effects of these additives. Suitable wall materials and encapsulating techniques - including freeze drying, spray drying, the emulsion-congealing method, fluidized bed coating, and thin-film hydration methods - are discussed in terms of their effect on bread quality. The encapsulated bread ingredients and their impact on bread characteristics are investigated by examining relevant original and review studies from various electronic databases, irrespective of publication date. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ITS DISRUPTIVE ROLE IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN FINTECH INDUSTRY

Background The emergence of artificial intelligence presents both potential for growth and challenges for the financial industry. This study examines the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the South African fintech industry, focusing on its transformative nature. Method A purposive sampling technique was used to select 76 participants from the banking sector. Furthermore, the participants were divided into focus groups and interviewed. The thematic analysis conducted in this study revealed eight critical themes that encapsulated the myriad challenges and opportunities faced by industry professionals. From navigating the ever-changing regulatory environment to embracing technological advancements, addressing shifting customer expectations, and cultivating organisational agility and resilience, the financial industry grapples with a complex interplay of factors that demand strategic foresight, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous learning and innovation. Conclusions The results demonstrate that AI is propelling innovation, improving operational efficiency, and transforming customer experience in the finance industry. Nevertheless, substantial impediments have arisen in the form of issues over data protection, talent recruiting, and regulatory ambiguity.

Architecture 5.0: Opportunities and Challenges in the Nigerian Construction Industry

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and other digital technologies (DTs) has often lacked a focus on human-centrism. Industry 5.0 emerged as a response to Industry 4.0’s digital revolution, emphasizing functional human-machine collaboration, sustainability, and resilience. However, the architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO) sector, particularly in Nigeria, has been slow to seize the opportunities presented by Industry 5.0. This study investigates the opportunities and challenges associated with deploying Industry 5.0, specifically focusing on architecture within the Nigerian construction industry (NCI). A rapid literature review was conducted, analyzing relevant and indexed articles from reputable databases. The findings indicate that integrating AI into architectural design workflows can catalyze the adoption of other DTs, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, digital twins, cloud computing, blockchain, and augmented/virtual reality. These technologies can potentially transform planning, operations, end-of-life management, and visualizations during the design phase of architectural services. The study emphasizes the importance of architectural professionals acquiring relevant technical skills through education and awareness initiatives. It also stresses the need for policies and programmes implemented by the government, regulatory agencies, and industry firms to accelerate the adoption of DTs. Effective strategies for leveraging AI’s potential are proposed to enhance design quality, speed, performance, and collaboration with allied design professionals. The findings offer valuable insights into adopting Architecture 5.0 within the NCI, particularly during the design stage.

The Formation Mechanism of Zein Gel Induced by Amyloid-like Fibrils

The preparation of zein gels often leads to unstable product quality due to poor reproducibility, posing substantial challenges for the food industry and biomedical applications. Thus, it is essential to study the gelation mechanism and key factors responsible for gelation. Herein, we report four types of assembled structures from zein solutions in binary ethanol–water solvents with either a high concentration (30% w/v) and a low concentration (5% w/v), namely, spheres, spheres with tangential structures, amyloid-like fibrils, and sub-agglomerates with crystal structures. The tangential structure at the edges of the spheres was first observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) at the initial stage, offering a model for studying protein folding and aggregation mechanisms. By observing the gelation processes with TEM for morphology, cryo-TEM to confirm structure preservation, HR-TEM for fine details, and negatively stained TEM to reveal hidden features, along with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), we identified two types of gels: one was mainly network structures formed by sphere–sphere fusion, which was thermoreversible, and the other one was irreversible gel due to the increase in the amount of amyloid-like fibrils. Results show that the existence of thermoreversible zein gels indicates potential effective regulation tools of zein gel properties. In addition, amyloid-like fibrils were first isolated from native zein. During amyloid-like fibril formation, the number of tangential structures increased considerably, which were composed of thinner fibrils. High-resolution TEM showed a substructure with a 0.35 nm interplanar spacing, providing evidence of β-sheet aggregates also as confirmed by SAXS. This unique substructure has not been reported in other edible proteins. Moreover, understanding the fibrillation mechanism of zein provides a basis for controlling and developing novel food structures for food protein function and offers insights into neurodegenerative diseases.

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz straw and pomace as a green filler for integral skin polyurethane foam

The development of efficient methods for obtaining cellular materials with improved functional properties is a constant challenge for the plastics industry, including the polyurethane industry. In recent years, efforts have been made to obtain cheap and easily available raw materials that can be used as foam fillers. In addition to commercially used synthetic fillers, more and more attention is paid to materials of natural origin, in particular to agricultural and industrial waste. This solution not only meets the assumptions of the "Green Chemistry" concept but also creates the opportunity to improve the properties of plastics while reducing their production costs. This study focuses on the use of naturally derived materials as fillers in flexible integral polyurethane foams (Integral Skin Foams, ISFs) to produce economically advantageous and ecologically sustainable composite materials. Waste materials such as Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz straw and pomace were used as biofillers. The obtained samples were used to determine the processing parameters and functional properties of the foams: hardness, tensile strength, elongation at break and permanent deformation after compression. In the case of both straw and pomace, an increase in growth time and an increase in the free density of the foams were observed with an increase in the amount of added plant material. The analysis of morphology and chemical structure of the obtained composites led to the conclusion that the cellular structure, skin thickness, and functional groups present in biofillers had a direct impact on the functional properties of ISF. For most composites, a significant improvement in mechanical parameters was observed compared to the reference foam. The obtained results confirmed the utility potential of Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz straw and pomace. The main research assumption has been fully implemented that focused on obtaining innovative polyurethane composites with improved functional properties.

Transition of synchronization state during the quasiperiodic route to chaos in coupled friction-induced continuous oscillators

Friction-induced vibration, particularly associated with the squealing problem in disk brake systems, has been a longstanding challenge in the automotive industry. In our research, we employed the synchronization theory to gain insights into the interaction between two coupled cantilever beams attached with tip masses. This proposed model emulates the dynamics of a mountain bike disk brake assembly. The work explores a range of collective behaviors, including synchronized periodic, multi-periodic, quasiperiodic, as well as desynchronized chaotic and quasiperiodic oscillations. Despite numerous studies reported on the synchronization phenomenon in discrete friction-induced oscillatory systems, there appears to be a lack of similar research on continuous systems. This work stands as the first of its kind in exploring the dynamics of synchronization between two coupled continuous systems exhibiting a quasiperiodic route to chaos. A bifurcation study is conducted utilizing the Poincaré points corresponding to the local maxima of oscillation amplitude with respect to the zero-velocity crossing. The results showed the existence of narrow multi-periodic windows during the quasiperiodic route at several locations. Additionally, the existence of multiple quasiperiodic attractors exhibiting different states of synchronization for the same set of parameters is observed. We analyzed the time evolution of the cumulative instantaneous phase difference between the coupled signals and identified distinct states of synchronization possessed by the system. The coupled system undergoes interesting phenomena such as complete phase lock, intermittent phase lock, and phase drifting. Moreover, the transition occurring to the state of synchronization during the quasiperiodic route to chaos is studied employing the phase locking value, the Pearson linear correlation coefficient, and the relative mean frequency. Notably, our findings revealed that while the Pearson correlation can effectively identify both the mode and strength of synchronization, other measures such as phase lock value and relative mean frequency only reflect synchronization strength.

Perceptions of decarbonisation challenges for the process industry in Sweden and Norway

The energy-intensive process industries (EPIs) account for a high share of global carbon emissions but have so far been slow to decarbonise. One of the reasons for the slow pace is that central problems and solutions are contested among stakeholders. To develop effective and inclusive transition policy, a better understanding of different perspectives on decarbonisation challenges is needed. In this paper, we use Q methodology to address this gap with an analysis of EPI decarbonisation in Sweden and Norway. The research draws on 50 interviews where different types of stakeholders sorted and reflected upon statements that describe potential decarbonisation challenges. Through factor analysis, we identify four salient narratives in each country, which emphasise different problems and trade-offs. However, we also find similarities across the narratives, both within and across countries. A key challenge that is emphasized in both countries is to ensure a sufficient supply of electricity at competitive prices. Ultimately, we demonstrate how these findings are important for providing policy recommendations.

Utilization of Waste Glass in Cement Clinker Production: Impacts on Quality, Process Efficiency and Environmental Benefits

The incorporation of waste glass as a component in clinker production presents a sustainable approach to addressing critical challenges in the cement industry, including the reduction of CO2 emissions and effective waste management. Waste glass, characterized by its high silica content and alkali properties, can serve as an alternative alkali source in clinker manufacturing, replacing traditional raw materials and regulating the alkali-sulphur ratio. This dual functionality not only optimizes the chemical balance in the kiln process but also enhances clinker quality by controlling phase formation. The utilization of waste materials in industrial processes is increasingly significant in promoting circular economy principles. Integrating waste glass reduces the dependence on natural raw materials such as limestone and clay, which are associated with high energy and CO2 emission intensities during production. Furthermore, waste glass contributes to a reduction in the carbon footprint of cement production by facilitating lower-temperature clinkering, thus cutting energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This study highlights the potential of waste glass as a viable alternative in clinker production, emphasizing its importance in achieving sustainability goals. Beyond the environmental benefits, adopting waste materials in industrial applications contributes to waste diversion from landfills, resource conservation, and cost efficiencies, aligning with global efforts to mitigate climate change and promote sustainable development.

Recent Advances in Metal Halide Perovskites for CO2 Photocatalytic Reduction: An Overview and Future Prospects.

The photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuels has become a significant research focus in recent years due to its environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. Metal halide perovskites (MHPs), renowned for their remarkable optoelectronic properties and tunable structures, are regarded as promising photocatalysts. Yet, their practical uses are constrained by inherent instability, severe electron-hole recombination, and a scarcity of active sites, prompting substantial research efforts to optimize MHP-based photocatalysts. This review summarizes the latest advancements in MHP-based photocatalysis. First the fundamental principles of photocatalysis are outlined and the structural and optical characteristics of MHPs are evaluated. Then key strategies for enhancing MHP photocatalysts, including morphology and surface modification, encapsulation, metal cation doping, heterojunction engineering, and molecular immobilization are highlighted. Finally, considering recent research progress and the needs for industrial application, challenges and future prospects are explored. This review aims to support researchers in the development of more efficient and stable MHP-based photocatalysts.

Bio-inspired multi-dimensional deep fusion learning for predicting dynamical aerospace propulsion systems

Rapid and precise forecasting of dynamical systems is critical to ensuring safe aerospace missions. Previous forecasting research has primarily concentrated on global trend analysis using full-scale inputs. However, time series arising from real-world applications such as aerospace propulsion, exhibit a distinct dynamical periodicity over a limited timeframe. Here we develop a deep learning model, TimeWaves, to capture both global trends and local variations, through 3D spectrum-oriented interval extraction from an integrated viewpoint of biological perceptions. Specifically, a shared parameter fusion algorithm is employed to effectively integrate Fourier and Wavelet analyses, providing full and sliced 1D sequences to form 2D tensors that can be seamlessly processed by parameter-efficient inception blocks. Additionally, a dual-way learning workflow using TwinBlock, inspired by the cooperative behavior of visual cells, is implemented to enhance perception of dynamical multi-scale features at a reduced computational cost. TimeWaves demonstrates reliable and robust performance in predicting rocket combustion instability, a key challenge in the aerospace industry.

Current Insights into Industrial Trans Fatty Acids Legal Frameworks and Health Challenges in the European Union and Spain

Current Insights into Industrial Trans Fatty Acids Legal Frameworks and Health Challenges in the European Union and Spain

National climate change mitigation efforts for aviation: Lessons from post-Covid state action plans

The aviation sector contributes to climate change through its significant and growing production of greenhouse gas emissions. Many have suggested mitigation efforts that should be undertaken, but in general these approaches have not resulted in significant change or have ultimately been too expensive. Further, approaches have tended to be fragmented, a challenge for a global industry. There are some exceptions to this, including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s carbon offsetting mechanism, but when it comes to understanding actions at a national level, much remains unclear. While ICAO encourages its member states to develop State Action Plans (SAPs) to address the industry’s impact on climate change, limited research has sought to analyze their proposed actions. In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact, many called for a renewed effort to mitigate aviation’s contribution to climate change which resulted in a significant number of new SAPs being submitted. As such, this study analyzed 61 SAPs produced in 2021 and 2022 to identify measures being pursued by states to reduce emissions from aviation. We were also interested in partnerships across countries, given the emphasis on collaboration within ICAO’s environment programs. Findings show that most countries have focused on mitigation measures projected to have smaller emission reduction potential in the long term and what evidence we found of more ambitious “deep” decarbonization efforts was largely in the early stages of development. Additionally, we find limited evidence of ICAO’s Buddy Partnership programs in the SAPs which signals a need to re-imagine these opportunities.

Preparation and Characterization of Tiamulin-Loaded Niosomes for Oral Bioavailability Enhancement in Mycoplasma-Infected Broilers

Mycoplasma infections pose significant challenges in the poultry industry, necessitating effective therapeutic interventions. Tiamulin, a veterinary antibiotic, has demonstrated efficacy against Mycoplasma species. However, the emergence of resistant Mycoplasma species could dramatically reduce the therapeutic potential, contributing to economic losses. Optimizing the tiamulin’s pharmacokinetic profile via nanocarrier incorporation could enhance its therapeutic potential and reduce the administration frequency, ultimately reducing the resistant strain emergence. Niosomes, a type of self-assembled non-ionic surfactant-based nanocarrier, have emerged as a promising drug delivery system, offering improved drug stability, sustained release, and enhanced bioavailability. In this study, niosomal nanocarriers encapsulating tiamulin were prepared, characterized and assessed in Mycoplasma-inoculated broilers following oral administration. Differential scanning colorimetry (DSC) confirmed the alterations in the crystalline state following components integration into the self-assembled structures formed during the formulation procedure. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed the spherical nanostructure of the formed niosomes. The formulated nanocarriers exhibited a zeta potential and average hydrodynamic diameter of −10.65 ± 1.37 mV and 339.67 ± 30.88 nm, respectively. Assessment of the pharmacokinetic parameters following oral administration to Mycoplasma gallisepticum-infected broilers revealed the ability of the niosomal nanocarriers to increase the tiamulin’s bioavailability and systemic exposure, marked by significantly higher area under the curve (AUC) (p < 0.01) and prolonged elimination half-life (T1/2) (p < 0.05). Enhanced bioavailability and prolonged residence time are crucial factors in maintaining therapeutic concentrations at reduced doses and administration frequencies. This approach provides a viable strategy to decrease the risk of subtherapeutic levels, thereby mitigating the development of antibiotic resistance. The findings presented herein offer a sustainable approach for the efficient use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine.

Enhanced detection of accounting fraud using a CNN-LSTM-Attention model optimized by Sparrow search

The detection of corporate accounting fraud is a critical challenge in the financial industry, where traditional models such as neural networks, logistic regression, and support vector machines often fall short in achieving high accuracy due to the complex and evolving nature of fraudulent activities. This paper proposes an enhanced approach to fraud detection by integrating convolutional neural networks (CNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) networks, complemented by an attention mechanism to prioritize relevant features. To further improve the model’s performance, the sparrow search algorithm (SSA) is employed for parameter optimization, ensuring the best configuration of the CNN-LSTM-Attention framework. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms conventional methods across various evaluation metrics, offering superior accuracy and robustness in recognizing fraudulent patterns in corporate accounting data.

Construction of robust solid electrolyte interface using [Cu(SCN2H4)n]Cl nanowires for stable lithium metal anodes

Despite the lowest electrode potential (−3.04 V vs. S.H.E) and high capacity (3,860 mAh/g) of lithium metal anodes (LMAs), LMAs face numerous challenges for practical industrialization. In particular, the inevitable lithium (Li) dendrites and volume expansion during the charge/discharge processes cannot be prevented by a naturally formed conventional solid electrolyte interface (SEI), which is not only fragile but also induces the growth of Li dendrites. Herein, we introduce a facile method to artificially construct a robust SEI. Specifically, we form [Cu(SCN2H4)n]Cl nanowires (CTC NWs) precursor on a Cu current collector using electrochemical deposition (ECD) under thiourea (SCN2H4, TU) solution. Then by applying an initial electrochemical reaction of Li deposition/stripping, the CTC NWs are converted into uniform and compact multi-inorganic SEI layers composed of Li2S2/ Li2Sx, LiCl, and LixN. Moreover, the residual TU in the CTC NWs promotes favorable LiNO3 decomposition, transforming into Li3N through strong hydrogen bonding (N-H) between both molecules. Such multi-inorganic SEI layers promote homogeneous Li+ flux and significantly decrease the resistance of the SEI, enabling smooth Li plating on the surface. As a result, the LMA employing CTC NWs (Li@CTC NWs) shows exceptional cyclic stability having a low overpotential of 14 mV for more than 1,000 h at a symmetric LMA test at 1 mA cm−2. Moreover, the Li@CTC NWs‖LFP full-cell LMB demonstrates practical improvement by showing about 30 % higher capacity retention (85.6 %) compared to the untreated LMB cell during the initial 140 cycles at 1.0 C-rate.

Expanding metaverse market: New opportunities and challenges for the content industry

<p>The metaverse is expanding from a simple technology or service into a platform-centric industrial ecosystem. Initially discussed in the context of infrastructure networks, such as computer communication networks, it has since broadened to include content and services related to virtual reality, such as games and films. Recently, the scope of this expanded ecosystem has further widened, linking various types of content through content-based platforms. In this metaverse market, the content market plays a crucial role. This paper aims to examine the current state of the content market within the metaverse market and explore its future development directions. We will analyze various aspects of the content sector utilizing the metaverse both domestically and internationally, investigating how the use of the metaverse is evolving from mere entertainment to a productive market with applicable business models.</p>

International armed conflicts and their impact on aviation safety

Aviation transport is an integral part of the global infrastructure that ensures fast and efficient movement of people and cargo around the world. However, international armed conflicts create serious challenges for the aviation industry, affecting the safety of flights, the economic stability of airlines, as well as the international aviation community as a whole. This article is devoted to the analysis of the impact of armed conflicts on air traffic, taking into account real examples from different regions of the world. One key aspect of the research is examining the effects of airspace closures over conflict zones, which force airlines to change routes, increasing fuel and operating costs. In addition, the issue of flight security in conflict zones, where commercial aircraft are at increased risk of accidental or deliberate attacks, is analyzed. An important aspect of the article is also the assessment of economic losses suffered by airlines and airports due to conflicts. In particular, cases of flight cancellations, a decrease in passenger traffic, as well as an increase in insurance premiums, which significantly affect the financial performance of companies, are considered. The article also touches on issues of international cooperation in the field of aviation security, which is critically important for minimizing risks and ensuring the stability of air traffic in armed conflicts. In particular, the role of international organizations such as ICAO and the effectiveness of existing international agreements and treaties aimed at coordinating actions between states during crisis situations are analyzed. The article also focuses on developing practical recommendations for airlines and governments to improve their conflict preparedness, including route planning, risk management and improved information sharing systems. Given the complexity and multifaceted nature of the issue, the authors emphasize the need for further scientific research in this area in order to develop new strategies and tools to ensure the safety and stability of the global aviation industry in the face of armed conflicts. Thus, the article makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the impact of international armed conflicts on air traffic and offers a comprehensive approach to solving this problem.

Building information modeling: implementation challenges in the Malawian construction industry

Building information modeling: implementation challenges in the Malawian construction industry