Continuous Conversion Research Articles

Beyond Typologies: Early Modern Italian Town Halls in Comparative Perspective (14th-17th Centuries)

By challenging the traditional, typological, approach to the history of town halls, we aim to place Italian civic architecture at the center of a cross-disciplinary study focused, on one hand, on the uses and functions of these buildings, and on the other, on their cultural and identity meanings. The papers gathered in this special collection do not present a history of architectural models and persistencies, but rather one of continuous transformations, conversions, and adaptations, shaped by the material and symbolic functions that public buildings fulfilled, and often continue to fulfill, in the places where they were built.

Using Google Earth Engine open-source code for land surface temperature estimation from Landsat data in Chuong My district, Hanoi city, Vietnam

Land surface temperature (LST) in association with urbanization has significantly influenced on local climates and terrestrial surface processes. By using multi-temporal Landsat data in the GEE platform, the study has found that there have been changes in land covers due to the main drivers of industrial development, urban and built-up expansion. This study estimated land surface temperature (LST) in Chuong My district from Landsat 5, 7, 8 and 9 thermal infrared sensors, using different surface emissivity sources. The Google Earth Engine (GEE), an advanced earth science data and analysis platform, offers the estimation of LST products, covering the time period from 2000 to 2024 in study site. RF algorithm for land cover classification and mapping is suggested to be applied in Chuong My district, with overall accuracy of land cover mapping in 2024 being 91.9% with Kappa coefficient of 0.89. The period 2000-2010 showed that 327.0 ha of land were converted to land for industrial development, urban and residential land, while the period 2010-2024 continued to witness a continued conversion of land to other land use purposes, with a decrease in agricultural land area (65.7 ha) and an increase in industrial land use (65.2 ha), but the rate of conversion was much lower than the previous period (2000-2024). The periods of 2000-2010 and 2010-2024 showed that there have been significant changes in land surface temperature. Most of the surface temperature in the entire region increased by over 20C, especially in the period 2003-2015 when a total area of 1424 ha had the temperature increased by above 30C. This is a consequence of the process of urbanization and industrialization, which began to take place in 2008, along with the process of changing the land cover status of the study area. Further studies are needed to better understand the thermal conductivity of surface materials and to plan how to reduce LST in such areas.

Investigation into the purification and regeneration of rare earth polishing powder waste via continuous solid-phase conversion

The concentration of rare earth elements (lanthanum, cerium, and praseodymium) within rare earth polishing powder waste (REPPW) typically exceeds 50 %, with the majority of impurities comprised of silicon and aluminum-related compounds. Transforming REPPW into recycled rare earth polishing powders that adhere to polishing standards in an eco-friendly and economically viable way presents a significant challenge in the industry. Traditional acid or alkaline processes predominantly recover rare earth elements as oxides, which are underutilized due to their high costs. Considering the varying forms of impurities and rare earth compounds found in REPPW, this research introduces a novel physicochemical decontamination and continuous chemical transformation process aimed at producing regenerated rare earth polishing powders. Under optimal conditions, the physicochemical two-step decontamination process achieved a rare earth recovery rate surpassing 92 %, while silicon and aluminum removal rates reached 86.12 %. During the continuous chemical transformation of REPPW, the rare earth phases in an alkaline setting followed the sequence REOF (CeO2) → RE(OH)3 → RECO3OH→RECO3F→CeLa2O3F3(CeO2), which not only facilitated phase reorganization but also enhanced the particle surface structure. Notably, these chemical transformations did not disrupt the rare earth distribution; instead, they indirectly boosted product purity and uniformly dispersed within the regenerated polishing powder particles, thereby improving polishing efficiency. Consequently, the adoption of this innovative regeneration process for polishing powders holds substantial importance for the sustainable utilization of rare earth resources.

Temperature-dependent matching of heat transfer and catalysis in cryogenic heat exchangers with ortho-para hydrogen continuous conversion

Temperature-dependent matching of heat transfer and catalysis in cryogenic heat exchangers with ortho-para hydrogen continuous conversion

The Gene Editing Business: Rent Extraction in the Biotech Industry

ABSTRACT This article analyses the mechanisms governing the extraction, circulation, and distribution of rent in the biotech industry. Building on recent scholarship, it contributes to debates surrounding the importance of rent in technoscientific capitalism. We analyse genome editing as a global labour process. Part One examines the ongoing patent battle over CRISPR-Cas9 as a struggle for control over a foundational biotechnology increasingly central to several industrial sectors: a process of enclosure that facilitates a shift towards monopoly, rent extraction, and financial speculation. Part Two then details how patented CRISPR technologies are valorised through the construction of global, multi-layered infrastructures of rent extraction based on complex webs of financial and licensing deals. Part Three maps the uneven global geographies of CRISPR patenting. It considers how monopoly power emerges through the continuous conversion of public research into private assets, and how this enclosure reinforces profoundly unequal systems of distribution of royalties and rents in the global biopolitical economy. We interrogate how CRISPR technologies cement and expand neocolonial geographies of rent extraction, privatising the economic benefits and socialising the ecological risks. Finally, we argue that an increasingly monopolistic corporate biopower mediates how genome editing technologies are developed, and which mutant ecologies are socially produced.

Systematic Review of Adapting Immersive Technology in Enhancing Teaching and Learning for Students in Higher Education

The integration of immersive technology into educational settings has garnered substantial interest as a potential means to improve teaching and learning (TnL)experiences. The dynamic landscape of education demands innovative approaches to engage, motivate, and empower both educators and learners. Immersive technology, including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), as well as Mixed Reality (MR), provides uncommon probabilities to transcend traditional classroom boundaries and provide interactive and immersive learning experiences. However, to harness the full potential of immersive technology, a clear understanding of the conceptual frameworks guiding its implementation is essential. This study utilizes the PRISMA approach. Furthermore, the systematic search of academic databases using the Web of Science (WoS) as well as the Scopus database resulted in an extensive selection of studies, reviews and articles related to immersive learning. Following the implementation of an advanced search approach utilizing keywords (1. Immersive learning, 2. AR, as well as 3. Technology Impact on TnL), the systematic review process yielded a diverse array of articles. These articles were identified and included in the review due to their exploration of the conceptual frameworks that underlie the integration of immersive technology in the field of education. Additionally, the review reveals common themes and emerging trends within the field, shedding light on the diverse approaches to leveraging immersive technology for TnL. The final finding data is (n: 29), which reviews identified key themes. Expect validation to be divided into three themes, which are (1) Immersive learning, (2) AR, and (3) Technology Impact on TnL. Meanwhile, the findings emphasize the importance of well-defined theoretical foundations and best practices when implementing immersive technology for educational purposes. The review underscores the importance of ongoing research as well as innovation in the domain of immersive technology to fully exploit its potential for enhancing TnL experiences. In essence, this systematic review adds to the continued conversation about the efficient utilization of immersive technology in education and paves the way for further exploration and advancement in this field.

Continuous flow versatile conversion of furfural to valuable end products catalyzed by commercial Pd/C

The conversion of furfural has gained significant attention in recent years due to its potential for transforming this basic chemical into a wide range of valuable end products, such as alcohols, amines, acids, and biopolymers. This contribution aims to demonstrate the versatility and potential of continuous flow processes combined with commercial Pd/C catalysts for converting furfural into high value-added chemicals, including furfuryl alcohol, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, and furfurylimine. By optimizing reaction conditions, high product yields (60–90%) were achieved, marking the first literature example of continuous flow conversion of furfural into diverse products, such as alcohols and imines. This work advances the production of high-value products using propanol as a hydrogen donor, with high yields and selectivity, employing commercial catalysts in a scalable continuous process.

Organozinc Reagents: Highly Efficient Scalable Continuous Conversion in Various Concentrations and Reaction Types

Organozinc Reagents: Highly Efficient Scalable Continuous Conversion in Various Concentrations and Reaction Types

Single-step conversion of methane-steam to methanol on single-atom Cu1/γ-Al2O3 catalyst prepared via electrostatic anchoring

Direct conversion of methane to methanol in heterogeneous catalysis is of paramount importance but remains a challenging issue in improving catalytic activity and selectivity. Here, we report that Cu single-atom sites anchored on γ-Al2O3 oxides (Cu1/γ-Al2O3) using surface electrostatic adsorption, are highly active (methanol yield of ∼47 mmol/molCu/h) and stable in continuous conversion of methane-steam to methanol at 200 °C, comparable to most of the state-of-the-art Cu-zeolite catalysts. The combined DFT calculation and isotope labeling experiments reveal the methane-to-methanol reaction pathway on Cu single-atom sites and methanol formation is the rate limiting step. The further theoretical study indicates that single Cu atom as active site can preferentially activate methane C-H bond instead of methanol and has larger advantage for highly-selective methanol yield compared with [Cu(II)-OH]+ and [CuOCu]2+ active sites. Our molecular-level findings on Cu1/γ-Al2O3 single-atom catalyst pave the way to prepare better non-zeolite catalysts for methane to methanol.

Improved efficiency of continuous conversion of alcohols to chlorides in flow microreactors with DESs/HCl via predictive fluid model

The efficient and safe synthesis of chlorides is attractive in pharmaceutical chemicals yet presents challenges. Herein, a novel route has been developed for the conversion of alcohols into the corresponding alkyl chlorides in continuous flow microreactor. Meanwhile, the system utilizes deep eutectic solvents (DESs) hydrochloride solutions (DESs/HCl) as both solvents and catalysts for this reaction. The results suggest that the premixed mode continuous flow microreactor using DESs/HCl can significantly improve the harsh reaction conditions in the synthesis reaction of chlorides. Furthermore, tuning the HCl concentration under 383 K and 30 min conditions significantly increased the yields of n-Butanol chloride and Benzyl chloride to 86 % and 98 %, respectively. This work shows the great application potential of the continuous flow microreactor combined with DESs/HCl to convert alcohols into corresponding alkyl chlorides or aryl chlorides. Besides, the fluid model and HCl absorption kinetics were established based on the calculated diffusion coefficients (DR), Damköhler number (Da), Bodenstein number (Bo), residence time (τ), and experimental results. The flow model of the mixture of DESs/HCl and alcohols in the microreactor was a plug flow, which is beneficial for improving the efficiency of this reaction.

Ultrafast near-infrared pyroelectric detector based on inhomogeneous plasmonic metasurface

Pyroelectric (PE) detection technologies have attracted extensive attention due to the cooling-free, bias-free, and broadband properties. However, the PE signals are generated by the continuous energy conversion processes from light, heat, to electricity, normally leading to very slow response speeds. Herein, we design and fabricate a PE detector which shows extremely fast response in near-infrared (NIR) band by combining with the inhomogeneous plasmonic metasurface. The plasmonic effect dramatically accelerates the light-heat conversion process, unprecedentedly improving the NIR response speed by 2−4 orders of magnitude to 22 μs, faster than any reported infrared (IR) PE detector. We also innovatively introduce the concept of time resolution into the field of PE detection, which represents the detector’s ability to distinguish multiple fast-moving targets. Furthermore, the spatially inhomogeneous design overcomes the traditional narrowband constraint of plasmonic systems and thus ensures a wideband response from visible to NIR. This study provides a promising approach to develop next-generation IR PE detectors with ultrafast and broadband responses.

Force-free Wave Interaction in Magnetar Magnetospheres: Computational Modeling in Axisymmetry

Crustal quakes of highly magnetized neutron stars can disrupt their magnetospheres, triggering energetic phenomena like X-ray and fast radio bursts. Understanding plasma wave dynamics in these extreme environments is vital for predicting energy transport across scales to the radiation length. This study models relativistic plasma wave interaction in magnetar magnetospheres with force-free electrodynamics simulations. For propagation along curved magnetic field lines, we observe the continuous conversion of Alfvén waves to fast magnetosonic (FMS) waves. The conversion efficiency can be up to three times higher when counter-propagating Alfvén waves interact in the equatorial region. Alfvén waves generate FMS waves of twice their frequency during their first crossing of the magnetosphere. After the initial transient burst of FMS waves, Alfvén waves convert to FMS waves periodically, generating variations on timescales of the magnetospheric Alfvén wave crossing time. This decaying FMS wave tail carries a significant portion (half) of the total energy emitted. Plastic damping of “bouncing” Alfvén waves by the magnetar crust has minimal impact on the FMS efficiency. We discuss the implications of the identified wave phenomena for magnetar observations. Outgoing FMS waves can develop electric zones, potential sources of coherent radiation. Long wavelength FMS waves could generate FRBs through reconnection beyond the light cylinder.

A Review of Catalyst Integration in Hydrothermal Gasification

Industrial scale-up of hydrothermal supercritical water gasification process requires catalytic integration to reduce the high operational temperatures and pressures to enhance controlled chemical reaction pathways, product yields, and overall process economics. There is greater literature disparity in consensus on what is the best catalyst and reactor design for hydrothermal gasification. This arises from the limited research on catalysis in continuous flow hydrothermal systems and rudimentary lab-scale experimentation on simple biomasses. This review summarizes the literature status of catalytic hydrothermal processing, especially for continuous gasification and in situ catalyst handling. The rationale for using low and high temperatures during catalytic hydrothermal processing is highlighted. The role of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts in hydrothermal gasification is presented. In addition, the rationale behind certain designs and component selection for catalytic investigations in continuous hydrothermal conversion is highlighted. Furthermore, the effect of different classes of catalysts on the reactor and reactions are elaborated. Overall, design and infrastructural challenges such as plugging, corrosion, agglomeration of the catalysts, catalyst metal leaching, and practical assessment of catalyst integration towards enhancement of process economics still present open questions. Therefore, strategies for catalytic configuration in continuous hydrothermal process must be evaluated on a system-by-system basis depending on the feedstock and experimental goals.

Dynamic behaviors of multiphase vortex-induced vibration for hydropower energy conversion

To satisfy the growing electricity demand, continuous and stable hydropower conversion is particularly critical in tidal power station operation. In the above industrial application, multiphase vortices will be formed, and they suck air and floating items into the flow tube, thus causing irregular pulsation that affects turbine performance. Due to nonlinear characteristics of gas-liquid coupling transfer, dynamic modeling and transition behavior of the multiphase vortex-induced vibration have improtant difficulties. This paper conducts a fluid-structure mechanic optimization model with the dynamic mesh technology to investigate multiphase vortex-induced vibration (MVIV) dynamic behaviors and reveal the internal relation between displacement responses and multiphase flow states. The fluid-induced vibration sensing platform is developed to validate MVIV transition behaviors, and a wavelet packet signal analyzing approach is adopted to acquire energy-spectrum distribution regularities of the vibration distortion state. Results show that the presented optimization modelling strategy can well obtain the MVIV transition behaviors and energy transfer mechanism. The flow flux can control the Ekman transfer intensity, and vibration energy waves take on various frequency components at the critical penetration state. Moreover, impulse energy components and structure evolution properties of high-frequency bands can be utilized to recognize the MVIV distortion peak. It can supply theoretical guidance and technology support for hydropower conversion.

COMMENTARIES

"Commentaries" in the context of ISS are succinct but perceptive papers that provide professional comments, in-depth analyses, or critical appraisals of articles published inside the journal. By offering other levels of comprehension and interpretation to the original research, these comments play a vital role in the scholarly discourse. These commentary' main goal is to provide a more in-depth comprehension of the original article's content. Commentaries have the potential to increase the accessibility of the original study by clarifying difficult concepts and emphasising significant discoveries to a wider audience. They also frequently highlight the research's wider ramifications, talking on how the results might affect further research, the formulation of policy, or real-world applications in the subject. Commentaries also offer fresh ideas, refuting established beliefs or putting forth different theories and approaches. This important interaction encourages researchers to have lively, continuous conversations that advance their understanding and help them refine their concepts. Commentaries can spark new avenues of investigation and lead to breakthroughs in the subject by generating debate and discussion. These essays are usually written by academics, professionals, or specialists who have a great deal of experience and understanding in the topic of the remark. Their knowledge enables them to offer insightful comments and criticisms that improve comprehension of the original research. The authors' qualifications and reputations give their analyses additional weight, which increases the academic community's esteem and influence for their contributions. To sum up, comments published in the ISS journal are essential for enhancing scholarly discussions since they provide knowledgeable viewpoints, in-depth research, and helpful criticism. They eventually aid in the growth of knowledge in the field by bridging the gap between intricate research findings and their theoretical or practical implications.

Creative (Multilingual) Placemaking in the Classroom: Enhancing Plurilingual Children’s Language Awareness and Belonging

This study investigates the implications of engaging plurilingual children in creative multilingual placemaking practices on their language awareness and sense of belonging. Children participated in carefully designed class activities, engaging in tasks focused on reflecting on their own identities, the community’s, and the neighbourhood’s, alongside continuous research conversations. This process led to children creating multilingual placemaking design initiatives to propose changes in their schoolscape to make their school linguistically more inclusive. Through these activities, children reported that (1) they became more aware of the presence of different languages and cultures around them and (2) they became more aware of the power of language(s) in creating belonging; they argued that (3) this allowed them to acknowledge the fluidity of meanings between their L1 and L2; and they explained that (4) the project supported them in cultivating curiosity about languages and language learning. Overall, the findings suggest that creating a space for children to analyze the geographical, sociological, and linguistic aspects of their environment would impact their learning, social awareness, critical thinking, and transdisciplinary knowledge.

Numerical study on regenerative cooling technology with endothermic hydrocarbon fuel: A comprehensive review

This paper summarizes the phenomena and challenges in regenerative cooling, including transcritical thermophysical properties, fuel pyrolysis, and surface coking. The corresponding numerical methods are classified according to their characteristics, including the fuel surrogate, pyrolysis, surface coking, and turbulence models. The scope of application and the advantages and disadvantages of the models are discussed. Currently, only the differential global reaction method achieves model generality over a wide range of continuous pressures (3–7 MPa) and conversion rates (up to 75%), and it is recommended to adopt non-invasive methods and direct cooling unit to improve the accuracy of pyrolysis models. Future surface coking studies should focus on two-way coupling and consider coking and species concentration interaction. The actual coking distribution and porous effects need to be investigated simultaneously, and more kinetic models are urgently required to meet a wide range of pressures. Besides, an overview of parameterized studies in recent years is presented, including operating pressure, heat flux, mass flux, flow direction, flight acceleration and channel configuration. The weaknesses of existing parametrical studies are analyzed from a practical point of view. Heat transfer correlations of endothermic hydrocarbon fuels are also summarized and classified. Establishing heat transfer correlations for the hot spot of the heated side is essential for designing the regenerative cooling system, and the surface coking effect should be introduced.

Development of a Hydraulic Damping Device to Protect a Centrifugal Pump

This study focuses on the utilization of hydraulic accumulators to mitigate hydraulic shock. The pressure energy within the system is converted into compressed gas energy in the accumulator. This continuous conversion between the two forms of energy allows for the absorption of hydraulic shock force, thereby ensuring system stability. The study involved the creation of experimental circuits, which were tested both with and without the inclusion of a hydraulic accumulator. The results confirmed that the accumulator has a substantial impact on reducing hydraulic shock phenomena. The study's findings demonstrate that the shocks in the hydraulic system can be efficiently managed by selecting an appropriate inflation pressure for the accumulator and utilizing various connection line data.

Elucidation of synergism in Ce-Zr/SBA-15 mesoporous catalysts and the effects on the activity in selective glycerol to lactic acid reaction

The continued conversion of glycerol to value-added chemicals is essential in ensuring the sustainable development of the biodiesel industry. Selective catalytic oxidation of glycerol to lactic acid provides an alternative approach to valorizing glycerol. A mesoporous SBA-15 supported mixed-metallic oxide catalyst is deemed essential to selectively produce lactic acid in this mixed parallel and multi-step reaction. SBA-15-supported bimetallic Ce and Zr oxides were proved to be highly efficient catalysts for the selective glycerol oxidation into lactic acid in base-free media. The synergism between Ce and Zr in the bimetallic oxide compounds could enhance the creation of oxygen vacancies in the catalyst via the reduction of Ce4+ to Ce3+. The 2:1CeZr/SBA-15 catalyst exhibited prominent catalytic activity in selectively oxidizing glycerol to lactic acid, with a glycerol conversion of 91.8% and a lactic acid yield of 35.1%. This work achieved superior catalytic performance compared to previously conducted studies, primarily due to the significantly higher initial glycerol concentration employed in this study. To ascertain the intrinsic active sites of the catalyst, the physicochemical properties of the catalyst were thoroughly examined using BET, FTIR, XRD, FESEM, TEM, CO2-TPD, O2-TPD, and H2-TPR analysis. This work concluded that the synergistic interaction of the active sites, which led to the formation of active oxygen species, facilitated primary dehydrogenation of the terminal -OH bond in glycerol. Hence, in this work, a plausible glycerol conversion mechanism over the 2:1CeZr/SBA-15 catalyst was also proposed.

Steering sulfur reduction kinetics of lithium-sulfur batteries by interfacial microenvironment modulation

Catalytic conversion of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) is considered as an effective avenue to suppress the shuttle effect of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, for which the interfacial microenvironment constructed by the interaction between electrocatalysts and LiPSs plays a pivotal role in modulating the sulfur reduction kinetics. However, most of previous reports mainly focused on modulating the band structure of electrocatalysts or LiPSs alone to enhance the catalytic activity rather than considering the interfacial microenvironment as a whole. Herein, we propose a binary descriptor composed of the energy difference between d-band of electrocatalysts and p-band of LiPSs (ΔεM-S) and the antibonding filling degree (εABF), which capture the energy band contributions from both electrocatalysts and LiPSs, to reveal the influence of interfacial microenvironment on sulfur reduction kinetics. Among different designed electrocatalysts, NiO presents a moderate LiPSs anchoring capacity and rapid electron transfer kinetics owing to the optimal ΔεM-S and decreased εABF after interacting with LiPSs, which lead to a robust interfacial microenvironment and thus guarantee a continuous catalytic conversion of LiPSs in the long-term cycling. Such a fundamental understanding of catalytic activity toward LiPSs from the viewpoint of interfacial microenvironment provides an alternative avenue for designing highly efficient electrocatalysts for Li-S batteries.