Industrial Fields Research Articles

Ceria nanoparticles: biomedical applications and toxicity.

Ceria nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) have become popular materials in biomedical and industrial fields due to their potential applications in anti-oxidation, cancer therapy, photocatalytic degradation of pollutants, sensors, etc. Many methods, including gas phase, solid phase, liquid phase, and the newly proposed green synthesis method, have been reported for the synthesis of CeO2 NPs. Due to the wide application of CeO2 NPs, concerns about their adverse impacts on human health have been raised. This review covers recent studies on the biomedical applications of CeO2 NPs, including their use in the treatment of various diseases (e.‍g., Alzheimer's disease, ischemic stroke, retinal damage, chronic inflammation, and cancer). CeO2 NP toxicity is discussed in terms of the different systems of the human body (e.‍g., cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, neurotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity). This comprehensive review covers both fundamental discoveries and exploratory progress in CeO2 NP research that may lead to practical developments in the future.

Recent Developments in Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surface Coatings for Biomedical Applications.

Slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS), inspired by the Nepenthes pitcher plant, exhibits excellent performances as it has a smooth surface and extremely low contact angle hysteresis. Biomimetic SLIPS attracts considerable attention from the researchers for different applications in self-cleaning, anti-icing, anticorrosion, antibacteria, antithrombotic, and other fields. Hence, SLIPS has shown promise for applications across both the biomedical and industrial fields. However, the manufacturing of SLIPS with strong bonding ability to different substrates and powerful liquid locking performance remains highly challenging. In this review, a comprehensive overview of research on SLIPS for medical applications is conducted, and the design parameters and common fabrication methods of such surfaces are summarized. The discussion extends to the mechanisms of interaction between microbes, cells, proteins, and the liquid layer, highlighting the typical antifouling applications of SLIPS. Furthermore, it identifies the potential of utilizing the controllable factors provided by SLIPS to develop innovative materials and devices aimed at enhancing human health.

Applications of multi-parameter sensing in pharmaceutical, agriculture and mineral industries using THz spectroscopy and Low-Wavenumber Raman spectroscopy

Multi-parameter sensing using non-destructive optical spectroscopic techniques, specifically Terahertz spectroscopy and low-wavenumber Raman spectroscopy (also known as THz-Raman spectroscopy), has significantly reshaped the landscape of analytical methodologies in various industries. This comprehensive review article elucidates the transformative impact of these advanced spectroscopic methods within the fields of pharmaceutical, agriculture, and mineral industry. As technology continues to evolve, the ability to concurrently analyse multiple parameters at the molecular level has become a cornerstone for precision and efficiency in these critical sectors. In the pharmaceutical industry, THz spectroscopy has emerged as a key tool in ensuring the quality and stability of drug formulations, while low-wavenumber Raman spectroscopy complements by offering insights into chemical structure as well as composition. The agricultural sector benefits from the capabilities of these spectroscopic techniques in optimizing crop management, soil analysis, and resource utilization. Simultaneously, the mineral industry leverages THz and low-wavenumber Raman spectroscopy for accurate mineral identification, aiding in exploration, extraction, and processing. Through this review, we aim to provide a nuanced understanding of how multi-parameter sensing through THz and low-wavenumber Raman spectroscopy is driving innovation, enhancing quality control, and fostering sustainable practices across diverse industrial landscapes.

Joining SiC ceramics with ZrSi2–SiC filler at low temperatures

AbstractZrSi2–SiC powder was employed as the joining material to join SiC ceramics in this study. The effects of SiC particle (SiCp) content and joining temperature on the phase composition, microstructure, and shear strength of SiC joints were studied and reported for the first time. Research results showed that introduction of SiCp into the interlayer improved the mechanical performance of the joint. When 10 wt.% SiCp was introduced into the interlayer, the optimal shear strength measured of the joint was 116.7 ± 6.7 MPa under the joining condition of 1500°C for 10 min. With the joining temperature increased, the shear strength of the joint gradually increases. When the joint was performed at 1600°C for 10 min, an ultra‐high temperature phase of ZrC was detected in the interlayer, and the shear strength of the joint was 168.1 ± 12.6 MPa. The SiC joint with high mechanical strength might have the potential for application in the field of nuclear industry.

Research Progress in High-Temperature-Resistant Electromagnetic Wire

Electromagnetic wire is the carrier of energy and signal transmission. With the rapid development in aerospace, atomic energy, and other industrial fields, there is an increasing demand for the high-temperature-resistance of electromagnetic wires. In using traditional electromagnetic wires, it is difficult to meet the current temperature-resistance requirements. Therefore, the development of high-temperature-resistant electromagnetic wire has extremely important application value. In this paper, high-temperature-resistant electromagnetic wires are divided into organic insulated high-temperature-resistant electromagnetic wires, organic–inorganic insulated composite high-temperature-resistant electromagnetic wires, and inorganic insulated high-temperature-resistant electromagnetic wires. The method of improving the temperature-resistance level of organic insulated high-temperature-resistant electromagnetic wire is introduced. The selection principle of organic–inorganic and inorganic insulation high-temperature-resistant electromagnetic-wire conductor materials is analyzed. The current research status of organic–inorganic and inorganic insulated high-temperature-resistant electromagnetic wires is reviewed. The technical routes for preparing inorganic insulated high-temperature-resistant electromagnetic wire are compared. Finally, the challenges faced by the current high-temperature-resistant electromagnetic wire are pointed out, and the future development direction of organic–inorganic-composite insulation and inorganic insulation high-temperature-resistant electromagnetic wire is proposed.

Effective creation of ESG reporting using data from financial accounting in the food industry company

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reports in the synergy of the accounting system of the company. In building a system for ESG reporting, it is necessary to comply with valid transnational and national levels and at the same time create a system that will be able to fulfil its tasks in the future. This study presents an analysis possibility of using the company's accounting system for the efficient creation of ESG reporting. The paper presents the focused on the investigation of factors that influence the tendency to using the financial data for effective ESG reporting. Next step of the conducted analysis was the estimation of individual model to investigate specific factors and to identify differences between selected companies of food industry in region of western Slovakia. We used Binary logit model for estimated, based on the data coming from questionary survey in selection company. In this study strongly significant variable DocFA with a positive effect on the dependent variable referred to the agreement of respondents to use documentation from financial accounting for effective ESG reporting. For instance, respondents from the selected western region of Slovakia in the field of food industry have an 82% higher chance of using this documentation for effective ESG reporting. Significant variable AccountS is strongly significant (p-value less than 0.01) in selected companies in western region of Slovakia in field of food industry, which has positive impact to use financial data for effective ESG reporting.

Enzymatic Production of Glycerol from Glycolaldehyde and Formaldehyde

Glycerol is a simple and important polyol in both biological and industrial field. To produce glycerol in an eco‐friendly manner, we established a one‐pot cascade reaction by fructose‐6‐phosphate aldolase (FSA) and aldehyde reductase (ALR) from formaldehyde (FALD) and its dimerized form glycolaldehyde (GALD) via L‐glyceraldehyde. For this, we characterized two FSAs at various conditions. Among them, FSA from Gilliamella apicola (GaFSA) has shown the higher L‐glyceraldehyde production activity in the phosphate buffer than the well‐known FSA from Escherichia coli (EcFSA) by more than 2 times. We also characterized two ALRs (xylose reductase from Candida tenuis; CtXR, the annotated DL‐glyceraldehyde reductase from Hypocrea jecorina; HjGLD) that specifically reduce L‐glyceraldehyde into glycerol. Bioproduction of glycerol from FALD and GALD was performed using GaFSA and CtXR, which produced ~8.8 mM glycerol from 25 mM of FALD and GALD (conversion yield of ~35%). This suggested that a simple process would help in designing a green production of glycerol from a wasteful one‐carbon chemicals.

Clustering of Wind Speed Time Series as a Tool for Wind Farm Diagnosis

In several industrial fields, environmental and operational data are acquired with numerous purposes, potentially generating a huge quantity of data containing valuable information for management actions. This work proposes a methodology for clustering time series based on the K-medoids algorithm using a convex combination of different time series correlation metrics, the COMB distance. The multidimensional scaling procedure is used to enhance the visualization of the clustering results, and a matrix plot display is proposed as an efficient visualization tool to interpret the COMB distance components. This is a general-purpose methodology that is intended to ease time series interpretation; however, due to the relevance of the field, this study explores the clustering of time series judiciously collected from data of a wind farm located on a complex terrain. Using the COMB distance for wind speed time bands, clustering exposes operational similarities and dissimilarities among neighboring turbines which are influenced by the turbines’ relative positions and terrain features and regarding the direction of oncoming wind. In a significant number of cases, clustering does not coincide with the natural geographic grouping of the turbines. A novel representation of the contributing distances—the COMB distance matrix plot—provides a quick way to compare pairs of time bands (turbines) regarding various features.

The elimination of two restriction enzyme genes allows for electroporation-based transformation and CRISPR-Cas9-based base editing in the non-competent Gram-negative bacterium Acinetobacter sp. Tol 5

ABSTRACT Environmental isolates are promising candidates for new chassis of synthetic biology because of their inherent capabilities, which include efficiently converting a wide range of substrates into valuable products and resilience to environmental stresses; however, many remain genetically intractable and unamenable to established genetic tools tailored for model bacteria. Acinetobacter sp. Tol 5, an environmentally isolated Gram-negative bacterium, possesses intriguing properties for use in synthetic biology applications. Despite the previous development of genetic tools for the engineering of strain Tol 5, its genetic manipulation has been hindered by low transformation efficiency via electroporation, rendering the process laborious and time-consuming. This study demonstrated the genetic refinement of the Tol 5 strain, achieving efficient transformation via electroporation. We deleted two genes encoding type I and type III restriction enzymes. The resulting mutant strain not only exhibited marked efficiency of electrotransformation but also proved receptive to both in vitro and in vivo DNA assembly technologies, thereby facilitating the construction of recombinant DNA without reliance on intermediate Escherichia coli constructs. In addition, we successfully adapted a CRISPR-Cas9-based base-editing platform developed for other Acinetobacter species. Our findings provide genetic modification strategies that allow for the domestication of environmentally isolated bacteria, streamlining their utilization in synthetic biology applications. IMPORTANCE Recent synthetic biology has sought diverse bacterial chassis from environmental sources to circumvent the limitations of laboratory Escherichia coli strains for industrial and environmental applications. One of the critical barriers in cell engineering of bacterial chassis is their inherent resistance to recombinant DNA, propagated either in vitro or within E. coli cells. Environmental bacteria have evolved defense mechanisms against foreign DNA as a response to the constant threat of phage infection. The ubiquity of phages in natural settings accounts for the genetic intractability of environmental isolates. The significance of our research is in demonstrating genetic modification strategies for the cell engineering of such genetically intractable bacteria. This research marks a pivotal step in the domestication of environmentally isolated bacteria, promising candidates for emerging synthetic biology chassis. Our work thus significantly contributes to advancing their applications across industrial, environmental, and biomedical fields.

Effect of Austempering and Martempering on Mechanical Properties and Structure of Bearing Steel (En31)

EN31 steel is easily available and cheap having all material properties that are acceptable for many applications. Heat treatment on low carbon steel is to improve ductility, to improve toughness, strength, hardness and tensile strength and to relive internal stress developed in the material. Here basically the experiment of harness and ultimate tensile strength is done to get idea about heat treated low carbon steel, which has extensive uses in all industrial and scientific fields.

Parents’ Industrial Sectors and Fields of Study: Five Decades of Evidence from an Elite Regional University in China

How family background affects students’ fields of study across different historical periods in China is not well studied. Post 1949, China explicitly prioritized specific industrial sectors when allocating resources, creating an especially strong reason to expect that the industrial sector in which a parent was employed might strongly influence a child’s educational outcomes and career aspirations. Using data from the school registration records of 51,801 students who entered an elite regional university from 1952 through 2002, this study is the first to examine the role of parents’ industrial sectors in predicting children’s fields of study and the temporal patterns of this association. Applying multinomial logistic regression and the log-multiplicative layer effect model, we found that parents’ industrial sectors predicted children’s fields of study independent of parents’ broad categories of occupation. The strength of the association was particularly strong during the Cultural Revolution and post-market transition periods.

Iodine intercalation-assisted alkali activation constructs coal-based porous carbon for high-performance supercapacitors

Supercapacitors have the advantages of fast charging and discharging speeds, high power density, long cycle life, and wide operating temperature range. They are widely used in portable electronic equipment, rail transit, industry, military, aerospace, and other fields. The design and preparation of low-cost, high-performance electrode materials still pose a bottleneck that hinders the development of supercapacitors. In this paper, coal was used as the raw material, and the coal-based porous carbon electrode material was constructed using the iodine intercalation-assisted activation method and used for supercapacitors. The CK-700 electrode exhibits excellent charge storage performance in a 6 M potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte, with a maximum specific capacitance of 350 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g. In addition, it has an excellent rate performance (310 F/g at 1 A/g) and cycle stability (capacitance retention up to 91.7 % after 30000 cycles). This work provides a method for realizing high-quality, high-yield and low-cost preparation of coal-based porous carbon, and an idea for improving the performance of supercapacitors.

Evaluation of sustainable hydrogen production technologies on an industrial scale using comparative analysis of decision-making methods.

Due to its various advantages in different industrial fields, hydrogen can provide energy based on sustainability goals and recreates a critical function in the economy of countries. In this regard, evaluating hydrogen production technologies on an industrial scale is necessary for industrial development and economic growth. Therefore, this study proposes a comprehensive, integrated framework of hybrid fuzzy decision-making for assessing hydrogen production technologies in Iran. In addition to considering sustainability factors, political, technical, and reliability indicators are also assessed in this research to make a comprehensive assessment. The Fuzzy Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (F-SWARA) technique determines the importance of indicators, and the Fuzzy Weighted Aggregates Sum-Product Assessment (F-WASPAS) approach ranks technologies. The weighing findings indicated that the sub-indices of investment cost, technical infrastructure development, and implementation costs were introduced as the most significant sub-indices with weights of 0.226, 0.151, and 0.126, respectively. The evaluation findings with the F-WASPAS method and comparative analysis with various decision-making methods revealed that electrolysis based on solar energy and electrolysis based on wind energy technologies had the highest preference. In this regard, the infrastructure and costs of hydrogen production can be improved by presenting various incentives, such as improving financial conditions while attracting investment and increasing cooperation with top companies. So, sustainable development, economic growth, and industrial development are provided.

Exfoliation of Graphite into Graphene Oxide and Reduction by Plant Extract to Synthesize Graphene

Graphene oxide (GO) is a demand material in industrial field for many applications such as electronic devices, capacitor and sensor. This is due to its unique structures and excellent properties. The GO sheets were exfoliated from graphite rod in electrochemical exfoliation. To reduce GO, an electrochemical reduction of GO using green tea was carried out in this research. The conventional chemical reduction method consumed highly toxic and strongly hazardous chemicals such as hydrazine to reduce GO to reduced GO (RGO). Therefore, a green synthesis method was proposed by using green tea leaves extract as the reducing agent to synthesize RGO. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that low amount of oxygen-containing functional groups was remained after green tea reduction due to weak reduction capability by green tea. In addition, EDX indicates that oxygen content of GO was decreased from 23.23 to 16.89 Mass% after green tea reduction.

New Trends in the Use of Catalysts for Biofuel and Bioproduct Generation

Green technologies are gaining a vital role in the energy and industrial fields, as society faces challenges such as geopolitical conflicts and pollution related to the exploitation of petroleum resources [...]

Factors Influencing Behavior Usage Intention Technology and Innovation Products for Health in Thailand

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the elements influencing behavior usage intention related to technological and innovative products for health in Thailand.   Theoretical Framework: In the field of medical industry is among those sectors that leverage emerging technologies and innovations to propel future economic growth. It contributes significantly to the improvement of health cares and livelihoods as a result of technological, innovative, and personalized health developments. Its goal is to establish a causality relationship and to check the consistency of the model influencing behavior usage intention and technological and innovative products for health in Thailand.   Method: The study used a mixed method, incorporating qualitative feedbacks from 21 experts and quantitative data from 600 participants in Thailand. Filtering was performed on the data to remove outliers and demonstrates statistical, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling.   Results and Conclusion: This study found that health belief, credibility, consumer innovation, attitude to use, and perceived usefulness positively affect behavior usage intention toward technological and innovative products for health. It is established that attitudes to use is one of the strongest indicators of behavior usage intention healthcare technology and innovation utilization, directly and indirectly.   Originality/Value: This research discloses causal elements that impact factors influencing behavior usage intention technology and innovation products for health in Thailand. Developers and marketers can utilize more development tactics to enhance consumers’ behavior usage intention in healthcare technology.

Coupling multi-beam laser diode to multimode fiber by wedge prism combiner

For high-power fiber-lasers, high power and high brightness have always been the goals pursued in the field of industry and defense. Based on the beam propagation principle, a novel lens combination of right-angle prisms and trapezoidal prisms is designed to realize the homogenized alignment of two rows of semiconductor laser array spots. The beam propagation and coupling efficiency of the system are analysed in detail using numerical analysis and ZEMAX, respectively. The results show that the output power of the fiber-laser reaches 620.9 W at 35 A current with 86.24 % coupling efficiency, which matches the simulation result of 89.65 %. Furthermore, the effects of the variations of different degrees of freedom of the optical elements on the coupling efficiency, such as angle and displacement, are further analysed to provide a reliable basis for the development of coupling devices.

Artificial Intelligence for Safety and Reliability: A Descriptive, Bibliometric and Interpretative Review on Machine Learning

This research provides a structured review of studies that utilize Artificial Intelligence for safety and reliability. In particular, it focuses on Machine Learning techniques to perform fault detection and diagnosis, anomaly detection, system prognosis, reliability analysis, and risk assessment of engineering-related systems across the industry. Relevant studies were identified through clear research questions, screened, and assessed for eligibility. Explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined to verify the suitability of the records. The analysis encompasses a descriptive, bibliometric, and interpretative review. The descriptive analysis details how different ML approaches are adapted and implemented across various domains of safety and reliability. The bibliometric analysis provides in-depth and comprehensive statistics, covering aspects such as data types used, preprocessing steps undertaken, and categories of ML algorithms employed. The interpretative analysis offers a critical and forward-looking perspective on the current state of the field. A total of 308 papers were analyzed, mostly adopting supervised learning frameworks (81%) and addressing fault detection and diagnosis (57%) in more than 16 different industrial fields. The outcome of this study reflects the rapid development of this cross-cutting and interdisciplinary research field and highlights the potential for future improvement in the data-driven operational safety of industrial plants. Challenges and limitations have been highlighted and discussed, including data availability and label scarcity, data quality, trust and explainability, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Additionally, suggestions on potential solutions to overcome existing limitations and outline future directions are provided.

Capparis spinosa L waste activated carbon as an efficient adsorbent for Crystal Violet toxic dye removal: modeling, optimization by experimental design, and ecological analysis

Textile dyes are dramatic sources of pollution and non-aesthetic disturbance of aquatic life and therefore represent a potential risk of bioaccumulation that can affect living species. It is imperative to reduce or eliminate these dyes from liquid effluents with innovative biomaterials and methods. Therefore, this research aims to highlight the performance of Capparis spinosa L waste-activated carbon (CSLW-AC) adsorbent to remove Crystal Violet (CV) from an aqueous solution. The mechanism of CV adsorption on CSLW-AC was evaluated based on the coupling of experimental data and different characterization techniques. The efficiency of the CSLW-AC material reflected by the equilibrium adsorption capacity of CV could reach more than 195.671 mg·g–1 when 0.5 g·L–1 of CSLW-AC (Particle size ≤250 μm) is introduced into the CV of initial concentration of 100 mg·L–1 at pH 6 and temperature 65° C and in the presence of potassium ions after 60 min of contact time according to the one parameter at a time studies. The adsorption behavior of CV on CSLW-AC was found to be consistent with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Frumkin's linear isothermal model. The thermodynamic aspects indicate that the process is physical, spontaneous, and endothermic. The optimization of the process by the Box Behnken design of experiments resulted in an adsorption capacity approaching 183.544 mg·g–1 ([CV]=100 mg·L–1 and [CSLW-AC]=0.5 g·L–1 at 35 min). The results of the Lactuca sativa seeds germination in treated CV (70%), adsorbent solvent and thermal regeneration (more than 5 cycles), and process cost analysis (1.0484 $ L–1) tests are encouraging and promising for future exploitations of the CSLW-AC material in different industrial fields.

Directing the uniform and dense Li deposition via graphene-enhanced separators for high-stability Li metal batteries

Lithium (Li) has been widely studied as a next-generation anode material owing to its high theoretical capacity (3860 mAh g−1) and lowest negative potential (−3.04 V vs. SHE). However, the practical applications of Li-metal batteries (LMBs) are hindered by uncontrolled Li deposition during the charging/discharging process and low Coulombic efficiency. Among the numerous strategies, surface optimization of polymer separators with functional nanomaterials, especially graphene, has achieved significant progress in both academic and industrial fields. In this study, we elucidate how the graphene-enhanced separator (GES) improves the electrochemical reversibility of Li deposition/dissolution and consequently extends the cyclability of LMBs. When the GES is employed in Li|Cu cells, a dense Li layer forms between the graphene layer and Cu current collector after multiple Li deposition/dissolution cycles. Furthermore, when the graphene-modified current collector (GMCC) is employed, Li dendrites predominantly grow on the graphene surface and migrate toward the separator, alleviating the risk of separator puncture. The Li|Cu cell with GES demonstrates a higher cycle stability and Coulombic efficiency under high current conditions (∼99% at 4 mA cm−2) than the Li|Cu and Li|GMCC cells. Moreover, anode-free cells paired with the GES exhibited high capacities and consistent cycle performances under both low- and high-current conditions.