Weak Structure Research Articles

Improving implementation of health interventions among ECEC organisations: a social network analysis

Abstract The environment wherein a child grows up determines many health and life outcomes of the child. The early childhood education and care (ECEC) is an important setting for children which offers possibilities for health promotion activities. A learning network with professionals from ECEC organisations in South-Limburg, the Netherlands is established, aimed at sharing health promotion ‘best practices’. This study examined the network structure of the learning network and of ECEC locations regarding health topics such as nutrition, physical activity and sun protection. A mixed-methods design was adopted. An online-questionnaire was used to examine the relationships of the members of the learning network (N = 6) and ECEC locations (N = 59) between these organisations and with organisations related to the health topics. Data was analysed and visualised using a social network analysis (SNA) in UCINET. Thereafter, semi-structured interviews were held with the members of the learning network (N = 6), to discuss the network structure and possible improvements of the network. The SNA showed a weak network structure for the learning network and ECEC locations. Connections were mostly related to organisations in the field of nutrition and physical activity. This implied that health interventions related to sun protection and green environments were not implemented to the same extent as nutrition and physical activity. The interviews provided insight into the underlying reasons for (the lack of) certain connections. Overall, the members were satisfied with the quality and quantity of their current collaborations. The SNA and interviews indicated that the collaboration between ECEC organisations and organisations related to other health topics like green environment or sun protection could be improved. Therefore, it is recommended that ECEC organisations should engage in collaborations with organisations in these domains.

One Tambon One Product (OTOP) implementation by the Thai Government

ABSTRACT This research examined Thailand’s OTOP policy as an implementation of the OVOP model in developing countries by using qualitative analysis to investigate government and enterprise viewpoints. The study highlighted OTOP’s significant role in improving productivity, market access, and craft preservation, underscored by strong sales performance, especially in businesses blending traditional knowledge with technology. However, challenges such as limited funding, skill deficits in local officials, support overlaps, weak support structures, ambiguous guidelines, and inadequate evaluations compromised the policy’s efficacy, particularly affecting lower-potential enterprises. Recommendations included tailoring programs to participant-specific needs and establishing clear standards and objectives to ensure consistent implementation. Further research should enrich the understanding of OVOP in different contexts.

Priorities of Political Communication in Armenia’s Internal Politics

Currently, the effective use of political communication to confront internal threats to national security is an important issue in the Republic of Armenia (RA). Among the internal threats, the author singled out the absence of a stable civil society, the non-establishment of the multi-party system, the neglect of the feedback mechanism in the state’s political communication, etc. In particular, the following are the main reasons for the weakness of the multi-party system in RA:  weak connection with voters, being active only during election periods,  unclear ideological orientation,  personnel policy, the weak structure of internal democracy and autonomy.  not sufficient representation in all provinces  non-transparency of political and financial activities,  weak control over the activity of parties.

Weak Quasi-Contact Metric Manifolds and New Characteristics of K-Contact and Sasakian Manifolds

Quasi-contact metric manifolds (introduced by Y. Tashiro and then studied by several authors) are a natural extension of contact metric manifolds. Weak almost-contact metric manifolds, i.e., where the linear complex structure on the contact distribution is replaced by a nonsingular skew-symmetric tensor, have been defined by the author and R. Wolak. In this paper, we study a weak analogue of quasi-contact metric manifolds. Our main results generalize some well-known theorems and provide new criterions for K-contact and Sasakian manifolds in terms of conditions on the curvature tensor and other geometric objects associated with the weak quasi-contact metric structure.

Compatible weak factorization systems and model structures

In this paper, the concept of compatible weak factorization systems in general categories is introduced as a counterpart of compatible complete cotorsion pairs in abelian categories. We describe a method to construct model structures on general categories via two compatible weak factorization systems satisfying certain conditions, and hence, generalize a very useful result by Gillespie for abelian model structures. As particular examples, we show that weak factorization systems associated to some classical model structures (for example, the Kan-Quillen model structure on sSet) satisfy these conditions.

Mega corruptions in mega projects: Debating the dynamics of dam construction in Ethiopia

Background This study critically examines the dynamics of corruption within Ethiopia’s dam construction projects, focusing on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD the Gilgel Gibe series, and Genale Dawa. The research highlights how weak management practices, insufficient oversight, and centralized decision-making, resulting in contribute to inflated costs, project delays, and compromised construction quality. A comprehensive understanding of these issues is crucial for addressing the challenges that impede Ethiopia’s infrastructure development. Methods A qualitative research approach was employed, integrating both primary and secondary data sources. The study utilized four theoretical frameworks—Principal-Agent Theory, Rent-Seeking Theory, Institutional Theory, and Neo-Patrimonialism—to analyze the structural and behavioral factors enabling corruption in Ethiopia’s dam construction projects. Results The study found that corruption is largely driven by weak management practices, insufficient oversight, and centralized decision-making. These factors contribute to inflated project costs, significant delays, and compromised construction quality. The lack of transparency and inadequate monitoring exacerbate these issues, leading to inefficient resource use and undermining the projects’ intended benefits. Economic impacts include increased public debt and strained financial resources. Socially, corruption erodes public trust and adversely affects the communities involved. The findings also highlight how information asymmetry and misaligned incentives contribute to corruption, with weak governance structures and informal networks further exacerbating the problem. These issues lead to cost overruns, increased debt, and diminished public confidence, which negatively impacts development outcomes. Conclusions While corruption in Ethiopia’s dam construction projects poses significant challenges, it is not insurmountable. Strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks, enhancing institutional capacity, promoting community participation, and leveraging international cooperation are crucial for mitigating these risks. Recommendations include implementing e-procurement systems, establishing independent oversight bodies, and promoting transparency to ensure these mega projects achieve their intended economic and social benefits.

Effect of discharge thermal action in ECDM on electrochemical behaviours of matrix material and its recast layer in glycol-based solution

The interaction between thermal and electrochemical corrosion in the ECDM process remains unclear. This study clarifies the effect of discharge thermal action on electrochemical corrosion. Real-time temperature curves indicate that the solution temperature in the electrochemical corrosion zone increased significantly due to discharge thermal action. The corrosion resistance of the recast layer’s passive film is superior to that of the matrix due to the enrichment of Cr2O3. As the electrolyte temperature rises, the passive film thickens but shows lower polarization resistances and poorer corrosion resistance due to a loose and weak structure. The matrix material and its recast layer dissolved uniformly, resulting in a considerably flat surface in a glycol-based solution, with enhanced levelling efficiency due to discharge thermal action.

Effect of cellulose nanocrystals on the emulsion stability and rheological properties of microalgal Pickering emulsions

This study investigates the effect of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) to Pickering emulsions prepared with microalgal particles (Spirulina sp. (SPI), Chlorella sp. HS2 (CLO)). The microalgae particles show a weak interfacial localization and Pickering behavior on the O/W emulsion depending on the size (avg. drop size ∼5.39 μm with SPI and 22.15 μm with CLO), resulting in a different stabilization effect. When CNC is additionally mixed with the Pickering emulsions including large microalgae particles (CLO), CNC replaces microalgae particles and localizes at the interface, enhancing strong emulsion stabilization. For the Pickering emulsions including small microalgae (SPI), CNC localizes at the continuous phase, forming a network structure regardless of the concentration. This interfacial localization behavior of CNC against microalgae particles is reflected in the rheological behavior of the Pickering emulsion. Depending on the location of CNC, the emulsions exhibit the two-step yielding behavior, mainly attributed to the CNC network in the continuous phase. The complex role of particles in the emulsion system is more sensitively reflected in the large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) region, characterized using the sequence of physical process (SPP) rheological analysis. The maximum elasticity (Emax) in SPP analysis, which indicates the recovery of the deformed structure, exhibits a significant difference, discriminating structural characteristics of CNC dispersion incorporated with microalgae particles. Emulsion with CLO-CNC has lower Emax than the SPI-CNC case because CNC particles disperse at the interface and the continuous phase. Then the distance between CNC particles is longer, resulting in a weak network structure throughout the emulsion. Due to a weak network of CNC, the emulsion is more vulnerable to coalescence compared to the SPI-CNC system. Therefore, this study suggests that CNC particles added to the Pickering emulsion with microalgae compete to localize at the interface and give coalescence suppression effects to the emulsion. Also, for the Pickering emulsion system composed of multi-particles, rheological analysis including SPP analysis successfully indicates structural characteristics and flow-induced stabilization of Pickering emulsions with multi-particles that microscopic characterization could not detect.

Machine Learning for Optimizing Macro-ergonomics in Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

This study endeavors to enhance the macro-ergonomics of pharmaceutical supply chains by introducing an innovative hybrid AI methodology, incorporating fuzzy data envelopment analysis (FDEA). A comprehensive case study is conducted to evaluate the efficiency of the pharmaceutical supply chain, focusing on macro-ergonomic work system assessment. This evaluation aims to identify design flaws contributing to communication delays between physicians and patients. The proposed integrated approach utilizes a hybrid AI framework, specifically FDEA, to accurately measure macro-ergonomic influences on the healthcare supply chain under uncertain conditions. The case study involves a prominent urban outpatient medical facility with 20 clinics, selecting 20 Decision-Making Units for a holistic perspective. Results uncover factors causing delays, emphasizing weak or absent feedback structures as critical elements affecting the healthcare supply chain’s effectiveness. In conclusion, the study recommends modifications to optimize the pharmaceutical supply chain, enhancing overall healthcare efficiency. The findings provide valuable insights for healthcare management, underscoring the crucial role of advanced AI methodologies in addressing complex challenges within healthcare supply chains.

Acanthocephalan Profilicollis altmani infecting the mole crab Emerita brasiliensis in southeastern Brazil

Acanthocephalan parasites, specifically from the genus Profilicollis, are known to infect decapod crustaceans, including mole crabs like Emerita brasiliensis, which serve as intermediate hosts in their complex life cycles. This study reports the first occurrence of the acanthocephalan parasite Profilicollis altmani infecting the mole crab Emerita brasiliensis on a sandy beach in southeastern Brazil, thereby expanding the known geographic range of this parasite. Additionally, the study provides novel molecular data that enhance our understanding of the parasite’s taxonomy and distribution, including the first evidence of genetic variation within populations of the intermediate host E. brasiliensis. Phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial COX1 gene sequences confirmed the identification of the parasite and underlined small genetic differences among P. altmani populations. These findings suggest a weak genetic population structure of the parasite and underscore the need for further studies to understand gene flow among these populations. This work contributes to the knowledge of parasite-host interactions in sandy beach ecosystems. It highlights the importance of monitoring parasitic infections in species like E. brasiliensis, which play a crucial ecological role in these environments.

Mechanical property testing and damage assessment of the regenerated rock mass with very weakly bonded cement

The regenerated rock mass is a bearing structure formed by natural compaction in a hollow area, and the investigation of its optimal consolidation material and consolidation parameters is the key to improving the supporting effect and bearing stability of roadways. The effects of consolidation materials and parameters on the stability of the regenerative rock mass were studied using laboratory tests, numerical simulations, and theoretical analyses. Acoustic emission was used to monitor the variation characteristics of energy and ringing count during the process of rock mass failure, and the bonding interface area of the extremely weak cementation regeneration structure was tested by electron microscope scanning. The results show that there is a quadratic function relationship between the water–cement ratio of different cementing materials and the bond strength of the recycled rock mass; the regenerative rock mass with superfine cement exhibited the highest compressive strength and the largest cumulative energy of acoustic emission. This shows that it has the strongest bearing capacity, the highest elastic performance, the most stable micro-fracture development, and the best cementation effect, followed by ordinary cement, gypsum, and laterite. The scanning test showed that the regenerated structure had more internal pores, a loose structure, and poor cementation. Three-dimensional scanning modeling of four representative broken rock blocks was carried out, and the simulation verified that the regenerated structure had macroscopic “X”-shaped shear failure characteristics. The numerical simulation also verified three forms of rupture in the regenerative structure detected by electron microscopy scanning. Exploring the mechanism of action of the regenerative rock mass in the goaf provides a certain reference value for the stability control of the regenerated rock mass roadway.

Composition of the Lithuanian Komsomol in June 1940–June 1941

The Lithuanian Leninist Young Communist League (LLKJS) in Lithuania occupied by the Soviet Union was a political structure of the occupation regime, which provided a reserve and assistance to the ruling Communist Party and actively participated in the Sovietisation of the country and indoctrination of the youth in the spirit of Communism. In October 1940, the league was incorporated into the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (VLKSM) and integrated to the USSR political system. Its aims were to extend the social base of the Communist Party, to exert political influence on youth, and to make the youth serve the occupation policy. With an aim of gaining social support and political influence among the youth, the Communist Party promoted the Komsomol. In summer 1940, fast and uncontrolled growth of its ranks was stimulated. In February 1941, LLKJS raised for itself a goal of making it into a massive organisation capable of embracing and exerting political control over youth. In order to improve the image of the Komsomol and to make its ethnic composition reflect that of Lithuania, joining the LLKJS was particularly promoted among workers, peasants, schoolchildren, Lithuanians, and Poles of Vilnius region. Between November 1940 and May 1941, a campaign of issuing the LLKJS certificates to its members took place, which was a cleansing campaign of the Komsomol on the basis of social and political criteria. This campaign was aimed at integrating the LLKJS into the VLKSM through the process of socio-political validation of its members and exclusion of those members, who were socially and politically hostile or unreliable to the occupation authorities. The campaign helped transform the LLKJS and make its composition similar to that of the VLKSM, and also make LLKJS a political structure, which complied with the needs of the occupation authorities and on which they could rely. Over a period of one year of the Soviet occupation, the ranks of the LLKJS increased 13-fold. Due to the political situation and wish to survive under the occupation, young people of various social groups and nationalities joined the LLKJS. Most of them chose cooperation with the Soviet regime and adaptation to its policies deliberately, others joined the ranks looking for employment or career opportunities, and yet others – seeking better learning conditions or being forced by other circumstances. Cleansing of the ranks of the Komsomol and regulation of its composition changed the social structure of the organisation. The majority of the members of the Komsomol were representatives of working class, peasants and Soviet officials who constituted the social backbone for the Communist Party. People of various nationalities joined the Komsomol. Initially, young people of certain ethnic groups, particularly Jews, actively joined the LLKJS. Later, in order to improve the image of the LLKJS and bring its ethnic composition to that of Lithuania, recruitment of Lithuanians into its ranks was particularly promoted. Although efforts were made for the LLKJS to grow, it did not become a mass organisation and its ranks remained sparse. It was a weak and non-influential political structure, unable to penetrate the youth and win them over. The attempts of the Komsomol to involve young people in the Sovietisation processes and to instil in them the Communist ideology was ineffective. Many young people were opposed to the occupation regime and its political structures. The spirit of opposition to the Soviet occupation was therefore active among the youth and resistance against it was imminent.

Feedback mechanisms controlling Antarctic glacial-cycle dynamics simulated with a coupled ice sheet–solid Earth model

Abstract. The dynamics of the ice sheets on glacial timescales are highly controlled by interactions with the solid Earth, i.e., the glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA). Particularly at marine ice sheets, competing feedback mechanisms govern the migration of the ice sheet's grounding line (GL) and hence the ice sheet stability. For this study, we developed a coupling scheme and performed a suite of coupled ice sheet–solid Earth simulations over the last two glacial cycles. To represent ice sheet dynamics we apply the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM), and to represent the solid Earth response we apply the 3D VIscoelastic Lithosphere and MAntle model (VILMA), which, in addition to load deformation and rotation changes, considers the gravitationally consistent redistribution of water (the sea-level equation). We decided on an offline coupling between the two model components. By convergence of trajectories of the Antarctic Ice Sheet deglaciation we determine optimal coupling time step and spatial resolution of the GIA model and compare patterns of inferred relative sea-level change since the Last Glacial Maximum with the results from previous studies. With our coupling setup we evaluate the relevance of feedback mechanisms for the glaciation and deglaciation phases in Antarctica considering different 3D Earth structures resulting in a range of load-response timescales. For rather long timescales, in a glacial climate associated with the far-field sea-level low stand, we find GL advance up to the edge of the continental shelf mainly in West Antarctica, dominated by a self-amplifying GIA feedback, which we call the “forebulge feedback”. For the much shorter timescale of deglaciation, dominated by the marine ice sheet instability, our simulations suggest that the stabilizing sea-level feedback can significantly slow down GL retreat in the Ross sector, which is dominated by a very weak Earth structure (i.e., low mantle viscosity and thin lithosphere). This delaying effect prevents a Holocene GL retreat beyond its present-day position, which is discussed in the scientific community and supported by observational evidence at the Siple Coast and by previous model simulations. The applied coupled framework, PISM–VILMA, allows for defining restart states to run multiple sensitivity simulations from. It can be easily implemented in Earth system models (ESMs) and provides the tools to gain a better understanding of ice sheet stability on glacial timescales as well as in a warmer future climate.

Short-lived gravitational instability in isolated irradiated discs

ABSTRACT Irradiation from the central star controls the temperature structure in protoplanetary discs. Yet simulations of gravitational instability typically use models of stellar irradiation with varying complexity, or ignore it altogether, assuming heat generated by spiral shocks is balanced by cooling, leading to a self-regulated state. In this paper, we perform simulations of irradiated, gravitationally unstable protoplanetary discs using 3D hydrodynamics coupled with live Monte-Carlo radiative transfer. We find that the resulting temperature profile is approximately constant in time, since the thermal effects of the star dominate. Hence, the disc cannot regulate gravitational instabilities by adjusting the temperatures in the disc. In a $0.1M_\odot$ disc, the disc instead adjusts by angular momentum transport induced by the spiral arms, leading to steadily decreasing surface density, and hence quenching of the instability. Thus, strong spiral arms caused by self-gravity would not persist for longer than ten thousand years in the absence of fresh infall, although weak spiral structures remain present over longer time-scales. Using synthetic images at 1.3 mm, we find that spirals formed in irradiated discs are challenging to detect. In higher mass discs, we find that fragmentation is likely because the dominant stellar irradiation overwhelms the stabilizing influence of $P\mathrm{d}V$ work and shock heating in the spiral arms.

Numerical analysis and Schlieren visualization of gas flow dynamics inside the plasma arc cut kerf with curved cutting fronts

In plasma arc cutting (PAC), the characteristics of the gas flow exiting the nozzle significantly influence the cut quality. The high-pressure jet in PAC forms complex shockwave structures when it is incident on the metal to be cut. In this study, the flow behavior inside the kerfs of various geometries derived from an actual PAC workpiece is assessed. The shape of the cutting front in the kerf varies with the changing cutting speed. A high cutting speed yields a curved cutting front, resulting in unwanted gas flow behavior and adversely influencing the cutting performance. In this study, a computational fluid dynamics simulation model was used to analyze the effects of a curved cutting front on the gas flow behavior during the PAC process. The gas flow patterns obtained from the numerical simulations were qualitatively compared with the Schlieren experiment results. The analysis results indicated that the curvature of the cutting fronts generated oblique shockwave structures that significantly reduced the flow velocity. In particular, the weak shock structures throughout the curved cutting front gradually decreased the flow velocity. The critical flow velocity was realized in the kerf with a highly curved cutting front, beyond which the vertical penetration of the material was not possible. The shear stress lines concurred with the striation patterns on the kerf walls, thereby validating the numerical analysis results.

Multi-Robot Collaborative Mapping with Integrated Point-Line Features for Visual SLAM.

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) enables mobile robots to autonomously perform localization and mapping tasks in unknown environments. Despite significant progress achieved by visual SLAM systems in ideal conditions, relying solely on a single robot and point features for mapping in large-scale indoor environments with weak-texture structures can affect mapping efficiency and accuracy. Therefore, this paper proposes a multi-robot collaborative mapping method based on point-line fusion to address this issue. This method is designed for indoor environments with weak-texture structures for localization and mapping. The feature-extraction algorithm, which combines point and line features, supplements the existing environment point feature-extraction method by introducing a line feature-extraction step. This integration ensures the accuracy of visual odometry estimation in scenes with pronounced weak-texture structure features. For relatively large indoor scenes, a scene-recognition-based map-fusion method is proposed in this paper to enhance mapping efficiency. This method relies on visual bag of words to determine overlapping areas in the scene, while also proposing a keyframe-extraction method based on photogrammetry to improve the algorithm's robustness. By combining the Perspective-3-Point (P3P) algorithm and Bundle Adjustment (BA) algorithm, the relative pose-transformation relationships of multi-robots in overlapping scenes are resolved, and map fusion is performed based on these relative pose relationships. We evaluated our algorithm on public datasets and a mobile robot platform. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm exhibits higher robustness and mapping accuracy. It shows significant effectiveness in handling mapping in scenarios with weak texture and structure, as well as in small-scale map fusion.

Enhanced denoising for weak signal preservation in structured illumination microscopy

Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is a powerful super-resolution technology in biological science because of its fast imaging speed, low phototoxicity, and full-field imaging. Despite this, SIM is hampered by out-of-focus background noise, which can obscure weak fluorescence signals and render them unrecognizable. Previous denoising algorithms tended to eliminate the noise along with the weak signals, causing a decrease in image quality. To address this issue, we propose a denoising algorithm based on out-of-focus plane information extraction (OPIE-SIM) that salvages the weak signal from the out-of-focus background noise. The OPIE-SIM algorithm enhances weak fluorescence signals by combining out-of-focus layer information with focal plane data and correcting the differences in point spread functions (PSF). This approach eliminates out-of-focus background noise and preserves the integrity of weak fluorescence structures while significantly reducing image acquisition time compared to traditional over-focusing imaging techniques. Through extensive simulations and experiments, we verified the feasibility of our approach. Compared with other denoising algorithms, our method generates images with a higher signal-to-noise ratio while maintaining the integrity of weak fluorescence structures.

A phylogeographic analysis of the North American medicinal leech, Macrobdella decora (Say, 1824)

AbstractIn spite of their important roles in many ecosystems, data regarding population structure and biogeographic patterns of leeches are scarce. To begin to address this knowledge gap, we herein perform a phylogeographic analysis of the North American medicinal leech, Macrobdella decora (Say, 1824). A total of 224 M. decora specimens were collected from 35 localities across large swaths of USA and Canada and covering most of the known range of the species. Using four loci (mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I [COI] and NADH dehydrogenase I [ND1], as well as nuclear 18S rRNA [18S] and 28S rRNA [28S]), we construct phylogenetic trees using several optimality criteria and superimpose geographic patterns onto the trees in order to tease out any potential structure among the populations. Rather surprisingly, given the large geographic range of the species and abundance of potential geographic barriers to gene flow, the analyses showed a conspicuous lack of structure among the different populations of M. decora. However, an AMOVA did show statistically significant differences between the genetic variation within populations and between populations (COI: FST = 0.65412, p < .00001; ND1: FST = 0.69245, p < .00001), which was largely driven by only 6 out of the 35 populations, and indicated a potential barrier for dispersal across the Appalachian Mountains. Finally, a Mantel test showed a weak, but significant, correlation between geographic distance and genetic distance (COI: r = 0.209, p = .027; ND1: r = 0.1289, p = .030); however, this correlation was primarily driven by a single locality. The overall weak structure suggests that M. decora is panmictic throughout its range, and we discuss this in light of previous population level studies in both bloodfeeding and non‐bloodfeeding species, concluding that the lack of structure in M. decora might be due to its high capacity for dispersal via hosts.

ZDDP Tribofilm Formation and Removal

While ZDDP tribofilm formation has been widely studied, the mechanism of ZDDP tribofilm removal during rubbing is still unclear. The study employs a ball on disc tribometer to monitor ZDDP tribofilm development in rolling-sliding, mixed lubrication conditions. It is found that when ZDDP tribofilms are formed very rapidly, as is the case with short alkyl chain, secondary ZDDPs, a large proportion of the initially-formed tribofilm is suddenly lost during rubbing. By contrast, the tribofilms that form more slowly from primary ZDDPs and longer chain secondaries are not partially lost during rubbing. XPS analysis showed that a rapidly-formed tribofilm before its partial removal has a very small Zn/O ratio, and a high BO/NBO. This suggests that such tribofilm contains a significant proportion of ultraphosphate, which is likely to have a relatively weak structure due to lack of stabilising cations. This may result in the tribofilm being partially removed when it reaches a certain thickness. By comparison, the remaining tribofilm, and also tribofilms that form slowly, have high Zn/O and low BO/NBO. This suggests that they consist of short chain polyphosphates and are thus stronger and more durable.Graphical

Research Progress on Modification of Aerogels by Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Aerogels are three-dimensional nanomaterials with low thermal conductivity, low density, high specific surface area, and high porosity. They have demonstrated remarkable performance advantages in thermal insulation, catalysis, and adsorption in recent years. However, their inherent brittleness and weak skeletal structure limit their applications. In order to improve the resilience and expand the capabilities of aerogels, it is essential to optimize their intrinsic properties. The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method offers a number of advantages, including fine control, high selectivity, and the ability to modify the aerogel in both the outer surface and the inner layer. This approach allows for reinforcement of the gel skeleton while achieving functionalization. This paper reviews the research progress of aerogel modification by the CVD method with a focus on hydrophobic modification, structural improvement, antioxidant modification, catalytic modification, etc. In light of the current demand for aerogel applications and the difficulties encountered in modifying aerogels, this review proposes future research directions for aerogel modification by CVD.