Driven by environmental concerns, firms close to end-users are increasingly co-creating with customers for green product development within their supply chains. However, a challenge called “spillover” can hinder the incentive for green co-creation by these firms. This paper examines the spillover issue in a dual-channel structure, where downstream firms implement co-creation with customers for green product development. Our findings indicate that spillover from green investments can negatively impact the investing firm’s profits. However, in low-competition scenarios, spillover benefits the supplier and customers within the supply chain. Additionally, under specific circumstances, it can improve overall supply chain performance. Crucially, to safeguard the sustainability of green co-creation in supply chains and prevent detrimental co-destruction, we propose implementing revenue-sharing contracts that can generate Pareto improvements, benefiting all green supply chain members. As a result, unlike traditional intellectual property protection, which hinders spillover, this study offers an alternative strategy that is also somewhat complementary, promoting collaboration over restrictions to leverage the positive aspects of spillover. Full article

Geological hazards are widely distributed, cause huge losses, and have always been the focus of attention for engineering and environmental geologists. Geological hazard evaluation is the basis of research and has important theoretical significance for preventing and controlling geological hazards. Therefore, geological hazard evaluation has become the focus of engineering and environmental geology. The question of how to build a universal index system model of geological hazard evaluation is an urgent problem that needs to be solved in geological hazard evaluation. Based on a large amount of previous research data, this paper takes landslide hazard as an example and systematically expounds the main problems that need to be solved in the current geological hazard evaluation from five aspects: basic concept, evaluation scope and accuracy, evaluation index system and evaluation criteria, evaluation method, and applicability of evaluation results. A landslide hazard assessment index system model is proposed, which applies to all regions, including all of the factors that may affect the formation of landslides. It is also hoped that this will be used as an example to establish various types of disaster evaluation and assessment systems. If the parameter has no value in the assessment process, it can be processed as 0. On this basis, further research is suggested from the perspectives of the geological hazard evaluation level, geological hazard evaluation theory, and method. To provide thoughts on and suggestions for geological hazard risk assessment method research, standard revision, investigation and evaluation, and risk management and control need to be considered. Full article

Migrant workers from rural China often leave their children at home to be raised by grandparents or other family members. This study explored the relationship between parents’ educational expectations, parental involvement, and the academic performance of left-behind children in China. A total of 19,487 student samples were obtained from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS), and 5078 of these met the criteria for being considered as ‘left behind’ children. Results indicated: (1) a significant positive correlation between parents’ educational expectations and left-behind children’s academic achievement; (2) parental education involvement plays a partial mediating role between parents’ educational expectations and left-behind children’s academic performance; (3) a significant negative correlation between parental intellectual involvement and educational expectations of left-behind children; (4) parental management involvement was not significantly correlated with parents’ educational expectations and left-behind children’s academic performance; and (5) a significant positive correlation between parental emotional involvement and educational expectations of left-behind children. The findings highlight the important role of parental educational expectations and have implications for the improvement of educational outcomes in China. Full article

Cluster thinning has been widely applied in yield management and its effect on green leaf volatiles (GLVs) in wines has seldom been studied. GLVs are important flavor compositions for grapes and wines. This work aimed to investigate the impact of cluster thinning on these volatiles and their precursors in grapes and wines. Severe cluster thinning (CT1) and medium cluster thinning (CT2) were performed on Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) vines in two sites (G-farm and Y-farm) from Xinjiang province in the Northwest of China. The impact of cluster thinning treatments on the accumulation of GLVs and their precursors, long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) of grape berries and C₆ volatiles, in resulting wines was investigated. Multivariate analysis showed that cluster thinning treatments induced significant changes in fruit and wine composition in both farms. In Y-farm, medium cluster thinning (CT2) significantly increased the average cluster weight of harvested berries. Additionally, both cluster thinning treatments (CT1 and CT2) increased fatty acids in harvested berries and CT2 led to an increase in C₆ esters and a decrease in C₆ alcohols in the wines of Y-farm under the warmer and drier 2012 vintage. However, the effect of cluster thinning was likely negative in G-farm due to its wetter soil and excessive organic matter. The treatments may be applicable for local grape growers to improve viticultural practices for the more balanced vegetative and reproductive growth of Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines. This work also provided further knowledge on the regulation of fatty acids and the derived C₆ volatiles through the lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway. Full article

Demethylation inhibitors (DMIs), including prochloraz, are popular fungicides to control citrus postharvest pathogens such as Penicillium digitatum (green mold). However, many P. digitatum strains have developed prochloraz resistance, which decreases drug efficacy. Specific major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporter gene mfs2, encoding drug-efflux pump protein MFS2, has been identified in P. digitatum strain F6 (PdF6) to confer fungal strain prochloraz resistance. However, except for the drug-efflux pump function of MFS2, other mechanisms relating to the Pdmfs2 are not fully clear. The present study reported a transcriptome investigation on the mfs2-defective P. digitatum strain. Comparing to the wild-type strain, the mfs2-defective strain showed 717 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) without prochloraz induction, and 1221 DEGs with prochloraz induction. The obtained DEGs included multiple isoforms of MFS transporter-encoding genes, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter-encoding genes, and multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) family protein-encoding genes. Many of these putative drug-efflux pump protein-encoding genes had significantly lower transcript abundances in the mfs2-defective P. digitatum strain at prochloraz induction, as compared to the wild-type strain, including twenty-two MFS transporter-encoding genes (MFS1 to MFS22), two ABC transporter-encoding genes (ABC1 and ABC2), and three MATE protein-encoding genes (MATE1 to MATE3). The prochloraz induction on special drug-efflux pump protein genes in the wild-type strain was not observed in the mfs2-defective strain, including MFS21, MFS22, ABC2, MATE1, MATE2, and MATE3. On the other hand, the up-regulation of other drug-efflux pump protein genes in the mfs2-defective strain cannot recover the fungal prochloraz resistance, including MFS23, MFS26, MFS27, MFS31, MFS33, and ABC3 to ABC8. The functional enrichment of DEGs based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG), and euKaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG) database resources suggested some essential contributors to the mfs2-relating prochloraz resistance, including ribosome biosynthesis-related genes, oxidative phosphorylation genes, steroid biosynthesis-related genes, fatty acid and lipid metabolism-related genes, and carbon- and nitrogen-metabolism-related genes. The results indicated that the MFS2 transporter might be involved in the regulation of multiple drug-efflux pump protein gene expressions and multiple metabolism-related gene expressions, thus playing an important role in developing P. digitatum prochloraz resistance. Full article

The application of artificial intelligence to point-of-care testing (POCT) disease detection has become a hot research field, in which breath detection, which detects the patient’s exhaled VOCs, combined with sensor arrays of convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithms as a new lung cancer detection is attracting more researchers’ attention. However, the low accuracy, high-complexity computation and large number of parameters make the CNN algorithms difficult to transplant to the embedded system of POCT devices. A lightweight neural network (LTNet) in this work is proposed to deal with this problem, and meanwhile, achieve high-precision classification of acetone and ethanol gases, which are respiratory markers for lung cancer patients. Compared to currently popular lightweight CNN models, such as EfficientNet, LTNet has fewer parameters (32 K) and its training weight size is only 0.155 MB. LTNet achieved an overall classification accuracy of 99.06% and 99.14% in the own mixed gas dataset and the University of California (UCI) dataset, which are both higher than the scores of the six existing models, and it also offers the shortest training (844.38 s and 584.67 s) and inference times (23 s and 14 s) in the same validation sets. Compared to the existing CNN models, LTNet is more suitable for resource-limited POCT devices. Full article

The hydrogenation of carbon monoxide (CO) offers a promising avenue for reducing air pollution and promoting a cleaner environment. Moreover, by using suitable catalysts, CO can be transformed into valuable hydrocarbons. In this study, we elucidate the mechanistic aspects of the catalytic conversion of CO to hydrocarbons on the surface of manganese-doped graphene oxide (Mn-doped GO), where the GO surface includes one OH group next to one Mn adatom. To gain insight into this process, we have employed calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT) to explore both the thermodynamic properties and reaction energy barriers. The Mn adatoms were found to significantly activate the catalyst surface by providing stronger adsorption geometries. Our study concentrated on two mechanisms for CO hydrogenation, resulting in either CH₄ production via the reaction sequence CO → HCO → CH₂O → CH₂OH → CH₂ → CH₃ → CH₄ or CH₃OH formation through the CO → HCO → CH₂O → CH₂OH → CH₃OH pathway. The results reveal that both products are likely to be formed on the Mn-doped GO surface on both thermodynamic grounds and considering the reaction energy barriers. Furthermore, the activation energies associated with each stage of the synthesis show that the conversion reactions of CH₂ + OH → CH₃ + O and CH₂O + OH → CH₂OH + O with energy barriers of 0.36 and 3.86 eV are the fastest and slowest reactions, respectively. The results also indicate that the reactions: CH₂OH + OH → CH₂ + O+H₂O and CH₂OH + OH → CH₃OH + O are the most exothermic and endothermic reactions with reaction energies of −0.18 and 1.21 eV, respectively, in the catalytic pathways. Full article

The Hetian Qing donkey is an excellent local donkey breed in Xinjiang. It is of great significance to accelerate breeding and the speed of breeding and rejuvenation, as well as to understand the genetic basis of the strategies and population. This study collected a total of 4 male donkeys and 28 female donkeys. It then obtained genotype data through Simplified Genomic Sequencing (GBS) technology for data analysis. The results detected a total of 55,399 SNP loci, and the genotype detection rate of individuals was ≥90%. A total of 45,557 SNP loci were identified through quality control, of which 95.5% were polymorphic. The average minimum allele frequency was 0.250. The average observed heterozygosity was 0.347. The average expected heterozygosity was 0.340. The average IBS (state homologous) genetic distance was 0.268. ROH: 49 (homozygous fragments), with 73.47% of the length between 1 and 5 Mb. The average per-strip ROH length was 1.75 Mb. The mean inbreeding coefficient was 0.003. The 32 Hetian green donkeys could be divided into six families. The number of individuals in each family is significant. To sum up, the Hetian Qing donkey population has low heterozygosity, few families, and large differences in the number of individuals in each family, which can easily cause a loss of genetic diversity. In the subsequent process of seed protection, seed selection should be conducted according to the divided pedigree to ensure the long-term protection of the genetic resources of Hetian green donkeys. Full article

The unclear pathogenesis of chronic itch originating from several systemic disorders poses challenges to clinical intervention. Recent studies recapitulate the spinal neurocircuits associated with neuroinflammation and synaptic plasticity responsible for pruriceptive sensations. The resolution of nociception and inflammation by Annexin 1 (ANXA1) has been identified. Given that pain and itch share many neural mechanisms, we employed two mice models of chronic itch to study the underlying targets and therapeutic potential of ANXA1, comprising allergic contact dermatitis-induced itch and cholestatic itch. Herein, we report that spinal expression of ANXA1 is down-regulated in mice with dermatitis-induced itch and cholestatic itch. Repetitive injections of ANXA1-derived peptide Ac2-26 (intrathecal, 10 μg) reduce itch-like scratching behaviors following dermatitis and cholestasis. Single exposure to Ac2-26 (intrathecal, 10 μg) alleviates the established itch phenotypes. Moreover, systemic delivery of Ac2-26 (intravenous, 100 μg) is effective against chronic dermatitis-induced itch and cholestatic itch. Strikingly, Ac2-26 therapy inhibits transferrin receptor 1 over-expression, iron accumulation, cytokine IL-17 release and the production of its receptor IL-17R, as well as astrocyte activation in the dorsal horn of spinal cord in mouse with dermatitis and cholestasis. Pharmacological intervention with iron chelator deferoxamine impairs chronic itch behaviors and spinal iron accumulation after dermatitis and cholestasis. Also, spinal IL-17/IL-17R neutralization attenuates chronic itch. Taken together, this current research indicates that ANXA1 protects against the beginning and maintenance of long-term dermatitis-induced itch and cholestatic itch, which may occur via the spinal suppression of IL-17-mediated neuroinflammation, astrocyte activation and iron overload. Full article

Effective agricultural management in maize production operations starts with the early quantification of seedlings. Accurately determining plant presence allows growers to optimize planting density, allocate resources, and detect potential growth issues early on. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the performance of various object detection models in maize production, with a focus on the effects of planting density, growth stages, and flight altitudes. The findings of this study demonstrate that one-stage models, particularly YOLOv8n and YOLOv5n, demonstrated superior performance with AP₅₀ scores of 0.976 and 0.951, respectively, outperforming two-stage models in terms of resource efficiency and seedling quantification accuracy. YOLOv8n, along with Deformable DETR, Faster R-CNN, and YOLOv3-tiny, were identified for further examination based on their performance metrics and architectural features. The study also highlights the significant impact of plant density and growth stage on detection accuracy. Increased planting density and advanced growth stages (particularly V6) were associated with decreased model accuracy due to increased leaf overlap and image complexity. The V2–V3 growth stages were identified as the optimal periods for detection. Additionally, flight altitude negatively affected image resolution and detection accuracy, with higher altitudes leading to poorer performance. In field applications, YOLOv8n proved highly effective, maintaining robust performance across different agricultural settings and consistently achieving rRMSEs below 1.64% in high-yield fields. The model also demonstrated high reliability, with Recall, Precision, and F1 scores exceeding 99.00%, affirming its suitability for practical agricultural use. These findings suggest that UAV-based image collection systems employing models like YOLOv8n can significantly enhance the accuracy and efficiency of seedling detection in maize production. The research elucidates the critical factors that impact the accuracy of deep learning detection models in the context of corn seedling detection and selects a model suited for this specific task in practical agricultural production. These findings offer valuable insights into the application of object detection technology and lay a foundation for the future development of precision agriculture, particularly in optimizing deep learning models for varying environmental conditions that affect corn seedling detection. Full article

Correct nutrition and diet are directly correlated with mental health, functions of the immune system, and gut microbiota composition. Diets with a high content of some nutrients, such as fibers, phytochemicals, and short-chain fatty acids (omega-3 fatty acids), seem to have an anti-inflammatory and protective action on the nervous system. Among nutraceuticals, supplementation of probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids plays a role in improving symptoms of several mental disorders. In this review, we collect data on the efficacy of nutraceuticals in patients with schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder, and personality disorders. This narrative review aims to provide an overview of recent evidence obtained on this topic, pointing out the direction for future research. Full article

This work presents a comprehensive analysis of the adsorption of selected aromatic organic compounds on activated carbons. Both the equilibrium and kinetics of adsorption were studied using UV–Vis spectrophotometry. The influence of a number of factors: pH, contact time, presence of an accompanying substance, adsorbate concentration, as well as the mass and size of adsorbent grains, on the adsorption process from aqueous solutions was investigated. Phenol, 2-nitrophenol, 3-nitrophenol, 4-nitrophenol and methylene blue (as an accompanying substance) were selected as adsorbates. GAC 1240W and RIAA activated carbons were used as adsorbents. The equilibrium data were analyzed using the generalized Langmuir isotherm equation (R² = 0.912–0.996). Adsorption rate data were fitted using a multi-exponential kinetic equation (1 − R² = (1.0 × 10⁻⁶)–(8.2 × 10⁻⁴)). As an additional parameter, the half-time was also used to present the influence of selected factors on the adsorption kinetics. An increase in the amount of adsorption was demonstrated with increasing contact time as well as with decreasing solution pH and adsorbent grain size. For selected systems, an increase in the adsorption rate was observed with increasing adsorbate concentration, adsorbent mass and at lower pH values. In some cases, the presence of an accompanying substance also resulted in an increase in adsorption kinetics. In the tested experimental systems, optimal conditions for adsorption were established (T = 298 K, pH = 2, contact time: 7 days, grain diameter: >0.5 mm and the ratio of the mass of the adsorbent to the volume of the adsorbate solution: 1 g/L). Additionally, the acid–base properties (potentiometric titration), morphology (SEM) and structure (TEM) of the used adsorbents were also examined. Full article

Coffee is not merely a refreshing beverage but also invigorates people, provides relaxation, contributes to human health, and fosters closer social connections. Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide and the most traded commercial commodity. Moreover, the rapid development of the Vietnamese coffee industry caused some concerns due to its insufficient performance and the fierce competition within the industry. It is significant to establish an efficient supply network; notwithstanding, supplier selection has always been a challenge for companies. Therefore, this paper employs a hybrid model to determine the supplier selection criteria, a vital factor for a manufacturer under practical operating conditions. Firstly, a combined model of Grey forecasting and the Grey Fourier series is applied to forecast future rainfall and temperature data for six consecutive years. Secondly, based on the criteria, strategies, and buyer requirements, the single-objective linear programming model helps identify the outperformed suppliers. The results found that prices and location change are determinants of supplier selection, and supplier shortage is an enormous barrier for the industry. In this study, these price forecasts allow supply chain management to make informed decisions about inventory levels, transportation routes, and resource allocation to ensure smooth operation and optimize coffee supply chain management. Full article

The core of sustainable public procurement lies in its ability to stem uneconomical public expenditures that waste taxpayer money and stifle social trust and development. The external audit of public procurement proves problematic since current research fails to provide sufficient empirical studies aimed at identifying procurement fraud. The development of online portals with embedded e-procurement solutions, along with the big data revolution, open new horizons and allow us to reveal trends otherwise impossible to spot, such as transactions achieved in an exclusive commercial relationship, in which a vendor engages only with a single public entity. By using innovative data acquisition techniques, our research encompasses 2.25 million online direct public procurement procedures conducted in 2023 using the Romanian portal for public procurement, totaling EUR 3.22 billion. By aggregating databases obtained from various public sources, our analysis achieved remarkable granularity, using over 112 million data elements—50 pertaining to each transaction. Research results indicate a unique sub-population of public procurement procedures—those conducted with “in-house” vendors totaling 14.28% of all direct public acquisitions and which is significantly differentiated along the entire list of analyzed criteria—financial, geographical, statistical, or risk-wise—illustrating a troubling phenomenon: possible gerrymandering of the online public procurement landscape, which, at least in theory, resembles a perfect market, by cultivating preferential commercial relations, thus affecting the legality, regularity, and economical aspects of public procurement. Full article

This article explores the punching shear behavior of GFRP-RC interior slab–column connections. The parameters tested included the column–aspect ratio (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0), perimeter-to-depth ratio for square column stubs with side lengths of 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7 meters, and span-to-depth ratios of 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. A review of the literature revealed that no previous study has investigated the effect of these parameters or their interactions on this type of connection. Numerically, twenty-five slabs were created using finite element (FE) software (V3), each with square dimensions of 2.5 meters and a constant thickness of 0.2 meters. The central column extended 0.3 meters from the top and bottom of the slab. All four sides of the slabs were supported, and the specimens underwent pure static shear load testing. The test results demonstrated that all slabs failed due to punching shear. Increasing any parameter value reduced the punching shear stresses. Additionally, the results indicated that Canadian (CSA-S806-12) and Japanese (JSCE-97) standards for FRP-RC materials generally provided the closest predictions of punching shear capacity compared to the American guideline, ACI 440.1R-22. However, all standards exhibited shortcomings and require enhancement and modifications, particularly to consider the impact of the span-to-depth ratio. Therefore, three equations were developed to predict the shear strength of the connections, yielding better results than those prescribed by the North American and Japanese standards. Full article

The emergence of security vulnerabilities and risks in software development assisted by self-generated tools, particularly with regard to the generation of code that lacks due consideration of security measures, could have significant consequences for industry and its organizations. This manuscript aims to demonstrate how such self-generative vulnerabilities manifest in software programming, through a case study. To this end, this work undertakes a methodology that illustrates a practical example of vulnerability existing in the code generated using an AI model such as ChatGPT, showcasing the creation of a web application database, SQL queries, and PHP server-side. At the same time, the experimentation details a step-by-step SQL injection attack process, highlighting the hacker’s actions to exploit the vulnerability in the website’s database structure, through iterative testing and executing SQL commands to gain access to sensitive data. Recommendations on effective prevention strategies include training programs, error analysis, responsible attitude, integration of tools and audits in software development, and collaboration with third parties. As a result, this manuscript discusses compliance with regulatory frameworks such as GDPR and HIPAA, along with the adoption of standards such as ISO/IEC 27002 or ISA/IEC 62443, for industrial applications. Such measures lead to the conclusion that incorporating secure coding standards and guideline—from organizations such as OWASP and CERT training programs—further strengthens defenses against vulnerabilities introduced by AI-generated code and novice programming errors, ultimately improving overall security and regulatory compliance. Full article

Precision agriculture (PA) is a management concept that makes use of digital techniques to monitor and optimise agricultural production processes and represents a field of growing economic and social importance. Within this area of knowledge, there is a topic not yet fully explored: outlining a road map towards the definition of an affordable cobot solution (i.e., a low-cost robot able to safely coexist with humans) able to perform automatic chemical treatments. The present study narrows its scope to viticulture technologies, and targets small/medium-sized winemakers and producers, for whom innovative technological advancements in the production chain are often precluded by financial factors. The aim is to detail the realization of such an integrated solution and to discuss the promising results achieved. The results of this study are: (i) The definition of a methodology for integrating a cobot in the process of grape chemicals spraying under the constraints of a low-cost apparatus; (ii) the realization of a proof-of-concept of such a cobotic system; (iii) the experimental analysis of the visual apparatus of this system in an indoor and outdoor controlled environment as well as in the field. Full article

Numerous post-translational modifications are involved in oocyte maturation and embryo development. Recently, lactylation has emerged as a novel epigenetic modification implicated in the regulation of diverse cellular processes. However, it remains unclear whether lactylation occurs during oocyte maturation and embryo development processes. Herein, the lysine lactylation (Kla) modifications were determined during mouse oocyte maturation and early embryo development by immunofluorescence staining. Exogenous lactate was supplemented to explore the consequences of modulating histone lactylation levels on oocyte maturation and embryo development processes by transcriptomics. Results demonstrated that lactylated proteins are widely present in mice with tissue- and cell-specific distribution. During mouse oocyte maturation, immunofluorescence for H3K9la, H3K14la, H4K8la, and H4K12la was most intense at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage and subsequently weakened or disappeared. Further, supplementing the culture medium with 10 mM sodium lactate elevated both the oocyte maturation rate and the histone Kla levels in GV oocytes, and there were substantial increases in Kla levels in metaphase II (MII) oocytes. It altered the transcription of molecules involved in oxidative phosphorylation. Moreover, histone lactylation levels changed dynamically during mouse early embryogenesis. Sodium lactate at 10 mM enhanced early embryo development and significantly increased lactylation, while impacting glycolytic gene transcription. This study reveals the roles of lactylation during oocyte maturation and embryo development, providing new insights to improving oocyte maturation and embryo quality. Full article

Lignin is insoluble in water, thereby limiting its use in the synthesis of adhesives. Therefore, in this study, an aminated lignin compound was prepared through a lignin amination reaction to increase the amount of raw lignin material that can be used in the synthesis of adhesives; moreover, structural analysis was conducted. The main result of this was the introduction of amino groups into phenolic hydroxyl groups in the hydrolyzing lignin from the raw lignin materials, thus generating the product of aminated lignin. The resulting particle sizes were about 100 nm, the average molecular weight was 57,627 g/mol, and the water solubility of the aminated lignin was about 0.45 g/100 mL. Therefore, the water solubility of raw lignin was greatly improved. The proposed reaction mechanism of phenolic hydroxyl groups and carboxylic acid groups in lignin is a reaction with ammonia molecules; thus, the successful introduction of amino groups generated the aminated lignin compounds. Hence, this article enriches the scientific theory of lignin reactions and provides a reference for the widespread application of raw lignin materials in the field of adhesives. Full article

Based on the effect of damped shear deformation on energy dissipation, a new constrained damping base for a polymer injection platform deck is proposed to reduce the excessive vibrations caused when multiple plunger pumps are jointly operated. A model for analyzing the vibration response of an I-beam-constrained damping base for a polymer injection platform with multiple plunger pumps was established using Abaqus 6.14 software and compared with rigid base and traditional rubber vibration isolators in terms of its vibration isolation performance. Furthermore, the effects of the damping material’s loss factor, the thickness of the damping layer, and the number of expansion layers on the vibration isolation characteristics of the constrained damping base were explored. This study shows that, with an increase in the damping material’s loss factor, the thickness of the damping layer and the number of extended layers, the vibration isolation performance of the constrained damping base is gradually enhanced. When the damping material’s loss factor is 1.0, the thickness of the damping layer is 20 mm, and the number of extended layers is 3, the constrained damping base’s vibration damping effect is optimized, and its vibration isolation rate becomes as high as 46.63%, which can significantly reduce the vibration response of the polymer injection platform. Full article

One of the obstacles to the adoption of electric vehicles as a future pollution-free transport solution is that the energy sources (batteries) have not yet become sustainable through a long-life span under the specific operating conditions. The problem that arises is that high temperatures inside the batteries represent a safety risk and have negative effects on the battery life span, which imposes the use of thermal management systems. The present article aims to analyze, by numerical methods, the effect of the use of a fireproof composite resin on the efficiency of the thermal management system, specifically on the degree of battery sustainability (measured by the effect on the life span). Five constructive variants are proposed and thermally analyzed. Based on the measured temperatures, the intensity of the chemical reactions that occur in a 18650-type Li-ion cell was calculated, and conclusions related to the impact on the life span were drawn. It has been found that the use of a fireproof composite resin leads to an increased heat transmission towards the outer environment and an increase in the life span by 22.2% compared to that noted for conventional air cooling. The results also recommend the use of heat exchangers associated with flame retardant resins, which leads to a 20.6% improvement in the heat transfer capacity of the battery’s thermal management system. When comparing the solutions in which the flame-retardant resin is used, the results show that adding 3 wt.% of nanomaterial leads to a significant life span increase of 11.7% when compared to the results for the resin-only case. Full article

This study involved the evaluation of the effect of vacuum pasteurization on physicochemical characteristics (pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, chroma, tone, IO, vitamin C, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural), microbiological properties (Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, total coliforms, total mesophilic aerobes, molds and yeasts) and sensory characteristics of orange and carrot nectar. The thermal treatments were designed based on the thermal lethality of two heat-resistant microorganisms typical of the product (Neosartorya fischeri and Zygosaccaromyces bailii). The evaluation was carried out on raw nectar and pasteurized nectar. The shelf life was estimated to be 30 days (6 °C). The most favorable results were obtained by applying a heat treatment at 88 °C for 32.68 min, managing to retain 85.87% of vitamin C and a microbiological stability of 12 days (6 ± 0.6 °C) with regard to total mesophilic aerobes. Likewise, the tasters established that this treatment resulted in the best flavor, texture and acceptability characteristics. Full article