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Correction: Xuebijing alleviates high-voltage electrical burn-induced acute kidney injury by inhibiting neutrophils and inflammation
FcIgG-GE11-Melittin as a novel EGFR targeted peptibody with potent cytotoxic activity against cancer cells
Applicability limits of time-domain impedance spectroscopy for comprehensive thermoelectric characterization under heat leakage conditions
Response of erosive rainfall thresholds on Loess slopes to land cover and rainfall intensity
Perioperative outcomes in primary neonatal pullthrough versus pullthrough in older children with Hirschsprung disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Nutrient-free biorefinery of corn steep water into lactic acid by Bacillus licheniformis OP16-2 under thermo-alkaline conditions with a pilot-scale assessment
Abstract Lactic acid (LA) is utilized across multiple industries, including polymers, chemicals, cosmetics, and food. Its production from lignocellulosic biomass offers a promising solution to overcome challenges in the production process, such as reducing costs and enhancing environmental sustainability, while also increasing the value of biomass. However, the required pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials to release fermentable sugars generates inhibitory compounds that affect microbial fermentation, alongside the potential risk of contamination by mesophilic and neutrophilic microorganisms. In this study, a strain of B. licheniformis was isolated, selected, and identified as a lactic acid producer utilizing corn steep water (CSW) as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen for LA production. This selection was based on the strain’s tolerance to high temperatures and inhibitory compounds, including sodium metabisulfite, sodium chloride, sodium acetate, and formic acid. Sequential optimization of substrate, culture medium, and fermentation parameters was performed using both classical and advanced statistical techniques, without the need for additional nutrient supplementation. Thermo-Alkaline lactic acid production with a pilot-scale assessment was evaluated. Using multi-pulse fed-batch fermentation in a 50 L bioreactor, the system was operated at 45 °C with pH controlled at 8.49 ± 0.30, achieved LA concentration at 152.6 ± 1.15 g/L with a high yield of 0.93 ± 0.02 g/g, and a total productivity of 0.940 ± 0.005 g/L/h after 162 h., starting with an initial CSW concentration of 80 g/L. To our knowledge, this represents the first report of B. licheniformis being utilized for LA production from untreated CSW as a low-cost substrate, without any additional treatments or supplements.
Proteomic signatures of sperm and extracellular vesicles associated with sperm freezability in Holstein bulls
Annealing and passivation study of germanium on silicon (GOS) mid-infrared waveguide for sensing applications
Abstract Germanium on silicon (GOS) is an excellent platform for non-dispersive infrared sensing (NDIR) due to its broad mid-infrared (mid-IR) transparency. However, its optical waveguide propagation loss as a photonic sensing medium and its susceptibility to oxidation are concerns to be addressed. Herein, we study the effect of annealing GOS waveguide devices under forming gas and passivation using atomic layer deposition (ALD) of aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) and aluminum nitride (AlN) on waveguide loss. Our findings showed that annealing helped reduce propagation loss as high as 17x at wavelength of ~ 5.85 μm and passivation with AlN was effective in minimising oxidation of germanium (Ge) in ambient, albeit at the expense of higher waveguide loss originating from the MIR absorption in the AlN film itself. Nevertheless, these results provide insights towards improving the performance and robustness of a GOS waveguide-based sensor.
Parameter extraction of photovoltaic cell/module models using starfish optimization algorithm with a secant-based objective function modification
Abstract Accurate identification of photovoltaic (PV) cell and module parameters is essential for reliable electrical modeling, performance assessment, and long-term energy yield prediction. This task is commonly formulated as an optimization problem, where the root mean square error (RMSE) between measured and estimated current-voltage characteristics is minimized. While numerous metaheuristic algorithms have been proposed to solve this problem, most existing studies focus primarily on algorithmic modifications, with limited attention given to enhancing the problem formulation itself. In this work, a recently introduced metaheuristic, the Starfish Optimization Algorithm (SFOA), is employed for PV parameter extraction and systematically evaluated against four contemporary optimization algorithms. In addition, a novel secant-based reformulation of the objective function is proposed to improve the accuracy of the parameter estimation process beyond the conventional RMSE-based approach. The proposed framework is validated on multiple PV models, including the single-diode (SDM), double-diode (DDM), and three-diode (TDM) models for PV cells, as well as the single-diode model of a PV module (PVM). Two widely used benchmark datasets, RTC France and Photowatt-PWP201, are used for experimental verification. The results demonstrate that integrating the secant-based objective function significantly enhances estimation accuracy and robustness across all considered models. In particular, the SFOA-Secant configuration achieves the lowest RMSE values of $$7.6579 \times 10^{-4}$$ for SDM, $$7.4192 \times 10^{-4}$$ for DDM, $$7.3218 \times 10^{-4}$$ for TDM, and $$2.0489 \times 10^{-3}$$ for PVM, outperforming all competing methods. These findings confirm that reformulating the objective function using the secant method constitutes an effective and complementary strategy for improving PV parameter extraction accuracy.
Exploring key psychological factors influencing virtual fitting room adoption among individuals with physical disabilities
Predictive modeling of millet growth in pesticide- and vinasse-amended soils using SHAP regression interpretation
Salinity stress enhances protein content and amino acid profile in Gracilaria cornea (Rhodophyta)
Correction: TRPV1 deletion in male mice alters cardiomyocyte ultrastructure without affecting baseline cardiac function
Volume and functional changes of remnant pancreas after different types of pancreatectomy: Exploring the regenerative potential
Quantifying the realistic reduction potential of food waste in Swedish households
Abstract Household food waste is often framed as a critical challenge for food systems, yet the real potential and impact of waste reduction remain uncertain. This study assessed the prevention potential and the carbon, economic and nutrition footprints of food waste in 41 Swedish households, using data from a digital quantification system over a total of 9843 days. Results showed that 24.4% of food waste was avoidable and 7.3% was possibly avoidable, indicating a prevention potential of 31.7% in total food waste. These fractions had a joint carbon footprint of 19 kg CO 2 e and an economic cost of €66 per person per year. Despite its smaller volume, the possibly avoidable fraction entailed notable nutrient losses, indicating a missed opportunity for improved nutrition. Additionally, two scenarios modeling a 50% reduction in food waste indicated limited climate, economic, and nutritional benefits from halving food waste. These findings suggest that the impact from reducing food waste among Swedish households may be more limited than typically portrayed. Efforts and resources directed toward reducing food waste should therefore be weighed against, or combined with, other interventions, such as promoting dietary shifts, that may offer greater benefits for food system transition.
Green hybrid polymeric magnetic nanocomposite from natural polycationic polysaccharides for sustainable alum sludge conditioning
Abstract The disposal of aluminum nature-based sludge that is so called alum sludge (AS) from water-works treatment plants for water drinking purposes is one of the expensive sectors in treatment plant due to the high-water content. Thus, dewatering is essential for sludge volume reduction, which requires further treatment and drying costs prior to sludge disposal. Based on the criteria of advanced oxidation processes (AOP), alum sludge is subjected to polycationic polysaccharide-magnetic catalyst as a catalyst-based Fenton oxidation treatment and its effect and mechanism on sludge dewatering were assessed in the current work. Polycationic polysaccharide, chitosan augmented with magnetite in various proportions named CSP@Fe 3 O 4 (1–1), CSP@Fe 3 O 4 -(2 − 1) and CSP@Fe 3 O 4 - (1–3) were applied as alum sludge flocculants. All the Fenton’s based composites could extrude sludge water and enhancing its dewaterability. Dehydration and sedimentation performance of alum sludge is enhanced by the improvement in Capillary Suction Time (CST) and Specific Resistance for Filtration (SRF). CSP@Fe 3 O 4 -(2 − 1) based Fenton’s coagulation is revealed the highest CST reduction reached to 75% at the optimal operational conditions of 40 and 400 mg/L of CSP@Fe 3 O 4 -(2 − 1) and H 2 O 2 , respectively at pH 3.0. The results compared with the commercial conditioners such as polyelectrolytes, which results in only 37% CST reduction. In comparison with chemical flocculants, the conditioning process based CSP@Fe 3 O 4 Fenton’s reaction is ecofriendly since it uses both chitosan and magnetite substances that are environmentally benign materials. Also, the system is oxidizing the high proportion of materials in the sludge. Also, elevating temperature of the sludge showed a negative effect in CST enhancement compared to the room temperature. Further analysis showed that the change of the zeta potential (ζ-potential) of the sludge is changed to the more positive values, and the surface morphology attained bigger flocs than of the raw sludge.
Impact of mare milk-derived small extracellular vesicles on proliferation, phagocytosis, and migration in RAW264.7 macrophage
Improved neutral lipid production from Tetradesmus obliquus through fed-batch mixotrophic cultivation at high pH using potato peel hydrolysate
Abstract This study investigated the use of potato peel hydrolysate (PPH), obtained through fungal fermentation, as a low-cost organic carbon source to promote the growth and lipid accumulation of Tetradesmus obliquus under initial alkaline conditions (pH 11.0). Mixotrophic growth was investigated by incorporating different volumes of PPH to the culture every two days, resulting in final reducing sugar concentrations of 0.01, 0.02, and 0.03 mg mL − 1 . The mixotrophic fed-batch cultivation (0.02 mg mL − 1 PPH) significantly enhanced microalgal biomass and neutral lipid (NL) productivity, reaching 62.73 and 18.70 mg L − 1 day − 1 , respectively, which were 1.8 and 2.5 times higher than the autotrophic control. Moreover, the mixotrophic fed-batch system was evaluated under various nutrient conditions. Low nitrogen or sulfur deprivation notably boosted NL productivity to 20.90 and 22.61 mg L − 1 day − 1 , respectively. The lipids produced under nutrient-limited mixotrophic fed-batch conditions at pH 11.0 were rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (77.49–80.79%) and saturated fatty acids (15.39–19.23%), with the remaining portion comprising polyunsaturated fatty acids. Additionally, various biodiesel properties were assessed, and the results met international standards. These findings suggest that mixotrophic fed-batch cultivation under extreme alkaline conditions can enhance microalgal productivity and promote cost-effective biofuel production.