With the extension of average life expectancy, diseases accompanied by cognitive and memory impairments, such as dementia, are increasing. The risk of dementia has been suggested to decrease with an increase in the intake of milk and dairy products. Therefore, the present study investigated the effects of consuming test food containing lactononadecapeptide (LNDP) on memory and attention in healthy elderly Japanese subjects aged 65 years or older over 24 weeks. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial was conducted, and memory function was evaluated using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) test and the total score of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Based on the results of the ROCF test and SDMT, the repeated intake of the test food significantly improved memory function in elderly subjects. Therefore, the repeated intake of test food containing LNDP may improve memory and attention in elderly Japanese individuals with mild cognitive decline.
Halide-chalcogenide compounds are promising candidates for thermoelectric applications owing to their low thermal conductivity and tunable electronic structures. Here, we systematically investigate Te-substituted BiSe1−xTexI (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5). Structural and spectroscopic analyses confirm the successful incorporation of Te into the BiSeI-type framework, accompanied by lattice expansion, vibrational softening, and pronounced bandgap tuning. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy verifies that Te occupies Se sites and modifies the local electronic environment, while electron microscopy reveals a morphology evolution from ribbon-like grains to plate-like and fragmented particles with increasing Te content. Thermoelectric measurements show that Te substitution simultaneously enhances electrical conductivity and suppresses thermal conductivity, arising from band-structure modulation, increased carrier concentration, mass fluctuation, and strengthened phonon scattering. Consequently, BiSe0.7Te0.3I achieves the highest ZT (~0.27 at 400 K), substantially higher than pristine BiSeI. This work demonstrates that heavy-element doping is an effective strategy for optimizing the thermoelectric performance of halide-chalcogenides.
Organic solar cells (OSCs) are attracting attention as a possible replacement for traditional photovoltaics because they are low-cost, lightweight, and have adjustable optoelectronic features. The commercialization of single-junction OSCs still faces challenges in achieving high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and operating stability. Recent developments in photonic crystals, plasmonics, nanophotonics, and metamaterials have significantly addressed these issues, especially in single-junction systems. This paper reviews the latest advancements in charge transport engineering, nanophotonic light-trapping methods, and nanostructured interfaces specifically designed for single-junction OSCs. It also highlights recent record-breaking efficiencies that exceed 20% PCE. We discussed integrating plasmonic nanoparticles, optical microcavities, nanostructured electrodes, and improved photonic materials to increase light absorption, exciton dissociation, and charge collection within the specific limitations of single-junction devices. Furthermore, we stress the important role of computational modeling and recent experimental breakthroughs in enhancing optical and electrical performance. Rather than treating optical and electrical processes independently, this review emphasizes the synergistic role of photonic enhancement strategies in simultaneously improving light trapping and charge transport, highlighting how nanophotonic designs influence carrier generation, recombination, and extraction in single-junction OSCs.
Reducing carbon footprints is an essential requirement in the chemical industry. Researchers are concentrating on creating sustainable products derived from renewable resources or waste materials. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste significantly contributes to carbon footprints; the chemical recycling of PET waste possesses extensive opportunities within the chemical sector. For instance, PET waste can be transformed into valuable alkyd resin, which is utilized in the production of oil-based paints. This research work focuses on the synthesis of long oil alkyd resin using recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET). As the incorporation of rPET in alkyd resin has several limitations such as two-step synthesis, inability to produce long oil alkyd, and long drying time. To overcome these limitations, a novel synthesis route has been devised to produce long oil alkyd resin. In this study, three long oil alkyd resins were synthesized, each containing varying amounts of rPET. The presence of rPET in the alkyd resins was confirmed by spectroscopic techniques. To assess the impact of rPET content on alkyd resin, physicochemical properties, performance testing, and instrumental analysis have been conducted. A comparison is made between these resins and the benchmark long oil alkyd resin, and the results are discussed. Furthermore, to synergize the coating applications, viscoelastic behavior and mechanical properties of the dried films were assessed, including exterior durability. Alkyd resin containing 8% rPET shows performance properties that are comparable to the benchmark alkyd resin. This alkyd requires 80 min for surface drying and 4 h to reach a tack-free state. It has a gloss value of 86 at 20° angle. The scratch hardness is recorded as 900 g, while the gloss retention stands at 88.34% following 240 h of QUV exposure. This novel synthesis route helps to incorporate the rPET in the alkyd backbone with reduced carbon footprint to meet the goal of sustainability and the circular economy.
Precision Archaeology leverages advanced technologies, such as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), for documenting archaeological sites with high spatial resolution and accuracy. This paper presents a reproducible RGB–multispectral (MS) image-fusion workflow for Precision Archaeology, combining PPK-based georeferencing with quantitative assessment of product accuracy and spectral preservation. Within this framework, the repeatability of the results produced by the UAS data fusion method confirms its reliability and establishes it as a valuable documentation tool. Among the experimental applications conducted to date, this paper adds two more: the Sanctuary of Eukleia at Aigai and the funerary ensemble in the Philippi plain, where Aerial Remote Sensing was performed using a UAS equipped with a Post-Processed Kinematic (PPK)–Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver. A ground-based GNSS receiver was used to measure control points (CPs) and the base point used to correct the coordinates of the UAS image acquisition centers using the PPK method. For both archaeological sites, RGB and MS stereoscopic images were acquired from flight altitudes of 60 and 100 m, respectively, achieving an overall theoretical solution accuracy of under 2 cm. Digital surface models (DSMs) were generated with spatial resolutions of approximately 2 cm for the RGB and about 14 cm for the MS images, along with orthophotomosaics with spatial resolutions of roughly 1 cm for RGB and 7 cm for MS images. In the final stage, image fusion of the RGB and MS orthophotomosaics was applied, improving the spatial resolution of the MS orthophotomosaics from 7 cm to approximately 1 cm, while simultaneously preserving nearly all the original spectral information in the new fused images. Spectral preservation was quantified via band-wise correlation between the original MS and fused images (≈0.99 average for the Philippi dataset; ≈0.85 average for Aigai, likely influenced by a ~45 min RGB–MS acquisition gap and corresponding shadow/illumination differences). These new images can be used for classification purposes, enabling the identification of different materials and the detection of archaeological feature pathology with optimal spatial resolution and accuracy.
