Artiles
Open Access
Review
25 June 2026Comprehensive Effects of Flashing/Pulsed Light on Microalgae: Molecular Mechanisms and Biotechnological Applications
Microalgae serve as a cell factory for sustainable biomass and high-value compound production, yet their industrial-scale cultivation is often constrained by light energy utilization. The continuous illumination often limits photosynthetic efficiency and biomass and high-value compound productivity due to a kinetic mismatch between rapid photochemical reactions (picosecond-to-millisecond scale) and slower downstream biochemical processes (like Calvin-Benson cycle). Flashing/pulsed light strategies mitigate these by delivering intermittent photons, exploiting the biological effects to enhance quantum yield, biomass productivity, and targeted metabolites accumulation. This mini review emphasizes historical development of core concepts, molecular mechanisms, Photosystem II (PSII) dynamics, plastoquinone buffering, temporal decoupling, parameter optimization, the applications in autotrophic and mixotrophic modes, and photobioreactor innovations. An updated timeline to date highlights the emerging AI-driven adaptive lighting systems that promise real-time optimization of flashing regimes. This review summarizes current understanding, critical knowledge gaps and future directions, particularly in intelligent control for scalable, energy-efficient cultivation of microalgae by the rational design of advanced photobioreactors and cultivation strategies.
Open Access
Article
25 June 2026Balance Among Biodegradability, Thermal and Mechanical Properties of CO2-Derived Polymers
Research into biodegradable polymers, driven by environmental imperatives, has progressed significantly. The copolymerization of CO2 and epoxides produces poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC), which exhibits favorable biodegradability but suffers from poor thermomechanical properties. To address this, recent studies have incorporated rigid monomers or crystalline segments into such copolymerizations, generating a diverse range of CO2-derived copolymers with enhanced thermal and mechanical performance. However, their degradation profiles remain insufficiently characterized. In this study, we selected several representative CO2-derived copolymers, recently synthesized by our group, to systematically investigate the structure-property relationship. We evaluated their biodegradability through a series of tests, including biodegradation rate analysis, compost disintegration, and seed germination assays. These polymers, developed by our research team, offer advantages such as low cost, tunable properties, broad applicability, and environmental compatibility. They are thus promising candidates for introducing new materials into the biodegradable plastics market.
Open Access
Article
25 June 2026Optimization of Anaerobic Digestion Systems for Biomethane Recovery from Septic Tank Sludge
This study presents a process design, simulation, and optimization framework for converting septic sludge into biomethane using Aspen Plus®. The sludge was characterized, revealing carbon, hydrogen, and volatile matter contents of 33.80, 5.86, and 34.86 wt.%, respectively. The developed Aspen Plus® model was validated against three literature datasets, achieving percentage errors below unity. Optimization using Response Surface Methodology-Central Composite Design (RSM-CCD) showed that the maximum biomethane yield was 58.227 vol% under optimal conditions: 25 °C hydrolysis temperature, 60 °C digester temperature, 35 days hydraulic retention time (HRT), and an organic loading rate (OLR) of kg·VS·m−3·day−1, with a desirability score of 1.0. A techno-economic evaluation using the Aspen Process Economic Analyser (APEA) demonstrated the system’s economic feasibility, with a total capital investment of USD 3.19 million, an annual operating cost of USD 1.29 million, and a payback period of approximately 3.8 years. The optimized system achieved a net energy gain of 82.6%, IRR of 16.6%, and NPV of $4.64 M, confirming strong economic viability. Sensitivity analysis further revealed that CAPEX, OPEX, feedstock cost, and upgrading energy demand significantly influence system profitability, emphasizing the importance of process optimization and energy-efficient upgrading strategies. Environmental assessment showed that the optimized system improved methane recovery efficiency to 98.7% and achieved a CO2 emission reduction potential of 0.49 kg CO2-eq/kg CH4, demonstrating strong greenhouse gas mitigation potential. Overall, the findings establish anaerobic digestion of septic sludge as a sustainable and cost-effective waste-to-energy pathway suitable for decentralized urban wastewater management, supporting circular economy and clean energy objectives in developing regions.
Open Access
Review
25 June 2026Intercellular Targetable Mechanistic Interface for Cardiac Fibrosis
Cardiac fibrosis is a central pathological feature of heart failure and contributes to myocardial stiffening, impaired electrical conduction, and progressive ventricular dysfunction. Traditionally, fibrotic remodeling has been viewed as a fibroblast-driven process in which activated fibroblasts deposit excessive extracellular matrix following cardiac injury. However, emerging evidence indicates that fibrosis arises from coordinated interactions among multiple cardiac cell populations, including cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, immune cells, pericytes, and fibroblasts. In this review, we discuss the role of cardiomyocytes and their interactions with other cell types in the heart in facilitating cardiac fibrosis. We discuss how interactions among cardiomyocytes, immune cells, endothelial cells, pericytes, and fibroblasts contribute to fibrotic remodeling in both ischemic and non-ischemic heart disease. Our signaling emphasis is on transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-mediated cardiac fibrosis in the context of cellular interplay. We posit that a better understanding of these integrated signaling networks may reveal new opportunities to prevent or reverse pathological cardiac fibrosis.
Open Access
Article
24 June 2026Dynamic Thermal Performance of a Plate Heat Exchanger Under Viscosity–Velocity Combined: Implications for Seawater-Source Heat Pump Systems
To address the difficulty of predicting plate heat exchanger performance under variable-flow and fouling-prone coastal conditions, this study developed a novel combined framework for a BR50 plate heat exchanger by integrating a steady-state heat transfer model with a transfer-function-based dynamic wall-temperature model. The main innovation is that the framework simultaneously captures steady thermal performance and transient wall-temperature response, while explicitly quantifying the coupled effects of flow velocity and kinematic viscosity. The model was evaluated for sewage-side velocities of 0.8–1.5 m/s and viscosities up to ten times that of clean water. Results show that wall temperature increases slightly with velocity and can be described by a fourth-order polynomial. Its transient response follows first-order inertia, and the time constant decreases as velocity increases, indicating faster thermal response at higher flow rates. Both the sewage-side heat transfer coefficient and the overall heat transfer coefficient increase with velocity but decrease with viscosity; increasing velocity from 0.8 to 1.5 m/s raises the sewage-side coefficient by 49.2%. Sensitivity analysis identifies kinematic viscosity as the dominant factor affecting thermal performance, followed by flow velocity and wall temperature. The framework provides a practical basis for seawater-source heat pumps and coastal heat recovery systems under fouling-influenced conditions.
Open Access
Article
24 June 2026The Impacts of Ozone Inhibition on the Growth of Bacteria on Biomass Production of Haematococcus lacustris in Mixotrophic Cultivation
Mixotrophic culture can improve the growth of Haematococcus lacustris, an alga that can produce the high-value carotenoid astaxanthin. However, these conditions make the culture susceptible to bacterial contamination. Ozone gas was therefore investigated for its ability to inhibit the growth of heterotrophic bacteria during the mixotrophic cultivation of H. lacustris. The concentration and flow rate of ozone were then optimized. While the flow rate had no significant effect, an ozone concentration of 0.4 mg/L allowed algal growth but inhibited bacterial growth. Additionally, different wavelengths of light exposure were used to enhance algal growth and biomass production, and red light showed the highest increase, followed by blue light. The addition of 0.08 mg/L ozone to light exposure improved growth for both red and blue light. In mixotrophic culture using sodium acetate as a carbon source, the same concentration of ozone improved growth compared to untreated mixotrophic culture or to pure autotrophic culture.
Open Access
Article
24 June 2026Community Adaptation and Institutional Response to Flood Risks: A Sociological Perspective from Rural Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia
This study uses a qualitative, descriptive, and phenomenological approach to understand the adaptation of flood-prone village communities in Southeast Sulawesi through social, economic, and environmental capacity analysis based on the Building Village Index. The results of the study show that socio-ecological resilience is formed through solidarity synergy, social capital bonding-bridging-linking, and adaptive local institutional mechanisms. Mechanical solidarity, mutual cooperation, and reconstruction of ecological norms encourage the formation of collective actions that strengthen responses to recurrent floods. Main Findings: Community resilience in flood-prone villages emerges through solidarity, social capital, and adaptive institutions reinforcing collective ecological action. The C-BS-ERCM confirms that resilience develops iteratively through risk identification, coordination, learning, and sustainable village governance. Theoretically, this study enriches the study of resilience by combining the perspectives of Durkheim, Putnam, and Scott–North institutional theories into the Community-Based Social-Ecological Resilience Cycle Model (C-BS-ERCM), which is a community-based resilience cycle. In practical terms, these findings provide a direction for strengthening village adaptive governance through institutional collaboration, social capacity building, and integration of local values in sustainable flood mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Open Access
Article
24 June 2026Mechanochemical Synthesis of Metallophenylsiloxanes Based on Polyphenylsiloxane and Acetylacetonates of Rare Earth Metals
The present study pioneers the investigation of mechanochemical synthesis based on polyphenylsilsesquioxane and β-diketonate complexes of scandium, yttrium, and lanthanum. It has been demonstrated that the degree of metal incorporation into the polymer chain increases with the growth of the ionic radius and with the decrease in the stability of the initial acetylacetonate complex. The resulting polymers exhibit high thermal stability, comparable to that of the parent organosilicon polymer. Moreover, owing to their developed surface area and light-transforming properties, the synthesized compounds hold promise for applications in catalysis, production of electronic materials, and fabrication of nanoelectronic components.
Open Access
Article
23 June 2026Assessment of Grid-Connected, Hybrid-Energy Systems with Conventional and Emerging Energy Storage in Meeting Energy Target 2050
As the world faces the dual challenges of climate change and rising energy demands, renewable energy sources have become a necessity. The global energy mix is projected to have renewables contribute 63% of the total primary energy supply by 2050, a significant increase from 14% in 2015 This transition relies on advancements in energy storage technologies, which are a key solution to solve one of the main issues of renewable sources, which is intermittency. This study aims to develop and optimize hybrid energy storage systems in Malaysia, combining hybrid renewable energy resources with energy storage technologies. The methodology includes a comprehensive analysis of five scenarios, followed by sensitivity analysis on the optimal configuration. The optimal system consists of a grid-connected solar PV and hydropower system with SunPower E20-327 panels and a zinc bromide flow battery as the energy storage system. This system achieved a renewable fraction of 82.8%, a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of 0.057 USD/kWh, and a return on investment (ROI) of 4.4%. The optimal system also demonstrated a 12.1-year payback period. The SunPower PV-only case achieved a CO2 reduction of 5918 kg/year. When the zinc bromide battery was included, the optimized PV-battery case achieved reductions of 6797 kg/year CO2, 29.5 kg/year SO2, and 14.4 kg/year NOx. These findings support the feasibility of hybrid systems in contributing to Malaysia’s Energy Target 2050 and provide a framework for future energy storage solutions.
Open Access
Review
23 June 2026Emerging Mechanistic Links Between Fucosylation and Senescence in Lung Diseases
Cellular senescence is increasingly recognized as a key driver of chronic lung diseases, contributing to persistent inflammation, impaired tissue repair, and pathological remodeling. In parallel, aberrant protein fucosylation has emerged as an important regulator of epithelial function and immune signaling in the respiratory tract. Recent evidence suggests that these processes may be mechanistically linked rather than independently dysregulated. In particular, core fucosylation mediated by fucosyltransferases, such as fucosyltransferases 8 (FUT8), can modulate receptor activity and amplify signaling pathways, including TGF-β/Smad and PI3K/Akt, that are central to the induction and maintenance of cellular senescence. These interactions may promote epithelial dysfunction, the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) production, and pro-fibrotic remodeling in diseases such as COPD, asthma, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In this review, we synthesize current knowledge on cellular senescence and fucosylation in chronic lung disease and highlight emerging evidence linking these processes through shared signaling networks. We further discuss the potential of the fucosylation-senescence axis as a source of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. This review is among the first to integrate emerging evidence linking aberrant fucosylation with cellular senescence signaling in chronic lung diseases, thereby providing a conceptual framework for future mechanistic and translational studies.
