Artiles
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.
Open Access
Article
22 June 2026Influence of Nutrient Enrichment and Temperature on Aquatic Invertebrate Communities in a Tropical Riverine System in Kenya
One of the major concerns in freshwater ecosystems is nutrient enrichment from human sources, which causes significant effects on aquatic biodiversity and ecological functioning. This study, therefore, investigated the order and family levels of Odonata, Diptera, and Coleoptera responses to nutrient enrichment along River Kiminini, Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya. Field sampling was conducted from July to September 2023. Duplicate water samples were taken from ten sampling stations labelled (S1–S10), twice a month for three months. The concentrations of nitrate–nitrogen and phosphate–phosphorus were measured calorimetrically using standard procedures; the Ascorbic Acid method for phosphates–phosphorus and the Brucine method for nitrates–nitrogen. A spectrophotometer was used to measure absorbance. A standard kick net was used at each station to collect the macroinvertebrates (Odonata, Diptera, and Coleoptera). Using an updated taxonomic key, the macroinvertebrate samples were sorted and identified to their family level under a dissecting microscope, and abundance counts were made. Direct field observations were used to record human activity at each station. The R programming language was used to conduct all statistical analyses. The water quality status for each station was determined using the Nutrient Pollution Index, which was calculated based on ecologically relevant nutrient thresholds. The Nutrients Pollution Index scores ranged from 9.66 (S5) to 17.2 (S3). All the stations were greater than 6, indicating very high pollution levels and a significant risk of eutrophication. At the family level, Dytiscidae, Coenagrionidae, and Lestidae were abundant in less polluted stations and fewer in highly polluted stations. For instance, Coenagrionidae had the highest numbers in station S1 (32) and declined drastically in the highly polluted station S9 (3). The same trend was observed for Lestidae, with the highest numbers in stations S1 and S2 (21) and declining in station S9 (1). Dytiscidae also had higher numbers in the relatively less polluted station S7 (10) and lowest in the highly polluted station S3 (1). On the other hand, Chironomidae was observed to be tolerant to organic pollution. Chironomidae had their highest numbers in station S9 (30) and declined in moderately cleaner stations S5, S6, and S8, which had a similar record of 6 organisms. According to the findings, it is necessary to enhance biomonitoring and guide riverine management plans under nutrient stress and increasing water temperatures by incorporating functional and taxonomic diversity into water quality assessments.
Open Access
Article
22 June 2026Utilization of Post-Mortem Oocytes for In Vitro Embryo Production for Preservation of Adapted High Genetic Value Germplasm of Jersey Cattle
Assisted reproductive techniques offer a valuable tool for rescuing deceased germplasm for the establishment of replacement stock as well as conservation of valuable/threatened germplasm. The techniques assume greater importance for the preservation of the adapted dairy germplasm raised through decades of up-gradation using exotic semen, especially in the ecologically sensitive Himalayan region. Gamete retrieval from deceased animals is of special importance in countries where cattle slaughter is prohibited, thus rendering the abattoir-derived gonad availability impossible. The present study envisages the developmental competence of oocytes retrieved from dead Jersey cows. From 112 ovaries, derived from 56 deceased cows, 847 COCs were recovered and grouped by post-mortem interval (PMI): 0–6 h (Group I) versus 6–12 h (Group II). The proportion of Grade A & B oocytes did not differ significantly between the groups (65.4% vs. 59.0%). In vitro maturation (IVM) was significantly higher in group I (80.6 ± 2.0%) than in group II (46.2 ± 2.7%; p < 0.0001). With unsexed semen, cleavage was higher in Group I than Group II (55.7 ± 5.9% vs. 38.3 ± 7.9%; p = 0.012); while blastocyst yield showed only a non-significant trend in favour of Group I. Sex-sorted semen reduced cleavage and blastocyst rates overall, with no significant difference between groups. On days 7–8, 44 blastocysts from Group I and 2 from Group II were vitrified. Survival after thawing was 90.9% (40/44) and 100% (2/2), respectively. The results demonstrated that post-mortem ovaries from naturally deceased Jersey cows can supply developmentally competent oocytes suitable for IVEP, though demanding further technical refinements to be at par with the results obtained from oocyte retrieval from live animals using the OPU technique.
Open Access
Article
18 June 2026Ethnogenesis Reconstruction in the Population of South Siberia and Tuva Using Data on N-M178 and O-M175 Polymorphisms
Some important aspects of the history of ethnogenesis in South Siberia have been reconstructed using data on two Y-haplogroups: N-M178 (n = 113) and O-M175 (n = 24). In Tuvans, who make up two-thirds of the indigenous South Siberian population, these haplogroups constitute 20% of the gene pool, and their branches form well discriminated ethno-specific clusters within the phylogenetic network of 37 Y-STR marker haplotypes. N-Y24317(xB499) is thought to have arrived in Tuva from Mongolia or Northwest China during the Bronze Age or Early Iron Age. According to our hypothesis, the spread of N-Y16319(xY16223) and N-Y16223(xZ35328, F2288) with DYS385 = 11,11 is linked to the development of the Ulug-Khem culture in Tuva around 2100 YBP as a result of the growth and expansion of the Xiongnu. Three branches (N-Z35328, N-F2288, N-Y16223(xZ35328, F2288) with DYS385 = 11,13) widespread among the Turkic-Mongolian populations are rare in Tuvans. The arrival of these haplogroups, as well as O-M175, in Tuva is associated with the Medieval Mongol expansion. However, the Turkic-Mongolian contribution of O-M175 to the Tuvan gene pool is insignificant: the ancestors of most Tuvan lineages might have been the Han forcibly moved by the Yuan Empire to the settlements of craftsmen and farmers located in what is now the territory of modern Tuva.
Open Access
Article
16 June 2026Modeling and Simulation of Express Delivery Using Quadrotor UAVs
In this study, the trajectory planning and control problem for quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in logistics-oriented delivery scenarios. A smooth trajectory generation method based on spline curves is proposed to ensure continuous, stable, and feasible flight paths for quadrotor UAVs under dynamic constraints. The proposed method focuses on general UAV path planning rather than a specific express delivery optimization problem. A simulation platform is developed to evaluate the effectiveness of the trajectory planning and control framework, where a PID-based controller is implemented for trajectory tracking and attitude stabilization. The performance of the proposed method is validated through two representative emergency delivery scenarios, demonstrating accurate path tracking and stable flight behavior under environmental disturbances. The results indicate that the proposed framework provides a reliable simulation tool for UAV trajectory planning and control analysis, contributing to general UAV motion planning research rather than a specific delivery optimization formulation.
