Found 369 results
Open Access
Review
26 March 2026Sustainable Additive Manufacturing of Polymer Composites for Advanced Water Treatment: A Review
The increasing demand for clean water, coupled with growing concerns over energy consumption and environmental impact, has intensified the search for sustainable materials and fabrication strategies for water treatment technologies. Polymer composites have emerged as highly promising candidates due to their tunable chemistry, lightweight nature, and compatibility with functional fillers. At the same time, additive manufacturing (AM) offers unique advantages in terms of design freedom, material efficiency, and customizable architectures. This review provides a comprehensive assessment of sustainable polymer composites fabricated via additive manufacturing for advanced water treatment applications. Major AM techniques, including material extrusion, vat photopolymerization, material jetting, powder bed fusion, binder jetting, and sheet lamination, are critically evaluated with respect to their printability, design flexibility, and environmental footprint. Emphasis is placed on sustainable polymer matrices such as polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, cellulose-based polymers, and recycled plastics, as well as eco-friendly fillers and functional additives, including biochar, lignin, chitosan, nanocellulose, clays, zeolites, hydroxyapatite, and functional nanomaterials (e.g., AgNPs, TiO2, ZnO, and graphene). The role of composite architecture, surface modification, and hierarchical porosity enabled by AM in enhancing adsorption, catalytic activity, and antimicrobial performance is highlighted. This review demonstrates that integrating sustainable materials with additive manufacturing enables the development of multifunctional, energy-efficient, and circular water treatment systems. The findings support the advancement of purification technologies aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 6, SDG 12, and SDG 13.
Open Access
Review
26 March 2026The Denture Mycofilm Plaque: A Literature Review
Denture mycofilms (DMs) are complex, structured microbial communities that develop on removable dental prostheses and shape the oral microbiota of denture wearers. Up to three-quarters of individuals wearing removable dentures may develop denture stomatitis (DS), a highly prevalent inflammatory condition of the oral mucosa. Candida species are detected in approximately 70–80% of DS cases, supporting the concept of DS as a denture-associated oral candidiasis. The denture “mycofilm” is a polymicrobial network—dominated by bacterial and fungal taxa—embedded in an extracellular matrix. In the absence of effective denture hygiene, prostheses constitute a reservoir of microorganisms and may promote chronic or latent infection, particularly in vulnerable patients. Metagenomic studies of denture-associated biofilms in DS reveal a multi-kingdom community with strong bacterial–fungal interrelationships. Reported eukaryotic genera include Candida (including Nakaseomyces/Candida glabrata), Saccharomyces, and Malassezia, among others. Because DMs are located at the interface between an abiotic surface (the denture) and a biotic surface (the mucosa), they are exposed to repeated compressive and shear forces during mastication. Their viscoelastic properties, together with saliva-mediated viscosity, facilitate spreading, mechanical resilience, and persistence. Despite mechanical and chemical cleaning procedures, denture mycofilms may persist due to their architecture, composition, and adaptive mechanical behavior. These properties should be considered when designing preventive and therapeutic strategies for denture stomatitis, while accounting for patient-related systemic risk factors.
Open Access
Review
26 March 2026Starch-Based Edible Coatings for Sustainable Food Packaging: A Comprehensive Review
The demand for sustainable, biodegradable alternatives in the food industry has increased globally due to the growing environmental impact of plastic packaging. Due to their outstanding film-forming qualities, safety, affordability, and renewability, starch-based edible coatings have become a promising solution. This article offers a thorough overview of starch-based edible coatings, including formulation strategies, coating application techniques, chemical modification methods, and sources of starch. A critical review is conducted of the functional aspects of starch coatings, such as barrier qualities, mechanical behavior, biodegradability, and compatibility with active additives like antimicrobials, antioxidants, and nanoparticles. Applications across a variety of food systems, including fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy, bakery, and confectionery products, demonstrate the ability of starch coatings to reduce moisture loss, delay oxidative and microbial spoilage, and extend shelf life. Advancements in nanocomposite films, intelligent pH-sensitive systems, and starch-polymer blends highlight emerging opportunities for next-generation active and smart packaging. Despite their potential, commercial adoption is hindered by factors like moisture sensitivity, limited mechanical strength, and scale-up barriers. The review also emphasizes the need for optimized modification methods, green processing technologies, and improved cost-effectiveness to enhance industrial applicability.
Open Access
Review
25 March 2026Towards an Integrated Future: Examining Water, Climate, and Gender Dynamics for Sustainable Development in Kenya
Kenya’s sustainable development is increasingly shaped by climate variability and climate change, which affect both the availability and quality of water resources. Existing research shows that these impacts are often gendered, particularly where women and girls hold primary household responsibilities for water collection and water-related care work. Literature also indicates that impacts differ substantially by location (arid versus highland versus informal urban settlements), livelihood system (pastoral versus agro-pastoral versus peri-urban), socio-economic status, and age. This study presents a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature examining how water stress, climate pressures, and gender dynamics intersect in Kenya. Three recurring themes emerge: first, climate change makes water supplies less safe, more expensive, and harder to predict. Second, social and political structures dictate who suffers most from these changes. Third, while women drive local climate adaptation and advocacy, they still lack a consistent voice in formal decision-making. The study concludes by identifying points of agreement and disagreement in current literature, while highlighting remaining evidence gaps regarding the shifting dynamics of climate, water, and gender relations in Kenya.
Open Access
Article
25 March 2026Quartz-Based Castables with Calcium Silicate Cement as Binder-Mineralizer: Replacing Shaped Product for Large-Scale Fabrication
To meet the demand for intelligent masonry of large-sized silica bricks, calcium silicate cement synthesized from high-purity nano CaCO3 and microsilica was used as both binder and mineralizer in quartz-based castables. The effects of cement content (3−5 wt%) on performance were systematically investigated. With optimal retarder (0.015% citric acid monohydrate), the samples achieved early flexural and compressive strengths of 1.30 MPa and 7.0 MPa, respectively, after 24 h curing. During firing at 1430 °C for 20 h, CaO from cement effectively promoted quartz transformation to tridymite. Compared to conventional silica bricks, castables with 5% cement showed residual quartz below 1%, lower apparent porosity, over 2.5−fold higher cold crushing strength, comparable high-temperature creep, and superior refractoriness under load. This study demonstrates the dual gelling and mineralizing role of calcium silicate cement, offering a feasible route for producing large-sized quartz-based precast components.
Open Access
Article
24 March 2026From Adolescence to Older Adulthood: Lifespan Pathways Linking AI Companion Chatbots to Mental Health
AI-based conversational agents are increasingly used for emotional support, companionship, and day-to-day coping. These systems can provide immediate reassurance, reduce distress in the moment, and offer a low-barrier channel for reflection. At the same time, concerns are growing that frequent reliance on AI companions may displace human relationships and narrow users’ exposure to the interpersonal friction that supports psychological growth. This narrative review synthesizes conceptual and empirical themes to explain how AI companion chatbot use may relate to loneliness and depressive symptoms across the lifespan. We propose a developmental framework distinguishing supportive pathways (e.g., perceived availability, emotion regulation scaffolding, and social activation) from risk pathways (e.g., social displacement, dependency, avoidance coping, and affirmation-biased feedback loops). A central contribution is a lifespan account of how positive-only or preference-aligned feedback may undermine constructive stress appraisal, frustration tolerance, resilience, and grit—capacities that are built through repeated experiences of manageable challenge, honest feedback, and relationship repair. We conclude with implications for practice, education, and design, emphasizing developmental tailoring, safeguards against over-reliance, and research priorities needed to clarify causal mechanisms and long-term outcomes.
Open Access
Review
23 March 2026Roles of Astrocytes in Radiation-Induced Brain Injury: Pathophysiological Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies
Radiation-induced brain injury (RIBI), a common adverse effect of cranial radiotherapy for head malignancies, causes severe complications, including blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, neuroinflammation, cognitive decline, and radiation necrosis (RN) that impair patients’ quality of life. The pathophysiology of RIBI involves intricate crosstalk between various central nervous system (CNS) cell types, with astrocytes, the principal CNS glial cells, serving as key mediators. Under physiological conditions, they sustain brain homeostasis, but their transition to reactive phenotypes and subsequent dysfunction propel RIBI development. This review summarizes recent advances in astrocytes’ pathophysiological roles in RIBI, focusing on mechanisms like reactive astrocyte polarization, neuroinflammation, BBB impairment, radiation-induced senescence, astrocyte-mediated RN progression, and pathological crosstalk with other CNS cells. It also outlines astrocyte-targeted therapeutic strategies with preclinical efficacy, including anti-inflammatory therapies, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) interventions, TSPO ligands, RAS blockers, apolipoprotein E (ApoE) regulation, Δ133p53, and microRNAs (miRNAs), which alleviate RIBI by targeting these pathological processes. A comprehensive understanding of astrocyte-mediated mechanisms and preclinical evidence will lay the foundation for developing targeted, low-toxicity therapies to mitigate RIBI in cranial radiotherapy patients.
Open Access
Article
19 March 2026Intelligent Real-Time Kanban Automation Using Ultra-Wideband Positioning: Methodologies and Performance Evaluation
Traditional electronic Kanban (eKanban) systems depend on manual scans and offer only discrete material visibility, limiting responsiveness and automation in lean manufacturing environments. These operational bottlenecks are magnified in high-mix contexts, where delayed replenishment signals degrade flow stability, increase work-in-progress, and hinder sustainable material handling. Furthermore, vendor-specific systems lack interoperability for scalable automation, constraining the development of intelligent manufacturing solutions. This work investigates whether zone-based replenishment automation can be enabled through real-time locating systems (RTLS) using open interoperability standards, addressing a gap in empirical validation of such approaches. A middleware architecture was developed that integrates ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning, an Omlox-compliant location middleware (DeepHub), and a cloud-based eKanban system to replace manual triggers with geofence-driven order creation. The novelty of this study lies in demonstrating a fully automated Kanban signaling loop built on the open Omlox standard, providing vendor-independent RTLS interoperability and eliminating human intervention in replenishment signaling. This contributes new knowledge on how continuous location data can be converted into actionable replenishment events in a standards-based, modular manner, enabling more intelligent and autonomous material-flow control. A controlled proof-of-concept experiment simulating shop-floor conditions showed that the system achieved a 100% detection success rate, zero duplicate orders, and an average trigger-to-action latency of 2.7 s, while automatically recovering from authentication and WebSocket failures. These results provide the first empirical evidence that Omlox-compliant RTLS middleware can reliably support zone-based eKanban automation. The findings have direct implications for intelligent and sustainable manufacturing by demonstrating a scalable pathway toward interoperable, real-time material-flow systems that reduce manual intervention, avoid unnecessary handling, and lower work-in-progress. More broadly, the work addresses the current lack of empirical validation of open-standard RTLS integration within lean and sustainable production environments.
Open Access
Review
19 March 2026Contemporary Review on Multi-Modality Imaging Evaluation and Management of Functional Mitral Regurgitation
Functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) is a prevalent valvular disorder driven by adverse remodeling of the left ventricle and/or left atrium. This review synthesizes the contemporary evidence on multimodality imaging and its role in mechanism-specific evaluation and management of FMR, with particular emphasis on distinguishing ventricular FMR (VFMR) from atrial FMR (AFMR). FMR is mechanistically heterogeneous, requiring precise phenotyping to guide therapy. A mechanism-based framework differentiating VFMR, driven by left ventricular dilation and leaflet tethering, from AFMR, driven by left atrial and annular enlargement with preserved ventricular function, is central to contemporary management. Echocardiography remains the cornerstone for real-time assessment of MR severity, hemodynamics, and valve–ventricle interactions. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) provides the gold standard for volumetric quantification and myocardial tissue characterization, enabling improved risk stratification by assessing ventricular remodeling and fibrosis. Computed tomography (CT) offers high-resolution anatomic phenotyping and is essential for procedural planning, particularly for transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) and transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR). Integration of multimodality imaging supports individualized selection between guideline-directed medical therapy alone, TEER, surgical intervention, or TMVR, based on the dominant mechanism and myocardial substrate. The discordant outcomes of landmark trials such as MITRA-FR and COAPT have underscored the importance of precision in patient selection, highlighting the controversial but clinically relevant proportionate/disproportionate FMR framework and the extent of myocardial fibrosis as key modifiers of treatment response. Emerging advances in advanced imaging and artificial intelligence hold promise for automated phenotyping, improved reproducibility, and earlier identification of patients most likely to benefit from intervention, ultimately enabling a more personalized, mechanism-driven approach to improving outcomes in FMR.
Open Access
Article
16 March 2026Domain-Specific Cloud Business Operating System for New Power Systems: Concept, Key Technologies and Initial Applications
The deep digitization of power system business faces three major challenges: computational resources are prone to crashes, business response is slow, and platform maintenance is unsustainable. To address these issues, this paper proposes a domain-specific cloud Business Operating System (BOS) for new power systems. BOS establishes a unified management paradigm for four core digital objects—Containers, Tasks, Programs, and Data—through their standardized definition and indexed organization. Building upon this foundation, it implements three dedicated plugins to enable synergistic task-container co-scheduling, plug-and-play program integration, and optimized data access. This paper elaborates on BOS’s architecture and its rationale as an operating system, detailing the key technologies for object management. Case studies on a real-world regional power grid demonstrate that BOS effectively ensures the efficient execution of large-scale computational tasks, supports the agile integration of domain-specific models and algorithms, achieves seamless and efficient data connectivity across business chains, thereby providing a robust foundation for next-generation power system digitization.
