Sustainable 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.

The 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.

Starch-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.

Global Perspectives on Ecohydrology and River Connectivity with a Summary and Outlook of the Fish Passage 2025 International Conference

Three New Synthetic Algal Culture Media to Grow Them All ^†

Three new synthetic algal culture media are described that have been used to cultivate ~12,000 diverse strains of (micro)algae, one culture medium for marine and brackish-water algae (ASP-MEL (Artificial Seawater Provasoli-MELKONIAN)), and two culture media for freshwater/terrestrial algae (SFM (Synthetic Freshwater Medium) and W-MEL (Waris-MELKONIAN)). The genesis of the three media since their original formulation and the rationale for modifications of these media over the past 50 years are outlined. A complex trace element mix derived from an enriched natural seawater culture medium (L1) is used in all three media, and allows the omission of soil water extract from one freshwater culture medium (W-MEL). It is suggested that the inclusion of selenite renders soil extract in algal culture media superfluous. Prospects and limitations of the three synthetic algal culture media as general-purpose media for large collections are discussed.

Attitudes to Aging and Emotional Well-Being Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation

Attitudes to aging exert impacts on emotional well-being, yet the underlying psychological mechanisms and their stability across middle and older adulthood remain insufficiently understood. Based on the dual-factor model of mental health and the constructivist theory of emotional aging, this study aimed to: (1) examine the mediating role of emotion regulation in the relationship between aging attitudes and emotional well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) test the cross-age consistency of this mediating mechanism between middle-aged and older adults. Middle-aged and older residents (N = 653) participated in this study from 22 April to 24 April 2020. Participants completed questionnaires to assess their attitudes to aging, the use of emotion regulation strategies, and their levels of emotional well-being. Mediation roles and confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a bootstrap resampling method. Results showed that (1) Older adults exhibited slightly higher negative attitudes to aging, calmness, and boredom than the middle-aged group. They also used rumination, distraction, and social sharing strategies a little more frequently than middle-aged adults. (2) Full-sample mediation analyses indicated that positive aging attitudes were positively associated with positive affect through adaptive emotion regulation, and negative aging attitudes were positively associated with negative affect through maladaptive emotion regulation. (3) Moderated mediation analyses revealed that age group or age did not significantly moderate either mediating pathway. The mediating effect of emotion regulation on the relationship between aging attitudes and emotional well-being appeared stable across the two age groups. These findings support the constructionist approach to emotional aging. Interventions for successful aging should consider cultivating positive aging attitudes and adaptive emotion regulation, as these approaches are potentially both valuable for middle-aged and older adults.

Integrated GIS–MCDA (AHP) Framework for Groundwater Potential Mapping in Humid, Structurally Complex Watersheds

Mapping the potential of groundwater is important for managing water resources in a way that will last, especially when the climate changes, land use changes, and water demand rise. This study examines the integration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodologies, focusing on the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), and illustrates their implementation in the Fork Fish Creek watershed, a humid Appalachian headwater basin in West Virginia, USA. Although GIS–AHP methodologies are extensively utilized in semi-arid areas, their efficacy in humid, structurally intricate mountainous environments is still inadequately investigated. Using expert-based AHP weighting and GIS-based weighted overlay analysis, six thematic parameters were combined: rainfall, geology and soil characteristics, slope, drainage density, land use and land cover (LULC), and lineament density. The appropriate AHP consistency ratio (<0.1) showed that the weights were reliable. The resulting groundwater potential map divided the watershed into three zones: Good (6.7%), Moderate (76.5%), and Low (16.8%). The prevalence of Moderate potential indicates the impact of fragmented topography and drainage configuration, which limit groundwater storage despite sufficient precipitation. Validation encompassed an evaluation of hydrogeomorphic consistency and an additional comparison with USGS monitoring-well depth data, so offering empirical corroboration for the Moderate-dominated distribution. The results show that groundwater potential patterns vary greatly from one place to the next. They also show how useful GIS–MCDA frameworks may be for assessing groundwater in humid, data-poor mountainous areas.

From 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.

Comparing Drone and Satellite DEMs for Hydrodynamic Flood Modeling in a Rural Brazilian Catchment

The rural region of the municipality of Bananal (SP, Brazil) experiences recurrent flooding events associated with rising water levels in tributaries of the Bananal River, especially during periods of intense rainfall. This study aimed to compare the performance of different Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), one derived from NASA orbital data and another generated from drone-based aerophotogrammetric surveys, in identifying and mapping flood-prone areas. The objective was to assess whether drone field campaigns are essential for this type of analysis or whether orbital DEMs are sufficient for the hydrodynamic characterization of the area. Hydrodynamic models were developed using the software QGIS, HidroFlu—for watershed parametrization and inflow estimation, and MODCEL—for hydrodynamic simulation, with spatial resolutions of 10 m, 30 m, and 50 m, in order to analyze the impact of topographic detail on simulation results. Two approaches were tested for defining boundary conditions: one based on precipitation data with a 25-year return period, and another based on the Bananal River discharge estimated from the watershed. The results indicated that the model based on the drone-derived DEM, with 10 m resolution and boundary conditions defined by river discharge, showed the best performance in representing floodable areas. However, the findings also highlight that high-resolution DEMs entail higher operational costs, due to the need for field activities and greater computational capacity to run the simulations.

Review on Preparation Strategies and Performance Control of High Solid Loading Ceramic Slurries for Photocurable 3D Printing

Stereolithography 3D printing technology is widely used in aerospace, automotive, medical, weapons, and other fields because of its high processing accuracy, low cost, simple operation, and flexible manufacturing. The photocuring 3D printing ceramic slurry is a key part of the photocuring 3D printing ceramic technology. The preparation techniques of photocurable 3D printing ceramic slurry mainly include the mechanical mixing method, sol-gel method, ultrasonic dispersion method, and in-situ polymerization method. This paper summarizes the preparation methods and research progress of photocuring 3D printing ceramic slurry, expounds the essence of photocuring and the composition and function of ceramic slurry, and analyzes the influence of various properties of photocuring 3D printing ceramic slurry on the properties of final products, such as rheological properties, solid content, curing thickness, and stability. Finally, the existing problems and future development potential of photocuring 3D printing ceramic slurry preparation technology are summarized.