The quality of grouting in pre-stressed pipelines plays a critical role in ensuring the safety and durability of pre-stressed concrete bridges. In this study, the transmission wave method was proposed as a means to assess the quality of grouting in pre-stressed pipelines. The ABAQUS finite element simulation (FE simulation) method was used to study the propagation of hammer stress waves in pre-stressed pipes. A full-scale test was conducted to verify the numerical simulation using the AGI-BWG instrument system developed to detect the quality of grouting. The results show that the propagation speed of transmitted waves increases and the frequency shifts towards higher frequencies with an increase in void length within pre-stressed pipelines. This research suggests that the propagation velocity of elastic waves in pre-stressed pipelines serves as a key indicator of grouting quality. The transmission wave method, based on hammer signals, proves to be an effective tool for detecting the quality of grouting in pre-stressed pipelines. Full article

In this study, the release of proteins and other biomolecules into an aqueous media from two red macroalgae (Sphaerococcus coronopifolius and Gelidium spinosum) was studied using eight different cell disruption techniques. The contents of carbohydrates, pigments, and phenolic compounds coextracted with proteins were quantified. In addition, morphological changes at the cellular level in response to the different pretreatment methods were observed by an optical microscope. Finally, the antioxidant capacity of obtained protein extracts was evaluated using three in vitro tests. For both S. coronopifolius and G. spinosum, ultrasonication for 60 min proved to be the most effective technique for protein extraction, yielding values of 3.46 ± 0.06 mg/g DW and 9.73 ± 0.41 mg/g DW, respectively. Furthermore, the highest total contents of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and carbohydrates were also recorded with the same method. However, the highest pigment contents were found with ultrasonication for 15 min. Interestingly, relatively high antioxidant activities like radical scavenging activity (31.57–65.16%), reducing power (0.51–1.70, OD at 700 nm), and ferrous iron-chelating activity (28.76–61.37%) were exerted by the different protein extracts whatever the pretreatment method applied. This antioxidant potency could be attributed to the presence of polyphenolic compounds, pigments, and/or other bioactive substances in these extracts. Among all the used techniques, ultrasonication pretreatment for 60 min appears to be the most efficient method in terms of destroying the macroalgae cell wall and extracting the molecules of interest, especially proteins. The protein fractions derived from the two red macroalgae under these conditions were precipitated with ammonium sulfate, lyophilized, and their molecular weight distribution was determined using SDS-PAGE. Our results showed that the major protein bands were observed between 25 kDa and 60 kDa for S. coronopifolius and ranged from 20 kDa to 150 kDa for G. spinosum. These findings indicated that ultrasonication for 60 min could be sufficient to disrupt the algae cells for obtaining protein-rich extracts with promising biological properties, especially antioxidant activity. Full article

The current trend in distributed electric aircraft propulsion systems is to utilize the DC bus system at higher voltage levels than conventional aircraft systems. With Boeing and Airbus utilizing the +/−270 V bipolar DC bus system, the research on high-voltage systems is increasing gradually, with voltage levels ranging from 1 to 10 kV systems or +/−0.5 to +/−5 kV DC bus systems. These voltage levels present considerable challenges to the distributed electric aircraft propulsion systems. In addition to partial discharge effects, there are other challenges, particularly the challenge associated with effectively limiting short-circuit fault currents due to the low cable impedance of the distribution system. The cable impedance is a significant factor that determines the fault current during fault conditions. Due to the low impedance, there is a sharp increase in fault current, necessitating an enhanced protection strategy, which ensures that the system is adequately protected. This paper introduces a coordinated protection strategy specifically designed for distributed electric aircraft propulsion systems to mitigate or prevent short-circuit faults. The proposed algorithm utilizes an I²t-based strategy and the current-limiting-based strategy to protect the system from short-circuit faults and overload conditions. Redundant backup protection is also included in the algorithm in case the circuit breaker fails to operate. Full article

The high levels of musculoskeletal pain, in conjunction with the low levels of functional capacity, may negatively affect workers’ health, efficiency, and productivity. This randomized controlled study investigated the efficacy of a 6-month comprehensive workplace exercise program on musculoskeletal pain and functional capacity in office workers. Seventy male and female office workers with musculoskeletal pain in any body area were randomly assigned to either an intervention (IG; n = 35) or a control group (CG; n = 35). The IG participated every working day (during working hours) in a 6-month supervised combined (flexibility, strength, and balance) exercise program (120 training sessions; five times/week) for the total body. The CG did not participate in any intervention. Musculoskeletal pains in nine body areas and functional capacity (flexibility, balance, and strength) of the lower and upper body were measured before and following the intervention. The IG significantly reduced duration and intensity of pain (43.1–70%; p = 0.000) as well as days of work absenteeism (84.6%; p = 0.000), while improving work capacity (87.1%; p = 0.000). Furthermore, the IG significantly increased cervical, handgrip, back, and leg maximal strength (10.3–27.1%; p = 0.000) and flexibility and balance (12.3–73.7%; p = 0.000). In CG, all musculoskeletal pain and functional capacity indices remained unchanged. In conclusion, this program may be effectively used to reduce musculoskeletal pain and improve functional capacity. Full article

The research aimed to observe the influence of the storage conditions of silver colloidal solutions prepared by biological (green) and chemical methods on their long-term stability. Green methods for reducing and stabilizing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) use natural substances. The rosemary leaf extract was used for AgNPs synthesis, and prepared nanoparticles were spherical (average size of 12 nm). In the chemical method, commercial chemicals (NaBH₄, TSC, PVP, and H₂O₂) were used, and two colloids were prepared; the first contained spherical nanoparticles with an average size of 8 nm, and the second triangular prisms with an average size of 35 nm. The prepared colloids were stored under four conditions: at room temperature in the light and the dark, and at a temperature of 5 °C (refrigerator) in the light and the dark. The results confirmed the influence of storage conditions on the stability of nanoparticles. Colloids stored at 5 °C in the dark show the best stability. However, differences in stability dependent on the shape of nanoparticles prepared by chemical method were also observed; triangular nanoparticles showed the least stability. Methods such as UV–vis spectrophotometry, TEM, and EDX were used to analyze the nanoparticles before and after storage. Full article

To investigate the ameliorative effects and mechanism of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on growth performance, oxidative stress, and lipid deposition in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fed with high-fat diets, fish with an initial weight of 5.29 ± 0.12 g were divided into five experimental groups—including normal-fat diets, high-fat diets, and high-fat diets—supplemented with LBP (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g/kg) for 8 weeks. The results showed that high-fat diets resulted in significant decreases in final body weight, weight gain rate, and specific growth rate of fish, as well as causing a significant decrease in hepatic total antioxidant capacity, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities. These changes were accompanied by a significant decrease in lipase activity and ATP level and a significant increase in malondialdehyde content. The expression levels of lipid metabolism-related genes (acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase 1, stearoyl coenzyme A desaturase 1, fat synthase, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ, fructofuranose bisphosphatase, and glucose-6-phosphatase) were also markedly elevated by high-fat diets. Supplementation with 0.5–2.0 g/kg LBP in high-fat diets improved the reduced growth performance, increased hepatic total antioxidant enzymes, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities, and lowered malondialdehyde level in fish fed with high-fat diets. Additionally, dietary supplementation with LBP significantly downregulated hepatic gene expression levels of acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase 1, stearoyl coenzyme A desaturase 1, fat synthase, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ, fructofuranose bisphosphatase, and glucose-6-phosphatase. In conclusion, fish fed with high-fat diets demonstrated impaired growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and lipid metabolism, and dietary supplementation with 0.5–2.0 g/kg LBP ameliorated the impairments induced by high-fat diets. Full article

Regularly, large parts of the agricultural areas of the Great Hungarian Plain are inundated due to excessive rainfall and insufficient evaporation and infiltration. Climate change is expected to lead to increasingly extreme weather conditions, which may even increase the frequency and extent of these inundations. Shallow “floods”, also defined as inland excess water, are phenomena that occur due to a complex set of interrelated factors. Our research presents a workflow based on active and passive satellite data from Sentinel-1 and -2, combined with a large auxiliary data set to detect and predict these floods. The workflow uses convolutional neural networks to classify water bodies based on Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite data. The inundation data were complimented with meteorological, soil, land use, and GIS data to form 24 features that were used to train an XGBoost model and a deep neural network to predict future inundations, with a daily interval. The best prediction was reached with the XGBoost model, with an overall accuracy of 86%, a Kappa value of 0.71, and an F1 score of 0.86. The SHAP explainable AI method showed that the most important input features were the amount of water detected in the satellite imagery during the week before the forecast and during the period two weeks earlier, the number of water pixels in the surroundings on the day before the forecast, and the potential evapotranspiration on the day of the forecast. The resulting inland excess water inundation time series can be used for operational action, planning, and prevention. Full article

Background: Popular movement-based injury risk screens were shown to lack predictive precision, leading to interest in multifactorial models. Furthermore, there is a lack of research regarding injury risk assessment for those currently or planning to be recreationally active. This study aims to provide injury risk insights by analyzing multifactorial injury risk models and associated clinical measures in the U.S. population. Methods: Data related to injury, inflammatory markers, physical functioning, body composition, physical activity, and other variables from 21,033 respondents were extracted from NHANES. Odds ratios for self-reported injury were calculated for single predictors and risk models. Case–control and principal component analyses (PCA) were conducted to elucidate confounders and identify risk factor clusters, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to test the precision of a risk factor cluster to identify pain points and functional difficulties. Results: Sociodemographic, individual, and lifestyle factors were strongly associated with higher odds of injury. Increases in fibrinogen and C-reactive protein were significantly associated with all risk groups. Membership to the high-risk group (age over 40, obesity, no muscle-strengthening activities, sedentary lifestyle, and low back pain) predicted at least one functional difficulty with 67.4% sensitivity and 87.2% specificity. In the injury group, bone turnover markers were higher, yet confounded by age, and there was a significantly higher prevalence of self-reported osteoporosis compared to the control. In males, low testosterone was associated with injury, and high estradiol was associated with pain and functional difficulties. In females, high follicle-stimulating hormone was associated with functional difficulties. PCA revealed four high-risk profiles, with markers and activities showing distinct loadings. Conclusions: A comprehensive approach to injury risk assessment should consider the nexus of aging, lifestyle, and chronic disease to enhance tailored injury prevention strategies, fostering safe and effective physical activity participation and reducing the burden of musculoskeletal disorders. Full article

Electrochromic glazing alters its optical properties in the absence/presence of an electrical charge, varying from clear to dark to control daylighting and solar heat gains. This study aims to evaluate the impact of an electrochromic glazing, with indoor glare or temperature control, on the energy performance and thermal and visual comfort of an office room under three European climates, using a calibrated simulation model. The novelty of the paper lies in its combined performance assessment, using different standards and metrics. The results showed reduced climatization energy requirements with temperature control, but significantly increased artificial lighting energy use. Glare control achieved useful illuminance levels during 74–80% of working hours. Concerning temperature control, working hours within thermal comfort increased (21–43%) under a free-float regime. Moreover, the performance of this glazing was compared to that of a clear glazing with/without a reflective film and a thermochromic glazing for different solar orientations. The electrochromic glazing with glare control showed the highest energy savings (14–36%) for a western orientation, and the lowest negative impact on daylighting for a northern orientation. The best glare reduction was achieved with the reflective film. Considering the free-float regime, the electrochromic glazing, with temperature control, showed the highest increase in working hours within thermal comfort (6–9%) for a western orientation. Full article

In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of research analyzing open government initiatives that enable access to the information held by public bodies, promoting accountability and the fight against corruption. As there are few studies on intermediate governments to date, this research focuses on this level of government in Spain, one of the most decentralized countries in the world. The autonomous communities in Spain manage over 35% of consolidated public spending and are responsible for providing most social services, including health, education, and social services. To achieve this goal, the perceptions of the seventeen heads of open government in Spain’s autonomous communities were collected through a questionnaire. This approach fills a research gap as individuals outside of public administration have made the previous assessments. By allowing for a comparison with the conclusions reached by prior research, this study contributes to the creation of new knowledge. The study’s results are consistent with previous research and suggest that the open government in Spain is positively regarded, not falling below the European or global averages, and has a promising future despite significant obstacles, such as a resistance to change. Transparency is the most developed aspect of open government, while citizen collaboration ranks last. The autonomous communities of the Basque Country, Aragon, Castile Leon, and Catalonia have been identified as the most advanced in terms of open government. The analysis did not reveal any gender-based differences in opinion. Still, it did show variations based on age, the size of the autonomous community, or membership to the most developed group. Therefore, it is evident that promoting open government in the autonomous communities of Spain should continue. Full article

Countries face challenges in paying for new drugs. High prices are driven in part by exploding drug development costs, which, in turn, are driven by essential but excessive regulation. Burdensome regulation also delays drug development, and this can translate into thousands of life-years lost. We need system-wide reform that will enable less expensive, faster drug development. The speed with which COVID-19 vaccines and AIDS therapies were developed indicates this is possible if governments prioritize it. Countries also differ in how they value drugs, and generally, those willing to pay more have better, faster access. Canada is used as an example to illustrate how “incremental cost-effectiveness ratios” (ICERs) based on measures such as gains in “quality-adjusted life-years” (QALYs) may be used to determine a drug’s value but are often problematic, imprecise assessments. Generally, ICER/QALY estimates inadequately consider the impact of patient crossover or long post-progression survival, therapy benefits in distinct subpopulations, positive impacts of the therapy on other healthcare or societal costs, how much governments willingly might pay for other things, etc. Furthermore, a QALY value should be higher for a lethal or uncommon disease than for a common, nonlethal disease. Compared to international comparators, Canada is particularly ineffective in initiating public funding for essential new medications. Addressing these disparities demands urgent reform. Full article

Mitochondria are the energy factories of a cell, and depending on the metabolic requirements, the mitochondrial morphology, quantity, and membrane potential in a cell change. These changes are frequently assessed using commercially available probes. In this study, we tested the suitability of three commercially available probes—namely 5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethylbenzimidazolo-carbocyanine iodide (JC-1), MitoTracker Red CMX Rox (CMXRos), and tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester (TMRM)—for assessing the mitochondrial quantity, morphology, and membrane potential in living human mesoangioblasts in 3D with confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) and scanning disk confocal microscope (SDCM). Using CLSM, JC-1, and CMXRos—but not TMRM—uncovered considerable background and variation. Using SDCM, the background signal only remained apparent for the JC-1 monomer. Repetitive imaging of CMXRos and JC-1—but not TMRM—demonstrated a 1.5–2-fold variation in signal intensity between cells using CLSM. The use of SDCM drastically reduced this variation. The slope of the relative signal intensity upon repetitive imaging using CLSM was lowest for TMRM (−0.03) and highest for CMXRos (0.16). Upon repetitive imaging using SDCM, the slope varied from 0 (CMXRos) to a maximum of −0.27 (JC-1 C1). Conclusively, our data show that TMRM staining outperformed JC-1 and CMXRos dyes in a (repetitive) 3D analysis of the entire mitochondrial quantity, morphology, and membrane potential in living cells. Full article

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) poses an enormous global health care challenge, especially among rural communities. Healthcare in these areas can be inadequate and inaccessible due to socio-demographic barriers. To overcome this situation, many low- and middle-income countries are resorting to task shifting, using community health workers (CHWs) for diabetes management. However, its successful implementation depends on the practice behaviours and knowledge of these workers. Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the proficiency of CHWs involved in diabetes screening and management in rural South India by identifying the existing practice behaviours and knowledge gaps. Methods: Employing a customised questionnaire, developed through inputs from experts and government officials, we assessed practice behaviours and the corresponding knowledge base of 275 CHWs. Analytical methodologies consisted of descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and mosaic plots for comprehensive data interpretation. Results: The study showcased significant deficiencies in both practice behaviours (97%) and knowledge (95%) with current mean levels ranging from 48 to 50%, respectively, among the participants. The identified areas of insufficiency were broadly representative of the core competencies required for effective diabetes management, encompassing diabetes diagnosis and referral, HbA1c testing, diabetes diet, diabetes type and self-management, microvascular complications and their screening, peripheral neuropathy management, and diabetes risk assessment. In several areas, correct practice behaviour was reported by a relatively large number of CHWs despite incorrect answers to the related knowledge questions such as referral to the health centres, self-management, and calculation of diabetes risk assessment. Conclusion: This study highlights widespread deficiencies (97% CHWs) in diabetes management practices and knowledge (95% CHWs). To overcome these deficiencies, a thorough needs assessments is vital for effective CHW training. Training of CHWs should not only identify prior knowledge and/or behaviour but also their interrelationship to help create a robust and flexible set of practice behaviours. Full article

This study aims to reveal the long-term station-based characteristics of precipitation in Istanbul, a mega city located on the continents of Europe and Asia, with complex topography and coastline along the Marmara and Black Seas. Using data from five different stations, three located in the European continent and two in the Asian continent, with measurement periods ranging from 72 to 93 years, wet and dry days have been identified, statistics on precipitation conditions during the warm and cold seasons have been generated, categorization based on precipitation intensities has been performed, and analyses have been conducted using extreme precipitation indices. At stations located in the northern part of the city, higher annual total precipitation has been observed compared to those in the south. A similar situation applies to the number of wet days. While during the cold season, the wet and dry day counts are nearly the same across all stations, this condition exhibits significant differences in favor of dry days during the warm season. Apart from dry conditions, “moderate” precipitation is the most frequently observed type across all stations. However, “extreme” events occur significantly more often (6%) during the warm season compared to the cold season (2%). Long-term anomalies in terms of annual precipitation totals have shown similarity between stations in the north and south, which has also been observed in longitudinally close stations. Despite the longer duration of the cold season and stronger temperature gradients, extreme rainfall events are more frequent during the warm season, primarily due to thunderstorm activity. While trend analyses revealed limited significant trends in precipitation intensity categories and extreme indices, the study highlights the importance of comprehensive examination of extreme rainfall events on both station-based and regional levels, shedding light on potential implications for regional climate change. Lastly, during the cold season, the inter-station correlation in terms of annual total precipitation amounts has been considerably higher compared to the warm season. Full article

E-leadership (i.e., remotely leading employees) has become a new normal in the public sector during the pandemic. However, practices of e-leadership differ due to legal, national and even organisational conditions. A deeper analysis is needed to understand what has happened with leadership practices in municipalities after the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the article is to reveal the main challenges of e-leadership in the post-pandemic municipal administrations and to identify e-leaders’ approaches (how they should act) in this context. A qualitative method of online focus groups was used to analyze specifics of the post-pandemic e-leadership in municipal administrations. The research was conducted in Lithuanian, Latvian and German municipal administrations. It was revealed that the use of remote work and e-leadership in municipal administrations after the pandemic heavily depends on the attitudes of supervisors toward work productivity. In addition, ensuring effective digital communication as well as managing social contacts and maintaining team spirit become challenges for e-leadership in municipalities after the pandemic also when remote work is reduced. Full article

Since about 1997, the realisation that the finite Reynolds number (FRN) effect needs to be carefully taken into account when assessing the behaviour of small-scale statistics came to the fore. The FRN effect can be analysed either in the real domain or in the spectral domain via the scale-by-scale energy budget equation or the transport equation for the energy spectrum. This analysis indicates that the inertial range (IR) is established only when the Taylor microscale Reynolds number $R{e}_{\lambda }$ is infinitely large, thus raising doubts about published power-law exponents at finite values of $R{e}_{\lambda }$, for either the second-order velocity structure function $\overline{{\left(\delta u\right)}^2}$ or the energy spectrum. Here, we focus on the transport equation of $\overline{{\left(\delta u\right)}^2}$ in decaying grid turbulence, which represents a close approximation to homogeneous isotropic turbulence. Regarding small-scale effects, the large-scale forcing term associated with streamwise advection decreases as $R{e}_{\lambda }$ increases and finally disappears when $R{e}_{\lambda }$ is sufficiently large. An approach based on the dual scaling of $\overline{{\left(\delta u\right)}^2}$, i.e., a scaling based on the Kolmogorov scales (when the separation r is small) and another based on the integral scales (when r is large), yields $\overline{{\left(\delta u\right)}^2}\sim r^{2/3}$ when $R{e}_{\lambda }$ is infinitely large. This approach also yields $\overline{{\left(\delta u\right)}^n}\sim r^{n/3}$ when $R{e}_{\lambda }$ is infinitely large. These results seem to be supported by the trend as $R{e}_{\lambda }$ increases according to the available experimental data. Overall, the results for decaying turbulence strongly suggest that a tendency towards the predictions of K41 cannot be dismissed at least at Reynolds numbers that are currently beyond the reach of experiments and direct numerical simulations. Full article

It is necessary to develop a health monitoring system (HMS) for complex systems to improve safety and reliability and prevent potential failures. Time-series signals are collected from multiple sensors installed on the equipment that can reflect the health condition of them. In this study, a novel interpretable recurrent variational state-space model (IRVSSM) is proposed for time-series modeling and anomaly detection. To be specific, the deterministic hidden state of a recursive neural network is used to capture the latent structure of sensor data, while the stochastic latent variables of a nonlinear deep state-space model capture the diversity of sensor data. Temporal dependencies are modeled through a nonlinear transition matrix; an automatic relevance determination network is introduced to selectively emphasize important sensor data. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm effectively captures vital information within the sensor data and provides accurate and reliable fault diagnosis during the steady-state phase of liquid rocket engine operation. Full article

Biaxial compression tests based on an elliptical tunnel were conducted to study the failure characteristics and the meso-crack evolution mechanism of tunnels with different cross-sections constructed in sandstone. The progressive crack propagation process around the elliptical tunnel was investigated using a real-time digital image correlation (DIC) system. Numerical simulations were performed on egg-shaped, U-shaped, and straight-walled arched tunnels based on the mesoscopic parameters of the elliptical tunnel and following the principle of an equal cross-sectional area. The meso-crack evolution and stress conditions of the four types of tunnels were compared. The results show that (1) fractures around an elliptical tunnel were mainly distributed at the end of the long axis and mainly induce slabbing failure, and the failure mode is similar to a V-shaped notch; (2) strain localization is an important characteristic of rock fracturing, which forebodes the initiation, propagation, and coalescence paths of macro-cracks; and (3) the peak loads of tunnels with egg-shaped, U-shaped, and straight-walled arched cross-sections are 98.76%, 97.56%, and 90.57% that of an elliptical cross-section. The elliptical cross-section shows the optimal bearing capacity. Full article

Oil/air two-phase flow distribution in the bearings is the basis for bearing lubrication status identification and precise thermal analysis of the bearing. In order to understand the fluid behavior inside the under-race lubrication ball bearing and obtain an accurate oil volume fraction prediction model. A numerical study of ball bearing with under-race lubrication is carried out to study oil-gas two-phase distribution inside the bearing, and the influence of several parameters is quantified, like bearing rotating speed, oil flow rate, oil viscosity, and oil density. The results indicate that the oil fraction in the bearing cavity between the inner and outer ring shows a periodic distribution along the circumference direction, and the period is the same as the number of under-race oil supply holes. Oil distribution alone radial direction is affected by the outer-ring-guiding cage and centrifugal force, leading to oil accumulation near the outer ring. Different bearing running conditions and oil characteristics do not change the oil distribution trend alone in circumference and radial direction, but the difference ratio. Finally, based on the numerical simulation results, a formula for the average oil volume fraction prediction in the bearing ring cavity is constructed. Full article

The separation of rare earth ions (RE³⁺) from aqueous solutions poses a significant challenge due to their similar chemical and physical characteristics. This study presents a method for synthesizing hematite nanoparticles (Fe₂O₃ NPs) through the high-temperature phase transition of natural pyrite for adsorbing RE³⁺ from mine wastewater. The characteristics of Fe₂O₃ NPs were studied using XRD, SEM, BET, XPS, FTIR, and Zeta potential. The optimal condition for RE³⁺ adsorption by Fe₂O₃ NPs was determined to be at pH 6.0 with an adsorption time of 60 min. The maximum adsorption capacities of Fe₂O₃ NPs for La³⁺, Ce³⁺, Pr³⁺, Nd³⁺, Sm³⁺, Gd³⁺, Dy³⁺, and Y³⁺ were 12.80, 14.02, 14.67, 15.52, 17.66, 19.16, 19.94, and 11.82 mg·g⁻¹, respectively. The experimental data fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order models, suggesting that the adsorption process was dominated by monolayer chemisorption. Thermodynamic analysis revealed the endothermic nature of the adsorption process. At room temperature, the adsorption of RE³⁺ in most cases (La³⁺, Ce³⁺, Pr³⁺, Nd³⁺, Sm³⁺, and Y³⁺) onto Fe₂O₃ NPs was non-spontaneous, except for the adsorption of Gd³⁺ and Dy³⁺, which was spontaneous. The higher separation selectivity of Fe₂O₃ NPs for Gd³⁺ and Dy³⁺ was confirmed by the separation factor. Moreover, Fe₂O₃ NPs exhibited excellent stability, with an RE³⁺ removal efficiency exceeding 94.70% after five adsorption–desorption cycles, demonstrating its potential for the recovery of RE³⁺ from mine wastewater. Full article

As technology evolves, more complex non-affine systems are created. These complex systems are hard to model, whereas most controllers require information on systems to be designed. This information is hard to obtain for systems with varying control directions. Therefore, this study introduces a novel data-driven estimator and controller tailored for single-input single-output non-affine discrete-time systems. This approach focuses on cases when the control direction varies over time and the mathematical model of the system is completely unknown. The estimator and controller are constructed using a Multiple-input Fuzzy Rules Emulated Network framework. The weight vectors are updated through the gradient descent optimization method, which employs a unique cost function that multiplies the error by a hyperbolic tangent. The stability analyses demonstrate that both the estimator and controller converge to uniformly ultimately bounded (UUB) functions of Lyapunov. To validate the results, we show experimental tests of force control that were executed on the z-axis of a drive-controlled 3D scanning robot. This system has a varying control direction, and we also provide comparison results with a state-of-the-art controller. The results show a mean absolute percentage tracking error smaller than one percent on the steady state and the expected variation in the system’s control direction. Full article

Black trumpet (Craterellus cornucopioides) is a mushroom present in many countries but underestimated. The aim of this publication is to present the latest state of knowledge about the chemical composition and bioactivity of C. cornucopioides and the possibility of its application in food. According to researchers, black trumpet is very rich in nutritional compounds, including unsaturated fatty acids (mainly oleic and linoleic acids), β-glucans, minerals, and vitamins as well as polyphenols and tannins. It also contains compounds influencing the sensory properties, like free amino acids and nucleotides as well as sugars and polyols, mainly mannitol. Many of the described components show high nutritional and bioactive properties. Therefore, C. cornucopioides shows antioxidant activity and immunostimulating, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects as well as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antihyperglycemic effects. This makes black trumpet, also called horn of plenty, a mushroom with great potential for use both in medicine and directly in food. So far, black trumpet is not widely used in food, especially processed food. There are only a few studies on the use of dried black trumpet in sausages, but there is great potential for its use in food. Full article