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Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a significant challenge in the clinical care of diabetic patients, often necessitating limb amputation and compromising the quality of life and life expectancy of this cohort. Minimally invasive therapies, such as modular scaffolds, are at the forefront of current DFU treatment, offering an efficient approach for administering therapeutics that accelerate tissue repair and regeneration. In this study, we report a facile method for fabricating granular nanofibrous microspheres (NMs) with predesigned structures and porosities. The proposed technology combines electrospinning and electrospraying to develop a therapeutic option for DFUs. Specifically, porous NMs were constructed using electrospun poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA):gelatin short nanofibers, followed by gelatin cross-linking. These NMs demonstrated enhanced cell adhesion to human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) during an in vitrocytocompatibility assessment. Notably, porous NMs displayed superior performance owing to their interconnected pores compared to nonporous NMs. Cell-laden NMs demonstrated higher Young’s modulus values than NMs without loaded cells, suggesting improved material resiliency attributed to the reinforcement of cells and their secreted extracellular matrix. Dynamic injection studies on cell-laden NMs further elucidated their capacity to safeguard loaded cells under pressure. In addition, porous NMs promoted host cell infiltration, neovascularization, and re-epithelialization in a diabetic mouse wound model, signifying their effectiveness in healing diabetic wounds. Taken together, porous NMs hold significant potential as minimally invasive, injectable treatments that effectively promote tissue integration and regeneration.

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Cellulose from agricultural waste is one of the abundant biopolymers on earth. The accumulated cellulosic biomass in a terrestrial ecosystem is renewable to value-added bioproducts and maintaining the carbon cycle. Insect gut is an abundant reservoir of unexplored microbiota. Many life forms are associated with insect’s gut of which bacteria were predominant and have necessary dependability within the digestion of lignocelluloses. During the study, cellulase producing microbes had been differentiated from Eyprepocnemis alacris alacris(Serv. 1838). Microbes are segregated from the whole gut suspension of twenty adult insects, and its cellulolytic activity is checked using the congo-red method. Results suggested that among the 106 strains, two strains showed significant and high potential hydrolyzing zones on agar plates. Morphological tests revealed that the basic functional units of the two strains were rod in arrangement along with gram-positive in nature. The molecular characterization revealed that the two strains were Klebsiella pneumoniaeand Enterobacter xiangfangensis.SDS-PAGE and zymogram analysis also showed clear bands and zones with different protein sizes. The reducing sugars of the samples were confirmed through the HPLC analysis. FT-IR analysis revealed the presence of functional groups. The extracellular cellulase production was done by a submerged fermentation process, and K. pneumoniaeshowed a better yield when compared to E. xiangfangensis.As a result, this study provided further information about the diversity of aerobic bacteria in the insect gut capable of hydrolyzing cellulose. To our knowledge, this is the first report on K. pneumoniaeand E. xiangfangensisfor the hydrolysis of cellulase producing bacteria from E. alacris alacris.

Antibiotic residues and their conversion into toxic products have the potential to place human health at risk and ecosystem, which is precisely the continued accumulation of antibiotics in the environment has greatly alarmed humans and aquatic animals. This work sought to assess the possible impacts of clioquinol (CQ) on hepatotoxicity, teratogenicity, and biochemical alterations in zebrafish adults and embryos. The study examined the acute toxicity of CQ treatment to zebrafish embryos, adults, and 96-hour post fertilisation (hpf), in addition to the teratogenicity of CQ to embryonic and sac-fry stages. The lethal toxicity indicates that the 96 h LC50values of CQ treated with 48, 72, and 96- hpf larvae; adult fish were 4.78, 3.75, 2.69; 10.86, 8.75, and 6.55 mg/L. This finding implies that zebrafish were more susceptible to CQ in their early life stages than in their adult stages, which is in accordance with in silicoanalyses using ECOSAR and T.E.S.T. At doses of 5 mg/L or higher, CQ would suppress zebrafish embryonic motility, heart rate, hatching rate, and body length of surviving larvae. Furthermore, to pericardial oedema, CQ also resulted in morphological abnormalities, including tail, spine, and yolk sac oedema. Histopathological alterations were noted in the kidney, intestines, gills, liver, and brain. Glutathione-S-transferase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase levels in the adult zebrafish decreased in a dose-dependent manner following 96 h of treatment. In addition, the adult zebrafish exposed to CQ had significantly downregulated levels of SOD, growth hormone 1, and TNF-αin the liver and blood. The findings provided the foundation for further research into the mechanism behind CQ toxicity in zebrafish, as they demonstrated that CQ had notable detrimental effects on zebrafish at different life stages.

Antibiotics, steroids, and personal care products are examples of pharmaceutical contaminants that pose a serious threat to ecosystems worldwide, even at trace levels that are present in the aquatic environments of more than 70 countries. Traditional wastewater treatment methods are unable to completely remove these persistent pollutants, which leads to problems with secondary contamination. This article evaluates the scientific feasibility and practicability of using nano-adsorbents to eliminate pharmaceutical-contaminated water sources. Various nano-adsorbents with unique properties demonstrated impressive capabilities in the adsorption and removal of commonly detected pharmaceutical residues. Notably, metal oxide nanoparticles eliminated ibuprofen by 99.3%, activated carbon removed tetracycline by up to 99.9%, and graphene nanomaterials removed levofloxacin by 99.2%. Novel MXenes, magnetic nanocomposites, and nano-adsorbents based on biopolymers demonstrated remarkable efficacy, eliminating up to 99.4% ceftriaxone, 99.97% promazine, and 98.89% levofloxacin. A thorough examination of the influencing factors that control nano-adsorption processes, such as pH, temperature, contact time, and adsorption isotherm/kinetic models, is discussed in the review. Even though these nano-adsorbent technologies have a lot of potential, some barriers need to be addressed before they can be fully implemented for treating pharmaceutical-contaminated water. These include material instability, toxicity concerns, and problems with large-scale production.

The most significant threat to the ecosystem is emerging pollutants, which are becoming worse each year and harming the planet severely and permanently. Many organic and inorganic contaminants are present and persistent due to various world events and population growth. As a result, there is a greater need for new technology and its application to address the problems caused by developing pollutants. Carbon composite nanomaterials have significant potential in the fight against numerous environmental contaminants due to their distinctive attributes. This review discusses the reports of customized carbon composite nanomaterials to meet the need for specific elimination of emerging contaminants. Physical and chemical features such as high surface area, conductivity (thermal and electrical), and vibroelectronic properties, size, shape, porosity, and composite nature are making these tailored materials of carbon-based nanomaterials an emerging and sustainable tool to remove persistent compounds like emerging contaminants in aqueous solution. Different composite materials are well discussed in this review, along with their adsorption efficiency of diverse emerging contaminants, including Bisphenol A, estradiol, metformin, etc. This review provides insight into the recent trends limited to 2017–2023. The limitations of carbon-based nanomaterials, such as regeneration and cost-effectiveness, have also been overcome in recent years by diverse modifications in the production process, which can be further improved to make these materials well suited for an extended group of emerging contaminants.

The presence of SiC particulate in the newly developed SiCp/sisal fiber/epoxy composites on drilling, influence the wear in the drill bit. This article presents the experimental investigations of the effect of tool condition on delamination during drilling of composite by the time, frequency domain, and discrete wavelet packet transformation (DWPT) of acoustic emission and cutting force measured in process. It may further be helpful for determining and assessing the root cause of the induced delamination damage. The drill bits are made of high-speed steel (HSS), the condition is categorized into three different types namely as received, cryogenically treated (−80°C for 24 h), and cryogenically treated and tempered (−80°C for 24 h and 200°C for 2 h). Study of the frequency domain reveals that the dominant frequency of the acoustic emission (AE) signals falls between 100 and 300 kHz. The AE-specific energies of the decomposed signals are calculated based on DWPT analysis. It is noted from the AE specific energy that shearing occurs during drilling process. The cryogenically treated and tempered HSS drill contributes significantly to the reduction in delamination compared to other tools employed in this investigation.

This research aims to analyze the influence of boron carbide particles (B4C) on the mechanical and thermo-mechanical characteristics of glass fabric reinforced epoxy to identify the suitability of fabricated composites in an automotive application. The influence of B4C up to 0.4 wt% is analyzed by mixing with epoxy resin using a magnetic stirring approach, followed by compression molding with the glass fiber reinforcement. The results revealed that the hardness of glass strengthened epoxy was increased by 38%, and the other mechanical characteristics such as tensile and flexural strength were raised by 25% and 19%, respectively, when the weight fractions of B4C were raised to 0.3 wt%. From the fractography, it was observed that the fiber pull-out and fiber fracture were the dominant failure mechanisms in the developed composites during the application. The findings of the dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that the storage and loss modulus of the composites was increased by 50% and 43%, respectively, with the 0.3 wt% of B4C showing the increase in the dynamic ability of materials even at elevated temperatures.

The current work elucidates the tribological behavior of thermally sprayed AlCoCrFeNiTi high entropy alloy coatings under various temperatures of 200°C, 400°C, and 600°C. Typically, most metallic alloys demonstrate softening and an increased wear rate when exposed to extreme temperatures under loaded weight. The atmospheric plasma sprayed high entropy alloy coating exhibited minimal wear mass loss at high temperatures. The data analysis reveals the development of a tribolayer that facilitates a reduced mass loss of 15.34% in the alloy at 600°C. The examination of the wear scars under field emission scanning electron microscopy analysis reveals the presence of an adhesive layer, wear debris, craters, and scratches. The existence of different type of oxides on the abraded surfaces was confirmed by the results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results support the effectiveness of AlCoCrFeNiTi alloy coatings in enhancing wear resistance under extreme conditions.

This work describes the fabrication of a self-lubricating and surface wear-resistant hybrid composite. It has an AZ91D base composite reinforced with a combination of WS2and MoS2particles. The friction stir processing (FSP) technique was utilised to produce all composite specimens by varying the volume fraction to 5%, 10%, and 15%. The samples were prepared, as per the ASTM standards, for conducting various tests to obtain the mechanical properties. The specimens with 15% volume fractions demonstrated the lowest wear rate and the lowest friction coefficient in the wear tests. The sliding speed of 3 m/s and load 30 N results in a lower roughness value of 0.285 μm. The wear mechanisms of the composite were identified from the SEM observations of the worn surfaces of the sample. The load and sliding speed determine what type of wear mechanisms predominate. At lower sliding speeds and loads, abrasion, oxidation, and delamination wear mechanisms were more prominent than adhesion and thermal softening/melting.

The excessive production of vegetable waste near the vegetable market poses a significant threat to the environment. The cost associated with collecting, gathering, and transporting these wastes for disposal over long distances has become prohibitively high. To address this issue, one feasible approach is to utilize anaerobic digestion of biodegradable solid waste, such as cow dung, poultry waste, food waste, and vegetable dumping, to produce methane gas as an environmentally friendly energy source. This study aims to assess the viability of biogas production from vegetable waste in the Perundurai market, located in Erode, India. The experiment was conducted using a lab-scale reactor (0.75 L) equipped with appropriate feeding, gas collection, and residue drainage mechanisms. Biogas generation from the reactors was monitored daily using the water displacement method. For a period of 45 days, the digester setup was fed a mixture of cow dung and vegetable waste with different mixing ratios of 1:1 (R1), 1.5:1 (R2), and 2:1 (R3), at a mesophilic temperature of 35 °C. The results indicated that the highest biogas yield was achieved with the R3 samples, which were approximately 3.9 and 3.0 times higher than those of R1 and R2, respectively. Similarly, the peak methane levels were found to be 66%, 58%, and 53% for R3, R2, and R1, respectively. Moreover, the degradation rate was significantly better for R3 (3.32) compared to R2 (2.93) and R1 (2.24). Based on these findings, it can be concluded that co-digestion of the considered mixtures (vegetable waste + cow dung) in a mesophilic environment could be a promising strategy to enhance biogas production while maintaining nutrient balance and digester stability. The generated biogas can be utilized for various applications, including heating, electricity generation, and as fuel for internal combustion engines, by employing a suitable biogas plant.

A manufacturing fault causes a defect consisting of a crack in the structure. Identification and classification are essential in scientific research because cracks can lead to catastrophic system failure. The purpose of structural fitness tracking is to diagnose and predict structural fitness. A complete crack detection method based on free vibration is widely used to find potential cracks in systems. However, static deflection methods are limited to predicting crack parameters. Therefore, this article uses the static deflection method to determine the crack locations and depth in the cantilever beam. A dead weight was attached to the beam’s free end, and two dial gauges were used. A gauge was attached to the free end of the beam to measure the free-end deflection. Another dial indicator was also installed near the crack to measure the static deflection of the crack. Numerical and experimental analyses were performed on 48 cracked specimens to measure the static deflection at two points. A regression model was developed to calculate the crack parameters, i.e., crack locations and crack depths in beams. To evaluate the reliability of the developed regression model, a machine learning model, i.e., Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Random Forest (RF), was used for prediction. Regression, ANN, and RF models were developed using numerical and experimental datasets. The crack depth and location results obtained from the regression and machine learning models are consistent with the actual results. The crack parameters were predicted using static two-point deflection as input, and the results were encouraging. Therefore, the static two-point deflection approach may be widely used to detect future cracks in more complex structures.

In this experimentation, an endeavour has been taken to develop the short carbon fibre (SCF) reinforced epoxy composites mixed with multi-walled carbon nano-tubes (MWCNT) and silicon carbide particles (SiCp) using a compression moulding machine. The quantity of MWCNT was modified by 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%, and SiCp quantity has been taken as 15% by weight of the composite. The influence of the ceramic particles on the wear characteristics of SCF stiffened epoxy was explored. The wear testing variables, namely normal load, sliding speed, and sliding distance, were considered for the dry sliding wear test. As per the ASTM standards, the wear test was executed utilising the pin-on-disc apparatus, and the composite's rate of wear and friction coefficient were studied. The worn-out area on the wear test specimen was examined utilising a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to recognise the wear mechanism of the composites.

In this investigation, an effort has been made to develop the short carbon fibre stiffened epoxy composites (CFSEC) mixed with multi-walled carbon nano-tubes (MWCNT) and silicon carbide particles (SiCp) using a compression moulding process. The content of MWCNT varied as 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%, and SiCp content was maintained at 10% by weight of the composite. The impact of the ceramic particles on mechanical characteristics such as hardness, tensile, flexural, and wear behaviour of CFSEC was investigated. For all the mechanical characteristics, the rise in the proportion of MWCNT in the composite has shown a significant improvement. The specific wear rate (SWR) and coefficient of friction (COF) of the composite were studied using the pin-on-disc tester. The wear parameters yielding the lowest SWR and COF were identified from the wear testing process parameters. The fractography analysis of tensile specimens was carried out using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

FactSage has become one of the most important modeling tools in simulating the high-temperature metallurgical processes. The usefulness of the FactSage has been demonstrated in this work using several examples of steelmaking processes. Primary steelmaking (basic oxygen furnace) simulation was done with the available process data, and process charts similar to the standard ones were obtained. Ladle refining furnace process for free-cutting steels was simulated and it was observed that absolute non-equilibrium condition exists in steel during casting due to S injection. It was found that non-metallic inclusion formation is thermodynamically possible at final processing stages during Ca and S injection with variable recoveries. A significant change in the nature of non-metallic inclusions formed in re-sulfur steel causes clogging during continuous casting of liquid steel, and its influence on the process has been discussed, for mere 2 ppm of Ca difference in the liquid steel composition.

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The present investigation describes experimental simulation methods to evaluate the performance of mould powder during the continuous casting of peritectic steel. The dip mould simulator method developed in this investigation will take into account the actual mould powder along with the steel to be cast and certain casting parameters (casting speed, oscillation frequency and stroke) to evaluate the suitability of casting steel in the continuous caster. Another experimental technique akin to industrial practice has also been designed and proposed to study the melting behaviour of mould powder. Melting rate determined in this study for peritectic grade flux is in agreement with the theoretical melting rate estimated using a method proposed by K.C. Mills. The cast structure obtained from the dip mould simulator possesses oscillation marks and other features (slag infiltration) akin to the industry practice.

In the modern era, biodegradable natural wastes are significant in polymer composite making because of distinct mechanical/thermal/microstructural qualities related to the monopoly matrix. The main motto of the current work is to develop a low-density polyethylene composite by using 10-, 20-, and 30-weight percentages of waste coir fiber in the form of chopped through injection molding route. Impacts of alkali-treated coir fiber on flexural, impact, and microhardness of low-density polyethylene composite are investigated with ASTM D790, D256-04, and D4762, respectively. Low-density polyethylene composite made by maximum loading of alkali treats coir fiber exploited about 54 ± 0.5 MPa of flexural strength, 1.9 ± 0.01 J of impact energy, and 31 ± 1.5HV of microhardness, which was greater than the low-density polyethylene composite without coir fiber. The 30wt% alkali treats coir fiber/low-density polyethylene composites in dashboard automotive applications.

In the present study, the Taguchi grey relational analysis was applied to optimize the wear behavior of graphene nanoplatelets-filled flax fiber-strengthened epoxy composites, which was fabricated in vacuum resin infusion bag. The impact of wear parameters, viz. applied load and sliding distance and speed on the wear performance, viz. wear rate and coefficient of friction coefficient were investigated. The experiments were planned and performed in agreement with the Taguchi L9orthogonal array. For each experiment, the coefficient of friction and wear rate was recorded. The applied load of 30 N, sliding speed of 240 rpm, and sliding distance of 5100 m are found to be optimal from the Taguchi grey relational analysis. An analysis of variance was performed to determine the dominant parameter, and the applied load with sliding speed was found to be significant. The sliding speed was proved to have the greatest impact on the composite wear with 76.58%. The confirmation experiments conducted by the optimum parameters revealed a 31.31% improvement in grey relational grade.

The silver nitrate was reduced into silver nanoparticles by using the Aristolochia bracteolataplant aqueous extract. The green-synthesized nanoparticles were characterized through UV–Vis spectrophotometry, FTIR, EDAX, XRD, and TEM analysis. Results of TEM analysis clearly show that synthesized AgNP size range is 6 to 20 nm. The average particle size and zeta potential value was determined and found to be 16.7 nm and − 24.2 mV, respectively. The silver nanoparticles showed remarkable antibacterial, DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP activity. Silver nanoparticles exhibited strong antiradical effectiveness with minimal concentration. AgNPs had a dose-dependent effect on Anopheles stephensilarvae, with LC50values of 21.3, 45.5, 12.7, and 7.9 and LC90values of 32.4, 65.3, 20.1, and 15.4 µg/mL, respectively. The highest pupal activity was observed at 2.0 µg/mL, with the LC50being 4.0 and the LC90being 9.1 µg/mL, respectively. The biotoxicity assay of A. salinashows 6.33–48.33% mortality, which was exhibited by the A. bracteolata-bioconverted AgNPs. The LC50and LC90values were 610.381 and 6214 µg/mL. No behavioral variations were observed. The present study provides the first scientific information on the antibacterial, larvicidal, and pupicidal properties of AgNPs produced from a leaf extract of A. bracteolata.

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In this work, the effect of processing route on physical and tribological properties of cast AA8011 alloy, squeeze cast AA8011 alloy and stir cum squeeze cast AA8011 with 5wt% ZrO2& 5wt% Al2O3composite were investigated. Squeeze cast AA8011 alloy shows pore free fine structure when compared to as cast AA8011 alloy. In hybrid composite, ZrO2and Al2O3particles are homogeneously distributed with the matrix due to squeezing effect. Hardness of the hybrid composite is 45% higher than squeezed and base alloy. Pin-on-disc Tribometer is used to study the wear properties of castings produced. Wear rate of the hybrid composite is 60% lower than the as cast AA8011 alloy. Coefficient of friction is also low in hybrid composite compared to other alloys. This is owing to the AA8011 matrix's uniform distribution of reinforcement particles closely bonded with matrix due to applied load acting on the liquid melt. Abrasion and adhesive mode of wear mechanisms were observed in the casted specimens.

A series of Al catalysts with N,N′-diaryloxalamidate and N,N′-diaryldithiooxalamidate ligands were synthesized, and their ε-caprolactone polymerization rates were determined in this study. Of the Al complexes bearing N,N′-diaryldithiooxalamidate, [PhHNCS]2Al2Me4exhibited the highest catalytic activity (conv. of poly-ε-caprolactone = 94%; [ε-caprolactone]:[[PhHNCS]2Al2Me4]:[benzyl alcohol] = 100:0.5:2 with [ε-caprolactone] = 2 M at 25 °C after 20 min), and of the Al complexes bearing N,N′-diaryldioxalamidate, [PhHNCO]2Al2Me4exhibited the highest catalytic activity (conv. of poly-ε-caprolactone = 94%; [ε-caprolactone]:[OHAl2Me4]:[benzyl alcohol] = 100:0.5:2 with [ε-caprolactone] = 2 M at 25 °C after 30 min). The Al complexes bearing N,N′-diaryldithiooxalamidate demonstrated a greater catalytic activity (1.4–7.3-fold) than Al complexes bearing N,N′-diaryldioxalamidate. Density functional theory calculations revealed that [PhiPrNCS]2Al2(OMe)4with a weaker Al–OMe bond and less repulsion of the highest transition state TS1revealed the lower potential energy of TS1compared to [PhiPrNCO]2Al2(OMe)4and further exhibited a higher polymerization rate than [PhiPrNCO]2Al2(OMe)4.

Extended exposure to reliable automation may lead to overreliance as evidenced by poor responses to auto-mation errors. Individual differences in trust may also influence responses. We investigated how these factors affect response to automation errors in a driving simulator study comprised of stop-controlled and uncon-trolled intersections. Drivers experienced reliable vehicle automation during six drives where they indicated if they felt the automation was going too slow or too fast by pressing the accelerator or brake pedal. Engage-ment via pedal presses did not affect the automation but offered an objective measure of trust in automation. In the final drive, an error occurred where the vehicle failed to stop at a stop-controlled intersection. Drivers’ response to the error was inferred from brake presses. Mixture models showed bimodal response times and revealed that drivers with high trust were less likely to respond to automation errors than drivers with low trust.

Pharmaceutical waste has proven harmful to society and the environment either stagnating in home medicine cabinets or seeping back into the ecosystem. This points to an unsustainable pattern of disposal of pharmaceutical waste. This paper presents the implementation of a user-centered design process paired with a sustainable behavior paradigm to address barriers to the proper disposal of pharmaceutical waste. The design process revealed that a lack of awareness of proper disposal methods is a contributing factor to improper disposal. Labels with images highlighting different strategies for the proper disposal of medication were prototyped. A message meant to motivate the user to properly dispose of medication accompanied the images. Three types of motivational messages (eco-affective, norm-based, and social implication based) were presented to assess their effectiveness and preference. User testing revealed issues with label interpretability and a preference for social-implication-based motivational messages. A final prototype incorporating user feedback is presented.

Technology development often has profound consequences for human agency. Considering the evolution of seemingly mundane tools, such as pens, can help us anticipate the consequences of emerging technology. We consider how the evolution of pens might guide automation and artificial intelligence (AI) design. Automation and AI change activities by trading degrees of freedom—expanding, eliminating, or resolving—to transform intent into action. The evolution of pens shows three approaches to trading degrees of freedom. A technology-based approach eliminates degrees of freedom to improve efficiency A human-centered approach trades degrees of freedom to enhance human agency. A system-centered approach trades degrees of freedom to address domain entropy and promote resilience. We link trading degrees of freedom to concrete design considerations with examples from pens, large language models, and vehicle automation. We hope that analyzing a technology far removed from AI and vehicle automation will provoke new discussions of humanautomation interaction.

We propose the concept of directive driving automation that positively influences drivers’ intentions to achieve shared goals. As a step toward directive driving automation, this survey study explored how social norms can persuade drivers to continue using driving automation. We tested social norm messages using a 2x2x2x2 factorial within-subject design: norm type (descriptive vs. injunctive), explanation (absent vs. present), spatial scale (local vs. global), and outcome criticality (safety-critical vs. non-safety-critical). The results suggest that framing messages as descriptive norms and providing explanations relevant to the driver can encourage them to continue using automation, especially with safety-critical outcomes. This study highlights the importance of considering message characteristics in persuasive interventions to promote the safe use of driving automation.