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Objective: To design a multifunctional cooking experimental platform with negative pressure and superheated steam, providing consumers with greener, healthier, and more diverse cooking methods. Methods: The research status of integrated cooking equipment was analyzed, and the application status of superheated steam and negative pressure technology in the food industry was summarized and analyzed. The performance parameters of the multifunctional cooking experimental platform were determined. Based on the characteristics of each function of the experimental platform, the cooking chamber, furnace door and other components were designed, and the overall plan of the experimental platform was developed. Results: The multi-functional cooking experimental platform developed has four functions: negative pressure, steam, microwave, and baking. It can achieve negative pressure extraction of -28 kPa and direct injection of 390 ℃ superheated steam into the cavity. The heating effect of hot air and microwave is good. Conclusion: The multifunctional cooking experimental platform developed has high feasibility and practicality.

This study used a static bidirectional multifunctional loading system. The system conducted bidirectional compression tests on scaled specimens of slurry masonry schist under freeze–thaw cycling conditions. This study aimed to investigate the influence of bidirectional stress coupling with freeze–thaw cycles on the mechanical properties of slurry masonry schist. The results indicate that lateral pressure can increase the peak stress of slurry masonry schist, while freeze–thaw cycles have an adverse effect on the material's internal pore structure, counteracting the gain effect of lateral pressure. This study also employed acoustic emission (AE) technology to analyze the evolution of slurry masonry schist failure characteristics. The findings reveal that freeze–thaw cycles accelerate the failure of slurry masonry schist during loading, and lateral pressure to some extent mitigates the damage development of slurry masonry schist. The synergistic effect of lateral pressure and freeze–thaw cycles alters the fracture mode of slurry masonry schist. Acoustic emission signal localization demonstrates numerous AE localization points in the interface transition zone, forming a coherent signal band where cracks propagate toward complete interface penetration. The crack extension process of the slurry masonry schist was investigated using the digital image correlation (DIC) method. The results indicated that macroscopic cracks formed in the strain localization zone, resulting in fracture damage to the specimens, with interfacial debonding identified as the primary failure mode for slurry masonry schist structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are well-known medications for reducing pain and a group of drugs that can cause mucosal damage of the stomach. The negative effects on the digestive system can be reduced by immobilization of drugs on various carriers, for instance, on the components of plant biomass, for the creation of drug delivery system. Plant biomass is a lignocellulosic complex consisting of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose that can potentially be regarded as a carrier of pharmaceuticals. Sugarcane residues such as bagasse and straw are biomass by-products of the sugarcane industry. One of the prospective ways for their efficient utilization can include chemical processing with the aim of obtaining effective biosorbents or so-called carriers of different composition and structure. The aim of the work was to study the structural, morphological, and sorption properties of cellulose, lignin, and lignocellulose, derived from sugarcane biomass (bagasse and straw) by means of delignification and hydrolysis, as potential components for drug delivery system. Sugarcane straw samples show higher densities in comparison with bagasse samples. Both lignin samples from bagasse and straw have greater bulk and true density if compared to other materials from sugarcane biomass of cellulosic and lignocellulosic nature. The increase in adsorption pore volume in lignins is observed, being indicative of better sorption ability. Both samples of cellulose and lignocellulose from straw have greater pore structure if compared to the initial material. The values of sodium diclofenac sorption efficiency correlate with the values of pore volume for corresponding materials. Lignin from sugarcane straw, which shows greater porosity, has greater sorption properties. SEM images show that the initial materials and treated materials have complex morphology. FTIR spectra show a clear difference in the structure of lignocellulose, cellulose, and lignin from sugarcane bagasse and straw. The potential application of biopolymers from bagasse and straw as organic carriers of sodium diclofenac was studied. With this purpose, plant polymers were impregnated with an alcoholic solution of sodium diclofenac and the desorption process was investigated. The lignin sample from sugarcane straw has a longer period of drug release, which indicates the obtained effect of prolongation.

The exponential expansion of the lithium battery market has led to challenges in acquiring lithium resources. Extracting lithium from seawater has been explored as a potential solution to address the shortage of lithium supply. However, seawater lithium extraction presents significant challenges due to its low lithium-ion concentration and complex marine environment. Capacitive deionization (CDI) technology has demonstrated a remarkable ability to selectively separate metal ions from seawater, in which electrode materials play a crucial role. Traditional methods of discovering electrode materials have relied on the trial-and-error principle, and the experimental process of material design and synthesis requires substantial manpower and material resources. The emergence of materials informatics has revolutionized the design and development of electrode materials, substantially reducing the application cost of CDI. Combining our research experience, we explored the application prospects of theoretical calculations in CDI lithium extraction and introduced the development progress of electrode materials that are not limited to CDI lithium extraction in recent years. The key points of using density functional theory (DFT), molecular dynamics (MD), and finite element simulation (FES) to study the mechanism of lithium extraction process, using high-throughput computing and machine learning (ML) to screen new electrode materials are emphasized. The research emphasizes the synergistic utilization of DFT, MD, ML, and FES methodologies to provide instructive insights, aimed at advancing the design of effective CDI electrode materials tailored for lithium extraction from seawater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fingerprint recognition systems have achieved widespread integration into various technological devices, including cell phones, computers, door locks, and time attendance machines. Nevertheless, individuals with worn fingerprints encounter challenges when attempting to unlock original fingerprint systems, which results in disruptions to their daily activities. This study explores two distinct methods for fingerprint backup: traditional fingerprint impression and 3D printing technologies. Unlocking tests were conducted on commonly available optical fingerprint lock-equipped cell phones to assess the efficacy of these methods, particularly in unlocking with worn fingerprints. The research findings indicated that the traditional fingerprint impression method exhibited high fidelity in reproducing fingerprint patterns, achieving an impressive unlocking success rate of 97.8% for imprinting unworn fingerprints. However, when dealing with worn fingerprints, the traditional fingerprint impression technique showed a reduced unlocking success rate, progressively decreasing with increasing degrees of finger wear. In contrast, 3D-printed backup fingerprints, with image processing and optimization of ridge height, mitigated the impact of fingerprint wear on the unlocking capability, resulting in an unlocking success rate of 84.4% or higher. Thus, the utilization of 3D printing technology proves advantageous for individuals with severely worn or incomplete fingerprints, providing a viable solution for unforeseen circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]