As a major industrial solid waste stream, electric arc furnace slag (EAFS) represents a promising feedstock for CO2 mineralization, but its reactivity is extremely low under conventional processing conditions due to the presence of refractory phases such as åkermanite and brownmillerite. To address this challenge, this study developed a two-stage strategy: first, the ultrasound-assisted processing (UAP) synergistically coupled with mild acetic acid (HAc) was employed to enhance Ca2+ dissolution from EAFS, followed by UAP-enhanced carbonation of the leachate for efficient CO2 mineralization. Under the optimal operating conditions identified from the single-factor screening experiments (particle size 150–250 μm; ultrasonic power 480 W; temperature 60℃; solid‑liquid ratio 50 g/L; acetic acid 0.5 mol·L−1; reaction time 100 min), a maximum Ca2+ leaching efficiency of 82.8% was achieved, representing a 33% increase over mechanical stirring. Notably, the Ca yield by UAP is tens of times higher than those reported in previous studies. UAP substantially modified the pore structure of EAFS, promoting mesopore development, increasing BET specific surface area by up to 45-fold, and enhancing pore-volume contribution below 2 nm, thereby improving pore-network formation, reactive-interface accessibility, and solid–liquid interactions during HAc leaching. During carbonation, UAP accelerated mineralization kinetics, achieving rapid Ca2+ conversion in the initial stage due to intensified mass transfer and enhanced nucleation. The resulting CaCO3 exhibits more uniform and dispersed morphologies than the agglomerated structures obtained under conventional stirring. These findings demonstrate that UAP can effectively couple slag valorization with CO2 mineralization, providing a viable pathway for process intensification in carbon capture and utilization.

In this study, hydrodynamic cavitationHydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and ultravioletUltraviolet (UV) techniques were employed to activate peroxydisulfatePeroxydisulfate (Na2S2O8) to degrade tetracycline (TCTetraCycline (TC)) model wastewater with an initial concentration of 30 mg/L and a volume of 15 L. The results demonstrate that over 95

Efficient green hydrogen production requires high-performance non-noble metal electrocatalysts. Elemental doping enhances HER activity, but the synergistic regulation of morphology and electronic structure remains poorly understood. Herein, undoped, S-doped, and P-doped NiCoFe/NF electrodes are fabricated under identical conditions. Dopant identity dictates the morphological type, while deposition parameters only affect loading and particle size. P doping also induces stronger electronic modulation. The P-doped catalyst requires only 48.5 mV at 10 mA cm(-2), outperforming S-doped and undoped counterparts, and remains stable for >8 h. Notably, this high activity is achieved despite a much lower electrochemically active surface area than the S-doped sample, proving that intrinsic activity is decisive. The enhanced performance originates from two synergistic aspects: the P-induced moderate morphology improves mass transport, and P-mediated Ni-Co d-band modulation optimizes Delta G(H*) to near zero. This work reveals the interplay between dopant-driven morphological and electronic modulation, offering a rational strategy for high-performance HER catalysts.

The fundamental physics underlying the fixed-bed adsorption and desorption of anthocyanins was systematically investigated, both with and without in-process ultrasonication. A novel self-assembled fixed-bed system was designed by compacting macroporous resins and coupling the setup with ultrasound. The adsorption and desorption of chokeberry anthocyanins were quantitatively simulated using a phenomenological model that incorporated convection-dispersion in the axial flow and intraparticle diffusion within the resin matrix. Results revealed that fixed-bed performance was primarily governed by convection and dispersion in the bulk fluid, interfacial mass transfer at the resin-liquid boundary, intraparticle diffusion, and the number of binding sites between anthocyanins and the resin. Higher adsorption and desorption rates were observed when bulk convection and dispersion weakened, while interfacial mass transfer and intraparticle diffusion were enhanced. In-process ultrasonication did not significantly alter overall adsorption-desorption efficiency; however, it moderately intensified bulk liquid convection and dispersion, thereby reducing the extent of anthocyanin-resin binding. Overall, this modeling study provides mechanistic insights into anthocyanin purification via fixed-bed elution, offering new strategies for optimizing and controlling adsorption-based separation processes.

This study elucidates the mechanisms governing the interaction between fruit- and vegetable (F&V)-derived cell wall materials (CWMs) and dietary cholesterol within the gastrointestinal environment, and evaluates their impact effects on cholesterol metabolism in high-cholesterol diet-fed mice. CWMs extracted from apple and broccoli exhibited substantial dietary cholesterol adsorption capacity in simulated gastric fluid, with the bound cholesterol remaining stable throughout subsequent intestinal digestion. Instrumental characterization and desorption analyses revealed that mechanical binding rather than non-covalent forces, predominates in cholesterol binding. Complementary numerical simulations further indicated that the specific surface area of CWMs, determining the abundance of accessible binding sites, is the principal factor controlling cholesterol-binding efficiency. In vivo supplementation with apple CWM significantly reduced cholesterol bioaccessibility, leading to decreased serum and hepatic cholesterol levels and attenuated hepatic lipid accumulation, restoring these parameters to levels comparable to those of normal controls. Binding by CWMs also enhanced fecal excretion of dietary cholesterol without compromising gut health. The findings provide mechanistic insights into CWM-cholesterol interactions both in vitro and in vivo systems and highlight the potential of dietary CWMs as natural modulators of cholesterol homeostasis.

Hemoperfusion (HP) is a clinically important therapeutic strategy for the management of hyperbilirubinemia, particularly in situations where liver transplantation is limited by donor availability or where surgical intervention presents substantial risk. However, the performance of current HP adsorbents remains constrained by insufficient adsorption capacity. Moreover, the relative contributions of physical confinement and surface chemical interactions to bilirubin adsorption remain incompletely elucidated, hindering the rational design of high-efficiency adsorbent materials. In this study, the pore size distribution of activated carbon (AC) was systematically tailored via ultrasonic treatment across a wide power range (10–100 %), leveraging cavitation-induced microjets and shear forces to restructure the pore architecture while preserving surface chemical functionality. Quantitative correlation analysis revealed that bilirubin adsorption is highly pore-size-dependent, with the strongest contributions arising from pores in the 2–3 nm and 10–20 nm ranges, both exhibiting high coefficients of determination (R2 = 0.807 and 0.808, respectively). The optimised sample (AC50) exhibited a high specific surface area of 986.13 m2 g−1 and an adsorption capacity of 84.23 mg g−1, corresponding to increases of 53.5 % and 16.1 %, respectively, relative to untreated AC. These enhancements indicate a synergistic improvement in textural properties and adsorption performance induced by ultrasonic treatment. Notably, the resulting hierarchical pore architecture, comprising 2–3 nm size-matched confinement zones and 10–20 nm adsorption chambers, facilitates efficient molecular transport and confinement within the pore network. For albumin-bound bilirubin, pores larger than 30 nm primarily serve as transport pathways, facilitating the diffusion of the bilirubin-albumin complex, whereas internal surface interactions predominantly govern adsorption. Building on these insights, this study establishes a quantitative framework that links pore size to adsorption functionality, enabling the rational optimisation of chemically active sites within targeted pore domains. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that ultrasonication represents a green and efficient strategy for engineering next-generation HP adsorbents with precisely tailored hierarchical porosity.

The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) poses a serious threat to global maize production, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable alternatives to synthetic agrochemicals. In order to create a multipurpose nanoagrochemical platform for combined crop protection and growth improvement, neem-derived fluorescent carbon dots (NCDs) with abundant surface functional groups were synthesized and evaluated for their multifunctional agricultural applications. Due to their consistent shape, graphitic characteristics, and abundance of surface functional groups, the resultant NCDs had improved bioactivity and high water stability. Strong insecticidal and feeding deterrent effects against S. frugiperda larvae were demonstrated by the synthesized NCDs, coupled with noteworthy antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal properties against important maize phytopathogens. Furthermore, studies on seed priming and foliar spray in both pot and field settings showed significant increases in maize production, biomass buildup, chlorophyll content, and germination while also lowering damage from pests. At moderate treatment doses, optimal physiological performance was indicated by a concentrationdependent response. Overall, this work demonstrates that ultrasonically produced neem carbon dots are a scalable, environmentally benign, and multipurpose nanoplatform that can simultaneously increase crop productivity and inhibit pests and diseases. The results lend credence to their possible use in precision-based and sustainable maize farming systems.

Ultrasonic processing is increasingly being explored as a green strategy to tailor protein functionality, yet the mechanisms underlying frequency-dependent effects remain insufficiently understood. In this study, millet protein (MP) was subjected to low- and intermediate-frequency ultrasound (20 kHz and 207 kHz) and controlled power densities (48.70 W/L and 80.29 W/L) to elucidate structure-function-application relationships. Ultrasonic treatment induced pronounced conformational rearrangements, characterized by increased surface hydrophobicity and β-sheet content, accompanied by reduced free sulfhydryl groups and α-helix content. Molecular dynamics simulations supported these observations, revealing intensified residue-level fluctuations under intermediate-frequency ultrasound, indicative of enhanced structural flexibility. These molecular changes translated into markedly improved functional performance, including enhanced emulsifying stability and optimized rheological behavior, with ultrasound power identified as the dominant governing parameter. Notably, LUS-80.29 W/L emulsion gel exhibited superior 3D printability and effectively encapsulated curcumin, enabling intestinal-targeted release and improved micellization. This study provides mechanistic insight into frequency-regulated ultrasonic modification of MP and demonstrates its potential for designing functional, printable protein-based delivery systems in advanced food applications.

A novel lipopeptide was developed in this study by modifying C16 fengycin A through amino acid substitutions, producing M1-M5. Notably, M3 exhibited a minimum inhibitory concentration of 4 mu g/mL against Listeria monocytogenes, which was significantly lower than that of the parent peptide and other derivative peptides. Mechanism studies revealed that M3 disrupted the integrity and permeability of bacterial cell membranes, induced membrane depolarization, and interfered with key pathways, such as fatty acid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism, thereby inhibiting membrane lipid synthesis. A metabolomics analysis indicated that M3 treatment altered bacterial metabolites primarily enriched in pathways related to unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and glycerophospholipid metabolism, with abnormal activity of key enzymes such as NADPH oxidase and biotin carboxylase. Additionally, M3 demonstrated excellent performance in fish preservation experiments: after 14 days of storage at 4 degrees C, the total volatile basic nitrogen in fish meat treated with M3 was below the spoilage threshold, an increase in the total bacterial count was significantly delayed, and quality indicators such as color, texture, and water retention were well maintained. This study provides a theoretical basis for the application of M3 as a natural antibacterial agent in the food industry.

Power ultrasound, as an emerging technology, was applied to improve the efficiency, shorten process time, alleviate the quality loss, reduce the resource consumption (i.e., energy and solvent), and promote the green recovery in many food processes. These improvements are closely related with physical enhancement of heat and mass transfer by ultrasound. This work focused on the ultrasonic intensification of heat and mass transfer in various food processes, particularly solvent extraction of food components, purification of food components by adsorption/desorption, and food drying. Computer-aided modeling enables the visualization of heat and mass transfer behavior as well as the study of cavitation characteristics during ultrasound-assisted processing, using mathematic models. The efficiencies of food extraction, adsorption/desorption, and drying were all improved using power ultrasound due to the enhancement of heat and mass transfer based on mechanical and cavitation effects. Together with experimental methods, physical models consist of partial differential equations based on Newton's, Fick's, and Fourier's law that have been developed to explore the mechanism about heat and mass transfer intensification. Generally, ultrasound can improve the key parameters relating to heat and mass transfer for enhancing process efficiency and reducing process time. In addition, the cavitation characterizations, including bubble lifespan, bubble size, and bubble numbers during ultrasound-assisted food processing, can also be studied by some physicochemical models. Overall, the application of numerical simulations showed great promise for advancing the understanding of ultrasound-enhanced food processes, guiding process optimization, and overcoming challenges in scaling up from lab-scale experiments to full-scale industrial applications.

The scale-up physics of ultrasound-enhanced separation is highly non-linear and remains insufficiently studied, limiting its industrial applications. To address this, the underlying mechanisms of ultrasound-enhanced extraction and adsorption were investigated using a 20 kHz probe with a diameter of 4 cm, and analyzed through interdisciplinary approaches, yielding novel insights. First, extraction and adsorption have distinct mass transfer resistances. For micron-level materials, the primary mass transfer resistance during extraction is concentrated at the solid-liquid interface, whereas the main resistance during adsorption is located inside the adsorbent. The disruption induced by ultrasound cavitation, instead of the direct effect of ultrasound cavitation, dynamically alters separation mass transfer mechanisms. Additionally, the solvent type used in separation influences the observable bubble density within the ultrasound cavitation cloud. The increased bubble number may not correspond to cavitation bubbles, as non-cavitation bubbles do not contribute to cavitation energy. Finally, a dimensionless rule has been formulated and validated to link separation with ultrasound cavitation across different scales. This rule introduces a polynomial relationship to quantify changes in separation yield (ΔC×Vm) using two dimensionless terms (lgACP×t×Lm and (rL). ACP×t×Lm represents ultrasonic separation factor incorporating the energy of single cavitation energy, cavitation bubble density and separation scale. rL characterizes the disruptive effects of ultrasound. As the first dimensionless rule to bridge ultrasound cavitation dynamics with mass transfer in separation processes, this work lays the foundation for scaling up these processes with greater precision and industrial applicability.

The textile industry's unrelenting expansion produces copious volumes of colored effluent, which seriously contaminates limited freshwater resources. For the treatment of these contaminated water streams, phytoremediation offers an affordable option. It provides a sustainable alternative for duckweed waste management in aquatic bodies having invasive plant growth. The aquatic plant C. demersum is used as a model for methyl orange dye phytoremediation in this study. Two different forms of the plant were used: wet plant and adsorbent powder. The effect of parameters such as plant used for remediation (5-15 g L-1), dye concentration (5-30 ppm), and adsorbent dosage (0.5-3.0 g L-1) is studied. The decolorization performance is recorded in terms of UV absorbance at 464 nm and COD removal efficiency. The highest dye removal was 98.62% within 72 h with 3.0 g L-1 adsorbent addition, while the maximum dye removal with wet coontail was 96.9% on day 7 for 15 g L-1 plant added to 5 ppm dye solution. The spent adsorbent and plant were used to prepare vermicompost. The vermicompost obtained from C. demersum is very rich in nutrients and can be used as a fertilizer. Therefore, it is possible to draw the conclusion that vermicomposting in conjunction with phytoremediation can be an effective strategy for dye remediation and sustainable duckweed waste management.

The pore volume and surface diffusion model (PVSDM) provides a rigorous, mechanistic framework for elucidating mass transfer phenomena in adsorption processes. Unlike empirical kinetic models, PVSDM offers a physically grounded description that integrates solid-liquid interfacial transfer, intraparticle diffusion, and adsorption site interactions within a unified theoretical construct. Although this model holds great promise for exploring adsorption mechanisms in complex food matrices, its mathematical complexity has hindered its broader adoption in food research. This work presents a comprehensive exposition of the PVSDM theory, encompassing its conceptual foundations, mathematical formulations, and computational implementation. The governing assumptions and simplification strategies used to solve the PVSDM model are first elucidated, followed by detailed methods for calculating key mass transfer parameters prior to model computations. Subsequently, the numerical operations required to solve the partial differential equations are outlined. Furthermore, representative findings derived from PVSDM simulations are discussed in the context of adsorption phenomena involving food components. This study advances scientific understanding by integrating physics-based modeling frameworks with their practical implications in food science.