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Review

02 January 2025

Potential Regulatory Role of Appetite-Regulating Hormones and Exercise Associated with Emotional Eating: A Narrative Review

Emotional eating denotes the behavior in which individuals regulate their emotions by eating in response to adverse emotions or psychological stress. Emotional eating is tightly linked to health issues such as obesity and metabolic disorders, and may give rise to unhealthy eating habits. The aim of this review is to investigate the psychological and physiological mechanisms of emotional eating, probe the potential impact of exercise as a tool for emotional regulation in emotional eating, and its role in avoiding the development of emotional eating into binge eating disorder. In addition, the review assesses gender differences and the potential risks of exercise interventions, aiming to provide theoretical support for clinical applications. A literature search was performed to assess the literature relevant to the role of appetite-controlling hormones and exercise in emotional eating. The search process covered multiple databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. It used a combination of keywords such as “emotional eating”, “appetite-controlling hormones”, “exercise”, and “mood regulation” to ensure comprehensive coverage of relevant areas. Inclusion criteria were original research, review articles, and meta-analyses published in English with adult participants. Exclusion criteria included studies relevant to non-emotional appetite changes due to diseases, studies without exercise interventions, and those missing physiological data. The final selected literature was reviewed and considered by independent reviewers to ensure the quality and relevance of the research. Studies suggest that emotional eating is tightly relevant to dysfunction in emotional regulation mechanisms. Specifically, when encountering adverse emotions, individuals may choose high-calorie foods to seek emotional comfort. Exercise, as an effective method of emotional regulation, can reduce emotional eating by modulating appetite hormones (such as leptin and ghrelin) and enhancing emotional well-being. However, the effects of exercise differ by gender, with women generally more likely than men to regulate emotions and lower appetite through exercise. Despite the positive regulatory effects of exercise, intense exercise may also give rise to adverse psychological and physiological effects, such as anxiety, depression, and overtraining syndrome. Hence, exercise interventions should be modified according to individual conditions to avoid excessive risks. Emotional eating overlaps with a binge eating disorder, and if emotional eating is not efficiently managed, it may progress to a binge eating disorder. Thus, exercise interventions could act as an effective means of preventing emotional eating from evolving into a binge eating disorder. In summary, this review emphasizes the importance of emotional regulation in modulating emotional eating, and the positive role of exercise interventions in emotional eating, notably in avoiding binge eating disorder. Future research should further probe the optimal exercise intervention strategies and focus on gender differences and the potential risks of exercise interventions.

Keywords: Emotional eating; Appetite-regulating hormones; Exercise; Leptin; Ghrelin; Insulin

Article

31 December 2024

Porous 430L Stainless Steel as a Support Layer for Planar Solid Oxide Cells: Effect of Porosity on Mechanical Properties

Porous 430L stainless steel components fabricated via tape casting underwent mechanical testing for potential in-vehicle application as mechanical supports of solid oxide cells. Tests included three-point bending up to 5% strain to assess flexural strength, yield strength, Young’s modulus, indentation hardness, and microstructural characterization. This study aimed to establish the relationship between pore former size and volume fraction and the resulting yield strength. It also compared sintered material without pore former, focusing on the influence of a wide range of porosity of up to 46.5%. The materials exhibited an inverse relationship for Young’s modulus, hardness and yield strength as a function of porosity. The lowest flexural yield strength obtained was approximately 120 MPa at the highest porosity of 46.5%, meeting the requirement of 59 MPa for the bipolar plates of existing proton-exchange membrane fuel cells.

Keywords: Stainless steel; Three-point bending; Porosity; SOC substrate; EBSD; Mechanical properties

Perspective

31 December 2024

Offshore Renewable Energy Advance

Offshore renewable energy generation has become an important means to address the energy crisis and climate change, which has gained widespread attention in recent years. This article presents classic domestic and international cases that introduce the development and industrial transformation of generation technologies for offshore wind, offshore photovoltaics, ocean wave energy, tidal energy and temperature difference energy. Offshore power generation projects face challenges in design, safety, long-term operation and economic feasibility. Offshore renewable energy generation is gradually moving towards industrialization, and is expected to become a key component of global energy supply in the future with technological advancements and policy support, providing strong support for tackling climate change and achieving sustainable development goals.

Keywords: Offshore renewable energy; Offshore wind power generation; Offshore photovoltaics; Hydrogen energy

Review

30 December 2024

Mini Review on the Photocatalytic Removal of Gaseous Ammonia: Current Status and Challenges

Ammonia gas (NH3) is a notorious malodorous pollutant released mainly in agriculture and industry. With the increasing demand for ammonia, environmental pollution caused by ammonia discharge has seriously threatened human health and safety. Due to the discrete emission and low concentration of NH3, photocatalytic oxidation is an economical and efficient treatment strategy. TiO2, as a common photocatalyst, has been widely used by researchers for the photocatalytic removal of NH3. In addition, surface modification, element doping, semiconductor recombination and metal loading are used to improve the utilization rate of solar energy and carrier of TiO2 so as to find a catalyst with high efficiency and high N2 selectivity. Further, at present, there are three main removal mechanisms of NH3 photocatalytic oxidation: ·NH2 mechanism, iSCR mechanism and N2H4 mechanism. Among them, N2H4 mechanism is expected to be the main removal path of NH3 photocatalytic oxidation in the future because the removal process does not involve NOx and nitrate. This review summarizes recent studies on the photocatalytic oxidation of NH₃, focusing primarily on NH₃ removal efficiency, N₂ selectivity, and the underlying removal mechanisms. Additionally, the potential future applications of NH₃ photocatalytic oxidation are discussed.

Keywords: Gaseous ammonia; Photocatalytic oxidation; NH3 removal; Reaction mechanism

Review

30 December 2024

Fire-Retardant Wastepaper Reinforced Waste Polyethylene Composite: A Review

The increase in fire outbreaks recently and the need for eco-friendly and fire-resistant materials have inspired a wave of studies, focusing on producing innovative composite materials with effective fire-resistant properties. This review delves into the world of fire-resistant wastepaper-reinforced waste polyethylene composites. Using wastepaper as a strengthening factor in polyethylene matrices, combined with fire-retardant additives like nanoparticles, introduces a hopeful path for waste management and improved material properties. This work carefully considers the combining approaches, physical and mechanical properties, fire-resistant mechanisms, and environmental impacts of these composites. The review underscores the possible and potential applications, difficulties, and prospects of such environmentally friendly materials in various industries. Understanding these composites’ blending, attributes, and conceivable utilization is essential for advancing maintainable and fire-safe material innovation in pursuing a greener future.

Keywords: Composite; Reinforcement; Fire-retardants; Wastepaper; Waste polyethylene

Communication

30 December 2024

Magnetic Solid Phase Extraction of Paeonol and Paeonoflorin from Moutan Bark with Magnetic Graphene Oxide

Herbal medicine plays an important role in modern medicine and separation of the active ingredients from herbal medicine is vital for convenient and safe usage. Paeonol and paeonoflorin are the active ingredients in the widely used herbal medicine of moutan bark. In this study, the composite of graphene oxide-Fe3O4 nanoparticles (GO-Fe3O4) was synthesized and used as a magnetic absorbent to extract paeonol and paeonoflorin from the herbal medicine of moutan bark. The adsorption of paeonol and paeoniflorin on GO-Fe3O4 rapidly reached equilibrium (within 10 min) due to the high absorption capability of GO. Thermodynamics and kinetics for the absorption process were studied. The optimal condition for the elution of the target compound from GO-Fe3O4 was the use of 2 mL of a mixed solvent (methanol and dichloromethane, 1:1 by volume) with 0.2% formic acid for 5 min. The GO-Fe3O4 adsorbent possesses the advantages of rapid adsorption and convenient separation. GO-Fe3O4 can be used over 6 times without losing absorbing capacity. This method is efficient, convenient and rapid, thus possesses a high potential for the separation of active ingredients from herbal medicine.

Keywords: Graphene oxide; Fe3O4; Extraction; Paeonol; Paeoniflorin

Article

27 December 2024

Effect of Magnesium Aluminum Silicate Addition on the Ablation Resistance of BN Matrix Ceramics

Ablation resistance is a critical factor in evaluating the performance of BN-based ceramic composites under extreme service conditions. This study investigates the ablation behavior and underlying mechanisms of BN-MAS wave-transparent ceramic composites with varying magnesium aluminum silicate (MAS) content through oxyacetylene torch tests. The results reveal that increasing the MAS content reduces the mass ablation rate from 0.0298 g/s to 0.0176 g/s and the linear ablation rate from 0.149 mm/s to 0.112 mm/s. The incorporation of MAS into h-BN ceramics significantly lowers the surface ablation temperature, primarily due to the evaporation of B2O3 (g) and MAS ceramics. Cross-sectional analysis of the ablated composites indicates the presence of micro- and macro-spallation in the ablation center. The primary ablation products are magnesium-aluminum borosilicate glass and mullite. Key ablation mechanisms include the oxidation of h-BN under flame exposure, the erosion of viscous oxidation products, and the physical degradation of the matrix caused by the high-velocity gas flow.

Keywords: Ablation behavior; High temperature applications; Microstructure; Service reliability

Article

24 December 2024

Hydrodynamic Performance of a Hybrid Floating Power Dock Combining Multi-Cantilever Type Buoys

This paper proposes a novel three-dimensional oscillating pendulum wave energy converter (WEC) that integrates an oscillating float dock station. The device captures wave energy by utilizing both the pitch and roll motions of its primary float and the pendular motion of a buoy. A time-domain analysis method is used to numerically evaluate the hydrodynamic behavior and energy conversion efficiency of the WEC. In ANSYS AQWA, a multi-cantilever WEC model is employed to address the fluid-solid coupling, calculating the device’s motion response and capturing the width ratio under various environmental conditions. Additionally, by modifying key geometric parameters including float radius, length, and cantilever angle, the study examines the rotation at the articulation point and the capture width ratio variation for different device configurations. Results indicate that the device achieves a maximum capture width ratio at a float radius of approximately 120 mm under T = 1.4 s, and a 130 mm for wave periods of 1.5 s and 1.6 s. The highest average capture width ratio is reached at a power take-off (PTO) damping coefficient of 400 N·s/m. The study further investigates the effect of cantilever angle and float length, aiding in the optimization of these geometric parameters.

Keywords: Wave energy; Hybrid system; Floating dock; Cantilevering type buoy; Potential flow theory; Capture width ratio

Editorial

24 December 2024

Review

24 December 2024

Age Estimation through Analysis of Suture Synostosis in Forensic Practice: A Mini Review

Age estimation is essential in forensic sciences. The examination of neurocranium suture closure, along with other methods, is used to estimate age in skeletal remains. The aim of this review was to identify in the literature methods used through neurocranial sutures for estimating age and analyze the recommendations by its researchers. One electronic research database, Pubmed, was investigated using the following restricted keywords: “age estimation”, “suture” and “forensic”. A search was conducted in March 2024 resulting in 12 articles being included in the final review. The articles were published between 2010 and 2024. Many studies recommend combining suture age estimation with other methods to improve accuracy in both dry skulls and CT scans, as cranial suture results alone are often insufficient. There is still no consensus on the endocranial versus ectocranial evaluation of sutures, with researchers calling for further studies. Population characteristics also affect results, highlighting the need for broader research. Despite its limitations, cranial suture closure remains valuable, with new technologies offering potential improvements.

Keywords: Age estimation; Suture; Synostosis; Forensic
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