Research Articles

Wood-based furniture, which is valued for its durability and timeless elegance, remains popular among the elderly. Intelligent wooden sofas now transform traditional usage patterns through technological integration. This study explores elderly users’ needs and challenges in intelligent wooden sofa interaction. It examines user experience (UX) and user interface design (UI) trends for seniors in Intelligent furniture systems, followed by market analyses of existing wooden sofa designs and control apps. Quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews were used to assess elderly preferences toward intelligent wooden furniture. Survey results were used to inform user personas based on wooden furniture habits, with affinity diagrams identifying material perception mental models. The study involved 116 elderly participants, and questionnaire data for 16 indicators were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27, confirming a four-dimensional structure through factor analysis (KMO=0.869, p<0.01). Based on the results, key areas for software improvement were identified, including ‘discoverability’, ‘usefulness of content’, and ‘aesthetics of the interface’. These findings are crucial for addressing user experience problems, correcting the product development direction, establishing a user-centric iterative path, and providing foundational insights for developing elderly-friendly intelligent wooden sofa designs.

The mechanical and acoustic performances of five-layer eucalyptus plywood reinforced with copper and stainless steel meshes were studied, focusing on the effects of mesh type, layer count, and mesh size. Experimental results demonstrated that incorporating metal mesh significantly enhanced both mechanical properties and acoustic vibration characteristics. The mechanical performance peaked at two-layer reinforcement configurations, with static elastic modulus values reaching 8,570 MPa (copper) and 9,100 MPa (steel), while mesh size exhibited negligible influence. Acoustic metrics, including acoustic conversion efficiency (ACE) and specific dynamic elastic modulus (Esp), also achieved optimal values in two-layer composites, with copper outperforming steel (e.g., ACE: 248 vs. 213). Notably, copper composites exhibited superior vibrational energy retention, with a minimum loss tangent of 0.0259, compared to 0.0246 for steel. The findings highlight that layer count, rather than mesh size or type, dominated performance optimization. Two-layer configurations balanced interfacial stress distribution and bonding efficiency, yielding the highest mechanical and acoustic outputs. These metal-reinforced composites offer sustainable alternatives to traditional tonewoods reducing reliance on endangered species while enabling cost-effective utilization of low-grade timber. Their enhanced acoustic-mechanical synergy positions them as promising materials for musical instruments, home audio systems. This work provides actionable insights for eco-friendly material design in industrial and musical applications.

Sustainable animal feed options must balance nutritional, environmental, and ethical considerations. Maize (Zea mays) and yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus) biomass offer promising substrates for producing silage, due to their high nutritional value and potential to support controlled fermentation. Maize is widely used in animal feed, due to its content of digestible carbohydrates and protein. Lupine is a viable alternative to soy, with advantages including high protein and low environmental impact due to its nitrogen-fixing abilities. This study investigated the possible use of selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains—L. buchneri 1, P. acidilactici 4, L. buchneri 2.1, and P. acidilactici 2.2—to optimize fermentation of maize and lupine biomass for improved silage quality. Controlled fermentations using these strains resulted in silages with favorable parameters: pH values ranging from 3.8 to 4.4, dry matter content between 35 and 45%, and total acidity in the range of 6.0 to 8.0%. The best results were achieved in a 1:1 maize–lupine mixture, which showed stable LAB counts and optimal fermentation conditions. The results showed the potential of microbial inoculation in improving silage quality. However, the conclusions are based on lab-scale studies and do not address practical factors such as scalability, cost-effectiveness, or long-term storage stability.

Anabasis setifera shoot extract was utilized in this study as a stabilizing agent to synthesize Se and CuO nanoparticles (NPs), as well as CuO/Se agglomerates of NPs in a biologically safe manner, and these nanoparticles were then employed as antibacterial, antioxidant, antibiofilm, and anticancer agents. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the irregular, spherical, and agglomerate shapes of Cu, Se, and CuO/Se, respectively. The EDS mapping of the CuO/Se agglomerates of NPs showed that all elements were uniformly distributed. Among all examined treatments, the CuO/Se agglomerates of NPs showed the strongest antimicrobial action, with inhibition zones ranging from 19 mm for Klebsiella pneumoniae to 26.1 mm for Bacillus cereus, so further testing was done only with  CuO/Se agglomerates of NPs. The findings demonstrated that the antioxidant activity of CuO/Se agglomerates of NPs was 150 μg/mL for the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, compared to 8.9 μg/mL for ascorbic acid, and 135 μg/mL for the 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) method, compared to 7.61 μg/mL for ascorbic acid. Se/Cu repressed the proliferation of Mcf7 and HepG2 cells, but CuO/Se showed more activity against HepG2 cells with an IC50 of 322.5 µg/mL. CuO/Se agglomerates of NPs based on Anabasis setifera extract serve as a stabilizing agent, exhibiting a biological activity profile that makes them appealing choices for various biomedical applications.

The experiment was conducted during the winter season of 2022–2023 at the Horticultural Research Centre, SVPUA&T, Meerut, to evaluate the impact of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) on Dahlia variabilis L. cv. Zail Singh using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 19 treatments and three replications. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed among treatments for vegetative growth, flowering, and soil parameters. Treatment T₁₂ (50% RDF + poultry manure + Azotobacter + VAM) recorded the maximum number of primary branches (9.75), leaf area (97.75 cm²), leaf area index (0.048), chlorophyll index 55.45 mg/m²), and nitrogen index (26.62 mg/m²), showing approximately 81% improvement over the control (100% RDF). T₁₇ (25% RDF + vermicompost + Azospirillium + VAM) produced the largest stem diameter (14.30 mm), stalk diameter (10.30 mm), and flower diameter (18.00 cm). T₅ enabled early color break (6.58 days), T10 extended vase life (7.10 days), while T₆ and T₇ significantly enhanced soil nutrient availability, and T₁₄–T₁₅ improved soil organic carbon, EC, and pH. In contrast, the control (T₁) consistently recorded the lowest values across traits. These findings demonstrated that integrating organic manures and bio-inoculants with reduced levels of chemical fertilizers significantly enhanced crop performance and soil health, offering a sustainable strategy for ornamental horticulture.

Eucalyptus hybrids exhibit rapid growth, and their wood is widely used in construction, furniture production, reconstituted panels, energy, pulp, and paper manufacturing. However, they are commonly affected by decay fungi, which reduce their durability, jeopardizing the integrity of structures and the safety of individuals. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of thermal treatment on the biological resistance of 14-year-old hybrid Eucalyptus clone wood. Chemical analyses were conducted on the wood (lignin and holocellulose), and tests with brown rot fungi (Gloeophyllum trabeum and Rhodonia placenta) and white rot fungi (Irpex lacteus) were performed over 12 weeks, along with colorimetric variable assessments. It was concluded that brown rot fungi caused more severe damage to the wood, also influencing its coloration. Under the conditions studied, a temperature of 200 °C promoted wood deterioration of the clones by xylophagous fungi. Regarding resistance classes, the clones were classified as highly resistant (A, C, and E) to the fungus I. lacteus, regardless of heat treatment. For the fungi G. trabeum and R. placenta, the clones detected as highly resistant (A and C) were those exposed to a temperature of 185 °C.

Spoiled tomato fruits exhibited fungal infections, and the isolates were identified as Penicillium expansum, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus terreus, and Fusarium oxysporum. Varying doses of chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase, and a chemical fungicide were tested against four fungal pathogens. All treatments showed dose-dependent inhibition of fungal growth. The chemical fungicide caused complete inhibition at the highest dose, while chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase significantly reduced colony size, especially in P. expansum and A. alternata, though they were less effective against A. terreus and F. oxysporum. This study rigorously investigated the molecular docking interactions of chitinase (PDB ID: 1CTN) and β-1,3-glucanase (PDB ID: 4M80), with target proteins of F. oxysporum (PDB ID: 7T69). Molecular simulations revealed compelling binding affinities, with chitinase demonstrating a docking score of -82.67 kcal/mol and β-1,3-glucanase exhibiting a score of -78.1 kcal/mol. Detailed interaction analyses revealed distinct binding mechanisms: Chitinase forms a stable complex through multiple hydrogen bonds and significant π-π stacking with key residues such as TRP210, while β-1,3-glucanase employs extensive hydrogen bonding and strong ionic interactions, notably with GLU121, for electrostatic stabilization. These findings provide critical molecular insights into the antifungal capabilities of these enzymes, highlighting their potential as agents to combat postharvest fungal pathogens.

For contemporary users’ emotional demands and the promotion of Ming-style furniture, which has cultural value, this paper studies the Ming-style ‘Warped Table’. A systematic re-design process is provided, consisting of Kinaesthetic Engineering (KE), Semantic Differential (SD), Factor analysis, Likert-weighted scoring, and Quality Function Deployment (QFD). Affective assessment was carried out by using SD questionnaires and text mining. Perceptual factor analysis yielded four major dimensions of perception, including ‘Material Warmth’ (29.9%), ‘Functional Serenity’ (25.4%), ‘Resilient Grace’ (22.9%), and ‘Fluid Elegance’ (21.9%). Relative importance was computed by the Likert Weighting method. Afterwards, a ‘sensory demand-design element’ mapping model was created with QFD, in which 7.9% were table-top and 7.2% legs as significant design elements. Modular redesign has been carried out, maintaining the traditional stylistic language “simple, elegant, and graceful” together with the mortise-and-tenon craft, but with new manufacturing logic and user sensory desires. The methodology realizes quantitative analysis and parametric translation of traditional furniture imagery, greatly improving the product’s cultural and emotional display, and gives a series of system references for related design work.

Mechanical and physical characteristics were studied of epoxy composites reinforced with different blends of the Hibiscus (H) rosa plant fiber and snake (S) grass fiber, with and without the addition of neem gum powder. The incorporation of the snake grass fiber significantly enhanced the mechanical properties, with the biocomposite 20S10H exhibiting the highest tensile strength (56 MPa), flexural strength (87 MPa), hardness (86 SD), and impact strength (6.98 J), due to the synergistic effect of snake grass fiber and neem gum as a binder. The interlaminar shear strength also showed an improvement, reaching a maximum of 6.52 MPa for the biocomposite 20S10H, reflecting enhanced interfacial bonding and reduced void content. Water absorption (40%) decreased with the increased proportion of snake grass fiber and the inclusion of neem gum, with the lowest absorption recorded for the biocomposite 30S30H, indicating reduced moisture uptake. In contrast, biocomposites with a higher proportion of Hibiscus rosa fiber exhibited higher water absorption. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study of the fracture surfaces demonstrated enhanced fiber-matrix adhesion and decreased porosity in biocomposites with neem gum, validating the neem gum’s contribution to better interfacial bonding and overall biocomposite efficacy.

A comprehensive understanding of the influences of joining parameters and material-related factors on the ultrasonic joining process for fiber-based materials is essential to optimize the process parameters in a targeted manner. Previous studies have been limited to commercially available materials with unknown compositions, leaving fundamental influencing factors largely unexplored. In this study, paper made from cellulose-rich natural fibers was used to systematically analyze the effects of amplitude, joining force, moistening, and joining energy. Effects of fiber type and fiber length were systematically analyzed. The joining force had the greatest influence on the joint strength across all materials analyzed, followed by humidification and joining energy. In contrast, amplitude only had a minor influence on the joint strength. The fiber type and fiber length also had a significant influence on the strength of the joint, with joints made from softwood fibers tending to have higher strength values. In addition, the bleaching process improves the joint strength because of the lignin reduction, as it promotes fiber cross-linking. Mechanically digested fibers (CTMP), on the other hand, proved to be less suitable for the ultrasonic joining process, as their increased stiffness made it more difficult to form a stable joint, compared to fibers obtained by purely chemical delignification.