Research Articles

The concept of color is not always suitable for some trees according to customers’ preferences. The color of the wooden material changes with processes such as heat treatment, impregnation, bleaching, etc. When the color of the wooden material changes, the surface also undergoes changes in its inherent properties. African ebony (Diospyros crassiflora Hiern.), black ebony (Diospyros ebenum), and Macassar ebony (Diospyros celebica Bakh.) wood species were treated using a single-component bleaching chemical [oxalic acid (C₂H₂O₄)] and double component bleaching chemical [hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) + sodium hydroxide (NaOH)] using a brushing technique. Subsequently, the characteristics of the changes that occurred were determined, including color parameters and whiteness index (WI*) values. The wood species exhibited different behaviors (increases and decreases specific to each test) in response to both bleaching agents. There was an observed increase in the a*, b* and C* values, while the h^o values decreased for all wood species. Furthermore, WI* values in directions perpendicular and parallel to the fibers were reduced in all wood species by oxalic acid treatment.

Invasive fungal infections demand novel approaches targeting cell wall components, particularly poly(β)-(1→4)-(N-acetyl-D-glucosamine) (chitin) and β-glucan. This study evaluated Caspofungin, Micafungin, Ibrexafungerp, and Nikkomycin Z against Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans. Moreover, the binding affinity and interaction profiles of Caspofungin, Micafungin, Ibrexafungerp (SCY-078), and Nikkomycin Z against two crystallographic targets: Calcineurin A from A. fumigatus (PDB ID: 6TZ7) and poly(β)-(1→4)-(N-acetyl-D-glucosamine) synthase 2 from C. albicans (PDB ID: 7STN), using Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) docking were evaluated. Micafungin showed highest monotherapy activity (21 ± 0.8 and 25 ± 0.9 mm), while Micafungin–Ibrexafungerp produced maximal inhibition (29 ± 1.0 and 28 ± 0.9 mm), indicating synergistic cell wall disruption and species-dependent variability. Docking scores revealed that Micafungin exhibited the strongest binding toward 6TZ7 (S = −10.96 kcal/mol) and 7STN (S = −13.82 kcal/mol). Nikkomycin Z demonstrated multiple hydrogen bonding interactions within the catalytic pocket of poly(β)-(1→4)-(N-acetyl-D-glucosamine) synthase 2, consistent with its known mechanism as a poly(β)-(1→4)-(N-acetyl-D-glucosamine) synthase inhibitor. These findings support differential binding behaviors of echinocandins, triterpenoid glucan synthase inhibitors, and poly(β)-(1→4)-(N-acetyl-D-glucosamine) synthase inhibitors toward key fungal enzymes and provide structural insight into their antifungal mechanisms.

Functional recliners are increasingly used in urban homes, but their footrest and backrest settings are often adjusted without clear ergonomic guidance. This may reduce postural support, comfort, and ease of use. This study examined suitable footrest and backrest angles for young adults by combining electroencephalography (EEG) measurements with subjective comfort ratings. Twenty participants completed static sitting and reclining tests. The footrest angle was adjusted from 0° to 90°, and the backrest angle was adjusted from 110° to 130°. Alpha-band power was used as a physiological indicator of relaxation, while comfort was assessed using subjective ratings. The results showed that a 60° footrest angle produced the highest alpha-band power and was associated with high comfort ratings. For the backrest, the strongest alpha activity and favorable subjective comfort were observed at 125°. Alpha activity was most prominent in the parietal and occipital regions, particularly at O1, O2, and Pz. Based on the combined EEG and subjective results, a footrest comfort range of 40° to 70° is recommended for seated rest, while the backrest showed a broader and more gradual comfort transition during reclining. These findings provide preliminary physiological and subjective evidence for improving recliner design. Preset positions near the recommended angles may help improve adjustment efficiency and user experience for young adults.

Inulinases (β-fructanohydrolases) are hydrolyzing enzymes with an extensive range of industrial applications such as synthesis of fructose syrup, bioethanol, and certain chemicals, such as citric acid, lactic acid. In this work, extracellular inulinase was produced from Candida tropicalis NRRL-Y-1552 using a stationary culture technique (ScT) with molasses as the basal fermentation medium. The highest enzyme production (15.08 U/mL) was obtained at 30 °C, pH 4.5, 100 mL molasses, and 48 h incubation. Initially the enzyme activity was not encouraging (6.3 U/mL) but after optimizations, the enzyme production significantly increased (20.4 U/mL, P ≤ 0.05). The enzyme yield was 69.1%. The size and age of inoculum (1.5 mL, 12 h old) was optimized for maximum production of enzyme. The exo-inulinase production data was subjected to artificial neutral network (ANN) to create a reliable association between the predicted and experimental outcomes. Decision tree techniques were used to forecast the validation of the model. The model’s performance was significantly improved by the ANN’s linear coefficient correlation value. The significance of the study lies in investigating ANN model of static-culture exo-inulinase synthesis enabled by C tropicalis NRRL-Y-1552 using blackstrap sugarcane molasses, making the process ecofriendly and economically feasible for scale up studies.