Industrial Technology Research Institute

Kinmen peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. cultivar Kinmen No. 1) is a unique crop used to produce local specialty “peanut candy”; however, the peanut skins (PSs) are treated as waste owing to the bitter taste. To support the valorization of this agro-industrial by-product, peanut skin ethanolic extract (PSE) was prepared and evaluated for its hypolipidemic potential in a cholesterol/fat-fed hamster model, together with its antioxidant capacity and chemical composition. Hamsters were fed a cholesterol/fat-enriched diet supplemented with PSE at 0.1%, 0.2%, or 0.4% (w/w) for 8 weeks. Serum lipid profiles were determined, and derived atherogenic indices were calculated. In parallel, antioxidant activity was assessed using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and reducing power assays, while chemical characterization included total phenolics, crude phytosterols, and HPLC profiling of representative phenolic compounds. PSE significantly reduced serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) compared with the cholesterol/fat-enriched control, whereas triglycerides were not significantly altered. The LDL-C/HDL-C ratio was also reduced in PSE-treated groups, with the greatest reduction observed in the 0.1% PSE group (0.33 ± 0.04 vs. 0.56 ± 0.12 in the negative control). In addition, PSE exhibited marked antioxidant activity, with IC50 values of 141.3 and 76.2 μg/mL in the DPPH and ABTS assays, respectively. Chemical analyses showed that PS contained 1098 ± 189 µg β-sitosterol equivalents/g PS and 199.3 ± 4.6 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g PS, and HPLC identified p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, daidzein, catechin, and resveratrol as representative phenolic constituents. Collectively, these findings support Kinmen peanut skin as a promising value-added source of bioactives for functional ingredient development targeting cholesterol dysregulation and oxidative processes.

Simultaneous removal of multiple pollutants from industrial emissions offers significant cost and space savings when upgrading air pollution control devices. Sintering processes emit complex pollutant mixtures including SOx, NO, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and dioxins (PCDD/Fs). This study evaluates the simultaneous removal of NO, PCDD/Fs, and toluene using three commercial V2O5-MoO3/TiO2 (VMT) selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts, under simulated flue gas conditions at 220 °C. The catalysts designated Cat-1, Cat-2, and Cat-3 differed in composition, including variations in MoO3, V2O5, and the addition of SiO2 or WO3. The effects of H2O(g) and SO2 were also evaluated to assess catalyst stability and resistance to poisoning. Cat-1, with the highest MoO3 content, achieved the best overall performance with removal efficiencies of 93.1% for PCDD/Fs, 83.3% for NO, and 84.6% for toluene. Cat-2, containing sulfur-resistant SiO2 and WO3, demonstrated superior NO and PCDD/Fs removal in the presence of H2O(g) and SO2. Cat-3, with the highest V2O5 content, exhibited the highest NO conversion when H2O(g) and SO2 were absent, and its performance was minimally affected by co-pollutants. This work confirms the efficacy of VMT catalysts for multipollutant control, highlighting their potential for industrial applications.

HighlightsWhat are the main findings?A novel method for in situ inspection of gear profiles using a Chromatic Confocal Sensor (CHCS) is proposed.The verification and validation of this gear profile inspection method have been performed via software simulations and experiments.What are the implications of the main findings?Less time-consuming, high throughput gear inspection.Reliable quality control for gear inspection.Gears, as critical power-transmission components in most power equipment, have a particularly urgent need for in situ inspection systems. Traditional gear inspection methods rely on contact inspection instruments, which are not only time-consuming, but also potentially damage the gear surface due to contact. This study delves into the detection requirements in the gear manufacturing process and establishes a rapid, non-contact detection mechanism and model using a CHCS. This model employs a CHCS to achieve high-speed, non-contact measurement on various surfaces with extremely high accuracy, enabling real-time monitoring of production process details, thereby improving production efficiency and ensuring product quality. Through actual inspection and comparison with a standard involute spur gear tooth profile model, this study implements a complete inspection system in a prototype. The results of gear inspection using a CHCS with an accuracy of 1 μm showed that the interquartile range of qualified gears under test (GUTs) was within 2.5 μm, and the beard line value was within 10 μm. The experiment demonstrated a layout equipped with a CHCS where the rotating axis represents the hobbing machine spindle. This method can be completed without moving the gear, enabling subsequent finishing processes.

The tool-point frequency response function (FRF) of a spindle–tool system plays a crucial role in predicting machining stability. Among the factors influencing the FRF, the interface characteristics between the spindle and the tool holder are particularly significant, especially when different holder designs are used. This study focused on identifying these interface characteristics for two common tool holder types—BT and BBT—to improve FRF prediction accuracy. The receptance coupling substructure analysis (RCSA) method was employed in conjunction with finite element modeling (FEM) to characterize the spindle–tool holder interfaces without needing extensive experimental tapping tests. Finite element models were developed to generate receptance components for various tool holder–tool assemblies, enabling efficient and accurate coupling within the RCSA framework. The identified interface parameters were applied to predict the tool-point FRFs of the cutter clamped in a BT tool holder with different overhang lengths. The predicted and measured tool compliances differed by 3–4.6%, demonstrating high agreement and reliability. The proposed methodology provides a powerful tool for predictive modeling of dynamic behavior in spindle–tool systems under varying tooling conditions, enhancing process planning and evaluation of the cutting stability in high-precision machining.

This study presents a low-temperature polymer/Cu hybrid bonding technique enabled by a CVD-deposited parylene-C insulation layer. Unlike conventional polymer spin-coating and curing methods, the use of CVD paryleneC provides a more uniform dielectric layer. Its high thermal expansion coefficient eliminates the need for complex polymer planarization processes, and its molecular chain entanglement properties facilitate low-temperature bonding while relaxing surface roughness requirements. Experimental results demonstrate successful hybrid bonding at 200° C using a <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$1.2 \mu \mathrm{m} \text{Cu}$</tex> pillar array and a 1.1 <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\mu \mathrm{m}$</tex> thick parylene-C layer (protrusion height <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\approx 100 \text{nm}$</tex>). This bonding is achieved without chemical mechanical polishing, as confirmed by subsequent structural analyses.

Plant-derived exosome-like extracellular vesicles (PELVs) have recently emerged as novel bioactive materials. Although members of the Orchidaceae family have been reported to possess various biological activities and are widely used as cosmetic ingredients, no studies to date have investigated exosome-like extracellular vesicles derived from Phalaenopsis species. In the present study, we report for the first time a novel exosome-like extracellular vesicles preparation isolated from Phalaenopsis aphrodite (called Exorigin® OR) and characterize its physical and biological properties. The purified vesicles exhibited a spherical shape surrounded by a bilayered membrane with an average particle size of approximately 98 nm and expressed a CD9 marker. Fluorescent labeling with BODIPY TR indicated that Exorigin® OR can be internalized by cells. In in vitro assays, Exorigin® OR alleviated hydrogen peroxide-induced damage in keratinocytes and inhibited melanin production in melanocytes, possibly associated with the downregulation of Tyrp1 expression as shown by qPCR analysis. Moreover, reconstructed human epidermis and cornea-like epithelium models demonstrated that Exorigin® OR is non-irritant. Collectively, these findings suggest that Exorigin® OR represent a promising and safe bioactive ingredient for promoting skin health in cosmeceutical applications.

The Bi 2 MoO 6 /Cu 8 S 5 catalyst achieved an NH 3 yield rate of 6757 µg h −1 cm −2 FE of 57.9%. The unique synergistic oxide–sulfide heterostructure facilitates a “pseudo-Haber–Bosch” pathway via a dipole-assisted trapping mechanism.