This study investigated the potential of zeolites (NH₄BETA, NH₄ZSM-5, and NaY) to remove two frequently used dyes, methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RB), from an aqueous environment. The removal of dyes with zeolites was performed via two mechanisms: adsorption and photocatalysis. Removal of dyes through adsorption was achieved by studying the Freundlich adsorption isotherms, while photocatalytic removal of dyes was performed under UV irradiation. In both cases, the removal experiments were conducted for 180 min at two temperatures (283 K and 293 K), and dye concentrations were determined spectrophotometrically. Additionally, after photodegradation, mineralization was analyzed as chemical oxygen demand. A computational analysis of the structures of MB and RB was performed to gain a deeper understanding of the obtained results. The computational analysis encompassed density functional theory (DFT) calculations and analysis of two quantum-molecular descriptors addressing the local reactivity of molecules. Experimental results have indicated that the considered zeolites effectively remove both dyes through both mechanisms, especially NH₄BETA and NH₄ZSM-5, due to the presence of active acidic centers on the outer and inner surfaces of the zeolite. The lowest efficiency of dye removal was achieved in the presence of NaY zeolite, which has a lower SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratio. A more efficient reduction was completed for RB dye, which agrees with the computationally obtained information about reactivity.

In this paper a continous (cw) lasers in visible region were applied in order to study the influence of quantum generator to certain plants. The aim of such projects is to analyse biostimulation processes of living organizms which are linked to defined laser power density thresholds (exposition doses). The results of irradiation of corn and wheat seeds using He-Ne laser in the cw regime of 632.8nm, 50mW are presented and compared to results for other laser types. The dry and wet plant seeds were irradiated in defined time intervals and the germination period plant was monitored by days. Morphological data (stalk thickness, height, cob lenght) for chosen plants were monitored. From the recorded data, for the whole vegetative period, we performed appropriate statistical data processing. One part of experiments were the measurements of coefficient of reflection in visible range. Correlation estimations were calculated and discussed for our results. Main conclusion was that there were a significant increments in plant's height and also a cob lenght elongation for corn.

High pressure technologies involving sub and supercritical fluids offer the possibility to obtain new products with special characteristics or to design new processes, which are environmentally friendly and sustainable. Supercritical fluids are flexible tools for processing materials. Supercritical fluids have been applied to mass-transfer processes, phase-transition processes, reactive systems, materials-related processes, and nanostructured materials. In addition to extraction, application areas include impregnation and cleaning, multistage countercurrent separation, particle formation, coating, and reactive systems such as hydrogenation, biomass gasification, and supercritical water oxidation. Polymers are modified with supercritical fluids, and colloids and emulsions as well as nanostructured materials exhibit interesting phenomena when in contact with supercritical fluids that can be industrially exploited.

Textile materials are widely used in diverse applications, yet their anisotropic structure and large deformations present major challenges in mechanical characterization. Conventional uniaxial tensile tests can quantify bulk properties but offer limited insight into local strain distributions. In this work, it was shown that a 2D Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique captures full-field strain data in three types of woven cotton fabrics with distinct weave patterns and densities, each tested in warp and weft orientations. In controlled tensile experiments conducted per EN ISO 13934-1, DIC revealed that strain in the loading direction (EpsY) was highly orientation-dependent (p < 0.001), whereas strain perpendicular to loading (EpsX) was unaffected by orientation (p = 0.193). These findings contrast with traditional tensile data, which indicate significant orientation effects on maximum force and elongation (both p < 0.001). Compared to point-based techniques, 2D DIC provided richer information on anisotropic deformation, including the ability to detect local strain concentrations before failure. The strong interaction between fabric type and orientation indicates that each fabric exhibits distinct strain response when loaded along warp and weft directions, underscoring the importance of evaluating both orientations when designing or selecting textiles for multidirectional loading. By combining standard tensile testing with full-field optical strain measurements, a more comprehensive understanding of textile behavior emerges, enabling improved material selection, enhanced product performance, and broader applications in engineering and textile fields.

Background/Objectives: Polymerization shrinkage of resin-based cements critically affects the integrity and longevity of indirect dental restorations, yet the combined influence of material composition, specimen geometry, and measurement strategy remains insufficiently quantified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the individual and interaction effects of these parameters on shrinkage strain using a multifactorial approach. Methods: Shrinkage strain was evaluated using three-dimensional digital image correlation (3D-DIC) coupled with three-way ANOVA. Four commercially available dual-cured self-adhesive resin-based cements were analyzed in a 4 × 2 × 3 multifactorial design, with specimen thicknesses of 1 and 2 mm and specimen diameters of 3, 4 and 5 mm (n = 3 per group, 72 specimens). Strain was assessed in both circular sections at the material–mold interface and orthogonal linear sections. Results: Material type (p < 0.001) and its interaction with specimen thickness (p = 0.002) were identified as dominant factors governing strain, whereas specimen diameter showed no statistically significant effect (p = 0.460). Increasing thickness from 1 to 2 mm resulted in a rise in strain values (from 2.273% to 3.001%), with the highest strain observed for one of the cements at 2 mm thickness (4.107%). The circular section exhibited the highest sensitivity to thickness-dependent variations, while linear sections showed consistent but less pronounced trends. Post hoc analysis separated the cements into high-strain and low-strain subsets, and the grouping depended on the measurement section. Conclusions: Polymerization shrinkage is primarily governed by material properties and their interaction with layer thickness, rather than specimen size within the investigated range. A specimen thickness of 2 mm and circular section analysis are recommended for improved sensitivity and comparability in experimental studies. Clinically, minimizing cement layer thickness and selecting appropriate materials are essential for reducing shrinkage-induced stresses and improving the durability of dental restorations.