Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nanoemulsion of Virgin Rapeseed and Sesame Oil improve Oxidation Stability and Sensoric acceptability of Vacuum Packed Fish Fillets

Background: Fish contains high polyunsaturated fatty acids and has good healthy biological values, so it is considered a vital ingredient in the human diet. Antioxidants play an essential role in the food industry due to their help breaking down the oxidation process. The consumer demands fresh refrigerated foods that extend shelf life without changing taste. By using oil and vacuum packaging techniques, considerable research has been conducted to preserve and extend the shelf life of Channa marulius fillets. Since rapeseed oil and sesame oil are considered good sources of antioxidants, their role in preserving and extending the shelf life of Channa marulius fillets is limited.Methods: Channa marulius fish fillets weighing 4-5 kg each were obtained from the market. The fillets were washed and divided into 5 groups using different concentrations of sesame oil (S.O) and rapeseed oil (R.O) nanoemulsion i.e., Control (C) without treatment, T1 (S.O 20%), T2 (S.O 25%), T3 (R.O 20%) and T4 (R.O 25%). The fillets were soaked in nanoemulsion for 30 minutes and packed with a vacuum packing machine before storing at -40 oC. After an interval of 0, 4, 7, and 15 days the oxidative stability, antioxidant activity and sensory evaluation determined of each treatment were determined. Result: Compared with the control group, the free fatty acid (FFA) levels and peroxide values (PV) values were lower in the treated groups. Lipid oxidation increased over time in the control group due to lipid oxidation. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activity of the fillets decreased due to the nanoemulsion. Oxidative stability fluctuated and increased with storage time because of more fatty acid hydrolysis. The reduction was noted in the antioxidant property because it hampered the oxidation stability. Channa marulius' sensory evaluation revealed that nanoemulsion and vacuum packaging had a higher sensory score than the control group. Conclusion: The role of rapeseed and sesame oil as natural antioxidants was investigated to preserve and extend the shelf life of Channa marulius fillets. The use of nanoemulsions by using sesame oil and rapeseed oil reduced the oxidation stability and enhance the antioxidant activity of Channa marulius fillets. Among the oils, it can be concluded that sesame oil can be recommended for nanoemulsion as a good preservative for fish fillets.
Modelling toxicity of metal mixtures: A generalisation of new advanced methods, considering potential application to terrestrial ecosystems

ABSTRACT No chemical properties have been found to be a reliable predictor of metal toxicity, attributed to the influence of various specific processes on metal toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics.Metal toxicity is affected by interactions between metal ions and of metals with organisms. The present review aims to provide an outlook on recent progress in estimating toxicity of metal mixtures. Three methods applied recently have the potential of accounting for the interactions between metals as well as the interactions of metals with organisms. The methods are based on the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM), electrostatic interactions, and Windermere Humic Aqueous Model (WHAM). These methods can be generalised to a common principle that affinity of metals for binding sites on sorption surfaces (i.e., biotic ligands on organisms, plasma membrane surface, and humic acid-surrogated biological surface) is a unifying factor for the biological response. The scientific basis for these approaches was reviewed in the present study, accompanied by a preliminary assessment on the toxicity of Cu2+, Ag+, Zn2+, and their binary mixtures to lettuce, Lactuca sativa, using previously published data. The difference in the predictive performance of the modelling approaches reflects the difference in the simulation of metal-ligand binding and is related to the specific exposure conditions considered.
Synthesis and biological activities of novel S-β-D-glucopyranoside derivatives of 1,2,4-triazole

Abstract In this study, 14 novel S-β-D-glucopyranosides of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives were synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS. Then their antifungal activities against Gibberella zeae (G. zeae), Botryosphaeria dothidea (B. dothidea), Phompsis sp. , Phytophthora infestans (P. infestans), Thanatephorus cucumeris (T. cucumeris) and antibacterial activities against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) were evaluated. Bioassay results indicated that most of the title compounds exhibited good antifungal activities. Among them, compounds 4g, 4k, 4m, and 4n showed better antifungal activities against P. infestans with EC50 values of 4.98, 4.09, 3.85, and 4.90 μg/mL, respectively compared with Dimethomorph (6.06 μg/mL). Graphical Abstract
The impact of ethnocentrism and its antecedents on cultural heritage tourism along the Silk Road

The Great Silk Road offers a high potential for the cultural and heritage tourism development as more travelers are interested in the past and culture of the others. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between patriotism, cultural openness, ethnocentrism and outcomes of tourism in the context of the Central Asia. The study uses a quantitative approach. A survey method was applied to collect data from 146 local residents living in the heritage tourism areas. The analysis included descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. The obtained results demonstrate that patriotism had a significant positive impact on ethnocentrism of local residents, while cultural openness had a negative impact on ethnocentrism. The ethnocentric attitudes of residents were significantly related to the positive and negative outcomes of tourism. Recommendations are provided for addressing problems related to cultural differences and regional cooperation for better understanding, tolerance, and social interactions between people living in the countries of Central Asia. This study contributes to the academic literature by integrating ethnocentrism and its antecedents with positive and negative outcomes of cultural tourism. It is of value to tourism practitioners and local policy makers in the Silk Road countries.
Effect of ridge film mulching and nitrogen application rate on seed quality, oil yield and nitrogen-use efficiency of winter oilseed rape in northwest China

ABSTRACT Three-year field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of ridge film mulching plus furrow planting (RFMF) and traditional flat planting (FP) on the seed quality, oil yield and nitrogen-use efficiency of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and to determine the optimal rate of nitrogen (N) application under the two planting patterns. Six N rates, 0, 60, 120, 180, 240 and 300 kg N ha−1, were applied under both patterns. RFMF significantly increased seed yield, oil yield, N agronomic efficiency (NAE) and N partial factor productivity (NPFP) by 15.5–43.5%, 18.0–48.3%, 2.1–70.6% and 17.9–48.2% respectively, compared with FP. The optimal N application rates were 235 and 218 kg N ha−1 under RFMF and FP, respectively. In conclusion, RFMF could be adopted with N rate of 235 kg N ha−1 for the cultivation of winter oilseed rape in northwest China to improve shoot nutrient uptake, oil yield and N use efficiencies.
Kinetics of human butyrylcholinesterase inhibition by 1,9-dimethyl-methylene blue

: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible and progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by β-amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and loss of cholinergic neurons. Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibition is a critical strategy for the treatment of AD since BChE causes inactivation of neurotransmitter acetylcholine and has positive effects on promoting the formation of β-amyloid fibrils. Our previous studies showed that various phenothiazine-derived compounds such as thionine and toluidine blue O (TBO) cause a potent inhibition of human cholinesterases. TBO was also found to affect amyloid precursor protein processing in-vitro and in-vivo models of AD. In this study, it was aimed to determine the inhibitory effect of 1,9-dimethyl-methylene blue (DMMB), a phenothiazine-derived compound, on human plasma BChE and explore its inhibitory mechanism. The inhibition of human BChE was assessed by the colorimetric method of Ellman using butyrylthiocholine as substrate and 0-0.375 µM of DMMB. The kinetic findings showed that DMMB acts as a linear mixed-type inhibitor of human BChE with K i value of 23 ± 0.004 nM and α= 3.6 ± 1.6. In conclusion, DMMB, which is a potent inhibitor effective at nM level, may be helpful in designing new cholinesterase inhibitors for the treatment of AD.
A comprehensive framework from real‐time prognostics to maintenance decisions

Studying the influence of imperfect prognostics information on maintenance decisions is an underexplored area. To bridge this gap, a new comprehensive maintenance support system is proposed. First, a survival theory ‐ based prognostics module employing the Weibull time ‐ to ‐ event recurrent neural network was deployed in which prognostics competence was enhanced by predicting the parameters of failure distribution. In conjunction with this, a new predictive maintenance (PdM) planning model was framed via a trade ‐ off between corrective maintenance and time lost due to PdM. This optimises maintenance time based on operational and maintenance cost parameters from the historical data. The performance of the proposed framework is demonstrated using an experimental case study on maintenance planning for cutting tools within a manufacturing facility. Systematic sensitivity analysis is provided, and the impact of imperfect prognostics information on maintenance decisions is discussed. Results show that uncertainty about prediction declines as time goes on, and as uncertainty declines, the maintenance timing becomes closer to the remaining useful life. This is expected, as the risk of making a wrong decision decreases over time.
Kelarutan dan Aktivitas Antimalaria Ko-Kristal Pirimetamin-Ibuprofen

Pirimetamin merupakan salah satu obat antimalarial yang memiliki kelarutan rendah, sehingga menjadi masalah dalam ketersediaan hayatinya. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk membuat ko-kristal pirimetamin-ibuprofen dan mengetahui pengaruhnya terhadap kelarutan dan aktivitas antimalarial pirimetamin secara in vivo . Ko-kristal pirimetamin-ibuprofen dibuat dengan metode penggilingan basah, yaitu dengan cara menggiling campuran ekimolar kedua komponen dengan penambahan beberapa tetes campuran pelarut aseton-metanol (1:1). Serbuk hasil penggilingan dikarakterisasi dengan metode powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) dan differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dan kelarutannya diuji di dalam air. Metode Peters digunakan untuk pengujian aktivitas antimalaria dengan menggunakan mencit terinfeksi Plasmodium berghei . Kelompok mencit terdiri dari kelompok kontrol negatif (NaCMC 0,5%), kelompok kontrol postif (pirimetamin 3,25 mg/kgbb), dan kelompok uji (ko-kristal pirimetamin-ibuprofen setara 3,25 mg/kgbb pirimetamin). Parameter persentase parasitemia dan persentase hambatan pertumbuhan parasit dihitung berdasarkan apusan darah yang diamati setiap hari selama empat hari. Hasil karakterisasi dengan PXRD dan DSC menunjukkan terbentuknya ko-kristal pirimetamin-ibuprofen. Kelarutan pirimetamin setelah dibentuk ko-kristal adalah 9,5 kali lipat daripada pirimetamin murni. Persen parasitemia pada kelompok kontrol negatif, pirimetamin murni dan ko-kristal pirimetamin-ibuprofen pada hari kedua secara berurutan sebesar 6,4%, 0,37%, dan 0% yang menunjukkan peningkatan aktivitas antimalaria akibat pembentukan ko-kristal. Hasil penelitian dapat disimpulkan, bahwa pirimetamin dapat membentuk ko-kristal dengan ibuprofen yang dapat meningkatkan kelarutannya dan berdampak peningkatan aktivitas antimalarial pirimetamin secara in vivo pada mencit.
Metamaterials and their applications: An overview

Metamaterials are man-made substances with unique spatial alternations in their constituent components. They are widely used in modifying elastic, acoustic, or electromagnetic properties of materials. Metamaterials induce low/high-frequency band gaps to control wave propagations with different wavelengths and are also frequently applied in microwave engineering, waveguides, dispersion compensation, smart antennas, and lenses. For instance, permittivity and permeability of the metamaterials can take positive or negative values. Due to smaller single-cell dimensions than their wavelength, the selective frequency of surface-based metamaterials is used for waveguiding. The need for adjustable bandgaps can also lead to a plethora of research into metamaterials’ tunability for structures that operate at different speeds. In this article, recent studies in the field of metamaterials and their applications are reviewed. The piezoelectric metamaterials and the electromagnetic metamaterials are introduced that is followed by a review of new types of chiral metamaterials. Additionally, absorber, nonlinear, terahertz, tunable, photonic, selective surface-based frequency in acoustic metamaterials are comparedand some remarks on tuning bandgaps methods in locally resonant metamaterials are provided.
Study of the progressive failure of concrete by phase field modeling and experiments

In this research, experiments and numerical simulations are employed to research the failure process of concrete. Fracture experiments on three-point bending (TPB) concrete beams with a prefabricated edge notch at the middle of the beam bottom are performed using a modified rigid testing instrument. The characteristics of the crack and section are analyzed, including the crack tensile opening displacement, crack length and width, and crack faces characteristics. Also, the full curves of the force-crack tensile opening displacement (CMOD) and force-deflection of the TPB beams with the prefabricated edge notch after breakage are obtained. The phase field (PF) damage model is applied to the mixed-mode and mode-I failure processes of concrete structures through the ABAQUS subroutine user defined element (UEL). The crack path and the full curves of force-CMOD and force-deflection obtained by numerical calculations are consistent with the experimental results and the calculated results of other researchers. The influences of the mesh sizes, initial lengths, and notched depths on the TPB beam of concrete are also analyzed.
Agency, new technological path creation and long waves of local economic growth in Oxfordshire

In this article it is argued that long-term economic growth can be secured by the continual re-invention of the technological and consequential economic bases of local economies. Starting from the perspective of evolutionary path dependence in the development histories of new technologies, the roles of innovators in the creation of new technological pathways are theorised. Historical case study evidence is then presented of the contributions of pioneering innovators to the ongoing long-term production and employment growth in the local economy of Oxfordshire over the last two centuries. Oxfordshire provides an empirical example of one of the more successful local economies in the UK. It is concluded that much of this success has been based on the activities of a small number of innovators who have used national and international knowledge networks to import cutting edge technologies of their time into the local economy in order to start world leading industries in the County. These have formed the bases of its long-term economic performance.
Lianas have more acquisitive traits than trees in a dry but not in a wet forest

Lianas are increasing in relative abundance and biomass in many tropical forests. We tested the hypothesis that lianas conform to the fast and acquisitive end of the continuum of plant strategies, allowing lianas to acquire resources faster than trees. We assessed functional traits representative of the leaf (LES) and wood economics spectrum (WES), including plant hydraulics, in 16 liana and 16 tree species in the canopy of two tropical forests at the extremes of the climatic and geological gradient across the Isthmus of Panama. For both forests, we observed a trade‐off between the construction of more productive leaves with rapid turnover and expensive leaves with slower turnover. We also found trait variation associated with wood and hydraulic traits. These two axes were orthogonal, suggesting that trade‐offs at the leaf and stem, including plant hydraulics, operate independently. For the dry forest, lianas had cheaper and more efficient leaves than trees. For the wet forest, lianas and trees overlapped in leaf and stem characteristics. Moreover, the duration of green foliage highly explained the variation between dry forest species, reflecting different adaptations to drought. In the wet forest, fast‐growing species benefited from a higher return on investments of leaf vascular tissues than slow‐growing species and they had a higher capacity to transport water through the leaf. A higher capacity to construct more productive leaves and display leaves with lower costs may favour lianas over trees in light interception, photosynthetic rates, and growth under high light and nutrient availability in dry forests. Synthesis. Lianas in a dry tropical forest had a more acquisitive strategy than trees, characterized by more productive leaves and more efficient display for light interception. In dry environments, lianas appear to benefit from high‐light and nutrient‐rich soils and thus take advantage of higher resource conditions compared to trees. By contrast, in a wet tropical forest, lianas and trees overlapped in leaf and stem characteristics and lianas were not more acquisitive than trees. In wet environments, low light availability and nutrient‐poor soils in a context of low water limitation may constrain variation in resource acquisition strategies between lianas and trees.
Actuator fault estimation based on generalized learning observer for quasi‐linear parameter varying systems

This article presents a generalized learning observer (GLO) design for the simultaneous estimation of states and actuator faults for polytopic quasi‐linear parameter varying systems. The proposed approach is based on the use of a GLO, which generalized the existing results on the proportional‐integral observers. Conditions of existence and stability of the observer are given through the stability analysis in the sense of Lyapunov. Its design is obtained in terms of a set of linear matrix inequalities. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated by simulation in a one‐link‐flexible joint robot system.
Photochemical and Microbial Degradation of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter Exported From Tidal Marshes

Wetlands export chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) to estuaries, where CDOM is removed and transformed through biotic and abiotic process, subsequently impacting nutrient cycling, light availability, ecosystem metabolism, and phytoplankton activity. We examined the bioavailability and photoreactivity of CDOM exported from four Chesapeake Bay tidal marshes across three seasons and along an estuarine salinity gradient using three incubation treatments: 14‐day microbial (MD), 7‐day combined photochemical/microbial (PB + MD), and 7‐day microbial incubation after photobleaching (MD after PB). CDOM absorption at 300 nm (aCDOM300) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations showed strong seasonality, with minima in winter, but CDOM quality (absorption spectral slopes, fluorescence component ratios) was less variable seasonally. PB + MD over 7 days decreased aCDOM300 (−56.0%), humic‐like fluorescence (−67.6%), and DOC (−17.8%), but increased the spectral slope ratio SR (=S275–295/S300–350) (+94.8%), suggesting a decrease in CDOM molecular weight. Photochemistry dominated the PB + MD treatment. Photoreactivity was greater during the winter and in marsh/watershed versus down‐estuary sites, likely due to less previous light exposure. Prior photobleaching increased the bioavailability of marsh‐exported CDOM, resulting in a greater loss of aCDOM300 and DOC, and a greater increase in humic‐like fluorescence (−6.0%, −5.9%, and +18.4% change, respectively, over 7‐day MD after PB incubations, vs. −2.8%, −5.5%, and +2.6% change, respectively, over 14‐day MD incubations). CDOM exported from a marsh downstream of a major wastewater treatment plant showed the greatest photoreactivity and bioavailability. This highlights the significance of human activity on estuarine CDOM quality and biogeochemical cycles.
Assessment of Persistent Organic Pollutant accumulation in Sediments of the Klip River Wetland, Johannesburg

The accumulation of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) was investigated in sediments of the Klip River wetland Johannesburg South Africa. The wetland serves as an important source of potable water to the Vaal Dam Johannesburg and purifier of contaminants from different anthropogenic activities at the Witwatersrand basin. In this study, PCBs and PAHs were found to be spatially distributed in surface and core sediments of the two major tributaries entering into the wetland. The total concentration of PAHs and PCBs found in the surface sediments ranged from 45–95 mg/kg and 0.2–5.3 mg/kg respectively. Highlights of the distribution of PAHs indicated the upstream sites of both tributaries to be more polluted and were attributed to the proximity of these sites to heavy traffic and industrial complexes. Conversely, the downstream sites were more polluted with residues of PCBs and were attributed to anthropogenic activities from the residential settlements of Soweto and Lenasia. The total amount of PAHs and PCBs found in the sediment core site were 2.4 − 6.3 mg/kg and 0.17–0.80 mg/kg respectively, which is significantly lower than the concentrations found in the surface sample sites. Risk characterization of the sites indicated that about 60% of the investigated sites could be classified as moderately to highly polluted sites with potential ecological risk. A further investigation is therefore required for comprehensive ecotoxicological risk assessment.
Extracting flavonoid from Ginkgo biloba using lignocellulolytic bacteria Paenarthrobacter sp. and optimized via response surface methodology

Ginkgo biloba flavonoids are important natural bioactive compounds with strong physiological effects. To develop an eco‐friendly and effective method for extracting flavonoids from plants, a microbial method involving lignocellulose‐degrading bacterial enzymes was developed to improve flavonoid extraction from Ginkgo biloba leaves. In this study, a newly isolated bacterial strain, Paenarthrobacter sp. S1.3, was employed for the fermentation processing of Ginkgo biloba leaf powder. The enzymatic characteristics of xylanase, CMCase, polygalacturonase, and β‐glucosidase from Paenarthrobacter sp. S1.3 were also investigated. The major fermentation parameters for the microbial extraction of Ginkgo biloba flavonoids were optimized using response surface methodology. Under optimal conditions (30.6 °C, initial pH 7.6, and fermentation time 25 h), a total flavonoid yield of 34.15 ± 0.52 mg g−1 dry weight was obtained, which was 2.11 fold and 1.42 fold higher than the yields obtained from the unfermented and ethanol extraction methods, respectively. The optimized results also suggest that the polygalacturonase and β‐glucosidase might play an important role in flavonoid extraction. Fermentation utilizing lignocellulose‐degrading bacteria was a feasible green approach to improve the extraction of natural compounds from plants. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd