bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Issues and New Results on Bandpass Sampling
Authors: Kwan Chiman
Published: January 2024

This study presents issues and new results on bandpass sampling. First, some issues on the relationships between the range of allowable sampling frequencies and the guard bands are highlighted. The root cause of these issues was determined. Second, given a specified sampling frequency tolerance and the guard bands for carrier frequency tolerance, a new and simple formula for determining the maximum integer, which is a key number in determining the allowable range of sampling frequencies, has been derived. Two numerical examples were used to demonstrate the above issues and new results.
Real-Time Recognition of Molten Pools Based on Improved DeepLabV3+ in Keyhole Tungsten Inert Gas Welding Applications
Authors: Yang Dayong , Dai Penghui , Cui Shuwan , Song Huzhe , Liu Feiyang , Zhou Xuan
Published: January 2024

During the Keyhole Tungsten Inert Gas (K-TIG) welding process, a significant amount of information related to the weld quality can be obtained from the weld pool and the keyhole of the topside molten pool image, which provides a vital basis for the control of welding quality. However, the topside molten pool image has the unstable characteristic of strong arc light, which leads to difficulty in contour extraction. The existing image segmentation algorithms cannot satisfy the requirements for accuracy, timing, and robustness. Aiming at these problems, a real-time recognition method, based on improved DeepLabV3+, for identifying the molten pool more accurately and effectively was proposed in this paper. First, MobileNetV2 was selected as the feature extraction network with which to improve detection efficiency. Then, the atrous rates of atrous convolution layers were optimized to reduce the receptive field and balance the sensitivity of the model to molten pools of different scales. Finally, the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) was introduced to improve the segmentation accuracy of the model. The experimental results verified that the proposed model had a fast segmentation speed and higher segmentation accuracy, with an average intersection ratio of 89.89% and an inference speed of 103 frames per second. Furthermore, the trained model was deployed in a real-time system and achieved a real-time performance of up to 28 frames per second, thus meeting the real-time and accuracy requirements of the K-TIG molten pool monitoring system.
AnomalySeg: Deep Learning-Based Fast Anomaly Segmentation Approach for Surface Defect Detection
Authors: Song Yongxian , Xia Wenhao , Li Yuanyuan , Li Hao , Yuan Minfeng , Zhang Qi
Published: January 2024

Product quality inspection is a crucial element of industrial manufacturing, yet flaws such as blemishes and stains frequently emerge after the product is completed. Most research has utilized detection models and avoided segmenting networks due to the unequal distribution of faulty information. To overcome this challenge, this work presents a rapid segmentation-based technique for surface defect detection. The proposed model is based on a modified U-Net, which introduces a hybrid residual module (SAFM), combining an improved spatial attention mechanism and a feedforward neural network in place of the remaining downsampling layers, except for the first layer of downsampling in the encoder, and applies this residual module to the decoder structure. Dilated convolutions are also incorporated in the decoder to obtain more spatial information about the feature defects and to reduce the gradient vanishing problem of the model. An improved hybrid loss function with Dice and focal loss is introduced to alleviate the small defect segmentation problem. Comparative experiments were conducted on different segmentation-based inspection methods, revealing that the Dice coefficient (DSC) evaluated by the proposed approach is better than previous generic segmentation benchmarks on KolektorSDD, KolektorSDD2, and RSDD datasets, with fewer parameters and FLOPs. Additionally, the detection network displays higher precision in recognizing the characteristics of minor flaws. This paper proposes a practical and effective technique for anomaly segmentation in surface defect identification, delivering considerable improvements over previous methods.
Lattice-Based Threshold Secret Sharing Scheme and Its Applications: A Survey
Authors: Chen Jingyu , Deng Haitao , Su Huachang , Yuan Minghao , Ren Yongjun
Published: January 2024

As the most popular cryptographic scheme in the post-quantum field, lattices have received extensive attention and research. Not only do they provide quantum-resistant security, they also enable the construction of complex applications. Currently, lattice cryptography schemes based on different difficult problems have been applied in different fields. The threshold secret sharing (TSS) scheme is an important field of cryptography and has important application value and development prospects in key protection, secure multi-party computation, privacy protection, etc. However, with the rapid development of quantum computing, many existing cryptography-underlying technologies are facing huge difficulties and challenges. Therefore, post-quantum TSS has important research significance and value for the future development of cryptography. In this paper, we summarize the existing secret sharing schemes based on lattice-hard problems and the relevant applications of these schemes in the post-quantum realm. We classify existing lattice-based TSS according to different functions and introduce typical solutions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review paper on lattice-based TSS schemes.
Preliminary Evaluation of Methods for Continuous Carbon Removal from a Molten Catalyst Bubbling Methane Pyrolysis Reactor
Authors: Cooper-Baldock Zachary , Perrelle Thomas De La , Phelps Callum , Russell Millicent , Ryan Lachlan , Schofield Joshua , Nathan Graham J. , Jafarian Mehdi
Published: January 2024

Methane pyrolysis in molten catalyst bubble (MCB) column reactors is an emerging technology that enables the simultaneous production of hydrogen and solid carbon, together with a mechanism for separating the two coproducts. In this process, methane is dispersed as bubbles into a high temperature molten catalyst bath producing hydrogen and low-density carbon, which floats to the surface of the bath from providing a means for them to be separated. However, the removal of carbon particulates from a bubbling column reactor is technically challenging due to the corrosive nature of the molten catalysts, contamination of the product carbon with the molten catalysts, high temperatures and lack of understanding of the technology options. Four potential concepts for the removal of carbon particulate from a methane pyrolysis molten metal bubble column reactor are presented, based on the pneumatic removal of the particles or their overflow from the reactor. The concepts are evaluated using a cold prototype reactor model. To simulate the operation of a high-temperature reactor at low temperatures, the dominant dimensionless numbers are identified and matched between a reference high-temperature reactor and the developed cold prototype using water, air and hollow glass microsphere particles as the representatives of the molten catalyst, gaseous phases and solid carbon particulates, respectively. The concepts are tested in the cold prototype. High rates of particle removal are achieved, but with different tradeoffs. The applicability of each method together with their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.
Biodiesel Production Processes with Yeast: A Sustainable Approach
Authors: Sánchez-Solís Alejandra , Lobato-Calleros Odette , Moreno-Terrazas Rubén , Lappe-Oliveras Patricia , Neri-Torres Elier
Published: January 2024

In recent years, renewable sources of energy have been sought due to the environmental impacts associated with fossil fuels, such as greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. A promising alternative is biodiesel, particularly when obtained using yeast, as they offer certain advantages over other microorganisms due to their resilience to grow in various conditions, short reproduction times, and lower susceptibility to bacterial infections because they thrive at lower pH levels and have the ability to utilize a wide variety of substrates. Furthermore, biodiesel produced with yeast is composed of methyl ester fatty acids (FAME), providing it with good quality and performance in internal combustion engines, resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional diesel. The production of biodiesel using yeast involves six general stages, which offer various methodological alternatives with different degrees of sustainability. The objective of this review is to assess the sustainability degree of various methodologies employed in each of the stages of yeast-based biodiesel production through environmental and economic sustainability indicators.
Analysis of Operational Problems and Improvement Measures for Biomass-Circulating Fluidized Bed Gasifiers
Authors: Gu Shan , Liu Maosheng , Liang Xiaoye
Published: January 2024

The advancement of biomass-circulating fluidized bed (CFB) gasification technology in China for commercialization and industrial application is still in its initial stages, characterized by extensive theoretical studies; however, there is limited documentation of its actual industrial operational characteristics. This study analyzes the operational challenges encountered in a 5 t/h biomass CFB gasifier at a rice factory in Jiangsu Province, China. It examines critical issues emerging during the gasifier system’s actual operational process, including the obstruction of the feeding system, the measurement of pressure at point blockages in the dense phase zone, loop seal blockages, bed inventory leakage of the blast cap on the air distribution plate, and gasification parameter fluctuations. Practical improvement strategies and implementation plans are proposed to address these operational concerns. The outcomes of this analysis serve as a reference for the design and operation of biomass CFB gasifiers. Furthermore, they provide crucial guidance for more extensive large-scale implementation of biomass CFB gasifiers.
An Empirical Mode Decomposition-Based Hybrid Model for Sub-Hourly Load Forecasting
Authors: Yin Chuang , Wei Nan , Wu Jinghang , Ruan Chuhong , Luo Xi , Zeng Fanhua
Published: January 2024

Sub-hourly load forecasting can provide accurate short-term load forecasts, which is important for ensuring a secure operation and minimizing operating costs. Decomposition algorithms are suitable for extracting sub-series and improving forecasts in the context of short-term load forecasting. However, some existing algorithms like singular spectrum analysis (SSA) struggle to decompose high sampling frequencies and rapidly changing sub-hourly load series due to inherent flaws. Considering this, we propose an empirical mode decomposition-based hybrid model, named EMDHM. The decomposition part of this novel model first detrends the linear and periodic components from the original series. The remaining detrended long-range correlation series is simplified using empirical mode decomposition (EMD), generating intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). Fluctuation analysis is employed to identify high-frequency information, which divide IMFs into two types of long-range series. In the forecasting part, linear and periodic components are predicted by linear and trigonometric functions, while two long-range components are fitted by long short-term memory (LSTM) for prediction. Four forecasting series are ensembled to find the final result of EMDHM. In experiments, the model’s framework we propose is highly suitable for handling sub-hourly load datasets. The MAE, RMSE, MARNE, and R2 of EMDHM have improved by 20.1%, 26.8%, 22.1%, and 5.4% compared to single LSTM, respectively. Furthermore, EMDHM can handle both short- and long-sequence, sub-hourly load forecasting tasks. Its R2 only decreases by 4.7% when the prediction length varies from 48 to 720, which is significantly lower than other models.
Feasibility of Nutrient Removal and Recovery from Abattoir Wastewater Using Microalgae
Authors: Chaudry Sofia , Alavianghavanini Arsalan , Darvehei Pooya , Moheimani Navid R. , Bahri Parisa A.
Published: January 2024

The wastewater produced from the meat-processing industry is a rich source of nutrients which can be recovered using microalgae. This study assesses the potential of microalgae cultivation on abattoir wastewater based on its nutrient removal capacity from wastewater, biomass production and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings potential. Designing the treatment ponds at the recycling rate of almost 80% of treated water results in high-quality water containing less than 1 mg/L nitrogen and 12 mg/L phosphorus. At the same time, the process can produce valuable algal biomass (≈2 kg/m3 of abattoir wastewater) which can be further dewatered to make the process either economically self-sufficient or profit-making depending upon the use of algal biomass. It can finally avoid GHG emissions from 3.46 kg CO2-eq to 6.11 kg CO2-eq per m3 of wastewater treated depending upon the credit of the product displaced by the algal biomass.
Solid Flow in an Experimental Oxygen Blast Furnace Model: Effects of Recycled Gas and Raceway
Authors: Lu Yuanxiang , Jiang Zeyi , Zhang Xinru , E Dianyu
Published: January 2024

The oxygen blast furnace (OBF) process with top gas recycling is recognized as a promising ironmaking process, due to its high productivity and low CO2 emissions. The solid flow plays a crucial role in this process. Therefore, the solid flow in OBF was investigated using a cold experimental OBF model in this paper. The results indicate that the plug flow is the primary solid flow pattern in the upper and middle zones of the OBF. A slight convergence flow and a smaller deadman zone were observed at the bosh. The influence of recycled gas on solid flow was found to be quite limited. Additionally, the raceway size affects the burden structure and deadman zone, but the production rate had little impact. Both the raceway size and production rate have different effects on the repose angle of the deadman zone, and it varies by 14–18°. The findings of this study may have important implications for understanding the structure of solid flow in OBF. The results can be used to optimize the process parameters and equipment design to improve the efficiency of iron production while reducing environmental impact.
A Life Cycle Analysis of a Polyester–Wool Blended Fabric and Associated Carbon Emissions in the Textile Industry
Authors: Tekin Pırıl , Alıcı Hakan , Demirdelen Tuğçe
Published: January 2024

The effect of industrialization and technological developments and the rate of population growth have begun to disrupt the ecological balance in the world. A large share of the deterioration of this balance is due to the rapidly increasing energy demands of people. Fossil fuels and renewable energy sources are used to obtain the energy that is needed by human beings. Most of the world’s energy needs are met by fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. These resources, which we call fossil fuels, cause many parallel environmental problems, such as global warming, climate change, and carbon emissions, for the world and nature. The most affected by all these experiences, of course, is the entire production sector, which is dependent on energy. However, textile and apparel, which is a pioneer in taking steps towards harmonization with the Green Agreement, is one of the sectors that started the transition to green energy within the scope of the European Union and brands’ net-zero targets. Within the scope of the Green Agreement, Turkey has participated and started to work for a 70% carbon reduction, which is the target for 2030, and carbon neutrality, which is the target for 2050. Therefore, within the scope of these targets, the textile sector of Çukurova Region, which has the highest export rate in Turkey, was chosen. Within the scope of this study, carbon emission, which is one of the global problems, was examined within the framework of the ISO 14067-ISO Product Based Carbon Footprint (CF) standard by examining the production of a textile company, and the results were analyzed in detail. The main innovation of this article is to follow all stages of the fabric called Tricia, which is the most produced product in the textile industry, from its entry as fiber to its exit as fabric in the factory, and to calculate and analyze the amount of carbon that is released into nature. The dynamic and experimental results showed that it was determined that 6.00 tons of carbon dioxide carbon were released in the time it took for the fabric to go to the sewing room as a fabric.
Saprophytic Filamentous Fungi against Helminths Affecting Captive Wild Animals
Authors: Salmo Rami , Viña Cándido , Lozano João , Palomero Antonio M. , Hernández José Ángel , Bonilla Rodrigo , Sánchez-Andrade Rita , Paz-Silva Adolfo , Madeira de Carvalho Luis M. , Arias María Sol , Cazapal-Monteiro Cristiana
Published: January 2024

In recent decades, important modifications have been introduced in zoos in order to guarantee the welfare of captive wild animals. Thus, many of these species are housed in enclosures with access to vegetation, where they can enjoy habitats close to those in their natural surroundings, interact with the environment, etc. These habitats present beneficial conditions for some species of parasites to survive and spread. This is a very similar problem to that affecting livestock, and the same solution, based on deworming, is currently being applied. However, the free-living stages of certain parasites that develop in the soil are responsible for high rates of ground contamination throughout the year, so that animals become infected soon after successful deworming, resulting in chemical parasiticides being frequently administered. Preventive measures are seldom considered, which worsens the situation. This entry summarizes the usefulness of the dissemination of certain saprophytic filamentous fungi with proven antagonism against some of the parasites.
Individual Tree-Level Monitoring of Pest Infestation Combining Airborne Thermal Imagery and Light Detection and Ranging
Authors: Wang Jingxu , Lin Qinan , Meng Shengwang , Huang Huaguo , Liu Yangyang
Published: January 2024

The infestation of pine shoot beetles (Tomicus spp.) in the forests of Southwestern China has inflicted serious ecological damages to the environment, causing significant economic losses. Therefore, accurate and practical approaches to detect pest infestation have become an urgent necessity to mitigate these harmful consequences. In this study, we explored the efficiency of thermal infrared (TIR) technology in capturing changes in canopy surface temperature (CST) and monitoring forest health at the scale of individual tree crowns. We combined data collected from TIR imagery and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) using unmanned airborne vehicles (UAVs) to estimate the shoot damage ratio (SDR), which is a representative parameter of the damage degree caused by forest infestation. We compared multiple machine learning methods for data analysis, including random forest (RF), partial least squares regression (PLSR), and support vector machine (SVM), to determine the optimal regression model for assessing SDR at the crown scale. Our findings showed that a combination of LiDAR metrics and CST presents the highest accuracy in estimating SDR using the RF model (R2 = 0.7914, RMSE = 15.5685). Our method enables the accurate remote monitoring of forest health and is expected to provide a novel approach for controlling pest infestation, minimizing the associated damages caused.
Responses of Enzymatic and Microbiological Soil Properties to the Site Index and Age Gradients in Spanish Black Pine (Pinus nigra Arn ssp. salzmannii) Mediterranean Forests
Authors: García-Saucedo Francisco , García-Morote Francisco Antonio , Picazo Marta , Wic Consuelo , Rubio Eva , López-Serrano Francisco Ramón , Andrés-Abellán Manuela
Published: January 2024

This research analyzes how enzymatic and microbiological soil properties relate to site index (SI) and forest maturity (stand age) in Pinus nigra (P. nigra) even-aged forests. The soil parameters selected for multivariate analysis were four enzymatic activities (β-glucosidase, urease, dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase), two microbiological properties (microbial biomass C and basal respiration), and five physicochemical parameters (TOC, N, P, pH, and soil water content). We used LiDAR, the digital elevation model, and the terrain model to obtain a result for the dominant height in each plot. The soil parameters were analyzed in the function of five site index classes (8, 11, 14, 17, and 20) and six age classes (50, 70, 90, 110, 170, and 210 years). Our findings emphasize that the dehydrogenase enzyme exhibited variations in response to both the site index and stand age. The activity of dehydrogenase positively correlated with sites characterized by a higher nutrient demand, particularly on young and poor-quality sites (lower SI), indicating activation. Therefore, dehydrogenase could serve as an index to elucidate both site quality and stand development in P. nigra stands, making it a potential indicator of forest ecosystem development.
Dendrogeomorphological Reconstruction of Rockfall Activity in a Forest Stand, in the Cozia Massif (Southern Carpathians, Romania)
Authors: Ovreiu Adriana-Bianca , Oprea Constantin-Răzvan , Andra-Topârceanu Andreea , Pintilii Radu-Daniel
Published: January 2024

Determining the spatio-temporal patterns of rockfalls, such as the zonation of hazards and the assessment of associated risks, can be challenging due to poor historical archives. Dendrogeomorphological methods cover this lack of data and provide reliable reconstructions of rockfall activities over several centuries. These methods are based on the signals recorded in the tree rings that are affected by the mechanical impact of falling rock fragments. In this study, we analyzed the spatial and temporal distribution of rockfalls in a 0.19 ha forest area in the Southern Carpathians. We collected 170 samples (100 increment cores and 70 stem discs) from all 40 Picea abies (L.) Karst trees identified in the study area (1 tree/47 m2). This allowed us to date 945 events between 1817 and 2021, which we then compared with available weather records. Our results show the main trajectory of falling rock fragments from the source area, as well as significant temporal variations in process activity. These variations correlate only slightly with fluctuations in meteorological parameters. Despite the expected intensification of natural hazards due to climate warming, our study area shows a general trend towards a slight decrease in rockfall activity at present.
Impact of Large-Scale Fire and Habitat Type on Ant Nest Density and Species Abundance in Biebrza National Park, Poland
Authors: Sondej Izabela , Domisch Timo
Published: January 2024

Fire can have negative effects on the ant community by reducing species abundance through direct mortality, changes in resource availability, or foraging activity. Fire can also have positive effects, especially for opportunistic species preferring open or disturbed habitats. We assessed the direct effects of a large-scale fire on ant communities in open habitats (grassland and Carex) and moist forested peatland (birch and alder) sites in Biebrza National Park, testing three hypotheses: (i) the large-scale fire had more significant effects on ant nest density in forests than in open habitats, (ii) the post-fire ant diversity changes within sites are stronger in forests than open habitats, and (iii) ant species preferring disturbed habitats are favoured by the fire event. The fire had negative effects on ant nest density only in the Carex and grassland sites but not in the birch and alder sites, suggesting that fire had a stronger impact in open habitats than in forests. Temporal post-fire ant diversity changes within sites were stronger in forests than in open habitats. We observed higher beta diversity changes between the first and second year of the study in the burned forest sites due to colonisation, indicating a greater fire impact on species community composition followed by a higher recolonisation rate. Ant species preferring disturbed habitats were favoured by the fire. The seed-eating ant species Tetramorium caespitum, a thermophilous and opportunistic species, dominated the burned grassland site. This contrasts with other species, e.g., Lasius alienus, for which nest density decreased after fire, underlining the importance of food resource availability as a major driver of community changes after fire. Our study also underlines the importance of periodic biodiversity monitoring in conservation areas for assessing the recovery of the original status after disturbances and revealing possible habitat changes endangering the survival of local biotic communities.
Tree-Ring Stable Oxygen Isotope Ratio (δ18O) Records Precipitation Changes over the past Century in the Central Part of Eastern China
Authors: Sun Changfeng , Wu Xuan , Li Qiang , Liu Yu , Ren Meng , Cai Qiufang , Song Huiming , Ma Yongyong
Published: January 2024

Fully understanding the past characteristics of climate and patterns of climate change can contribute to future climate prediction. Tree-ring stable oxygen isotope ratio (δ18O) is crucial for high-resolution research of past climate changes and their driving mechanisms. A tree-ring δ18O chronology from 1896 to 2019 was established using Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. from the Yimeng Mountains (YMMs) in the central part of eastern China. We found that precipitation from the 41st pentad (five days) of the previous year to the 40th pentad of the current year (P41–40) was the main factor influencing the YMMs tree-ring δ18O change. We then created a transfer function between P41–40 and tree-ring δ18O. The reconstructed P41–40 explained 39% of the variance in the observed precipitation during the common period of 1960–2016. Over the past 124 years, the YMMs experienced 19 dry years and 20 wet years. The spatial correlation results indicate that the reconstructed precipitation could, to some extent, represent the precipitation changes in Shandong Province, and even the central part of eastern China, from the early 20th century to the present. In addition, it was found that the trends in YMMs tree-ring δ18O were similar at both high frequency and low frequency to those in tree-ring δ18O series from Mt. Tianmu in eastern China and from Jirisan National Park in southern South Korea. However, the YMMs tree-ring δ18O was only correlated at low frequency with the tree-ring δ18O of the Ordos Plateau in northwestern China and that of Nagano and Shiga in central Japan, which are far from the YMMs. The changes in precipitation and tree-ring δ18O in the YMMs were, to some extent, influenced by the Pacific decadal oscillation.
Joint Beam-Forming Optimization for Active-RIS-Assisted Internet-of-Things Networks with SWIPT
Authors: Liu Lidong , Li Shidang , Wei Mingsheng , Xu Jinsong , Yu Bencheng
Published: January 2024

Network energy resources are limited in communication systems, which may cause energy shortages in mobile devices at the user end. Active Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (A-RIS) not only have phase modulation properties but also enhance the signal strength; thus, they are expected to solve the energy shortage problem experience at the user end in 6G communications. In this paper, a resource allocation algorithm for maximizing the sum of harvested energy is proposed for an active RIS-assisted Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer (SWIPT) system to solve the problem of low performance of harvested energy for users due to multiplicative fading. First, in the active RIS-assisted SWIPT system using a power splitting architecture to achieve information and energy co-transmission, the joint resource allocation problem is constructed with the objective function of maximizing the sum of the collected energy of all users, under the constraints of signal-to-noise ratio, active RIS and base station transmit power, and power splitting factors. Second, the considered non-convex problem can be turned into a standard convex problem by using alternating optimization, semi-definite relaxation, successive convex approximation, penalty function, etc., and then an alternating iterative algorithm for harvesting energy is proposed. The proposed algorithm splits the problem into two sub-problems and then performs iterative optimization separately, and then the whole is alternately optimized to obtain the optimal solution. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm improves the performance by 45.2% and 103.7% compared to the passive RIS algorithm and the traditional without-RIS algorithm, respectively, at the maximum permissible transmitting power of 45 dBm at the base station.
Role of Dietary Microalgae on Fish Health and Fillet Quality: Recent Insights and Future Prospects
Authors: Sheikhzadeh Najmeh , Soltani Mehdi , Heidarieh Marzieh , Ghorbani Mahdi
Published: January 2024

An increase in the consumption of food fish, combined with a decrease in the harvest of fish, is driving the aquaculture industry at a fast pace. In parallel with the growth in the aquaculture sector and resulting stresses, the prevalence of diseases in farmed fish can increase. Although effective administration and prophylaxis are the main factors safeguarding fish species against diseases, recent approaches to mitigate the response caused by typical stressors include the uses of dietary additives. Microalgae are one of the main sources of nutrients, namely protein, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and pigments in aquatic animal diets. Numerous studies have proved the beneficial effects of microalgae on fish growth performance, feed utilization, disease resistance, and immunological and antioxidant activities. On the other hand, the administration of different microalgae to fish feed can enhance the fillet quality from several aspects, leading to an overall improvement in fillet shelf-life. This review focuses on the evidence supporting the beneficial effects of various microalgae on biochemical and organoleptic aspects as well as the proximate composition of carcasses in fish species.
Antioxidant and Nitric Oxide Inhibitory Activity of the Six Most Popular Instant Thai Curries
Authors: Siripongvutikorn Sunisa , Pumethakul Kanyamanee , Yupanqui Chutha Takahashi , Seechamnanturakit Vatcharee , Detarun Preeyabhorn , Utaipan Tanyarath , Sirinupong Nualpun , Chansuwan Worrapanit , Wittaya Thawien , Samakradhamrongthai Rajnibhas Sukeaw
Published: January 2024

All living organisms undergo molecular damage by free radical products. Disrupting the balance between antioxidants and free radicals leads to greater risks of diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and cancer. Consumption of curries containing various herbs and spices provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits which promote health. The antioxidant and nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory properties of six popular Thai curries, including green curry (G), Panang curry (P), Massaman curry (M), spicy basil leaf curry (SB), southern sour curry (SS), and southern spicy yellow curry (SY) were determined. All six curries contained phenolic and flavonoid compounds and provided antioxidant activity based on electron transfer and hydrogen atom donor properties, as well as having the ability to reduce oxidized metal. The highest antioxidant value was found in SB, followed by M, SS, and SY. The replacement of sugar with dried stevia powder at 50% (Re) improved antioxidant activity. The ORAC assay provided five times higher results than DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP. Extracts of all curries at 1 mg/mL on the macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 showed no cytotoxicity. The highest NO inhibition was found in SB (p < 0.05). All curry extracts contained quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, and apigenin. The six selected popular Thai curries had antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits. Nutraceuticals, functional foods, and the ingredients of each raw material and curry powder should be further investigated.
Assessment and Solutions to Food Waste at Congress Events: A Perspective of the MagNuS Project
Authors: Fernandez-Zamudio Maria-Angeles , Zarzo Inmaculada , Pina Tatiana , Soriano Jose M. , San Onofre Nadia
Published: January 2024

Addressing global food waste is a formidable challenge, requiring comprehensive efforts across the food supply chain, particularly in sectors prone to waste like HoReCa (Hotel, Restaurant, and Catering). In MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) tourism, where gastronomy is a major attraction, overlooked meal services during working meetings contribute significantly to food waste. The MagNuS (Magnitude, Nutritional value, and Sustainability) project aims to assess and address food waste during conference events at the Valencia Conference Center in Spain. This study quantifies waste, categorizes it by food groups, estimates the potential number of individuals that could be fed with discarded food, and assesses energy and nutritional values. Across three events, 104.4 kg of food waste was documented, with cereals having the highest wastage, followed by legumes, fish, and others. Acknowledging potential underestimation due to reliance on cooked values, this study suggests using residues for vermicomposting or composting as sustainable waste management alternatives. These findings have implications for future initiatives, advocating diverse strategies to minimize food waste during congress events, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals. The MagNuS project contributes valuable insights to sustainable practices in MICE tourism, informing policies and operational decisions to reduce the environmental impact of food waste.
Analysis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons via GC-MS/MS and Heterocyclic Amines via UPLC-MS/MS in Crispy Pork Spareribs for Studying Their Formation during Frying
Authors: Lai Yu-Wen , Inbaraj Baskaran Stephen , Chen Bing-Huei
Published: January 2024

This study aims to explore the effects of frying conditions on the formation of HAs and PAHs in crispy pork spareribs, a popular meat commodity sold on Taiwan’s market. Raw pork spareribs were marinated, coated with sweet potato powder, and fried in soybean oil and palm oil at 190 °C/6 min or 150 °C/12 min, followed by an analysis of HAs and PAHs via QuEChERS coupled with UPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS, respectively. Both HAs and PAHs in pork spareribs during frying followed a temperature- and time-dependent rise. A total of 7 HAs (20.34–25.97 μg/kg) and 12 PAHs (67.69–85.10 μg/kg) were detected in pork spareribs fried in soybean oil and palm oil at 150 °C/12 min or 190 °C/6 min, with palm oil producing a higher level of total HAs and a lower level of total PAHs than soybean oil. The content changes of amino acid, reducing sugar, and creatinine played a vital role in affecting HA formation, while the degree of oil unsaturation and the contents of precursors including benzaldehyde, 2-cyclohexene-1-one, and trans,trans-2,4-decadienal showed a crucial role in affecting PAH formation. The principal component analysis revealed that HAs and PAHs were formed by different mechanisms, with the latter being more liable to formation in pork spareribs during frying, while the two-factorial analysis indicated that the interaction between oil type and frying condition was insignificant for HAs and PAHs generated in crispy pork spareribs. Both CcdP (22.67–32.78 μg/kg) and Pyr (16.70–22.36 μg/kg) dominated in PAH formation, while Harman (14.46–17.91 μg/kg) and Norharman (3.41–4.55 μg/kg) dominated in HA formation in crispy pork spareribs during frying. The outcome of this study forms a basis for learning both the variety and content of HAs and PAHs generated during the frying of pork spareribs and the optimum frying condition to minimize their formation.
Food Security in Israel: Challenges and Policies
Authors: Kimhi Ayal
Published: January 2024

This article analyzes Israel’s food security in comparison to other developed countries, using multiple indicators divided into four sections: food availability, food affordability, food quality and safety, and natural resources and resilience. Overall, the state of food security in Israel is better than in most countries, but the threats to food security arising from the triple risk of climate change, international conflicts, and disruptions in global supply chains, require better preparation for the future. Israel’s population growth and the slowdown in the growth rate of its agricultural production, as well as the short-term political desire to reduce prices, are leading the country to increasingly rely on food imports. Such imports expose Israel to even greater global risks, and require the formulation of a risk-management strategy that will balance local production and imports. The global triple risk to food security is currently exacerbated for Israel by the risk of shortage of labor due to the security situation, making this risk-management strategy even more necessary. This calls for the establishment of a governmental authority to oversee the formulation of a long-term food-security strategy, to break it down into feasible objectives and policy measures, and to supervise their implementation. Most importantly, in order to maintain and perhaps even enhance the productive capacity of the agricultural sector, the government must reinstall trust between farmers and the state by establishing a stable long-term policy environment.
A High-Efficiency Radio-Frequency-Assisted Hot-Air Drying Method for the Production of Restructured Bitter Melon and Apple Chips
Authors: Jin Wei , Zhang Min , Mujumdar Arun S.
Published: January 2024

Nowadays, consumers are increasingly demanding processed food products with high levels of beneficial components. Bitter melon and apple are both nutritious foods rich in bioactive compounds. In this study, restructured bitter melon and apple chips were processed using four drying techniques: hot-air drying with/without exhaust air recirculation (EAR), and radio-frequency-assisted hot-air drying (RFHAD) with/without EAR. The drying characteristics, effective moisture diffusivity (Deff), specific energy consumption (SEC), total energy consumption (TEC), and some selected quality characteristics of the dehydrated chips were evaluated. The experimental results show that the application of radio frequency (RF) energy significantly facilitates water evaporation in the drying material, resulting in a significant (p < 0.05) reduction of drying duration by 31~39% over the experimental test parameters. The higher Deff values obtained from RFHAD and RFHAD + EAR were 6.062 × 10−9 to 6.889 × 10−9 m2/s, while lower SEC values ranged from 301.57 to 328.79 kW·h/kg. Furthermore, the dried products possessed better or fairly good quality (such as a lower color difference of 5.41~6.52, a lower shrinkage ratio of 18.24~19.13%, better antioxidant capacity, higher chlorophyll, total flavonoid, and total phenolic content, a lower polyphenol oxidase activity of 49.82~52.04 U·min−1g−1, smaller diameter and thickness changes, and a lower hardness of 27.75~30.48 N) compared to those of hot-air-dried chips. The combination of RF-assisted air drying and partial recirculating of dryer exhaust air achieved the highest saving in TEC of about 12.4%, along with a lower moisture absorption capacity and no deterioration of product quality attributes. This drying concept is therefore recommended for the industrial drying of several food materials.
Comparison of an Ultrasound-Assisted Aqueous Two-Phase System Extraction of Anthocyanins from Pomegranate Pomaces by Utilizing the Artificial Neural Network–Genetic Algorithm and Response Surface Methodology Models
Authors: Yue Qisheng , Tian Jun , Dong Ling , Zhou Linyan
Published: January 2024

As a by-product of pomegranate processing, the recycling and reuse of pomegranate pomaces (PPs) were crucial to environmentally sustainable development. Ultrasound-assisted aqueous two-phase extraction (UA-ATPE) was applied to extract the anthocyanins (ACNs) from PPs in this study, and the central composite design response surface methodology (CCD-RSM) and artificial neural network–genetic algorithm (ANN-GA) models were utilized to optimize the extraction parameters and achieve the best yield. The results indicated that the ANN-GA model built for the ACN yield had a greater degree of fit and accuracy than the RSM model. The ideal model process parameters were optimized to have a liquid–solid ratio of 49.0 mL/g, an ethanol concentration of 28 g/100 g, an ultrasonic time of 27 min, and an ultrasonic power of 330 W, with a maximum value of 86.98% for the anticipated ACN yield. The experimental maximum value was 87.82%, which was within the 95% confidence interval. A total of six ACNs from PPs were identified by utilizing UHPLC-ESI-HRMS/MS, with the maximum content of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside being 57.01 ± 1.36 mg/g DW. Therefore, this study has positive significance for exploring the potential value of more by-products and obtaining good ecological and economic benefits in the future.
Anti-Salmonella Activity of Thymus serpyllum Essential Oil in Sous Vide Cook–Chill Rabbit Meat
Authors: Kačániová Miroslava , Čmiková Natália , Kluz Maciej Ireneusz , Akacha Boutheina Ben , Saad Rania Ben , Mnif Wissem , Waszkiewicz-Robak Bożena , Garzoli Stefania , Hsouna Anis Ben
Published: January 2024

Food is generally prepared and vacuum-sealed in a water bath, then heated to a precise temperature and circulated in a sous vide machine. Due to its affordability and ease of use, this cooking method is becoming increasingly popular in homes and food service businesses. However, suggestions from manufacturers and chefs for long-term, low-temperature sous vide cooking raise questions about food safety in the media. In this study, heat treatment with different times and wild thyme essential oil (EO) in sous vide-processed rabbit longissimus dorsi muscle were found to inactivate Salmonella enterica. The rabbit meat samples were vacuum-packed in control groups, in the second group the rabbit meat samples were injected with S. enterica, and in the third group were meat samples infected with S. enterica with Thymus serpylum EO additive. The vacuum-packed samples were cooked sous vide for the prescribed time at 55, 60, and 65 °C. At 5, 15, 30, and 60 min, the quantities of S. enterica, total bacterial counts, and coliform bacteria were measured in groups of sous vide rabbit meat. Microbiological analyses of rabbit meat samples on days 1 and 7 were evaluated. In this study, total viable counts, coliforms bacteria, and number of Salmonella spp. were identified. After incubation, isolates from different groups of microorganisms were identified by the mass spectrometry technique. For each day measured, the test group exposed to a temperature of 55 °C for 5 min had a greater number of total microbiota. The most isolated microorganisms by MALDI-TOF MS Biotyper from the control and treated groups were Lactococcus garvieae and in the treated groups also S. enterica. Based on our analysis of sous vide rabbit meat samples, we discovered that adding 1% of thyme essential oil to the mixture reduced the amount of Salmonella cells and increased the overall and coliform bacterial counts. The microbiological quality of sous vide rabbit meat that was kept for seven days was positively impacted by the addition of thyme essential oil.
Fractional-Order LCL Filters: Principle, Frequency Characteristics, and Their Analysis
Authors: Xu Junhua , Zeng Ermeng , Li Xiaocong , He Guopeng , Liu Weixun , Meng Xuanren
Published: January 2024

The fractional-order LCL filter, composed of two fractional-order inductors and one fractional-order capacitor, is a novel fractional-order π-type circuit introduced in recent years. Based on mathematical modeling, this article comprehensively studies the principles and frequency characteristics of fractional-order LCL filters. Five critical properties are derived and rigorously demonstrated. One of the most significant findings is that we identify the necessary and sufficient condition for resonance in fractional-order LCL filters when the sum of the orders of the fractional-order inductors and the fractional-order capacitor is equal to 2, which provides a theoretical foundation for effectively avoiding resonance in fractional-order LCL filters. The correctness of our theoretical derivation and analysis was confirmed through digital simulations. This study reveals that fractional-order LCL filters exhibit more versatile operational characteristics than traditional integer-order LCL filters, paving the way for broader application prospects.
Identification of Putative Quantitative Trait Loci for Improved Seed Oil Quality in Peanuts
Authors: Hu Pengju , Zhang Jianan , Song Yahui , Zhao Xing , Jin Xinxin , Su Qiao , Yang Yongqing , Wang Jin
Published: January 2024

Improving seed oil quality in peanut (Arachis hypogaea) has long been an aim of breeding programs worldwide. The genetic resources to achieve this goal are limited. We used an advanced recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from JH5 × KX01-6 to explore quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting peanut oil quality and their additive effects, epistatic effects, and QTL × environment interactions. Gas chromatography (GC) analysis suggested seven fatty acids components were obviously detected in both parents and analyzed in a follow-up QTL analysis. The major components, palmitic acid (C16:0), oleic acid (C18:1), and linoleic acid (C18:2), exhibited considerable phenotypic variation and fit the two major gene and minor gene mixed-inheritance model. Seventeen QTL explained 2.57–38.72% of the phenotypic variation in these major components, with LOD values of 4.12–37.56 in six environments, and thirty-five QTL explained 0.94–32.21% of the phenotypic variation, with LOD values of 5.99–150.38 in multiple environments. Sixteen of these QTL were detected in both individual and multiple environments. Among these, qFA_08_1 was a novel QTL with stable, valuable and major effect. Two other major-effect QTL, qFA_09_2 and qFA_19_3, share the same physical position as FAD2A and FAD2B, respectively. Eleven stable epistatic QTL involving nine loci explained 1.30–34.97% of the phenotypic variation, with epistatic effects ranging from 0.09 to 6.13. These QTL could be valuable for breeding varieties with improved oil quality.
The Effect of Maternal Diet and Physical Activity on the Epigenome of the Offspring
Authors: Panagiotidou Anastasia , Chatzakis Christos , Ververi Athina , Eleftheriades Makarios , Sotiriadis Alexandros
Published: January 2024

The aim of this review was to examine the current literature regarding the effect of maternal lifestyle interventions (i.e., diet and physical activity) on the epigenome of the offspring. PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane-CENTRAL were screened until 8 July 2023. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) where a lifestyle intervention was compared to no intervention (standard care) were included. Outcome variables included DNA methylation, miRNA expression, and histone modifications. A qualitative approach was used for the consideration of the studies’ results. Seven studies and 1765 mother–child pairs were assessed. The most common types of intervention were dietary advice, physical activity, and following a specific diet (olive oil). The included studies correlated the lifestyle and physical activity intervention in pregnancy to genome-wide or gene-specific differential methylation and miRNA expression in the cord blood or the placenta. An intervention of diet and physical activity in pregnancy was found to be associated with slight changes in the epigenome (DNA methylation and miRNA expression) in fetal tissues. The regions involved were related to adiposity, metabolic processes, type 2 diabetes, birth weight, or growth. However, not all studies showed significant differences in DNA methylation. Further studies with similar parameters are needed to have robust and comparable results and determine the biological role of such modifications.