bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical Analysis of Aeroacoustic Phenomena Generated by Heterogeneous Column of Vehicles
Authors: Hamiga Władysław Marek , Ciesielka Wojciech Bronisław
Published: June 2022

The last decade has seen an exponential interest in conventional and unconventional energy issues. This trend has also extended to road transport issues and is driven by expectations to minimize fuel and/or energy consumption and negative environmental impact. In the global literature, much attention is focused on the work of autonomous transport, both passenger and trucks, and on the phenomena of platooning. The paper presents original aerodynamic and aeroacoustic tests of heterogeneous vehicle columns. In the work, models of a car, a van and a truck were built, followed by heterogeneous columns with different distances between the vehicles. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods and two turbulence models, k−ω shear stress transport (SST) and large eddy simulation (LES), were used in this study. The study enabled the determination of drag coefficients and lift force. Application of the Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings (FW-H) analogy allowed for the determination of the distributions of sound pressure levels generated by moving vehicles and columns of vehicles. In order to verify the developed models, acoustic field measurements were made for the following passages: passenger car, van, and truck. Acoustic pressure level and A-weighted sound level (SPL) were measured in Krakow and in its vicinity. Research has shown that grouping vehicles into optimal columns and maintaining distances between vehicles using modern control systems can result in significant energy savings and reduce harmful emissions to the environment.
Lithium Battery State-of-Charge Estimation Based on a Bayesian Optimization Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory Neural Network
Authors: Yang Biao , Wang Yinshuang , Zhan Yuedong
Published: June 2022

State of charge (SOC) is the most important parameter in battery management systems (BMSs), but since the SOC is not a directly measurable state quantity, it is particularly important to use advanced strategies for accurate SOC estimation. In this paper, we first propose a bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) neural network, which enhances the comprehensiveness of information by acquiring both forward and reverse battery information compared to the general one-way recurrent neural network (RNN). Then, the parameters of this network are optimized by introducing a Bayesian optimization algorithm to match the data characteristics of lithium batteries with the network topology. Finally, two sets of lithium battery public data sets are used to carry out experiments under different constant temperature and variable temperature environments. The experimental results show that the proposed model can effectively fit the actual measurement curve. Compared with traditional long short-term memory network (LSTM) and BiLSTM models, the prediction accuracy of the Bayes-BiLSTM model is the best, with a root mean square error (RMSE) within 1%, achieving a better ability for capturing long-term dependencies. Overall, the model exhibits high accuracy, adaptability, and generalization for the SOC estimation of batteries with different chemical compositions.
Current Sensor Fault Diagnosis and Tolerant Control for Nine-Phase PMSM Drives Based on Improved Axis Rotation
Authors: Zhang Xudong , Liu Xiaoming , Zheng Xiaoqin
Published: June 2022

Fault probability rises with an increase in the number of current sensors in multi-phase permanent synchronous motor (PMSM) drives. This paper proposes an improved axis rotation method for fault diagnosis and tolerant control to make the multi-phase PMSM drives against current sensor loss signal and gain faults. This method can effectively diagnose and distinguish faults without selecting a threshold value, and the degree of fault can be further estimated. The proposed method makes current sensor fault diagnosis and tolerant control become an integrated module. The validity and accuracy of the proposed method is verified by different fault diagnoses and tolerant control experiments of a 9 kw nine-phase PMSM drive.
Prediction and Analysis of Dew Point Indirect Evaporative Cooler Performance by Artificial Neural Network Method
Authors: Sun Tiezhu , Huang Xiaojun , Liang Caihang , Liu Riming , Huang Xiang
Published: June 2022

The artificial neural network method has been widely applied to the performance prediction of fillers and evaporative coolers, but its application to the dew point indirect evaporative coolers is rare. To fill this research gap, a novel performance prediction model for dew point indirect evaporative cooler based on back propagation neural network was established using Matlab2018. Simulation based on the test date in the moderately humid region of Yulin City (Shaanxi Province, China) finds that: the root mean square error of the evaporation efficiency of the back propagation model is 3.1367, and the r2 is 0.9659, which is within the acceptable error range. However, the relative error of individual data (sample 7) is a little bit large, which is close to 10%. In order to improve the accuracy of the back propagation model, an optimized model based on particle swarm optimization was established. The relative error of the optimized model is generally smaller than that of the BP neural network especially for sample 7. It is concluded that the optimized artificial neural network is more suitable for solving the performance prediction problem of dew point indirect evaporative cooling units.
Chemical Stabilization Used to Reduce Geogenic Selenium, Molybdenum, Sulfates and Fluorides Mobility in Rocks and Soils from the Parisian Basin
Authors: Brandely Maxime , Coussy Samuel , Blanc-Biscarat Denise , Gourdon Remy , Blanck Gaëtan
Published: June 2022

Rocks and soils excavated from civil works frequently present high concentrations of naturally occurring leachable (oxy-)anions. This situation raises concerns regarding the potential transfer of contaminants to groundwater in a storage scenario. This study was carried out to give practical insights on the ability of various stabilizing agents to reduce molybdenum (Mo), selenium (Se), fluorides and sulfates mobility in four types of naturally contaminated excavated materials. Based on standardized leaching tests results, Mo and Se were effectively immobilized after zero valent iron or iron salts additions. Although alkaline materials were found to effectively reduce fluorides and sulfates mobility, their addition occasionally caused a subsequent increase in Mo and Se leaching due to pH increase. None of the reagents tested allowed a simultaneous immobilization of all (oxy-)anions sufficient to reach regulatory threshold values. The remaining difficulties were related to: (i) sulfates leaching from gypsum-rich samples, (ii) fluorides leaching from clayey samples and (iii) Mo and sulfates mobility from tunnel muck. Altogether, the study revealed that the choice of stabilizing agents should be made depending on the speciation of the contaminant or else an opposite impact (i.e., increase in contaminant mobility) might be triggered.
Whole-Plant Seedling Functional Traits Suggest Lianas Also Support “Fast-Slow” Plant Economics Spectrum
Authors: Sun Zhenhua , Prachanun Nujaree , Sonsuthi Arunkamon , Chanthorn Wirong , Brockelman Warren Y. , Nathalang Anuttara , Lin Luxiang , Bongers Frans
Published: June 2022

Lianas are predicted to perform better than trees during seasonal drought among tropical forests, which has substantial implications for tree and forest dynamics. Here, we use whole-plant trait comparison to test whether lianas allocated on the resource acquisitive end of the continuum of woody plant strategies. We measured morphological and biomass allocation traits for seedlings of 153 species of trees and lianas occurring in a tropical forest in Thailand during the dry season. We first compared trait differences between lianas and trees directly, and then classified all species based on their trait similarities. We found that liana seedlings had significantly higher specific leaf areas and specific stem lengths than co-occurring tree seedlings. Trait similarity classification resulted in a liana-dominated cluster and a tree-dominated cluster. Compared to the tree-dominated cluster, species in the liana-dominated cluster were characterized by a consistent pattern of lower dry matter content and cheaper and more efficient per dry mass unit investment in both above- and below-ground organs. The consistency of all organs operating in tandem for dry matter content, together with optimized investment in them per mass unit, implied that the lianas and trees can be highly overlapped on the strategy gradient of the resource acquisition continuum.
Aesthetic Quality Assessment of Landscapes as a Model for Urban Forest Areas: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Mundher Riyadh , Abu Bakar Shamsul , Maulan Suhardi , Mohd Yusof Mohd Johari , Al-Sharaa Ammar , Aziz Azlizam , Gao Hangyu
Published: June 2022

Aesthetic experience in a forest can typically be associated with attractive forest scenery that gives people a sense of visual pleasure. Characterized as a visual product based on people’s reactions towards various combinations of landscape settings, features, and objects, this type of natural visual pleasure may benefit people’s well-being, promotes natural and cultural heritage preservation, and encourages the growth of the eco-tourism industry. While most research on forest aesthetics focuses on non-urban settings, this study examines aesthetics in the context of urban forests. This study aims to systematically review landscape aesthetic assessment studies to propose a model for urban forests. We conducted a systematic review of research articles published from 2014 to 2020 by using three research journal databases, Science Direct, Scopus, and MDPI. In total, 55 research articles were identified and qualified for review based on the screening requirements. An additional 26 research articles were also included by using the snowball method to provide better understanding and outcomes for the study. The results were organized into these categories: definitions, benefits, philosophies, approaches, and variables for the aesthetic quality assessment in urban forest areas. In addition, we also found that aesthetic quality in urban forests is highly influenced by visual composition, visual sense, and visual conditions, which have also been proven to be important parts of forest functions and values that could contribute towards the preservation of urban green spaces.
Cross-Boundary Sustainability: Assessment across Forest Ownership Categories in the Conterminous USA Using the Montréal Process Criteria and Indicators Framework
Authors: Butler Brett J. , Caputo Jesse , Henderson Jesse D. , Pugh Scott , Riitters Kurt , Sass Emma M.
Published: June 2022

The conservation and sustainable management of forests across ownership groups of the conterminous USA was assessed using the Montréal Process Criteria and Indicators (C&I) framework using national forest inventory and other data. Sixty-one percent of the forest area in the USA is Privately owned (20% Corporate, 39% Family, and 2% Other Private), 37% is Public (28% Federal, 2% Local, and 7% State), and 2% is within Native American Tribal Reservation boundaries. There are many commonalities across ownership categories, but there are also important differences. A 1.1 million ha yr−1 decrease in Family forestland and a 1.0 million ha yr−1 increase in Corporate forestland (C&I 1.1.a) between 2012 and 2019 are among the main trends with implications for sustainability and influence all other aspects considered through the C&I. The majority of annual timber harvests (C&I 2.d) comes from Corporate (46%) and Family (42%) forestlands. Of the most common species, net growth to removal ratios (C&I 2.d) are less than 1.0 for three species on Tribal forestland, two species on Federal forestlands, and two species on Corporate forestlands. Disturbances (C&I 3.a and 3.b) are relatively common (ranging from 4 to 15% of forestland within an ownership category) across ownership categories with the highest proportion of disturbances being caused by diseases and pests on Federal forestland. Differences in the legal and institutional frameworks across ownership categories (Criterion 7) influence how the forest resources can be managed and how policies, programs, and services can be designed and implemented to help maintain and enhance the flow of forest-based goods and services. This analysis helps illustrate that sustainability is complex, C&I are imperfect, and there are additional elements, such as recreational access and ownership/management objectives, that would be helpful for comparing across ownership categories. But the Montréal Process C&I framework helps elucidate the relative threats among ownership categories, in particular the loss of Family forestland to non-forest uses and the increase in disturbances across most ownership categories, and the relative opportunities across ownership categories, including the sustainable supply of timber from Corporate and Family forestlands and the relatively high tree, and presumably broader, biodiversity especially on Local and Other Private forestlands.
Effects of Forest on Birdsong and Human Acoustic Perception in Urban Parks: A Case Study in Nigeria
Authors: Nwankwo Mary , Meng Qi , Yang Da , Liu Fangfang
Published: June 2022

The quality of the natural sound environment is important for the well-being of humans and for urban sustainability. Therefore, it is important to study how the soundscape of the natural environment affects humans with respect to the different densities of vegetation, and how this affects the frequency of singing events and the sound pressure levels of common birds that generate natural sounds in a commonly visited urban park in Abuja, Nigeria. This study involves the recording of birdsongs, the measurement of sound pressure levels, and a questionnaire evaluation of sound perception and the degree of acoustic comfort in the park. Acoustic comfort, which affects humans, describes the fundamental feelings of users towards the acoustic environment. The results show that first, there is a significant difference between the frequency of singing events of birds for each category of vegetation density (low, medium, and high density) under cloudy and sunny weather conditions, but there is no significant difference during rainy weather. Secondly, the measured sound pressure levels of the birdsongs are affected by vegetation density. This study shows a significant difference between the sound pressure levels of birdsongs and the vegetation density under cloudy, sunny, and rainy weather conditions. In addition, the frequency of singing events of birds is affected by the sound pressure levels of birdsongs with respect to different vegetation densities under different weather conditions. Thirdly, the results from the respondents (N = 160) in this study indicated that the acoustic perception of the park was described as being pleasant, vibrant, eventful, calming, and not considered to be chaotic or annoying in any sense. It also shows that the human perception of birdsong in the park was moderately to strongly correlated with different densities of vegetation, and that demographics play an important role in how natural sounds are perceived in the environment under different weather conditions.
Decline or Rejuvenation? Efficiency Development of China’s National Scenic Areas
Authors: Xu Linlin , Yu Hu , Zhou Bin
Published: June 2022

The decline is one of the essential issues for developing tourism destinations. The rapid adoption of appropriate policies will enable them to reverse the decline and enter the rejuvenation stage in time. This study advocated establishing an operational evaluation model of tourism efficiency with DEA and the super-SBM model to estimate when China’s mass tourism destinations are in decline and rejuvenation based on the tourism area life cycle (TALC) theory regarding China’s national scenic areas (NSAs) samples. The results show that the development of China’s mass tourism destinations can be divided into three phases, in which there is a clear process of persistent decline and rejuvenation. Different types of NSAs vary in terms of efficiency level and change trends. Human landscape, caves, and wetland and lakes all have distinct phases of persistent decline, but humanistic landscapes show a significant rejuvenation trend. These findings provide an innovative re-interpretation of the TALC model.
Plastic Responses in Growth, Morphology, and Biomass Allocation of Five Subtropical Tree Species to Different Degrees of Shading
Authors: Huang Zhijun , Liu Qingqing , Tigabu Mulualem , Jin Shaofei , Ma Xiangqing , Liu Bo
Published: June 2022

We investigated how different degrees of shading affected growth, morphology, and biomass allocation in seedlings from two coniferous and three broadleaved species. The experiment was conducted in a shade house over a 1-year period. Our results showed that under increasing shade, seedlings from most species exhibited lower total biomass, net assimilation rates, relative growth rates, root mass ratios, and root/shoot ratios. In contrast, the slenderness quotients, leaf area ratios, and specific leaf areas increased with increasing shade. For coniferous species, growth traits were relatively more plastic (responsive to shade) than morphology or biomass allocation traits, whereas for broadleaved species, growth and biomass allocation were the most shade-sensitive traits. When comparing coniferous versus broadleaved species, the former had a higher growth plasticity index and lower allocation plasticity than the latter. Root biomass and stem mass ratio were the most and least plastic traits in response to shading. Our results indicate that shade differentially affects coniferous and broadleaved species in terms of their growth, morphology, and biomass allocation. These findings have important implications for the establishment and maintenance of mixed-species stands.
Bar-HRM for Species Confirmation of Native Plants Used in Forest Restoration in Northern Thailand
Authors: Osathanunkul Maslin , Sawongta Nipitpong , Madesis Panagiotis , Pheera Wittaya
Published: June 2022

Plant species confirmation is a crucial step in using native plant species for forest restoration. To enhance this, a hybrid method of DNA barcoding and high-resolution melting analysis (Bar-HRM) was investigated in this study. In total, 12 native plant species samples were collected from forest restoration sites in Nan, a province in Northern Thailand. Simulation HRM analysis was performed to find the most appropriate region for in vitro Bar-HRM analysis. After that, in vitro Bar-HRM was carried out to validate the performance of native plant species. Results from both simulation and in vitro analyses revealed that the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region can be used as a primer set that can clearly discriminate native plant species in this study. With our study, Bar-HRM was proved of use in native plant species confirmation, even if that species had no molecular data available. In this context, Bar-HRM would be useful for the identification of native plant species used in tropical forest restoration not only in Thailand but also in any areas with similar plant groups.
Effects of Elevated Atmospheric CO2 Concentration on Insect Herbivory and Nutrient Fluxes in a Mature Temperate Forest
Authors: Roberts Aradhana , Crowley Liam , Sadler Jon , Nguyen Tien , Gardner Anna , Hayward Scott , Metcalfe Daniel
Published: June 2022

Insect herbivory is one of the most important ecological processes affecting plant–soil feedbacks and overall forest ecosystem health. In this study, we assess how elevated carbon dioxide (eCO2) impacts (i) leaf level insect herbivory and (ii) the stand-level herbivore-mediated transfer of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) from the canopy to the ground in a natural mature oak temperate forest community in central England at the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research Free Air CO2 Enrichment (BIFoR FACE) site. Recently abscised leaves were collected every two weeks through the growing season in August to December from 2017–2019, with the identification of four dominant species: Quercus robur (pedunculate oak), Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore), Crataegus monogyna (common hawthorn) and Corylus avellana (hazel). The selected leaves were scanned and visually analyzed to quantify the leaf area loss from folivory monthly. Additionally, the herbivore-mediated transfer of C and N fluxes from the dominant tree species Q. robur was calculated from these leaf-level folivory estimates, the total foliar production and the foliar C and N contents. This study finds that the leaf-level herbivory at the BIFoR FACE has not changed significantly across the first 3 years of eCO2 treatment when assessed across all dominant tree species, although we detected significant changes under the eCO2 treatment for individual tree species and years. Despite the lack of any strong leaf-level herbivory response, the estimated stand-level foliar C and N transferred to the ground via herbivory was substantially higher under eCO2, mainly because there was a ~50% increase in the foliar production of Q. robur under eCO2. This result cautions against concluding much from either the presence or absence of leaf-level herbivory responses to any environmental effect, because their actual ecosystem effects are filtered through so many (usually unmeasured) factors.
Semi-Empirical Models and Revision of Predicting Approaches of Tree Aboveground Biomass Assessments
Authors: Corral-Rivas Sacramento , Luján-Soto José Encarnación , Domínguez-Gómez Tilo Gustavo , Corral-Rivas José Javier , Rodríguez-Flores Felipa de Jesús , Colín José-Guadalupe , Graciano-Luna José de Jesús , Návar José
Published: June 2022

Tree aboveground biomass (e.g., bole, branches, and foliage), M, plays key roles in forest management as it is the basis for evaluating the sink and flux of, for example, carbon and nitrogen, stand productivity, dendro-energy, litter & root biomass, hydrological parameters, among others. With the aim of further simplifying and understanding M, the central objective of this research was to review available techniques to develop, test, and validate two independent novel non-destructive, semi-empirical models using four major M datasets: (i) the shape dimensional bio-physical, MSD; and (ii) the restrictive mathematical, MNR, models. The proposed models advance and test how each of both approaches: (i) constant or (ii) variable scalar coefficients perform when predicting M with major assumptions bearing bio-physical principles. Results showed that M has to be predicted eventually with variable scalar coefficients; both models predicted compatible M figures; the evaluations matched the conventional equation well; and the independent data sets were well validated; the coefficients of determination, r2, and the standard errors, Sx%, had values >96% and <20%, respectively, for most tested conifer tree species. In spite of demonstrating empirically and physically the ontogenetic-dependency of scalar coefficients, the MNR model, with constant β-scalar and variable a-intercept coefficients, performed slightly better, and precision appeared to be a function of the tree species growing in different forest ecosystems. Therefore, better parameterization advances for the testing and validation of the MSD model that uses variable scalar coefficients, which are consistent with ontogenetic principles, are preliminarily recommended for M assessments. The updated revision of models, the independent development, the construction using different assumptions, the individual mathematical and bio-physical parameterization, the consistency on M assessments, and the bearing of physical and biological properties are key pieces of scientific information presented in this report are required in modern forest management when predicting M and associated variables and attributes.
Discretionary Operations of Frontline Forest Bureaucrats in Tropical Developing Countries: A Case Study from Java, Indonesia
Authors: Ota Masahiko
Published: June 2022

Detailed exploration of why and how a certain forest management operation was not implemented will lead to more nuanced understandings of local policy realities. Drawing on the viewpoints of street-level bureaucracy, the present study examined discretionary operations practiced by frontline forest bureaucrats in Java, Indonesia. The study particularly focused on how changes in wider political economic situations affected power relations between frontline forest bureaucrats and locals, and how changed power relations generated discretionary operations both in regulatory and facilitation aspects. The author combined various data collection methods, including a mail-out questionnaire survey for frontline forest bureaucrats, a survey through in-person interviews of village representatives, a survey through in-person interviews of household heads in a village, and participatory observations of events in villages. The findings showed that frontline forest bureaucrats’ discretion included both creative and passive forms; whereas they attempted to accommodate contrasting policy goals of protecting forests and meeting local demands for forests, they felt hesitation to cope with local situations due to increasing bargaining power of locals that resulted from recent democratization processes. Policy options or organizational measures to remove the conditions that result in negative types of discretion should be deliberated based on the realities of frontline forest bureaucrats.
Spatial Scale Effects of Soil Respiration in Arid Desert Tugai Forest: Responses to Plant Functional Traits and Soil Abiotic Factors
Authors: Wang Jinlong , He Xuemin , Ma Wen , Li Zhoukang , Chen Yudong , Lv Guanghui
Published: June 2022

Understanding the spatial variation law of soil respiration (Rs) and its influencing factors is very important when simulating and predicting the terrestrial carbon cycle process. However, there are still limitations in understanding how different sampling scales affect the spatial heterogeneity of Rs and whether the spatial scale effect will change with habitat types. Our objectives were to explore the effects of different sampling scales on the spatial variability of Rs and the relative importance of soil abiotic characteristics and plant traits in influencing the spatial variability of Rs. The Rs, soil properties, and plant traits were measured through field investigation and indoor analysis in the Tugai forest desert plant community in the Ebinur Lake Basin in northwest China. The Rs showed significant water gradient changes, with a coefficient of variation of 35.4%–58%. Plot types had significant effects on Rs, while the change of sampling scale did not lead to significant differences in Rs. At the plot scale, Rs spatial variation at the 5 m × 5 m sampling scale mainly depended on plant traits (leaf length, leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content, and leaf phosphorus content, p < 0.05), while Rs spatial variation at the 10 m × 10 m scale mainly depended on soil properties (soil total phosphorus, ammonium nitrogen, soil water content, and pH, p < 0.05). At the local scale, soil nutrients (soil available phosphorus and ammonium nitrogen) and plant traits (maximum plant height, leaf length, and phosphorus content) at the 5 m × 5 m scale jointly explained 49% of the spatial change of Rs. In contrast, soil microclimate (soil water content), soil nutrients (soil pH, available phosphorus, and nitrate nitrogen), and plant traits (leaf thickness) jointly explained 51% of the spatial variation of Rs at the 10 m × 10 m scale. These results demonstrate the potential to predict the spatial variability of Rs based on the combination of easily measured aboveground functional traits and soil properties, which provides new ideas and perspectives for further understanding the mechanism of Rs change in Tugai forests.
A Synthetic Landscape Metric to Evaluate Urban Vegetation Quality: A Case of Fuzhou City in China
Authors: Hu Xisheng , Xu Chongmin , Chen Jin , Lin Yuying , Lin Sen , Wu Zhilong , Qiu Rongzu
Published: June 2022

Urban vegetation plays a very important role in regulating urban climate and improving the urban environment. There is an urgent need to construct an effective index to quickly detect urban vegetation quality changes. In this study, a synthetic vegetation quality index (VQI) was proposed using a holistic approach based on the quality of vegetation itself and the spatial relationship with its surroundings, composed of four selected variables: normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), patch aggregation index (AI), patch density (PD), and percentage of landscape (PLAND). Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to calculate weights for each variable due to its objectivity. Then, taking Fuzhou City, southeast China as the case study, the scale effects of the VQI under different moving window sizes (500 m, 1 km, 2 km, …, 5 km) and the spatiotemporal changes were explored. The results showed that a VQI with a window size of 3 km had the highest correlations with all the selected indicators. Meanwhile, the representativeness and the effectiveness of the VQI were validated by the percentage eigenvalues of PC1, as well as Pearson correlation analysis and bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis. We also revealed that the proposed VQI had the greatest explanatory power for land surface temperature (LST) among all the factors in both studied years (2000 and 2016), with the VQI’s interpretation of LST being 0–44% better than any individual indicator except for AI in 2000. Additionally, our work revealed that the location of vegetation has a great impact on the urban thermal environment. The VQI can assess urban vegetation quality effectively and quickly.
Biological Durability of Acetylated Hornbeam Wood with Soil Contact in Hungary
Authors: Fodor Fanni , Bak Miklós , Bidló András , Bolodár-Varga Bernadett , Németh Róbert
Published: June 2022

This test aimed to discover if industrially acetylated hornbeam can tolerate real-field conditions in Hungary, where various microorganisms can attack the wood separately or cooperatively. Untreated samples accompanied the modified wood to assess the degradation capacity of the soil. The test also focused on weather parameters, the Scheffer index, and soil properties. The untreated stakes showed insect damage, soft rot decay, white rot decay, wasp stripping, moss, and cracks. All of the beech and hornbeam stakes broke after 3.5 years, and the last Scots pine sapwood stakes broke after 6 years. To date, acetylated hornbeam exhibits stronger resistance than untreated hornbeam, beech, and Scots pine sapwood. The acetylated hornbeam stakes showed no decay after 6 years of exposure, and they became dry shortly after being taken from the soil. Acetylated hornbeam stake number 7 had superficial brown rot decay after 18 months, which gradually worsened over the years. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed that this stake had lower acetyl content. It was associated with hornbeam wood; it had a wet pocket or a part that was not as permeable and achieved a lower grade of acetylation.
Application of Ultrafiltration and Ion Exchange Separation Technology for Lysozyme Separation and Extraction
Authors: Chen Shanshan , Tan Yaqing , Zhu Yaqing , Sun Liqin , Lin Jian , Zhang Hailing
Published: June 2022

In this study, the fermentation broth of the recombinant Pichia pastoris strain ncy-2 was studied. After pretreatment, separation, and purification, lysozyme was optimized using biofilm and ion exchange separation. Finally, lysozyme dry enzyme powder was prepared by concentrating and vacuum drying. The removal rate of bacterial cells was 99.99% when the fermentation broth was centrifuged at low temperature. The optimum conditions were: transmembrane pressure of 0.20 MPa, pH 6.5, 96.6% yield of lysozyme, enzyme activity of 2612.1 u/mg, which was 1.78 times higher than that of the original enzyme; D152 resin was used for adsorption and elution. Process conditions were optimized: the volume ratio of resin to liquid was 15%; the adsorption time was 4 h; the concentration of NaCl was 1.0 mol/L; the recovery rate of lysozyme activity was 95.67%; the enzyme activity was 3879.6 u/mL; and the purification multiple was 0.5, 3.1 times of the original enzyme activity. The enzyme activity of lysozyme dry enzyme powder was 12,573.6 u/mg, which had an inhibitory effect on microsphere lysozyme. Its enzymatic properties were almost the same as those of natural lysozyme, which demonstrated good application prospects and production potential.
Antibacterial Mechanism of Dellaglioa algida against Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas fragi
Authors: Sun Yao , Liu Shiyu , Zhan Zhe , Wei Tianhui , Ma Tongqing , Sun Jie , Song Jinzhu
Published: June 2022

Pseudomonas fluorescens (P. fluorescens) and Pseudomonas fragi (P. fragi), two kinds of psychrotrophic Pseudomonas species with pathogenicity, are likely to contaminate foods and cause diseases even in fairly cold environments, an outcome which should be suppressed. This paper investigates the antibacterial mechanisms of Dellaglioa algida (D. algida), a new type of low-temperature-resistant Lactobacillus, on two such Pseudomonas. By the enzyme treatment approach, the antibacterial substance existing in the cell-free supernatant (CFS) of D. algida is preliminarily determined as organic acid or protein; then, its inhibition effects are assessed under various culture environments, including pH value, salinity, and culture time, where the best antibacterial performance is achieved at pH = 6.00, S = 0%, and culture time = 48 h. A series of experiments on biofilms indicate that D. algida is not only able to inhibit the generation or damage the integrality of the biofilm of the two mentioned Pseudomonas, but also can reduce the motility, including swarming and swimming, of P. fragi and restrain the swarming of P. fluorescens. The aformentioned developed antibacterial mechanisms show the possibility of using D. algida in applications as an inhibitor for psychrotrophic Pseudomonas in the food industry, by virtue of its strong suppression capability, especially in cold environments.
Rational Metabolic Engineering Combined with Biosensor-Mediated Adaptive Laboratory Evolution for l-Cysteine Overproduction from Glycerol in Escherichia coli
Authors: Zhang Xiaomei , Sun Zhenhang , Bian Jinyu , Gao Yujie , Zhang Dong , Xu Guoqiang , Zhang Xiaojuan , Li Hui , Shi Jinsong , Xu Zhenghong
Published: June 2022

l-Cysteine is an important sulfur-containing amino acid with numerous applications in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The microbial production of l-cysteine has received substantial attention, and the supply of the precursor l-serine is important in l-cysteine biosynthesis. In this study, to achieve l-cysteine overproduction, we first increased l-serine production by deleting genes involved in the pathway of l-serine degradation to glycine (serine hydroxymethyl transferase, SHMT, encoded by glyA genes) in strain 4W (with l-serine titer of 1.1 g/L), thus resulting in strain 4WG with l-serine titer of 2.01 g/L. Second, the serine-biosensor based on the transcriptional regulator NCgl0581 of C. glutamicum was constructed in E. coli, and the validity and sensitivity of the biosensor were demonstrated in E. coli. Then 4WG was further evolved through adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) combined with serine-biosensor, thus yielding the strain 4WGX with 4.13 g/L l-serine production. Moreover, the whole genome of the evolved strain 4WGX was sequenced, and ten non-synonymous mutations were found in the genome of strain 4WGX compared with strain 4W. Finally, 4WGX was used as the starting strain, and deletion of the l-cysteine desulfhydrases (encoded by tnaA), overexpression of serine acetyltransferase (encoded by cysE) and the key enzyme of transport pathway (encoded by ydeD) were performed in strain 4WGX. The recombinant strain 4WGX-∆tnaA-cysE-ydeD can produce 313.4 mg/L of l-cysteine using glycerol as the carbon source. This work provides an efficient method for the biosynthesis of value-added commodity products associated with glycerol conversion.
Convergence of Information-Centric Networks and Edge Intelligence for IoV: Challenges and Future Directions
Authors: Musa Salahadin Seid , Zennaro Marco , Libsie Mulugeta , Pietrosemoli Ermanno
Published: June 2022

Recently the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) has become a promising research area in the field of the Internet of Things (IoT), which enables vehicles to communicate and exchange real-time information with each other, as well as with infrastructure, people, and other sensors and actuators through various communication interfaces. The realization of IoV networks faces various communication and networking challenges to meet stringent requirements of low latency, dynamic topology, high data-rate connectivity, resource allocation, multiple access, and QoS. Advances in information-centric networks (ICN), edge computing (EC), and artificial intelligence (AI) will transform and help to realize the Intelligent Internet of Vehicles (IIoV). Information-centric networks have emerged as a paradigm promising to cope with the limitations of the current host-based network architecture (TCP/IP-based networks) by providing mobility support, efficient content distribution, scalability and security based on content names, regardless of their location. Edge computing (EC), on the other hand, is a key paradigm to provide computation, storage and other cloud services in close proximity to where they are requested, thus enabling the support of real-time services. It is promising for computation-intensive applications, such as autonomous and cooperative driving, and to alleviate storage burdens (by caching). AI has recently emerged as a powerful tool to break through obstacles in various research areas including that of intelligent transport systems (ITS). ITS are smart enough to make decisions based on the status of a great variety of inputs. The convergence of ICN and EC with AI empowerment will bring new opportunities while also raising not-yet-explored obstacles to realize Intelligent IoV. In this paper, we discuss the applicability of AI techniques in solving challenging vehicular problems and enhancing the learning capacity of edge devices and ICN networks. A comprehensive review is provided of utilizing intelligence in EC and ICN to address current challenges in their application to IIoV. In particular, we focus on intelligent edge computing and networking, offloading, intelligent mobility-aware caching and forwarding and overall network performance. Furthermore, we discuss potential solutions to the presented issues. Finally, we highlight potential research directions which may illuminate efforts to develop new intelligent IoV applications.
Unauthorized Stocking of an Endangered Bitterling Acheilognathus typus in an Irrigation Pond Detected and Substantiated by Biological and Human Lines of Evidence
Authors: Saitoh Kenji , Inoue Nobuo , Hasegawa Masatomo
Published: June 2022

Acheilognathus typus, an endangered bitterling, was captured in an irrigation pond in the northern part of Niigata prefecture, Japan, in 2019. This bitterling species had once occupied that region. Its absence for years indicated the possible extinction of the bitterling there. We expected that the recently captured individuals are an unknown remnant stock of that endangered species found through an extensive survey. Mitochondrial genotyping, however, revealed that the recently captured individuals had a common haplotype with those from Kashimadai, Miyagi prefecture, Japan. The uniqueness of the haplotype to these two ponds indicates a stock identity between them. In the pond in Kashimadai, the illegal activity of catching the bitterlings by a person from the northern Niigata prefecture was detected in 2015. We conclude that the bitterling from the northern Niigata prefecture was stocked from a pond in Kashimadai. Our report is the first example of unauthorized bitterling stocking substantiated from both biological and human lines of evidence.
Can Agri-Food Waste Be a Sustainable Alternative in Aquaculture? A Bibliometric and Meta-Analytic Study on Growth Performance, Innate Immune System, and Antioxidant Defenses
Authors: Bertocci Filippo , Mannino Giuseppe
Published: June 2022

The agri-food industry generates a large amount of waste every year, which is both an environmental and economic problem, especially for the countries in charge of its disposal. Over the years, there has been a growing interest especially in plant waste, since they are rich in compounds with high nutritional and nutraceutical value. As a result, several scientific disciplines are investigating their alternative use in the formulation of dietary supplements for human or animal use, or as biostimulants for agricultural purposes. In this review, using a meta-analytical approach, we summarize the main and most recent findings related to the use of plant waste as potential ingredients in dietary supplementation for fish grown under controlled experimental conditions. In particular, in this review, it has been highlighted that plant waste may have not only positive effects on growth performance, but also beneficial effects on modulation of the innate immune system and antioxidant defenses. Finally, the bibliometric study and a mapping provide an overview of the recent publications, showing the research strength across the country, the number of potential collaborations among institutions, and the main research focus, demonstrating how this topic is growing in interest, especially in Europe.
How Information on Superfoods Changes Consumers’ Attitudes: An Explorative Survey Study
Authors: Franco Lucas Bárbara , Alberto Vieira Costa Jorge , Brunner Thomas A.
Published: June 2022

Increasing interest in healthy habits has created the market for what is commonly called “superfoods.” The goal of this study was to explore Swiss consumers’ initial and final attitudes toward superfoods as well as their change in attitude toward those foods after being provided selected information. A questionnaire survey was conducted to explore the individual traits of the respondents. The attitudes were assessed at the beginning and end of the survey. Four multiple regression analyses were performed. The results showed that consumers perceiving superfoods’ health benefits and expressing an interest in organic foods were associated with initial and positive attitudes. These predictors remained significantly related to the positive attitude at the end of the survey. Sociodemographic predictors (age and place of residence) were significant factors, with older people and individuals who lived in urban centers showing a higher propensity to improve their attitudes toward superfoods. Individuals with lower perceptions about the benefits of superfoods being healthy and lower levels of cultural participation showed a negative attitude change. Given that this study aims to shed light on the variables that influence the behavior of Swiss consumers toward the superfoods trend, it fills a significant gap in the literature.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Analysis of the Evolution of Peroxidation Products Arising from Culinary Oils Exposed to Thermal Oxidation: An Investigation Employing 1H and 1H-1H COSY and TOCSY Techniques
Authors: Ampem Gilbert , Le Gresley Adam , Grootveld Martin , Naughton Declan P.
Published: June 2022

Scientific warnings on the deleterious health effects exerted by dietary lipid oxidation products (LOPs) present in thermally stressed culinary oils have, to date, not received adequate attention given that there has been an increase in the use and consumption of such oil products in everyday life. In this study, high-resolution 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis was used to characterize and map chemical modifications to fatty acid (FA) acyl groups and the evolution of LOPs in saturated fatty acid (SFA)-rich ghee, monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)-rich groundnut, extra virgin olive, and macadamia oils, along with polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-rich sesame, corn and walnut oils, which were all thermally stressed at 180 °C, continuously and discontinuously for 300 and 480 min, respectively. Results acquired revealed that PUFA-rich culinary oils were more susceptible to thermo-oxidative stress than the others tested, as expected. However, ghee and macadamia oil both generated only low levels of toxic LOPs, and these results demonstrated a striking similarity. Furthermore, at the 120 min thermo-oxidation time-point, the discontinuous thermo-oxidation episodes produced higher concentrations of aldehydic LOPs than those produced during continuous thermo-oxidation sessions for the same duration. On completion of the thermo-oxidation period, a higher level of triacylglycerol chain degradation, and hence, higher concentrations of aldehydes, were registered in culinary oils thermally stressed continuously over those found in discontinuous thermo-oxidized oils. These findings may be crucial in setting targets and developing scientific methods for the suppression of LOPs in thermo-oxidized oils.
Red Rice Bran Extract Attenuates Adipogenesis and Inflammation on White Adipose Tissues in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice
Authors: Munkong Narongsuk , Lonan Piyanuch , Mueangchang Wirinya , Yadyookai Narissara , Kanjoo Vaiphot , Yoysungnoen Bhornprom
Published: June 2022

Red rice bran extract (RRBE) has been reported to have the potential for in vitro metabolic modulation and anti-inflammatory properties. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of these potentials in adipose tissue. This study aimed to evaluate the in vivo anti-adipogenic, anti-hypertrophic, and anti-inflammatory activities of RRBE and its major bioactive compounds in mice. After six weeks of consuming either a low-fat diet or a high-fat diet (HFD), 32 mice with initial body weights of 20.76 ± 0.24 g were randomly divided into four groups; the four groups were fed a low-fat diet, a HFD, a HFD plus 0.5 g/kg of RRBE, or a HFD plus 1 g/kg of RRBE, respectively. The 6-week treatment using RRBE reduced HFD-induced adipocyte hypertrophy, lipid accumulation, and inflammation in intra-abdominal epididymal white adipose tissue (p < 0.05) without causing significant changes in body and adipose tissue weight, which reductions were accompanied by the down-regulated expression of adipogenic and lipid metabolism genes, including CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-alpha, sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c, and hormone-sensitive lipase (p < 0.05), as well as inflammatory genes, including macrophage marker F4/80, nuclear factor-kappa B p65, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (p < 0.05), in adipose tissue. Furthermore, RRBE significantly decreased serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels (p < 0.05). Bioactive compound analyses revealed the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and proanthocyanidins in these extracts. Collectively, this study demonstrates that RRBE effectively attenuates HFD-induced pathological adipose tissue remodeling by suppressing adipogenesis, lipid dysmetabolism, and inflammation. Therefore, RRBE may emerge as one of the alternative food products to be used against obesity-associated adipose tissue dysfunction.