bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying Important Nodes in Trip Networks and Investigating Their Determinants
Authors: Li Ze-Tao , Nie Wei-Peng , Cai Shi-Min , Zhao Zhi-Dan , Zhou Tao
Published: June 2023

Describing travel patterns and identifying significant locations is a crucial area of research in transportation geography and social dynamics. Our study aims to contribute to this field by analyzing taxi trip data from Chengdu and New York City. Specifically, we investigate the probability density distribution of trip distance in each city, which enables us to construct long- and short-distance trip networks. To identify critical nodes within these networks, we employ the PageRank algorithm and categorize them using centrality and participation indices. Furthermore, we explore the factors that contribute to their influence and observe a clear hierarchical multi-centre structure in Chengdu’s trip networks, while no such phenomenon is evident in New York City’s. Our study provides insight into the impact of trip distance on important nodes within trip networks in both cities and serves as a reference for distinguishing between long and short taxi trips. Our findings also reveal substantial differences in network structures between the two cities, highlighting the nuanced relationship between network structure and socio-economic factors. Ultimately, our research sheds light on the underlying mechanisms shaping transportation networks in urban areas and offers valuable insights into urban planning and policy making.
Socio-Economic and Demographic Factors Associated with COVID-19 Mortality in European Regions: Spatial Econometric Analysis
Authors: Szysz Mateusz , Torój Andrzej
Published: June 2023

In some NUTS 2 (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) regions of Europe, the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an increase in mortality by several dozen percent and only a few percent in others. Based on the data on 189 regions from 19 European countries, we identified factors responsible for these differences, both intra- and internationally. Due to the spatial nature of the virus diffusion and to account for unobservable country-level and sub-national characteristics, we used spatial econometric tools to estimate two types of models, explaining (i) the number of cases per 10,000 inhabitants and (ii) the percentage increase in the number of deaths compared to the 2016–2019 average in individual regions (mostly NUTS 2) in 2020. We used two weight matrices simultaneously, accounting for both types of spatial autocorrelation: linked to geographical proximity and adherence to the same country. For the feature selection, we used Bayesian Model Averaging. The number of reported cases is negatively correlated with the share of risk groups in the population (60+ years old, older people reporting chronic lower respiratory disease, and high blood pressure) and the level of society’s belief that the positive health effects of restrictions outweighed the economic losses. Furthermore, it positively correlated with GDP per capita (PPS) and the percentage of people employed in the industry. On the contrary, the mortality (per number of infections) has been limited through high-quality healthcare. Additionally, we noticed that the later the pandemic first hit a region, the lower the death toll there was, even controlling for the number of infections.
Determinants of Digital Innovation in Micro and Small Industries
Authors: Martini Martini , Setiawan Doddy , Suryandari Retno Tanding , Brahmana Rayenda Khresna , Asrihapsari Andi
Published: June 2023

Micro and small industries (MSIs) must utilize digital technology if they hope to meet obstacles and endure in a market that is always evolving owing to technological advancements. This study aims to examine the capacity of business factors, marketing factors, constraint factors, credit factors, entrepreneur factors, and firm factors as determinants of digital innovation proxied by internet adoption and internet usage levels (for communication and information, for promotion, for buying and selling, and for fintech). This study uses a sample size of 90,295 MSIs and secondary data from the MSIs survey in 2019. As analytical tools, logit and ordinary least square (OLS) were employed. The findings demonstrate that business factors, marketing factors, constraint factors, credit factors, entrepreneur factors, and MSIs’ firm factors are substantial and continuously affect digital innovation, and primarily its influence is as a motivator. These results will hopefully offer insights for the government as consideration regarding policies on how to encourage MSIs’ digital innovation, and for MSIs themselves as references when they are about to make digital innovation decisions.
Children’s Stress in the Time of COVID-19: Relationships with School, Social and Recreational Experiences
Authors: Sawyer Brook E. , Wakeel Fathima , Manz Patricia H. , Link Olivia
Published: June 2023

Introduction: In response to the public health threats during the pandemic, many schools shifted to online instructional delivery, and many children experienced changes to their social and recreational activities. While an emerging body of literature is documenting these changes or how these experiences may be related to parents’ and children’s functioning, no known study has examined all of these constructs. We investigated the degree to which schooling, social, and recreational experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the stress levels of school-age children. Further, recognizing the interconnectedness of parents’ and children’s lives, we examined whether parental stress mediated the relations between children’s experiences and child stress. Method: Parents of school-age children (N = 701) completed an online questionnaire with items focused on school modality (i.e., fully online or not), sufficiency of school resources, change in relationships, change in social/recreational activities, parental stress, and child stress. Results: The findings indicated that fully online school was not associated with child stress. Lower sufficiency of school resources, greater change in relationships, and greater change in social/recreational activities predicted higher child stress. Parental stress fully or partially mediated these relations. Discussion: Implications for educators are provided.
Value of Care: An Exploratory Qualitative Study with Doctors and Patients
Authors: Marino Leda , Capone Vincenza
Published: June 2023

The concept of value in healthcare is mainly based on economic and financial aspects. However, the literature has emphasised the need to investigate value from other perspectives. The present study aimed to explore the views of physicians and patients on the value of healthcare, and to examine in depth the psychosocial and organisational elements that have emerged but that need to be investigated more. Therefore, two qualitative studies were performed, in which 69 physicians and 111 patients participated. The data were analysed using content analysis and text mining using t-lab software. The results revealed common elements between the two healthcare actors that constitute value in healthcare, including competence, professionalism, and soft skills like communication and empathy. Furthermore, the importance of functioning health services and effective organisational culture in local healthcare and investment emerged. These findings can guide healthcare organisations to consider the potential psychosocial factors related to value in healthcare, which affect organisation in terms of costs and healthcare relationships. In addition, these findings are a first step in filling the gap found in the literature regarding the consideration of value from a non-economic perspective and the difficulty of defining and measuring it.
Decoupling Source and Semantic Encoding: An Implementation Study
Authors: Feng Yulong , Xu Jin , Liang Chulong , Yu Guanghui , Hu Liujun , Yuan Tao
Published: June 2023

Despite the remarkable achievements of modern communication systems based on Shannon’s theory, there is still considerable room for exploration in information transmission capacity, and semantic communication technology has emerged as a promising approach in this regard. Nonetheless, the benefits of semantic communication remain elusive, and the absence of a unified system model has hindered practical implementation. In this context, we contend that semantic communication can benefit from data distortion and the incorporation of natural language modeling information, such that source coding with semantic modeling information does not compromise the performance of semantic communication systems. To fortify our stance, a novel Separated Data-Semantic Coding (SDSC) system is proposed, which disentangles the source coding and semantic coding. Furthermore, relevant experiments are conducted to validate the contention and the SDSC system. By illuminating the superiority of semantic communication, the research not only contributes to the advancement of semantic communication technologies but also facilitates the development of more practical communication systems.
Facile Synthesis of Sea-Urchin-like VN as High-Performance Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Hu Zhaowei , Huang Weifeng , Li Huifang , Zhang Yizhou , Wang Peng , Wang Xiaojun , Liu Zhiming
Published: June 2023

Lithium-ion batteries are still the main theme of the contemporary market. Commercial graphite has struggled to meet the demand of high energy density for various electronic products due to its low theoretical capacity. Therefore, exploring for a new anode with high capacity is important. Vanadium nitride has attracted widespread attention due to its high theoretical specific capacity and good chemical/thermal stability. However, vanadium nitride is accompanied by huge volume expansion and nanoparticle agglomeration during the electrochemical reaction, which limits its application. Herein, sea-urchin-like vanadium nitride (SUK-VN) was successfully prepared with a simple hydrothermal method combined with an annealing strategy to boost the actual capacity of the vanadium nitride. The special sea-urchin-like morphology effectively suppresses the agglomeration of vanadium nitride nanoparticles and exposes more reactive sites, which facilitates the electrochemical performance of electrode materials. In the half-cells, sea-urchin-like vanadium nitride exhibits a specific capacity of 361.5 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 after 60 cycles, and even still achieves a specific capacity of 164.5 with a Coulomb efficiency of approximately 99.9% at 1 A g−1 after 500 cycles. Such a strategy provides the potential to enhance the electrochemical properties of vanadium nitride anodes in terms of solving the nanoparticle agglomeration.
A Consideration of the Single-Phase Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Joint Regulation of a Three-Phase Unbalanced Control Strategy in a Power Distribution System
Authors: Wang Min , Wang Huilin , Zuo Fanglin , Zou Jie , Chen Yuan , Yu Zixuan
Published: June 2023

With a large amount of distributed power and energy storage access, the traditional three-phase unbalanced treatment of a power distribution system is mainly aimed at the three-phase unbalance of a load, which cannot effectively address the three-phase unbalance problem of a power distribution network after a large number of single-phase photovoltaic access. Therefore, this paper proposes a three-phase unbalanced treatment strategy for the distribution network, which considers the joint regulation ability of single-phase photovoltaic and energy storage and the regulation ability of a reactive power compensation device. Firstly, the joint regulation ability of single-phase photovoltaic and energy storage under different photovoltaic permeability is analyzed. Secondly, according to the joint regulation ability of single-phase photovoltaic and energy storage and the regulation ability of reactive power compensation device, the three-phase power optimization model is constructed to minimize the three-phase unbalance degree and regulation cost, and the JAYA optimization algorithm is used to solve the model. Finally, the 33-node distribution system is used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
Low-Voltage LDO Regulator Based on Native MOS Transistor with Improved PSR and Fast Response
Authors: Blakiewicz Grzegorz
Published: June 2023

In this paper, a low-voltage low-dropout analog regulator (ALDO) based on a native n-channel MOS transistor is proposed. Application of the native transistor with the threshold voltage close to zero allows elimination of the charge pump in low-voltage regulators using the pass element in a common drain configuration. Such a native pass transistor configuration allows simplification of regulator design and improved performance, with supply voltages below 1 V, compared to commonly used regulators with p-channel MOS transistors. In the presented design of ALDO regulator in 180 nm CMOS X-FAB technology, an output voltage of 0.7 V was achieved with an output current of 10 mA and a supply voltage of 0.8 V. Simulation results show that despite the low supply voltage, output voltage spikes do not exceed 70 mV at the worst technology corner when output current transients from 100 µA to 10 mA. Under such conditions, stable operation and power supply rejection PSR = 35 dB were achieved with an output capacitance of 0–500 pF. The proposed regulator allows to push the limit of ALDO regulator applications to voltages below 1 V with only slight degradation of its performance.
Anti-Condensation Temperature Control Strategy of the Concrete Radiant Roof
Authors: Zhang Bobo , Sun Qin , Su Lin , Dong Kaijun , Luo Weimin , Guan Haifeng , Shao Zhenhua , Wu Wei
Published: June 2023

Radiation cooling, as a new terminal mode that has been gradually emerging in recent years, has attracted more and more attention. However, the problem of condensation has become a vital bottleneck restricting the broad application of radiation-cooling technology. This paper used the numerical simulation method of Ansys Fluent to study the effect of different water supply parameters on the concrete radiant roof’s heat transfer performance, temperature uniformity analysis, and anti-condensation temperature control strategy. The accuracy of the simulation model was verified by comparing the numerical simulation values and measured values of temperature monitoring points. In thermal performance research, the inlet temperature significantly impacted the cooling capacity and radiant surface temperature compared with the inlet flow velocity. In the uniformity study, the distance between the serpentine pipes area and the concrete edge was easily neglected, which was also an important factor affecting the distribution of temperature uniformity. Regarding anti-condensation and performance improvement research, first supplying water at low temperatures and then dynamically adjusting high-temperature water could effectively avoid condensation and improve the radiant roof’s heat transfer performance. The research results could provide technical references for the practical application of radiation roof anti-condensation temperature control technology.
Multiparameter Regression of a Photovoltaic System by Applying Hybrid Methods with Variable Selection and Stacking Ensembles under Extreme Conditions of Altitudes Higher than 3800 Meters above Sea Level
Authors: Cruz Jose , Romero Christian , Vera Oscar , Huaquipaco Saul , Beltran Norman , Mamani Wilson
Published: June 2023

The production of solar energy at altitudes higher than 3800 m above sea level is not constant because the relevant factors are highly varied and complex due to extreme solar radiation, climatic variations, and hostile environments. Therefore, it is necessary to create efficient prediction models to forecast solar production even before implementing photovoltaic systems. In this study, stacking techniques using ElasticNet and XGBoost were applied in order to develop regression models that could collect a maximum number of features, using the LASSO, Ridge, ElasticNet, and Bayesian models as a base. A sequential feature selector (SFS) was used to reduce the computational cost and optimize the algorithm. The models were implemented with data from a string photovoltaic (PV) system in Puno, Peru, during April and August 2021, using 15 atmospheric and photovoltaic system variables in accordance with the European standard IEC 61724-20170. The results indicate that ElasticNet reduced the MAE by 30.15% compared to the base model, and that the XGBoost error was reduced by 30.16% using hyperparameter optimization through modified random forest research. It is concluded that the proposed models reduce the error of the prediction system, especially the stacking model using XGBoost with hyperparameter optimization.
Audit-Based Energy Performance Analysis of Multifamily Buildings in South-East Poland
Authors: Michalak Piotr , Szczotka Krzysztof , Szymiczek Jakub
Published: June 2023

Multifamily buildings account for about half of all residential buildings in Poland and about 70% of the urban population live in them. Most of them require thermal refurbishment. Evaluation of a building’s energy performance with the use of correlation models has been very rarely used in relation to buildings in Poland. This method is simple, fast and can improve the decision process on thermal modernisation. It is especially important at the pre-design stage of planned investments. This paper presents an attempt to develop correlations that could be used in the energy assessment of multifamily buildings. For this purpose a dataset containing of 29 audits of multifamily buildings was used. The statistical analysis was performed for buildings before and after planned refurbishment. Obtained relationships showed strong correlation between thermal demand for space heating or domestic hot water and ventilation airflow and thermal transmittance of windows (R2 > 0.6). After designed modernisation the number of strong correlations decreased. Energy for domestic hot water was correlated with the number of inhabitants (R2 = 0.6). Energy for space heating was correlated with the number of users and heated volume of a building.
The Effects of Vaporisation Models on the FCC Riser Reactor
Authors: Selalame Thabang W. , Patel Raj , Mujtaba Iqbal Mohammed , John Yakubu Mandafiya
Published: June 2023

This work presents a steady-state one-dimensional model of the FCC riser considering the vaporisation of the gas oil feed and subsequent cracking reactions. The evaporation of droplets is studied using three models: the classical homogeneous model and the heterogeneous vaporisation models from the literature. Droplets are modelled using the Lagrangian framework model for particles moving through a fluid. This was coupled with the gas–solid flow field describing the catalyst particulate transport in the riser. Cracking reaction kinetics are modelled using a four-lumped model. The model was then validated against published plant data. The model performed well in terms of gas oil conversion, gasoline yield, pressure drop, and phase temperature profiles. Therefore, it is suitable for use in the design and optimisation of new and existing FCC unit risers, particularly in cost–benefit analysis considering the current push away from petroleum energy sources. It was found that vaporisation models are largely insignificant in terms of gas oil conversion profiles and gasoline yield for usual operation conditions of FCC risers, which is a finding that had yet to be proven in the literature. Vaporisation models are shown to only affect conversion and yield when the initial droplet exceeds 2000 μm.
Design and Performance Analysis of a Novel Integrated Solar Combined Cycle (ISCC) with a Supercritical CO2 Bottom Cycle
Authors: Zhang Zuxian , Duan Liqiang , Wang Zhen , Ren Yujie
Published: June 2023

The integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) system is a proven solution for grid-connected power generation from solar energy. How to further improve the ISCC system efficiency and propose a more efficient system solution has become a research focus. A novel gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) benchmark system is proposed by replacing the conventional steam Rankine bottom cycle with a supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle, whose output power and efficiency are increased by 9.07 MW and 1.3%, respectively, compared to those of the conventional GTCC system. Furthermore, the novel ISCC systems are established with the parabolic trough solar collector (PTC) and the solar tower (ST) collector coupled to the novel GTCC system. Thermal performance analysis, exergy performance analysis, and the sensitivity analysis of the ISCC systems have been performed, and the results show that the system efficiencies of both ISCC systems are lower than that of the GTCC system, at 57.1% and 57.5%, respectively, but the power generation of the ISCC system with PTC is greater than that of the benchmark system, while that of the ISCC system with ST is less than that of the benchmark system. The photoelectric efficiency of the ISCC system with PTC is 27.6%, which is 2.1% greater than that of ISCC system with ST. In the ISCC system with PTC, the components with the highest exergy destruction and the lowest exergy efficiency are the combustion chamber, and PTC, respectively. ST is the component with the highest exergy destruction and the lowest exergy efficiency in the ISCC system with ST. With the increase in direct normal irradiance (DNI), the total output power, solar energy output power, and photoelectric efficiency of the ISCC system with PTC increase, while the system efficiency decreases; the solar energy output power and photoelectric efficiency of the ISCC system with ST increase, while the total output power and system efficiency decrease. The photoelectric efficiency of the ISCC system with PTC is greater when the DNI is greater than 600 W/m2; conversely, the photoelectric efficiency of the ISCC system with ST is greater. After sensitivity analysis, the optimal intercooler pressure for the ISCC system is 11.3 MPa.
An Assessment of Environmental Impact on Offshore Decommissioning of Oil and Gas Pipelines
Authors: Shams Shahriar , Prasad D. M. Reddy , Imteaz Monzur Alam , Khan Md. Munir Hayet , Ahsan Amimul , Karim Md. Rezaul
Published: June 2023

There has been a steady growth in the length of pipelines over the past 45 years, with over 6000 operating platforms extracting oil. Several facilities would reach their operational life, which can no longer be economically viable for their production and will eventually undergo the decommissioning procedure. Almost 3000 petroleum industries will likely be decommissioned worldwide in the next 17 years. By 2030, the total cost of decommissioning globally amounted to about USD 104.5 billion. The choice to decommission the offshore oil and gas sector is considered complicated and crucial as it must evaluate numerous variables such as cost, health and safety, and environmental consequences. This review paper aims to assess the decommissioning activity, specifically on pipelines in the oil and gas industry. The purpose of this study is to understand and evaluate significant environmental impacts associated with decommissioning of oil pipelines and to propose mitigation measures to address the challenges of decommissioning. Waste disposal, a threat to biodiversity and air pollution, is a major environmental concern in decommissioning oil and gas pipelines. Among the decommissioning measures, leave in-situ has the lowest environmental impact while repurposing and recycling, with the application of environmental impact qualitatively and quantitatively by integrating 3D information models, mathematical models embedded in hydrodynamic models look promising for decommissioning.
Effect of Soil Aging on Cadmium Bioavailability and Bioaccessibility at a Contaminated Site
Authors: Petruzzelli Gianniantonio , Barbafieri Meri , Franchi Elisabetta , Fusini Danilo , Vocciante Marco , Pedron Francesca
Published: June 2023

The effect of aging on cadmium (Cd) bioavailability and bioaccessibility was investigated in naturally aged field soil within a contaminated site. The results, which are based on a comparison of investigations carried out in 2018 and 2022 on the same soil samples, provide a realistic evaluation of the variation in Cd chemical forms due to long-term aging. The data obtained show a significant reduction (from approximately 30% to 60%) in the mobile and bioavailable forms of cadmium, while the total quantity in soil did not change significantly. The effect of aging on the bioavailable fractions is also reflected in the reduction in the amount of the metal absorbed by plants. On the one hand, this indicates a reduction in the potential contamination of the food chain, while on the other, it highlights the limitations of the use of phytoextraction as a clean-up technology in this specific site. In the case under study, it should also be noted that there was no decrease in cadmium bioaccessibility over time, which remained very high even after four years of cadmium aging in the soil, which was about 60% of the total content in the most contaminated soil samples. This highlights the potential health risks related to the incidental ingestion of Cd-contaminated soil, which could become the main exposure route in the case of the final use of the site as a park or public green area.
Enzymatic One-Pot Hydrolysis of Extracted Sugar Beet Press Pulp after Solid-State Fermentation with an Engineered Aspergillus niger Strain
Authors: Knesebeck Melanie , Schäfer Dominik , Schmitz Kevin , Rüllke Marcel , Benz J. Philipp , Weuster-Botz Dirk
Published: June 2023

Extracted sugar beet press pulp (SBPP) is a promising agricultural residue for saccharification and further bioconversion. Combining solid-state fermentation of SBPP with engineered Aspergillus niger for enzyme production followed by hydrolysis of additionally added SBPP in the same bioreactor was studied to produce a sugar solution (hydrolysate) in a one-pot process. The initial aerobic solid-state fermentations were carried out in duplicate on non-milled, wet SBPP (moisture content of 72% (w/v)) with an A. niger strain engineered for constitutive pectinase production for 96 h, and this resulted in polygalacturonase activities of up to 256 U mL−1 in the wet media. Afterwards, water was added to the bioreactor, and the remaining solids were suspended by stirring to dissolve the hydrolytic enzymes. Metabolic activities of A. niger were inactivated by a N2-atmosphere and by increasing the temperature to 50 °C. High solid loads of milled SBPP were added to the stirred-tank reactor with a delay of 24 h to enable sugar yield calculations based on the compositional analysis of the SBPP used. The resulting final sugar concentrations of the hydrolysate after 166 h were 17 g L−1 d-glucose, 18.8 g L−1 l-arabinose, and 12.5 g L−1 d-galacturonic acid, corresponding to sugar yields of 98% d-glucose, 86% l-arabinose, and 50% d-galacturonic acid, respectively. Including the other sugars released during enzymatic hydrolysis in the one-pot process (d-xylose, d-mannose, d-galactose), a total sugar concentration of 54.8 g L−1 was achieved in the hydrolysate. The one-pot process combining hydrolytic enzyme production in solid-state fermentation with high solid loads during enzymatic hydrolysis of the milled SBPP reduces hydrolytic process costs by replacing chemical pre-treatments, enabling the in situ production of SBPP-adapted hydrolytic enzymes, as well as avoiding intermediate enzyme extraction and preparation steps.
Potential of Otolith Microchemistry to Distinguish Nursery Areas of Salmon within River Simojoki
Authors: Finnäs Viktor , Jokikokko Erkki , Lill Jan-Olof , Lahaye Yann , Hägerstrand Henry , Lindström Kai
Published: June 2023

Draining into the northern Baltic Sea, River Simojoki is an important spawning river for Atlantic salmon. The present study aimed to preliminary explore the potential of analysing the elemental composition of otoliths to distinguish the within-river nursery area of origin for salmon. Parr were sampled at three nursery areas in the river and smolts of unknown origin were sampled near the river mouth during the migration to the sea. The concentrations of multiple elements and the strontium 87Sr/86Sr isotopic ratio in the otoliths were analysed using single- and multi-collector laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, respectively. Based on the otolith elemental variables, parr could be reclassified to the sampled nursery areas using discriminant function analysis and random forest with a success rate of 53.3% and 63.3%, respectively. However, for parr sampled at the uppermost nursery area in the river, the success rates were 90% and 100%, respectively. Applying the classification models trained on the parr samples to determine which nursery area sampled smolt originated from was constrained by the limited sampling of parr, both in sample sizes and the coverage of the nursery areas found in the river.
Molecular Barcoding: A Tool to Guarantee Correct Seafood Labelling and Quality and Preserve the Conservation of Endangered Species
Authors: Filonzi Laura , Ardenghi Alessia , Rontani Pietro Maria , Voccia Andrea , Ferrari Claudio , Papa Riccardo , Bellin Nicolò , Nonnis Marzano Francesco
Published: June 2023

The recent increase in international fish trade leads to the need for improving the traceability of fishery products. In relation to this, consistent monitoring of the production chain focusing on technological developments, handling, processing and distribution via global networks is necessary. Molecular barcoding has therefore been suggested as the gold standard in seafood species traceability and labelling. This review describes the DNA barcoding methodology for preventing food fraud and adulteration in fish. In particular, attention has been focused on the application of molecular techniques to determine the identity and authenticity of fish products, to discriminate the presence of different species in processed seafood and to characterize raw materials undergoing food industry processes. In this regard, we herein present a large number of studies performed in different countries, showing the most reliable DNA barcodes for species identification based on both mitochondrial (COI, cytb, 16S rDNA and 12S rDNA) and nuclear genes. Results are discussed considering the advantages and disadvantages of the different techniques in relation to different scientific issues. Special regard has been dedicated to a dual approach referring to both the consumer’s health and the conservation of threatened species, with a special focus on the feasibility of the different genetic and genomic approaches in relation to both scientific objectives and permissible costs to obtain reliable traceability.
Biopolymer-Based Sustainable Food Packaging Materials: Challenges, Solutions, and Applications
Authors: Perera Kalpani Y. , Jaiswal Amit K. , Jaiswal Swarna
Published: June 2023

Biopolymer-based packaging materials have become of greater interest to the world due to their biodegradability, renewability, and biocompatibility. In recent years, numerous biopolymers—such as starch, chitosan, carrageenan, polylactic acid, etc.—have been investigated for their potential application in food packaging. Reinforcement agents such as nanofillers and active agents improve the properties of the biopolymers, making them suitable for active and intelligent packaging. Some of the packaging materials, e.g., cellulose, starch, polylactic acid, and polybutylene adipate terephthalate, are currently used in the packaging industry. The trend of using biopolymers in the packaging industry has increased immensely; therefore, many legislations have been approved by various organizations. This review article describes various challenges and possible solutions associated with food packaging materials. It covers a wide range of biopolymers used in food packaging and the limitations of using them in their pure form. Finally, a SWOT analysis is presented for biopolymers, and the future trends are discussed. Biopolymers are eco-friendly, biodegradable, nontoxic, renewable, and biocompatible alternatives to synthetic packaging materials. Research shows that biopolymer-based packaging materials are of great essence in combined form, and further studies are needed for them to be used as an alternative packaging material.
Thermodynamics and Physicochemical Properties of Immobilized Maleic Anhydride-Modified Xylanase and Its Application in the Extraction of Oligosaccharides from Wheat Bran
Authors: Zhao Yang , Li Xinrui , Guo Shuo , Xu Jingwen , Cui Yan , Zheng Mingzhu , Liu Jingsheng
Published: June 2023

Xylanases are the preferred enzymes for the extracting of oligosaccharides from wheat bran. However, free xylanases have poor stability and are difficult to reuse, which limit their industrial application. In the present study, we covalently immobilized free maleic anhydride-modified xylanase (FMA-XY) to improve its reusability and stability. The immobilized maleic anhydride-modified xylanase (IMA-XY) exhibited better stability compared with the free enzyme. After six repeated uses, 52.24% of the activity of the immobilized enzyme remained. The wheat bran oligosaccharides extracted using IMA-XY were mainly xylopentoses, xylohexoses, and xyloheptoses, which were the β-configurational units and α-configurational units of xylose. The oligosaccharides also exhibited good antioxidant properties. The results indicated that FMA-XY can easily be recycled and can remain stable after immobilization; therefore, it has good prospects for future industrial applications.
Compositional Differences of Greek Cheeses of Limited Production
Authors: Pappa Eleni C. , Kondyli Efthymia , Pappas Athanasios C. , Giamouri Elisavet , Sarri Aikaterini , Mavrommatis Alexandros , Zoidis Evangelos , Papalamprou Lida , Simitzis Panagiotis , Goliomytis Michael , Tsiplakou Eleni , Georgiou Constantinos A.
Published: June 2023

Greece has a long tradition in cheesemaking, with 22 cheeses registered as protected designation of origin (PDO), 1 as protected geographical indication (PGI), and 1 applied for PGI. Several other cheeses are produced locally without any registration, which significantly contribute to the local economy. The present study investigated the composition (moisture, fat, salt, ash, and protein content), color parameters, and oxidative stability of cheeses that do not have a PDO/PGI certification, purchased from a Greek market. Milk and cheese types were correctly assigned for 62.8 and 82.1 % of samples, respectively, through discriminant analysis. The most important factors for milk type discrimination were L, a and b color attributes, salt, ash, fat-in-dry-matter, moisture-in-non-fat-substance, salt-in-moisture, and malondialdehyde contents, whereas a and b, and moisture, ash, fat, moisture-in-non-fat substance contents, and pH were the most influential characteristics for sample discrimination according to cheese type. A plausible explanation may be the differences in milk chemical composition between three animal species, namely cows, sheep, and goats and for the manufacture procedure and ripening. This is the very first report on the proximate analysis of these, largely ignored, chesses aiming to simulate interest for further study and production valorization.
Wild Fruits of Crataegus monogyna Jacq. and Sorbus aria (L.) Crantz: From Traditional Foods to Innovative Sources of Pigments and Antioxidant Ingredients for Food Products
Authors: Tamayo-Vives Cristina , García-Herrera Patricia , Sánchez-Mata María Cortes , Cámara-Hurtado Rosa M. , Pérez-Rodríguez María Luisa , Aceituno Laura , Pardo-de-Santayana Manuel , Días María Inês , Barros Lillian , Morales Patricia
Published: June 2023

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacq.) and whitebeam (Sorbus aria (L.) Crantz) are wild species traditionally used as ethnic foods in the Mediterranean area. Their red berries, and mainly the peels, may be used as ingredients due to their color (replacing other synthetic colorants) or functional properties. Some previous studies analyze all edible fruits, but there is very little literature on the composition and properties of the pulpless epidermis of the fruits of C. monogyna and no literature concerning the fruits of S. aria. Total phenolic compounds (TPC) and families of hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols, and total monomeric anthocyanins were determined in the epidermis of C. monogyna and S. aria fruits. The in vitro antioxidant capacity was also determined using QUENCHER (Quick-Easy-New-CHEap-Reproducible) methodology. Anthocyanins profiles were analyzed in hydroalcoholic extracts through HPLC/MS. C. monogyna fruits presented higher content of TPC than S. aria, with hydroxybenzoic acids (2870.6 mg GAE/100g dw) as the major family, followed by flavonols (771.4 mg QE/100 g dw) and hydroxycinnamic acids (610.3 FAE/100 g dw). Anthocyanins were found in 251.7 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside/100 g dw, characterized by the content of cyanidin-O-hexoxide and peonidin-O-hexoxide. The levels of these compounds correlated with higher values of a* parameter (higher intensity of reddish color). These fruits also showed higher antioxidant capacity by Q-Folin–Ciocalteu and Q-FRAP. S. aria peels had fewer phenolic compounds, particularly anthocyanins (33.7 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside/100 g dw), containing different cyanidin derivatives. From these results, new insights about the composition of the epidermis of these wild fruits are provided, and their potential as ingredients for the food industry is corroborated.
Discovering and Mapping Colloquial Terminologies Describing Underutilized and Neglected Food Crops—A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Lara Szymon Wojciech , Tsiami Amalia , Cross Peter
Published: June 2023

Global levels of biodiversity and dietary diversity are decreasing, leading to food and nutrition insecurity. This is partially due to the homogenization of the global food supply with commodity crops. The reintroduction or introduction of neglected and underutilized species, minor, forgotten, and indigenous crops and landrace varieties to the wider food systems and further diversification have been outlined as the future strategies for tackling the above by the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization in their policy frameworks. Most of the above species/crops are marginalized and only used across local food systems and in research. With over 15,000 different seed banks and repositories worldwide, information transparency and communication are crucial for database searching and their effective utilization. Much confusion persists around the true nature of those plants, and this prohibits the efficient utilization of their economic potential. A linguistic corpus search and a systematic literature review were conducted using the six most popular collocates to the above terms, which were as follows: ancient, heirloom, heritage, traditional, orphan, and the more distinct term ‘landrace’. The results were interpreted using the Critical Discourse Analysis method. The definitions’ findings show that heirloom, heritage, and ancient are mainly used in the United Kingdom and USA, where they are used to describe ‘naturalized’ and ‘indigenized’ or ‘indigenous’ food crops with a strong affiliation to ‘family’ and the ‘act of passing seeds down from generation to generation’. Orphan crops, on the other hand, are often described as being ‘overlooked’ by growers and ‘underfunded’ by researchers. Landrace is most strongly affiliated with ‘locality’, ‘biocultural diversity’, and ‘indigenous’, and with genomics literature, where the characteristics are often discussed in the context of genetics and population biology. Contextualizing, most of the terms were found to be ‘arbitrary’ and ‘undefinable’ due to their continuing evolution in the socially accepted form of language, perhaps apart from landrace. The review has retrieved 58 definitions for the mentioned 6 terms, together with the primary key terms creating a tool to facilitate a better inter-sector communication and aid in policy.
Characterization and Antibacterial Properties of Egg White Protein Films Loaded with ε-Polylysine: Evaluation of Their Degradability and Application
Authors: Li Xin , Lv Jianhao , Niu Minghao , Liu Siqi , Wu Yue , Liu Jiahan , Xie Jingwen , Sun Chengfeng , Wang Yue-Meng
Published: June 2023

There is an ongoing trend to design new kinds of food packaging materials with excellent properties which are environmentally friendly enough. The aim of this study was to prepare and characterize egg white protein (EWP)-based composite films with and without ε-polylysine (Lys), as well as to compare their physical–chemical properties, structural properties, degradation and antibacterial properties. The results showed that with the addition of Lys, the composite films showed a decreasing tendency of the water permeability due to the enhanced interaction between proteins and water molecules. As indicated by the structural properties, stronger cross-linking and intermolecular interactions happened with increasing concentration of Lys. In addition, the composite films presented excellent antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus on chilled pork in the presence of Lys. Therefore, our prepared films might be used as a freshness-keeping material with an application in meat preservation. The biodegradation evaluation demonstrated that the composite films were environmental-friendly and have potential applications in the field of food packaging.
Volatile Composition of Fortification Grape Spirit and Port Wine: Where Do We Stand?
Authors: Ribeiro Sónia Gomes , Martins Cátia , Tavares Tiago , Rudnitskaya Alisa , Alves Fernando , Rocha Sílvia M.
Published: June 2023

Port wine’s prominence worldwide is unequivocal and the grape spirit, which comprises roughly one fifth of the total volume of this fortified wine, is also a contributor to the recognized quality of this beverage. Nonetheless, information about the influence of the grape spirit on the final aroma of Port wine, as well as its volatile composition, is extremely limited. Moreover, the aroma characteristics of Port wines are modulated mainly by their volatile profiles. Hence, this review presents a detailed overview of the volatile composition of the fortification spirit and Port wine, along with the methodologies employed for their characterization. Moreover, it gives a general overview of the Douro Demarcated Region (Portugal) and the relevance of fortification spirit to the production of Port wine. As far as we know, this review contains the most extensive database on the volatile composition of grape spirit and Port wine, corresponding to 23 and 208 compounds, respectively. To conclude, the global outlook and future challenges are addressed, with the position of the analytical coverage of the chemical data on volatile components discussed as crucial for the innovation centered on consumer preferences.
Aroma Identification and Classification in 18 Kinds of Teas (Camellia sinensis) by Sensory Evaluation, HS-SPME-GC-IMS/GC × GC-MS, and Chemometrics
Authors: Lin Yanping , Wang Ying , Huang Yibiao , Song Huanlu , Yang Ping
Published: June 2023

Tea (Camellia sinensis) is one of the most popular beverages worldwide. Many types of tea products continuously emerge in an endless stream; so, the classification of tea becomes more difficult. Aroma is a vital indicator of tea quality. The present study deals with the identification of aroma compounds in 18 different kinds of tea belonging to three typical tea varieties, including green tea, oolong tea, and black tea, using GC-IMS and GC × GC-O-MS. Moreover, the clustering of all 18 tea samples and the in depth correlation analysis between sensory evaluation and instrumental data were performed using the PCA and OPLS-DA. The results revealed that in all 18 kinds of tea, a total of 85 aroma compounds were detected by GC-IMS, whereas 318 were detected by GC × GC-O-MS. The PCA result revealed that green tea, oolong tea, and black tea could be clearly separated based on their peak areas. The OPLS-DA result showed that a total of 49 aroma compounds with VIP value > 1.0 could be considered as the potential indicators to quickly classify or verify tea types. This study not only compared the aroma differences across different types of teas, but also provided ideas for the rapid monitoring of tea quality and variety.
Functional Quality Characteristics of the Meat from a Dual-Purpose Poultry Crossbreed Suitable for Backyard Rearing in Comparison to Commercial Broilers
Authors: Sharma Rekha , Sehrawat Renuka , Ahlawat Sonika , Sharma Vivek , Thakur Mohan Singh , Mishra A. K. , Arora Reena , Tantia M. S.
Published: June 2023

Backyard poultry farming contributes to food security, nutrition, and the regular income of rural farmers in India. Their products have a niche market here and fetch higher prices than those of commercial poultry. Improved varieties are being developed to overcome the slow growth, late sexual maturity, and low production of indigenous breeds, while retaining their positive attributes. A comprehensive study was conducted to analyze the functional attributes of meat from the Jabalpur color (JBC), a colored, improved dual-purpose synthetic line, developed by Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, Jabalpur, India. The birds were managed in a deep litter system under a backyard type of housing (night shelter and free range). Primal meat cuts (breast and thigh) of the male birds (n = 20/group) were evaluated at the age of marketing. The corresponding attributes were compared with the results obtained for commercial Cobb (400) broilers. The protein concentration of JBC breast (25.65 ± 0.39 g/100 g of tissue) and thigh (19.04 ± 0.23 g/100 g of tissue) meat was superior (p ≤ 0.05) to that of Cobb broilers. Established assays (in vitro) identified a better (p ≤ 0.05) antioxidation capacity in the JBC meat. High-performance liquid chromatography confirmed a considerable quantity of functional biomolecules (carnosine, anserine, and creatine) in the JBC breast and thigh meat extracts. The average carnosine concentration (mg/g of tissue) was 2.66 ± 0.09 and 1.11 ± 0.04 in the JBC breast and thigh meat, respectively. The mRNA expression was quantified by qRT-PCR for the carnosine-related genes: β-alanine transporter (SLC36A1), carnosine-synthesizing enzyme (CARNS1), and carnosine-degrading enzyme (CNDP2); this explained the comparable carnosine in the JBC and Cobb meat. Meat extracts from both genetic groups (JBC and Cobb) had high anti-glycation potential. Higher protein content and antioxidant capacity, along with the bioactive dipeptides in the JBC meat, herald exciting research opportunities for its use in improving the traditional backyard poultry farming system.