bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Micro-Contaminants in Solid Particles from Direct Injection Gasoline Vehicles
Authors: Pacura Wiktor , Szramowiat-Sala Katarzyna , Macherzyński Mariusz , Gołaś Janusz , Bielaczyc Piotr
Published: August 2022

Exhaust emissions from vehicles are the subject of numerous studies and legal acts. In the European Union, exhaust emissions are regulated by “Euro” emission standards, which limit emissions of gaseous pollutants such as CO, CO2, HC, and NOx, as well as the particulate matter (PM) and particle number (PN). Solid particles consist of a number of micro-contaminants, inter alia polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their nitrated and oxygenated derivatives. Despite their highly mutagenic and carcinogenic character, these micro-contaminants are not regulated in Euro emissions standards. This paper presents both a general discussion of the phenomenon of particulate formation in and emission from direct injection gasoline engines, as well as a wide range of results on the subject. The subject of the micro-contaminants in solid particles from modern gasoline vehicles is explored. The samples of solid particles were collected from 11 groups of vehicles according to the WLTP test methodology. Solid particles from gasoline vehicles were analyzed via various analytical techniques, including ion chromatography (IC) to measure selected anion concentrations, gas chromatography with mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) to study 16 PAHs and selected PAH derivatives, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) for images and elemental composition, and microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MP-AES) for qualitative screening analysis of 19 elements. The study of non-regulated compounds is crucial in efforts to establish the influence of solid particles on health and the environment. Furthermore, extended studies can provide a basis for further research on vehicle emissions or other fields, such as medicine or material engineering.
Shielding Design Optimization of the Helium-Cooled Pebble Bed Breeding Blanket for the EU DEMO Fusion Reactor
Authors: Palermo Iole , Hernández Francisco A. , Pereslavtsev Pavel , Rapisarda David , Zhou Guangming
Published: August 2022

The helium-cooled pebble bed (HCPB) breeding blanket (BB) is one of the two driver-blanket candidates for the European DEMO fusion reactor. Recent design activities were focused, among other objectives, on the achievement of an efficient shielding system to adequately protect the vacuum vessel (VV) and toroidal field coils (TFCs). Several shielding options have been studied in terms of architecture (e.g., in-BB shield and ex-BB shield) and materials (e.g., B4C, WC, WB, YHx, and ZrHx). In this study, the B4C material was selected as the most attractive option considering not only shielding performance but also availability, industrialization, experience, and cost factors. Subsequently, we performed a parametric study by implementing different thicknesses of a B4C external shield and reporting information of its effect on shielding performance, structural behavior, swelling and tritium breeding. Furthermore, a detailed structure for the VV was developed considering an internal layered configuration comprising steels/water with different boron contents. Corresponding shielding analyses were conducted regarding influence on neutron attenuation when implementing such a VV structure for both the baseline consolidated design of the HCPB and one of the previously developed and improved BSS configurations. The most critical responses (neutron flux and dpa) were fully established only using 10 cm B4C and an improved VV configuration.
Power Management of a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Using Neural Networks with Comparison to Other Approaches
Authors: Huo Da , Meckl Peter
Published: August 2022

Many researchers spent much effort on the online power management strategies for plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Nowadays, artificial neural networks (ANNs), one of the machine learning techniques, have also been applied to this problem due to their good performance in learning non-linear and complicated multi-inputs multi-outputs (MIMO) dynamic systems. In this paper, an ANN is applied to the online power management for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) by predicting the torque split between an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor (e-Motor) to optimize the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by using dynamic programming (DP) results as training data. Dynamic programming can achieve a global minimum solution while it is computationally intensive and requires prior knowledge of the entire drive cycle. As such, this method cannot be implemented in real-time. The DP-based ANN controller can get the benefit of using an ANN to fit the DP solution so that it can be implemented in real-time for an arbitrary drive cycle. We studied the hyper-parameters’ effects on the ANN model and different structures of ANN models are compared. The minimum training mean square error (MSE) models in each comparison set are selected for comparison with DP and equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS). The total GHG emissions and state of charge (SOC) are the metrics used for the analysis and comparison. All the selected ANNs provide results that are comparable to the optimal DP solution, which indicates that ANNs are almost as good as the DP solution. It is found that the multiple hidden-layer ANN shows more efficiency in the training process than the single hidden-layer ANN. By comparing the results with ECMS, the ANN shows great potential in real-time application with the smallest deviation from the results of DP. In addition, our approach does not require any additional trip information, and its output (torque split) is more directly implementable on real vehicles.
Performance Enhancement of Interdigitated Heterojunction Solar Cells with Discotic Molecule
Authors: Zhang Zhi , Wang Yao , Chen Qun , Zeng Zhipan
Published: August 2022

Ordered interdigitated heterojunction as a promising nanostructure has attracted considerable attention due to its potential application in solar cells. However, a suitable construction to achieve effective free carrier transport in these nanostructures remains a challenge. In this study, interdigitated nanostructure was fabricated by combining vertically orientated TiO2 nanotube array with discotic liquid crystal Copper (II) 2,9,16,23-tetra-tert-butyl-29H,31H-phthalocyanine (tbCuPc). These discotic molecules were assembled as homeotropic alignment in the interdigitated nanostructure, which enhanced the carrier mobility of active layer considerably. The performance of photovoltaic cells with this interdigitated heterojunction was improved. Molecule orientation leading to charge carrier mobility enhancement was found to play a key role in improving the power conversion efficiency of the devices substantially.
Why Should We Test the Wideband Transformation Accuracy of Inductive Current Transformers?
Authors: Stano Ernest , Kaczmarek Piotr , Kaczmarek Michal
Published: August 2022

Inductive current transformers are characterized by different transformation accuracies for higher harmonics of distorted primary currents. Therefore, it is highly required to perform the tests of their metrological properties to choose the best unit that ensures the lowest values of current error and phase displacement. This study presents a comparison of two manufactured inductive current transformers. The results indicate that some inductive current transformers may be used to accurately transform distorted currents, enabling proper distortion of power metering and quality evaluation. However, to obtain adequate transformation properties in the wide frequency range, the cross-section of the magnetic core of the inductive current transformer should be oversized. Moreover, it is required to use a permalloy magnetic core instead of the typical transformer steel core. In the analyzed case, the metrological performance depends mainly on its accuracy for transforming the main component of the distorted primary current and self-generation of the low-order higher harmonics. This paper constitutes the starting point to define the limiting values of current error and phase displacement for the future wideband accuracy class extension for inductive CTs.
Research on Evaluation Method of Digital Project Cloud Model Considering Weight Sensitivity
Authors: Zhu Ye , Li Jinchao , Lan Xinyi , Lu Shiqiang , Yu Jie
Published: August 2022

Digitization is a driving force for social development and corporate innovation. Digital projects have become an indispensable part of the sustainable development of enterprises. However, due to the imperfect decision-making system of digital projects and the lack of experience of traditional enterprises’ digital projects, the decision-making of digital projects is an unavoidable challenge in the digital transformation of enterprises. For the digital project decision of the STATE GRID Corporation of China, this paper conducts a sensitivity analysis of digital project evaluation index weights based on cloud model theory, on top of historical successful project experience to support digital project decision-making. Firstly, this paper establishes a comprehensive evaluation index system for digitalization projects from five aspects: economic efficiency, interconnection, intelligent management, value release, and development innovation. The coefficient of variation method is used for index screening, and the weight intervals are formed by four subjective and objective assignment methods. Then, the LSOM model is established to generate the weight values in the interval, and, finally, the sensitivity of digital project comprehensive evaluation indexes is analyzed based on the cloud model to select the most robust index weights for project evaluation and choose the optimal project. The feasibility of the proposed method is verified by arithmetic examples.
Street Tree Extraction and Segmentation from Mobile LiDAR Point Clouds Based on Spatial Geometric Features of Object Primitives
Authors: Hui Zhenyang , Li Zhuoxuan , Jin Shuanggen , Liu Bo , Li Dajun
Published: August 2022

Extracting street trees from mobile Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) point clouds is still encountering challenges, such as low extraction accuracy and poor robustness in complex urban environment, and difficulty in the segmentation of overlapping trees. To solve these problems, this paper proposed a street tree extraction and segmentation method based on spatial geometric features of object primitives. In this paper, mobile LiDAR point clouds were first segmented into object primitives based on the proposed graph segmentation method, which can release the computation burden effectively. According to the spatial geometric features of the segmented object primitives, stem points were extracted. In doing so, the robustness and accuracy for stem detecting can be improved. Furthermore, voxel connectivity analysis and individual tree optimization were combined successively. In doing so, the neighboring trees could be separated successfully. Four datasets located in Henan Polytechnic University, China, were used for validating the performance of the proposed method. The four mobile LiDAR point clouds contained 106, 45, 76, and 46 trees, respectively. The experimental results showed that the proposed method can achieve the performance of individual tree separation in all the four testing plots. Compared to the other three methods, the proposed method can make a good balance between the commission and omission errors and achieved the highest average F1 scores.
Effects of Different Vegetation Restoration Types on the Fractal Characteristics of Soil Particles in Earthy-Rocky Mountain Area of Northern China
Authors: Su Wei , Gao Yuemeng , Gao Peng , Dong Xuede , Wang Guifang , Dun Xingjian , Xu Jingwei
Published: August 2022

The fractal characteristics of soil particle-size distribution (PSD) constitute an important soil physical property, and fractal models of soil PSD are increasingly used to describe the effects of vegetation on the improvement of soil-related properties. Based on the fractal theory, this paper selected four typical vegetation restoration types (Quercus acutissima, QAC; Robinia pseudoacacia, RPL; Pinus densiflora, PDS; QAC × PDS) in the Taiyi mountainous area as the research object, and the single-fractal dimension (D) and multi-fractal parameters of PSD and its correlation with soil-associated properties were studied. The results show that (1) QAC × PDS reduced the heterogeneity of soil sand distribution, which also increased the range and concentration of soil PSD in the dense area. Soil clay and silt contents showed QAC × PDS > RPL > QAC > PDS. QAC × PDS significantly increased clay and silt content in 0–20 cm soil. (2) D varies among different vegetation restoration types, which was QAC × PDS > RPL > QAC > PDS, and the D of 0–20 cm soil was greater than that of 20–40 cm. For the multi-fractal parameters of PSD, the capacity dimension (D0), information dimension (D1), correlation dimension (D2) and D1/D0 in 0–20 cm soil of different vegetation restoration types showed significant differences. (3) D and multi-fractal parameters were significantly positively correlated with clay and silt contents, which were significantly negatively correlated with sand contents. (4) QAC × PDS had the smallest soil bulk density and largest porosity. Fractal dimension was negatively correlated with soil bulk density and positively correlated with soil total porosity and capillary porosity. These results indicate that the soil fractal dimension can well characterize the vegetation improvement on soil structure and properties in the earthy-rocky mountain areas of northern China.
Brown Bear Food-Probability Models in West-European Russia: On the Way to the Real Resource Selection Function
Authors: Ogurtsov Sergey S. , Khapugin Anatoliy A. , Zheltukhin Anatoliy S. , Fedoseeva Elena B. , Antropov Alexander V. , Delgado María del Mar , Penteriani Vincenzo
Published: August 2022

Most habitat suitability models and resource selection functions (RSFs) use indirect variables and habitat surrogates. However, it is known that in order to adequately reflect the habitat requirements of a species, it is necessary to use proximal resource variables. Direct predictors should be used to construct a real RSF that reflects the real influence of main resources on species habitat use. In this work, we model the spatial distribution of the main food resources of brown bear Ursus arctos L. within the natural and human-modified landscapes of the Central Forest State Nature Reserve (CFNR) for further RSF construction. Food-probability models were built for Apiaceae spp. (Angelica sylvestris L., Aegopodium podagraria L., Chaerophyllum aromaticum L.), Populus tremula L., Vaccinium myrtillus L., V. microcarpum (Turcz. ex Rupr.) Schmalh., V. oxycoccos L., Corylus avellana L., Sorbus aucuparia L., Malus domestica Borkh., anthills, xylobiont insects, social wasps and Alces alces L. using the MaxEnt algorithm. For model evaluation, we used spatial block cross-validation and held apart fully independent data. The true skill statistic (TSS) estimates ranged from 0.34 to 0.95. Distribution of Apiaceae forbs was associated with areas having rich phytomass and moist conditions on southeastern slopes. Populus tremula preferred areas with phytomass abundance on elevated sites. Vaccinium myrtillus was confined to wet boreal spruce forests. V. microcarpum and V. oxycoccos were associated with raised bogs in depressions of the terrain. Corylus avellana and Sorbus aucuparia preferred mixed forests on elevated sites. Distribution of Malus domestica was associated with meadows with dry soils in places of abandoned cultural landscapes. Anthills were common on the dry soils of meadows, and the periphery of forest areas with high illumination and low percent cover of tree canopy. Moose preferred riverine flood meadows rich in herbaceous vegetation and sparse mixed forests in spring and early summer. The territory of the human-modified CFNR buffer zone was shown to contain a higher variety of food resources than the strictly protected CFNR core area.
Physiological, Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses of Overwintering Cryptomeria fortunei Needles
Authors: Zhang Yingting , Hu Hailiang , Yang Junjie , Xue Jinyu , Xu Jin
Published: August 2022

Low temperatures affect plant growth, development, and geographical distribution. Cryptomeriafortunei (Chinese cedar) is a major industrial tree species used for timber manufacturing in southern China. However, its popularization and application in northern China are limited due to its poor low-temperature resistance (approximately −6 °C), and its overwintering mechanism remains unclear. Here, we performed physiological, metabolomic, and transcriptomic analyses of overwintering C.fortunei needles at three stages: before winter, during winter, and in early spring. Physiological analyses showed that electrolyte leakage, H2O2, malondialdehyde (MDA), soluble sugar, and protein contents increased, while the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) (Fv/Fm), effective quantum yield of PSII (YII), and chlorophyll content decreased as overwintering progressed. Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed that downregulated gibberellin (GA), salicylic acid (SA), cytokinin (CTK), and auxin signal transduction and upregulated abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene, brassinosteroids (BR), and jasmonic acid (JA) signal transduction pathways promoted the winter acclimation of C.fortunei, while the opposite expression pattern promoted the transition from dormancy to growth. In addition, upregulated genes/metabolites involved in phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, cold-related protein and fatty acid desaturases, and downregulated photosynthesis-related pathways promoted winter acclimation, while five (WRKY, AP2/ERF, NAC, MYB, and bHLH) and three (AP2/ERF, MYB, and bHLH) transcription factors were associated with winter acclimation and early spring transition from dormancy to growth, respectively. In summary, we report the first transcriptome of overwintering C.fortunei, providing a foundation for the cultivation of and research on overwintering varieties.
Requirements for a Hybrid Dust-Gas-Standard: Influence of the Mixing Procedure on Safety Characteristics of Hybrid Mixtures
Authors: Spitzer Stefan H. , Askar Enis , Hecht Kristin J. , Gabel Dieter , Zakel Sabine , Krietsch Arne
Published: August 2022

While developing a standard for the determination of safety characteristics for hybrid mixtures the authors discovered, that, beside the ignition source, the mixing procedure is the main difference between the single-phase standards for dusts and gases. The preparation of hybrid mixtures containing a flammable gas and a flammable dust in the 20 L-sphere can be realized in different ways. Either the flammable gas is filled only in the sphere or only in the dust container or in both. In previous works, almost always the first method is applied, without giving any information on the accuracy of the gas mixtures. In this work the accuracy of the gas mixtures and the results of the tests applying two methods of mixing were studied. No significant influence of the mixing method itself on the safety characteristics explosion pressure pex and the normalized rate of pressure rise (K-value) was found. Obviously, homogenization of the gas mixtures can be obtained sufficiently by the turbulence that is caused during the injection from the dust container into the explosion chamber within a short time. However, the mixing procedure has a great influence on the accuracy of the gas amount of the mixtures obtained. Without modifying the 20 L-sphere by installing precise pressure sensors, assuring its tightness and performing gas analysis, it must be expected, that the accuracy of the gas mixtures is very low. This has a significant influence on the measured safety characteristics and may lead to unsafe facilities or unnecessary expensive safety measures.
Climate-Driven Synchrony in Anchovy Fluctuations: A Pacific-Wide Comparison
Authors: Li Haoyu , Zhang Xiaonan , Zhang Yang , Liu Qi , Liu Fengwen , Li Donglin , Zhang Hucai
Published: August 2022

Fish population fluctuations have been widely documented and are often attributed to climate variability, but little is known about their relationship. This is a barrier that restricts our capacity to understand climate effects on fish fluctuations. Here, we collected published data to conduct a comparative analysis of time series in terms of both scale deposition rate (SDR) and catch to indicate the abundance of anchovy and explored its relationships with climatic and environmental parameters. We first conducted a Spearman correlation analysis to identify the differences in the SDR between sites. Then, we used Generalized Additive Models to evaluate the effects of external forcing at multiple spatial scales (i.e., local and global scales) on the anchovy catches recorded at the California Current Ecosystem (CCE), Humboldt Current Ecosystem (HCE), and Kuroshio Current Ecosystem (KCE). We found that the SDRs at different sites in the same Current Systems are generally consistent, while there are more differences between different systems. We also found that the Pacific Decadal Oscillation index (PDOI), North Pacific index (NPI), North Pacific Gyre Oscillation index (NPGOI), Sea Surface Temperature anomaly (SSTA), and Air Temperature anomaly (ATA) were the most influential factors explaining the variability in anchovy catch for CCE, whereas the NPGOI was the most influential factor for HCE. The PDOI was the best at explaining the variability in anchovy catch for KCE. Our results suggest that anchovy fluctuations in the Pan-Pacific occurred synchronously. These seemingly unrelated events, which occurred thousands of kilometers apart, were actually not isolated. Therefore, we suggest that large-scale climate forcing may activate synchronous fluctuations for anchovy populations at the basin scale, whereas local-scale environmental forces are also responsible for anchovy fluctuations in the “micro-environment”.
Image-Based Numerical Investigation in an Impending Abdominal Aneurysm Rupture
Authors: Boniforti Maria Antonietta , Cesaroni Maria Chiara , Magini Roberto , Pasqui Edoardo , de Donato Gianmarco
Published: August 2022

Blood flow dynamics plays a crucial role in the growth and rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms. The aim of this study was to analyze the possibility of predicting aneurysmal rupture by numerical investigations based on diagnostic images. The blood flow dynamics was analyzed in a patient-specific abdominal aortic aneurysm, reconstructed from CT images of an aneurysm while it was rupturing. The patient-specific geometry was virtually repaired in order to obtain a non-ruptured model representative of the geometry immediately preceding the rupture. To reproduce physiological conditions, numerical simulations were performed under pulsatile flow conditions, and blood was modelled as a non-Newtonian fluid, using the Carreau rheological model. Hemodynamic parameters that influence the rupture of the aneurysm were investigated, and their possible association with vascular disease was discussed. The results of the numerical simulations indicated regions of slow recirculation and low values of Time Averaged Wall Shear Stress (TAWSS) in the region of rupture. Unlike literature results, a high Oscillatory Shear Index (OSI) was not clearly found in this region. Nevertheless, just in the region where the rupture will occur, high values of Endothelial Cell Activation Potential index (ECAP) were found. This index is therefore extremely significant for assessing the vulnerability of the aortic wall and locating the critical rupture region.
Encapsulation of Essential Oils in Nanocarriers for Active Food Packaging
Authors: Sharma Shubham , Mulrey Lilly , Byrne Megan , Jaiswal Amit K. , Jaiswal Swarna
Published: August 2022

Active packaging improves a packaging system’s effectiveness by actively integrating additional components into the packaging material or the headspace around the packaging. Consumer demand and awareness have grown enough to replace chemical agents with natural active agents. Essential oils (EOs) are extensively distributed throughout nature but at low levels and sometimes with poor recovery yields, which poses an issue with their application in food. Due to the instability of EOs when added directly into a food product, they require encapsulation before being added to a packaging matrix such as liposomes, solid-lipid nanoparticles, nano-emulsions, cyclodextrins, and nanostructured lipid nano-carriers. This article is focused on the encapsulation of EOs in different types of nanocarriers. Nanocarriers can improve the efficiency of active substances by providing protection, stability, and controlled and targeted release. The advantages of the many types of nanocarriers that contain active substances that can be used to make antibacterial and antioxidant biopolymeric-based active packaging are discussed. A nanocarrier-encapsulated EO enables the controlled release of oil, stabilizing the packaging for a longer duration.
Plant-Based Only: Investigating Consumers’ Sensory Perception, Motivation, and Knowledge of Different Plant-Based Alternative Products on the Market
Authors: Pointke Marcel , Ohlau Marlene , Risius Antje , Pawelzik Elke
Published: August 2022

Consumer acceptance and product development of sustainable, healthy, and tasty plant-based alternative products (PBAPs) are closely interlinked. However, information on consumer perceptions of the sensory profile of plant-based meat, cheese, and milk remains scarce. The study aimed to investigate German consumers’ (1) sensory evaluation of PBAPs and (2) consumers´ motivations and knowledge underlying the purchase of such products. This was analyzed in relation to different dietary styles of consumers (omnivore, flexitarian, vegetarian, vegan). A sample of 159 adults completed two tasks: first, a sensory test in which participants tasted and rated three different PBAPs in two consecutive sessions, and second, a questionnaire on consumption behavior, motivation, and knowledge. Results show few differences between nutrition styles in sensory evaluation of individual product attributes. However, overall liking was rated significantly higher by vegans than by omnivores. All dietary styles reported animal welfare and environmental aspects as the main motivations for consuming PBAPs. Most participants acknowledged that meat and cheese alternatives are highly processed foods and not a fad but are not automatically healthier or more environmentally friendly than their animal-based counterparts. Future research should focus on emerging product segments such as plant-based cheeses to better understand how consumers evaluate PBAPs.
Optimisation of Operational Conditions during the Production of Arthrospira platensis Using Pilot-Scale Raceway Reactors, Protein Extraction, and Assessment of their Techno-Functional Properties
Authors: Villaró Silvia , Morillas-España Ainoa , Acién Gabriel , Lafarga Tomás
Published: August 2022

The aim of the present study was to identify the optimum combination of dilution rate and depth of the culture to maximise the Arthrospira platensis BEA005B (Spirulina) productivity using 80 m2 raceway reactors. By varying these two main operational conditions, the areal biomass productivity of the reactors varied by over 55%. The optimum combination, optimised using a surface response methodology, was a depth of 0.10 m and a dilution rate of 0.33 day−1, which led to a biomass productivity of 30.2 g·m−2·day−1 on a dry weight basis when operating the reactors in semi-continuous mode. The composition of the produced biomass was 62.2% proteins, 42.5% carbohydrates, 11.6% ashes, and 8.1% lipids. The isolated proteins contained all the essential amino acids (except for tryptophan, which was not determined); highlighting the content of valine (6.8%), histidine (8.3%), and lysine (7.5%). The functional properties of the proteins were also assessed, demonstrating huge potential for their use in the development of innovative and sustainable foods.
The Impact of Innovative Plant Sources (Cordia myxa L. Fruit (Assyrian Plum) and Phoenix dactylifera L. Biowaste (Date Pit)) on the Physicochemical, Microstructural, Nutritional, and Sensorial Properties of Gluten-Free Biscuits
Authors: Saeed Syed , Ali Syed , Faheem Khizra , Ali Rashida , Giuffrè Angelo
Published: August 2022

The gluten-free products available on the markets are deficient in bioactive compounds and high in cost. The present study is designed to develop gluten-free biscuits with enhanced nutritional properties. The gluten-free biscuits are formulated with rice flour (RF) incorporated with Assyrian plum fruit flour (APF) and bio-waste date-pit flour (DPF) according to the following ratios; RF:DPF:APF (100:0:0)/T0, (90:5:5)/T1, (80:10:10)/T2, and (70:15:15)/T3. The results demonstrate that flour blends with different concentrations of APF and DPF incorporated in RF have high contents of protein, damaged starch, crude fiber, ash, phytochemicals, and antioxidants in contrast to 100% RF, which shows the lowest values for all these parameters. The pasting properties of the flour blends reveals that the values of peak, final, breakdown, and setback viscosities reduce from T1 to T3. Similarly, a differential scanning calorimeter reveals that the phase transition temperature of the flour blends decreases with the increasing amylose content. Moreover, the scanning electron microscopy of the biscuit samples shows a positive contribution of APF and DPF for the development of the desired compactness of the structure due to the leaching of amylose content from the starch. The total phenol content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) increase from 38.43 to 132.20 mg GAE/100 g DW and 18.67 to 87.27 mg CE/100 g DW, respectively. Similarly, the antioxidant activities of biscuits improved. The protein and fiber contents of the biscuits increased from 10.20 to 14.73% and 0.69 to 12.25%, respectively. The biscuits prepared from T3 resulted in a firmer texture with a reduced spread ratio. However, the formulation of T1 and T2 biscuit samples contributed to desirable physical and sensory properties. Therefore, the addition of DPF and APF to RF is a sustainable way to make gluten-free biscuits as they provide adequate amylose, damaged starch, and fiber content to overcome the essential role of gluten in the baked product with nutraceutical properties.
Is Better Knowledge about Health Benefits of Dietary Fiber Related to Food Labels Reading Habits? A Croatian Overview
Authors: Ljubičić Marija , Sarić Marijana Matek , Rumbak Ivana , Barić Irena Colić , Sarić Ana , Komes Draženka , Šatalić Zvonimir , Dželalija Boris , Guiné Raquel P. F.
Published: August 2022

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the associations between health dietary patterns, knowledge, and consumption of dietary fiber (DF) with frequency of food label reading on food products with special reference to DF. The study was conducted in 2536 Croatian adults using an original questionnaire. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess associations between food label reading habits and predictor variables. Our study confirms the association between habits regarding the reading of labels on food products, especially in relation to information about DF with the sociodemographic factors of respondents, dietary food patterns and DF consumption, as well as knowledge and sources of information about DF. Women, individuals with a university-level education, and those living in an urban environment had more frequent labels used. Food habits as well as eating outside of the home were positive predictors while eating fast food was a negative predictor of food label reading. Knowledge about DF, especially about its health benefits, was also associated with food label reading. The interpretation of associations could help with the design of effective public health programs. Targeted education campaigns to educate and sensitize the population about food labeling and monitoring may improve general knowledge about healthy food and its benefits, which include indirect effects on the prevention of non-communicable chronic diseases.
The Role of the Emotional Sequence in the Communication of the Territorial Cheeses: A Neuromarketing Approach
Authors: Russo Vincenzo , Bilucaglia Marco , Circi Riccardo , Bellati Mara , Valesi Riccardo , Laureanti Rita , Licitra Giuseppe , Zito Margherita
Published: August 2022

Over the past few years, many studies have shown how territoriality can be considered a driver for purchasing agri-food products. Products with certification of origin are perceived as more sustainable, safer and of better quality. At the same time, producers of traditional products often belong to small entities that struggle to compete with large multinational food corporations, having less budget to allocate to product promotion. In this study, we propose a neuromarketing approach, showing how the use of these techniques can help in choosing the most effective commercial in terms of likeability and ability to activate mnemonic processes. Two commercials were filmed for the purpose of this study. They differed from each other in terms of emotional sequence. The first aimed primarily at eliciting positive emotions derived from the product description. The second aimed to generate negative emotions during the early stages, highlighting the negative consequences of humans’ loss of contact with nature and tradition and then eliciting positive emotions by presenting cheese production using traditional techniques as a solution to the problem. Based on the literature on the emotional sequences in social advertising, we hypothesised that the second commercial would generate an overall better emotional reaction and activate mnemonic processes to a greater extent. Our results partially support the research hypotheses, providing useful insights both to marketers and for future research on the topic.
Effects of Dairy Lambs’ Rearing System and Slaughter Age on Consumer Liking of Lamb Meat and Its Association with Lipid Content and Composition
Authors: Pavan Enrique , McCoard Susan A. , Agnew Michael , Zhang Renyu , Taukiri Kevin , Farouk Mustafa M. , Realini Carolina E.
Published: August 2022

The effects of the rearing system (artificially vs. naturally milk-fed) and the slaughter age (3-weeks milk-fed vs. 3-months pasture-fed) on consumer liking of East-Friesian-cross dairy lamb Longissimus lumborum muscle and its association with lipid content and composition were evaluated. The artificially reared lambs were removed from their dams at 2–3 days of age and reared with cow milk. Intramuscular fat content (2.8%) was similar between treatments. Only 3 of the 25 fatty acids evaluated were influenced by the rearing system and 15 by the slaughter age. The rearing system had a minor impact (p < 0.10), but the slaughter age had a major (p < 0.01) impact on consumer liking. All consumers preferred on average meat from 3-weeks-old lambs. However, based on overall liking scores, Cluster-1 (60% of consumers) preferred meat from 3-weeks-old lambs driven by all sensory attributes but mostly tenderness, whereas Cluster-2 preferred meat from 3-months-old lambs driven by flavor only, indicating a preference for stronger flavor from older lambs finished on pasture. Meat fatty acid profile and consumer liking were not influenced by the rearing system but by lamb slaughter age, showing a niche product opportunity for the 3-weeks milk-fed lambs.
Antimicrobial Effect of Simira ecuadorensis Extracts and Their Impact on Improving Shelf Life in Chicken and Fish Products
Authors: Reyes Jorge F. , Diez Ana M. , Melero Beatriz , Rovira Jordi , Jaime Isabel
Published: August 2022

The objective of this work was to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of different extracts of Simira ecuadorensis, a characteristic plant of Ecuador, and to validate its potential as a food preservative. Four extracts referred to as ethanol, ethanol-water (50:50 v/v), spray-dried, and freeze-dried were obtained under different processes. Initially, their antimicrobial activities were evaluated against a wide group of microorganisms consisting of 20 pathogenic and spoilage microbial strains found in foods through the agar diffusion method. Then, the extracts with the best yields and antimicrobial properties against microorganisms of greatest interest were selected to determine their effect on model foods preserved under normal commercial conditions through challenge tests. Spray-dried and ethanol-water extracts were tested for their ability to inhibit C. jejuni in chicken model products, where is a common pathogen and Shew. putrefaciens in fish model products as it is a spoilage microorganism frequently found in fish. One solid and one liquid were chosen as model foods: burger and broth, respectively. Campylobacter jejuni and Shewanella putrefaciens were effectively inhibited by the four extracts with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 80 mg/mL. Bacillus cereus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Clostridium perfringens, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides were also inhibited by ethanolic extract. The ethanol-water extract showed greater antimicrobial activity in fish products, whereas spray-dried extract had low growth inhibition of C. jejuni in chicken burgers; however, it was quite effective on C. jejuni in broth. The spray-dried extract significantly decreased the pH of the chicken burgers, while the ethanolic extract had a slight impact on the pH of the fish burgers. The presence of antibacterial effects revealed that the S. ecuadorensis extracts could be potentially used in food preservation and as a natural antimicrobial.
Optimization of Osmotic Dehydration of White Mushrooms by Response Surface Methodology for Shelf-Life Extension and Quality Improvement of Frozen End-Products
Authors: Stavropoulou Natalia A. , Pavlidis Vassilis-Aggelos , Giannakourou Maria C.
Published: August 2022

Button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), one of the most common edible mushroom species, are sensitive to damages because of the absence of a protective skin layer and have a limited shelf life. Osmotic dehydration (OD), mainly used as a pre-processing step of conventional preservation methods, has been proposed as an efficient, mild treatment to preserve mushroom superior quality. In this study, response surface methodology, coupled with a Box–Behnken design, was used to investigate the effect of glycerol concentration (30–50%), temperature (30–50 °C), and duration of osmosis (0–180 min) in order to optimize the process prior to a subsequent freezing step. For each response, including mass transfer and selected quality indices, a second-order polynomial model was developed, and all process factors were found to have a significant impact. Based on the desirability approach and pre-set criteria, optimum operating conditions were estimated, namely osmosis at 50 °C, for 120 min, with a 42% glycerol solution, and the corresponding validation experiments were performed. Based on the error estimated between experimental and predicted values, polynomial equations were found to adequately predict parameter values. Based on a shelf-life test under frozen storage, OD-treated samples retained better quality attributes compared to their untreated counterparts.
A Sulfated Polysaccharide from Red Algae (Gelidium crinale) to Suppress Cells Metastasis and MMP-9 Expression of HT1080 Cells
Authors: Zheng Haiyan , Pei Yu , He Yuan-Lin , Liu Yi , Chen Minqi , Hong Pengzhi , Zhou Chunxia , Qian Zhong-Ji
Published: August 2022

Sulfated polysaccharides from red algae have a variety of biological activities, especially antitumor activities. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is a proteolytic metalloenzyme that degrades the central part of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and promotes tumor metastasis. In this research, we have investigated the influence and mechanism of GNP (sulfated polysaccharide from Gelidium crinale) on tumor metastasis and MMP-9 expression of human fibrosarcoma (HT1080) cells. The results inflected that the concentration of GNP below 100 μg/mL has no toxicity to HT1080 cells, but showed excellent activity in inhibiting cells migration and invasion. In addition, GNP effectively inhibits the mRNA of MMP-9 and reduces its expression and activity by regulating nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and mTOR/PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. GNP has great potential as MMP-9 inhibitor and could be developed as a functional food or drug to prevent tumor metastasis.
Rheology and Tribology of Ethylcellulose-Based Oleogels and W/O Emulsions as Fat Substitutes: Role of Glycerol Monostearate
Authors: Zhang Ruoning , Zhang Yanhui , Yu Jingjing , Gao Yanxiang , Mao Like
Published: August 2022

Rheological and tribological properties of oleogels and water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions are important for application in fat substitutes. This study investigated the roles of glycerol monostearate (GMS) in tailoring the structural, rheological and tribological properties of ethylcellulose (EC)-based oleogels and W/O emulsions as potential fat substitutes. The addition of GMS contributed to more round and compact oil pores in oleogel networks. The oleogel with 5% GMS had higher crystallinity, leading to solid state (lower tanδ value), mechanical reversibility (higher thixotropic recovery), but a brittle (lower critical strain) structure in the samples. GMS gave the oleogels and emulsions higher oil binding capacity, storage modulus and yield stress. Under oral processing conditions, GMS addition contributed to higher textural attributes and viscosity. Friction coefficients in mixed and boundary regions of oleogels and emulsions were reduced with the increase in GMS content from 0~2%, but increased with 5% GMS. Rheological and tribological properties of lard, mayonnaise and cream cheese can be mimicked by EC oleogels with 5% GMS, or emulsions with 2% GMS and 2–5% GMS, respectively. The study showed the potentials of oleogel and W/O emulsions in designing low-fat products by tuning the structures for healthier and better sensory attributes.
Physicochemical Properties and Structure Changes of Food Products during Processing
Authors: Igual Marta , Martínez-Monzó Javier
Published: August 2022

This Special Issue is dedicated toward the understanding of the physicochemical properties and structure changes of food products during processing [...]
Antimicrobial Nonwoven Fabrics Incorporated with Levulinic Acid and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate for Use in the Food Industry
Authors: Liu Zijun , Long Haiqi , Wang Yihan , Shen Cangliang , Chen Dong
Published: August 2022

Safe and cost-effective antimicrobial fabrics (e.g., face masks and air filters) are conducive to preventing the spread and transmission of respiratory microorganisms in food processing plants and retail establishments. The objective of this study was to coat fabrics with two commonly used compounds in the food industry: levulinic acid (LVA) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and determine the antimicrobial efficacy of the coated fabrics against bacterial solutions, aerosols, and influenza A virus subtype H1N1. In addition, air permeability and shelf-life of the LVA/SDS coated fabrics were also examined. Nonwoven fabrics were dip-coated with three concentrations (w/v, 0.5% LVA + 0.1% SDS, 1% LVA + 0.5% SDS, and 2% LVA + 1% SDS) of LVA and SDS and challenged with bacterial solutions (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, ca. 7.0 log CFU/coupon) for a contact time of 3, 5, and 10 min. The coated fabrics were also challenged with S. aureus aerosol and H1N1 virus following standard operations of ASTM F2101-19 and ISO 18184:2019, respectively. The 1% LVA + 0.5% SDS coated fabrics showed potent antibacterial efficacy against both bacterial solutions (>6.0-log reduction to under the detection limit of 1.0 log CFU/coupon for S. aureus; ca. 1.0-log reduction for E. coli) and aerosols (>3.6-log reduction to under the detection limit), with greater inactivation occurring at higher concentrations and longer exposure time. Moreover, the coated fabrics inactivated >99% of the H1N1 virus. The shelf-life of the coated fabrics was stable within 12 months and the air permeability was not adversely affected with the coating concentrations less than 1% LVA + 0.5% SDS. Results reveal these low-cost and safe materials have the potential to be used to coat fabrics in the food industry to combat the spread and transmission of pathogens.
Effects of Flash Evaporation Conditions on the Quality of UHT Milk by Changing the Dissolved Oxygen Content in Milk
Authors: Jiang Shiyao , Luo Wenjing , Peng Qiuqi , Wu Zhengyan , Li Hongbo , Li Hongjuan , Yu Jinghua
Published: August 2022

This study assessed the impact of reducing dissolved oxygen (DO) content on the quality of UHT milk using a flash deoxygenation treatment. Flash deoxygenation was designed based on preheated milk reaching boiling early under low-pressure conditions to remove DO from the milk. Two parameters were designed for flash deoxygenation: preheating temperature 65 °C, −0.08 Mpa, and 70 °C, −0.06 Mpa. The flash conditions were applied to two UHT sterilization conditions (135 °C for 10 s and 145 °C for 5 s). After deoxygenation, the total oxidation (TOTOX) value of UHT milk was reduced by 1.4~1.71, and the protein carbonyl (PC) value was reduced by 1.15~1.52 nmol/mg of protein. The maximum inhibition rates of furusine and 5-HMF were 33.23 ± 1.72% and 25.43 ± 3.14%, respectively. The particle size was reduced by 0.141~0.178 μm. The ketones and stale aldehydes causing oxidized taste in the UHT milk were significantly reduced. This study showed that the oxidation and Maillard reactions of UHT milk were significantly inhibited, stability was improved, and the content of undesirable volatile flavor substances was reduced after flash deoxygenation. Therefore, reducing DO content was beneficial to improving the quality of UHT milk.
Stability Analysis on Nabla Discrete Distributed-Order Dynamical System
Authors: Wu Xiang , Yang Xujun , Song Qiankun , Chen Xiaofeng
Published: August 2022

This paper addresses the problems of the stability of a nabla discrete distributed-order dynamical system (NDDS). Firstly, based on a proposed generalized definition of discrete integral, some related definitions of nabla discrete distributed-order calculus are given. Then, several useful inequalities in sense of nabla discrete fractional-order difference are extended to distributed-order cases. Meanwhile, on basis of the proposed inequalities and Lyapunov direct method, some sufficient conditions guaranteeing the asymptotic stability of the origin of NDDS are established under both the Caputo and Riemann–Liouville sense. Finally, some designed simulation examples are given to validate the correctness and practicability of the obtained results.
Results on the Existence of Solutions Associated with Some Weak Vector Variational Inequalities
Authors: Treanţă Savin
Published: August 2022

In this paper, by considering the notions of the invex set, Fréchet differentiability, invexity and pseudoinvexity for the involved functionals of curvilinear integral type, we establish some relations between the solutions of a class of weak vector variational inequalities and (weak) efficient solutions of the associated control problem.