bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IO-Link Wireless Sensitivity Testing Methods in Reverberation Chambers
Authors: Cammin Christoph , Krush Dmytro , Krueger Dirk , Scholl Gerd
Published: September 2022

Communication reliability is a challenging requirement, which implies the need for over-the-air (OTA) testing. Reverberation chambers (RCs) are widely used for OTA tests in various fields. Due to their properties, such as inherent radio channel emulation or the arbitrary orientation of the equipment under test (EUT) in the test volume, they can be used as advantageous test environments for wireless products in the field of industrial manufacturing automation, such as for the IO-Link Wireless (IOLW) standard. In this paper, the different OTA sensitivity test procedures total isotropic sensitivity (TIS), average fading sensitivity (AFS) and mean channel packet error (MCPE) method, which is based on the fundamental channel model of the wireless standard, are described and evaluated in various variants. A core aspect of the proposal is the impact of the possible use of frequency hopping of the wireless equipment under test. The respective advantages and disadvantages are shown. Overall, TIS proves to be a suitable alternative for IOLW OTA sensitivity testing.
A Hybrid Method for Keystroke Biometric User Identification
Authors: Ali Md L. , Thakur Kutub , Obaidat Muath A.
Published: September 2022

The generative model and discriminative model are the two categories of statistical models used in keystroke biometric areas. Generative models have the trait of handling missing or irregular data, and perform well for limited training data. Discriminative models are fast in making predictions for new data, resulting in faster classification of new data compared to the generative models. In an attempt to build an efficient model for keystroke biometric user identification, this study proposes a hybrid POHMM/SVM method taking advantage of both generative and discriminative models. The partially observable hidden Markov model (POHMM) is an extension of the hidden Markov model (HMM), which has shown promising performance in user verification and handling missing or infrequent data. On the other hand, the support vector machine (SVM) has been a widely used discriminative model in keystroke biometric systems for the last decade and achieved a higher accuracy rate for large data sets. In the proposed model, features are extracted using the POHMM model, and a one-class support vector machine is used as the anomaly detector. For user identification, the study examines POHMM parameters using five different discriminative classifiers: support vector machines, k-nearest neighbor, random forest, multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network, and logistic regression. The best accuracy of 91.3% (mean 0.868, SD 0.132) is achieved by the proposed hybrid POHMM/SVM approach among all generative and discriminative models.
Hysteresis Modeling of Piezoelectric Actuators Based on a T-S Fuzzy Model
Authors: Yang Liu , Wang Qingtao , Xiao Yongqiang , Li Zhan
Published: September 2022

Piezoelectric actuators (PEAs) have been widely used in aerospace, electronic communication and other high-accuracy manufacturing fields because of their high precision, low power consumption, fast response, and high resolution. However, piezoelectric actuators have very complicated hysteresis nonlinearity, which greatly affects their positioning and control accuracy. Particularly in the field of active vibration control, the control accuracy of piezoelectric actuators is easily affected by noise points. To address the problem, this paper proposes a hyperplane probability c-regression model (HPCRM) algorithm to establish its T-S fuzzy model of hysteresis nonlinearity. Firstly, an improved fuzzy c regression clustering algorithm is proposed to identify the antecedent parameters of T-S fuzzy model. This algorithm not only divides the fuzzy space better but also effectively avoids the influence of noise points generated by the external environment during data acquisition. Secondly, a new type of hyperplane membership function is introduced to solve the problem that the traditional Gaussian membership function does not match the hyperplane clustering algorithm. Finally, the accuracy of the modeling method is confirmed by several comparative experiments. Experimental results show that the proposed method is more precise than the traditional fuzzy c-regression models (FCRM) and probability c-regression models (PCRM) under the sine signals of 5 Hz–100 Hz.
Multi-Class Positive and Unlabeled Learning for High Dimensional Data Based on Outlier Detection in a Low Dimensional Embedding Space
Authors: Park Cheong Hee
Published: September 2022

Positive and unlabeled (PU) learning targets a binary classifier on labeled positive data and unlabeled data containing data samples of positive and unknown negative classes, whereas multi-class positive and unlabeled (MPU) learning aims to learn a multi-class classifier assuming labeled data from multiple positive classes. In this paper, we propose a two-step approach for MPU learning on high dimensional data. In the first step, negative samples are selected from unlabeled data using an ensemble of k-nearest neighbors-based outlier detection models in a low dimensional space which is embedded by a linear discriminant function. We present an approach for binary prediction which determines whether a data sample is a negative data sample. In the second step, the linear discriminant function is optimized on the labeled positive data and negative samples selected in the first step. It alternates between updating the parameters of the linear discriminant function and selecting reliable negative samples by detecting outliers in a low-dimensional space. Experimental results using high dimensional text data demonstrate the high performance of the proposed MPU learning method.
Fast Decision Algorithm of CU Size for HEVC Intra-Prediction Based on a Kernel Fuzzy SVM Classifier
Authors: He Shuqian , Deng Zhengjie , Shi Chun
Published: September 2022

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) achieves a significant improvement in compression efficiency at the cost of extremely high computational complexity. Therefore, large-scale and wide deployment applications, especially mobile real-time video applications under low-latency and power-constrained conditions, are more challenging. In order to solve the above problems, a fast decision method for intra-coding unit size based on a new fuzzy support vector machine classifier is proposed in this paper. The relationship between the depth levels of coding units is accurately expressed by defining the cost evaluation criteria of texture and non-texture rate-distortion cost. The fuzzy support vector machine is improved by using the information entropy measure to solve the negative impact of data noise and the outliers problem. The proposed method includes three stages: the optimal coded depth level “0” early decision, coding unit depth early skip, and optimal coding unit early terminate. In order to further improve the rate-distortion complexity optimization performance, more feature vectors are introduced, including features such as space complexity, the relationship between coding unit depths, and rate-distortion cost. The experimental results showed that, compared with the HEVC reference test model HM16.5, the proposed algorithm can reduce the encoding time of various test video sequences by more than 53.24% on average, while the Bjontegaard Delta Bit Rate (BDBR) only increases by 0.82%. In addition, the proposed algorithm is better than the existing algorithms in terms of comprehensively reducing the computational complexity and maintaining the rate-distortion performance.
Prioritization of Passive Parameters from Modified Averaging Approach-Based Computation (MAAC) Methodology for Ascertaining Formation of Single and Multi-Location Unintentional Islands
Authors: Kulkarni Nitin Kumar , Khedkar Mohan , Bhende Chandrashekhar Narayan , Singh Sunil Kumar
Published: September 2022

In the present scenario, the integration of distributed generation (DG) sources into the grid is inevitably required for meeting demand and ameliorating the power quality. High integration levels can form unintentional islands which need to be recognized to provide safety. In this context, 64 passive parameters have been tested in the MATLAB/SIMULINK environment for extensive islanding and non-islanding switching events on standard IEEE 13, 34, and 37 bus distribution test feeders (DTFs) integrated with photovoltaic (PV) inverter-based and rotating-based (induction generator) DG sources at multiple locations. In order to obtain effective passive parameters, a modified averaging approach-based computation (MAAC) methodology has been proposed. The proposed methodology computes the averaged islanding and non-islanding values of all ‘64’ parameters and prioritizes them accordingly by threshold value comparison. Additionally, it lessens the computational burden. The parameter threshold setting is simplified by obtaining threshold values directly from IEEE 1547-2018, UL1741, and IEEE 929-2000 grid interconnection standards, and the threshold values obtained are the same for the three DTFs. As a result, a generalized solution has been provided. The simulation results confer a set of the overall most effective passive parameters for ascertaining islanding, especially for a complex scenario of multi-DG multi-location island formations.
Current Source Converter as an Effective Interface to Interconnect Microgrid and Main Grid
Authors: Xue Yu , Ren Yongfeng , He Jinwei , Wang Hao , Jia Hongjie
Published: September 2022

Back-to-back current source converters play an important role in high power applications. However, this back-to-back converter system uses a larger number of power switches, which is associated with more cost and the power density of the converter system can be affected. To address this issue, in this paper, a novel nine-switch back-to-back current source converter is proposed. To realize proper modulation of this nine-switch converter system, the concept of ampere balance is revisited at first. Then, its relationship with the traditional modulation scheme is revealed. Moreover, based on the ampere balance, the real-time dwell time calculation method is developed, where the tracking of rectifier current and inverter current is taken into consideration simultaneously. Finally, simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed modulation scheme.
The Possible Role of SARS-CoV-2 in Male Fertility: A Narrative Review
Authors: Leanza Claudia , Mongioì Laura M. , Cannarella Rossella , La Vignera Sandro , Condorelli Rosita A. , Calogero Aldo E.
Published: September 2022

The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome—Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) around the world has rapidly sparked the interest of the scientific community to discover its implications in human health. Many studies have suggested that SARS-CoV-2 is directly or indirectly involved in the male reproductive tract impairment. Some evidence supports the possible role of the virus in male infertility. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the relationship between the male urogenital tract, male fertility, and the gonadal hormone profile. The testis is one of the organs with the highest expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) 2-receptor that allows the virus to penetrate human cells. Orchitis is a possible clinical manifestation of COVID-19 and testicular damage has been found on autopsy in the testes of patients who died from the disease. SARS-CoV-2 infection can compromise the blood-testis barrier, favoring testicular damage and the production of anti-sperm autoantibodies. Some studies have detected the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen and a high percentage of patients with COVID-19 have altered sperm parameters compared to controls. Finally, lower testosterone levels, higher luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, and decreased follicle-stimulating (FSH)/LH and testosterone/LH ratios suggest primary testicular damage. In conclusion, further studies are needed to evaluate the exact mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 affects the male reproductive system and fertility and to evaluate the reversibility of its long-term effects.
Assessing Dry Ports’ Environmental Sustainability
Authors: Varese Erica , Bux Christian , Amicarelli Vera , Lombardi Mariarosaria
Published: September 2022

Sustainable development and environmental issues related to ports and sea trade have highlighted the need to enhance transport and trade systems to include green practices, such as the realisation of dry ports. However, among the current studies investigating dry ports’ implications, only few papers explore their environmental impacts. Moreover, these latter papers approach the argument in a general way, leaving the ecological concerns associated with dry ports under-researched or marginally explored. In light of these premises, with the present review, the authors aim to develop a new conceptual framework on the dry ports’ environmental aspects in order to drive and support future academic research in this field. The methodology used by the authors is a systematic literature review on Scopus and Web of Science. They identified 107 relevant articles, of which 43 were included according to the authors’ propositions. The main results show that (i) there is no coordination between the various studies and systemic debates on dry ports’ environmental aspects; (ii) there are no standardised applicable tools; and (iii) there is no involvement among the various stakeholders. Additionally, a debate is also lacking under the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals of the Agenda 2030.
Indoor Air Quality: A Review of Cleaning Technologies
Authors: Mata Teresa M. , Martins António A. , Calheiros Cristina S. C. , Villanueva Florentina , Alonso-Cuevilla Nuria P. , Gabriel Marta Fonseca , Silva Gabriela Ventura
Published: September 2022

Aims: Indoor air quality (IAQ) has attracted increased attention with the emergence of COVID-19. Ventilation is perhaps the area in which the most changes have been proposed in response to the emergency caused by this virus. However, other strategies are possible, such as source control and the extraction of pollutants. The latter incorporates clean technologies, an emergent area with respect to IAQ. Method: Various air treatment technologies can be used to control contaminants, which are reviewed and discussed in this work, including physicochemical technologies (e.g., filtration, adsorption, UV-photocatalytic oxidation, ultraviolet disinfection and ionization) and biological technologies (e.g., plant purification methods and microalgae-based methods). Results and interpretation: This work reviews currently available solutions and technologies for “cleaning” indoor air, with a focus on their advantages and disadvantages. One of the most common problems in this area is the emission of pollutants that are sometimes more dangerous to human health than those that the technologies were developed to remove. Another aspect to consider is the limitation of each technology in relation to the type of pollutants that need to be removed. Each of the investigated technologies works well for a family of pollutants with similar characteristics, but it is not applicable to all pollutant types. Thus, the optimal solution may involve the use of a combination of technologies to extend the scope of application, in addition to the development of new materials, for example, through the use of nanotechnology.
Litter Decomposition of Qinghai Spruce (Picea crassifolia) Is Dependent on Mn Concentration in the Qilian Mountains, Northwest China
Authors: Gu Jixiong , Zhou Bilian , Zhao Chuanyan , Tang Yuan , Tian Junkai , Zhao Xinning
Published: September 2022

The factors determining litter decomposition incorporated into C and nutrient cycles were examined as part of a broader study investigating the biogeochemical cycle in forest ecosystems. Litter was collected from five altitudes of Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) woodland stands in the Qilian Mountains and placed in litterbags. These litterbags were installed at the crown center (CC) and crown edge (CE) at different altitudes in Qinghai spruce forests during the growing season to study the effect of litter substrate quality on litter decomposition. Results indicate that at varying altitudes in the growing season, the initial mass loss rate and initial decomposition rate of Qinghai spruce litter showed a nonlinear relationship with altitude. The Olson exponential regression equation showed that the decomposition coefficient (k) was the largest at 3050 m (k = 0.709), and the decomposition coefficient (k) was the smallest at 3250 m (k = 0.476). Meanwhile, the initial decomposition rate was highly correlated with initial litter Ca and Mn concentrations. At the CC and CE at different altitudes in the growing season, the initial mass loss rate of CE was significantly higher than that of CC (p < 0.01), and the initial decomposition rate of CE was markedly faster than that of CC (p < 0.01). The Olson exponential regression equation showed that CE’s decomposition coefficients (k) were larger than those of CC. The initial decomposition rate of CE was highly correlated with initial litter C and Mn concentrations. However, the initial decomposition rate at CC was independent of the litter substrate quality. Finally, we realize that litter decomposition in the early stages is not ultimately determined by a single common factor, but rather the result of multiple factors working together in different orders and strengths. The results lay a foundation for understanding the process and mechanism of litter decomposition in the alpine mountain forest ecosystem and further understanding the structure and function of the ecosystem.
Enzyme-Mediated Amplification (EMA) for Detection of the Pinewood Nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus
Authors: Wang Li-Chao , Li Min , Sheng Ruo-Cheng , Chen Feng-Mao
Published: September 2022

The pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is a notorious parasitic nematode of pine trees that causes pine wilt disease (PWD), leading to extensive mortality of different pine species around the world and considerable economic losses, thus posing a threat to healthy pines worldwide. Fast and accurate detection technology is necessary for the management of PWD spread. This study describes the development of a new DNA extraction method and detection technology, enzyme-mediated amplification (EMA), using primers and a newly designed probe according to the rRNA internal transcribed spacer gene ITS2. The detection process can be completed within 40 min, including DNA extraction for 10 min and detection for 30 min, by exploiting the synergistic action of multiple enzymes. This method can detect PWNs from different geographic areas quickly and accurately at all life stages, singly or in a mixture, and can distinguish PWNs from other species of the Bursaphelenchus group, showing that it is not only reliable but also rapid, greatly improving the efficiency and speed of PWN detection. Therefore, the technology is expected to be highly beneficial in PWN quarantine testing.
Ecological Niche Overlap and Prediction of the Potential Distribution of Two Sympatric Ficus (Moraceae) Species in the Indo-Burma Region
Authors: Fungjanthuek Jenjira , Huang Man-Juan , Hughes Alice C. , Huang Jian-Feng , Chen Huan-Huan , Gao Jie , Peng Yan-Qiong
Published: September 2022

Climate change is a major factor influencing the species distribution and population diversity of living creatures. In this study, the ecological niche model (ENM) MaxEnt was used to evaluate habitat suitability and predict potential habitats of two sympatric fig species, i.e., Ficus squamosa and F. heterostyla, in the Xishuangbanna region of China. Results indicated that mean diurnal range, isothermality, cation exchange capacity (at pH 7), and temperature seasonality were key variables influencing habitat suitability for F. squamosa. However, temperature seasonality and precipitation of the driest quarter showed the greatest contributions to F. heterostyla distribution. During the current period, the habitat suitability distributions of both Ficus species were considerably higher than known occurrences. In the future, potentially suitable distribution areas for both species will reduce overall across the whole study area, although some expansion may occur by 2070. Niche overlap of suitable areas for both species was initially high and then declined in the current period and future epochs in the RCP 2.6 scenario, but increased in the RCP 8.5 scenario. In short, the responses of both Ficus species to climate change differed. Thus, specific actions such as ex situ conservation and assisted migration may be needed to conserve both species.
Can Indoor Residents Perceive Green and Blue Spaces in Communities as Posted Sentiments? A Verification in Nanchang
Authors: Chen Changhong , Guo Peng
Published: September 2022

Ecological infrastructures (EIs), such as public and urban green and blue spaces (GBSs), have been well demonstrated to benefit visitors’ mental well-being. Experiences in community GBSs may also evoke positive emotions for their residents. In this study, 54 communities in Nanchang were chosen as objective sites, where landscape metrics of GBSs were remotely evaluated. A total of 2105 local residents’ facial expressions (with happy, sad, and neutral emotions) were obtained from Sina Weibo. Inhabitants showed more net positive emotions (happy minus sad) in cold seasons, and females smiled more frequently than males. Newly constructed communities with houses for sale had larger areas of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and built-up index compared to communities with no houses for sale. Neither the availability of houses for sale nor housing price had any effect on facial expression scores. Poisson regression revealed significant coefficients (β) of positive emotions with largeness of green space (GS) and blue space (BS). Overall, BS had a stronger contribution (β, 0.6–1.1) to residents showing positive emotions relative to GS (β, −2.45–0.89), whose area ratio of NDVI increased the frequency of showing happiness. We recommend constructing GBSs with over 0.68 km2 of GS and over 2000 m2 of BS per community, where the area ratio of GS should be more than 70% of the total if the goal is to evoke more happiness in residents.
Comprehensive Analysis of GRAS Gene Family and Their Expression under GA3, Drought Stress and ABA Treatment in Larix kaempferi
Authors: Ma Miaomiao , Li Lu , Wang Xuhui , Zhang Chunyan , Pak Solme , Li Chenghao
Published: September 2022

The GRAS family transcription factors play important roles in regulating plant growth and responses to abiotic stress, which can be utilized to breed novel plants with improved abiotic stress resistance. However, the GRAS gene family has been largely unexplored for tree species, particularly for Larix kaempferi, which has high economic and ecological values, challenging practices for breeding abiotic stress-resistant L. kaempferi. In order to improve the stress resistance by regulating the transcription factors in L. kaempferi, we identified 11 GRAS genes in L. kaempferi and preliminarily characterized them through comprehensive analyses of phylogenetic relationships, conserved motifs, promoter cis-elements, and expression patterns, as well as protein interaction network prediction. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the LkGRAS family proteins were classified into four subfamilies, including DELLA, HAM, SCL, and PAT1, among which the SCL subfamily was the largest one. Conserved motif analysis revealed many putative motifs such as LHRI-VHIID-LHRII-PFYRE-SAW at C-terminals of the LkGRAS proteins; we discovered a unique motif of the LkGRAS genes. Promoter cis-acting element analysis exhibited several putative elements associated with abiotic stresses and phytohormones; the abscisic acid-responsive elements (ABRE) and G-box are the most enriched elements in the promoters. Through expression profiles of LkGRAS genes in different tissues and under drought-stress and phytohormones (GA3 and ABA) treatments, it was demonstrated that LkGRAS genes are most active in the needles, and they rapidly respond to environmental cues such as drought-stress and phytohormone treatments within 24 h. Protein interaction network prediction analysis revealed that LkGRAS proteins interact with various proteins, among which examples are the typical GA, ABA, and drought-stress signaling factors. Taken together, our work identifies the novel LkGRAS gene family in L. kaempferi and provides preliminary information for further in-depth functional characterization studies and practices of breeding stress-resistant L. kaempferi.
Why Intra-Annual Density Fluctuations Should Be Formed at Night? Implications for Climate–Growth Relationships in Seasonally Dry Conifer Forests
Authors: Camarero Jesús Julio
Published: September 2022

Trees grow at night, when the vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is low enough. Therefore, intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs) should be formed when the VPD drops below a certain threshold. This idea is tested by assessing climate-latewood IADF relationships in six conifer species under Mediterranean climate conditions. Hourly climate and dendrometer data were analyzed for years with elevated IADF production in two species (Pinus halepensis, Juniperus thurifera). Lastly, climate–growth relationships were evaluated in two drought-prone sites to assess the relative role of minimum vs. maximum temperatures as growth drivers. Latewood IADF production was positively related to growth rate. IADFs were more abundant when monthly or 10-day long precipitation was high in the late growing season (August and September). According to dendrometer data, growth mainly occurred in early night (20–2 h) and early morning (6–8 h). This growth window corresponded to rainy periods with VPD below a minimum threshold associated with summer storms. Latewood IADFs are produced in response to these wet late-summer conditions, which could be related to bimodal growth. These associations are in line with correlations showing that high minimum (night) rather than maximum (day) temperatures reduce growth. This last idea should be further checked in drought-prone forests using global tree-ring databases.
Ortet Age Effect, Anatomy and Physiology of Adventitious Rooting in Tilia mandshurica Softwood Cuttings
Authors: Mu Huaizhi , Jin Xuhong , Ma Xinyu , Zhao Anqi , Gao Yuting , Lin Lin
Published: September 2022

Tilia mandshurica is recognized as one of the most valuable timber, ornamental and nectariferous tree species, and its cutting propagation is very difficult. To evaluate the influence of ortet age on the rooting of T. mandshurica cuttings and the relationship between the variations of nutrients, enzyme activities, endogenous hormones and the formation of adventitious roots, a series of softwood cuttings of T. mandshurica were collected from 2-, 7-, 15- and 20-year-old healthy ortets, respectively. The rooting percentage, mean root number and total root length were investigated after 60 days of cultivation. Phenotypic and anatomical changes and the variations of organic nutrients, enzyme activities and endogenous hormones were measured during adventitious root formation. The results showed that ortet age effect existed in T. mandshurica softwood cuttings. The adventitious rooting of 2-year-old ortets was superior to that of 7-, 15- and 20-year-old ortets. No root primordium was visible in T. mandshurica softwood cuttings before cultivation, and the root primordia were induced after planting. The adventitious roots derived from vascular cambium and callus in cuttings. Soluble sugar increased during root primordium induction and decreased in adventitious root elongation. Soluble protein decreased during root primordium induction and increased in adventitious root elongation. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity increasing and peroxidase (POD) and 3-indoleacetic acid oxidase (IAAO) activities decreasing were conducive to root primordium induction. High 3-indoleacetic acid (IAA) and gibberellin (GA3) level could promote root primordium induction and low IAA and GA3 level was beneficial to adventitious root elongation. Abscisic acid (ABA) and zeatin riboside (ZR) inhibited root primordium induction and adventitious root elongation. IAA, ABA and ZR coordinated with each other in the process of root primordium induction and adventitious root formation. IAA/ABA increasing could promote root primordium induction, and IAA/ZR increasing was beneficial to root primordium induction and adventitious root elongation. The soluble sugar content, PPO activity, IAA/ABA and IAA/ZR of softwood cuttings from 2-year-old ortets were relatively high, which may be the reason for the better adventitious rooting. The present study provides a reference to build a propagation by cuttings technology of linden trees.
Pigment Production by Paracoccus spp. Strains through Submerged Fermentation of Valorized Lignocellulosic Wastes
Authors: Pyter Weronika , Grewal Jasneet , Bartosik Dariusz , Drewniak Lukasz , Pranaw Kumar
Published: September 2022

Due to the increasing emphasis on the circular economy, research in recent years has focused on the feasibility of using biomass as an alternative energy source. Plant biomass is a potential substitute for countering the dependence on depleting fossil-derived energy sources and chemicals. However, in particular, lignocellulosic waste materials are complex and recalcitrant structures that require effective pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification to release the desired saccharides, which can be further fermented into a plethora of value-added products. In this context, pigment production from waste hydrolysates is a viable ecological approach to producing safe and natural colorings, which are otherwise produced via chemical synthesis and raise health concerns. The present study aims to evaluate two such abundant lignocellulosic wastes, i.e., wheat straw and pinewood sawdust as low-cost feedstocks for carotenoid production with Paracoccus strains. An alkali pretreatment approach, followed by enzymatic saccharification using an indigenous lab-isolated fungal hydrolase, was found to be effective for the release of fermentable sugars from both substrates. The fermentation of the pretreated sawdust hydrolysate by Paracoccus aminophilus CRT1 and Paracoccus kondratievae CRT2 resulted in the highest carotenoid production, 631.33 and 758.82 μg/g dry mass, respectively. Thus, the preliminary but informative research findings of the present work exhibit the potential for sustainable and economically feasible pigment production from lignocellulosic feedstocks after optimal process development on the pilot scale.
Influence of 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on the Processing and Microbial Communities of Spanish-Style and Directly Brined Green Table Olive Fermentations
Authors: López-García Elio , Benítez-Cabello Antonio , Rodríguez-Gómez Francisco , Martín-Arranz Virginia , Garrido-Fernández Antonio , Arroyo-López Francisco Noé
Published: September 2022

This work evaluates the effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on postharvest and fermentation of Manzanilla cultivar, processed as Spanish-style or directly brined table olives. During postharvest handling, 1-MCP (2.85 µL/L) reduced the number of colour-turning olives by 18.42% over the untreated fruits. In Spanish-style and directly brined fermentation, the 1-MCP treatment led to lower pH levels, higher titratable acidities, improved firmness and colour olives than untreated fruits. A panel of expert testers also gave higher scores, and overall acceptability to the 1-MCP treated fruits, especially in the case of Spanish-style fermented olives. Metagenomic analysis of olive biofilms at the end of the fermentation process (176 days) revealed that Lactiplantibacillus was the most abundant bacterial genus in both Spanish-style and directly brined olives (>72%). However, fungal biodiversity was higher than bacterial in all treatments. Saccharomyces was the predominant yeast genus associated with directly brined olives (>97%), whilst Wickerhamomyces (>37%) and Zygoascus (>18%) were with Spanish-style fermentations. The 1-MCP treatment doubled the presence of Wickerhamomyces in Spanish-style fruits (74%) whilst reducing the presence of Zygoascus and allowing the growth of Enterobacter (15%) in directly brined olives. Thus, the postharvesting treatment of table olives with 1-MCP could help reduce the maturation progress of olives and improve the organoleptic and quality characteristics of the products without affecting the microbiological evolution of the fermentations.
The Biotransformation of Lupine Seeds by Lactic Acid Bacteria and Penicillium camemberti into a Plant-Based Camembert Alternative, and Its Physicochemical Changes during 7 Weeks of Ripening
Authors: Łopusiewcz Łukasz , Śmietana Natalia , Lichwiarska Elżbieta , Mazurkiewicz-Zapałowicz Kinga , Gefrom Annett , Drozłowska Emilia
Published: September 2022

In recent years, there has been increasing consumer interest and research into plant-based dairy alternatives, due to the increasingly negative impact of animal products on human health, animal welfare, and the environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the physicochemical and microbiological changes in a Camembert alternative based on the seeds of sweet lupine (Lupinus angustifolius L cv. ‘Boregine’). After heat treatment and homogenization, the seeds were incubated with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Penicillium camemberti mold. After fermentation at room temperature, the samples were stored at 12 °C for 14 days, and then ripened until day 49 at 6 °C. Changes in microbial population, acidity, texture, content of polyphenols, flavonoids, reducing sugars, and free amino acids were monitored. In addition, the antioxidant capacity of the samples during ripening was determined. The results showed that LAB and fungi were able to grow well in the lupine matrix. Initially, a decrease in pH was observed, while in the further stages of ripening, alkalization of the product linked with progressive proteolysis associated with an increase in free amino acid content was noted. Hydrolysis of polysaccharides and an increase in antioxidant activity were observed. This indicates the potential of lupine seeds as a raw material for the development of a new group of plant-based ripened cheese alternatives.
Numerical Investigation on Wave-Overtopping at a Double-Dike Defence Structure in Response to Climate Change-Induced Sea Level Rise
Authors: Jin Yueyuan , Wang Weizhi , Kamath Arun , Bihs Hans
Published: September 2022

Climate change has tremendous economic and environmental impacts on coastal areas and threatens human lives and livelihoods in generally densely populated coastal communities. Climate change-induced sea level rise (SLR) is a particular risk factor for coastal and low-lying areas. Therefore, the study on the overtopping of coastal structures in a changing climate is a critical topic for coastal protection and adaptation. As most coastal areas have shallow water conditions, the open-source nonhydrostatic shallow water equation-based model REEF3D::SFLOW is applied for the numerical investigation of overtopping over a coastal structure. Validation is performed by comparing the numerical estimations with the existing experiment presented by previous studies. The time evolution of overtopping can be predicted well by the numerical model in comparison to the experimental data. The computational speed is seen to be approximately 1500 times as fast as the Navier–Stokes equation-based counterparts. Thereafter, a comprehensive study on overtopping that takes into account different climate scenarios is presented with regard to the chosen coastal structure; this offers insights for future adaptations. The numerical approach provides an efficient alternative for the coastal protection structure adaptations in the changing climate.
Job Crafting and Burnout as Predictors of Food Safety Behaviors in the Foodservice Industry
Authors: Nascimento Leticia Guimarães Perdomo , da Silva Ageo Mario Candido , Stedefeldt Elke , da Cunha Diogo Thimoteo
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to investigate whether job crafting, burnout, and work engagement predict food safety behaviors in the foodservice industry. It was a cross-sectional study conducted in Cuiabá (Brazil) among foodservice workers. Four instruments were used among foodservice workers for the examination: (a) job demands and resources, (b) job satisfaction, (c) burnout, and (d) work engagement. Food safety practices were measured using a validated risk-based checklist. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis model. In this study, 22 restaurants and 302 foodservice workers were examined. It was found that the “job demands-resources” model was valid for foodservice workers, i.e., burnout was strongly predicted by job demands (β = 0.550; p < 0.001); job resources were a positive predictor of work engagement (β = 0.258; p < 0.001); and burnout was a negative predictor of work engagement (β = −0.411; p < 0.001). Food safety violations were predicted by job crafting (β = −0.125; p = 0.029) and burnout (β = 0.143; p = 0.016). The results indicate that mitigating burnout and increasing job crafting can be important supporting strategies to improve food safety behaviors.
Docosahexaenoic Acid Delivery Systems, Bioavailability, Functionality, and Applications: A Review
Authors: Lv Wenwen , Xu Duoxia
Published: September 2022

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), mainly found in microalgae and fish oil, is crucial for the growth and development of visual, neurological, and brain. In addition, DHA has been found to improve metabolic disorders associated with obesity and has anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and anti-adipogenesis effects. However, DHA applications in food are often limited due to its low water solubility, instability, and poor bioavailability. Therefore, delivery systems have been developed to enhance the remainder of DHA activity and increase DHA homeostasis and bioavailability. This review focused on the different DHA delivery systems and the in vitro and in vivo digestive characteristics. The research progress on cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, visual, neurological/brain, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, food applications, future trends, and the development potential of DHA delivery systems were also reviewed. DHA delivery systems could overcome the instability of DHA in gastrointestinal digestion, improve the bioavailability of DHA, and better play the role of its functionality.
Understanding Blood versus Blond Orange Consumption: A Cross-Cultural Study in Four Countries
Authors: Giménez-Sanchis Adrián , Zhong Kui , Pintor Aurora , Farina Vittorio , Besada Cristina
Published: September 2022

Understanding consumer perceptions and attitudes to specific fruit is key information for not only increasing fruit consumption, but also for marketing reasons. It may also give clues to breeders to set quality objectives. This study explores different aspects that help to explain blood vs. blond orange consumption: availability and consumption habit, satisfaction attributes, facilitators and consumption barriers, consumption contexts, expectations and purchase intention. The study was conducted in China, Mexico, Spain and Italy, where citrus fruit consumers were invited to respond an online questionnaire. Our results revealed Italy as the country with the highest availability and consumption of blood oranges, followed by China, Mexico and Spain. “Liking” and “healthy properties” were the most important reasons for consumption irrespectively of orange type, but certain differences among countries were detected in secondary reasons. In all the countries, “juicy” was the most relevant attribute for consumer satisfaction, followed by flavour/taste attributes. “Aromatic” and “unfibrous” were substantial requirements for Italians and Chinese, while Spaniards attached importance to the blood oranges colour. Regarding consumption contexts, “eat with salt or chilly powder” was specific for Mexico, while “to improve health”, “as a gift” or “at a restaurant” were contexts mainly cited in China. Despite taste preferences for other fruit being the main consumption barrier in all the countries for both orange types, the relevance of other barriers depended on culture and orange type. Mexican participants seemed to take a more neophobic attitude to blood oranges, while “inconvenient” was reported as a barrier for consuming blond ones in Spain and China. We conclude that blond and blood oranges can co-exist on markets at a high consumption rate, as in Italy. Specific interventions are needed in other countries because consumer attitudes to oranges, mainly blood ones, depend on culture.
Resveratrol Inhibits Proliferation and Differentiation of Porcine Preadipocytes by a Novel LincRNA-ROFM/miR-133b/AdipoQ Pathway
Authors: Jiang Qinyang , Zhang Sanbao , Gao Xiaotong , Hu Yan , Zhang Yu , Shen Yujian , Jiang Yuhang , Huang Yanna
Published: September 2022

Resveratrol (RES) has a wide range of biological and pharmacological activities with various health benefits for humans as a food additive. In animal production, RES has been considered a potential functional feed additive for producing high-quality pork. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as essential regulators of fat metabolism, and phytochemicals can regulate fat metabolism through lncRNA. However, it is unclear whether RES can improve back-fat thickness by regulating lncRNA. In this study, we identified a novel lncRNA, which was named a long intergenic non-protein coding RNA, a regulator of fat metabolism (LincRNA-ROFM), from our previous lncRNA sequencing data. LincRNA-ROFM can inhibit adipocyte proliferation and differentiation. In-depth analyses showed that LincRNA-ROFM acts as a molecular sponge for miR-133b, and adiponectin (AdipoQ) is a direct target of miR-133b in porcine preadipocytes. In addition, the expression of LincRNA-ROFM was positively correlated with AdipoQ. RES can promote the expression of LincRNA-ROFM by PPARα and C/EBPα. Altogether, our research showed that LincRNA-ROFM acts as a ceRNA to sequester miR-133b and is upregulated by RES, leading to heightened AdipoQ expression, and thus decreased adipocyte proliferation and differentiation, which reduces back-fat thickness of pigs. Taken together, the RES/LincRNA-ROFM/miR-133b/AdipoQ regulatory network preliminarily explains the mechanism of action of RES in inhibiting fat deposition, which provides new insight into the downstream mechanism of RES inhibition of fat deposits by regulating the lncRNA.
Effects of High Voltage Atmospheric Cold Plasma Treatment on the Number of Microorganisms and the Quality of Trachinotus ovatus during Refrigerator Storage
Authors: Cai Zhicheng , Wang Jiamei , Liu Chencheng , Chen Gu , Sang Xiaohan , Zhang Jianhao
Published: September 2022

In order to investigate the effects of high voltage atmospheric cold plasma (HVACP) treatment on the number of microorganisms in and the quality of Trachinotus ovatus during refrigerator storage, fresh fish was packaged with gases CO2:O2:N2 (80%:10%:10%) and treated by HVACP at 75 kV for 3 min; then, the samples were stored at 4 ± 1 °C for nine days. The microbial numbers, water content, color value, texture, pH value, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), and total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) values of the fish were analyzed during storage. The results showed the growth of the total viable bacteria (TVB), psychrophilic bacteria, Pseudomonas spp., H2S-producing bacteria, yeast, and lactic acid bacteria in the treated samples was limited, and they were 1.11, 1.01, 1.04, 1.13, 0.77, and 0.80 log CFU/g−1 lower than those in the control group after nine days of storage, respectively. The hardness, springiness, and chewiness of the treated fish decreased slowly as the storage time extended, and no significant changes in either pH or water content were found. The lightness (L*) value increased and the yellowness (b*) value decreased after treatment, while no changes in the redness (a*) value were found. The TBARS and TVB-N of the treated samples increased to 0.79 mg/kg and 21.99 mg/100 g, respectively, after nine days of refrigerator storage. In conclusion, HVACP can limit the growth of the main microorganisms in fish samples effectively during nine days of refrigerator storage with no significant negative impact on their quality. Therefore, HVACP is a useful nonthermal technology to extend the refrigerator shelf-life of Trachinotus ovatus.
Effect of Different Cooking Methods on Nutrients, Antioxidant Activities and Flavors of Three Varieties of Lentinus edodes
Authors: Zhou Xiaoli , Guan Qinglin , Wang Yanli , Lin Dong , Du Bin
Published: September 2022

This work evaluated the effect of different cooking methods (boiling, steaming, microwaving, frying and pressure cooking) on the nutrients, antioxidant activities, volatile and nonvolatile taste-active components of three varieties of Lentinus edodes (808, 0912 and LM) from Guizhou Province. The results showed that LM had the most polysaccharides, 0912 had the most minerals, but LM, 808 and 0912 had low amounts of polyphenols, dietary fiber and proteins, respectively. The dietary fiber and protein were decreased by 4.1~38.7% and 4.1~44.0% during cooking, while microwaving improved the nutritional value of the Lentinus edodes by increasing the polysaccharide (88~103 mg/g to 93~105 mg/g) and polyphenol content (6.4~8.1 mg/g to 7.5~11.2 mg/g), thereby strengthening the antioxidant activity. The nucleotides were all destroyed after cooking, especially frying or boiling. The glutamate content was the highest in LM and 808, and the methionine content appeared to be the highest in 0912. Pressure cooking and frying increased the proportions of sweet and umami amino acids and decreased the proportion of bitter amino acids, creating more aroma-active compounds. In summary, microwaving increased the content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities, and it preserved nonvolatile taste-active components, while pressure cooking and frying were the best methods for increasing the flavor compounds.
Fabrication and Characterization of W/O/W Emulgels by Sipunculus nudus Salt-Soluble Proteins: Co-Encapsulation of Vitamin C and β-Carotene
Authors: Dai Yaping , Lu Xuli , Li Ruyi , Cao Yupo , Zhou Wei , Li Jihua , Zheng Baodong
Published: September 2022

W/O/W emulsions can be used to encapsulate both hydrophobic and hydrophilic bioactive as nutritional products. However, studies on protein stabilized gel-like W/O/W emulsions have rarely been reported, compared to the liquid state multiple emulsions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different oil–water ratios on the stability of W/O/W emulgels fabricated with salt-soluble proteins (SSPs) of Sipunculus nudus. The physical stability, structural characteristics, rheological properties, and encapsulation stability of vitamin C and β-carotene of double emulgels were investigated. The addition of W/O primary emulsion was determined to be 10% after the characterization of the morphology of double emulsion. The results of microstructure and rheological properties showed that the stability of W/O/W emulgels increased with the increasing concentration of SSPs. Additionally, the encapsulation efficiency of vitamin C and β-carotene were more than 87%, and 99%, respectively, and still could maintain around 50% retention of the antioxidant capacity after storage for 28 days at 4 °C. The aforementioned findings demonstrate that stable W/O/W emulgels are a viable option for active ingredients with an improvement in shelf stability and protection of functional activity.