bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Validation of a Smartphone Application for Telenutrition in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Gupta Arti , Singh Namrata , Madan Divya , Farooqui Mariyam , Singh Neha , Thomas David Mathew , Kante Bhaskar , Singh Mukesh , Virmani Shubi , Verma Mehak , Bajaj Aditya , Markandey Manasvini , Kumar Peeyush , Vuyyuru Sudheer Kumar , Sahu Pabitra , Monga Nitika , Makharia Govind , Kedia Saurabh , Ahuja Vineet
Published: October 2022

The use of smartphone-based applications as a telenutrition tool could redefine the nutritional management of IBD. We developed and validated a digital health platform in the form of a smartphone application for the nutritional assessment of IBD patients. Our team of gastroenterologists and dieticians at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi developed a smartphone application titled IBD NutriCare, which was made available in both Android and iOS interfaces in English and seven other Indian languages. The application includes >650 Indian recipes and provides subjective global assessment and IBD clinical activity scores in a patient-friendly manner. The utility of the smartphone app was validated in comparison with the traditional 24-h dietary recall method. A total of 49 IBD patients were enrolled in the study. The mean difference in energy intake between the two dietary assessment methods was −4.776 kJ (95% LOA, range −417.916–408.365 kJ). A total of 94% of patients found the smartphone application convenient and acceptable in comparison to the recall method for dietary assessment. Bland–Altman plots showed a good level of agreement for nutrients and food groups between the two methods. Telenutrition in the form of a smartphone application helps in real-time tracking of dietary details of IBD patients, thus making appropriate interventions and large-scale data acquisition feasible.
Iodinated Contrast Medium Affects Urine Cytology Assessment: A Prospective, Single-Blind Study and Its Impact on Urological Practice
Authors: Kral Milan , Zemla Pavel , Hradil David , Skotak Hynek , Hartmann Igor , Langova Katerina , Bouchal Jan , Kurfurstova Daniela
Published: October 2022

During endoscopic procedures for suspected urothelial tumors of the upper urinary tract, radiographic imaging using an iodinated contrast medium is often required. However, following ureteropyelography, we detected changes in cytology characteristics not correlating with real cytology findings in naive urine. The aim of our study was to assess cytology changes between naive and postcontrast urine according to The Paris System of cytology classification. Methods: We prospectively assessed urine samples from 89 patients (23 patients with histologically proven urothelial cancer and 66 healthy volunteers). The absence of malignancy was demonstrated by CT urography and/or ureteroscopy. The study was single blind (expert cytopathologist) and naïve Paris system for urine cytology assessment was used. Furthermore, additional cytological parameters were analyzed (e.g., specimen cellularity, degree of cytolysis, cytoplasm and nucleus color, chromatin and nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio). Results: Our study showed statistically significant differences when comparing naïve and postcontrast urine in healthy volunteers (only 51 % concordance, p = 0.001) versus malignant urine specimens (82 % concordance). The most important differences were in the shift from The Paris System category 2 (negative) to 1 (non-diagnostic) and from category 2 (negative) to 3 (atypia). Other significant changes were found in the assessment of specimen cellularity (p = 0.0003), degree of cytolysis (p = 0.001), cytoplasm color (p = 0.003), hyperchromasia (p = 0.001), course chromatin (p = 0.002), nucleo-cytoplasmatic ratio (p = 0.001) and nuclear borders’ irregularity (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Our unique study found crucial changes in the cytological assessment of naive and postcontrast urine and we confirm that postcontrast urine is more often assessed as abnormal, suspect or non-diagnostic. Therefore, before urine collection for cytology, the clinician should avoid administration of iodinated contrast into the urinary tract.
Fault Feature-Extraction Method of Aviation Bearing Based on Maximum Correlation Re’nyi Entropy and Phase-Space Reconstruction Technology
Authors: Zhang Zhen , Liu Baoguo , Liu Yanxu , Zhang Huiguang
Published: October 2022

To address the difficulty of extracting the features of composite-fault signals under a low signal-to-noise ratio and complex noise conditions, a feature-extraction method based on phase-space reconstruction and maximum correlation Re’nyi entropy deconvolution is proposed. Using the Re’nyi entropy as the performance index, which allows for a favorable trade-off between sporadic noise stability and fault sensitivity, the noise-suppression and decomposition characteristics of singular-value decomposition are fully utilized and integrated into the feature extraction of composite-fault signals by the maximum correlation Re’nyi entropy deconvolution. Verification based on simulation, experimental data, and a bench test proves that the proposed method is superior to the existing methods regarding the extraction of composite-fault signal features.
Successful Transitions? Tracing the Experiences of Migrant School Leavers in Scotland
Authors: Packwood Helen
Published: October 2022

This paper examines the experiences and aspirations of migrant young people in Scotland. It focuses on students approaching the end of compulsory education and presents findings from a study on the outcomes of young migrants in the transition to adulthood. The research is based on empirical fieldwork carried out with students in two schools (n = 95 in depth interviews). It finds evidence of unique and distinct educational pathways for school leavers with a migrant background. Three themes emerge about the practice of transition for young migrants, (1) the significance of family support and expectations, (2) the impact of the migration process and (3) the changing nature of migrant identity through transition. The study highlights the need for local and national policies which support transition for young migrants.
Zero Common-Mode Voltage Model Predictive Torque Control Based on Virtual Voltage Vectors for the Dual Three-Phase PMSM Drive
Authors: Yuan Qingqing , Zhao Renji , Xiao Rongyan , Liu Zhiyong
Published: October 2022

For the multiphase motor drive system, current harmonic components in stator windings and the common-mode voltage are the main factors affecting the control performance. In this paper, a novel model predictive torque control (MPTC) considering both harmonic and common-mode voltage suppression is proposed to improve the control performance. First, with the vector space decoupling (VSD) theory, 12 virtual voltage vectors are constructed based on the principle that the amplitudes of the vectors in the x-y harmonic subplace are zero to achieve the harmonic suppression. Then, these 12 virtual vectors are further simplified to six vectors to realize the common-mode voltage suppression, and they are taken as the candidate vectors to be rolling optimized to output the optimal voltage vector. This novel MPTC strategy can reduce the computational burden and avoid the weight factor design for the traditional multi-objective optimization. The effectiveness of this novel MPTC strategy was verified by simulations and experiments in comparison with normal MPTC methods, and it can save over 44% of the execution time of the traditional MPTC method and provide better suppression of the harmonic current components and the common-mode voltage.
An Analysis of Some Properties and the Use of the Twist Map for the Finite Frenkel–Kontorova Model
Authors: Quapp Wolfgang , Bofill Josep Maria
Published: October 2022

We discuss the twist map, with a special interest in its use for the finite Frenkel–Kontorova model. We explain the meaning of the tensile force in some proposed models. We demonstrate that the application of the twist map for the finite FK model is not correct, because the procedure ignores the necessary boundary conditions.
Automatically Identified EEG Signals of Movement Intention Based on CNN Network (End-To-End)
Authors: Shahini Nahal , Bahrami Zeinab , Sheykhivand Sobhan , Marandi Saba , Danishvar Morad , Danishvar Sebelan , Roosta Yousef
Published: October 2022

Movement-based brain–computer Interfaces (BCI) rely significantly on the automatic identification of movement intent. They also allow patients with motor disorders to communicate with external devices. The extraction and selection of discriminative characteristics, which often boosts computer complexity, is one of the issues with automatically discovered movement intentions. This research introduces a novel method for automatically categorizing two-class and three-class movement-intention situations utilizing EEG data. In the suggested technique, the raw EEG input is applied directly to a convolutional neural network (CNN) without feature extraction or selection. According to previous research, this is a complex approach. Ten convolutional layers are included in the suggested network design, followed by two fully connected layers. The suggested approach could be employed in BCI applications due to its high accuracy.
Deep Residual Vector Encoding for Vein Recognition
Authors: Li Fuqiang , Zhang Tongzhuang , Liu Yong , Long Feiqi
Published: October 2022

Vein recognition has been drawing more attention recently because it is highly secure and reliable for practical biometric applications. However, underlying issues such as uneven illumination, low contrast, and sparse patterns with high inter-class similarities make the traditional vein recognition systems based on hand-engineered features unreliable. Recent successes of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for large-scale image recognition tasks motivate us to replace the traditional hand-engineered features with the superior CNN to design a robust and discriminative vein recognition system. To address the difficulty of direct training or fine-tuning of a CNN with existing small-scale vein databases, a new knowledge transfer approach is formulated using pre-trained CNN models together with a training dataset (e.g., ImageNet) as a robust descriptor generation machine. With the generated deep residual descriptors, a very discriminative model, namely deep residual vector encoding (DRVE), is proposed by a hierarchical design of dictionary learning, coding, and classifier training procedures. Rigorous experiments are conducted with a high-quality hand-dorsa vein database, and superior recognition results compared with state-of-the-art models fully demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed models. An additional experiment with the PolyU multispectral palmprint database is designed to illustrate the generalization ability.
A Comparative Analysis of Bias Amplification in Graph Neural Network Approaches for Recommender Systems
Authors: Chizari Nikzad , Shoeibi Niloufar , Moreno-García María N.
Published: October 2022

Recommender Systems (RSs) are used to provide users with personalized item recommendations and help them overcome the problem of information overload. Currently, recommendation methods based on deep learning are gaining ground over traditional methods such as matrix factorization due to their ability to represent the complex relationships between users and items and to incorporate additional information. The fact that these data have a graph structure and the greater capability of Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) to learn from these structures has led to their successful incorporation into recommender systems. However, the bias amplification issue needs to be investigated while using these algorithms. Bias results in unfair decisions, which can negatively affect the company’s reputation and financial status due to societal disappointment and environmental harm. In this paper, we aim to comprehensively study this problem through a literature review and an analysis of the behavior against biases of different GNN-based algorithms compared to state-of-the-art methods. We also intend to explore appropriate solutions to tackle this issue with the least possible impact on the model’s performance.
Anchor-Free Object Detection with Scale-Aware Networks for Autonomous Driving
Authors: Piao Zhengquan , Wang Junbo , Tang Linbo , Zhao Baojun , Zhou Shichao
Published: October 2022

Current anchor-free object detectors do not rely on anchors and obtain comparable accuracy with anchor-based detectors. However, anchor-free object detectors that adopt a single-level feature map and lack a feature pyramid network (FPN) prior information about an object’s scale; thus, they insufficiently adapt to large object scale variation, especially for autonomous driving in complex road scenes. To address this problem, we propose a divide-and-conquer solution and attempt to introduce some prior information about object scale variation into the model when maintaining a streamlined network structure. Specifically, for small-scale objects, we add some dense layer jump connections between the shallow high-resolution feature layers and the deep high-semantic feature layers. For large-scale objects, dilated convolution is used as an ingredient to cover the features of large-scale objects. Based on this, a scale adaptation module is proposed. In this module, different dilated convolution expansion rates are utilized to change the network’s receptive field size, which can adapt to changes from small-scale to large-scale. The experimental results show that the proposed model has better detection performance with different object scales than existing detectors.
Considerations for Achieving Equivalence between Hub- and Roller-Type Dynamometers for Vehicle Exhaust Emissions
Authors: Engström Christian , Öberg Per , Fontaras Georgios , Giechaskiel Barouch
Published: October 2022

Emissions from vehicles can be measured on the road or in laboratories using dynamometers that simulate the forces that a vehicle is subject to while driving on the road. In the light-duty vehicle regulations, only roller-type dynamometers are allowed. For hub-type dynamometers, due to the direct connection of the dynamometers to the wheel hubs, additional parameters that are used are rotational mass, dynamic wheel radius, and the tire force–slip relationship. Following up on an experimental study which showed that equivalent emission results can be achieved between roller- and hub-type dynamometers, this work presents and evaluates methods to determine parameters used by a hub-type dynamometer for mimicking roller-type dynamometer behavior. It also discusses methods to determine the parameters to simulate specific road conditions or when using only a hub-type dynamometer. The results show that using a constant dynamic radius for each wheel and a linear tire force–slip relationship is sufficient for emission measurement because typical errors in these parameters are practically negligible. A typical error in rotational mass results in a minor error in the determined forces during coast down, but the typical accuracy of this parameter is in parity with the difference allowed in the regulation. The final conclusion is that using the information already stated in the certificate of conformity (CoC) of the vehicle (for the coast down), and reasonably set parameters for wheel dynamic radius and the tire slip–force relationship, hub-type dynamometers should yield equivalent results to roller-type dynamometers.
Predicting the Impact of Compressor Flexibility Improvements on Heavy-Duty Gas Turbines for Minimum and Base Load Conditions
Authors: Ricci Martina , Benvenuto Marcello , Mosele Stefano Gino , Pacciani Roberto , Marconcini Michele
Published: October 2022

The increasing importance of renewable energy capacity in the power generation scenario, together with the fluctuating consumer energy demand, forces conventional fossil fuel power generation systems to promptly respond to relevant and rapid load variations and to operate under off-design conditions during a major fraction of their lives. In order to improve existing power plants’ flexibility in facing energy surplus or deficit, retrofittable solutions for gas turbine compressors are proposed. In this paper, two different operation strategies, variable inlet guide vanes (IGVs) and blow-off extraction (BO), are considered for enabling partial load and minimum environmental load operation, and thus to identify implementation opportunities in existing thermal power plants. A typical 15-stage F-class gas turbine compressor is chosen as a test case and some energy demand scenarios are selected to validate the adopted solutions. The results of an extensive 3D, steady, CFD analysis are compared with the measurements coming from an experimental campaign carried out in the framework of the European Turbo-Reflex project. It will be shown how the combined strategies can reduce gas turbine mass flow rate and power plant output, without significantly penalizing efficiency, and how such off-design performance figures can be reliably predicted by employing state-of-the-art CFD models.
Adsorbent Coatings for Adsorption Heat Transformation: From Synthesis to Application
Authors: Gordeeva Larisa , Aristov Yuri
Published: October 2022

In recent years, growing energy demands and environmental pollution caused by the extensive use of fossil fuels have inspired considerable research interest in adsorptive heat transformation (AHT). This technology offers effective utilization of low-grade solar or waste thermal energy for cooling and heating with low environmental impact. Increasing the AHT power is a keystone for further development and dissemination of this emerging technology. The AHT power is mainly determined by ad/desorption dynamics, which is significantly hindered by slow heat transfer between the adsorbent and heat exchanger. Shaping the adsorbent bed as a coating on the heat exchanger surface is considered an effective route to enhance heat transfer and increase the AHT power. In this review, the technology of adsorbent coating for AHT is comprehensively surveyed, including coating synthesis, adsorption dynamics, and use in real AHT devices. The advantages of the coated bed configuration are considered, and its challenges are outlined. Finally, recommendations for better organization of the coating’s structure for rational control of the relative contributions of heat and mass transfer are considered.
Safety Issues of a Hydrogen Refueling Station and a Prediction for an Overpressure Reduction by a Barrier Using OpenFOAM Software for an SRI Explosion Test in an Open Space
Authors: Kang Hyung-Seok , Kim Sang-Min , Kim Jongtae
Published: October 2022

Safety issues arising from a hydrogen explosion accident in Korea are discussed herein. In order to increase the safety of hydrogen refueling stations (HRSs), the Korea Gas Safety Corporation (KGS) decided to install a damage-mitigation wall, also referred to as a barrier, around the storage tanks at the HRSs after evaluating the consequences of hypothetical hydrogen explosion accidents based on the characteristics of each HRS. To propose a new regulation related to the barrier installation at the HRSs, which can ensure a proper separation distance between the HRS and its surrounding protected facilities in a complex city, KGS planned to test various barrier models under hypothetical hydrogen explosion accidents to develop a standard model of the barrier. A numerical simulation to investigate the effect of the recommended barrier during hypothetical hydrogen explosion accidents in the HRS will be performed before installing the barrier at the HRSs. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) code based on the open-source software OpenFOAM will be developed for the numerical simulation of various accident scenarios. As the first step in the development of the CFD code, we conducted a hydrogen vapor cloud explosion test with a barrier in an open space, which was conducted by the Stanford Research Institute (SRI), using the modified XiFoam solver in OpenFOAM-v1912. A vapor cloud explosion (VCE) accident may occur due to the leakage of gaseous hydrogen or liquefied hydrogen owing to a failure of piping connected to the storage tank in an HRS. The analysis results using the modified XiFoam predicted the peak overpressure variation from the near field to the far field of the explosion site through the barrier with an error range of approximately ±30% if a proper analysis methodology including the proper mesh distribution in the grid model is chosen. In addition, we applied the proposed analysis methodology using the modified XiFoam to barrier shapes that varied from that used in the test to investigate its applicability to predict peak overpressure variations with various barrier shapes. Through the application analysis, we concluded that the proposed analysis methodology is sufficient for evaluating the safety effect of the barrier, which will be recommended through experimental research, during VCE accidents at the HRSs.
A Recent Advance on Partial Evaporating Organic Rankine Cycle: Experimental Results on an Axial Turbine
Authors: Lhermet Guillaume , Tauveron Nicolas , Caney Nadia , Blondel Quentin , Morin Franck
Published: October 2022

The organic Rankine cycle (ORC) technology is an efficient way to convert low-grade heat from renewable sources or waste heat for power generation. The partial evaporating organic Rankine cycle (PEORC) can be considered as a promising alternative as it can offer a higher utilization of the heat source. An experimental investigation of a small ORC system used in full or partial evaporation mode is performed. First characterized in superheated mode, which corresponds to standard ORC behavior, a semi-empirical correlative approach involving traditional non-dimensional turbomachinery parameters (specific speed, pressure ratio) can accurately describe one-phase turbine performance. In a second step, two-phase behavior is experimentally investigated. The efficiency loss caused by the two-phase inlet condition is quantified and considered acceptable. The turbine two-phase operation allows for an increase in the amount of recovered heat source. The ability to operate in two phases provides a new degree of flexibility when designing a PEORC. The semi-empirical correlative approach is then completed to take into account the partially evaporated turbine inlet condition. The qualitative description and the quantitative correlations in the one-phase and two-phase modes were applied to different pure working fluids (Novec649TM, HFE7000 and HFE7100) as well as to a zeotropic mixture (Novec649TM/HFE7000).
Experimental Study on Shear Characteristics of Structural Plane with Different Fluctuation Characteristics
Authors: Guo Yintong , Ying Qiqi , Wang Duocai , Zhang Hong , Huang Famu , Guo Haitao , Hou Lei , Xu Mingnan , Liu Hejuan , Xia Debin
Published: October 2022

With the increasing scale and depth of underground engineering, the geological environment that engineering is faced with is becoming more complex. As the weak position of rock mass, the structural surface has a particularly great influence on the mechanical characteristics of the rock mass. In order to obtain the shear strength characteristic of the structural plane and analyze the influence of morphological parameters such as the undulating angle and bulge degree on shearing, taking medium-low permeability tight sandstone as the research object, four kinds of structural plane samples with different undulating angles (10, 20, 30 and 40°) were prepared with a Python and high-precision engraving machine. Direct shear tests under different normal stresses (2, 4, 6 and 8 MPa) and shear rates (0.6, 1.2 and 2.4 mm/min) were performed, and the shear mechanical properties were analyzed. The structural surfaces before and after shearing were scanned using a high-precision three-dimensional scanner, so as to evaluate the roughness of the structural surface and determine the influence from various factors on the shear characteristics. The test results showed that for the structural plane with the same undulating angle, the peak shear stress increased approximately linearly with an increase in normal stress at a 0.6 mm/min shear rate and an increment speed of approximately 0.82, while the peak shear stress negatively correlated with the shear rate at a value of 4 MPa for normal stress. The larger the undulating angle was, the greater the influence of the shear rate (the shear stress decreased by 2.31 MPa at a 40° angle). When the normal stress and the shear rate were fixed, the peak shear stress corresponding to the structural surface gradually increased with the increase in the undulating angle, and the maximum increment was 5.04 MPa at 4 MPa normal stress and a 0.6 mm/min shear rate. An analysis of the morphological characteristics of the structural plane showed that when the undulating angle (40°) and the normal stress (6 and 8 MPa) were larger, the damage of the structural plane became more obvious, the shear point was closer to the tooth valley position, and the mechanical bite force and friction force of the structural plane were better utilized. When the shear rate was lower (0.6 mm/min), the friction characteristics of the shear surface were more visible, the shear was increasingly sufficient, and the corresponding shear strength was also greater.
Robust Sensorless Control of Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Using Deadbeat Extended Electromotive Force Observer
Authors: Kim Seung-Taik , Yoon In-Sik , Jung Sung-Chul , Ko Jong-Sun
Published: October 2022

This paper proposes a novel and robust method of sensorless speed control using a deadbeat observer for an interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM). The proposed sensorless speed control method uses a deadbeat observer to estimate the extended electromotive force (EEMF) in a rotational coordinate system. The estimated EEMF is used in the IPMSM velocity estimation algorithm. The deadbeat EEMF observer (DEEMFO) shows greater robustness compared to the reconstructor, which estimates the EEMF by simply recalculating the voltage equation. Unlike a reconstructor, DEEMFO has a feedback component, so it can compensate for errors due to uncertainty in motor parameters and errors due to parameter fluctuations that may occur during use. By simulating and experimenting with speed, load torque, and parameter fluctuations, it is proved to be more robust and precise than the reconstructor. The simulation is performed with MATLAB/Simulink, and the experiments were carried out using a DSP TMS320F28335 and a motor-generator set (M-G Set). The simulation and experiment results show the reliability and precision of the proposed sensorless control method.
Sight versus Sound: Do Visual Assessments of Dead Standing Trees Reflect Acoustic Nondestructive Evaluations of Wood Quality?
Authors: Hovde Tyler , Forsman John , Ross Robert , Rudnick Mark , Xie Xinfeng , Wang Xiping , Dickson Yvette
Published: October 2022

The forest industry typically uses visual appearance to evaluate the wood quality when salvaging dead standing trees. We investigated whether the visual appearance of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) defoliated by the spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.)) accurately reflects wood quality measured using nondestructive techniques. Longitudinal and transverse acoustic velocities were measured on white spruce, representing three condition categories assessed visually, ranging from live trees to dead standing trees with signs of decay. Generalized linear models were used to determine whether there were significant differences in longitudinal and transverse acoustic velocities among the visual categories. Longitudinal velocities significantly differed between the live and poorest visual categories. Transverse velocities did not differ by visual category. We found that tree appearance provides coarse but useful insight into intrinsic wood quality. We recommend that forest managers use acoustic, non-destructive technologies on marginal trees to measure the wood quality of salvaged trees to ensure the wood is utilized for the highest and best use thereby optimizing possible values.
Evaluation of NASA’s GEDI Lidar Observations for Estimating Biomass in Temperate and Tropical Forests
Authors: Sun Mei , Cui Lei , Park Jongmin , García Mariano , Zhou Yuyu , Silva Carlos Alberto , He Long , Zhang Hu , Zhao Kaiguang
Published: October 2022

Accurate estimation of forest aboveground biomass (AGB) is vital for informing ecosystem and carbon management. The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) instrument—a new-generation spaceborne lidar system from NASA—provides the first global coverage of high-resolution 3D altimetry data aimed specifically for mapping Earth’s forests, but its performance is yet to be tested for large parts of the world. Here, our goal is to evaluate the accuracies of GEDI in measuring terrain, forest vertical structures, and AGB in reference to independent airborne lidar data over temperate and tropical forests in North America. We compared GEDI-derived elevations and canopy heights (e.g., relative height percentiles such as RH50 and RH100) with those from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) or from two airborne lidar systems: the Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS) and Goddard’s Lidar, Hyperspectral and Thermal system (G-LiHT). We also estimated GEDI’s geolocation errors by matching GEDI waveforms and G-LiHT pseudo-waveforms. We assessed the predictive power of GEDI metrics in estimating AGB using Random Forests regression. Results showed that GEDI-derived ground elevations correlated strongly those from LVIS, G-LiHT, and LVIS (R2 > 0.91), but with nonnegligible RMSEs of 5.7 m (G-LiHT), 3.1 m (LVIS), and 10.9 m (SRTM). GEDI canopy heights had poorer correlation with LVIS (e.g., R2 = 0.44 for RH100) than with G-LiHT (e.g., R2 = 0.60 for RH100). The estimated horizontal geolocation errors of GEDI footprints averaged 6.5 meters, comparable to the nominal accuracy of 9 m. Correction for the locational errors improved the correlation of GEDI vs G-LiHT canopy heights significantly, on average by 53% (e.g., R2 from 0.57 to 0.82 for RH50). GEDI canopy metrics were useful for predicting AGB (R2 = 0.82 and RMSE = 19.1 Mg/Ha), with the maximum canopy height RH100 being the most useful predictor. Our results highlight the importance of accommodating or correcting for GEDI geolocation errors for estimating forest characteristics and provide empirical evidence on the utility of GEDI for monitoring global biomass dynamics from space.
Integration of Dark Fermentation with Microbial Electrolysis Cells for Biohydrogen and Methane Production from Distillery Wastewater and Glycerol Waste Co-Digestion
Authors: Sittijunda Sureewan , Baka Sulfan , Jariyaboon Rattana , Reungsang Alissara , Imai Tsuyoshi , Kongjan Prawit
Published: October 2022

This study aimed to enhance dark fermentative hydrogen production from co-digestion of distillery wastewater (DW) and glycerol waste (GW) through integration with microbial electrolysis cells. First, the optimal proportion of DW and GW in hydrogen production was investigated in batch mode. The results show that DW and GW co-digestion at a ratio of 99:1 (% v/v) gave the highest hydrogen yield of 149.5 mL-H2/g − VSadded. Continuous hydrogen production using the optimal proportion was conducted in a continuously stirred tank reactor. As a result, a maximal hydrogen yield of 99.7 mL-H2/g − VSadded was achieved, and the dominant hydrogen-producing bacterium was Clostridium sensu stricto 7. The dark fermentation effluent from the continuously stirred tank reactor was later used to produce methane using batch MECs. The maximum methane yield of 115.1 mL-CH4/g − VSadded was obtained under an applied voltage of 1 V and continuous stirring at 120–140 rpm. Microbial community analysis revealed that Metahnobacterium, Methanomethylovorans, Methanoculleus, and Methanosarcina were the methanogenic archaea in the microbial electrolysis cell reactor.
Wheat Starch Modified with Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume Extract and Its Action Mechanism
Authors: Chen Nan , Gao Hao-Xiang , He Qiang , Zeng Wei-Cai
Published: October 2022

We investigated the modification of wheat starch with Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume extract (LRE) and determined the action mechanism. Based on differential scanning calorimetry, LRE decreased the gelatinization enthalpy of wheat starch from 19.14 to 7.15 J/g and changed gelatinization temperatures (including the variation in gelatinization onset temperature, peak temperature and conclusion temperature in different degrees). Moreover, LRE affected the pasting viscosity curve of wheat starch, and changed its rheological parameters (including the decrease in storage modulus and loss modulus, as well as the increase in loss tangent). Based on the analysis of scanning electron microscopy and wide-angle X-ray diffraction, LRE increased the hole size and the roughness of the gel microstructure, and decreased the crystallinity of wheat starch. Meanwhile, the evaluation results of the texture analyzer and the colorimeter showed that LRE could change the quality properties (including decrease hardness, fracturability and L* values, as well as increase a* and b* values) of wheat starch biscuits after hot air baking (170 °C). Furthermore, with molecular dynamics simulation analysis, phenolic compounds of LRE combined with starch molecules via H-bonds and affected the formation of molecular bonds (including intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds), so as to change the spatial conformation and properties of wheat starch during gelatinization and retrogradation. The present results suggest that LRE can modify the physicochemical properties of wheat starch and further improve its processing properties, indicating its potential in the design and development of starch foods (such as steamed buns, bread, biscuits, etc.).
Physical Stability of Chestnut Lily Beverages (CLB): Effects of Shear Homogenization on Beverage Rheological Behavior, Particle Size, and Sensory Properties
Authors: Cui Yao , Liu Jianxue , Han Sihai , Li Peiyan , Luo Denglin , Guo Jinying
Published: October 2022

The processing parameters have a crucial influence on the stability and sensory quality of beverages. The focus of this study is to observe the rheological behavior, particle size distribution, stability, color change, and sensory evaluation of chestnut lily beverages (CLB) at different rotational speeds (0~20,000 rpm) using a high-shear homogeneous disperser. The CLB system exhibited non-Newtonian shear-thinning behavior. As the homogenization speed increased (0~12,000 rpm), the viscosity increased (0.002~0.059 Pa.s). However, when the rotational speed shear continued to increase (12,000~20,000 rpm), the viscosity decreased slightly (0.035~0.027 Pa.s). Under all homogeneous conditions, the turbidity and precipitation fractions were the lowest when the rotational speed was 12,000 rpm: the sedimentation index was lowest at this point (2.87%), and the relative turbidity value of CLB was largest at this point (80.29%). The average beverage particle diameter and ascorbic acid content showed a downward trend at the homogenization speed from 0 to 20,000 rpm, whereas the total soluble solids (TSS) content followed the opposite trend. The results show that these physical properties can be correlated with different rotational speeds of homogenization. This study explained the effect of homogenization speed on CLB properties, which needs to be considered in beverage processing, where high-speed shear homogenization can serve as a promising technique.
Phosphorylated Trehalose Suppresses the Denaturation of Myofibrillar Proteins in Peeled Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) during Long-Term Frozen Storage
Authors: Shui Shanshan , Yang Huicheng , Lu Baiyi , Zhang Bin
Published: October 2022

The protective effects of phosphorylated trehalose on the quality and characteristics of peeled shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) were determined. Quality changes in treated samples were evaluated by assessing the physicochemical properties of myofibrillar proteins (MP) and compared to fresh water-, sodium tripolyphosphate-, and trehalose-treated samples during 12 weeks of frozen storage. The sensitivity of MP to oxidation and denaturation was increased during frozen storage. Phosphorylated trehalose significantly improved the quality of shrimp by increasing water-holding capacity. Further analysis showed that the addition of phosphorylated trehalose reduced the decrease in soluble MP content, Ca2+-ATPase activity, and total sulfhydryl contents and also effectively inhibited the increase in the surface hydrophobicity of MP. In addition, atomic force microscopy and hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed that phosphorylated trehalose preserved the integrity of the myofibril microstructure. Thermal stability results further confirmed that the denaturation temperature and denaturation enthalpy of MP were improved by phosphorylated trehalose. Overall, phosphorylated trehalose suppresses the denaturation of MP in peeled shrimp during long-term frozen storage.
Emergence and Genomic Characterization of the First Reported optrA-Carrying Linezolid-Resistant Enterococci Isolated from Retail Broiler Meat in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Habib Ihab , Ghazawi Akela , Lakshmi Glindya Bhagya , Mohamed Mohamed-Yousif Ibrahim , Li Dan , Khan Mushtaq , Sahibzada Shafi
Published: October 2022

The foodborne transfer of resistant genes from enterococci to humans and their tolerance to several commonly used antimicrobials are of growing concern worldwide. Linezolid is a last-line drug for managing complicated illnesses resulting from multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria. The optrA gene has been reported in enterococci as one of the acquired linezolid resistance mechanisms. The present study uses whole-genome sequencing analysis to characterize the first reported isolates of linezolid-resistant E. faecium (n = 6) and E. faecalis (n = 10) harboring the optrA gene isolated from samples of supermarket broiler meat (n = 165) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The sequenced genomes were used to appraise the study isolates’ genetic relatedness, antimicrobial resistance determinants, and virulence traits. All 16 isolates carrying the optrA gene demonstrated multidrug-resistance profiles. Genome-based relatedness classified the isolates into five clusters that were independent of the isolate sources. The most frequently known genotype among the isolates was the sequence type ST476 among E. faecalis (50% (5/10)). The study isolates revealed five novel sequence types. Antimicrobial resistance genes (ranging from 5 to 13) were found among all isolates that conferred resistance against 6 to 11 different classes of antimicrobials. Sixteen different virulence genes were found distributed across the optrA-carrying E. faecalis isolates. The virulence genes in E. faecalis included genes encoding invasion, cell adhesion, sex pheromones, aggregation, toxins production, the formation of biofilms, immunity, antiphagocytic activity, proteases, and the production of cytolysin. This study presented the first description and in-depth genomic characterization of the optrA-gene-carrying linezolid-resistant enterococci from retail broiler meat in the UAE and the Middle East. Our results call for further monitoring of the emergence of linezolid resistance at the retail and farm levels. These findings elaborate on the importance of adopting a One Health surveillance approach involving enterococci as a prospective bacterial indicator for antimicrobial resistance spread at the human–food interface.
Digestion Profiles of Protein in Edible Pork By-Products
Authors: Zeng Xianming , Lv Bowen , Zhang Kexin , Zhu Zhe , Li Qiuyue , Sheng Bulei , Zhao Di , Li Chunbao
Published: October 2022

Edible pork by-products are widely consumed in many areas, whereas their digestion characteristics have rarely been evaluated. This work compared the digestibility of protein in boiled pork liver, heart, tripe and skin with tenderloin as a control. Cooked skin showed the highest digestibility in the simulated gastric digestion, whereas its gastric digests were less digested in the simulated intestinal stage. In contrast, cooked tripe showed the lowest gastric digestibility but relatively higher intestinal digestibility. All the edible by-products showed lower digestibility than tenderloin, especially for pork liver, in which large undigested fractions (>300 μm) could be observed. Corresponding to these results, larger amount of bigger peptides was found in the digests of pork liver and skin. In addition, peptides in tripe (average bioactive probability = 0.385) and liver digests (average bioactive probability = 0.386) showed higher average bioactive probability than other samples. Tripe digests contained the highest level of free Asp, Gln, Cys, Val, Phe, Pro, Ser, Thr, Ile and Asn, whereas heart digests contained the highest level of free Leu, Met and Arg. These results could help to reveal the nutrition value of pork by-products.
Effect of Pre-Emulsion of Pea-Grass Carp Co-Precipitation Dual Protein on the Gel Quality of Fish Sausage
Authors: Zhou Xiaohu , Zhang Chaohua , Zhao Liangzhong , Zhou Xiaojie , Cao Wenhong , Zhou Chunxia
Published: October 2022

Currently, the processing method of introducing plant protein into meat products has attracted great attention. However, the direct addition of plant protein often leads to a decline in meat product quality. This paper aims to provide an efficient method for incorporating plant protein into fish sausage. Pea protein isolate (PPI), grass carp protein isolate (CPI) and pea-grass carp coprecipitated dual protein (Co) were derived from pea and grass carp by an isoelectric solubilisation/precipitation method. At the same time, the blended dual protein (BL) was obtained by blending PPI with CPI, and the plant and animal protein content of Co and BL was both controlled to be the same. The four proteins were combined with soybean oil and water to form a three-phase pre-emulsification system of protein-oil-water, which was added to grass carp meat as a replacement for animal fat to prepare fish sausage. The gelation properties of the four fish sausages and those without protein were analysed. The results showed that the gel quality of PPI fish sausage is poor, while the overall quality of Co fish sausage as a whole was significantly superior to that of PPI and BL, which was equivalent to CPI fish sausage. The sensory score of the Co fish sausage was slightly lower than that of CPI, but it had significantly higher water-holding capacity and hardness (p < 0.05). The Co fish sausage showed the synergistic effect of heterologous proteins, while BL had some antagonistic effects. This study shows that Co pre-emulsion is an effective strategy to introduce plant protein, so it has a good application prospect in the meat industry.
Backward and Non-Local Problems for the Rayleigh-Stokes Equation
Authors: Ashurov Ravshan , Vaisova Nafosat
Published: October 2022

This paper presents the method of separation of variables to find conditions on the right-hand side and on the initial data in the Rayleigh-Stokes problem, which ensure the existence and uniqueness of the solution. Further, in the Rayleigh-Stokes problem, instead of the initial condition, the non-local condition is considered: u(x,T)=βu(x,0)+φ(x), where β is equal to zero or one. It is well known that if β=0, then the corresponding problem, called the backward problem, is ill-posed in the sense of Hadamard, i.e., a small change in u(x,T) leads to large changes in the initial data. Nevertheless, we will show that if we consider sufficiently smooth current information, then the solution exists, it is unique and stable. It will also be shown that if β=1, then the corresponding non-local problem is well-posed and inequalities of coercive type are satisfied.
Fault Diagnosis of Hydroelectric Units Based on a Novel Multiscale Fractional-Order Weighted Permutation Entropy
Authors: Zhang Wenjing , Gao Yuanchen , Peng Shizhe , Zhou Dongdong , Wang Bin
Published: October 2022

To improve the noise immunity, stability and sensitivity to different signal types in the hydroelectric unit fault diagnosis model, a hydroelectric unit fault diagnosis model based on improved multiscale fractional-order weighted permutation entropy (IMFWPE) is proposed. Firstly, the fractional order and weighting theory is introduced into the permutation entropy (PE) to improve the sensitivity to different fault signals while improving the defect of ignoring the signal amplitude information. Additionally, considering the problem that a single scale cannot fully reflect the timing characteristics and that the traditional coarse-grained method will shorten the timing length, a new tool for measuring the complexity of timing signals, IMFWPE, is proposed by introducing an improved multiscale method. Finally, the IMFWPE values of signals are extracted as features and input to the classifier for fault identification of hydroelectric units. The experimental results show that the proposed method has the best diagnostic effect when compared with other methods, has good noise immunity and stability, and has good diagnostic capability in the actual unit environment.
Repair Foci as Liquid Phase Separation: Evidence and Limitations
Authors: Miné-Hattab Judith , Liu Siyu , Taddei Angela
Published: October 2022

In response to DNA double strand breaks (DSB), repair proteins accumulate at damaged sites, forming membrane-less condensates or “foci”. The formation of these foci and their disassembly within the proper time window are essential for genome integrity. However, how these membrane-less sub-compartments are formed, maintained and disassembled remains unclear. Recently, several studies across different model organisms proposed that DNA repair foci form via liquid phase separation. In this review, we discuss the current research investigating the physical nature of repair foci. First, we present the different models of condensates proposed in the literature, highlighting the criteria to differentiate them. Second, we discuss evidence of liquid phase separation at DNA repair sites and the limitations of this model to fully describe structures formed in response to DNA damage. Finally, we discuss the origin and possible function of liquid phase separation for DNA repair processes.
Runs of Homozygosity Revealed Reproductive Traits of Hu Sheep
Authors: Li Yuzhe , Chen Zitao , Fang Yifei , Cao Caiyun , Zhang Zhe , Pan Yuchun , Wang Qishan
Published: October 2022

Hu sheep, a famous breed in the Taihu Basin, has the advantages of non-seasonal estrus, multiple fetuses, coarse feeding tolerance, and suitability for house feeding. Runs of homozygosity (ROHs) were found to be an effective tool to detect the animal population structure and economic traits. The detection of ROHs is beneficial for reducing the incidence of inbreeding as well as identifying harmful variants in the genome. However, there is a lack of systemic reports on ruminants in previous studies of ROHs. Here, we sequenced 108 Hu sheep, detected ROHs in Hu sheep to calculate their inbreeding coefficient, and selected genes of Hu sheep breeds within the ROH islands which are relevant to agricultural economic characteristics. Then, we compared the characteristics of the occurrences of SNPs between Hu sheep and other sheep breeds, and also investigated the distribution of the frequencies of SNPs within specific gene regions of Hu sheep breeds to select their breed-specific genes. Furthermore, we performed a comparative genome and transcriptome analysis in human and sheep breeds to identify important reproduction-related genes. In this way, we found some significant SNPs, and mapped these with a set of interesting candidate genes which are related to the productive value of livestock (FGF9, BMPR1B, EFNB3, MICU2, GFRA3), healthy characteristics (LGSN, EPHA5, ALOX15B), and breed specificity (FGF9, SAP18, MICU2). These results in our study describe various production traits of Hu sheep from a genetic perspective, and provide insights into the genetic management and complementary understanding of Hu sheep.