bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Schlesinger Nailed It! Assessing a Key Primary Pharmacodynamic Property of Phages for Phage Therapy: Virion Encounter Rates with Motionless Bacterial Targets
Authors: Abedon Stephen T.
Published: August 2023

Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses of bacteria and have been used as antibacterial agents now for over one-hundred years. The primary pharmacodynamics of therapeutic phages can be summed up as follows: phages at a certain concentration can reach bacteria at a certain rate, attach to bacteria that display appropriate receptors on their surfaces, infect, and (ideally) kill those now-adsorbed bacteria. Here, I consider the rate at which phages reach bacteria, during what can be dubbed as an ‘extracellular search’. This search is driven by diffusion and can be described by what is known as the phage adsorption rate constant. That constant in turn is thought to be derivable from knowledge of bacterial size, virion diffusion rates, and the likelihood of phage adsorption given this diffusion-driven encounter with a bacterium. Here, I consider only the role of bacterial size in encounter rates. In 1932, Schlesinger hypothesized that bacterial size can be described as a function of cell radius (R, or R1), as based on the non-phage-based theorizing of Smoluchowski (1917). The surface area of a cell—what is actually encountered—varies however instead as a function R2. Here, I both provide and review evidence indicating that Schlesinger’s assertion seems to have been correct.
A Comprehensive Review of Artificial Intelligence Based Algorithms Regarding Temporomandibular Joint Related Diseases
Authors: Ozsari Sifa , Güzel Mehmet Serdar , Yılmaz Dilek , Kamburoğlu Kıvanç
Published: August 2023

Today, with rapid advances in technology, computer-based studies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches are finding their place in every field, especially in the medical sector, where they attract great attention. The Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) stands as the most intricate joint within the human body, and diseases related to this joint are quite common. In this paper, we reviewed studies that utilize AI-based algorithms and computer-aided programs for investigating TMJ and TMJ-related diseases. We conducted a literature search on Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PubMed without any time constraints and exclusively selected English articles. Moreover, we examined the references to papers directly related to the topic matter. As a consequence of the survey, a total of 66 articles within the defined scope were assessed. These selected papers were distributed across various areas, with 11 focusing on segmentation, 3 on Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), 10 on TMJ Osteoarthritis (OA), 21 on Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMD), 6 on decision support systems, 10 reviews, and 5 on sound studies. The observed trend indicates a growing interest in artificial intelligence algorithms, suggesting that the number of studies in this field will likely continue to expand in the future.
The Translational Impact of Plant-Derived Xeno-miRNA miR-168 in Gastrointestinal Cancers and Preneoplastic Conditions
Authors: Link Jastin , Thon Cosima , Petkevicius Vytenis , Steponaitiene Ruta , Malfertheiner Peter , Kupcinskas Juozas , Link Alexander
Published: August 2023

Introduction: Diet is one of the most important factors contributing to the multistep process of carcinogenesis. The clinical relevance of exogenous food-derived xeno-microRNAs (miRNAs) in human diseases is poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential clinical relevance of the xeno-miRNA miR-168 in the gastric mucosa along the preneoplastic conditions and gastric carcinogenesis. Methods: For a systematic analysis, we included stomach tissues from patients with different pathologies, including normal mucosa (N), chronic non-atrophic (CNAG) and atrophic gastritis (CAG) and intestinal metaplasia (IM) (n = 72), matched non-tumorous (NT) and tumorous (T) gastric cancer (GC) tissues (n = 81), matched colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues (n = 40), and colon mucosa and faeces from controls and IBD patients. Results: miR-168 was reproducibly detectable in all samples studied, with the highest levels in the proximal upper GI and in non-tumorous compared to tumorous tissues in both GC and CRC. There was no difference related to H. pylori positivity or inflammation grade, while higher miR-168 levels were observed in patients with moderate or severe AG/IM or OLGIM3/4. Survival analysis showed only a small, non-significant trend towards worse overall survival for patients with the highest to lowest miR-168 levels, while no differences were related to Lauren‘s classification. Conclusions: Food-derived xeno miRNAs are reproducibly detectable in the gastric and colonic mucosa. Although the clinically relevant function remains to be elucidated, higher levels of miR-168 in patients with moderate and severe IM merit further investigation.
Comparative Study of Ablation Zone of EMPRINT HP Microwave Device with Contemporary 2.4 GHz Microwave Devices in an Ex Vivo Porcine Liver Model
Authors: Hui Terrence C. H. , How Guo Yuan , Chim Michelle S. M. , Pua Uei
Published: August 2023

(1) Background: Percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) is an accepted treatment of non-operative liver cancer. This study compares the ablation zones of four commercially available 2.45 GHz MWA systems (Emprint, Eco, Neuwave, and Solero) in an ex vivo porcine liver model. (2) Methods: Ex vivo porcine livers (n = 85) were obtained. Two ablation time setting protocols were evaluated, the manufacturer’s recommended maximum time and a 3 min time, performed at the manufacturer-recommended maximum power setting. A total of 236 ablation samples were created with 32 (13.6%) samples rejected. A total of 204 samples were included in the statistical analysis. (3) Results: For single-probe protocols, Emprint achieved ablation zones with the largest SAD. Significant differences were found in all comparisons for the 3 min time setting and for all comparisons at the 10 min time setting except versus Neuwave LK15 and Eco. Emprint produced ablation zones that were also significantly more spherical (highest SI) than the single-probe ablations from all other manufacturers. No statistical differences were found for ablation shape or SAD between the single-probe protocols for Emprint and the three-probe protocols for Neuwave. (4) Conclusions: The new Emprint HP system achieved large and spherical ablation zones relative to other 2.45 GHz MWA systems.
Cutaneous Manifestations Associated with Diabetes Mellitus—A Retrospective Study
Authors: Vâță Dan , Stanciu Diana-Elena , Temelie-Olinici Doinița , Porumb-Andrese Elena , Tarcău Bogdan-Marian , Grecu Vasile-Bogdan , Gheucă-Solovăstru Laura
Published: August 2023

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the world’s most important health problems, affecting more than half a billion of the world’s population today, with an ever-increasing prevalence. Among the most common manifestations of diabetes are skin manifestations, with 30–70% of patients experiencing skin complications during the course of the disease. Conditions such as acanthosis nigricans, diabetic dermopathy, necrobiosis lipoidica, bacterial infections, fungal infections, skin xerosis, and metabolic prurigo are often associated with diabetes and often precede its diagnosis. We conducted a retrospective study on a group of 103 patients hospitalized between January 2018 and December 2022, in a clinic of a county hospital, using as criteria the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus complicated by cutaneous manifestations frequently associated with diabetes. The aim was to observe which are the most common manifestations and whether they correlate with data in the research literature. In the present study, manifestations such as diabetic foot (20% of patients), bacterial (35%) and fungal infections, and cutaneous xerosis (45%) were predominant. Often, the integumentary involvement may precede the diagnosis of the underlying disease. It is therefore very important to recognize, investigate and treat these manifestations as soon as possible.
Investigation of Dynamic Behavior of Ultra-Large Cold-Water Pipes for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
Authors: Zhang Yanfang , Zheng Miaozi , Zhang Li , Zhang Chaofei , Tan Jian , Zhang Yulong , Duan Menglan
Published: August 2023

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is a process that can produce electricity by utilizing the temperature difference between deep cold water and surface warm water. The cold-water pipe (CWP) is a key component of OTEC systems, which transports deep cold water to the floating platform. The CWP is subjected to various environmental and operational loads, such as waves, currents, internal flow, and platform motion, which can affect its dynamic response and stability. In this paper, we establish a computational model of the mechanical performance of the CWP based on the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory and the Morrison equation, considering the effects of internal flow, sea current, and wave excitation. We use the differential quadrature method (DQM) to obtain a semi-analytical solution of the lateral displacement and bending moment of the CWP. We verify the correctness and validity of our model by comparing it with the finite element simulation results using OrcaFlex software. We also analyze the effects of operating conditions—such as wave intensity, clump weight at the bottom, and internal flow velocity—on the dynamic response of the CWP using numerical simulation and the orthogonal experimental method. The results show that changing the wave strength and internal flow velocity has little effect on the lateral displacement of the CWP but increasing the current velocity can significantly increase the lateral displacement of the CWP, which can lead to instability. The effects of waves, clump weight, internal flow, and sea current on the maximum bending moment of the CWP are similar; all of them increase sharply at first and then decrease gradually until they level off. The differences in the effects are mainly reflected in the different locations of the pipe sections. This paper suggests some design guidance for CWP in terms of dynamic responses depending on the operating conditions. This paper contributes to the journal’s scope by providing a novel and efficient method for analyzing the mechanical performance of CWP for OTEC systems, which is an important ocean energy resource.
Convergence Rates for the Constrained Sampling via Langevin Monte Carlo
Authors: Zhu Yuanzheng
Published: August 2023

Sampling from constrained distributions has posed significant challenges in terms of algorithmic design and non-asymptotic analysis, which are frequently encountered in statistical and machine-learning models. In this study, we propose three sampling algorithms based on Langevin Monte Carlo with the Metropolis–Hastings steps to handle the distribution constrained within some convex body. We present a rigorous analysis of the corresponding Markov chains and derive non-asymptotic upper bounds on the convergence rates of these algorithms in total variation distance. Our results demonstrate that the sampling algorithm, enhanced with the Metropolis–Hastings steps, offers an effective solution for tackling some constrained sampling problems. The numerical experiments are conducted to compare our methods with several competing algorithms without the Metropolis–Hastings steps, and the results further support our theoretical findings.
Spatio-Temporal Evolution of Rainfall over the Period 1981–2020 and Management of Surface Water Resources in the Nakanbe–Wayen Watershed in Burkina Faso
Authors: Yameogo Wennepinguere Virginie Marie , Akpa You Lucette , Danumah Jean Homian , Traore Farid , Tankoano Boalidioa , Sanon Zezouma , Kabore Oumar , Hien Mipro
Published: August 2023

Spatio-temporal analysis of rainfall trends in a watershed is an effective tool for sustainable water resources management, as it allows for an understanding of the impacts of these changes at the watershed scale. The objective of the present study is to analyze the impacts of climate change on the availability of surface water resources in the Nakanbe–Wayen watershed over the period from 1981 to 2020. The analysis was conducted on in situ rainfall data collected from 14 meteorological stations distributed throughout the watershed and completed with CHIRPS data. Ten precipitation indices, recommended by the ETCCDI (Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices), were calculated using the RClimDex package. The results show changes in the distribution of annual precipitation and an increasing trend in annual precipitation. At the same time, a trend towards an increase in the occurrence and intensity of extreme events was also observed over the last 4 decades. In light of these analyses, it should be emphasized that the increase in precipitation observed in the Nakanbe–Wayen watershed is induced by the increase in the occurrence and intensity of events, as a trend towards an increase in persistent drought periods (CDD) is observed. This indicates that the watershed is suffering from water scarcity. Water stress and water-related hazards have a major impact on communities and ecosystems. In these conditions of vulnerability, the development of risk-management strategies related to water resources is necessary, especially at the local scale. This should be formulated in light of observed and projected climate extremes in order to propose an appropriate and anticipated management strategy for climate risks related to water resources at the watershed scale.
Locationally Varying Production Technology and Productivity: The Case of Norwegian Farming
Authors: Kumbhakar Subal C. , Zhang Jingfang , Lien Gudbrand
Published: August 2023

In this study, we leverage geographical coordinates and firm-level panel data to uncover variations in production across different locations. Our approach involves using a semiparametric proxy variable regression estimator, which allows us to define and estimate a customized production function for each firm and its corresponding location. By employing kernel methods, we estimate the nonparametric functions that determine the model’s parameters based on latitude and longitude. Furthermore, our model incorporates productivity components that consider various factors that influence production. Unlike spatially autoregressive-type production functions that assume a uniform technology across all locations, our approach estimates technology and productivity at both the firm and location levels, taking into account their specific characteristics. To handle endogenous regressors, we incorporate a proxy variable identification technique, distinguishing our method from geographically weighted semiparametric regressions. To investigate the heterogeneity in production technology and productivity among Norwegian grain farmers, we apply our model to a sample of farms using panel data spanning from 2001 to 2020. Through this analysis, we provide empirical evidence of regional variations in both technology and productivity among Norwegian grain farmers. Finally, we discuss the suitability of our approach for addressing the heterogeneity in this industry.
Exploring the Impact of Integrated STEAM Education in Early Childhood and Primary Education Teachers
Authors: Silva-Hormazábal Marcela , Alsina Ángel
Published: August 2023

In recent years, Integrated STEAM education has been positioned as an appropriate educational approach to face the challenges of today’s society. Nevertheless, to implement this approach in the classroom requires trained and productively teachers. From this perspective, the objective of this article, is to analyse the impact of integrated STEAM education on teachers through their perceptions in a group of 31 in-service Chilean teachers teaching both in early childhood and primary education, with the aim to obtain a diagnosis for the future design of training processes in STEAM. To obtain data, the adaptation of an instrument that evaluates teachers’ perceptions of integrated STEM education has been validated. Specifically, three dimensions of this instrument have been analysed: familiarity, attitudes, and confidence of teachers about this educational approach. The results show that: (1) Familiarity: only 6% of the participants consider themselves very familiar with the approach; (2) Attitude: 97% of the participants declare themselves to be very willing or moderately willing to learn more about STEAM; (3) Confidence: the data shows, in general, a moderate level of confidence to implement this approach. In relation to the impact of STEAM integrated education in the Chilean teacher’s perceptions, it can be noted that despite the familiarity of the participants is very low, the scenario seems encouraging, because they show a very positive attitude towards this approach, together with a moderate confidence to implement it. Even though these early findings are encouraging, they also show that the teacher’s formation is fundamental, because its impact in the teachers, reverberates directly in a positive impact on the students. Consequently, it is necessary to promote the professional development of teachers in STEAM through training programs that improve knowledge about the approach and deliver the necessary tools to implement it in the classroom.
High-Efficiency and Cost-Effective 10 W Broadband Continuous Class-J Mode Quasi-MMIC Power Amplifier Design Utilizing 0.25 μm GaN/SiC and GaAs IPD Technology for 5G NR n77 and n78 Bands
Authors: Chiou Hwann-Kaeo , Lin Hsin-Chieh , Chang Da-Chiang
Published: August 2023

This paper presents two power amplifiers designed for 5G NR n77 and n78 bands. These power amplifiers were fabricated using WINTM Semiconductors’ 0.25 μm GaN/SiC technology and GaAs IPD technology. To achieve a reduction in costs, GaAs IPD technology was incorporated in the design, leading to the realization of a quasi-monolithic microwave integrated circuit design. To ensure high power, high efficiency, and broadband operation, a continuous Class-J mode output matching network was utilized. The power amplifier with split chip-on-board wire-bond assembly had a power gain of 21.7 dB, a 3 dB power bandwidth ranging from 2.85 GHz to 4.48 GHz, a saturation power of 40.3 dBm, and a peak power-added efficiency of 39.5%. On the other hand, the power amplifier with stack chip-on-board wire-bond assembly had a power gain of 21.7 dB, a 3 dB power bandwidth ranging from 2.84 GHz to 4.47 GHz, a saturation power of 40 dBm, and a peak power-added efficiency of 36.5%. For a 5G NR FR1 256-QAM 100-MHz bandwidth modulated signal with a frequency range of 3.3 GHz to 4.2 GHz, both the split and stack chip-on-board wire-bond assembly power amplifiers achieved average output powers of 29.6 dBm and 28.3 dBm, respectively. These output powers were measured under an error vector magnitude requirement of 3.5%.
CCDS-YOLO: Multi-Category Synthetic Aperture Radar Image Object Detection Model Based on YOLOv5s
Authors: Huang Min , Liu Zexu , Liu Tianen , Wang Jingyang
Published: August 2023

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is an active microwave sensor that has attracted widespread attention due to its ability to observe the ground around the clock. Research on multi-scale and multi-category target detection methods holds great significance in the fields of maritime resource management and wartime reconnaissance. However, complex scenes often influence SAR object detection, and the diversity of target scales also brings challenges to research. This paper proposes a multi-category SAR image object detection model, CCDS-YOLO, based on YOLOv5s, to address these issues. Embedding the Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) in the feature extraction part of the backbone network enables the model’s ability to extract and fuse spatial information and channel information. The 1 × 1 convolution in the feature pyramid network and the first layer convolution of the detection head are replaced with the expanded convolution, Coordinate Conventional (CoordConv), forming a CRD-FPN module. This module more accurately perceives the spatial details of the feature map, enhancing the model’s ability to handle regression tasks compared to traditional convolution. In the detector segment, a decoupled head is utilized for feature extraction, offering optimal and effective feature information for the classification and regression branches separately. The traditional Non-Maximum Suppression (NMS) is substituted with the Soft Non-Maximum Suppression (Soft-NMS), successfully reducing the model’s duplicate detection rate for compact objects. Based on the experimental findings, the approach presented in this paper demonstrates excellent results in multi-category target recognition for SAR images. Empirical comparisons are conducted on the filtered MSAR dataset. Compared with YOLOv5s, the performance of CCDS-YOLO has been significantly improved. The mAP@0.5 value increases by 3.3% to 92.3%, the precision increases by 3.4%, and the mAP@0.5:0.95 increases by 6.7%. Furthermore, in comparison with other mainstream detection models, CCDS-YOLO stands out in overall performance and anti-interference ability.
A Railway Track Extraction Method Based on Improved DeepLabV3+
Authors: Weng Yanbin , Li Zuochuang , Chen Xiahu , He Jing , Liu Fengnian , Huang Xiaobin , Yang Hua
Published: August 2023

Extracting railway tracks is crucial for creating electronic railway maps. Traditional methods require significant manual labor and resources while existing neural networks have limitations in efficiency and precision. To address these challenges, a railway track extraction method using an improved DeepLabV3+ model is proposed, which incorporates several key enhancements. Firstly, the encoder part of the method utilizes the lightweight network MobileNetV3 as the backbone extraction network for DeepLabV3+. Secondly, the decoder part adopts the lightweight, universal upsampling operator CARAFE for upsampling. Lastly, to address any potential extraction errors, morphological algorithms are applied to optimize the extraction results. A dedicated railway track segmentation dataset is also created to train and evaluate the proposed method. The experimental results demonstrate that the model achieves impressive performance on the railway track segmentation dataset and DeepGlobe dataset. The MIoU scores are 88.93% and 84.72%, with Recall values of 89.02% and 86.96%. Moreover, the overall accuracy stands at 97.69% and 94.84%. The algorithm’s operation time is about 5% lower than the original network. Furthermore, the morphological algorithm effectively eliminates errors like holes and spots. These findings indicate the model’s accuracy, efficiency, and enhancement brought by the morphological algorithm in error elimination.
Classification and Recognition of Goat Movement Behavior Based on SL-WOA-XGBoost
Authors: Li Tingxia , Li Tiankai , Su Rina , Xin Jile , Han Ding
Published: August 2023

Aiming at the problem of time-consuming, labor-intensive, and low-accuracy monitoring of goat motion behavior (lying, standing, walking, and running) while relying on the three-axis acceleration sensor and taking the acceleration data obtained from the goat back collection point as the research object, a method based on social learning (SL) is proposed using the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) and XGBoost for goat motion behavior recognition. In this method, the XGBoost parameters are optimized by the WOA combined with social learning strategies to improve the classification and recognition accuracy. The results show that the recognition rate of lying behavior was as high as 97.14%, and the average recognition rate of the four movement behaviors was 94.42%, meeting the requirements of goat motion behavior recognition. Compared with the conventional XGBoost algorithm, the average recognition rate was increased by 3.41% and the recognition accuracy was improved. The results of this study can provide a reference for goat health assessment and intelligent disease warning.
Inverter Heat Pumps as a Variable Load for Off-Grid Solar-Powered Systems
Authors: Klokov Alexander V. , Tutunin Alexander S. , Sharaborova Elizaveta S. , Korshunov Aleksei A. , Loktionov Egor Y.
Published: August 2023

The capacity of electric air conditioning and heating systems is growing rapidly, as is the nameplate capacity of PV power plants. While the demand for cooling has a positive correlation with solar irradiance, the demand for heating has an opposite relation. In this study, different approaches to design (aggregation; thermal, battery, and implicit storage) and control (frequency conversion; variable and adaptive load) and their effects on the efficiency of an off-grid active thermal stabilisation system based on a solar-powered heat pump are analysed. The case considered is a permafrost thermal stabilisation system in Norway. It is shown that proper layout and control of the system with an adaptive load can reduce capital expenditures and the total cost of ownership by 30–40%. Increases in the capacity factor and cooling stability of the systems with aggregated and variable loads are studied. The downside is that there is an increase in the compressor’s operation time by 50% with a variable load and by 25% per unit with aggregation, which means more frequent replacement in terms of motor hours. The approaches considered are applicable in a wide range of solar-powered facilities with a positive correlation between solar irradiation and energy demand, but the results are quite case-sensitive. The prospects of using excess refrigerant and soil for thermal energy storage instead of traditional electrochemical batteries are considered.
Study on the Prediction of Low-Index Coal and Gas Outburst Based on PSO-SVM
Authors: Liang Yunpei , Mao Shuren , Zheng Menghao , Li Quangui , Li Xiaoyu , Li Jianbo , Zhou Junjiang
Published: August 2023

Low-index coal and gas outburst (LI-CGO) is difficult to predict, which seriously threatens the efficient mining of coal. To predict the LI-CGO, the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm was used in this study. The Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm was used to optimize the parameters of the SVM algorithm. The results show that based on the training sets and test set in this study, the prediction accuracy of SVM is higher than that of Back Propagation Neural Network and Distance Discriminant Analysis. The prediction accuracy of the SVM model trained by the training set T2 with LI-CGO cases is higher than that of the SVM model trained by the training set T1 without LI-CGO cases. The prediction accuracy gets better when the SVM model is trained by the training set T3, made by adding the data of the other two coal mines (EH and SH) to the training set T2, that only contains the data of XP and PJ. Furthermore, the PSO-SVM model achieves a better predictive effect than the SVM model, with an accuracy rate of 90%. The research results can provide a method reference for the prediction of LI-CGO.
Extraction of Pine Wilt Disease Regions Using UAV RGB Imagery and Improved Mask R-CNN Models Fused with ConvNeXt
Authors: Wu Zhenyu , Jiang Xiangtao
Published: August 2023

Pine wilt disease (PWD) is one of the most concerning diseases in forestry and poses a considerable threat to forests. Since the deep learning approach can interpret the raw images acquired by UAVs, it provides an effective means for forest health detection. However, the fact that only PWD can be detected but not the degree of infection can be evaluated hinders forest management, so it is necessary to establish an effective method to accurately detect PWD and extract regions infected by PWD. Therefore, a Mask R-CNN-based PWD detection and extraction algorithm is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the extraction of image features is improved by using the advanced ConvNeXt network. Then, it is proposed to change the original multi-scale structure to PA-FPN and normalize it by using GN and WS methods, which effectively enhances the data exchange between the bottom and top layers under low Batch-size training. Finally, a branch is added to the Mask module to improve the ability to extract objects using fusion. In addition, a PWD region extraction module is proposed in this paper for evaluating the damage caused by PWD. The experimental results show that the improved method proposed in this paper can achieve 91.9% recognition precision, 90.2% mapping precision, and 89.3% recognition rate of the affected regions on the PWD dataset. It can effectively identify the distribution of diseased pine trees and calculate the damage proportion in a relatively accurate way to facilitate the management of forests.
Seasonal Variation and Soil Texture-Related Thinning Effects on Soil Microbial and Enzymatic Properties in a Semi-Arid Pine Forest
Authors: Lull Cristina , Gil-Ortiz Ricardo , Bautista Inmaculada , Lidón Antonio
Published: August 2023

Thinning is a practice that reduces competition for available soil resources, thereby promoting vegetation growth and affecting soil, which is involved in important ecosystem processes. Soil quality is directly influenced by various aspects such as ground cover, regional climate, and local microclimate, which can further be modified by forest thinning. In this study, the effect of tree thinning and climate on microbiological and enzymatic soil properties was investigated in an Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis M.) forest more than a decade after silvicultural treatments. The treatments included were clear-felling (100% of mean basal area (BA) removed), moderate thinning (60% BA removed), and control (no thinning). Soil organic carbon (SOC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), basal soil respiration (BSR), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), soil enzymes (β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase, urease, and dehydrogenase), general soil characteristics, soil temperature and humidity, and precipitation were compared seasonally for over two years by analysis of variance and multivariate analysis. Results showed that the effect of 60% thinning improved soil microbial and enzymatic soil properties with variable results, mainly depending on soil organic matter content and soil texture. SOC, WSOC, and MBC were highly correlated with BSR and enzymatic activities. The main reason for the observed differences was water availability, despite a large seasonal variation. In conclusion, microbial activity was strongly affected by soil characteristics and climate, which in turn were influenced by the silvicultural treatments applied. Moderate thinning can be used as a useful practice to improve soil quality in the Mediterranean area.
Study on the Synthesis of Theaflavin-3,3′-Digallate Catalyzed by Escherichia coli Expressing Tea Tree Polyphenol Oxidase Isozymes and Its Enzymatic Solution
Authors: Liu Changwei , Zhou Jinghui , Huang Jianan , Xu Wei , Liu Zhonghua
Published: August 2023

Polyphenol oxidase and its isoenzymes are crucial enzymes in the tea tree that catalyze the synthesis of theaflavins. In this study, tea tree polyphenol oxidase was used as the research object, and various protein sequence treatments, such as TrxA fusion tag + N-terminal truncation, were tested for prokaryotic expression through the Escherichia coli expression system. Comparative analyses were conducted on the activities of the different recombinant enzyme proteins on the substrates of tea polyphenol fractions. Additionally, the enzyme with the highest catalytic efficiency on the TFDG substrate was immobilized using polyethylene glycol to investigate the yield of its synthesis of TFDG. Our results demonstrated that after N-terminal truncation and TrxA fusion expression, CsPPO1, CsPPO2, CsPPO3, and CsPPO4 were mostly expressed in the form of inclusion bodies in the cell and exhibited varying degrees of enhancement in substrate activity. Specifically, CsPPO1 exhibited significantly increased activity in EC and ECG, CsPPO2 showed enhanced activity towards ECG and EGCG, and CsPPO2 displayed the highest activity toward TFDG substrates. Homology modeling structural analysis of the polyphenol oxidase isozymes revealed that the active centers of CsPPO1, CsPPO2, and CsPPO3 consisted of double copper ion center structures, while the conserved histidine residues surrounding the active centers formed different catalytic activity centers in different structures. Furthermore, polyethylene glycol immobilization significantly increased the activity recovery of the CsPPO2 enzyme to 74.41%. In summary, our study elucidated that tea tree polyphenol oxidase is expressed as inclusion bodies in prokaryotic expression, and the activity of the recombinant enzyme towards substrates could be enhanced through N-terminal truncation and TrxA fusion expression. Moreover, immobilization treatment of the CsPPO2 enzyme greatly improved enzyme efficiency. These findings offer an important enzymatic basis and theoretical support for the synthesis of theaflavins.
Accelerated Zero-Stress Hydrothermal Aging of Dry E-Glass Fibers and Service Life Prediction Using Arrhenius Model
Authors: Sunny John , Nazaripoor Hadi , Palacios Moreno Jorge , Mertiny Pierre
Published: August 2023

Comprehending the degradation of glass fibers is crucial for service applications involving dry and wet conditions, especially when prolonged contact with water above room temperature is present. Depending on the polymer material, both thermosetting and thermoplastic matrices can permit the ingress of moisture. Therefore, fiber reinforcements embedded in the polymer matrix may experience moisture exposure. Additionally, some structural applications use fiber devoid of any matrix (dry fibers), in which water exposure must be avoided. In all of these cases, moisture may, therefore, have a significant impact on the reinforcing elements and the rate of degradation. The present work focuses on the effects of hydrothermal aging on the mechanical durability of long E-glass fibers by immersion in water at 60 °C, 71 °C, and 82 °C. A service life forecast model was created utilizing the Arrhenius technique, and a master curve of strength variation with exposure time was created for E-glass fibers at 60 °C. Using this modeling approach, it is possible to approximate the amount of time it will take to attain a given degradation level over a specified range of temperatures. Scanning electron microscopy was used to evaluate morphological changes in fiber surfaces due to hydrothermal exposure, while Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and mass dissolution studies were used to elucidate the mechanism of the strength loss.
Combustion of Liquid Fuels in the Presence of CO2 Hydrate Powder
Authors: Misyura Sergey , Morozov Vladimir , Donskoy Igor , Shlegel Nikita , Dorokhov Vadim
Published: August 2023

The process of combustion of a liquid fuel layer (diesel, kerosene, gasoline, separated petroleum, and oil) in the presence of CO2 hydrate has been studied. These fuels are widely used in engineering, which explains the great interest in effective methods of extinguishing. Extinguishing liquid fuels is quite a complicated scientific and technical task. It is often necessary to deal with fire extinction during oil spills and at fuel burning in large containers outdoors and in warehouses. Recently, attention to new extinguishing methods has increased. Advances in technology of the production, storage, and transportation of inert gas hydrates enhance the opportunities of using CO2 hydrate for extinguishing liquid fuels. Previous studies have shown a fairly high efficiency of CO2 hydrate (compared to water spray) in the extinction of volumetric fires. To date, there are neither experimental data nor methods for determining the dissociation rate of CO2 hydrate powder at the time of the gas hydrate fall on the burning layer of liquid fuel. The value of the dissociation rate is important to know in order to determine the temperatures of stable combustion and, accordingly, the mass of CO2 hydrate required to extinguish the flame. For the first time, a method jointly accounting for both the combustion of liquid fuel and the dissociation rate of the falling powder of gas hydrate at a negative temperature is proposed. The combustion stability depends on many factors. This paper defines three characteristic modes of evaporation of a liquid fuel layer, depending on the prevalence of vapor diffusion or free gas convection. The influence of the diameter and height of the layer on the nature of fuel evaporation is investigated.
Distance-Based Analysis of Early Fire Indicators on a New Indoor Laboratory Dataset with Distributed Multi-Sensor Nodes
Authors: Vorwerk Pascal , Kelleter Jörg , Müller Steffen , Krause Ulrich
Published: August 2023

This work analyzes a new indoor laboratory dataset looking at early fire indicators in controlled and realistic experiments representing different incipient fire scenarios. The experiments were performed within the constraints of an indoor laboratory setting using multiple distributed sensor nodes in different room positions. Each sensor node collected data of particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2), ultraviolet radiation (UV), air temperature, and humidity in terms of a multivariate time series. These data hold immense value for researchers within the machine learning and data science communities who are keen to explore innovative and advanced statistical and machine learning techniques. They serve as a valuable resource for the development of early fire detection systems. The analysis of the collected data was carried out depending on the Manhattan distance between the fire source and the sensor node. We found that especially larger particles (>0.5 μm) and VOCs show a significant dependency with respect to the intensity as a function of the Manhattan distance to the source. Moreover, we observed differences in the propagation behavior of VOCs, PM, and CO, which are particularly relevant in incipient fire scenarios due to the presence of strand propagation effects.
The Effects of Porphyra yezoensis Polysaccharides on Intestinal Health of Spotted Sea Bass, Lateolabrax maculatus
Authors: Lin Hao , Zhou Sishun , Huang Zhangfan , Ma Jianrong , Kong Lumin , Lin Yi , Long Zhongying , Qin Huihui , Liu Longhui , Zhao Yanbo , Li Zhongbao
Published: August 2023

Porphyra yezoensis polysaccharides (PPs) have biological activities such as promoting digestion, functioning as antioxidants, and improving intestinal health. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PPs on the intestinal health of spotted sea bass (Lateolabrax maculatus). A total of 360 spotted sea bass (10.53 ± 0.02 g) were randomly divided into six groups. Fish in each group were fed with varying PP concentrations (0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 g/kg) for 52 days. The results showed that 12 g/kg PPs significantly increased the body weight gain, specific growth rate, and condition factor, while there was no significant change in the feed conversion ratio. A supplementation dosage of 9 g/kg PPs significantly increased intestinal amylase activity, and 12 g/kg PPs supplementation significantly increased intestinal trypsin activity. In addition, compared with the control group, there was no difference in lipase in the experimental groups. When fed 9 g/kg, the intestinal glutathione content was significantly increased, and the malondialdehyde content was significantly decreased; the effect of PPs on the catalase activity was not significant. PPs improved intestinal morphology, specifically by improving the intestinal villus morphology and increasing the intestinal lining surface area. Compared with the control group, PPs increased the abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroides. At the genus level, Cyanobacteria, Muribaculaceae, and Lachnospiraceae were the main flora in the intestinal tract of spotted sea bass. In addition, PPs increased ACE and Chao1 indices of the intestinal microorganisms, while the Simpson index and Shannon index did not change significantly, indicating that intestinal microbial composition and abundance had increased to a certain extent. The results indicated that different levels of PPs in feed can improve the intestinal physiological and biochemical indexes, intestinal morphology, and microbial composition, and thus improve the intestinal health of spotted sea bass.
Perspectives on Novel Technologies of Processing and Monitoring the Safety and Quality of Prepared Food Products
Authors: Huang Jinjin , Zhang Min , Fang Zhongxiang
Published: August 2023

With the changes of lifestyles and rapid growth of prepared food industry, prepared fried rice that meets the consumption patterns of contemporary young people has become popular in China. Although prepared fried rice is convenient and nutritious, it has the following concerns in the supply chain: (1) susceptible to contamination by microorganisms; (2) rich in starch and prone to stall; and (3) vegetables in the ingredients have the issues of water loss and discoloration, and meat substances are vulnerable to oxidation and deterioration. As different ingredients are used in prepared fried rice, their food processing and quality monitoring techniques are also different. This paper reviews the key factors that cause changes in the quality of prepared fried rice, and the advantages and limitations of technologies in the processing and monitoring processes. The processing technologies for prepared fried rice include irradiation, high-voltage electric field, microwave, radio frequency, and ohmic heating, while the quality monitoring technologies include Raman spectral imaging, near-infrared spectral imaging, and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance technology. These technologies will serve as the foundation for enhancing the quality and safety of prepared fried rice and are essential to the further development of prepared fried rice in the emerging market.
Microbiological Assessment of White Button Mushrooms with an Edible Film Coating
Authors: Borges Margarida Machado , Simões Ana Sofia , Miranda Carla , Sales Hélia , Pontes Rita , Nunes João
Published: August 2023

The development of edible coatings incorporating bioextracts from mushrooms native to Portuguese forests aims to enhance the value of the endogenous forest and mycological resources by harnessing their potential as a source of antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds. Edible coatings represent an important pathway to decreasing food waste and contributing to implementing a circular bioeconomy. The coating should result in product valorization through improved preservation/conservation, increased shelf life, as well as enhancement of its antioxidant and enzymatic properties. To evaluate the effectiveness of an edible coating on fungal food matrices, a 14-day shelf-life study was conducted, wherein both coated and untreated mushrooms were examined under controlled storage temperatures of 4 °C and 9.3 °C. Agaricus bisporus was chosen as the food matrix for its bioeconomy significance, and Pleurotus eryngii was selected for the preparation of the food-based coating due to its profile of bioactive compounds. Microbiological analysis and physicochemical monitoring were conducted on the food matrices and the coating. Coated mushrooms had less mass loss and color change, and had better texture after 14 days. Microbiological analysis revealed that the coating had no antimicrobial activity. Overall, the coating improved the shelf life of the coated mushrooms but had less effect on the microbial community.
Microbiome of Free-Living Amoebae (FLA) Isolated from Fresh Organic Produce: Potential Risk to Consumers?
Authors: Soler Lara , Moreno Yolanda , Moreno-Mesonero Laura , Amorós Inmaculada , Alonso José Luís , Ferrús María Antonia
Published: August 2023

In response to growing global interest in organic agriculture, this study delves into the microbial landscape of organically grown raw produce with a focus on food safety. Vegetables that are consumed raw are potential vehicles for the transmission of any type of microorganism capable of causing human disease. Free-living amoebae (FLA) are ubiquitous protozoa found in many ecosystems and can serve as hosts to pathogenic bacteria. So far, data regarding the FLA bacterial microbiome in fresh produce remain scarce and are non-existent for those of organic origin. Thus, the aim of this preliminary work is to characterize the microbiome of FLA in commonly consumed raw vegetables to know their possible implications for consumers. A total of 40 organic cabbage, lettuce, spinach, and strawberry samples were analyzed. FLA were found in all samples, and their bacterial microbiome was obtained via amplicon sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq platform and pair-end protocol. Acanthamoeba spp. and Vermamoeba vermiformis were identified via qPCR in 65.0% and 25.0% of the samples, respectively. Regarding the bacterial microbiome of FLA, the most abundant genera were Pseudomonas (1.8–17.8%) and Flavobacterium (1.7–12.6%). Bacteria not previously related to FLA, such as Prosthecobacter or Cellvibrio, are described in this work. Importantly, several bacterial genera found within the FLA microbiome were identified as potential human pathogens, including Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Arcobacter, Klebsiella, Mycobacterium, Salmonella and Legionella. This is the first work in which FLA microbiome isolated from organic products has been characterized, underscoring the significance of understanding FLA’s role as carriers of pathogenic bacteria in the context of organic food safety.
Modeling of Sensory Properties of Poppy Sherbet by Turkish Consumers and Changes in Quality Properties during Storage Process
Authors: Aydoğdu Behiye İncisu , Tokatlı Demirok Nazan , Yıkmış Seydi
Published: August 2023

Poppy is an important edible plant containing bioactive components. This study aimed to produce good-tasting poppy sherbet by determining the content using a response surface methodology (RSM). At the same time, bioactive components, phenolic compounds, and color properties were investigated in optimum poppy sherbet during storage; 0.26 g of dried corn poppy flowers, 0.15 g of citric acid, and 4.29 g of sucrose values were the most promising, achieving high scores for color, smell, taste, and general acceptance from sensory properties (sensory score of 8.55 for color; 7.19 for smell; 8.38 for taste; 7.98 for general acceptability). A total of nine polyphenols were detected in the optimum poppy sherbet sample; gallic acid was the most common. There was no statistically significant difference between the samples stored on the 0th and 30th days regarding gallic acid content (23.886 ± 0.164 μg/mL, 23.403 ± 0.343 μg/mL) and protocatechuic acid (1.146 ± 0.048 μg/mL, 1.047 ± 0.038 μg/mL). Total flavonoid contents (TFC), total phenolic contents (TPC), CUPRAC (cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity), DPPH (e free radical diphenylpicrylhydrazyl), total monomeric anthocyanin (TAC), and color values were found to decrease as the storage period increased. It was considered that a highly palatable and rich bioactive component product could be obtained.