Editor’s Choice Articles

A modification of the ABTS^• decolorization assay for plate readers is presented. In our modification, 200 µL of ABTS solution of absorbance 1.0 at 734 nm was added with an antioxidant and decreased absorbance resulted. For comparison of antioxidant activities in the kinetic assay of absorbance decrease, concentration dependence of absorbance decrease and of area under curve are recommended. “Fast” and “slow” antioxidants were distinguished: while the reactions of “fast” antioxidants ABTS^• were completed within seconds, the reactions of “slow” antioxidants were not finished after 6 min. We recommend reaction time of 60 min for assays of such antioxidants, blood plasma and plant extracts. Sub-additive interactions between some antioxidants (ascorbate and Trolox, hispidulin and Trolox, and glutathione and ascorbate) were found in the ABTS^• decolorization; possible reasons for such interactions are discussed. Full article

Jet loop reactors are standard multiphase reactors used in chemical, biological and environmental processes. The strong liquid jet provided by a nozzle enforces both internal circulation of liquid and gas as well as entrainment and dispersion of the gas phase. We present a one-dimensional compartment model based on a momentum balance that describes the internal circulation of gas and liquid phase in the jet loop reactor. This model considers the influence of local variations of the gas volume fraction on the internal circulation. These local variations can be caused by coalescence of gas bubbles, additional gas-feeding points and gas consumption or production. In this work, we applied the model to study the influence of a gas-consuming reaction on the internal circulation. In a comprehensive sensitivity analysis, the interaction of different parameters such as rate of reaction, power input through the nozzle, gas holdup, reactor geometry, and circulation rate were investigated. The results show that gas consumption can have a significant impact on internal circulation. Industrially relevant operating conditions have even been found where the internal circulation comes to a complete standstill. Full article

Every decision maker’s internal scale is different based on a myriad of possible factors unique to that decision maker. Conflicting criteria within and between alternatives in multicriteria decision making can create negative effects within the weighting schemes and amplify preference biases and scale disparities between decision makers in a group decision context. Additionally, the weighting of group decision-making frameworks can intensify the already skewed criteria values. When making judgments against requirements, it may be preferable to reduce scale trend distortions between decision makers as much as possible. Previous research supports that certain information presentation modes can significantly reduce preference bias and strengthen criteria independence against requirements through cross alternative anchoring. This paper expands that research and proposes a new optimization model for strengthening criteria independence and consensus in group decision making. Initial results indicate the proposed optimization model can significantly reduce scale distortions and smooth comparative alternative value trends between decision makers toward strengthened group consensus. Furthermore, results support the potential and opportunity for semiautonomous group consensus processes. Full article

In this work, a method to predict the surface structures of particles produced by fluidized bed spray layering granulation using the CFD-DEM method was developed. A simple state-variable/event tracking approach was implemented to capture indirect quantifiers of the progression of structure-forming microprocesses. The state of the droplet at the time of impact on the particle surface, as well as the time required for drying, is correlated to product properties that quantify surface structure morphology such as roughness. A workflow for scale-up of fluidized bed granulation guided by product-property predictors is presented. The approach was tested on a demonstration case from the literature, where a particle core is coated with sodium benzoate solution. The experiment was scaled-up by a factor of eight to pilot-scale using the developed method. Varying the number of nozzles in use in the pilot-scale granulation affected the particle surface roughness due to the differing drying conditions encountered. On this basis, the ability of the tracked-quantity approach to capture the relationship between product properties and geometric feature or process conditions is demonstrated. Full article

In this paper, we consider an iterative learning control problem for a class of unknown discrete-time nonlinear systems with iteration-varying initial error, iteration-varying system parameters, iteration-varying external disturbance, iteration-varying desired output, and iteration-varying control direction. These iteration-varying uncertainties are not required to take any particular structure such as the high-order internal model and only need to satisfy certain boundedness conditions. We propose an iterative learning control law with an adaptive iteration-varying fuzzy system to overcome all the uncertainties and achieve the learning control objective. Furthermore, we present a sufficient condition for designing adaptive gains and prove the convergence of the learning error to a small value as the trial number is large enough. Finally, we use two simulation examples to demonstrate all the theoretical results. Full article

Natural antioxidants are known for their ability to scavenge free radicals and protect oils from oxidation. Our aim was to study the structural properties such as the number of hydroxyl groups and Bors criteria of phenolic substances leading to high antioxidant activity in oil in order to analyze common trends and differences in widespread in vitro antioxidant assays. Therefore, 20 different phenolic substances were incorporated into rapeseed oil and were measured using pressurized differential scanning calorimetry (P-DSC) and the Rancimat method. The Bors criteria had the highest influence on the antioxidant effect in rapeseed oil, which is why myricetin (MYR), fulfilling all Bors criteria, reached the highest result of the flavonoids. In the Rancimat test and P-DSC, MYR obtained an increase in oxidation induction time (OIT) of 231.1 ± 44.6% and 96.8 ± 1.8%, respectively. Due to differences in the measurement parameters, the results of the Rancimat test and P-DSC were only partially in agreement. Furthermore, we compared the results to in vitro assays (ABTS, DPPH, FC and ORAC) in order to evaluate their applicability as alternative rapid methods. These analysis showed the highest correlation of the oil methods with the results of the DPPH assay, which is, therefore, most suitable to predict the antioxidant behavior of oil. Full article

In this study, methods of adding value to cow manure were studied. Due to the properties of cow manure, activated carbon with a high surface area can only be produced by increasing the fixed carbon ratio and removing the ash content. Activated carbon was fabricated using five different treatments: (1) raw material–chemical activation, (2) raw material–hydrothermal carbonization–chemical activation, (3) raw material–hydrothermal carbonization–chemical activation–acid washing, (4) raw material–hydrothermal carbonization–heat treatment–chemical activation, and (5) raw material–hydrothermal carbonization–chemical activation–acid washing. The products then underwent proximate, elementary, and surface area analyses. In addition, changes in activated carbon properties depending on the heat treatment temperature (300, 500, 700 °C) and the applied chemical activator ratios (1:1–1:3) were examined. The results showed that the best heat treatment temperature was 300 °C, and the cow manure to chemical activator ratio was 1:2. The heat treatment stabilization process increases the fixed carbon ratio and the solid yield, and the acid wash process removes substances that restrain the increase in surface area. Therefore, activated carbon with a surface area of 1955 m²/g can be produced after the addition of heat treatment and an acid wash to the process. In addition, the adsorption properties of activated carbon with different heat treatment conditions were studied. Full article

Continual efforts to have better processes lead us to search for new ways to improve and innovate. One of the most powerful approaches to innovating technical systems is the TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving). TRIZ is, unfortunately, very hard to learn and adequately use. This paper introduces a new comprehensive algorithm for the innovation of processes in production based on TRIZ principles. The Algorithm for Process Innovation by Increasing Ideality (AP3I) helps search for innovative ways to improve or change the process—either the whole process or its segments. Besides the original TRIZ, AP3I is easier to use and might be applied by engineers in industrial practice. On the other hand, results from AP3I are probably weaker compared to full TRIZ. Still, the AP3I can be very helpful in efforts to improve processes and can provide powerful ideas. The overall algorithm is also demonstrated in case studies on processes of packing and assembly. Full article

In this paper, we propose a framework to implement a fault-tolerant and a reconfigurable distributed control approach in programmable logic controller (PLC) for manufacturing systems (MS). The reconfiguration methodology adopted in this paper is based on supervisory control theory (SCT), and it is triggered following sensor fault detection. The lost information about these sensors is replaced by timed information allowing the MS to continue its operations. The switch from a normal behavior to a degraded behavior when a sensor fault appears is ensured by reconfiguration rules. The main objective of our framework is to implement the obtained control into a PLC. To meet this objective, the distributed controllers of the two operating modes as well as the reconfiguration rules are interpreted into different Grafcet models. The implementation of these different models is verified by a checker-model technique before being tested on a digital twin and validated on a real MS. Full article

Asthma is an incurable pulmonary disease with several symptoms, including abnormal breathing, coughing, and sleep apnea, which can lead to death, and the population of asthma patients has been increasing worldwide. There are many adverse effects in current drugs, and thus, we have tried to develop anti-asthmatic agents from natural products such as Codonopsis laceolata. To define the anti-asthmatic effect and the mechanism of Codonopsis laceolata, an animal study was conducted considering different cell counts of BALF, serum IgE levels, morphological changes in the pulmonary system, the Th2 cell transcription factor (GATA-3), and the apoptotic pathway (NF-κB/COX-2). Codonopsis laceolata significantly suppressed the representative asthmatic changes, such as airway remodeling, mucous hypersecretion, epithelial hyperplasia, and inflammatory cell infiltration, in the respiratory system. It suppressed the levels of GATA-3, IL-4, and IL-13. The down-regulation of Th2-related factors, such as GATA-3, IL-4, and IL-13, results from the stimulated apoptosis of Th2 cells and epithelial cells via a decrease in the levels of NF-κB and COX-2. We concluded that Codonopsis laceolata might be a promising anti-asthmatic drug. Full article

Glycosides have been synthesized using the starting materials magnolol (1) and honokiol (4), isolated from the Japanese white-bark magnolia, and their anti-aging effects on the skin (skin-beautifying effects) have been examined. The advanced glycation end-product (AGE) inhibitory activity test (anti-glycation test) and glycation induction model test, using human-derived dermal fibroblasts, TIG-110 cells, have been conducted to evaluate the anti-aging effects. The synthesized glycoside compounds, 5,5′-di(prop-2-en-1-yl)[1,1′-biphenyl]-2-hydroxy-2′-glucopyranoside (3a), 5,5′-di(prop-2-en-1-yl)[1,1′-biphenyl]-2,2′-diglucopyranoside (3b), 3′,5-di(prop-2-en-1-yl)[1,1′-biphenyl]-4′-hydroxy-2-glucopyranoside (6a) and 3′,5-di(prop-2-en-1-yl)[1,1′-biphenyl]-2,4′-diglucopyranoside (6b), have shown significant anti-glycation activities of less than 0.10 mM in IC50. The glycation induction model test with the fibroblasts, TIG-110 cells, demonstrates that the aforementioned glycosides significantly inhibit the decrease in cell viability. These newly synthesized glycoside compounds are expected to be used as cosmetic ingredients, health foods, and pharmaceutical ingredients, which have inhibitory effects against AGE formation. Full article

Particle dampers’ dissipative characteristics can be difficult to predict because of their highly non-linear behavior. The application of such devices in deformable vibrating systems can require extensive experimental and numerical analyses; therefore, improving the efficiency when simulating particle dampers would help in this regard. Two techniques often proposed to speed up the simulation, namely the adoption of a simplified frictional moment and the reduction of the contact stiffness, are considered; their effect on the simulation run-time, on the ability of the particle bed to sustain shear deformation, and on the prediction of the dissipation performance is investigated for different numerical case studies. The reduction in contact stiffness is studied in relation to the maximum overlap between particles, as well as the contacts’ duration. These numerical simulations are carried out over a wide range of motion regimes, frequencies, and amplitude levels. Experimental results are considered as well. All the simulations are performed using a GPU-based discrete element simulation tool coupled with the multi-body code MBDyn; the results and execution time are compared with those of other solvers. Full article

Inhalation therapy involving a pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) is one of the most commonly used and effective treatment methods for patients with asthma. The purpose of this study was to develop a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to characterize aerosol flow issued from a pMDI into a simulated mouth–throat geometry. The effects of air flow rate and cone angle were analyzed in detail. The behaviour of the multiphase flow initiated at the inhaler actuation nozzle and extended through the mouth–throat airway was simulated based on the Eulerian-Lagrangian discrete phase model, with the k-ω model applied for turbulency. We validated our model against published experimental measurements and cover the hydrodynamic aspect of the study. The recirculation we observed at the 90° bend inside the mouth–throat airway resulted in the selective retention of larger diameter particles, and the fluid flow patterns were correlated with drug deposition behaviour. Enhancing air flow rates up to three times reduced the aerodynamic particle diameters to 20%. We also observed that, as cone angle increased, mouth deposition increased; an 8° cone angle was the best angle for the lowest mouth–throat deposition. Full article

As an alternative to conventional anaerobic digestion for methane production, anaerobic fermentation (AF) of organic matter can produce short chain organic acids (SCOAs) in a sustainable way. This study investigated the effect of microwave (MW) pre-treatment on the AF of model food waste to SCOAs and ethanol. The MW pre-treatment was investigated at three temperatures (120, 150 and 180 °C) and residence times (2, 5 and 8 min). The MW treatment gave a significant reduction in the pH and volatile suspended solids (VSS). The largest reduction in the VSS was 20%, indicating solubilisation of the organic matter. The latter was also confirmed by the increase, although it was not statistically significant, in the soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) and soluble carbohydrates. In the fermentation batch tests, the total product yield was higher (17.5% COD COD⁻¹) than for the untreated substrate (11.1% COD COD⁻¹). An electricity price of GBP 0.06 kWh⁻¹ would correspond to the market value of the additional SCOAs produced with the pre-treated substrate. Although this price is lower than the current business price of electricity in the UK, the MW pre-treatment could become economically feasible with scale-up effects and by using free excess electricity coming from renewable resources. Full article

A dynamically operated sorption-enhanced water–gas shift reactor is modelled to leverage its performance by means of model-based process design. This reactor shall provide CO₂-free synthesis gas for e-fuel production from pure CO. The nonlinear model equations describing simultaneous adsorption and reaction are solved with three numerical approaches in MATLAB: a built-in solver for partial differential equations, a semi-discretization method in combination with an ordinary differential equation solver, and an advanced graphic implementation of the latter method in Simulink. The novel implementation in Simulink offers various advantages for dynamic simulations and is expanded to a process model with six reaction chambers. The continuous conditions in the reaction chambers and the discrete states of the valves, which enable switching between reactive adsorption and regeneration, lead to a hybrid system. Controlling the discrete states in a finite-state machine in Stateflow enables automated switching between reactive adsorption and regeneration depending on predefined conditions, such as a time span or a concentration threshold in the product gas. The established chemical reactor simulation approach features unique possibilities in terms of simulation-driven development of operating procedures for intensified reactor operation. In a base case simulation, the sorbent usage for serial operation with adjusted switching times is increased by almost 15%. Full article

Urban water systems are still in their infancy regarding the transition toward a circular economy, despite the sporadic successful examples worldwide. This paper was aimed at analyzing the preparedness of four water utilities in Bulgaria for the implementation of circular economy principles and solutions. These utilities provide water supply and sewerage services to about 30% of the population in Bulgaria. SWOT analysis was used as a core tool. Publicly available data such as nonrevenue water, pressure management, energy demand, network digitalization, and sludge utilization were used to explore the internal factors. The external environment was considered through the legislative and socioeconomic framework, climate change, etc. Finally, the credibility of the conclusions was verified in workshops with the water utilities. The key positive outcomes were that the external factors favor the shift to circular systems, while the major weakness, i.e., the aged infrastructure, is actually a good opportunity for the implementation of modern and circular solutions. The efficient collaboration of water utilities with other actors is a precondition for the development of a sustainable market for “circular” products. Full article

This study proposes an induction heating system with maximum power-point tracking (MPPT) control strategy. The system architecture adopts a 1.3 kW full-bridge series resonant circuit with a step-down transformer and adjusts the operating frequency by a microcontroller unit to improve the heating efficiency. Secondly, the proposed MPPT control strategy based on induction heating uses the relationship between the operating frequency and the system heating temperature to find the operating frequency corresponding to the maximum power point (MPP) quickly. Then, an additional hill-climbing algorithm adjusting the duty cycle is applied to reach the duty cycle corresponding to the MPP. Under the simulation and actual experimental measurement, the traditional control strategy has 76% and 68% at 500 and 750 degrees, respectively, and it takes 320 s for the system to reach 750 degrees. By contrast, the proposed MPPT control strategy achieves 96% efficiency when the system heating temperature is 500 and 750 degrees, and it only takes 120 s to reach the system heating temperature to 750 degrees. The contribution of this study is that the traditional full-bridge series resonant converter is implemented for the proposed induction heating system, where the proposed MPPT control strategy applied to the proposed induction heating system significantly has high efficiency, high stability, and high heating speed advantages, which can be accurately controlled. Full article

The multiaxial Mises-Schleicher and Drucker-Prager unified (MSDP_u) criterion has been shown to exhibit several specific features compared to other yield and failure criteria, including a nonlinear mean stress dependency, influence of the Lode angle, use of independent uniaxial compressive and tensile strength values and absence of an apex (singularity) on the envelope surface in the negative stress quadrant. However, MSDP_u has been seldom used in practice to solve geotechnical and geomechanical engineering problems mainly because it had not yet been fully implemented into three-dimensional (3D) numerical codes. To fill this gap, a 3D elastoplastic MSDP_u formulation is developed and implemented into FLAC3D. The proposed MSDP_u elastic-perfectly plastic (EPP) constitutive model is then validated against existing analytical solutions developed for calculating the stress and displacement distributions around cylindrical openings. The FLAC3D MSDP_u-EPP model is then applied to evaluate the vertical and horizontal stress distributions in a three-dimensional vertical backfilled stope. The numerical results obtained with the MSDP_u-EPP model are compared with those obtained with the Mohr-Coulomb EPP model, to highlight key features of the new formulation. Full article

Arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and copper (Cu) are the primary inorganic pollutants commonly found in contaminated soils. The simultaneous stabilization of the three elements is a preferred approach for mixture-contaminated soils which has received extensive research attention. However, few studies have focused on the immobilization efficiency of a single amendment on the three elements. In this study, phosphate, red mud, and biochar were used to remediate As (237.8 mg kg⁻¹), Cd (28.72 mg kg⁻¹), and Cu (366.5 mg kg⁻¹) co-contaminated soil using a 180-day incubation study. The BCR (European Community Bureau of Reference) extraction method, NH₄H₂PO₄–extractable As, and diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid (DTPA)–extractable Cd and Cu were analyzed at different time intervals. The results indicated that the application of red mud and biochar significantly reduced soil DTPA–Cd and Cu concentrations during the incubation, while the decrease in soil NH₄H₂PO₄–As was much less than that of soil DTPA–Cd and Cu. After 180 days of incubation, the concentrations of NH₄H₂PO₄–As in red mud and biochar treatments decreased by 2.15~7.89% and 3.01~9.63%, respectively. Unlike red mud and biochar, phosphate significantly reduced the concentration of soil DTPA–Cd and Cu, but failed to lower that of As. The BCR extraction method confirmed that red mud and biochar addition increased the reducible fraction of As due to the surface complexes of As with Fe oxide. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) demonstrated that soil pH in addition to available As, Cd, and Cu concentrations were the primary factors in driving the changes in soil enzymatic activity. Soil pH showed positive correlation with soil urease and catalase activities, while negative correlation was observed between soil-available As, Cd, and Cu, and soil enzyme activities. This study revealed that it is difficult to simultaneously and significantly reduce the bioavailabilities of soil As, Cd, and Cu using one amendment. Further research on modifying these amendments or applying combined amendments will be conducted, in order to develop an efficient method for simultaneously immobilizing As, Cd, and Cu. Full article

The last mile constitutes the most expensive and difficult part of the supply chain. This fact results from the density of buildings and from traffic congestion. The implemented programs that aim at increasing the effectiveness of city logistics do not always bring about the expected results, the reason being the lack of consultations with stakeholders prior to their implementation. Such consultations could help to recognize the expectations, aims and fears of each of the agent/actor groups using the urban space. The purpose of this article is to recognize the attitude of one of the groups of stakeholders (recipients/businesses located in the area) in the Polish neighboring agglomerations of Gdańsk and Gdynia, towards chosen city logistic measures. The research consisted in searching for a correlation between the attitude towards a particular city logistics measure and the size of the business, as well as between the attitude towards the given city logistics measure and the difficulty of its implementation. The results showed that there is a relationship between the difficulty of implementing a given city logistics measure and the tendency to implement it and that the number of employees influence the tendency towards openness to the new logistics measures; the bigger the enterprise, the greater the openness to new logistic solutions. Full article

Recent research has seen an interest in the condition monitoring (CM) approach for aluminium electrolytic capacitors (AEC), which are present in switched-mode power supplies and other power electronics equipment. From various literature reviews conducted and from a failure mode effect analysis (FMEA) standpoint, the most critical and prone to fault component with the highest percentage is mostly capacitors. Due to its long-lasting ability (endurance), CM offers a better paradigm for AEC due to its application. However, owing to severe conditions (over-voltage, mechanical stress, high temperature) that could occur during use, they (capacitors) could be exposed to early breakdown and overall shutdown of the SMPS. This study considered accelerated life testing (electrical stress and long-term frequency testing) for the component due to its endurance in thousands of hours. We have set up the experiment test bench to monitor the critical electrical parameters: dissipation factor (D), equivalent series resistance (ESR), quality factor (Q), and impedance (Z), which would serve as a health indicator (HI) for the evaluation of the AECs. Time-domain features were extracted from the measured data, and the best features were selected using the correlation-based technique. Full article

Nucleation is the formation of a new phase that has the ability to irreversibly and spontaneously grow into a large-sized nucleus within the body of a metastable parent phase. In this experimental work, the effect of wettability on the incipiation of vacuum-driven bubble nucleation, boiling, and the consequent rate of evaporative cooling are studied. One hydrophilic (untreated), and three hydrophobic (chlorinated polydimethylsiloxane, chlorinated fluoroalkylmethylsiloxane and (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl)triethoxysilane) glass vials of different wettabilities were filled with degassed deionized water and exposed to a controlled vacuum inside a transparent desiccator. The vacuum was increased by 34 mbar abs. (1 inHg rel.) steps with 15-min waiting period to observe bubble nucleation. The average onset pressures for gas/vapor bubble nucleation in CM, CF, and HT vials were 911 ± 30, 911 ± 34, and 925 ± 17 mbar abs., respectively. Bubble nucleation was not observed in hydrophilic vial even at 65 mbar abs. pressure. During the vacuum boiling at 65 mbar abs., the average temperatures of water in hydrophilic, CM, CF, and HT vials reduced from room temperature (~22.5 °C) to 15.2 ± 0.9, 13.1 ± 0.9, 12.9 ± 0.5, and 11.2 ± 0.3 °C, respectively. The results of this study show that the wettability of the container surface has a strong influence on the onset vacuum for vapor/gas bubble nucleation, rate of vacuum boiling, and evaporative cooling. These findings are expected to be useful to develop wettability-based vacuum boiling technologies. Full article

We report the upper and lower bounds for the levelized cost of high-temperature industrial process heat, supplied from electricity generated with solar-photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbines in combination with either thermal or electric battery storage using hourly typical meteorological year (TMY) data, in systems sized to supply between 80% and 100% of continuous thermal demand at a site in the northern part of Western Australia. The system is chosen to supply high-temperature air as the heat transfer media at temperatures of 1000 °C, which is a typical temperature for an alumina or a lime calcination plant. A simplified model of the electrical energy plant has been developed using performance characteristics of real PV and wind systems and TMY data of renewable energy resources. This was used to simulate a large sample of possible system configurations and find the optimal combination of the renewable resources and storage systems, sized to provide renewable shares (RES) of between 80% and 100% of the yearly demand. This allowed the upper and lower bounds to be determined for the cost of heat based on two scenarios in which the excess energy is either dumped (upper bound) or exported to the electricity grid (lower bound) at the average generating cost. The lower bound of the levelized cost of energy ($LCO{E}_L$), which occurs for the system employing thermal storage, was estimated to range from USD 10/GJ to USD 24/GJ for RES from 80 to 100%. The corresponding upper bound $(LCO{E}_U$), also estimated for the system using thermal storage, are between USD 16/GJ and USD 31/GJ, for RES between 80% and 100%. The utilization of electric battery storage instead of thermal storage was found to increase the LCOE values by a factor of two to four depending on the share of renewable energy. Compared with current Australian natural gas cost, none of the systems assessed configurations is economical without either a cost for CO₂ emissions or a premium for low-carbon products. The estimated cost for CO₂ emission that is needed to reach parity with current natural gas prices in Australia is also presented. Full article

Foundation of buildings in soft soil such as quaternary clay is often associated with difficult compaction, settlement, non-uniform and/or excessive deformation, and unsatisfactory shear resistance. The present study aims to assess the possibility of using recycled fines from construction and demolition waste, such as mechanically treated gypsum and waste concrete powder (WCP), instead of ordinary binders or industrial waste, in the stabilization of quaternary clay. A detailed characterization of soil components is presented. Seven mixes with various proportions of gypsum and WCP are prepared. Main geotechnical parameters of the modified soil are studied by applying standardized methods with a few deviations. XRD analysis and pH measurements are performed. It was found that the effect of 5% to 20% recycled di-hydrate gypsum is limited to improvement in moist soil compatibility. A gypsum content of 10% positively impacts soil cohesion and the oedometer modulus. WCP is an active component, containing non-hydrated cement, portlandite, calcite and calcium silicates hydrate. As a result, by adding 5% of WCP only, significant improvement can be achieved: greater soil cohesion, reduced deformability and higher UCS. When 5% of recycled gypsum is also added, soil cohesion is further improved because of ettringite formation. Full article

Human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (hBMP2) is routinely used in medical applications as an inducer of osteoformation. The recombinant production of BMP2 is typically performed using stable Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines. However, this process is inefficient, resulting in low product titers. In contrast, transient gene expression (TGE), which also enables the production of recombinant proteins, suffers from short production times and hence limited total product amounts. Here, we show that TGE-based BMP2 production is more efficient in HEK_sus than in CHO_sus cells. Independently of the cell lines, a bicistronic plasmid co-expressing EGFP and BMP2 facilitated the determination of the transfection efficiency but led to inferior BMP2 titers. Finally, we used a high cell density transient transfection (HCD-TGE) protocol to improve and extend the BMP2 expression by performing four rounds of serial transfections on one pool of HEK_sus cells. This repeated transient transfection (RTT) process in HEK_sus cells was implemented using EGFP as a reporter gene and further adapted for BMP2 production. The proposed method significantly improves BMP2 production (up to 509 ng/10⁶ cells) by extending the production phase (96–360 h). RTT can be integrated into the seed train and is shown to be compatible with scale-up to the liter range. Full article

Chemical accidents are the biggest factor that hinders the development of the chemical industry. Issuing an emergency evacuation order is one of effective ways to reduce human casualties that may occur due to chemical accidents. The present study proposes a machine learning-based decision making model for faster and more accurate decision making for the issuance of an emergency evacuation order in the event of a chemical accident. To implement the decision making model, supervised learning by the 1-Dimension Convolutional Neural Network based model was carried out using the HSEES and NTSIP data of ATSDR in the United States. An action—victim matrix was devised to determine the validity of emergency evacuation orders and the decision making model was made to learn the matrix so that the decision making model could recommend whether to execute the emergency evacuation orders or not. To make the decision making model learn the chemical accident situations, the embedding technique used in text mining was applied, and weighted learning was carried out considering the fact that learning data are asymmetric. The AUROC value for the results of the decision making by the model is 0.82, which is at a reliable level. Establishing such an emergency response decision making model using the method proposed in the present study in the mitigation stage will help the process. Among the chemical accident emergency management stages, constructing a database for the model, and using the model as a tool for quick decision making for an emergency evacuation order, is also thought to be helpful in the establishment and implementation of emergency response plans for chemical accidents. Full article

Volatile markets and increasing demands for quality and fast availability of specialty chemical products have motivated the rise of small-scale, integrated, and modular continuous processing plants. As a significant unit operation used for product isolation and purification, cooling crystallization is part of this trend. Here, the small-scale and integrated quasi-continuous filter belt crystallizer (QCFBC) combines cooling crystallization, solid-liquid separation, and drying on a single apparatus. This contribution shows the general working principle, different operation modes, and possibilities of temperature control with the modular setup. For precise temperature control in cooling crystallization, Peltier elements show promising results in a systematic study of different operation parameters. Sucrose/water was used as a model substance system. The results confirm that seed crystal properties are the most important parameter in crystallization processes. Additionally, an oscillating temperature profile has a narrowing effect on the crystal size distribution (CSD). The integrated, small-scale, and modular setup of the QCFBC offers high degrees of flexibility, process control, and adaptability to cope with future market demands. Full article

The increasing demand for renewable energy sources and demand-oriented electricity provision makes anaerobic digestion (AD) one of the most promising technologies. In addition to energy crops, the use of lignocellulosic residual and waste materials from agriculture is becoming increasingly important. However, AD of such feedstocks is often associated with difficulties due to the high content of lignocellulose and its microbial persistence. In the present work, the effect of hydrothermal pretreatment (HTP) on the digestibility of wheat straw is investigated and evaluated. Under different HTP temperatures (160–180 °C) and retention times (15–45 min), a significant increase in biomethane potential (BMP) can be observed in all cases. The highest BMP (309.64 mL CH4 g⁻¹ volatile solid (VS) is achieved after pretreatment at 160 °C for 45 min, which corresponds to an increase of 19% of untreated wheat straw. The results of a multiple linear regression model show that the solubilization of organic materials is influenced by temperature and time. Furthermore, using two different first-order kinetic models, an enhancement of AD rate during hydrolysis due to pretreatment is observed. However, the increasing intensity of pretreatment conditions is accompanied by a decreasing trend in the conversion of intermediates to methane. Full article

With the advance in gene technology, genetically modified (GM) crops have increased in recent years. GM crops offer us various benefits. However, there are potential risks of GM crops for the environment. In this study, the impacts of transgenic plants on soil microbial community structures were assessed. Two varieties of soybean (Glycine max L.) and hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), which introduced the herbicide-resistant gene, bar, were used in this study. The effects of GM crops on soil microbial community structures were investigated using a cultural method, the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) procedure, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the Illumina platform. Additionally, the persistence of transgenes was monitored using a quantitative real-time PCR procedure. The cultural method, DGGE analysis, and the amplicon-based community profile indicated that soil microbial communities were not significantly different between GM and non-GM lines. The level of the bar gene in GM soybean plots greatly increased when the crops were actively growing, but thereafter gradually decreased to the initial level. Meanwhile, the level of the bar gene in GM hot pepper plots repeatedly increased and decreased according to the flowering stages. These results indicated that soil microbial community structures were not significantly affected. Full article

The remediation of groundwater containing arsenic is a problem that has been addressed using adsorption processes with granulated materials in columns, but the remediation itself could be improved by using micro-sized adsorbents in stirred systems. In this study, arsenate (As(V)) batch adsorption experiments were performed using granular ferric hydroxide (GFH) and two derived micro-sized materials. Reduced-size adsorbents were produced by energetic ball milling, giving final sizes of 0.1–2 µm (OF-M samples) and ultra-sonication, producing final sizes of 2–50 µm (OF-U samples). Equilibrium isotherm studies showed that the Langmuir model was a good fit for the three sorbents, with the highest maximum adsorption capacity (q_max) for OF-U and the lowest for OF-M. The adsorption of the two groundwater samples occurred according to the obtained equilibrium isotherms and indicated the absence of interfering agents for the three adsorbents. Batch kinetics tests in stirred beakers followed a pseudo second-order model and indicated that the kinetics of the OF-U sorbent was faster than the kinetics of the GFH sorbent. The tests also showed an increase in the q_e values for the reduced-size sorbent. The application of ultrasonication to the GFH produced an increase of 23 % in the q_max and b term and an increase of 34-fold for the kinetic constant (k₂) in the stirred batch systems tested. These results suggest that this new approach, based on ultra-sonication, has the potential for improving the adsorption of arsenic in groundwater. Full article

The new RP-HPLC-DAD method for the determination of ciprofloxacin and pefloxacin, next to their degradation products after the oxidation reaction with 4,4′-azobis(4-cyanopentanoic acid) (ACVA) was developed. The method was validated according to the guidelines of the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) and meets the acceptance criteria. The experimental data indicate that the course of the oxidation process depends on the type of fluoroquinolone (FQ), the incubation time and temperature. The performed kinetic evaluation allowed us to state that the oxidation of FQs proceeds according to the second-order kinetics. The degradation products of the FQs were identified using the UHPLC-MS/MS method and their structures were proposed. The results obtained by the TLC-direct bioautography technique allowed us to state that the main ciprofloxacin and pefloxacin oxidation products probably retained antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. Full article

A numerical simulation was carried out to investigate the blood flow behavior (i.e., flow rate and pressure) and coupling of a renal vascular network and the myogenic response to various conditions. A vascular segment and an entire kidney vascular network were modeled by assuming one single vessel as a straight pipe whose diameter was determined by Murray’s law. The myogenic response was tested on individual AA (afferent artery)–GC (glomerular capillaries)–EA (efferent artery) systems, thereby regulating blood flow throughout the vascular network. Blood flow in the vascular structure was calculated by network analysis based on Hagen–Poiseuille’s law to various boundary conditions. Simulation results demonstrated that, in the vascular segment, the inlet pressure $P_{\mathrm{inlet}}$ and the vascular structure act together on the myogenic response of each individual AA–GC–EA subsystem, such that the early-branching subsystems in the vascular network reached the well-regulated state first, with an interval of the inlet as $P_{\mathrm{inlet}}$ = 10.5–21.0 kPa, whereas the one that branched last exhibited a later interval with $P_{\mathrm{inlet}}$ = 13.0–24.0 kPa. In the entire vascular network, in contrast to the $P_{\mathrm{inlet}}$ interval (13.0–20.0 kPa) of the unified well-regulated state for all AA–GC–EA subsystems of the symmetric model, the asymmetric model exhibited the differences among subsystems with $P_{\mathrm{inlet}}$ ranging from 12.0–17.0 to 16.0–20.0 kPa, eventually achieving a well-regulated state of 13.0–18.5 kPa for the entire kidney. Furthermore, when $P_{\mathrm{inlet}}$ continued to rise (e.g., 21.0 kPa) beyond the vasoconstriction range of the myogenic response, high glomerular pressure was also related to vascular structure, where $P_{\mathrm{GC}}$ of early-branching subsystems was 9.0 kPa and of late-branching one was 7.5 kPa. These findings demonstrate how the myogenic response regulates renal blood flow in vascular network system that comprises a large number of vessel elements. Full article

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the old NACA four-digit series when designing wind turbines or small aircraft. One of the airfoils frequently used for this purpose is the NACA 0018 profile. However, since 1933, for over 70 years, almost no new experimental studies of this profile have been carried out to investigate its performance in the regime of small and medium Reynolds numbers as well as for various turbulence parameters. This paper discusses the effect of the Reynolds number and the turbulence intensity on the lift and drag coefficients of the NACA 0018 airfoil under the low Reynolds number regime. The research was carried out for the range of Reynolds numbers from 50,000 to 200,000 and for the range of turbulence intensity on the airfoil from 0.01% to 0.5%. Moreover, the tests were carried out for the range of angles of attack from 0 to 10 degrees. The uncalibrated $\gamma -R{e}_{\theta }$ transition turbulence model was used for the analysis. Our research has shown that airfoil performance is largely dependent on the Reynolds number and less on the turbulence intensity. For this range of Reynolds numbers, the characteristic of the lift coefficient is not linear and cannot be analyzed using a single aerodynamic derivative as for large Reynolds numbers. The largest differences in both aerodynamic coefficients are observed for the Reynolds number of 50,000. Full article

The present work focuses on investigating the residence time behavior of microparticles in a concurrent downer reactor through experiments and numerical simulations. For the numerical simulations, a three-dimensional multiphase model was developed using the Euler-Lagrange approach. The experiments were performed in a 0.8 m-long steel reactor with gravitational particle injection. The effects of different operating conditions, e.g., the sheath gas velocity on the particle residence time distribution were assessed. An increase in the sheath gas flow rate led to a decrease in the peak residence time, although the maximum residence time increased. Regarding the lowest sheath gas flow rate, the particles’ peak residence time was twice as high compared to the peak residence time within the highest flow rate. The particles’ residence time curves presented a broad distribution coinciding with the size distribution of the powder. The numerical results agreed with the experimental data; thus, this study presents a numerical model for predicting the particle residence time behavior in a concurrent downer reactor. Furthermore, the numerical simulations contributed to a better understanding of the particle residence time behavior inside a concurrent downer reactor which is essential for optimizing thermal rounding processes. Dimensionless correlations for the observed effects are developed. Full article

Grape-based brandies are one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in the world. The most popular one, Cognac, comes from the Charentes region of Southwest France, and it is mostly produced from the grape variety ‘Ugni Blanc’. However, wines destined for the elaboration of wine spirits also come from different white grape varieties; ‘Colombard’, ‘Folle Blanche’, ‘Montils’, and ‘Semillon’. In this study, the possibility of using the red grape varieties ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ and ‘Syrah’ was investigated with an emphasis on the change of volatile compounds during the production process. During production, some specific volatile compounds such as 2-hexenal, 3-octanone, isopropyl myristate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl oleate, phenethyl acetate, 1-hexanol, and β-damascenone could be attributed to the primary aroma generated from the grape varieties. During the vinification and fermentation process, the development of ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, 3-methylbutanol, acetic acid, and octanoic acid occurred. Finally, 3-methylbutanol and predominant esters, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, and ethyl laurate, were generated during the distillation and maturation process. The composition and concentration of determined predominant esters in produced brandies suggest that both brandies have volatile profiles comparable to some of the world’s most popular brandies. Full article

Carob syrup is one of the most important carob products, which can have applications in pastry and confectionery, as a fruit preservative, but also in the pharmaceutical field because of the antimicrobial activity due to its polyphenol content. Carob syrup is traditionally made through a very time-consuming process, involving solid–liquid extraction in boiling water and concentration at a high temperature (>100 °C), which potentially causes the degradation of the active compounds (i.e., procyanidins or flavonol glycosides). Therefore, in this work, an alternative and less drastic method based on ultrasound technology was proposed to produce carob syrup. Processing conditions (i.e., time, temperature, and liquid–solid ratio) influencing the extraction of total soluble solids (TSS) and total phenolic compounds (TPC) were optimized using a central composite design coupled to response surface methodology. Reliable mathematical models allowed us to predict the highest TSS (24 ± 2 °Brix) and TPC (1.7 ± 0.5 mg/mL) values that could be obtained at 15 min, 35 °C, and 2 mL/g. Finally, a different HPLC-DAD phenolic pattern was determined between syrups produced by traditional and ultrasound methods; epicatechin, 4-hydroxycoumaric acid, and ferulic acid were more concentrated in the former, while procyanidin B₂, myricitrin, and quercitrin were prevalent in the latter one. Full article

Spices are known to have various physiological functions. We focused on the anti-glycation effects of spices, researched anti-glycation active ingredients in coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seeds, and conducted experiments using human skin-derived fibroblast TIG-110 cells as a model of glycation. We isolated 11 compounds from two spice seeds and found several substances that showed anti-glycation activity. A new compound (5,5′-diallyl-2,2′-diglucopyranosyl-3,3′-dimethoxy diphenyl ether) was isolated from fennel seeds and showed high anti-glycation activity with an IC50 value of 0.08 mM, thereby indicating a high anti-glycosylation activity. In this study, we established a glyoxal (GO)-induced glycation test method for human skin cells, confirmed the anti-glycation effect of spice seeds using this glycation induction model, and found that the exposure of TIG-110 human skin-derived fibroblast cells to GO reduced cell viability. The most stable conditions for cell viability were found to be a GO concentration of 1.25 mM and a culture time of 48 h. We evaluated extracts and isolates of spice seeds using this model as a model test for glycation induction. We conducted qualitative and quantitative analyses of carboxymethyl lysine (CML), a type of AGE, to determine the relationship between cell viability and AGEs. The relationship between cell viability and the amount of CML was correlated. Establishing a glycation induction model test using skin cells makes it possible to quickly screen extracts of natural ingredients in the future. Moreover, the results of this model showed that extracts of two spice seeds and their isolates have high anti-glycation activity, and they are expected to be used as cosmetics, health foods, and pharmaceutical ingredients. Full article

Peat has attracted considerable interest as a potential source of alternative fuel in terms of improving hydrocarbons production and satisfying market demand. The next decade is likely to witness a raise in its exploitation. Nevertheless, the characteristics of peat pyrolysis process, via which many experts expect a considerable generation of hydrocarbons, have not been dealt with in depth. In the present study we have applied thermal analysis combined with isoconversional and model methods for clarifying the kinetic and thermodynamic aspects of the process of generating hydrocarbons from peat via pyrolysis in the absence and presence of iron tallates as a catalytic agent. The obtained results showed a positive effect of the opted catalyst on the process of peat pyrolysis. It has been shown that the catalyst is able to reduce the energy of activation of peat pyrolysis process. Moreover, the Gibbs energy, enthalpy and entropy of complex formation values have been found lower in the presence of iron tallates for all the applied isoconversional methods (Friedman and KAS). The evidence from the present study points toward the beneficial effect generated from the utilization of iron tallates in the processes of hydrocarbons generation from peat for improving energy production in the future. Full article

The focus of the experimental work was on shallow spiral geothermal heat exchanger configurations. Real-scale experiments were carried out for vertically oriented spiral collectors (helix) in sand and soil. One objective was to develop a measurement concept in laboratory environment to create a framework for a validated database. This database serves as the basis for further and new development of engineering design tools. To achieve the highest possible data-point density in the observed environment, temperature sensors and a fiber-optic temperature measurement system (DTS) were used. Soil probes were taken in situ before and after the measurements and analyzed at a thermophysical laboratory to determine material properties. The heat flow was controlled by an electric heating cable, which was installed in the form of a spiral-shaped heat exchanger in a 1 m³ container. To guarantee constant boundary conditions, the measurements were carried out in a climate chamber at a defined ambient temperature. The evaluation of the transient response behavior is spatially resolved. The results are coordinate-based temperature points, which describe temperature gradients in all axes of the container over time, which are combined with known soil properties. The collected data was used to develop computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models, which are used to extend the variety of geometry and soil configurations for developing new design tools. Full article

Today, more than ever, the popularity of decentralized payment systems has risen, creating an outbreak of new cryptocurrencies hitting the market. Unique websites have been staged for each cryptocurrency, where information and means for mining cryptocurrencies are available daily. People visit those cryptocurrency websites either from desktop or mobile devices. Thus, the impulsion for appropriate promotion of cryptocurrency websites and customer factors affecting it rises. The above process increases cryptocurrency organizations’ website visibility, raising the need for customer relationships and satisfaction optimization concerning organizations’ supply chain strategy. Research data were collected from 10 well-known cryptocurrency websites, regarding mobile and desktop devices, in 180 days, regarding on-site web analytics. Therefore, a model consisting of three stages was applied. Starting phase of the model pertains to statistical and regression analysis of cryptocurrency web analytics, followed by Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping and Agent-Based Model deployment. Throughout this study, methods for promoting cryptocurrency websites can be deduced from assessing specific website metrics and device preferences. Research results indicate that web analytics give a clearer image of customer behavior in cryptocurrency websites and, therefore, provide opportunities for further website optimization through increased web traffic and digital reputation. Full article

With the increasing global demand for precise and efficient pharmaceuticals and the biopharma industry moving towards Industry 4.0, the need for advanced process integration, automation, and modeling has increased as well. In this work, a method for automatic modeling and calibration of an integrated preparative chromatographic system for pharmaceutical development and production is presented. Based on a user-defined system description, a system model was automatically generated and then calibrated using a sequence of experiments. The system description and model was implemented in the Python-based preparative chromatography control software Orbit. Full article

This work is focused on optimising a low-temperature delignification as holocellulose purification pretreatment of Platanus acerifolia leaf waste for second-bioethanol production. Delignification was accomplished by acid-oxidative digestion using green reagents: acetic acid and 30% hydrogen peroxide 1:1. The effect of reaction time (30–90 min), temperature (60–90 °C), and solid loading (5–15 g solid/20 g liquid) on delignification and solid fraction yield were studied. The process parameters were optimised using the Box–Behnken experimental design. The highest attained lignin removal efficiency was larger than 80%. The optimised conditions of delignification, while maximising holocellulose yield, pointed to using the minimum temperature of the examined range. Analysis of variance on the solid fraction yield and the lignin removal suggested a linear model with a negative influence of the temperature on the yield. Furthermore, a negative effect of the solid loading and low effect of temperature and time was found on the degree of delignification. Then the temperature range was extended back to 60 °C, providing 71% holocellulose yield and 70% while improving energy efficiency by working at a lower temperature. Successful lignin removal was confirmed using confocal laser scanning microscopy. As evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, the solid structure presented an increased exposition of the cellulose fibre structure. Full article

In this study, to analyze the effect of wet compression technology on the aero-thermodynamic performance of a centrifugal compressor, a numerical analysis study was conducted on the design point and off-design point. Wet compression technology sprays water droplets at the inlet of the compressor. During the compression process, water droplets evaporate, reducing the heat of compression and reducing the compression work, which improves the efficiency of the compressor. In wet compression technology, detailed research is needed for the application to compressors because the droplet behavior affects the internal flow. The main parameters for wet compression technology are the droplet size and injection rate selection, and the flow inside the compressor changed by the droplet behavior was analyzed. When the droplet size and injection rate were changed at the design point and the off-design point, it was confirmed that a small droplet size was effective in both areas, and it was confirmed that the performance improved as the flow rate increased. The internal flow changed greatly depending on the size of the droplet. As a result, the centrifugal compressor to which the wet compression technology was applied had a lower outlet temperature than dry compression at both the design point and the off-design point and had increases in the pressure ratio and efficiency. However, the surge margin decreased by about 2% in the surge region. The reason is that due to high-speed rotation, particles move in the outer diameter direction and are driven into a tip-leakage flow, and many stagnant flows occur without flowing into the main flow. Through the study results, it was possible to understand the effects of wet compression technology on the performance and efficiency increase of centrifugal compressors and the effects of particle behavior on the internal flow of the compressor at the off-design point. Full article

This study used Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to simulate and analyze the working fluid in magnetic centrifugal refrigerant compressors using R-134a to mixed refrigerant: R-513A and HFO (Hydrofluoroolefins) Hydrofluoroolefin refrigerant: R-1234yf, and the impact on integrated part-load performance, Integrated Part Load Value (IPLV) and internal flow field. This study used a single-stage 280 USRT maglev centrifugal refrigerant compressor as a simulation model. Three different refrigerants were used: R-134a, R-513A, and R-1234yf, as presented in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) real gas database. The refrigerant was used to set the IPLV working conditions and change the compressor speed and mass flow rate to simulate the compressor’s characteristic curve after replacing the refrigerant. The compressor working conditions were the fixed refrigeration cycle condensation and evaporation following the same capacity standards. This study used the CFD software by Ansys software company to simulate the flow field. The k-omega turbulence software was used to model the turbulence. The results show that the maglev centrifugal refrigerant compressor efficiency dropped significantly when the refrigerant was directly replaced. Based on R-134a, the full load efficiency of R-1234yf dropped 13.21%, the full load efficiency of R-513A dropped 9.97%, and the partial load efficiency was similar to R-134a. Full article

Approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells (RBCs) are used every day in the U.S. and there is a great challenge for hospitals to maintain a reliable supply, given the 42-day expiration period from the blood donation date. For many years, research has been conducted to develop ex vivo storage solutions that limit RBC lysis and maintain a high survival rate of the transfused cells. However, little attention is directed towards potential fractionation methods to remove unwanted cell debris or aged blood cells from stored RBC units prior to transfusion, which could not only expand the ex vivo shelf life of RBC units but also avoid adverse events in transfused patients. Such fractionation methods could also limit the number of transfusions required for treating certain pathologies, such as sickle cell disease (SCD). In this work, magnetic fractionation is studied as a potential technology to fractionate functional and healthy RBCs from aged or sickle cells. It has been reported that during ex vivo RBC storage, RBCs lose hemoglobin (Hb) and lipid content via formation of Hb-containing exosomes. Given the magnetic character of deoxygenated- or met-Hb, in this work, we propose the use of a quadrupole magnetic sorter (QMS) to fractionate RBCs based on their Hb content from both healthy stored blood and SCD blood. In our QMS, a cylindrical microchannel placed inside the center of the quadrupolar magnets is subjected to high magnetic fields and constant field gradients (286 T/m), which causes the deflection of the paramagnetic, Hb-enriched, and functional RBCs from their original path and their collection into a different outlet. Our results demonstrated that although we could obtain a significant difference in the magnetic mobility of the sorted fractions (corresponding to a difference in more than 1 pg of Hb per cell), there exists a tradeoff between throughput and purity. Therefore, this technology when optimized could be used to expand the ex vivo shelf life of RBC units and avoid adverse events in transfused individuals or SCD patients requiring blood exchange therapy. Full article

Diabetes is coupled with hyperglycemia, a state in which elevated glucose levels trigger oxidative stress (OS) in various body functions. One of the organs most afflicted by diabetes is the kidney. Despite this, specific treatments to mitigate the harmful effects of hyperglycemia-induced OS in the kidney have not been extensively explored. This study evaluates the anti-hyperglycemic efficacy of magnesium-enhanced alkaline-reduced water (MARW) in human kidney-2 (HK-2) cells. OS, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and fibrosis markers were assessed in high glucose (HG)-induced HK-2 cells, followed by treatment with experimental water for 24 h. Surprisingly, MARW rescued the vitality of HG-induced HK-2 cells, in contrast to that seen with other experimental waters. Additionally, MARW maintained reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, hepatocyte growth factor and glucose uptake in HG-induced HK-2 cells but not in tap water and mineral water. Similarly, MARW downregulated the expression of MAPK and fibrosis-linked signaling proteins such as p-p38, phospho-c-Jun N-terminal kinase, α-smooth muscle actin, matrix metalloproteinase-3 and cleaved caspase 3 in HG-induced HK-2 cells. In conclusion, MARW protects HK-2 cells from the deleterious effects of HG by stabilizing antioxidant defenses and by signaling cascades related to metabolism, apoptosis and fibrosis. Full article

The generalized multifluid modelling approach (GEMMA) has been developed to handle the multiplicity of flow regimes and the coexistence of interfaces of largely different scales in multiphase flows. The solver, based on the OpenFOAM reactingEulerFoam family of solvers, adds interface resolving-like capabilities to the multifluid solver in the cells occupied by large interfaces. In this paper, GEMMA is further developed to predict stratified and slug flow regimes in horizontal ducts. The suppression of the turbulence and the wall-like behaviour of large interfaces is modelled with an additional dissipation source. This enables an accurate prediction of the velocity and of the turbulence kinetic energy in a stratified channel flow and the capturing of the formation and the travel of liquid slugs in an annulus. Large interfaces are identified and tracked, not only in the smooth and wavy stratified regimes but also in the much more perturbed interfaces of liquid slugs. The present work confirms GEMMA to be a reliable approach to provide all flow regime modelling capabilities. Further development will be focused on large interface momentum-transfer modelling, responsible for the overestimation of the interfacial shear and the limited liquid excursion during slugs, and the extension to interface break-up and the entrainment of bubbles and droplets, to handle the entire range of regimes encountered in horizontal flows. Full article

In recent decades, manufacturers’ intense competitiveness to suit consumer expectations has compelled them to abandon the conventional workflow in favour of a more flexible one. This new trend increased the importance of master production schedule and make-to-order (MTO) strategy concepts. The former improves overall planning and controls complexity. The latter enables the production businesses to reinforce their flexibility and produce customized products. In a production setting, fluctuating resource capacity restricts production line performance, and ignoring this fact renders planning inapplicable. The current research work addresses the MPS problem in the context of the MTO production environment. The objective is to resolve Rough-Cut Capacity Planning by considering resource capacity fluctuation to schedule the customer’s order with the minimum cost imposed by the company and customer side. Consequently, this study is an initial attempt to propose a mathematical programming approach, which provides the optimum result for small and medium-size problems. Regarding the combinatorial intrinsic of this kind of problem, the mathematical programming approach can no longer reach the optimum solution for a large-scale problem. To overcome this, an innovative agent-based heuristic has been proposed. Computational experiments on variously sized problems confirm the efficiency of the agent-based approach. Full article

A current focus of biopharmaceutical research and production is seed train process intensification. This allows for intermediate cultivation steps to be avoided or even for the direct inoculation of a production bioreactor with cells from cryovials or cryobags. Based on preliminary investigations regarding the suitability of high cell densities for cryopreservation and the suitability of cells from perfusion cultivations as inoculum for further cultivations, an ultra-high cell density working cell bank (UHCD-WCB) was established for an immunoglobulin G (IgG)-producing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line. The cells were previously expanded in a wave-mixed bioreactor with internal filter-based perfusion and a 1 L working volume. This procedure allows for cryovial freezing at 260 × 10⁶ cells mL⁻¹ for the first time. The cryovials are suitable for the direct inoculation of N−1 bioreactors in the perfusion mode. These in turn can be used to inoculate subsequent IgG productions in the fed-batch mode (low-seed fed-batch or high-seed fed-batch) or the continuous mode. A comparison with the standard approach shows that cell growth and antibody production are comparable, but time savings of greater than 35% are possible for inoculum production. Full article

In this study, the evolution of the yeast microflora present on the berry surface, during the ripening of Barbera grapes, was monitored. Sampling was performed in three vineyards located in the “Nizza” Barbera d’Asti DOC zone and different methodologies have been employed. A culture-dependent method based on the identification of strains grown on solid media by ARDRA (Amplified Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis) and the D1-D2 domain of ribosomal 26S DNA capillary sequencing was coupled to NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) targeting ITS (Internal Transcribed Sequence) amplicons with the Illumina MiSeq platform. By using culture-dependent techniques, the most frequently detected species was the yeast-like fungus Aureobasidium pullulans, which was dominant in the culturable fraction. Among yeasts, the presence of oligotrophic basidiomycetes such as Cryptococcus spp., Rhodotorula graminis and Sporidiobolus pararoseus was observed at the beginning of ripening. Afterward, upon approaching the harvest, a succession of oxidative or weakly fermentative copiotrophic species occurs, such as Saturnispora diversa, Issatchenkia terricola, Hanseniaspora opuntiae, Starmerella bacillaris and Hanseniaspora uvarum. The massive sequencing revealed a larger number of species, respect to the culture-dependent data. Comparing the two different approaches used in this work, it is possible to highlight some similarities since Aureobasidium, Rhodotorula and Sporobolomyces were detected by both methods. On the contrary, genera Hanseniaspora, Issatchenkia and Saturnispora were revealed by culture-dependent methods, but not by NGS, while Saccharomyces spp. were identified, with low frequency, only by NGS. The integrated application of NGS sequencing and culture-dependent techniques provides a comprehensive view of mycodiversity in the wine-growing environment, especially for yeasts with low abundance. Full article