Search Results (79)

The revalorization of porcine meat by-products is necessary to reduce their environmental and economic impact. Porcine lungs are usually discarded or used for low-value purposes despite their richness in collagen, elastin, or phospholipids. Enzymatic hydrolysis, in combination with ultrasound pretreatment, improves the generation of hydrolyzates with biological and taste-enhancing properties. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of ultrasound pretreatment and enzyme concentration in the development of functional and taste-rich porcine lung hydrolyzates. Ultrasound pretreatments significantly increased the degree of hydrolysis and the antioxidant activity in 1:100 Enzyme: Substrate (E/S) ratio hydrolyzates. On the other hand, the combination of 1:20 E/S concentration with ultrasound pretreatment significantly increased the umami free amino acids content and Equivalent Umami Concentration (EUC), being the last one comparable with other umami-rich foods and ingredients. In silico predictions showed that the use of ultrasound pretreatment enhances the percentage of potential bioactive peptides according to PeptideRanker, whereas the bioinformatics tools UMPred-FRL and BERT4Bitter showed more umami peptides than bitter in all the hydrolyzates. These results suggest the combination of ultrasound pretreatment with 1:20 E/S can be a good strategy to revalorize porcine lung by producing hydrolyzates that could be used as a functional ingredient. Full article

This study was designed to systematically identify novel umami peptides in lager beer, clarify their molecular interactions with the T1R1/T1R3 receptor, and determine their specific effects on multidimensional sensory attributes. The peptides were characterized by LC-MS/MS combined with de novo sequencing, and 906 valid sequences were obtained. Machine-learning models (UMPred-FRL, Tastepeptides-Meta, and Umami-MRNN) predicted 76 potential umami peptides. These candidates were docked to T1R1/T1R3 with the CDOCKER protocol, producing 57 successful complexes. Six representative peptides—KSTEL, DELIK, DIGISSK, IEKYSGA, DEVR, and PVPL—were selected for 100 ns molecular-dynamics simulations and MM/GBSA binding-energy calculations. All six peptides stably occupied the narrow cleft at the T1R1/T1R3 interface. Their binding free energies ranked as DEVR (−44.09 ± 5.47 kcal mol⁻¹) < KSTEL (−43.21 ± 3.45) < IEKYSGA (−39.60 ± 4.37) ≈ PVPL (−39.53 ± 2.52) < DELIK (−36.14 ± 3.11) < DIGISSK (−26.45 ± 4.52). Corresponding taste thresholds were 0.121, 0.217, 0.326, 0.406, 0.589, and 0.696 mmol L⁻¹ (DEVR < KSTEL < IEKYSGA < DELIK < PVPL < DIGISSK). TDA-based sensory validation with single-factor additions showed that KSTEL, DELIK, DEVR, and PVPL increased umami scores by ≈21%, ≈22%, ≈17%, and ≈11%, respectively, while DIGISSK and IEKYSGA produced marginal changes (≤2%). The short-chain peptides thus bound with high affinity to T1R1/T1R3 and improved core taste and mouthfeel but tended to amplify certain off-flavors, and the long-chain peptides caused detrimental impacts. Future formulation optimization should balance flavor enhancement and off-flavor suppression, providing a theoretical basis for targeted brewing of umami-oriented lager beer. Full article

Proteomics combined with peptidomics approaches were used to analyze the protein degradation and the release pattern of umami peptides in stewed chicken. The results showed that a total of 422 proteins were identified, of which 273 proteins consistently existed in samples stewed for 0–5 h. Myosin heavy chain exhibited the highest abundance (26.29–30.26%) throughout the stewing process. The proportion of proteins under 20 kDa increased progressively with the duration of stewing and reached 61% at 4–5 h of stewing. A total of 8018 peptides were detected in the soup samples, and 2323 umami peptides were identified using the prediction platforms iUmami-SCM, UMPred-FRL, Umami_YYDS, and TastePertides-DM. Umami peptides derived from titin (accession number A0A8V0ZZ81) were determined to be the most abundant, accounting for 24% of the total umami peptides, and Val534 and Lys33639 were the key N-terminal and C-terminal amino acids of these umami peptides. Abundance analysis showed that the umami peptides KK16 and SK18 ranked among the top 5 in the samples stewed for 0–5 h, and they were most abundant in the 3 h stewed samples. The results obtained will provide data support for promoting the industrialization of high-quality chicken soup products. Full article

This paper introduces a new class of Newton-type inequalities (NTIs) within the framework of extended fractional integral operators. This study begins by establishing a fundamental identity for generalized fractional Riemann–Liouville (FR-L) operators, which forms the basis for deriving various inequalities under different assumptions on the integrand. In particular, fractional counterparts of the classical $1/3$ and $3/8$ Simpson rules are obtained when the modulus of the first derivative is convex. The analysis is further extended to include functions that satisfy a Lipschitz condition or have bounded first derivatives. Moreover, an additional NTI is presented for functions of bounded variation, expressed in terms of their total variation. In all scenarios, the proposed results reduce to classical inequalities when the fractional parameters are specified accordingly, thus offering a unified perspective on numerical integration through fractional operators. Full article

The response of the desert cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis sp. CCMEE 010 was tested in Mars simulations to investigate the possibility of photosynthesis in near-surface protected niches. This cyanobacterium colonizes lithic niches enriched in far-red light (FRL) and depleted in visible light (VL) and is capable of far-red light photoacclimation (FaRLiP). Biofilms were grown under FRL and VL and exposed in a hydrated state to a low-pressure atmosphere, variable humidity, and UV irradiation, as occur on the Martian surface. VL biofilms showed a maximum quantum efficiency that dropped after 1 h, whereas a slow reduction occurred in FRL biofilms up to undetectable after 8 h, indicating that UV irradiation was the primary cause of photoinhibition. Post-exposure analyses showed that VL and FRL biofilms were dehydrated, suggesting that they entered a dried, dormant state and that top-layer cells shielded bottom-layer cells from UV radiation. After Mars simulations, the survivors (12% in VL biofilms and few cells in FRL biofilms) suggested that, during the evolution of Mars habitability, near-surface niches could have been colonized by phototrophs utilizing low-energy light. The biofilm UV resistance suggests that, during the loss of surface habitability on Mars, microbial life-forms might have survived surface conditions by taking refuge in near-surface protected niches. Full article

This study investigates the influence of fabric weave design and adhesive type on the adhesion quality and mechanical properties of Kevlar woven fabric-reinforced laminates (FRLs). Three adhesives (EVA, EVOH, and TPU) and three weave structures (plain, 2/2 twill, and crowfoot) were analyzed while keeping other fabric parameters constant. Both weave structure and adhesive type, as well as their interactions, significantly influenced adhesion and mechanical performance. Combinations like the crowfoot weave with EVOH adhesive enhanced adhesion due to increased surface contact, while the 2/2 twill weave with EVA adhesive improved tear strength but resulted in weaker adhesion, highlighting the trade-offs in material design. A negative correlation between yarn pullout force and tear resistance was observed, particularly for EVA and EVOH adhesives, where improved adhesion often coincided with reduced tear resistance. Tensile strength varied significantly across weaves, with twill exhibiting the highest strength, followed by plain and crowfoot weaves. This study highlights the critical role of weave design and adhesive choice in FRLs, providing valuable insights for optimizing material selection to meet specific industrial performance criteria. Full article

This study investigates the impact of mechanical and chemical surface treatments on the interfacial adhesion and mechanical properties of Kevlar and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber-reinforced laminates (FRLs). Various treatments, including surface roughening, plasma exposure, NaOH and silane coupling, and graphene nanoparticle (NP) incorporation, were conducted to enhance the fiber–matrix bonding within thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) matrices. Results demonstrated that treatment efficacy highly depends on fiber type and matrix material, with chemical modifications generally outperforming the physical treatment (surface roughness). Plasma treatment significantly enhanced adhesion for UHMWPE, increasing yarn pullout force by 188.1% with TPU. While combining plasma with graphene slightly improved performance, it did not exceed plasma-only results due to potential surface functionalization losses during wet graphene application. For Kevlar, the combination of NaOH, silane, and graphene NP (NSG) treatment yielded the highest adhesion, showing increases of 76.6% with TPU and 95.4% with EVA, underscoring the synergy between chemical coupling and nanomaterial reinforcement. This study’s insights align with previous research, expanding the knowledge base by investigating graphene’s role independently and alongside established methods. Full article

This paper investigates how the present paths support massive manufacturing by evaluating the existing state of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technologies, examining technology readiness levels (TRL), fuel readiness levels (FRL), costs, economic conditions, emissions, etc. This assessment summarizes major conclusions about bio-jet replacements for conventional jet fuels. In order for SAF to play a sustainable role, a full life cycle emissions assessment, techno-economic analysis (TEA), and discussions about the sustainability of SAF materials are required. The life cycle assessment (LCA) discusses the capability of SAF in cutting down emissions, TEA argues for its economic viability, and the sustainable supply of SAF feedstock is a third critical factor determining the sustainability of the industry. With all the analyses, this overview provides recommendations for the sustainable development of the SAF industry and calls on industry stakeholders to enhance cooperation. Full article

This experiment explores the regulatory mechanisms of various light qualities on the phenotypic plasticity of Quercus variabilis seedlings during their growth. The light conditions included blue light (BL), red light (RL), far-red light (FrL), a blend of RL and FrL with a ratio of 1:1 (RFr1:1L), and a blend of RL and FrL with a ratio of 1:2 (RFr1:2L), alongside a broad-spectrum white light (WL) as the control. Each treatment was maintained at a consistent photosynthetic photon flux density of 400 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹. Results indicate significant morphological variations in Q. variabilis seedlings under different light qualities. Compared to white light treatment, all light quality treatments enhance seedling height, with the FrL treatment exhibiting the most pronounced effect. Seedling ground diameter elongation is stimulated by all light quality treatments, except for the BL treatment. Although the BL treatment promotes leaf morphology in Q. variabilis seedlings, it inhibits root growth, leading to reduced biomass accumulation and a lower root-to-shoot ratio. FrL can mitigate the effects of RL. Under the FrL treatment, Q. variabilis seedlings exhibit a greater increase in plant height and a higher height-to-diameter ratio. While the leaf morphology of RFr1:1L treatment does not show significant advantages, it demonstrates substantial root growth, resulting in the highest biomass accumulation. Quercus variabilis displays the strongest morphological plasticity in its root system, showing greater sensitivity to variations in light quality compared to leaf morphology and biomass accumulation. Strategically optimizing light spectrum and wavelength can significantly boost economic yields and improve the quality of forestry products. Full article

This study investigated the adhesion and mechanical properties of woven fabric-reinforced laminates (FRLs) made with four distinct Kevlar fabrics of varying areal densities (36 g/m², 60 g/m², 140 g/m², and 170 g/m²) under different fabric-to-adhesive weight ratios (1:0.5, 1:1, and 1:1.5) in both the warp and weft directions. A novel aspect of this research lies in our systematic study of the effect of adhesive quantity on FRLs, a topic that has received limited attention despite its critical role in laminate performance. Additionally, the application of a newly developed yarn pullout test alongside the standard T-peel test provides unique insights into the interfacial behavior of laminates. The results show that in lower areal density fabrics (36 g/m² and 60 g/m²), adhesive quantity minimally affects the pullout and T-peel forces or tear strength, indicating that structural integrity can be maintained with reduced adhesive application. In contrast, higher areal density fabrics (140 g/m² and 170 g/m²) benefit from an increased adhesive ratio, with a transition from 1:0.5 to 1:1 significantly enhancing the pullout resistance, while further increases to 1:1.5 yielded diminishing returns. Tensile strength remained consistent across all samples, highlighting that it is largely dictated by the inherent properties of the fibers and fabric structure rather than the adhesive. This study concludes that a 1:1 fiber-to-adhesive ratio offers an optimal balance of adhesion quality and mechanical performance for FRLs. By addressing the understudied impact of adhesive quantity on FRLs and introducing the yarn pullout test, this research provides novel and practical guidelines for optimizing FRLs in applications demanding high structural integrity and adaptability under challenging conditions. Full article

The hybrid flocculant P(aluminum chloride-co-diallyldimethylammonium chloride) was synthesized in this study. Diallyldimethylammonium chloride monomers were used and ammonium persulfate served as the initiator. The structure of P(aluminum chloride-co-diallyldimethylammonium chloride) was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, an electrical conductivity test, and thermogravimetric analysis. Single-factor experiments were conducted to optimize the synthetic conditions of the hybrid flocculant. An optimized product with an intrinsic viscosity of 926.36 mL/g and a flocculation decolorization rate of 99% was obtained under the following reaction conditions: the total monomer concentration was 30%, the initiator concentration was 0.7%, the reaction temperature was 60 °C, and the reaction time was 3 h. The results demonstrated that the PAC-PDMDAAC hybrid flocculant exhibited covalent bonding between its organic–inorganic components and displayed enhanced stability properties due to its high intrinsic viscosity and spatial structure. Moreover, this hybrid flocculant showed superior decolorization performance in disperse-violet-H-FRL-dye wastewater. Full article

In most Sub-Saharan African countries, such as Togo, forest ecosystems provide ecosystem services to the local population. These ecosystem services are of vital importance to the local populations, who depend on the benefits derived from their use to meet their socio-economic needs. The permanent dependence of these populations on ecosystem services is a major factor accelerating the degradation of natural resources, which are already under pressure from climatic factors. The present study assesses the provisioning of ecosystem services provided by the relics forest in the southeast region of the Mono Biosphere Reserve in Togo. Individual interviews and group discussions were carried out with 420 households in fourteen villages around the reserve to identify the current uses of woody species. The results show that 100% of the respondents cited plant species, such as Mitragyna inermis, Lonchocarpus sericeus, and Diospyros mespiliformis, as used for wood. Species, such as Mimusops andogensis and Triplohiton scleroxylon, were cited as exclusively used for wood by 94% and 86%, respectively. Other species, such as Vitex doniana and Dialium guineense, in addition to their use for wood (93% and 70%), were cited, respectively, by 97% and 98% of respondents as used for fruit, and by 82% and 90% for their leaves. The heavy daily use of these species compromises their sustainability. An analysis of Sorensen’s similarity index, according to gender, age, ethnic group, and sector of activity, revealed a variation in this index ranging from 0.6 to 1, reflecting households’ knowledge of the use of these seven species. The local populations are already feeling the effects of the low availability of these commonly used species. According to them, the depletion of these resources is caused mainly by agricultural clearing, illegal logging, and bushfires. Full article

A self-driving vehicle can navigate autonomously in smart cities without the need for human intervention. The emergence of Autonomous Connected Vehicles (ACVs) poses a substantial threat to public and passenger safety due to the possibility of cyber-attacks, which encompass remote hacking, manipulation of sensor data, and probable disablement or accidents. The sensors collect data to facilitate the network’s recognition of local landmarks, such as trees, curbs, pedestrians, signs, and traffic lights. ACVs gather vast amounts of data, encompassing the exact geographical coordinates of the vehicle, captured images, and signals received from various sensors. To create a fully autonomous system, it is imperative to intelligently integrate several technologies, such as sensors, communication, computation, machine learning (ML), data analytics, and other technologies. The primary issues in ACVs involve data privacy and security when instantaneously exchanging substantial volumes of data. This study investigates related data security and privacy research in ACVs using the Blockchain-enabled Federated Reinforcement Learning (BFRL) framework. This paper provides a literature review examining data security and privacy in ACVs and the BFRL framework that can be used to protect ACVs. This study presents the integration of FRL and Blockchain (BC) in the context of smart cities. Furthermore, the challenges and opportunities for future research on ACVs utilising BFRL frameworks are discussed. Full article

This paper applies federated reinforcement learning (FRL) in cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communication to enable vehicles to learn communication parameters in collaboration with a parameter server that is embedded in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Different sensors in vehicles capture different types of data, contributing to data heterogeneity. C-V2X communication networks impose additional communication overhead in order to converge to a global model when the sensor data are not independent-and-identically-distributed (non-i.i.d.). Consequently, the training time for local model updates also varies considerably. Using FRL, we accelerated this convergence by minimizing communication rounds, and we delayed it by exploring the correlation between the data captured by various vehicles in subsequent time steps. Additionally, as UAVs have limited battery power, processing of the collected information locally at the vehicles and then transmitting the model hyper-parameters to the UAVs can optimize the available power consumption pattern. The proposed FRL algorithm updates the global model through adaptive weighing of Q-values at each training round. By measuring the local gradients at the vehicle and the global gradient at the UAV, the contribution of the local models is determined. We quantify these Q-values using nonlinear mappings to reinforce positive rewards such that the contribution of local models is dynamically measured. Moreover, minimizing the number of communication rounds between the UAVs and vehicles is investigated as a viable approach for minimizing delay. A performance evaluation revealed that the FRL approach can yield up to a 40% reduction in the number of communication rounds between vehicles and UAVs when compared to gross data offloading. Full article

Fiber-reinforced laminates with flexibility (FRLs) are becoming increasingly crucial across diverse sectors due to their adaptability and outstanding mechanical attributes. Their ability to deliver high performance relative to their weight makes them indispensable in lighter-than-air (LTA) applications, such as aerostats, inflatable antennas, surge bladders, gas storage balloons, life rafts, and other related uses. This research delved into employing woven fabrics as the reinforcement material and explored how their specific parameters, like fiber type, fabric count (warp thread density × weft thread density), fabric areal density, and fabric cover influence the bonding and mechanical properties of laminates. A thorough analysis encompassing standard T-peel (ASTM standard D1876) and a newly proposed yarn pullout in laminate test were conducted on laminates fabricated with various woven reinforcements, each with its unique specifications. The T-peel test was utilized to gauge the adhesive strength between FRL components, offering crucial insights into interfacial bonding within the laminates. Nevertheless, challenges exist with the T-peel test, including instances where the adherents lack the strength to withstand rupture, resulting in unsuccessful peel propagation and numerous outliers that necessitate costly additional trials. Thus, our research group introduced a novel yarn pullout in laminate test to accurately assess adhesion in FRLs. This study uncovered correlations between both adhesion tests (T-peel and yarn pullout in laminate), indicating that the innovative yarn pullout in laminate test could effectively substitute for characterizing adhesion in FRLs. Furthermore, the findings unveiled a complex relationship between woven fabric specifications and laminate properties. We noted that variations in fiber type, yarn linear density, and adhesive type significantly impacted adhesion strength. For instance, Kevlar exhibited markedly superior adhesion compared to Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) when paired with Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) adhesive, whereas UHMWPE demonstrated better adhesion with Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA). Moreover, the adhesion quality lessened as fabric count increased for the same adhesive quantity. These discoveries carry practical implications for material selection and design across industries, from automotive to aerospace, offering avenues to enhance FRL performance. Full article