Search Results (109)

The fresh-cut avocado processing generates significant amounts of by-products, mainly peel and seed, with the peel representing a valuable source of phenolic compounds. In this context, the growing demand for sustainable technologies encourages the use of green solvents for bioactive compound recovery. In this study, natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDES) were evaluated as environmentally friendly solvents for the extraction of phenolic compounds from Hass avocado peels through ultrasound-assisted extraction and for their potential application in fresh-cut avocado. Phenolics were extracted using acidic water, ethanol, and NaDES based on choline chloride as a fixed hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and hydrogen bond donors (HBDs; lactic acid, glycerol, and citric acid) with the ultrasound-assisted system. The stability of the extracts was monitored for eight weeks (four weeks in darkness followed by four weeks under light exposure). Among the tested formulations, the lactic-acid-based NaDES showed the highest extraction efficiency and the best stability of phenolic compounds during storage (≥20 mg GAE g⁻¹ dw during the storage period). The lactic-acid-based extract was then applied to fresh-cut avocado to evaluate its potential for antioxidant enrichment and browning prevention during refrigerated storage. The treatment increased phenolic content and contributed to improved color stability (during seven days of storage). Overall, lactic-acid-based NaDES represent a promising green solvent system for recovering phenolics from avocado peel and for their functional application in fresh-cut avocado within a circular valorization approach. Full article

Crashes involving freight and commercial vehicles impose substantial human and economic costs, yet most severity studies pool vehicle types or focus exclusively on heavy trucks, masking class-specific risk mechanisms. This study estimates separate Random Parameters Binary Logit models with heterogeneity in means and variances for three vehicle categories—heavy-duty multi-axle trucks (n = 6512), two-axle trucks (n = 2656), and light-duty pickup trucks (n = 23,477)—using 32,645 crash records from Thailand’s national highway network (May 2022–December 2024). Pairwise transferability tests rejected parameter transferability, with four of six comparisons exceeding the 97 percent confidence level (three of these above 99 percent; χ² = 85.38 to 240.01), confirming that disaggregate estimation is statistically warranted. Three core findings emerge: First, although barrier medians, cut-in-front maneuvers, and sideswipe crashes affect severity in consistent directions across all vehicle types, their magnitudes differ sharply: the protective effect of barrier medians is nearly six times larger for two-axle trucks (ME = −0.160) compared to heavy-duty trucks (ME = −0.028). Second, several determinants are class-specific: dark unlit conditions elevate severity only for two-axle trucks (ME = 0.128), flush medians only for heavy-duty trucks (ME = 0.040), and raised medians only for light-duty pickups (ME = 0.042). Third, no random parameter is common to all three models. Pooled models, therefore, impose misleading homogeneity assumptions; vehicle-type-specific estimation is essential for targeted safety policy. Full article

Dark cutting (DC) is a significant quality defect in beef, often linked to stress experienced by animals prior to slaughter. This study evaluated how antemortem handling affects behavior and DC incidence in Holstein (n = 101) and commercial crossbred (CC; n = 101) steers finished under the same commercial conditions in northwestern Mexico. Animal welfare and handling practices were assessed during driving, transport, lairage, stunning and bleeding, and carcass and meat traits related to DC were measured. Holsteins, originating from confined systems with high human–animal interaction, showed more backing events than CC (73 vs. 30; p = 0.03), which led operators to increase vocal encouragement (109 vs. 5; p < 0.001) and hitting (100 vs. 28; p = 0.002). Additionally, 56.4% of Holstein carcasses had L* ≤ 40 compared with 22.8% in CC (p = 0.001), whereas a greater proportion of CC carcasses exhibited ultimate pH ≥ 5.8 (46.5 vs. 20.8%; p = 0.03). Meat from Holstein steers showed lower lightness, lower redness and higher yellowness, together with a higher incidence of DC (17.8 vs. 10.9%). In conclusion, genetic background and the human–animal relationship influence responses to antemortem handling and the incidence of dark cutting. Full article

The roles of light and carbohydrates in adventitious root formation of Hydrangea macrophylla cuttings of the cultivars ‘Caipirinha’ and ‘Clarissa’ were investigated. Cuttings were planted immediately or dark-stored for seven days prior to cultivation under light. The leaf and rooting phenotype, relative chlorophyll content, carbohydrate levels in different cutting sections and rooting response to hexose were analyzed. Surprisingly, pronounced leaf yellowing and reddening and a strong hexose accumulation in the cutting leaves indicated that the hydrangea cuttings experienced light stress under a photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of 100 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹. Reduction in PPFD to 50 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ decreased these symptoms and increased chlorophyll content, but impaired rooting. The effects of dark storage depended on cultivar, PPFD, and hydration of cuttings. ‘Clarissa’ exhibited lower rooting success, particularly after dark storage and low light, and showed lower hexose-to-sucrose ratios and hexose concentrations in the stem base than ‘Caipirinha’. Rooting of ‘Clarissa’ could not be rescued by sugar supplementation, whereas application of 27 mM glucose plus 30 mM fructose for 24 h before planting enhanced rooting of ‘Caipirinha’. The lower hexose level in the stem base of ‘Clarissa’ does not appear to be the critical factor underlying its low rooting capacity. Full article

Reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) is an immunosuppressive virus in poultry that can cause acute reticular neoplasms, chronic lymphoid tumors, stunting syndrome, and secondary infections. In many countries, the lack of effective vaccines has resulted in a high prevalence of REV infections and substantial economic losses. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based antibody detection is an important tool for monitoring the REV prevalence in poultry farms. ELISA coating antigens generally consist of either whole virus or viral protein; however, most commercially available REV antibody ELISA detection kits use whole virus as the coating antigen, which limits their applicability in certain diagnostic and research settings. In this study, the gp90 protein from a dominant REV strain was expressed and purified using 293F suspension cell eukaryotic expression system. Using recombinant gp90 protein as the coating antigen, an indirect ELISA for detecting gp90 antibodies (gp90-ELISA) was developed. After optimization, the optimal conditions were as follows: coating antigen concentration of 4 µg/mL with overnight incubation at 4 °C; blocking with 5% skim milk at 37 °C for 1.5 h; serum dilution of 1:200 with incubation at 37 °C for 45 min; secondary antibody dilution of 1:1000 with incubation at 37 °C for 30 min; and color development using TMB substrate at room temperature in the dark for 10 min. The cut-off value was defined as an OD₄₅₀ ≥ 0.22 for positive samples and <0.22 for negative samples. The developed gp90-ELISA specifically detected REV-positive sera at a maximum serum dilution ratio of 1:3200. Intra- and inter-assay variation coefficients were ≤10%, indicating that the gp90-ELISA had good specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility. Laboratory serum testing showed that the gp90-ELISA successfully detected sera from chickens immunized with the gp90 protein or infected with REV. Furthermore, analysis of clinical serum samples demonstrated 100% concordance between the gp90-ELISA results and a commercial whole-virus-coated ELISA kit. These results indicate that the gp90-ELISA is a reliable supplementary method to whole-virus-coated ELISA and has potential utility in disease surveillance and evaluation of immune responses. Full article

Advances in CMOS image sensors (CISs) have led to utilization in various industrial fields, including machine vision, medical, surveillance, the automotive industry, and the Internet of Things (IoT). One critical metric for CISs is the dynamic range (DR), which indicates the range of light intensity that can clearly capture images. As the technology evolves, wide dynamic range (WDR) becomes increasingly required for more diverse applications. To further advance these industries, this paper presents the active-pixel-type CIS design techniques and architectures developed to achieve WDR. These include the following: the basic concepts of the active pixel sensor, readout mechanism, and DR of the CIS; multiple exposure and dual conversion gain (DCG) schemes that are conventionally used to address a trade-off in the CIS; lateral overflow integration capacitor (LOFIC) and dual photodiode (PD) architectures that can improve the DR by utilizing trade-offs in the DR and exposure mechanism; CISs with logarithmic and linear–logarithmic (Lin-Log) responses to enable non-linear characteristics; and techniques that can be employed for higher sensitivity in dark conditions. This comprehensive study of various techniques and architectures can also be utilized for cutting-edge tech advances and future research, including neuromorphic array architecture. Full article

To address the edge blurring issue of drone inspection images of mountainous transmission lines caused by non-uniform haze interference, as well as the low operational efficiency of traditional dehazing algorithms due to increased network complexity, this paper proposes a high-frequency guided dual-branch attention multi-scale hierarchical dehazing network for transmission line scenarios. The network adopts a core architecture of multi-block hierarchical processing combined with a multi-scale integration scheme, with each layer based on an asymmetric encoder–decoder with residual channels as the basic framework. A Mix structure module is embedded in the encoder to construct a dual-branch attention mechanism: the low-frequency global perception branch cascades channel attention and pixel attention to model global features; the high-frequency local enhancement branch adopts a multi-directional edge feature extraction method to capture edge information, which is well-adapted to the structural characteristics of transmission line conductors and towers. Additionally, a fog density estimation branch based on the dark channel mean is added to dynamically adjust the weights of the dual branches according to haze concentration, solving the problem of attention failure caused by attenuation of high-frequency signals in dense haze regions. At the decoder end, depthwise separable convolution is used to construct lightweight residual modules, which reduce running time while maintaining feature expression capability. At the output stage, an inter-block feature fusion module is introduced to eliminate cross-block artifacts caused by multi-block processing through multi-strategy collaborative optimization. Experimental results on the public datasets NH-HAZE20, NH-HAZE21, O-HAZE, and the self-built foggy transmission line dataset show that, compared with classic and cutting-edge algorithms, the proposed algorithm significantly outperforms others in terms of Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) and Structural Similarity Index (SSIM); its running time is 19% shorter than that of DMPHN. Subjectively, the restored images have continuous and complete edges and high color fidelity, which can meet the practical needs of subsequent fault detection in transmission line inspection. Full article

The growing interest in the commercial exploitation of the bioactive components of Dictyota species, including Dictyota kunthii due to its antifungal activity and use in the development of innovative bioproducts, depends on the availability of biomass. In this context, the cultivation of this species emerges as a promising alternative. This study examined thallus fragmentation and ligulae development as methods to produce D. kunthii. Accordingly, thalli were divided into apical, middle, and basal sections to generate the respective tissue fragments, which were cultured under controlled conditions. On the other hand, ligulae development was studied under different conditions of photon flux density (10, 35 and 65 µmol m⁻²s⁻¹); temperature (10, 17 °C); photoperiod (8:16, 12:12, 16:08 h [Light:Dark]), and seawater enrichment:Basfoliar^®, Compo Expert, Krefeld, Germany and von Stosch solutions. The results show that fragmented thalli were non-viable, exhibiting neither wound healing nor regeneration at the cut sites. Furthermore, no buds or new branches were formed. In contrast, ligulae developed under all tested conditions, with nutrients, light, temperature, and photon flux enhancing apical cell formation and branching. We conclude that ligulae can effectively be used as propagules to cultivate fast-growing, branched D. kunthii plantlets. Accordingly, we recommend using a suspended culture system at 17 °C with a 12:12 (Light:Dark) photoperiod and 65 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ light intensity, as well as adding nutrients (Basfoliar^® at 0.1 mL L⁻¹). Under these conditions, growth rates equal to or exceeding 10% d⁻¹ can be achieved, supporting the feasibility of scaling up to larger volumes for biomass production. Full article

Osbana, also known as Osbane, is a cooked sausage-like product prepared from edible by-products and is one of the most popular Algerian traditional meat products. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding its culinary preparation and consumption habits. Therefore, this study explores these aspects within the Algerian population. Using an online questionnaire, we surveyed the people who prepare (n = 581) along with those who consume Osbana (n = 928 consumers). The survey allowed us to establish a preparation diagram of Osbana following the traditional methods involving cleaning, boiling, confecting balls/sausages, cutting, seasoning, stuffing, closing balls/sausages, conserving, and cooking. Overall, the results showed that Osbana is usually prepared from lamb, using mainly white offal (intestines, stomach, and lungs) as the main component, generally stuffed in a cleaned rumen that is not scraped of its dark layer. The rough side of the rumen is frequently put on the outside of the balls/sausages. However, regional variations in its preparation have been observed. Osbana seemed to be well appreciated by 51.7% of respondents, owing to its typical sensory properties. Interestingly, it is frequently consumed at home, at most 3 times a year (79% of consumers), but mainly served during religious and social celebrations, especially for Eid El-Adha. The common dishes used for its consumption depend on the region, but overall, it is consumed with Couscous or in a sauce. Variations in the preparation of Osbana influence the way it is consumed, hence creating typical recipes in each region. Also, these differences in its preparation may lead to differences in its nutritional and sensory properties, which require further investigation. Full article

All-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) are emerging as a promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries, offering solutions to challenges related to energy density and safety. Their core advancement relies on breakthroughs in solid-state electrolytes (SEs). SEs can be broadly grouped into two main types: inorganic solid electrolytes (ISEs) and organic solid electrolytes (OSEs). ISEs offer high ionic conductivity (0.1~1 mS cm⁻¹), a lithium-ion transference number close to 1, and excellent thermal stability, but their intrinsic brittleness leads to poor interfacial wettability and processing difficulties, limiting practical applications. In contrast, OSEs exhibit good flexibility and interfacial compatibility but suffer from poor ionic conductivity (10⁻⁴~10⁻² mS cm⁻¹) due to high crystallinity at room temperature, in addition to poor thermal stability and weak mechanical integrity, making it difficult to match high-voltage cathodes and suppress lithium dendrite growth. Against this backdrop, the stability of the organic–inorganic interface plays a crucial role. However, challenges such as low overall conductivity and unstable interfaces still limit their performance. This review provides a microscopic perspective on lithium-ion transport pathways across the polymer phase, the inorganic filler phase, and their interfacial regions. It categorizes inert fillers and active fillers, analyzing their structure–performance relationships and emphasizing the synergistic effects of filler dimensionality, surface chemistry, and interfacial interactions. In addition, cutting-edge analytical methods such as time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) have also been employed and are summarized into their roles for revealing the microstructures and dynamic interfacial behaviors of OICSEs. Finally, future directions are proposed, such as hierarchical pore structure design, surface functionalization, and simulation-guided optimization, aiming to provide theoretical insights and technological strategies for the development of high-performance composite electrolytes for ASSLBs. Full article

Vertical farming allows for precise control of environmental conditions, including light quality, enabling the optimization of plant growth and the synthesis of specific phytochemicals. However, the effects of such conditions on postharvest quality remain underexplored. In this study, butterhead lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv. ‘Alyssa’) was grown for three weeks under light-emitting diode (LED) lighting (190 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹; 89% red, 11% blue), with or without supplemental far-red light (ca. 50 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹). Growth and quality parameters were assessed at harvest, followed by postharvest evaluation of fresh-cut lettuce stored under equilibrium modified atmosphere packaging (EMAP: 3% O₂, balance N₂) at 7 °C in darkness for 13 days. The respiration rate of the produce was also determined. Far-red light supplementation increased dry weight (+17%) and elevated glucose (+57%) and fructose (+64%) levels at harvest, without affecting fresh weight, pigment content, vitamin C, or sucrose levels. Although respiration rates during storage were about 54% higher for lettuce grown under far-red light, visual quality seemed slightly better preserved. Total aerobic psychrotrophic counts showed no significant differences between treatments at harvest or during storage. These findings suggest that far-red light can enhance certain quality traits of lettuce, particularly carbohydrate accumulation and dry weight, but the associated rise in respiration may limit these benefits postharvest. Further research is needed to clarify its long-term impact in vertical farming systems. Full article

Laser ranging technology holds a key position in the military, aerospace, and industrial fields due to its high precision and non-contact measurement characteristics. As a core component, the performance of the photon detector directly determines the ranging accuracy and range. This paper systematically reviews the technological development of photonic detectors for laser ranging, with a focus on analyzing the working principles and performance differences of traditional photodiodes [PN (P-N junction photodiode), PIN (P-intrinsic-N photodiode), and APD (avalanche photodiode)] (such as the high-frequency response characteristics of PIN and the internal gain mechanism of APD), as well as their applications in short- and medium-range scenarios. Additionally, this paper discusses the unique advantages of special structures such as transmitting junction-type and Schottky-type detectors in applications like ultraviolet light detection. This article focuses on photon counting technology, reviewing the technological evolution of photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), and superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs). PMT achieves single-photon detection based on the external photoelectric effect but is limited by volume and anti-interference capability. SPAD achieves sub-decimeter accuracy in 100 km lidars through Geiger mode avalanche doubling, but it faces challenges in dark counting and temperature control. SNSPD, relying on the characteristics of superconducting materials, achieves a detection efficiency of 95% and a dark count rate of less than 1 cps in the 1550 nm band. It has been successfully applied in cutting-edge fields such as 3000 km satellite ranging (with an accuracy of 8 mm) and has broken through the near-infrared bottleneck. This study compares the differences among various detectors in core indicators such as ranging error and spectral response, and looks forward to the future technical paths aimed at improving the resolution of photon numbers and expanding the full-spectrum detection capabilities. It points out that the new generation of detectors represented by SNSPD, through material and process innovations, is promoting laser ranging to leap towards longer distances, higher precision, and wider spectral bands. It has significant application potential in fields such as space debris monitoring. Full article

Clinical mastitis in small ruminants is usually seen with an incidence of less than 5% and most cases, especially with hyperacute evolution, are not referred for hospital care. During the 5-year survey, 16 goats and 7 sheep, totaling 23 small ruminants, met the inclusion criteria with a definitive diagnosis of clinical mastitis. Clinical signs ranged greatly among cases, varying from septic state in hyperacute cases, and enlarged, pendulous udder associated with chronic pain and abnormal gait in chronic cases. Microbiological culture revealed a wide array of bacterial pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus spp., and Pasteurella spp. In vitro antimicrobial susceptibility profiles varied greatly among bacteria isolates, ranging from sensitive to all tested antimicrobials to a multi-resistant profile. Pathological features included hyperemia and dark red areas of necrosis in the skin, marked hyperemia of the affected gland at the cut surface, lactiferous ducts and gland cisterns filled by cloudy or suppurative fluid, abscesses, and hardness of the mammary gland parenchyma. This retrospective study highlights the multifactorial nature and clinical variability of mastitis in small ruminants, demonstrating its significant impact on animal health, welfare, and production. Full article

Serpentinite is a common lithology in Greece with significant geotectonic and petrogenetic implications, yet its archaeometric study remains limited. This also applies to the Ras serpentinite outcrop on Tinos Island—an enigmatic ancient quarry with no prior documentation of its exploitation. This study aims to provide a holistic provenance analysis and full material characterization to establish a unique fingerprint for future comparative research. A multidisciplinary methodology was applied, including petrography, XRD, FTIR, BET, LA-ICP-MS, electron microprobe analyses, and lichenometry—the latter used to estimate the quarry’s period of activity. The Ras serpentinite consists of a dark-green, brecciated lizardite matrix cut by a pale-green chrysotile network, and notably hosts the first recorded occurrence of minnesotaite in Greece. Relict antigorite within the matrix indicates high-pressure, high-temperature metamorphism preceding a greenschist facies overprint. Geochemical data classify the Ras occurrence as a subduction-related serpentinite derived from a depleted ultrabasic protolith. The aforementioned traits distinguish it from other Greek examples. Lichenometric analysis suggests the quarry was active in the 13th century A.D., with evidence of deliberate extraction techniques. These findings offer valuable insights into archaeometric studies and the provenance of serpentinites in the Aegean. Full article

Prolonged sleep deprivation impairs brain function and increases the risk of mental health disorders. Cichorium intybus L. Oligo-polysaccharides (JSO), bioactive compounds derived from chicory, belong to the category of food-medicine homologous substances, possess gut microbiota-modulating and anti-inflammatory properties, and serve as a natural prebiotic, having significant research value in food science. This research examined the anxiolytic properties of JSO in a murine model subjected to chronic sleep deprivation (CSD) stress and explored the mechanisms behind this effect, providing experimental evidence for the development of Cichorium intybus L. as a functional food. Specific pathogen-free (SPF) KM male mice were allocated at random into six experimental groups: the control group, the CSD model group, the diazepam (10 mg/kg) group, and the JSO treatment groups at low (50 mg/kg), medium (100 mg/kg), and high (200 mg/kg) doses. Following 3 weeks of CSD, anxiety-like behaviors were assessed using the open field test, elevated plus maze test, light–dark box test, forced swim test, and marble-burying test. To analyze the composition of gut microbiota, 16S rRNA sequencing was employed, while protein expression in the BDNF, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and NLRP3 inflammasome pathways was detected by Western blot. Behavioral analysis indicated that JSO (at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg) markedly enhanced both the time allocated to open arms and the number of entries into open arms in the elevated plus maze test (p < 0.05). JSO (at doses of 50 and 200 mg/kg) significantly elevated transitions in the light–dark box test (p < 0.05), all JSO doses drastically cut down marble-burying behavior (p < 0.001, p < 0.01, p < 0.01). The 16S rRNA sequencing indicated that JSO intervention increased Bacteroidetes abundance while reducing Actinobacteria. Western blot analysis demonstrated that JSO significantly downregulated the ratios of p-mTOR/mTOR, p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, BAX/BCL-2, as well as the expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, and IL-6 proteins (p < 0.05), while upregulating hippocampal BDNF (p < 0.05). These results indicate that JSO ameliorates CSD-induced anxiety-like behaviors by restoring gut microbiota homeostasis, regulating the BDNF-PI3K/AKT/mTOR and BAX/BCL-2 apoptosis pathways, and suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated neuroinflammation. Full article