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Found 6327 publications
Photosynthesis Monitoring in Microalgae Cultures Grown on Municipal Wastewater as a Nutrient Source in Large-Scale Outdoor Bioreactors
Zouhayr Arbib
Francisco Gabriel Acién Fernández
Bernardo Cicchi
Marta Barceló-Villalobos
João Artur Câmara Manoel
Cintia Gómez-Serrano
Victor A. Robles Carnero
Ángel Encinas Bogeat
Ana Sanches Zurano
Karolína Ranglová
Juan Luis Gómez Pinchetti
Vince Ördög
Ana Margarita Silva Benavides
Giuseppe Torzillo
Jiří Masojídek
L. Vörös
Frank Rogalla
Félix Lopez Figueroa
Publication Name: Biology
Publication Date: 2022-10-01
Volume: 11
Issue: 10
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Microalgae cultures were used for a WW treatment to remediate nutrients while producing biomass and recycling water. In these trials, raceway ponds (RWPs; 1 and 0.5 ha) were located next to a municipal (WW) treatment plant in Mérida, Spain. The ponds were used for continuous, all-year-round microalgae production using WW as a source of nutrients. Neither CO2 nor air was supplied to cultures. The objective was to validate photosynthesis monitoring techniques in large-scale bioreactors. Various in-situ/ex-situ methods based on chlorophyll fluorescence and oxygen evolution measurements were used to follow culture performance. Photosynthesis variables gathered with these techniques were compared to the physiological behavior and growth of cultures. Good photosynthetic activity was indicated by the build-up of dissolved oxygen concentration up to 380% saturation, high photochemical yield (Fv/Fm = 0.62–0.71), and relative electron transport rate rETR between 200 and 450 μmol e− m−2 s−1 at midday, which resulted in biomass productivity of about 15–25 g DW m−2 day−1. The variables represent reliable markers reflecting the physiological status of microalgae cultures. Using waste nutrients, the biomass production cost can be significantly decreased for abundant biomass production in large-scale bioreactors, which can be exploited for agricultural purposes.
Open Access: Yes
Geogrid reinforcement of ballasted railway superstructure for stabilization of the railway track geometry – A case study
Publication Name: Geotextiles and Geomembranes
Publication Date: 2022-10-01
Volume: 50
Issue: 5
Page Range: 1036-1051
Description:
Background: This article deals with a unique topic related to railway infrastructure, civil and geotechnical engineering, and modern materials. In the past 20–30 years, more and more synthetic materials have been applied in engineering and everyday life. Geogrid and geotextile products are adequate for substituting lacking abilities of the soils, and granular materials, mainly low tensile and shear strength, etc. This paper aims to introduce the result of the author's research dealing with investigating the behavior of geogrid-reinforced railway ballast based on a long-term field test in the busiest main railway line in Hungary. The duration of the test is more than eleven years. Methods: Five different types of geosynthetics were installed in the superstructure of the No. 1 main railway line (Kelenföld – Hegyeshalom state border) in Hungary in 2010. More than eleven years have elapsed since the installation. The experiences are formulated in this paper. Mathematical-statistical analysis was performed to compare the (sub)sections with each other and with the designated reference sections where no geogrids were applied. Results: As a result of the examination, the author summarized the main differences in the behavior of railway track geometry, and the geometrical deterioration rates, considering the different types of reinforcement products.
Open Access: Yes
AMERICAN VERSUS DOMESTIC DIGITAL COMPANIES IN THE CHINESE MARKET
Publication Name: Decision Making Applications in Management and Engineering
Publication Date: 2022-10-01
Volume: 5
Issue: 2
Page Range: 120-139
Description:
The digital economy has become an increasingly important part of the world economy. It is vastly concentrated in two economies, namely, the United States and China. The main aim of our study is to investigate Chinese digital companies and government policy enabling the rapid development of the country’s digital economy and the largest American digital companies’ performance in the Chinese market. Our findings show that the largest American digital companies, which are globally active players, usually have a very limited market share in different segments of the Chinese digital economy or have been forced to leave the Chinese market after a short period of operation. In the future, Chinese government policy will continue to ensure the priority role of domestic digital companies in the upgrading and structural transformation of the Chinese economy driven by services, high-tech sectors, and consumption while limiting the role of American digital companies.
Open Access: Yes
Hybrid Particle Filter-Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm and Application to Fuzzy Controlled Servo Systems
Publication Name: IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems
Publication Date: 2022-10-01
Volume: 30
Issue: 10
Page Range: 4286-4297
Description:
This article presents a hybrid metaheuristic optimization algorithm that combines particle filter (PF) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms. The new PF-PSO algorithm consists of two steps: the first generates randomly the particle population;and the second zooms the search domain. An application of this algorithm to the optimal tuning of proportional-integral-fuzzy controllers for the position control of a family of integral-type servo systems is then presented as a second contribution. The reduction in PF-PSO algorithm's cost function allows for reduced energy consumption of the fuzzy control system. A comparison with other metaheuristic algorithms on canonical test functions and experimental results are presented at the end of this article.
Open Access: Yes
Effect of Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil and thymol on the microbiological properties of meat and meat products: A review
Publication Name: Heliyon
Publication Date: 2022-10-01
Volume: 8
Issue: 10
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Since foodborne diseases are often considered as one of the biggest public health threats worldwide, effective preservation strategies are needed to inhibit the growth of undesirable microorganisms in food commodities. Up to now, several techniques have been adopted for the production of safe and high-quality products. Although the traditional methods can improve the reliability, safety, and shelf-life of food, some of them cannot be applied without rising health concerns. Thereby, the addition of various phytochemicals has gained much attention during the last decades, especially for meat products that may be contaminated with pathogenic and spoilage organisms. Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), as an important medicinal and culinary herb, is a promising source of bioactive compounds that have a great impact on the microbiological stability of meat by suppressing the undesirable microflora. However, the use of these antimicrobials is still facing difficulties due to their aromatic properties and variable efficacy against targeted species. In this paper, we provide an overview on the potential effects of thyme essential oil (EO) and thymol as bio-preservative agents in meat products. Furthermore, this paper provides insights into the limitations and current challenges of the addition of EOs and their constituents to meat commodities and suggests viable solutions that can improve the applicability of these phytochemicals.
Open Access: Yes
An Iterative Approach for the Solution of the Constrained OWA Aggregation Problem with Two Comonotone Constraints
Publication Name: Information Switzerland
Publication Date: 2022-10-01
Volume: 13
Issue: 10
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
In this paper, first, we extend the analytical expression of the optimal solution of the constrained OWA aggregation problem with two comonotone constraints by also including the case when the OWA weights are arbitrary non-negative numbers. Then, we indicate an iterative algorithm that precisely indicates whether a constraint in an auxiliary problem is either biding or strictly redundant. Actually, the biding constraint (or two biding constraints, as this case also may occur) are essential in expressing the solution of the initial constrained OWA aggregation problem.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/info13100443
Microinjection based zebrafish embryo test for the detection of estrogenic substances in slurry based irrigation water and its combined application with yeast estrogen screen
Publication Name: Agricultural Water Management
Publication Date: 2022-10-01
Volume: 272
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Waste from livestock farms, including manure, is a significant source of estrogenic pollutants in the environment. These wastes have complex matrices, necessitating the implementation of in vivo and in vitro tests in order to investigate their estrogenic effects. However, most current in vivo methods are limited by the toxic effect of livestock waste due to their high concentrations of organic matter. Here we propose a novel in vivo microinjection method which is able to avoid this limitation. In this study, the estrogen content of slurry-based irrigation water extracts from dairy cattle farms was examined using a classical in vitro and the newly developed in vivo method. The limitations of the in vitro system, with its absence of endogenous steroid hormone receptors and subsequent lack of elucidating complex interactions involving the estrogen receptor (ER), are complemented by the in vivo fish test, which allows for a more complete assessment of estrogenicity and toxicity to vertebrate animals. In vitro screenings were performed with the ISO 19040–1:2018 Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES). The YES test showed estrogenic activity in all 32 tested samples, which ranged from 5 to 50518 ng/L in EEQ (E2-Estradiol equivalents). The in vivo microinjection method was developed using a Tg(vtg1:mCherry) transgenic zebrafish embryo model. This model is able to eliminate secondary symptoms of hypoxia that may occur during normal aqueous exposure to high organic matter extracts. Using the microinjection method, a total of 12 samples, out of the 32 samples examined, presented no observable estrogenic effects in fish embryos based on integrated density values. In samples where the fish test showed no estrogenic effect, the liver of the larvae was significantly damaged due to sample toxicity. Our results clearly show that the combination of these methods provides a highly effective screening tool for samples containing high concentrations of organic matter.
Open Access: Yes
A Study of the Relation between Byline Positions of Affiliated/Non-Affiliated Authors and the Scientific Impact of European Universities in Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Publication Name: Sustainability Switzerland
Publication Date: 2022-10-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 20
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Universities have undergone a profound transformation to increase their competitiveness and research performance; evaluating their research output and scientific impact is therefore of great importance. This article aims to suggest an approach to analyze how the JIF quartile share of research articles differs among European universities in medical science, and how the byline positions of affiliated and non-affiliated authors can influence an article’s scientific impact. We examined the research output of universities in the Top 5 European and Visegrad Group Countries based on the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Ranking 2022 (University of Oxford, ETH Zurich, Karolinska Institute, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, KU Leuven, Semmelweis University, Jagiellonian University, Charles University Prague, and Comenius University Bratislava). We found that the share of Q1 and the less prestigious Q3 and Q4 papers are inversely proportional when plotted against the ranks of universities. Whilst the proportion of Q1 papers is higher for the Top 5 universities, this ratio decreases with a less prominent place in the ranking. The presence of non-affiliated authors in the first, last, and corresponding author byline positions has a significantly positive effect on the Category Normalized Citation Impact, correlating with the position of the university in the ranking. Moreover, the difference in the Category Normalized Citation Impact between papers with affiliated and non-affiliated authors is also specific to university rank.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/su142013074
Comparative Effectiveness of 4 Exercise Interventions Followed by 2 Years of Exercise Maintenance in Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Publication Name: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Publication Date: 2022-10-01
Volume: 103
Issue: 10
Page Range: 1908-1916
Description:
Objective: To determine the effects of exergaming (EXE) on quality of life (QOL), motor, and clinical symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS). We compared the effects of EXE, balance (BAL), cycling (CYC), proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), and a standard care wait-listed control group on clinical and motor symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in people with MS (PwMS) and determined the effects of subsequent maintenance programs for 2 years in a hospital setting. Design: A randomized controlled trial, using before-after test design. Setting: University hospital setting. Participants: Of 82 outpatients with MS, 70 were randomized (N=70), and 68 completed the study. Interventions: The initial high-intensity and high-frequency interventions consisted of 25 one-hour sessions over 5 weeks. After the 5-week-long initial intervention, the 2-year-long maintenance programs followed, consisting of 3 sessions per week, each for 1 hour. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome: Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29). Secondary outcomes: Measures 5 aspects of health-related QOL (EuroQol 5-Dimension questionnaire), Beck Depression Inventory, 6-minute walk test (6MWT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Tinetti Assessment Tool (TAT), and static BAL (center of pressure). Results: MSIS-29 improved most in EXE (11 points), BAL (6), and CYC (6) (all P<.05). QOL improved most in EXE (3 points), CYC, and BAL (2) (all P<.05). TAT and BBS improved significantly (P<.05) but similarly (P>.05) in EXE, BAL, and CYC. 6MWT improved most in EXE (57m), BAL (32m), and CYC (19m) (all P<.001). Standing sway did not change. Maintenance programs further increased the initial exercise-induced gains, robustly in EXE. Conclusions: A total of 25 sessions of EXE, BAL, CYC, and PNF, in this order, improved clinical and motor symptoms and QOL, and subsequent 2-year-long thrice weekly maintenance programs further slowed symptom worsening and improved QOL. EXE was the most and PNF was the least effective to improve clinical symptoms, motor function, and QOL in PwMS.
Open Access: Yes
