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Dataset for the Article: Flow Impairs Multisensory Tracking and Increases Active Sensing in Weakly Electric Fish
No full text<p>Weakly electric fish rely on electrosensory, visual, and mechanosensory (lateral-line) cues to guide behavior in flowing water, yet the effects of ambient currents on multisensory tracking and active sensing remain poorly understood. We tested the weakly electric knifefish <em>Apteronotus albifrons</em> (N = 4) tracking a moving refuge in a recirculating flow tunnel while systematically varying flow speed (0–16 cm/s), illumination (light vs. dark), and refuge structure (windowed vs. nonwindowed). Tracking performance was quantified with time- and frequency-domain measures (root-mean-square error; gain–phase analyses), and active sensing as movement power outside stimulus frequencies (mean active sensing power, MASP). Increasing flow degraded tracking: relative to still water, RMSE rose by ~46% at 16 cm/s. Deficits were largest in darkness and with the windowed refuge, and were concentrated at low stimulus frequencies. Under higher flows, fish showed a trend toward increased off-frequency movement power (by ~33%), consistent with compensatory active sensing to sustain sensory acquisition. The effects were nonlinear and context dependent. This pattern indicates that increasing hydrodynamic noise may drive dynamic reweighting among visual, electrosensory, and mechanosensory inputs. Collectively, our data indicate that ambient flow degrades low-frequency tracking and may elicit compensatory active sensing in <em>A.albifrons</em>, extending recent demonstrations of context-dependent sensing and control switches in this species and bridging rheotaxis with electrosensory refuge tracking.</p>
Role of catalyst layer composition in the degradation of low platinum-loaded proton exchange membrane fuel cell cathodes: An experimental analysis
No full text<p>This study investigates the impact of catalyst layer (CL) composition on the performance and durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) are manufactured using six different cathode CLs (CCLs) by varying the platinum (Pt)-loading, Pt-to-carbon weight percentages (Pt/C wt.%), mass fraction of bare carbon particles, carbon support material, and CL thicknesses. Each MEA is subjected to comprehensive electrochemical characterization procedures followed by one of the two different accelerated stress tests (ASTs) to analyze the impacts of Pt-dissolution and carbon corrosion degradation mechanisms separately. Experimental results show that the Pt/C wt.% and CL thickness have a dominant role in the rate of Pt- dissolution. While the addition of bare carbon particles decreases the rate of Pt-dissolution degradation, lower Pt/C wt.% causes higher performance loss. The carbon corrosion degradation is more pronounced in high Pt- loaded CLs since Pt particles catalyze the carbon oxidation reaction, whereas for constant Pt-loaded CLs, higher Pt utilization leads to increased degradation and CCL thinning, as observed through post-mortem scanning electron microscopy (SEM). No significant relation is found between the carbon corrosion rate and the CL thickness.</p>
High temperature sulfidation performance of SBA 15-supported MeO-MnO (Me: Cu, Fe, and Zn) sorbents calcined via conventional and microwave methods
No full text<p>The present study aimed to determine the effects of calcination conditions on the sulfidation performance of SBA 15-supported CuO-MnO, FeO-MnO, and ZnO-MnO sorbents. SBA 15-supported MeO-MnO (Me: Cu, Fe, and Zn) sorbents prepared via the wet impregnation method were calcined via conventional heating and microwave radiation at 600 degrees C under an air atmosphere. Sorbents were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Brunauer, Emmet and Tellere (BET) analysis. The XRD findings indicate the formation of individual and mixed metal oxides before sulfidation and the conversion of metal sulfides after sulfidation. The BET results revealed that, except for ZnO-MnO, sorbents calcined by microwave radiation have larger surface areas and pore volumes than conventionally calcined sorbents do. For sulfidation testing, argon balanced-simulated flue gas containing 0.033 % H2S, 9 % H-2, 13.5 % CO, and 4.5 % CO2 was passed through the sorbent in a fixed bed quartz reactor at 800 degrees C equipped with a gas chromatography analyzer with a flame photometric detector (FPD). The best sulfidation performance was obtained by the microwaved radiated SBA 15-supported FeO-MnO sorbent with a sulfur capacity of similar to 13 g S/100 g sorbent and a 5.5 h breakthrough time. The sulfidation-regeneration stability during multiple cycles revealed that SBA 15-supported FeO-MnO sorbents can be promising candidates for hot gas sulfur removal. Furthermore, microwave radiation (MW) can be used during calcination because of its cost- and energy-efficient sorbent preparation.</p>
The single-step operation for enzyme-modified cheese production: Influence and importance of process parameters
No full text<p>Enzyme-modified cheeses (EMCs) are natural flavour ingredients with intense cheese flavour. This study utilized a single-step process to produce an EMC; a single step process offers benefits such as shorter processing time, reduced equipment needs, and lower costs. However, product development and optimization are challenging due to multiple influencing factors. The study investigated incubation parameters (temperature, time, agitation speed), enzyme concentrations (proteolytic and lipolytic ratios), and homogenisation pressures to determine the important factors. The proteolytic ripening parameters, free fatty acid profiles, and volatile compounds of EMCs were examined. Key findings indicate that incubation conditions and protease concentration significantly influence EMC properties. Proteolytic enzyme concentration and incubation time were the main contributors to proteolytic ripening, while lipolytic ripening was primarily influenced by incubation temperature and agitation speed. Notably, incubation temperature was the most critical factor affecting the variation of volatile compounds in EMC production.</p>
Alkylthio-tetrasubstituted Lu(III) phthalocyanines: Effect of the substituent bulkiness and length on their photophysical, photochemical, electrochemical and sensing properties
No full text<p>Four monomeric Lu(III) phthalocyanines peripherally substituted with either butyl substituents of different bulkiness (n-, iso or tert-butyl) or n-hexadecyl substituents have been synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, UV-vis spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The effect of the substituents bulkiness or chain lengths on their photophysical, photochemical and electrochemical properties has been evaluated with a structureproperties relationship approach. Finally, because of an ongoing interest in the development of new volatile organic compounds sensing layers, their gas sensing properties using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) have been studied, with insights on the influence of the substituents on the analyte sorption and QCM sensing properties.</p>
Application of the sono-Fenton/UV process on the treatment of table olive processing wastewater
No full text<p>The Mediterranean Basin economies of Spain, Italy, Greece, and Turkey depend on the table olive and olive oil industries. Table olive processing wastewater characteristics and quantity depend on olive varietal and processing methods. Olives and processing methods provide phenol, suspended particles, dissolved inorganic solids, and refractory organics. Due of its complexity, conventional methods struggle to tackle table olive processing wastewater. A novel approach to enhanced oxidation processes integrates many ways to boost hydroxyl radical formation and scale up efficiency. UV assisted sono-Fenton process as a modified Fenton process was applied to table olive washing wastewater to achieve high formation of hydroxyl radicals. When UV assisted sono-Fenton experiments executed to determine the optimum reaction conditions, the effects of hydrogen peroxide, ferrous ion concentrations and reaction time on the oxidation of table olive washing wastewater investigated by using a statistical experimental design. Chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC) and phenol removal efficiencies were examined by keeping the pH constant. The UV assisted sono-Fenton process achieved 53% phenol, 68% TOC, and 80% COD removal efficiencies. The results show that the UV assisted sono-Fenton process can treat effectively table olive processing wastewater. Optimum reaction conditions for the UV assisted sono-Fenton process were determined. UV assisted sono-Fenton process provides a significant reduction in reaction time and minimizes the costs of process associated with low chemical requirements. So, these optimum reaction conditions were resulted in low sludge production at the UV assisted sono-Fenton process while treating table olive processing wastewater.</p>
Scheduling Pressure Reducing Valves for Reducing Water-Leakage in Urban Networks Using K-Means Algorithm
No full text<p>Water losses are a vital problem to sustainable water management in urban water distribution networks. This study presents an approach using K-Means clustering algorithm to reduce water losses and leakages through programming of pressure reducing valves (PRVs). The research uses 24-hour water network pressure and flowrate data obtained from a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system monitoring a district metered area (DMA) located in a metropolitan municipality in the Central Anatolia Region of Türkiye. The proposed methodology divides the temporal flowrate data into 12 different time periods. This is achieved by applying K means clustering to a dataset that maps the flow data to the time of day. Then, the optimal pressure setting values are determined for each time period by mapping the lowest and highest flow values at the obtained cluster centers to the user-defined minimum and maximum desired network operating pressures. Simulation studies were performed using the K-means algorithm both the squared euclidean (dSE) and city block distance (dCB) metrics over 50 runs. Performance was evaluated against an error metric that combines the flow rate and hourly mean absolute error. The results revealed that the dCB distance metric outperformed the dSE metric in terms of mean and best error values. Clustering successfully identified distinct daily flow patterns and provided a dynamic pressure management strategy: lower pressures (e.g. 3.0 bar) were assigned during low demand periods, while higher pressures (up to 5.0 bar) were set during peak consumption times. This data-driven PRV scheduling significantly demonstrates the potential to reduce water leakage and optimize energy consumption in water distribution systems, thus increasing operational efficiency and sustainability while ensuring adequate service levels.</p>
A guide for blood-brain barrier models
No full text<p>Understanding the intricate mechanisms underlying brain-related diseases hinges on unraveling the pivotal role of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), an essential dynamic interface crucial for maintaining brain equilibrium. This review offers a comprehensive analysis of BBB physiology, delving into its cellular and molecular components while exploring a wide range of in vivo and in vitro BBB models. Notably, recent advancements in 3D cell culture techniques are explicitly discussed, as they have significantly improved the fidelity of BBB modeling by enabling the replication of physiologically relevant environments under flow conditions. Special attention is given to the cellular aspects of in vitro BBB models, alongside discussions on advances in stem cell technologies, providing valuable insights into generating robust cellular systems for BBB modeling. The diverse array of cell types used in BBB modeling, depending on their sources, is meticulously examined in this comprehensive review, scrutinizing their respective derivation protocols and implications. By synthesizing diverse approaches, this review sheds light on the improvements of BBB models to capture physiological conditions, aiding in understanding BBB interactions in health and disease conditions to foster clinical developments.</p>
Magnetic resonance arthrography with positional manoeuvre for the diagnosis of synovial fold of posterior shoulder joint capsule
No full text<p>Objectives The objective of this study is to prospectively assess the effectiveness of shoulder magnetic resonance (MR) arthrograms with positional manoeuvres in detecting posterior synovial folds. Methods Two radiologists independently assessed all axial MR arthrograms in internal rotation, neutral position, and external rotation for the presence of a posterior synovial fold. The diagnostic performances of the MR arthrograms were then compared, with results validated through arthroscopy. Results Arthroscopy was performed on 81 of the 150 patients included in the study. A posterior synovial fold was identified arthroscopically in eleven of these patients. Measurements of the posterior synovial fold obtained in external rotation and the neutral position of the arm showed a significant correlation with arthroscopic results (p < 0.05). For detecting the posterior synovial fold with arthroscopic correlation, the sensitivity and specificity values for observer 1 and observer 2 were 100-81.4% and 100-88.6%, respectively, for MR arthrograms in the neutral position; 100-52.9% and 100-62.9% for MR arthrograms in external rotation; and 100-95.7% and 81.8-98.6% for MR arthrograms in internal rotation. There was a fair agreement for MR arthrography in external rotation for detecting posterior synovial folds, while MR arthrograms in internal rotation and neutral position showed near-perfect and significant interobserver agreement. Conclusion The rotational positions of the humeral neck during MR arthrographic examination can influence the diagnostic specificity and sensitivity of axial MR arthrograms in detecting the posterior synovial fold. Clinical relevance statement The posterior synovial fold can mimic a posterior labral detachment. Therefore, its correct identification is crucial in order to avoid unnecessary surgical procedures. Key Points...</p>
Isolation, genomic characterization and biotechnological evaluation of lactobacilli strains from chicken gastrointestinal tract
No full text<p>During a study investigating possible probiotics from chicken gut microbiota, strains C1-4 and C2-3 were isolated and identified as members of the genus Ligilactobacillus. The strains formed a well-supported cluster with Ligilactobacillus salivarius and Ligilactobacillus hayatikensis in phylogenetic trees. Their genomes, sized 1.8 Mb with G + C content of 32 %, were related to "Candidatus Avacholeplasma faecigallinarum" with a dDDH level of 95.4 %, indicating the strains were the first culturable members of the uncultured taxon. Furthermore, a dDDH value of 78.9 % with L. salivarius DSM 20555T suggested that the strains may represent a novel subspecies of L. salivarius. The functional analysis of the genomes revealed that the strains harbour genes associated with probiotic traits, including lactate utilization, acetoin and butanediol metabolism, pH homeostasis and exopolysaccharide biosynthesis. The genome annotation for the secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters showed that the strains have a type III polyketide gene cluster and a bacteriocin immunity protein gene. The strains exhibited phenotypic features compatible with their potential use as probiotics, such as tolerance to low pH and NaCl, ability to achieve high auto-aggregation, and hydrophobicity properties. In addition, the strains exhibited strong antibacterial activity against pathogenic MRSA (Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 67101), S. aureus ATCC 25923, Listeria monocytogenes MBG16, and VRSA (Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus MBG89), while showing moderate activity against Salmonella Typhimurium MBG15, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 13833, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. The cell-free supernatant of the strains notably affected Lis. monocytogenes and S. aureus, possibly due to possible bacteriocin production. In conclusion, the strains isolated from chicken gut microbiota have a high potential to be used as probiotics in agriculture and medicine.</p>