Oxidation-reduction Potential Research Articles

Impact of semen oxidative stress on sperm quality: initial results from Vietnam.

This study aimed to determine the relationship between oxidative stress (OS) measured by the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and the results of semen analysis among men from infertile couples. This cross-sectional study included 166 men from infertile couples, determined according to the World Health Organization guidelines. The general characteristics, semen analysis, sperm chromatin dispersion assay, and ORP of all subjects were evaluated and analyzed statistically. Among 166 men from infertile couples, individuals with OS had a significantly higher DNA fragmentation index (DFI) than men without OS (22.37% ± 11.67% vs. 17.98% ± 8.98%). The sperm concentration, total sperm count, motility rate, and normal morphology were negatively correlated, while and an abnormal head and neck-tail were positively correlated with ORP. There was also a positive association between the DFI and OS level. The optimal ORP threshold for determining sperm quality was 0.77 mV/106 sperm/mL (sensitivity, 50.4%; specificity, 93.5%; positive predictive value, 52.9%; negative predictive value, 32.3%). Determining the ORP suggests that OS has an adverse effect on the total sperm count, sperm motility, sperm concentration, morphology, vitality, and DNA fragmentation index.

Effect of plasma-activated organic acids against Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7 inoculated on pork loin and its quality characteristics

This study investigated the effectiveness of plasma-activated organic acid (PAOA) on pork loin's bactericidal impact and quality. Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes were used to inoculate the pork loins, revealing that PAOA achieved approximately 1.0 log CUF/g greater reduction than plasma-activated water. This was attributed to PAOA's lower pH, elevated oxidation-reduction potential, and increased reactive oxygen species concentrations. Notably, 0.5% plasma-activated acetic acid (PAA) showed 1.5 and 0.6 log CFU/g higher synergistic bactericidal effect against S. Typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7, respectively, compared to acetic acid. PAA also outperformed other PAOA treatments in terms of pork quality with similar meat color to deionized water, no adverse effect on lipid oxidation, and significantly reduced protein oxidation. Sensory analysis revealed PAA's highest umami taste. Thus, PAA is a promising method for microbial control in the meat industry while enhancing the oxidative stability and umami taste of pork loin. Industrial relevanceThis study demonstrated the industrial potential of combining plasma and organic acid treatments to control microorganisms in meat production and processing, while improving storage quality and sensory attributes. By using plasma- activated acetic acid, the oxidative stability of meat was enhanced during storage and umami taste was improved. This innovative technology offers advantages such as ease of operation and large-scale production, and it may help to overcome consumer concerns regarding the overuse of chlorine-based disinfectants, as organic acids are commonly used food additives.

Aging rice straw reduces the bioavailability of mercury and methylmercury in paddy soil

Straw amendment is a prevalent agricultural practice worldwide, which can reduce air pollution and improve soil fertility. However, the impact of aging straw amendment on the bioavailability of mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in paddy soil remains unclear. To investigate this, incubation experiments were conducted using the diffusive gradient in thin-film technique. Results showed that amendments of dry-wet aging (DRS), photochemical aging (LRS), and freeze-thaw aging rice straw (FRS) reduced the bioavailable MeHg in paddy soil by 2.2–27.6%, 13.5–69.8%, and 23.5–86.1%, respectively, compared to fresh rice straw (RS) amendment. This result could be due to changes in soil properties such as soil pH and overlying water Fe and Mn as well as microbial abundance (including Clostridiaceae, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteriota). Simultaneously, The LRS and FRS amendments reduced bioavailable Hg in paddy soil by 20.0–40.8% and 17.1–48.6%, respectively, while DRS increased the bioavailable Hg by 15.8–120.0%. This could be attributed to changes in soil oxidation-reduction potential and overlying water SO42− content. Additionally, the results of sand culture experiments showed that the concentrations of Hg uptake by rice seedlings were 97.1–118.2%, 28.1–35.6%, and 198.0–217.1% higher in dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from DRS, LRS, and FRS than RS, indicating that aging straw leached DOM may promote the Hg bioavailable when straw amendment. This result could be due to lower molecular weight and higher CO functional group content. These results provide new insight into how aging straw amendment affects the bioavailability of Hg and MeHg in paddy soil under different climates.

Antimicrobial Effects of Plasma-Activated Simulated Seawater (PASW) on Total Coliform and Escherichia coli in Live Oysters during Static Depuration

Recently, our in vitro study on the effects of plasma-activated simulated seawater (PASW) demonstrated its potential as a novel, alternative disinfectant in oyster depuration. In this current study, PASW’s physicochemical and antimicrobial properties were identified and its effects on oyster quality were observed. Simulated seawater (SS) activated by plasma for 10 min (PASW10) increased in temperature, oxidation reduction potential, and electrical conductivity with a decrease in those parameters after 1:1 dilution with SS (PASW10 (1:1)). The pH decreased immediately after plasma activation and subsequently increased after dilution. Nitrate and nitrite concentrations were higher in PASW10 (1:1) compared to PASW10 (3:1). No free available chlorine was detected in undiluted PASW10. Processing using SS and PASW10 (1:1) depuration and refrigeration of E. coli-bioaccumulated oysters was observed. Significantly higher reductions in total coliform and E. coli were noted for PASW10 (1:1) treated oyster samples after 24 h compared to refrigerated samples. No significant differences in values for condition index or biting force of oyster meats were observed for the processed samples after 24 h. Overall, the novel and environment-friendly PASW could be used as an alternative antimicrobial disinfectant in oyster depuration systems because it does not negatively affect an oyster’s viability or quality.

Janus XMoAZ2 (X = S, Se, Te; A = Si, Ge; Z = N, P, As) monolayers: First-principles insight into electronic structures, optical and photocatalytic properties

With regards to the asymmetry in its structure, two-dimensional Janus materials exhibit distinctive properties when compared to symmetric structures, which endows them with vast potential for application. In this work, we conducted theoretical investigations on the electronic structure, optical and photocatalytic properties of Janus XMoAZ2 (X = S, Se, Te; A = Si, Ge; Z = N, P, As) materials using first principle calculations. The results indicate that the internal electric field effect of Janus XMoAZ2 (X = S, Se, Te; A = Si, Ge; Z = N, P, As) structure leads to a reduction in the likelihood of recombination of photo-generated electron-hole pair. Furthermore, Janus XMoAZ2 (X = S, Se, Te; A = Si, Ge; Z = N, P, As) demonstrate a favorable band gap and possess band edge position that align with the water oxidation reduction potential, thereby encompassing the relevant band gap region. This property bestows them with significant potential as highly efficient photocatalysts for water splitting. Notably, in both acidic (pH = 0) and neutral (pH = 7) environments, Janus XMoAZ2 (X = S, Se, Te; A = Si, Ge; Z = N, P, As) materials holds significant potential as exceptional photocatalysts for water cracking reactions. Moreover, by using biaxial strain, the band gap of the structure can be finely tuned by applying biaxial strain, allowing for further adjustment of their photocatalytic and light absorption capabilities. These findings not only provide valuable experimental guidelines for the application of Janus XMoAZ2 (X = S, Se, Te; A = Si, Ge; Z = N, P, As) in water decomposition, but also contribute to the enriching the MA2Z4 family.

Magnetically recyclable TiO2/MXene/MnFe2O4 photocatalyst for enhanced peroxymonosulphate-assisted photocatalytic degradation of carbamazepine and ibuprofen under simulated solar light

In this study, a novel TiO2/Ti3C2/MnFe2O4 magnetic photocatalyst with dual properties, enabling (i) improved photocatalytic degradation with PMS activation under simulated solar light and (ii) magnetic separation after the degradation process in an external magnetic field was developed and applied for the efficient photodegradation pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) frequently present in wastewater and surface waters worldwide. MXene was used as a Ti precursor for anatase/rutile synthesis and as a co-catalyst in the photodegradation process. Manganese ferrite with ferrimagnetic properties was coupled with the TiO2/Ti3C2 composite to facilitate the magnetic separation after the purification process in an external magnetic field. Moreover, MnFe2O4 was used for PMS activation, producing •SO4- radicals with a strong oxidation ability and higher redox potential of 2.5–3.1 V (vs. NHE) than •OH radicals with a standard oxidation–reduction potential of 2.8 V. The effect of the manganese ferrite content in the composite structure (5 wt% and 20 wt%) on the physicochemical properties and photocatalytic activity of the magnetic photocatalyst was investigated. Furthermore, the most photocatalytic active composite of TiO2/MXene/5%MnFe2O4 was used for peroxymonosulphate-assisted photocatalytic degradation of ibuprofen and carbamazepine. The effect of peroxymonosulphate concentration (0.0625 mM, 0.125 mM, and 0.25 mM) and the synergistic effect of PMS activation on photocatalytic degradation was studied. Based on the obtained results, it was found that TiO2/MXene/5%MnFe2O4/PMS process is an efficient advanced treatment technology for the oxidation of emerging contaminants that are not susceptible to biodegradation. Carbamazepine and ibuprofen were completely degraded within 20 min and 10 min of the PMS-assisted photodegradation process under simulated solar light. The trapping experiments confirmed that •SO4- and •O2- are the main oxidising species involved in the CBZ degradation, while •SO4- and h+ in the IBP degradation. Furthermore, introducing interfering ions of Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, and SO42– in the model seawater did not affect the removal efficiency of both pharmaceuticals. In terms of reusability, the performance of the TiO2/MXene/5%MnFe2O4/PMS photocatalyst was stable after four subsequent cycles of carbamazepine and ibuprofen degradation.

Oxido-Reduction Potential as a Method to Determine Oxidative Stress in Semen Samples.

There are different estimates for the incidence of infertility. Its occurrence may vary from area to area, but on average, it affects 15% of couples and 10-12% of men worldwide. Many aspects of infertility can be linked to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the process of oxidative stress (OS). The association between poor semen quality and OS is well known. Unfortunately, there is no accepted protocol for the diagnosis and treatment of OS in andrology. Oxido-reduction potential (ORP) measurement is a new method for determining the ratio between oxidant and antioxidant molecules. Currently, ORP measurement is one of the fastest and most user-friendly methods of andrological OS determination and our goals were to confirm published correlations between ORP values and sperm parameters, examine how sperm concentration influences these results, and investigate whether intracellular ROS formations are also manifested in the ORP values or not after artificial ROS induction. Intracellular ROS formations were induced by menadione (superoxide anion inducer), hydrogen peroxide, and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (lipid peroxidation inducer) treatments; sperm parameters like motility and viability were determined with an SCA Scope system, and ORP changes were recorded by the Mioxsys system. Significant correlations were noticed among the ORP, spermatozoa concentration, motility, progressive motility, and viability. Nevertheless, only the ORP value after normalization with the sperm count correlated with these parameters. Due to normalization, very low and very high sperm concentrations can give misleading results. The means of the non-normalized ORP values were almost the same. All of the applied treatments resulted in decreases in the viability, motility, and progressive motility, and interestingly, altered ORP levels were detected. In addition, it was determined that seminal plasma had a significant protective effect on spermatozoa. The elimination of seminal plasma caused higher sensitivity of spermatozoa against used OS inducers, and higher ORP levels and decreased viabilities and motilities were measured. The ORP level could be a good indicator of male OS; however, in cases of low and high sperm counts, its result can be misleading. Overall, the conclusion can be drawn that ORP determination is a suitable method for detecting intracellular ROS accumulation, but it has limitations that still need to be clarified.

Influence of titanate photocatalyst in biohydrogen yield via photo fermentation from corn stover

The effects of three common titanate photocatalysts (TPC) on the photo fermentation biohydrogen production (PFHP) from corn stover were studied in this paper. Compared with CaTiO3 and BaTiO3, the experimental group with the addition of MgTiO3 showed stronger potential for PFHP, the maximum hydrogen yield of 344 mL (68.8 mL/g TS) was obtained at 3 g/L MgTiO3, increased by 48.3%. For CaTiO3, BaTiO3, the optimal amount of addition was 8 and 7 g/L, respectively, in which, the hydrogen yield was 308 and 288 mL (61.6 and 57.6 mL/g TS). TPC addition could shorten the delay period of hydrogen production lower the Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP) of fermentation broth, especially MgTiO3 addition, the delayed hydrogen production could be shortened by 33.2% compared with control group, and the ORP could reach the lowest value of −371 mV.

A novel long short-term memory artificial neural network (LSTM)-based soft-sensor to monitor and forecast wastewater treatment performance

Commercial instrumentation for measurement of various wastewater treatment processes parameters is costly and time-consuming in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Long short-term memory neural network (LSTM) based soft-sensors to monitor and forecast crucial performance parameters including chemical oxygen demand (COD), NH4+ and total nitrogen (TN), which was based on lower-cost sensors dataset (e.g., dissolved oxygen, oxidation reduction potential (ORP) and suspended solids), were developed for a two-staged anoxic-oxic (A/O) process for wastewater treatment. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to identify the essential model input features before LSTM development. With optimization of look-back periods, the proposed LSTM-based soft-sensors outperformed multiple linear regression model (MLR)-based soft-sensors for prediction of influent COD, influent NH4+, effluent COD and effluent TN. It was supported by the lower mean absolute percentage error, lower root mean squared error and higher Pearson correlation for LSTM-based soft-sensors compared to those of MLR-based soft-sensors. The overall results indicated that LSTM-based soft-sensors can achieve automated high-resolution measurement and effectively forecast the crucial performance of biological wastewater treatment, potentially lowering the capital cost for sensor installation in WWTPs.

Indigo reduction by using microorganism: Comparison of reducing power between Dietzia sp. KDB1 and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)

AbstractThis study aims to develop microbial indigo reduction by comparing the reducing power between Dietzia sp. KDB1 and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) at some reduction conditions. Oxidation–reduction potential (ORP), colour strength (K/S), and fluorescence intensity (FI) were applied to evaluate the reduction level as a function of microorganism concentration, pH, and glucose addition at 30°C. For both of the microbial systems, ORP decreased further −20 mV and K/S increased more than two by adding glucose. The reduction level became higher slightly by adding glucose, which played a role of metabolite in both of the reduction systems. Overall, reduction level of the yeast system was about a half of KDB1 system at the same reduction condition of 45 mL volume, 15 g/L natural indigo, 6 g/L reducing agents, pH 10.0, 30°C and glucose added.

Nutritional Supplementation and Enhanced Antioxidant Function by Dietary Intake of Selenoneine and Other Selenium Compounds in Red Seabream Pagrus major

Selenoneine, 2-selenyl-Nα, Nα, Nα-trimethyl-L-histidine, is the major organic selenium compound in marine fish. To characterize biological antioxidant function of selenoneine in fish, the accumulation of selenoneine and other selenium compounds, i. e., sodium selenite and selenomethionine, in the muscle and other tissues of red seabream. We reared red seabream by feeding of 1% dry pellet containing of sodium selenite, selenomethionine, or selenoneine of body weight twice a day for 4 weeks. After that, we replaced to 1% of normal commercial dry pellet of body weight twice a day for 1 week from the selenium supplementation, and tissue distribution of total selenium was determined. Selenium supplementation with selenoneine, selenomethionine, and sodium selenite enhanced selenium accumulation in the white muscle, kidney, and hepatopancreas in comparison with the control group. By the dietary intake of selenoneine, total selenium concentrations were increased in the white muscle, heart, kidney, spleen, hepatopancreas, brain, and blood cells in a dose-dependent manner during the trials after 2 weeks. Dietary intake of selenoneine as well as sodium selenite and selenomethionine reduced oxidation–reduction potential (ORP). Selenoneine concentrations in the white muscle and blood cells were accumulated for 4 weeks by the selenoneine intake, whereas selenoneine concentration was not elevated by the intake of selenomethionine and sodium selenite, suggesting that tissue selenoneine levels might be derived from only selenoneine-containing diet. The uptake factor of selenoneine from the artificial feed containing selenoneine was calculated to be 0.0062 in the white muscle and 4.0 in the blood. The half-life of total selenium in the blood cells and white muscle were estimated to be 60 days in the white muscle and 30 days in the blood.

Effects of complex sulphur substrates on sludge bioleaching to improve heavy metal removal and microbial community diversity

In this study, H2S was used as a partial replacement nutrient substrate for sludge bioleaching. The effects of different combinations of H2S/sludge load and monomeric sulphur on heavy metal removal and microbial communities were investigated. Changes in pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), SO42− concentration, heavy metal removal, and the content of heavy metal states during bioleaching were investigated, and community diversity analysis was performed. Daily introduction of H2S three times (at an interval of 8 h) at a gas flow rate of 2 ml/min and an H2S/sludge load of 15 ml/L with 5 g/L FeSO4·7H2O and 2 g/L monomeric sulphur as a nutrient substrate significantly accelerated both the bioleaching process and the pH drop in the sludge system, promoted the production of SO42−, and maintained a higher redox potential. The combination of H2S and monomeric sulphur had a significant effect on the leaching of heavy metals. Compared with the experimental group containing only H2S or monomeric sulphur, the removal rates of Zn, Ni, Pb, and Cr increased by 4.63%/13.8%, 8.5%/20.07%, 3.84%/9.5%, and 4.24%/8.02% respectively, while promoting the transformation of various heavy metal states to labile states, improving heavy metal stability, and reducing sludge ecotoxicity. High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that introducing the H2S gaseous matrix accelerated the decreasing trend of species number, bacterial abundance, and community diversity in the sludge system, promoting Proteobacteria as the dominant phylum, Acidithiobacillus, Metallibacterium, and Thiomonas as the dominant genera, and improving the bioleaching treatment effect.

Efficient treatment of bio-contaminated wastewater using plasma technology for its reuse in sustainable agriculture

Water-related crisis represents one of the significant challenges of the rapidly growing world population. This study demonstrates an example of the novel technology of Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP) wastewater treatment for its sustainable recovery and reuse in agriculture. NTP treatment of wastewater not only causes microbial decontamination but produces Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species (RONS), which can consequently improve seed germination and plant growth. We investigated the effects of the new Fountain Dielectric Barrier Discharge air plasma reactor for the treatment of bulk quantity water contaminated by Staphylococcus epidermidis or Escherichia coli bacteria. Then, employing the treated water for barley seed germination showed >20% enhancement compared to using tap water. The inactivation of bacteria in water was determined in dependence on pH, Oxidation-Reduction Potential, and correlated with chemical RONS produced in the water (hydrogen peroxide, nitrites, and especially nitrates). By utilizing the Responses Surface Methodology, we identified the optimal plasma treatment time per litre required for efficient RONS production and bactericidal effect in the wastewater treatment, which was linearly scalable with water volume. After the optimum plasma treatment time, a sharp drop in pH, and the concentrations of nitrites and hydrogen peroxide were observed, which is related to the peroxynitrite formation leading to the significant bacterial reduction up to 7-log.

Designing a novel portable oxidation–reduction potential and microbial fuel cell‐based sensor to monitor microbial growth

AbstractThis study demonstrates the potential application of a portable 3D‐printed sensor to monitor microbial growth during soil bioremediation. Bacillus subtilis, a commonly found soil microorganism, is used to evaluate its growth characteristics. The integration of real‐time oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) reading and voltage output allows for a better illustration of microbial growth, with a focus on the mid‐exponential growth phase. This new technology can potentially increase the efficiency of soil bioremediation techniques by providing a better understanding of the microbial interactions and growth patterns involved.

Improving soil aquifer treatment efficiency using air injection into the subsurface

Abstract. Soil aquifer treatment (SAT) is an effective and sustainable technology for wastewater or stormwater treatment, storage, and reuse. During SAT, the vadose zone acts as a pseudo-reactor in which physical and biochemical processes are utilized to improve the infiltrated-water quality. Dissolved oxygen (DO) is necessary for aerobic microbial oxidation of carbon and nitrogen species in the effluent. Therefore, to enhance aeration, SAT is generally operated in flooding and drying cycles. While long drying periods (DPs) lead to better oxidizing conditions and improve water quality, they reduce recharge volumes. As the population grows, the quantity of effluent directed to SAT sites increases, and increasing recharge volumes become a concern and often a limiting factor for SAT usage. In this study, direct subsurface air injection SAT (Air-SAT) was tested as an alternative to long-DP operation. Six long-column experiments were conducted (2 m column) that aimed to examine the effect of air injection on the soil's water content, oxidation–reduction potential (ORP), DO concentrations, infiltrated amounts, and ultimate outflow quality. In addition to basic parameters, such as dissolved organic C (DOC) and N species, the effluent quality analysis also included an examination of three emerging water contaminants: ibuprofen, carbamazepine, and 1H-benzotriazole. Pulsed-air-injection experiments were conducted during continuous flooding using different operation modes (i.e., air pulse durations, frequencies, and airflow rates). Our results show that Air-SAT operation doubled the time during which infiltration was possible (i.e., the infiltration was continuous with no downtime) and allowed up to a 46 % higher mean infiltration rate in some cases. As a result, the infiltration volumes in the Air-SAT modes were 47 %–203 % higher than conventional flooding–drying operation (FDO). A longer air pulse duration (60 min vs. 8 min) and higher airflow rate (∼2 L min−1 vs. ∼1 L min−1) led to a higher mean infiltration rate, whereas a high pulse frequency (4.5 h−1) led to a lower mean infiltration rate compared with low-frequency operation (24 h−1). Air injection also allowed good recovery of the ORP and DO levels in the soil, especially in the high-frequency Air-SAT experiments, where steady aerobic conditions were maintained during most of the flooding. Consequently, the mean DOC, total Kjeldahl N (TKN), and ibuprofen removal values in these experiments were up to 9 %, 40 %, and 65 % higher than those with FDO, respectively. However, high-frequency Air-SAT during continuous flooding also led to significant deterioration of the mean infiltration rate, probably due to enhanced biological clogging. Hence, it may be more feasible and beneficial to combine it with conventional FDO, allowing a steady infiltration rate and increased recharge volumes while sustaining high effluent quality. While these results still need to be verified at full scale, they highlight the possibility of using air injection to minimize the DP length and alleviate the pressure on existing SAT sites.

Characterization of 20 Oenological Tannins from Different Botanical Origins for Formulation of Blends with Redox Potential Tuning Ability in Model Wine Solution.

Twenty oenotannins from different botanical origins were studied in model wine solution (1 g/L, 12% ethanol, pH 3.5). An original device was created for measuring Oxidation-Reduction potential (ORp) of the solutions at 20 °C in strict anoxic condition by the electrochemical method of the platinum electrode zero-current potential. Reactivity against proteins and antioxidant properties were related to the chemical structure and, consequently, to the botanical origin of the oenotannins. The highest turbidity after BSA addition (ΔNTU > 1000) values were measured for the gallic hydrolysable tannins. The ORp versus standard hydrogen electrode ranged from 420 to 260 mV. The ellagitannins had the highest antioxidant power (AP%), followed by condensed tannins and gallotannins, highlighting a correlation with the phenolic profile. Based on these findings, two formulations were prepared as a blend of some of the tested oenotannins, with the ability to increase (MIX1) and decrease (MIX2) the ORp of the model wine.

Microbial electrolysis cell simultaneously enhancing methanization and reducing hydrogen sulfide production in anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge

The effects of microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) at three applied voltages (0.8, 1.3, and 1.6 V) on simultaneously enhancing methanization and reducing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production in the anaerobic digestion (AD) of sewage sludge were studied. The results showed that the MECs at 1.3 V and 1.6 V simultaneously enhanced the methane production by 57.02 and 12.70% and organic matter removal by 38.77 and 11.13%, and reduced H2S production by 94.8 and 98.2%, respectively. MECs at 1.3 V and 1.6 V created a micro-aerobic conditions for the digesters with oxidation-reduction potential as −178∼-232 mv, which enhanced methanization and reduced H2S production. Sulfur reduction, H2S and elemental sulfur oxidation occurred simultaneously in the ADs at 1.3 V and 1.6 V. The relative abundances of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria increased from 0.11% to 0.42% and those of sulfur-reducing bacteria decreased from 1.24% to 0.33% when the applied voltage of MEC increased from 0 V to 1.6 V. Hydrogen produced by electrolysis enhanced the abundance of Methanobacterium and changed the methanogenesis pathway.

Smart capsule for monitoring inflammation profile throughout the gastrointestinal tract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has become alarmingly prevalent in the last two decades affecting 6.8 million people worldwide with a starkly high relapse rate of 40% within 1 year of remission. Existing visual endoscopy techniques rely on subjective assessment of images that are error-prone and insufficient indicators of early-stage IBD, rendering them unsuitable for frequent and quantitative monitoring of gastrointestinal health necessary for detecting regular relapses in IBD patients. To address these limitations, we have implemented a miniaturized smart capsule (2.2 cm × 11 mm) that allows monitoring reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels as a biomarker of inflammation for quantitative and frequent profiling of inflammatory lesions throughout the gastrointestinal tract. The capsule is composed of a pH and oxidation reduction potential (ORP) sensor to track the capsule's location and ROS levels throughout the gastrointestinal tract, respectively, and an optimized electronic interface for wireless sensing and data communication. The designed sensors provided a linear and stable performance within the physiologically relevant range of the GI tract (pH: 1–8 and ORP: −500 to +500 mV). Additionally, systematic design optimization of the wireless interface electronics offered an efficient sampling rate of 10 ms for long-running measurements up to 48 h for a complete evaluation of the entire gastrointestinal tract. As a proof-of-concept, the capsule the capsule's performance in detecting inflammation risks was validated by conducting tests on in vitro cell culture conditions, simulating healthy and inflamed gut-like environments. The capsule presented here achieves a new milestone in addressing the emerging need for smart ingestible electronics for better diagnosis and treatment of digestive diseases.

A Smart System for Environmental Parameter Monitoring in Underwater Archaeological Sites

In this paper, we present a prototype for the remote monitoring of underwater archaeological sites. The system aims to provide autonomous and real-time data collection from environmental probes and also includes biofouling detection based on image processing. The monitoring system is equipped with sensors to measure various parameters of interest, including temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and oxidation-reduction potential. To detect biofouling, a camera is integrated into the system, and an analysis is performed on the captured images utilizing indices such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the PYM method. The system consists of a subsea node placed near the monitoring site, connected to a surface buoy through an umbilical cable. The surface buoy contains an LTE router for data transmission to a remote web platform for data storage and visualization. The hardware of the underwater node includes an embedded computer, responsible for providing functionalities for image processing and interfacing with the web platform, and a micro-controller board to read the sensor measurements. The developed remote monitoring system has been tested in a marine environment and offers a comprehensive solution for long-term environmental parameter analysis, biofouling detection, and real-time data access. It holds great potential for applications in marine research, environmental monitoring, and ecosystem studies.

Assessment of suitability and lipid quality indicators of lamb meat of Polish native breeds

Abstract The aim of our study was to evaluate the technological (pH, water holding capacity, cooking loss, oxidation-reduction potential, water activity, color parameters, and microbiological purity) and nutritional suitability of the meat of selected lamb breeds by analyzing the indicators (fatty acid profile, fat nutritional indices, lipid oxidation, basic meat composition) that determine the quality of lipids present in the meat. A comparative analysis of meat from native Polish breeds Uhruska, Świniarka, and Wrzosówka showed that these breeds are characterized by high-quality meat. The chemical composition of meat did not significantly differ between the studied breeds. However, the fatty acid composition and atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indices of meat differed significantly between the breeds with the meat of Wrzosówka lambs having a distinct advantage and the most significant potential to protect against cardiovascular problems. Furthermore, the meat of Wrzosówka breed had color parameters that are most desired by consumers. The results presented here are of practical importance as combining meat from different breeds of lambs can allow achieving high product quality. The meat of Wrzosówka breed can be successfully used for producing such products and can serve as flagship meat for export to other European and global markets.