Preserved Capacity Research Articles

Biotechnology in Food Packaging Using Bacterial Cellulose.

Food packaging, which is typically made of paper/cardboard, glass, metal, and plastic, is essential for protecting and preserving food. However, the impact of conventional food packaging and especially the predominant use of plastics, due to their versatility and low cost, bring serious environmental and health problems such as pollution by micro and nanoplastics. In response to these challenges, biotechnology emerges as a new way for improving packaging by providing biopolymers as sustainable alternatives. In this context, bacterial cellulose (BC), a biodegradable and biocompatible material produced by bacteria, stands out for its mechanical resistance, food preservation capacity, and rapid degradation and is a promising solution for replacing plastics. However, despite its advantages, large-scale application still encounters technical and economic challenges. These include high costs compared to when conventional materials are used, difficulties in standardizing membrane production through microbial methods, and challenges in optimizing cultivation and production processes, so further studies are necessary to ensure food safety and industrial viability. Thus, this review provides an overview of the impacts of conventional packaging. It discusses the development of biodegradable packaging, highlighting BC as a promising biopolymer. Additionally, it explores biotechnological techniques for the development of innovative packaging through structural modifications of BC, as well as ways to optimize its production process. The study also emphasizes the importance of these solutions in promoting a circular economy within the food industry and reducing its environmental impact.

Multiexposed Image-Fusion Strategy Using Mutual Image Translation Learning with Multiscale Surround Switching Maps

The dynamic range of an image represents the difference between its darkest and brightest areas, a crucial concept in digital image processing and computer vision. Despite display technology advancements, replicating the broad dynamic range of the human visual system remains challenging, necessitating high dynamic range (HDR) synthesis, combining multiple low dynamic range images captured at contrasting exposure levels to generate a single HDR image that integrates the optimal exposure regions. Recent deep learning advancements have introduced innovative approaches to HDR generation, with the cycle-consistent generative adversarial network (CycleGAN) gaining attention due to its robustness against domain shifts and ability to preserve content style while enhancing image quality. However, traditional CycleGAN methods often rely on unpaired datasets, limiting their capacity for detail preservation. This study proposes an improved model by incorporating a switching map (SMap) as an additional channel in the CycleGAN generator using paired datasets. The SMap focuses on essential regions, guiding weighted learning to minimize the loss of detail during synthesis. Using translated images to estimate the middle exposure integrates these images into HDR synthesis, reducing unnatural transitions and halo artifacts that could occur at boundaries between various exposures. The multilayered application of the retinex algorithm captures exposure variations, achieving natural and detailed tone mapping. The proposed mutual image translation module extends CycleGAN, demonstrating superior performance in multiexposure fusion and image translation, significantly enhancing HDR image quality. The image quality evaluation indices used are CPBDM, JNBM, LPC-SI, S3, JPEG_2000, and SSEQ, and the proposed model exhibits superior performance compared to existing methods, recording average scores of 0.6196, 15.4142, 0.9642, 0.2838, 80.239, and 25.054, respectively. Therefore, based on qualitative and quantitative results, this study demonstrates the superiority of the proposed model.

Superhydrophobic Modification of Atomic Layer Deposition Antireflection Aluminum Oxide Film: A Simple Evaporative Coating Technique.

The antireflective transmittance-enhancing films have important applications in solar cells and other applications due to their self-cleaning and high light transmittance. However, obtaining high transmittance, highly durable, and superhydrophobic surfaces in a simple and easily accessible way is still a challenge. A simple evaporative coating technique has been proposed that can be used to prepare antireflective superhydrophobic aluminum oxide films using 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluoroalkyltriethoxysilanes. The results show that the contact angle of grass-like alumina increased from 99.5° to 155°. The surface energy of grass-like alumina decreased from 17.96 to 1.93 mN/m. The maximum value of light transmittance is close to 98%, and the average transmittance is above 95%. The films have excellent ultraviolet resistance and thermal stability along with relative mechanical and chemical stability. Meanwhile, this method has an excellent capacity for shape preservation. The relationships between the evaporation temperature and time and the light transmittance and hydrophobic angle of the films were also investigated together. This approach has the potential to be extended to large-scale industrial production.

Effect of Grinding and Successive Sieving on the Distribution of Active Biological Compounds in the Obtained Fractions of Blackthorn Berries

The current study evaluated the effect of powder fractionation based on particle size on the chemical composition of macronutrients such as proteins and sugars, on the phytochemical properties (total content of polyphenolic compounds, vitamin C, and antioxidant activity), on preservation capacity (water activity), powder functional properties (water absorption capacity and water solubility index), and physicochemical properties (particle size distribution and moisture content) of blackthorn berry (Prunus spinosa) powders. The fruits were separated from the plant material and seeds, dried, and then ground using an universal mill for dry materials. Eight fractions were obtained after sieving on sieves with different mesh sizes, such as 1 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.630 mm, 0.450 mm, 0.315 mm, 0.200 mm, and 0.125 mm. The grinding/sieving procedure was effective in separating Prunus spinosa powder into sufficiently different size classes. The maximal moisture content and water activity were 5.61% and 0.250, respectively, showed good preservation from a microbiological point of view, and ensured the prevention of oxidation of biologically active compounds of blackthorn berry powders. For samples with reduced particle sizes, the powder functional properties were greatly improved. The total phenolic content, carbohydrates, and antioxidant activity showed significantly different values for some particle size classes compared to the un-sieved sample. A considerable content of vitamin C was presented in the fraction with large particle sizes, precisely because they did not undergo intense degradation processes. Therefore, the technique of grinding and successive sieving proved effective in enhancing the physicochemical and functional characteristics of powdered blackthorn berries, particularly for smaller particles.

Preserving Library Collections in South Asia: Techniques, Policies, and Capacity Building Programs in University Libraries

The study explores the preservation policy and techniques employed in preserving library materials in three libraries in South Asia: Central University of Kashmir; Islamic University of Science and Technology; and University of Kashmir. The study aims to: investigate preservation policy/plan/division of selected libraries; investigate the current preservation technique used in the libraries; explore the category of staff responsible for preservation of library materials; and identify capacity building programs attended by staff at local, national/international level on preservation. Data collection was employed: results were tabulated, interpreted, and correlated with the published literature to ferret out meaningful findings and draw logical conclusions. The study reveals that: binding (sewing) and fumigation (solid fumigation) are widely employed techniques in preservation; manuscripts are mostly prioritized for preservation; and usually professionals are involved in dealing with preservation. However, none of the libraries possess preservation policies, which are crucial for the preservation of the library collection on a systematic and scientific basis. In order to cope with the changing environment of information preservation and management, libraries regularly organize seminars and conferences on preservation, and it is hoped that stakeholders continue to identify loopholes and to build capacity for preservation.

Shapley-based graph explanation in embedding space

Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have recently achieved remarkable success in learning graph structures and have been applied in a variety of practical applications such as medical diagnosis, drug discovery, chemical compound synthesis, and traffic forecasting. However, like other deep learning methods, GNNs are black-box networks with inexplicable results, restricting the applicability of GNNs in many important applications such as biochemistry and medicine. This paper focuses on the field of explaining graph learning methods, which is still less explored and lacks strong theoretical grounds. Based on Shapley value from game theory, we propose a novel graph explainer, named Shapley and Embedding-based Graph Explainer (SEGE), which builds a linear approximator in node embedding space to interpret the GNNs’ prediction of an input graph. Experiments on synthetic and real-world datasets demonstrate that SEGE achieves state-of-the-art performance and is significantly better than baseline models both qualitatively and quantitatively. Moreover, SEGE owns the capacity of automorphic equivalence preservation, which is not observed in existing explainers.

Spatially and temporally precise microbiome profiling in the small intestine using the SIMBA capsule with X-ray tracking

IntroductionFew minimally invasive options for sampling the small intestinal (SI) luminal fluid exist to study the SI microbiota in health and disease. To address the lack of tools and methods to study GI regions that are difficult to access, Nimble Science developed a fully autonomous and passive sampling method, the Small Intestine MicroBiome Aspiration (SIMBA™) capsule, for convenient, high-quality, and reliable sampling to study the diet-microbiota interactions in the SI. MethodsThe sealing efficacy and microbial DNA preservation capacity of the SIMBA capsules was first validated through in vitro simulation assays. Then, a clinical study was conducted with 20 healthy participants to validate the in vivo use of SIMBA capsules to reliably capture samples for SI microbiome analysis before and after an intervention (NCT04489329). Briefly, participants ingested the capsules at baseline and 7 days later, with a probiotic capsule containing a blend of L. rhamnosus R0011 and B. longum R0175. Following baseline SIMBA capsule ingestion, multiple low-dosage x-ray scans were performed to track the sampling location. Fecal samples corresponding with the baseline and intervention capsule were analyzed for comparison. ResultsThe SIMBA capsules’ performance in vitro demonstrated the potential for contamination-free sampling with preservation of the microbial communities. Within the clinical study, the capsules performed safely and reliably for collection of SI content. X-ray tracking confirmed that 97.2% of the capsules completed sample collection in the SI regions before reaching the colon. Importantly, our data showed that the capsules sampled in the right area of the intestines and that baseline SIMBA microbiome profile is significantly different from fecal microbiome profile. SIMBA successfully detected a concurrent probiotic intervention in the small intestine, which was not detectable using stool samples. DiscussionsThe high accuracy of sampling location and sealing efficacy of the SIMBA capsules makes them potentially useful research tools in clinical trials for studying diet-microbiota interactions in health and disease, and perhaps eventually for the clinical diagnosis of GI tract conditions affecting the SI such as SIBO.

Loss of insulin-expressing extra-islet cells in type 1 diabetes is accompanied with increased number of glucagon-expressing extra-islet cells.

The presence of remaining insulin-positive cells in type 1 diabetes (T1D) is well-known. These cells are part of islets or appear as extra-islet insulin-positive cells scattered in the exocrine parenchyma. The latter are poorly described, and the presence of scattered endocrine cells expressing other islet hormones than insulin has not been explored. This study aimed to compare the extra-islet insulin- or glucagon-positive cells concerning their frequency, transcription-factor expression, and mitotic activity in subjects with and without T1D. Multispectral imaging was used to examine extra-islet cells by staining for insulin, glucagon, ARX, PDX1, and Ki67. This was done in well-preserved pancreatic tissue obtained from heart-beating organ donors with or without T1D. In three T1D donors, lobes with insulin-containing islets (ICI) were found. Within these, a higher frequency of extra-islet insulin-positive cells was observed compared to lobes with insulin-deficient islets (IDI). Increased frequency of glucagon-positive extra-islet cells was observed in donors with T1D (median 53 cells/mm2) when compared with non-diabetic donors (11 cells/mm2, p = 0.004). Proliferating endocrine cells were present in donors with, and without T1D, as demonstrated by Ki67-positive staining (0-3% of the cells expressing insulin or glucagon). The reduced frequency of extra-islet insulin-positive cells in lobes with IDI in donors with T1D suggests that the pathological mechanism causing beta cell demise in T1D affects entire lobes. The presence of an increased frequency of glucagon-positive extra-islet cells supports the notion of a preserved capacity to regenerate the endocrine pancreas in donors with T1D.

Undecanoic Acid and L-Phenylalanine in Vermiculite: Detection, Characterization, and UV Degradation Studies for Biosignature Identification on Mars.

Solar radiation that arrives on the surface of Mars interacts with organic molecules present in the soil. The radiation can degrade or transform the organic matter and make the search for biosignatures on the planet's surface difficult. Therefore, samples to be analyzed by instruments on board Mars probes for molecular content should be selectively chosen to have the highest organic preservation content. To support the identification of organic molecules on Mars, the behavior under UV irradiation of two organic compounds, undecanoic acid and L-phenylalanine, in the presence of vermiculite and two chloride salts, NaCl and MgCl, was studied. The degradation of the molecule's bands was monitored through IR spectroscopy. Our results show that, while vermiculite acts as a photoprotective mineral with L-phenylalanine, it catalyzes the photodegradation of undecanoic acid molecules. On the other hand, both chloride salts studied decreased the degradation of both organic species acting as photoprotectors. While these results do not allow us to conclude on the preservation capabilities of vermiculite, they show that places where chloride salts are present could be good candidates for in situ analytic experiments on Mars due to their organic preservation capacity under UV radiation.

Enhanced Mineral Preservation Rather Than Microbial Residue Production Dictates the Accrual of Mineral‐Associated Organic Carbon Along a Weathering Gradient

AbstractMineral preservation and microbial residue production are vital for the accumulation of mineral‐associated organic carbon (MAOC) in soils. However, their relative importance and interactive effects remain unclear. Here MAOC content and composition are analyzed in tandem with soil mineral and microbial attributes along a weathering gradient on a volcanic soil sequence. We find that MAOC content increases with increasing mineral weathering states, accompanied by increasing microbial contribution to MAOC. Mineral attributes rather than microbial physiological traits are strongly related to MAOC contents, suggesting that weathering‐enhanced mineral preservation capacity overrides microbial residue production in governing MAOC accumulation by increasing reactive minerals. Furthermore, mineral attributes have a strong interactive effect with microbial traits on MAOC accumulation and composition, likely related to increasing fungal abundance in the microbial community with increasing weathering. These findings highlight that mineral weathering may effectively boost persistent SOC in synergy with microbial conversion in the long term.

Enhancing the Quality of Refrigerated Smooth-Hound Shark Fillet with a Fish Gelatin Coating Enriched with Garden Cress Extract

ABSTRACT Smooth-hound fillets were coated with skin gelatin extracted from the skin of the same fish. The gelatin coating solution was enriched with garden cress seed extract (GCSE) at 0.67 mg/g of gelatin. Analysis of the phenolic profile revealed that quinic acid (844 µg/g extract) was the major compound, likely to participate along with other phenolics in enhancing the preservative capacity of GCSE-gelatin coating. Interestingly, psychrophilic/mesophilic bacteria, MDA equivalent, TVB-N and FAA contents in the coated samples were significantly reduced compared to the control, proving the potential of the GCSE-enriched gelatin coating on extending fish fillet shelf-life.

Vegetation restoration improved aggregation stability and aggregated-associated carbon preservation in the karst areas of Guizhou Province, southwest China.

The change in the soil carbon bank is closely related to the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and the vegetation litter input can change the soil organic carbon content. However, due to various factors, such as soil type, climate, and plant species, the effects of vegetation restoration on the soil vary. Currently, research on aggregate-associated carbon has focused on single vegetation and soil surface layers, and the changes in soil aggregate stability and carbon sequestration under different vegetation restoration modes and in deeper soil layers remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the differences and relationships between stability and the carbon preservation capacity (CPC) under different vegetation restoration modes and to clarify the main influencing factors of aggregate carbon preservation. Grassland (GL), shrubland (SL), woodland (WL), and garden plots (GP) were sampled, and they were compared with farmland (FL) as the control. Soil samples of 0-40 cm were collected. The soil aggregate distribution, aggregate-associated organic carbon concentration, CPC, and stability indicators, including the mean weight diameter (MWD), fractal dimension (D), soil erodibility (K), and geometric mean diameter (GMD), were measured. The results showed that at 0-40 cm, vegetation restoration significantly increased the >2 mm aggregate proportions, aggregate stability, soil organic carbon (SOC) content, CPC, and soil erosion resistance. The >2 mm fractions of the GL and SL were at a significantly greater proportion at 0-40 cm than that of the other vegetation types but the CPC was only significantly different between 0 and 10 cm when compared with the other vegetation types (P<0.05). The >2 mm aggregates showed a significant positive correlation with the CPC, MWD, and GMD (P<0.01), and there was a significant negative correlation with the D and K (P<0.05). The SOC and CPC of all the vegetation types were mainly distributed in the 0.25-2 mm and <0.25 mm aggregate fractions. The MWD, GMD, SOC, and CPC all gradually decreased with increasing soil depth. Overall, the effects of vegetation recovery on soil carbon sequestration and soil stability were related to vegetation type, aggregate particle size, and soil depth, and the GL and SL restoration patterns may be more suitable in this study area. Therefore, to improve the soil quality and the sequestration of organic carbon and reduce soil erosion, the protection of vegetation should be strengthened and the policy of returning farmland to forest should be prioritized.

Characteristics of N Transformation of Humic Acid Urea in Different Circle Layers of the Fertisphere: A Simulated Experiment

Due to its broad yield-increasing effect and low cost, humic acid urea (HAU) has become one of the leading modified fertilizers worldwide. The fertisphere is the primary space where urea (U) granules participate in the soil nitrogen cycle, forming a nutrient concentration gradient centered on the point of fertilization. The closer the circle layers to the urea granule in the fertisphere, the higher the nitrogen concentration. However, HAU in this microregion remains poorly understood. The differences in the transformation process from the inside to outside circle layers of the U and HAU fertispheres were simulated and studied using soil incubation experiments under 20, 10, 2, 1, and 0.2 g kg−1 nitrogen inputs. The 20 and 10 g kg−1 inputs represent the layers closest to the urea granule. Within the first seven days, HAU treatment showed higher concentrations of soil ammonia-N content than U treatment within the two layers closest to the fertilizer core, while exhibiting lower concentrations under the farthest two layers. Under 2 g kg−1 nitrogen input, the nitrate nitrogen under the HAU treatment was significantly higher than that in the U treatment, indicating a higher nitrification rate. During the 42-day incubation period, soil mineral nitrogen content under the HAU treatment was higher than that for the U treatment in the two closest circles. On the 42nd day, the residual urea-N under the HAU treatment was significantly higher than that for the U treatment when the nitrogen input was higher than 1 g kg−1. The effect of higher fertilizer preservation and supply capacity of HAU in Fluvo-aquic soil was achieved by changing the urease activity and nitrification rate in fertisphere ranges closer to the fertilizer core. An improved understanding of the high-efficiency mechanism of HAU in the fertisphere process will contribute to the development of new-generation high-efficiency urea products.

Leguminous cover orchard improves soil quality, nutrient preservation capacity, and aggregate stoichiometric balance: A 22-year homogeneous experimental site

Soil and water conservation measures, widely promoted to control soil erosion in erosive orchards, can alter soil aggregates, thereby influencing the soil quality index (SQI). However, it's still unclear how these measures affect soil aggregate nutrients, stoichiometry, and their association with SQI at a long-term timescale. This study focused on a 22-year homogeneous orchard in subtropical hilly region. Five soil and water conservation measures, namely clean tillage (CT), engineering measures (EM), tillage measures (TM), non-leguminous biological measures (NLBM), and leguminous biological measures (LBM), were implemented. Sampling depths were 0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, and 40–60 cm. The results revealed that LBM significantly enhanced SQI across the soil profile, increased the proportion of macroaggregates, and improved aggregate stability, soil organic carbon, and total nitrogen. Additionally, LBM demonstrated the highest capacity for carbon and nitrogen preservation. Soil stoichiometry revealed carbon and nitrogen limitations in the orchard soils, and leguminous cover proved effective in alleviating these limitations and maintaining the stoichiometric balance of soil aggregates. Under a long-term timescale, these measures mitigated or even surpassed the impact of soil depth on soil aggregates and SQI. The improvement of orchard SQI through the measures was primarily achieved by enhancing aggregate stability. There was no significant correlation between soil organic carbon and SQI in relation to fruit yield, ascribed to the intense competition for water and nutrients between cover plants and citrus trees. In conclusion, LBM emerges as the most beneficial soil and water conservation measure for enhancing orchard SQI, preserving nutrients, and maintaining aggregate stoichiometric balance. It holds the potential to improve orchard yield and contribute to sustainable development.

Proteomic analysis of boar seminal plasma: Putative markers for fertility based on capacity of semen preservation at 17°C.

Boar seminal plasma (SP) proteins were associated with differences on sperm resistance to cooling at 17°C. However, information about seminal plasma proteins in boars classified by capacity of semen preservation and in vivo fertility remains lacking. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the SPproteome in boars classified by capacity of semen preservation and putative biomarkers for fertility. The ejaculates from high-preservation (HP) showed higher progressive motility during all 5 days than the low-preservation (LP) boars. There was no difference for farrowing rate between ejaculates from LP (89.7%) and HP boars (88.4%). The LP boars presented lower total piglets born (14.0 ± 0.2) than HP (14.8 ± 0.2; p < 0.01). A total of 257 proteins were identified, where 184 were present in both classes of boar, and 41 and 32 were identified only in LP and HP boars, respectively. Nine proteins were differently expressed: five were more abundant in HP (SPMI, ZPBP1, FN1, HPX, and C3) and four in LP boars (B2M, COL1A1, NKX3-2, and MPZL1). The HP boars had an increased abundance of SP proteins related to sperm resistance and fecundation process which explains the better TPB. LP boars had a higher abundance of SP proteins associated with impaired spermatogenesis.

Digital Archiving in Archaeology: Assessing the State of the Art

The Saving European Archaeology from Digital Dark Age (SEADDA) COST Action (CA18128) is funded by the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme of the European Union and aims to create a network for archaeologists and digital specialists to build capacity for the long-term preservation of digital data for archaeology. More than 20 countries are involved in SEADDA, and have undertaken surveys, publications, workshops, STSMs (Short Term Scientific Missions) and other activities carried out to increase awareness and share expertise. Within the scope of the project, Internet Archeology 58 2021, titled "Digital Archiving in Archeology: Assessing the State of the Art", and then Internet Archeology 63 2023, titled "Digital Archiving in Archeology: Additional State of the Art and Further Analyzes" were published. This article will give a brief introduction to SEADDA but will focus primarily on what we are learning from Internet Archaeology 58 and Internet Archaeology 63, how it is helping us to understand digital archaeological data around the world. In this study, 37 articles from 31 different countries were examined, according to three main categories: administrative structure, physical and digital archives for archaeological data. In the light of the data obtained, it is difficult to generalize about archaeological data processes and management; however, different countries and regions are applying different methods to create repositories. Legislation, budgets, and human resources are all factors which affect these processes for preserving digital archaeological data for future generations. But, all countries need to share expertise, and engage in capacity building, especially around legislations, human resources, standards and guidelines, whilst financial support needs to be prioritized.

Sprayable oxidized polyvinyl alcohol with improved degradability and sufficient mechanical property for fruit preservation.

Besides their limited preservation capacity and low biosafety, traditional fruit preservation procedures exacerbate "white pollution" because they utilize excessive plastic. Herein, an environmentally friendly one-pot method was developed to obtain degradable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), where the hydroxyl radicals generated through the reaction between hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and iron ions functioned to oxidize PVA. The oxidized PVA (OPVA-1.0) with abundant ketone groups, reduced crystallinity, and short molecular chains was completely degraded into H2O and CO2 after being buried in the soil for ∼60 days. An improvement in its degradation rate did not weaken the mechanical properties of OPVA-1.0 compared to other modified PVA films because the adverse effect of decreased crystallinity on its mechanical performance was offset by its ion coordination. Alternatively, the tensile strength or toughness of OPVA-1.0 was enhanced due to its internal multi-level interactions including molecular chain entanglement, hydrogen bonding, and metal coordination bonds. More interestingly, OPVA-1.0 was water-welded into various products in a recyclable way owing to its reversible physical bonds, where it was sprayed, dipped, or brushed conformally onto different perishable fruits to delay their ripening by 5-14 days. Based on the cellular biocompatibility and biosafety evaluations in mice, OPVA-1.0 obtained by the facile oxidation strategy was demonstrated to alleviate "white pollution" and delay the ripening of fruits effectively.

Antibacterial, Antibiofilm, and Tooth Color Preservation Capacity of Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles Varnish (in vitro Study).

Antibacterial and antibiofilm properties of magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgONPs) mixture assessed against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), in addition to examining MgONPs varnish impact on the preservation of the tooth color and inhibition of methylene blue diffusion to the enamel. MgONPs mixture was prepared in deionized water (DW), absolute ethanol (E), and rosin with ethanol (RE), named varnish. The antibacterial and antibiofilm capacities of MgONPs mixtures were tested by agar well diffusion, colony-forming unit (CFU), and biofilm inhibition microtiter methods in triplicate and compared to sodium fluoride varnish (NaF) and chlorhexidine mouthwash (ChX). A spectrophotometer was used to record basic tooth color. The artificial demineralization was initiated for 96 h. Then, experimental materials were applied to the corresponding group, and 10-day pH cycles proceeded. Then, the color was recorded in the same ambient environment. The methylene blue diffusion was evaluated by staining the samples for 24 h. After that, the diffusion test was calculated by a digital camera attached to the stereomicroscope. The agar well diffusion test expressed a significant inhibition zone with all MgONPs mixtures (p = 0.000), and maximum inhibition zone diameter associated with MgONPs-RE. The same finding was observed in the CFU test. Additionally, 2.5%, 5%, and 10% MgONPs-RE varnish showed strong biofilm inhibition capacity (p = 0.039) compared to NaF and ChX groups that inhibit biofilm formation moderately (p = 0.003). The study shows that the 5% MgONPs-RE varnish maintains basic tooth color with minimal methylene blue diffusion compared to NaF varnish (p = 0.00). Evaluating MgONPs as a mixture revealed antibacterial and antibiofilm capacity against S. mutans with a higher effect of MgONPs-RE varnish. Also, examining the topical effect of MgONPs-RE varnish on the preservation of the tooth color after pH cycle challenges and methylene blue diffusion to enamel confirmed the high performance of MgONPs-RE varnish at 5%.

Analysing detail preserving capabilities of bilateral, laplacian and taubin mesh filtering methods

Mesh filtering of surfaces is crucial for noise reduction, feature preservation, and mesh simplification in graphics, visualization, and computer vision. In this paper, the detail preservation capacities of 3 frequently used filters, i.e., Bilateral, Laplacian, and Taubin mesh filters, in mesh filtering have been thoroughly examined by experiments conducted on 4 different test meshes. While the Bilateral filter excels in preserving sharp features due to its integration of geometric proximity with intensity similarity, the Laplacian filter prioritizes smoothness by averaging neighboring vertex positions, and the Taubin filter offers a balanced approach by merging attributes of both Laplacian and high-pass filters. The Bilateral filter's primary strength lies in its ability to maintain sharp features on a mesh, ensuring that intricate details are preserved by considering both the spatial closeness and intensity similarity of vertices. The Laplacian filter, although effective in achieving mesh smoothness, has the propensity to excessively smooth out sharp and defining features, potentially causing a loss of critical details in the processed mesh. The Taubin filter integrates the best of both worlds, ensuring smoothness without excessive mesh shrinkage; however, it might not excel in feature preservation as effectively as the Bilateral filter or smooth as uniformly as the Laplacian filter, making it a middle-ground option for certain applications. The statistical analysis of the experimental results has shown that the Taubin method is statistically a more successful mesh filtering method for the test sets used in this paper.

Comprehensive evaluation for the sustainable development of fresh agricultural products logistics enterprises based on combination empowerment-TOPSIS method.

To solve the problems of environmental pollution and resource waste caused by the rapid development of cold chain logistics of fresh agricultural products and improve the competitiveness of logistics enterprises in the market, a performance evaluation method of cold chain logistics enterprises based on the combined empowerment-TOPSIS was proposed. Firstly, from the five dimensions of cold supply chain capacity, service quality, economic efficiency, informatization degree and development ability, a comprehensive evaluation system of logistics enterprises' sustainable development is constructed, which consists of 16 indicators, such as storage and preservation capacity, distribution accuracy, and equipment input rate. Then, G1 method and entropy weight method are used to calculate the subjective and objective weights of the evaluation indicators, and the combined weights are calculated with the objective of minimizing the deviation of the subjective and objective weighted attributes. Finally, the TOPSIS method is used to calculate the comprehensive evaluation indicators. The results show that the established performance evaluation model can effectively evaluate the performance of fresh agricultural products logistics enterprises and provide theoretical basis for enterprise logistics management.