Processing of Tree Nuts

Tree nuts are consumed as healthy snacks worldwide and are important economic crops. In this chapter, post-harvest processing technologies of tree nuts are discussed, with focus on the drying, disinfection, disinfestation, and downstream processing technologies (blanching, kernel peeling and roasting) for the control and preservation of product quality and safety. Almonds, walnuts, and pistachios are selected as the representative crops for the discussion. Current status, recent advances, and challenges in the scientific research, as well as in the industrial productions are summarized. Some new perspectives and applications of tree nut processing waste and byproducts (such as shells and hulls) are also introduced. The contents presented in this chapter will help both scientists and stakeholders to better understand the tree nut processing and provide technological recommendations to improve the throughput, efficiency, and sustainability of the processes, and preserve the quality and safety of the products

Short-term load forecasting based on CEEMDAN-FE-ISSA-LightGBM model

To address the problems of low load forecasting accuracy due to the strong non-stationarity of electric loads, this paper proposes a short-term load forecasting method based on a combination of the complete ensemble empirical modal decomposition adaptive noise method-fuzzy entropy (CEEMDAN-FE) and the Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) optimized by the improved sparrow search algorithm (ISSA). First, the original data are decomposed by the complete ensemble empirical modal decomposition adaptive noise algorithm to obtain the eigenmodal components (IMFs) and residual values. Second, the obtained sequences are entropy reorganized by fuzzy entropy, and thus new sequences are obtained. Third, the new sequences are input into the improved sparrow search algorithm-Light Gradient Boosting Machine model for training and prediction. The improved sparrow search algorithm algorithm can realize parameter optimization of the Light Gradient Boosting Machine model to make the data match the model better, and the predicted values of each grouping of the model output are superimposed to obtain the final predicted values. Finally, the effect is compared by the error function, and the comparison results are used to test the performance of the algorithm. The experiments showed that the smallest evaluation metrics were obtained in Case 1 (MAE = 32.251, MAPE = 0.0114,RMSE = 42.386, R2 = 0.997) and Case2 (MAE = 3.866, MAPE = 0.003, RMSE = 5.940, R2 = 0.997)

Kolmogorov-Smirnov Criterion Based Gamma Approximation for Lognormal Shadowing Models

To promote the applications of gamma approximation for lognormal shadowing models in a multitude of applications, we propose to use the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) criterion to enable channel parameter mapping in this paper. The resulting K-S criterion based lognormal-to-gamma channel model substitution (CMS) technique aims to provide statistically robust parameter mapping relations by minimizing the integrated squared error (ISE) between the original lognormal shadowing model and its gamma substitute. We study the ISE minimization problem in depth for this lognormal-to-gamma CMS technique and for the first time prove its convexity with respect to both the scale and shape parameters of the gamma substitute. Therefore, we can employ numerical optimization methods to solve the ISE minimization problem with the assured convergence and optimality. Numerical results presented in this paper verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the K-S criterion based lognormal-to-gamma CMS technique in comparison with those based on the moment matching (MM) and Kullback-Leibler (K-L) criteria

An Inherent Optical Properties Data Processing System for Achieving Consistent Ocean Color Products From Different Ocean Color Satellites

We used field measurements and multimission satellite data to evaluate how well an inherent optical properties (IOPs) data processing system performed at correcting the residual error of the atmospheric correction in satellite remote sensing reflectance (R-rs) and how well the system simultaneously minimized intermission biases between different remote sensing systems. We developed the IOPs data processing system as a semianalytical algorithm called IDAS. Our results show that IDAS generates accurate and consistent IOPs products from two ocean color missions: Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Aqua (MODISA). Specifically, with "high-quality" SeaWiFS and MODISA R-rs data, IDAS provided temporally consistent IOPs products for the oligotrophic open ocean resulting in an annual mean intermission difference of less than 3%, which is significantly lower than what a quasi-analytical algorithm (QAA) provided. We used IDAS to generate a long time series of b(b)(555) from the Northwest Atlantic Subtropical Gyre using SeaWiFS (1998 to 2002) and MODISA (2003 to 2017) images. Our results show that the IDAS-derived annual b(b)(555) decreased monotonically by 2.81% per decade from 1998 to 2017. Comparing the IDAS-generated annual trend for b(b)(555) to the same data processed with the QAA algorithm, we found that the QAA results differed because of impacts of the residual errors of the atmospheric correction and intermission biases. The differences in the annual trends existed despite the same temporal changing patterns of in situ particulate organic carbon existing in the Sargasso Sea and in the satellite chlorophyll-a concentration in the Northwest Atlantic Subtropical Gyre

Two novel in vitro assays to screen chemicals for their capacity to inhibit thyroid hormone transmembrane transporter proteins OATP1C1 and OAT4

Early brain development depends on adequate transport of thyroid hormones (THs) from the maternal circulation to the fetus. To reach the fetal brain, THs have to cross several physiological barriers, including the placenta, blood–brain-barrier and blood–cerebrospinal fluid-barrier. Transport across these barriers is facilitated by thyroid hormone transmembrane transporters (THTMTs). Some endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can interfere with the transport of THs by THTMTs. To screen chemicals for their capacity to disrupt THTMT facilitated TH transport, in vitro screening assays are required. In this study, we developed assays for two THTMTs, organic anion transporter polypeptide 1C1 (OATP1C1) and organic anion transporter 4 (OAT4), both known to play a role in the transport of THs across barriers. We used overexpressing cell models for both OATP1C1 and OAT4, which showed an increased uptake of radiolabeled T4 compared to control cell lines. Using these models, we screened various reference and environmental chemicals for their ability to inhibit T4 uptake by OATP1C1 and OAT4. Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) was identified as an OATP1C1 inhibitor, more potent than any of the reference chemicals tested. Additionally perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluoroctanic acid (PFOA), pentachlorophenol and quercetin were identified as OATP1C1 inhibitors in a similar range of potency to the reference chemicals tested. Bromosulfophthalein, TBBPA, PFOA and PFOS were identified as potent OAT4 inhibitors. These results demonstrate that EDCs commonly found in our environment can disrupt TH transport by THTMTs, and contribute to the identification of molecular mechanisms underlying TH system disruption chemicals.</p

Flow Characteristics of Pulse Cleaning System in Ceramic Filter

The rigid ceramic filters have been recognized to be a most promising kind of equipment for the gas-solid separation and the cleaning of hot gases due to their unique properties and higher separation efficiency for larger than 5 {micro}m particles, which will well meet downstream system component protection and environmental standards. They have potential for increased efficiency in advanced coal-fired power generation systems like pressurized fluidized bed combustion (PFBC) and integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) process, and petrochemical process such as fluid catalyst cracking (FCC) Process. In the commercial utilization of rigid ceramic filters, the performance of pulse cleaning systems has crucial effects on the long-term structural durability and reliability of the entire design. In order to get a clear insight into the nature of this cleaning process and provide a solid basis for the industrial applications, the transient flow characteristics of the rigid ceramic candle filter during the whole pulse cleaning process should be completely analyzed

Towards Real-World Writing Assistance: A Chinese Character Checking Benchmark with Faked and Misspelled Characters

Writing assistance is an application closely related to human life and is also a fundamental Natural Language Processing (NLP) research field. Its aim is to improve the correctness and quality of input texts, with character checking being crucial in detecting and correcting wrong characters. From the perspective of the real world where handwriting occupies the vast majority, characters that humans get wrong include faked characters (i.e., untrue characters created due to writing errors) and misspelled characters (i.e., true characters used incorrectly due to spelling errors). However, existing datasets and related studies only focus on misspelled characters mainly caused by phonological or visual confusion, thereby ignoring faked characters which are more common and difficult. To break through this dilemma, we present Visual-C$^3$, a human-annotated Visual Chinese Character Checking dataset with faked and misspelled Chinese characters. To the best of our knowledge, Visual-C$^3$ is the first real-world visual and the largest human-crafted dataset for the Chinese character checking scenario. Additionally, we also propose and evaluate novel baseline methods on Visual-C$^3$. Extensive empirical results and analyses show that Visual-C$^3$ is high-quality yet challenging. The Visual-C$^3$ dataset and the baseline methods will be publicly available to facilitate further research in the community.Comment: Work in progres

Ginseng Total Saponins Reverse Corticosterone-Induced Changes in Depression-Like Behavior and Hippocampal Plasticity-Related Proteins by Interfering with GSK-3 β

This study aimed to explore the antidepressant mechanisms of ginseng total saponins (GTS) in the corticosterone-induced mouse depression model. In Experiment 1, GTS (50, 25, and 12.5 mg kg−1 d−1, intragastrically) were given for 3 weeks. In Experiment 2, the same doses of GTS were administrated after each corticosterone (20 mg kg−1 d−1, subcutaneously) injection for 22 days. In both experiments, mice underwent a forced swimming test and a tail suspension test on day 20 and day 21, respectively, and were sacrificed on day 22. Results of Experiment 1 revealed that GTS (50 and 25 mg kg−1 d−1) exhibited antidepressant activity and not statistically altered hippocampal protein levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurofilament light chain (NF-L). Results of Experiment 2 showed that GTS (50 and 25 mg kg−1 d−1) ameliorated depression-like behavior without normalizing hypercortisolism. The GTS treatments reversed the corticosterone-induced changes in mRNA levels of BDNF and NF-L, and protein levels of BDNF NF-L, phosphor-cAMP response element-binding protein (Ser133), and phosphor-glycogen synthase kinase-3β (Ser9) in the hippocampus. These findings imply that the effect of GTS on corticosterone-induced depression-like behavior may be mediated partly through interfering with hippocampal GSK-3β-CREB signaling pathway and reversing decrease of some plasticity-related proteins

Is Fermi 1544-0649 a misaligned blazar? discovering the jet structure with VLBI

Fermi J1544-0649 is a transient GeV source first detected during its GeV flares in 2017. Multi-wavelength observations during the flaring time demonstrate variability and spectral energy distribution(SED) that are typical of a blazar. Other than the flare time, Fermi J1544-0649 is quiet in the GeV band and looks rather like a quiet galaxy (2MASX J15441967-0649156) for a decade. Together with the broad absorption lines feature we further explore the "misaligned blazar scenario". We analyzed the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) and East Asian VLBI Network (EAVN) data from 2018 to 2020 and discovered the four jet components from Fermi J1544-0649. We found a viewing angle around 3.7{\deg} to 7.4{\deg}. The lower limit of the viewing angle indicates a blazar with an extremely low duty cycle of the gamma-ray emission, the upper limit of it supports the "misaligned blazar scenario". Follow-up multi-wavelength observations after 2018 show Fermi J1544-0649 remains quiet in GeV, X-ray, and optical bands. Multi-messenger search of neutrinos is also performed, and an excess of 3.1 {\sigma} significance is found for this source.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 13 pages, 7 figure