Estimation of Peanut Maturity Using Color Image Analysis

Peanuts pods grow underground and mature unevenly, resulting that choosing the correct time to harvest is more complicated than other crops. Pod maturity can be determined by blasting with a pressure washer to remove outer skin of the pod (exocarp) to expose the color of the middle layer (mesocarp). The mesocarp color changes with maturity from white to yellow, orange, brown and finally black. The sum of percentage from orange, brown, and black mesocarp (OBB) color and black color (BL) represents the kernels that are mature enough to harvest. The goal of this research is to identify methodologies to estimate OBB and BL of the pods using RGB images taken in the field and validate the proposed model using other pod images. The Mahalanobis distance classification method was used to process sets of images and calculate pod area (number of pixels) corresponding to two classes (mesocarp and background) with nine different color groups. The results showed a performance of 94% effectiveness for mesocarp using Mahalanobis distance classification. Statistical regression for OBB and BL was developed based on 315 images of peanut pods taken from the field. The R2 and root mean square error of predicted and actual OBB were 0.93 and 4.1%, respectively. The R2 and root mean square error of predicted and actual BL were 0.88 and 1.8%, respectively. The validation of OBB using other images provided reasonable estimation (R2 = 0.98 and RMSE = 2.73%). This study introduces a novel, cost-effective, and non-destructive method for estimating peanut maturity using RGB imagery and Mahalanobis distance classification in the field. This innovative approach addresses the limitations of traditional methods and offers a robust alternative for real-time maturity assessment.

High-throughput phenotyping of plant leaf morphological, physiological,and biochemical traits on multiple scales using optical sensing

Acquisition of plant phenotypic information facilitates plant breeding, sheds light on gene action, and can be applied to optimize the quality of agricultural and forestry products. Because leaves often show the fastest responses to external environmental stimuli, leaf phenotypic traits are indicators of plant growth,health, and stress levels. Combination of new imaging sensors, image processing, and data analytics permits measurement over the full life span of plants at high temporal resolution and at several organizational levels from organs to individual plants to field populations of plants. We review the optical sensors and associated data analytics used for measuring morphological, physiological, and biochemical traits of plant leaves on multiple scales. We summarize the characteristics, advantages and limitations of optical sensing and data-processing methods applied in various plant phenotyping scenarios. Finally, we discuss the future prospects of plant leaf phenotyping research. This review aims to help researchers choose appropriate optical sensors and data processing methods to acquire plant leaf phenotypes rapidly,accurately, and cost-effectively.

Improving the Heat Resistance ofβ-1,4 Glucanase by Introducing Disulfide Bonds

Each possible pair of residues inβ-1,4 glucanase for disulfide formation was assessed using online websites,and four pairs L28C-S256C,Q41C-P278C,S122C-N163C and A184C-A215C were selected.Accordingly,four recombinant plasmids pET28a(+)EccslH28,pET28a(+)EccslH41,pET28a(+)EccslH122 and pET28a(+)EccslH184 were prepared and transformed into E.coli to express the recombinant enzymes.Then analysis on enzymatic properties showed that T50 of the recombinant enzymes was increased from 10 min for EccslHt2 to 90 min for EccslH28 and 40 min for EccslH41 at 70℃,while their optimum pH value and pH stability were not affected,which proved that the introduction of disulfide bond improved the thermal stability ofβ-1,4 glucanase.

Storage stability of vitamin C fortified purple mashed potatoes processed with microwave-assisted thermal sterilization system

Quality changes in ready-to-eat,shelf-stable foods,during storage can be influenced by many factors,such as processing,storage conditions,and the barrier properties of the packaging.This research investigated retention of vitamin C and anthocyanin in purple mashed potatoes as influenced by packaging barrier properties and encapsulation during storage after microwave assisted thermal sterilization.Purple mashed potatoes fortified with encapsulated(EVC)or non-encapsulated vitamin C(NVC)were packaged in two high-barrier polymer pouches(TLMO and PAA),processed with a pilot-scale microwave assisted thermal sterilization(MATS)system(F0=10.7 min),and stored at 37.8°C for 7 months.MATS processing caused a significant increase(P<0.05)in the oxygen transmission rates(OTRs)of PAA pouches but did not affect the barrier properties of TLMO pouches.PAA film also had a significantly higher(P<0.05)water vapor transmission rate(WVTRs)than TLMO films,which resulted in a significantly higher(P<0.05)weight loss in the samples packaged in PAA pouches than TLMO pouches.Purple mashed potatoes containing encapsulated vitamin C in both TLMO and PAA pouches showed the highest retention over 2 months of storage at 37.8°C than non-encapsulated vitamin C.Additionally,purple mashed potatoes exposed to 700 lumens light showed a significantly higher(P<0.05)deterioration in the anthocyanin,total phenolic content,color,and vitamin C.Overall,MATS processed purple mashed potatoes in high barrier polymeric packaging can minimize the quality changes when stored in dark conditions during storage and have an extended shelf life.

流体/半流体物料连续流射频加热辅助装置设计与试验

针对流体/半流体物料在流动状态下开展射频杀菌、钝酶、提取时加热不均匀的问题,该研究设计了一套适用于英国Strayfield SO6B型射频加热系统的流体/半流体物料连续流辅助装置。该装置主要由蠕动泵、电动机、料槽和控制系统等组成,料槽内部装有一组剪切折叠满面式螺旋桨实现对物料的混合搅拌。选取生牛乳、羧甲基纤维素(carboxymethylcellulose,CMC)溶液以及苹果渣-柠檬酸混合溶液(PS)3种物料分别进行射频处理,结果显示,相同条件下3种物料的升温速率从大到小依次为生牛乳、CMC溶液、PS,且在20 min内所有物料即可达到目标温度,证实该装置可以辅助不同特性流体/半流体物料实现射频连续均匀加热。与无螺旋搅拌相比,在物料静止状态,螺旋搅拌可以改善射频加热均匀性,其中CMC溶液改善最为明显,其射频加热均匀性指数由0.139降为0.068;在物料流动状态,螺旋搅拌可以改善CMC溶液与果渣粒径为5 mm的苹果渣-柠檬酸混合溶液(PS5)的加热均匀性,CMC溶液和果渣粒径PS5的最大温差分别下降了13.4和11.4℃,但在低速搅拌时固液混合物料易因颗粒漂浮而降低加热均匀性。整体来看,该装置可以实现流体/半流体物料的射频连续均匀化处理,可为该类物料的射频连续化加热及工业化处理提供技术与理论支持。

Identifying and validating MMP family members(MMP2,MMP9,MMP12,and MMP16)as therapeutic targets and biomarkers in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma(KIRC)

Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma(KIRC)is a malignant tumor that carries a substantial risk of morbidity and mortality.The MMP family assumes a crucial role in tumor invasion and metastasis.This study aimed to uncover the mechanistic relevance of the MMP gene family as a therapeutic target and diagnostic biomarker in Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma(KIRC)through a comprehensive approach encompassing both computational and molecular analyses.STRING,Cytoscape,UALCAN,GEPIA,OncoDB,HPA,cBioPortal,GSEA,TIMER,ENCORI,DrugBank,targeted bisulfite sequencing(bisulfite-seq),conventional PCR,Sanger sequencing,and RT-qPCR based analyses were used in the present study to analyze MMP gene family members to accurately determine a few hub genes that can be utilized as both therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers for KIRC.By performing STRING and Cytohubba analyses of the 24 MMP gene family members,MMP2(matrix metallopeptidase 2),MMP9(matrix metallopeptidase 9),MMP12(matrix metallopeptidase 12),and MMP16(matrix metallopeptidase 16)genes were denoted as hub genes having highest degree scores.After analyzing MMP2,MMP9,MMP12,and MMP16 via various TCGA databases and RT-qPCR technique across clinical samples and KIRC cell lines,interestingly,all these hub genes were found significantly overexpressed at mRNA and protein levels in KIRC samples relative to controls.The notable effect of the up-regulated MMP2,MMP9,MMP12,and MMP16 was also documented on the overall survival(OS)of the KIRC patients.Moreover,targeted bisulfite-sequencing(bisulfite-seq)analysis revealed that promoter hypomethylation pattern was associated with up-regulation of hub genes(MMP2,MMP9,MMP12,and MMP16).In addition to this,hub genes were involved in various diverse oncogenic pathways.The MMP gene family members(MMP2,MMP9,MMP12,and MMP16)may serve as therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers in KIRC.

Protective effects of two Lactobacillus plantarum strains in hyperlipidemic mice

AIM:To investigate the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum(L.plantarum) CAI6 and L.plantarum SC4 on hyperlipidemic mice.METHODS:Male Kunming mice were fed a highcholesterol diet for 28 d to construct hyperlipidemic models.Hyperlipidemic mice and normal mice were assigned to 3 groups which were separately treated with L.plantarum CAI6,L.plantarum SC4,and physiological saline through oral gavage for 28 d.Total cholesterol(TC),triglycerides(TG),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) levels were measured by commercially available enzyme kits.FACS Calibur flow cytometry was used to examine hepatic and renal nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2) expression.The morphology of livers was checked by hematoxylin and eosin staining and optical microscope observation.RESULTS:Compared with normal mice,hyperlipidemic mice possessed significantly higher TC(3.50 ± 0.43 vs 2.89 ± 0.36,P < 0.01),TG(1.76 ± 0.07 vs 1.10 ± 0.16,P < 0.01),and LDL-C(1.72 ± 0.20 vs 0.82 ± 0.10,P < 0.01) levels,resulting in an increase of atherogenic index(AI)(2.34 ± 1.60 vs 0.93 ± 0.55,P < 0.05) and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio(1.43 ± 0.12 vs 0.51 ± 0.16,P < 0.05).After treatment with L.plantarum CAI6/L.plantarum SC4,TG(1.43 ± 0.27/1.54 ± 0.10 vs 1.76 ± 0.07,P < 0.01/P < 0.05) and LDL-C(1.42 ± 0.07/1.47 ± 0.12 vs 1.72 ± 0.20,P < 0.01/P < 0.01) in hyperlipidemic mice significantly decreased.In addition,TC,HDL-C,AI,and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio were all positively changed.Meanwhile,the treatment markedly alleviated hepatic steatosis and significantly stimulated Nrf2 expression(73.79 ± 0.80/72.96 ± 1.22 vs 54.94 ± 1.84,P < 0.01/P < 0.01) in hepatocytes of hyperlipidemic mice.CONCLUSION:L.plantarum CAI6 and L.plantarum SC4 may protect against cardiovascular disease by lipid metabolism regulation and Nrf2-induced antioxidative defense in hyperlipidemic mice.

Effects of lamivudine on the function of dendritic cells derived from patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection

AIM： To investigate if the nucleoside analogue lamivudine （LAM）, a potent inhibitor of HBV replication, could restore the function of dendritic cells derived from patients with chronic hepatitis B （CHB） in an Asian population.METHODS： Dendritic cells （DCs） derived from mononuclearcytes of patients with chronic HBV infection were cultured in the presence of IL-4, granulocytemacrophage colony-stimulating factors （GM-CSF） and gradient concentrations of LAM （0-2 mmol/L）. Cell morphology was observed under light microscopy. Cell surface molecules, including HI_A-DR, CD80, CD83, and CDla, were analyzed with flow cytometry. The concentrations of IL-6 and IL-12 in the supernatant were assayed by ELISA. T cell proliferation was assayed by methyl thiazoM tetrazolium （MTT）.RESULTS： The expression of CDlα on DC treated with 0.5 mmol/L LAM （LAM-DC 0.5 mmol/L） was significantly higher than that of DC untreated with LAM （54.1 ± 4.21 vs 33.57 ± 3.14, P 〈 0.05）, and so was the expression of CD83 （20.24 ± 2.51 vs 12.83 ± 2.12, P 〈 0.05） as well as the expression of HLA-DR （74.5 ± 5.16 vs 52.8 ± 2.51, P 〈 0.05）. Compared with control group, LAM-DC group （0.5 mmol/L） secreted significantly more IL-12 （910 ± 91.5 vs 268 ± 34.3 pg/mL, P 〈 0.05）, had lower levels of IL-6 in the culture supernatant （28 ± 2.6 vs 55 ± 7.36 pg/mL, P 〈 0.05）, markedly enhanced the stimulatory capacity in the allogeneic mixed leukocyte reaction （MLR） （1.87 ± 0.6 vs 1.24 ± 0.51, P 〈 0.05）.CONCLUSION： The lower expression of phenotypic molecules and impaired allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction function of dendritic cells derived from patients with HBV infection could be restored in vitro by incubation with LAM.

Rapid chemical vapor infiltration of C/C composites

With liquid petrol gas(LPG)as carbon source,carbon felt as porous perform and hydrogen as diluent,C/C composites were fast fabricated by using a multi-physics field chemical vapor infiltration(MFCVI)process in a self-made furnace.A set of orthogonal experiments were carried out to optimize parameters in terms of indices of density and graphitization degree.The results show the optimal indices can be achieved under the conditions of temperature 650℃,LPGconcentration 80%,gas flux 60 mL/s, total pressure 20 kPa,infiltration time 15 h.The verification experiment proves the effectiveness of the orthogonal experiments. Under the optimal conditions,the graphitization degree of 75%and bulk density of 1.69 g/cm are achieved with a uniform density distribution.At the same time,a new structure is obtained.

Risk of colon cancer in hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer patients as predicted by fuzzy modeling:Influence of smoking

AIM： To investigate whether a fuzzy logic model could predict colorectal cancer （CRC） risk engendered by smoking in hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer （HNPCC） patients. METHODS： Three hundred and forty HNPCC mismatch repair （MMR） mutation carriers from the Creighton University Hereditary Cancer Institute Registry were selected for modeling. Age-dependent curves were generated to elucidate the joint effects between gene mutation （hMLH1 or hMSH2）, gender, and smoking status on the probability of developing CRC. RESULTS： Smoking significantly increased CRC risk in male hMSH2 mutation carriers （P 〈 0.05）. hMLH1 mutations augmented CRC risk relative to hMSH2 mutation carriers for males （P 〈 0.05）. Males had a significantly higher risk of CRC than females for hMLH1 non smokers （P 〈 0.05）, hMLH1 smokers （P 〈 0.1） and hMSH2 smokers （P 〈 0.1）. Smoking promoted CRC in a dose-dependent manner in hMSH2 in males （P 〈 0.05）. Females with hMSH2 mutations and both sexes with the hMLH1 groups only demonstrated a smoking effect after an extensive smoking history （P 〈 0.05）. CONCLUSION： CRC promotion by smoking in HNPCC patients is dependent on gene mutation, gender and age. These data demonstrate that fuzzy modeling may enable formulation of clinical risk scores, thereby allowing individualization of CRC prevention strategies.

Laboratory study on the ecological impact of sophorolipid used for harmful algae elimination

We studied the role of sophorolipid in inhibiting harmful algae bloom （HAB）. Different sophorolipid concentrations were tested on marine microalgae, zooplankton, fish, and bivalve （Mytilus edulis） in laboratory. The result shows that sophorolipid could inhibit the growth of algal species selectively. Among three algae species selected, Platymonas helgolandica var. tsingtaoensis was promoted with increasing sophorolipid concentration; Isochrysis galbana was inhibited seven days later in sophorolipid concentration below 40 mg/L; and Nitzschia closterium f. minutissima was inhibited obviously in only a high sophorolipid concentration over 20 mg/L. Therefore, sophorolipid in a low concentration at 〈20 mg/L could remove certain harmful algae species effectivelywithout harming other non-harmful microalgae. For other animals, sophorolipid could inhibit the growth of ciliate Strombidium sp. by 50% at 20 mg/L sophorolipid concentration after 96 h. The concentration in 96-h LC50 for Calanus sinicus, Neomysis awatschensis, Lateolabrax japonicus, and Paralichthys olivaceus was 15, 150, 60, and 110 mg/L, respectively. The 24 h LC50 value for Arternia salina was 600 mg/L. The relative clearance rate of mussel Mytilus edulis decreased to 80%, 40%, and 20% of the control group after being exposed to 20, 50, and 100 mg/L sophorolipid for 24 h. Therefore, the toxicity for mitigation of harmful algae bloom at previously recommended concentration of 5-20 mg/L sophorolipid is low for most tested organisms in this reaserch.

Studies on the Effects of Epimedium Extract on Erythrocytes

The effect of Epimedium extract （EE） on erythrocytes was investigated by atomic force microscopy （AFM）. The images of the surface structures showed clear concave and progressive increase of surface roughness of erythrocyte after incubation with EE at concentration of 0.2 or 0.05 g/L, far below its critical hemolytic levels. The AFM results also indicated that the granules of the fine surface structure increased, which caused by aggregation of membrane protein. Further study showed that the change in surface topography of erythrocyte membrane might be connected with the increase of intracellular free Ca^2＋ induced by EE.

Effect on anaerobic digestion performance of corn stover by freezing–thawing with ammonia pretreatment

In order to enhance the biomethane production from corn stover, choosing effective pretreatment is one of the necessary steps before starting anaerobic digestion(AD).This study was aimed to analyze the effectiveness of freezing–thawing with ammonia pretreatment on substance degradation and AD performance of corn stover.Three ammonia concentrations(2%, 4%, and 6%) with two different moisture contents(50% and 70%) were used to pretreat the corn stover at two temperatures(-20 ℃ and 20 ℃).The result showed that an optimum pretreatment condition for corn stover was at the temperature of -20 ℃, moisture content of 70% and ammonia concentration of 2%.Under the optimum pretreatment condition, the maximum biomethane yield reached 261 ml·(g VS)^(-1), which was 41.08% higher than that of the untreated.Under different pretreatment conditions,the highest loss of lignin at -20 ℃ with 2% ammonia concentration was 63.36% compared with the untreated.The buffer capacity of AD system was also improved after the freezing–thawing with ammonia pretreatment.Therefore, the freezing–thawing with ammonia pretreatment can be used to improve AD performance for corn stover.This study provides further insight for exploring an efficient freezing–thawing with ammonia pretreatment strategy to enhance AD performance for the practical application.

Experimental and CFD Studies on the Performance of Microfiltration Enhanced by a Turbulence Promoter

This paper reports experimental and computational fluid dynamics(CFD) studies on the performance of microfiltration enhanced by a helical screw insert.The experimental results show that the use of turbulence pro-moter can improve the permeate flux of membrane in the crossflow microfiltration of calcium carbonate suspension,and flux improvement efficiency is strongly influenced by operation conditions.The energy consumption analysis indicates that the enhanced membrane system is more energy saving at higher feed concentrations.To explore the intrinsic mechanism of flux enhancement by a helical screw insert,three-dimensional CFD simulation of fluid flow was implemented.It reveals that hydrodynamic characteristics of fluid flow inside the channel are entirely changed by the turbulence promoter.The rotational flow pattern increases the scouring effect on the tube wall,reducing the particle deposition on the membrane surface.The absence of stagnant regions and high wall shear stress are respon-sible for the enhanced filtration performance.No secondary flow is generated in the channel,owing to the streamline shape of helical screw insert,so that the enhanced performance is achieved at relatively low energy consumption.

Equidistant combination wavelength screening and step-by-step phase-out method for the near-infrared spectroscopic analysis of serum urea nitrogen

We applied near-infrared(NIR)spectroscopy with chemometrics for the rapid and reagent-fee analysis of serum urea nitrogen(SUN).The modeling is based on the average effect of multiple sample partitions to achieve parameter selection with stability.A multiparameter optimization platform with Norris derivative filter-partial least squares(Norris-PLS)was developed to select the most suitable mode(d=2,s=33,g=15).Using equidistant combination PLS(EC-PLS)with four parameters(initial wavelength I,number of wavelengths N,number of wavelength gaps G and latent variables LV),we performed wavelength screening after eliminating high-absorption wavebands.The optimal EC-PLS parameters were I=1228 nm,N=26,G=16 and LV=12.The root-mean square error(SEP),correlation coefficient(R_(p))for prediction and ratio of performance-to-deviation(RPD)for validation were 1.03 mmol L^(-1),0.992 and 7.6,respectively.We proposed the wavelength step-by-step phase-out PLS(WSP-PLS)to remove redun-dant wavelengths in the top 100 EC-PLS models with improved prediction performance.The combination of 19 wavelengths was identifed as the optimal model for SUN.The SEP,Rp and RPD in validation were 1.01 mmol L^(-1),0.992 and 7.7,respectively.The prediction effect and wavelength complexity were better than those of EC-PIS.Our results showed that NIR spectroscopy combined with the EC-PLS and WSP-PLS methods enabled the high-precision analysis ofSUN.WSP-PLS is a secondary optimization method that can further optimize any wavelength moc odel obtained through other continuous or discrete strategies to establish a simple and better model.

Discriminant Analysis of Liquor Brands Based on Moving-Window Waveband Screening Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) with integrated moving-window (MW) waveband screening was applied to the discriminant analysis of liquor brands with near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. Luzhou Laojiao, a popular liquor with strong fragrant flavor, was used as the identified liquor brand (160 samples, negative, 52 vol alcoholicity). Liquors of 10 other brands with strong fragrant flavor were used as the interferential brands (200 samples, positive, 52 vol alcoholicity). The Kennard-Stone algorithm was used for the division of modeling samples to achieve uniformity and representativeness. Based on the MW-PLS-DA, a simplified optimal model set with 157 wavebands was further proposed. This set contained five types of wavebands corresponding to the NIR absorption bands of water, ethanol, and other micronutrients (i.e., acids, aldehydes, phenols, and aromatic compounds) in liquor for practical choice. Using five selected simple models with 4775 - 4239, 7804 - 6569, 6264 - 5844, 9435 - 7896, and 12066 - 10373 cm-1, the validation recognition rates were obtained as 99.3% or higher. Results show good prediction performance and low model complexity, and also provided a valuable reference for designing small dedicated instruments. The proposed method is a promising tool for large-scale inspection of liquor food safety.

Regional partitioning of agricultural non-point source pollution in China using a projection pursuit cluster model

A projection pursuit cluster（PPC） model was used to analyze the regional partitioning of agricultural non-point source pollution in China.The environmental factors impacting the agricultural non-point source pollution were compiled into a projection index to set up the projection index function.A novel optimization algorithm called Free search（FS） was introduced to optimize the projection direction of the PPC model.By making the appropriate improvements as we explored the use of the algorithm,it became simpler,and developed better exploration abilities.Thus,the multi-factor problem was converted into a single-factor cluster,according to the projection,which successfully avoided subjective disturbance and produced objective results.The cluster results of the PPC model mirror the actual regional partitioning of the agricultural non-point source pollution in China,indicating that the PPC model is a powerful tool in multi-factor cluster analysis,and could be a new method for the regional partitioning of agricultural non-point source pollution.

Photocatalytic degradation of formaldehyde using mesoporous TiO_2 prepared by evaporation-induced self-assembly

The mesoporous Ti O2 has been synthesized by evaporation induced self assembly(EISA) method. The thermogravimetric/differential scanning calorimetric(TG/DSC), X-ray diffraction(XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HR-TEM) and N2 adsorption desorption and adsorption are used to study the effects of the synthesized process condition on the microstructure of the as-synthesized mesoporous Ti O2. The photocatalytic performances of as-synthesized samples are evaluated by the degradation of the formaldehyde under ultraviolet light irradiations. The results demonstrate that the as-synthesized mesoporous Ti O2 are anatase with the uniform size about 20-40 nm. The sample is prepared using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide(CTAB) as the template with average pore size distribution of 8.12 nm, specific surface area of 68.47 m2/g and pore volume of 0.213 m L/g. The samples show decomposition of formaldehyde 95.8% under ultraviolet light irradiations for 90 min. These results provide a basic experimental process for preparation mesoporous Ti O2, which will posses a broad prospect in terms of the applications in improving indoor air quality.

Lactic Acid Fermentation from Coffee Ground Waste Hydrolysate by Lactobacillus rhamnosus

Lactic acid is an important organic acid that is widely used in the food,pharmaceutical,and cosmetic industries.Lactic acid was produced from coffee ground waste which contains fermentable sugars and is increasingly generated from our daily dietary life.Among 114 strains of Lactobacillus species,Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 10863 was selected for the production of lactic acid from coffee ground waste.Through alkali pretreatment and saccharification,cellulose and hemicellulose in coffee ground waste were converted into fermentable sugars.Pretreatment experiments were conducted at various alkali solution,concentrations,and times.Alkali pretreatment with 35 g/L of KOH at 121oC for 60 min,the highest concentration of fermentable sugars was produced.The optimum concentration of Viscozyme L was 2%when saccharification was proceeded at 55oC for 7 days.The productivity of lactic acid fermentation was the highest(0.59 g/L/h)at 100 g of coffee ground waste(1x concentration),whereas the lactic acid concentration was the highest at 600 g of coffee ground waste(6x concentration).As the concentration of coffee ground increased,the lactic acid concentration was also increased,however,the amount was not proportional to the coffee ground waste used.In this study,it was found that coffee ground waste could be used as a culture medium for Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 10863 through pretreatment and saccharification for the production of lactic acid.

Evaluation of UAV-derived multimodal remote sensing data for biomass prediction and drought tolerance assessment in bioenergy sorghum

Screening for drought tolerance is critical to ensure high biomass production of bioenergy sorghum in arid or semi-arid environments. The bottleneck in drought tolerance selection is the challenge of accurately predicting biomass for a large number of genotypes. Although biomass prediction by lowaltitude remote sensing has been widely investigated on various crops, the performance of the predictions are not consistent, especially when applied in a breeding context with hundreds of genotypes. In some cases, biomass prediction of a large group of genotypes benefited from multimodal remote sensing data;while in other cases, the benefits were not obvious. In this study, we evaluated the performance of single and multimodal data(thermal, RGB, and multispectral) derived from an unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) for biomass prediction for drought tolerance assessments within a context of bioenergy sorghum breeding. The biomass of 360 sorghum genotypes grown under well-watered and water-stressed regimes was predicted with a series of UAV-derived canopy features, including canopy structure, spectral reflectance, and thermal radiation features. Biomass predictions using canopy features derived from the multimodal data showed comparable performance with the best results obtained with the single modal data with coefficients of determination(R2) ranging from 0.40 to 0.53 under water-stressed environment and0.11 to 0.35 under well-watered environment. The significance in biomass prediction was highest with multispectral followed by RGB and lowest with the thermal sensor. Finally, two well-recognized yieldbased drought tolerance indices were calculated from ground truth biomass data and UAV predicted biomass, respectively. Results showed that the geometric mean productivity index outperformed the yield stability index in terms of the potential for reliable predictions by the remotely sensed data.Collectively, this study demonstrated a promising strategy for the use of different UAV-based imaging sensors to quantify yield-based drought tolerance.