High-intensity ultrasound reduces fermentation time and improves textural properties,antioxidant activity and probiotic survival in fermented probiotic strawberry drink

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of high-intensity ultrasound (HIUS) application with different processing times (2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 min) on the physicochemical, rheological and textural properties, antioxidant activity (AA) and probiotic survival in strawberry-flavoured fermented probiotic strawberry drink during storage (7°C for 28 days). The application of HIUS resulted in products with lower fermentation times, higher organic acid stability during storage and improved texture (higher firmness and consistency) and functional properties (higher phenolic compounds content and/or AA). Using 2.5 min of processing time would be advisable due to the better probiotic survival to simulated gastrointestinal conditions (probiotic counts higher than 10⁶ CFU mL⁻¹), reduced fermentation times (reduction in 3 h), higher lactic acid content during storage and enhanced AA. The products showed a viable probiotic counts higher than 10⁶ CFU mL⁻¹ during the entire shelf life. HIUS may be considered as an adequate pre-treatment in the development of probiotic fermented probiotic strawberry drink.     

Evaluation of neural networks defenses and attacks using NDCG and reciprocal rank metrics

International Journal of Information Security - The problem of attacks on neural networks through input modification (i.e., adversarial examples) has attracted much attention recently. Being...     

Editing landscapes: Experimental frameworks for territorial-based robotic fabrication

With the advent of on-site robotic tools, they can be deployed for editing landscapes – defined as the modulation of grounds with a high degree of sensitivity to matter and form. The paper contributes a theoretical grounding and two experimental frameworks for territorial-based robotic fabrication. Each experimental framework supports a robotic capacity for informing and forming grounds, demonstrated in relation to extreme territories using simulation setups. The frameworks include (1) a layer-sensitive modulation for protecting topsoil and (2) a performance-based robotic forming for creating wind barriers. For each framework, the paper proposes a setup, an exploration method, and an evaluation process. Drawing on the presented frameworks, the paper outlines three potentials of territorial-based robotic fabrication: the capability to modulate grounds vertically, the possibility to perform cross-scalar forming, and the opportunity to form dynamic, performative landscapes. The paper concludes with potential ways in which robotic tools could be leveraged for advancing precise landscape editing across scales.     

Bed expansion of binary mixtures of irregular particles in solid–liquid fluidization: Experimental,empirical correlation,and GA-ANN modelling

Expansion behaviour for a bed of binary mixture of the irregularly shaped particle in Newtonian liquid was measured in two different circular columns. Variations in the physical parameters on the expansion behaviour have been reported. Bed expansion increases with an increase in liquid velocity and a decrease in particle diameter. Static bed height and expansion of the bed are low for higher diameter columns. An empirical correlation has been developed for predicting the ratio of bed height at the fluidized condition to the initial bed height as a function of the physical and dynamic variables related to the system for the binary particle mixtures. The correlation coefficient and variance of the estimate are 0.9299 and 0.0013, respectively, which is acceptable statistical accuracy. A hybrid of the genetic algorithm and neural network modelling for the prediction of the same has also been attempted where the input parameters are optimized using the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm. With a relative error of 1.46%, the genetic algorithm performed well. So, the modelling has successfully predicted the bed height ratio at fluidized conditions to the initial bed height.