Coherences of Instrumental and Sensory Characteristics: Case Study on Cherry Tomatoes

The aim of this study was to investigate 6 cherry tomato varieties in terms of morphological, instrumental, and sensory attributes. Hungarian cherry tomato landraces have not been investigated in comparison with new commercial varieties for these traits. Parameters investigated were water‐soluble antioxidant capacity (FRAP, DPPH, and TEAC), and total polyphenol, vitamin C, β‐carotene, lycopene, total soluble solids, and acid contents. Colorimetric measurements as well as sensory analyses were conducted. It was concluded that varied antioxidant assays should be used in parallel to overcome the selectivity of any 1 method. Total phenolic content significantly contributed to results of antioxidant assays for the investigated varieties. The sensory profiles of the 6 cherry tomato varieties have been created. The differences between the products based on the 18 attributes were analyzed by Tukey post hoc test. The biplot of the principal component analysis showed that the sensory panel could discriminate the samples along the principal components. No correlation was found between colorimetric data a* and b* measured from pulp and lycopene, but a negative connection of β‐carotene and hue was noted. Total polyphenol content showed correlations with colorimetric results, except for b*. The influence of tomato skin color on color perception is significant as in the present study instrumental data measured from pulp did not match that of the panelists evaluating intact fruit. Instrumental results of sugar content were supported by the ratings of the sensory panel.     

A Nonlinear Wave Metric and its CNN Implementation for Object Classification

In this paper a nonlinear wave metric is introduced for object classification. It is shown that the choice of a metric is a nontrivial problem since it is easy to give examples when well-known distance measures, such as Hamming, Hausdorff, and Nonlinear Hausdorff metrics are completely inadequate for this classification. As an alternative a generalized theorem is proposed that includes the previous metrics as special cases. It is based on nonlinear wave propagation and defines a computational framework that is well-suited for parallel array processors. In this study we investigate different Cellular Neural Network (CNN) architectures and solutions for the proposed metric and analyze its VLSI implementation complexity.     

Characterization of polypyrrole/piperazine-1,4-bis(2-ethane sulfonate) film and its application for the immobilization of vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 (B12) - possessing a redox active cobalt centre - is a candidate to be used as a mediator in bioelectrochemical processes. In order to exploit the possible redox activity of B12, Pt has been modified by a bio-conform conducting layer polypyrrole/piperazine-1,4-bis(2-ethane sulfonate) PPy/PIPES. The electrochemical and spectral behaviour of this film proved to be similar to PPy/dodecyl-sulfate (DS), widely considered and accepted as one of the best combinations of conducting polymer films. The capability of the PPy/PIPES film for acting as adsorbant in the accumulation of B12 has been evidenced by the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) technique. B12 could also be incorporated into the polymer layer during its electrochemical deposition. The results proving the preserved redox activity of B12 within the film open new perspectives towards redox mediated bioelectrochemical applications based on the immobilization of this biomolecule.     

Multienzymatic immobilization of laccases on polymeric microspheres: A strategy to expand the maximum catalytic efficiency

Laccase enzymes of were covalently coimmobilized on poly(glycidyl methacrylate) microspheres. The objective of this work was to create a biocatalyst that works efficiently in a wide range of pH. The coimmobilization was performed using two different strategies to compare the most efficient. The results showed that by correctly selecting the enzymes and concentrations involved in the commobilization, it is possible to obtain a biocatalyst that works efficiently at a wide pH range (2.0–7.0). The maximum activity values reached per gram of support for the obtained biocatalyst were 41.90 U (pH 3.0), 40.89 U (pH 4.0), and 39.54 U (pH 6.0). Moreover, the thermal, storage, and mechanical stabilities were improved compared to the free and single-immobilized laccases. It was concluded that enzymatic coimmobilization is an excellent alternative to obtain a robust biocatalyst that works in a wide pH range, with potential environmental and industrial applications.     

Contiguous clock lines for pipelined nanomagnet logic

In this paper we study pipelined nanomagnet logic by simulating and comparing varying adjacent clock line structures. Unlike previous simulations, a realistic clock line shape is used in simulations to obtain a more accurate idea of whether or not these clock lines function properly. First, we simulate individual clock lines using Ansys Maxwell 2D according to the parameters of the fabricated clock lines. Then, these clock lines are placed adjacent to one another to simulate how data can propagate from one clock zone to another. Adjusting the clock line layer structure minimizes a dip in the magnetic field at the clock zone boundaries from 35% minimum below the clocking field to a 16% dip. These magnetic field profiles are then used in the object-oriented micromagnetic framework (OOMMF) to simulate lines of nanomagnets. By reducing the gap between contiguous clock lines, we show error free data propagation in the form of a ferromagnetically coupled line of nanomagnets.     

Influence of processing on fracture toughness of Si3N4 + graphene platelet composites

Silicon nitride + 1 wt% graphene platelet composites were prepared using various graphene platelets (GPL) and two processing routes; hot isostatic pressing (HIP) and gas pressure sintering (GPS). The influence of the processing route and graphene platelets’ addition on the fracture toughness has been investigated. The matrix of the composites prepared by GPS consists of Si₃N₄ grains with smaller diameter in comparison to the composites prepared by HIP. The indentation fracture toughness of the composites was in the range 6.1–9.9 MPa m^0.5, which is significantly higher compared to the monolithic silicon nitride 6.5 and 6.3 MPa m^0.5. The highest value of K_IC was 9.9 MPa m^0.5 in the case of composite reinforced by the smallest multilayer graphene nanosheets, prepared by HIP. The composites prepared by GPS exhibit lower fracture toughness, from 6.1 to 8.5 MPa m^0.5. The toughening mechanisms were similar in all composites in the form of crack deflection, crack branching and crack bridging.     

Laser guiding for GeV laser-plasma accelerators

Guiding of relativistically intense laser beams in preformed plasma channels is discussed for development of GeV-class laser accelerators. Experiments using a channel guided laser wakefield accelerator at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have demonstrated that near mono-energetic 100 MeV-class electron beams can be produced with a 10 TW laser system. Analysis, aided by particle-in-cell simulations, as well as experiments with various plasma lengths and densities, indicate that tailoring the length of the accelerator, together with loading of the accelerating structure with beam, is the key to production of mono-energetic electron beams. Increasing the energy towards a GeV and beyond will require reducing the plasma density and design criteria are discussed for an optimized accelerator module. The current progress and future directions are summarized through comparison with conventional accelerators, highlighting the unique short-term prospects for intense radiation sources based on laser-driven plasma accelerators.