Explore the vast range of titles available.

Stem lettuce is a nutritious vegetable rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and bioactive compounds, but fresh-cut processing accelerates browning, oxidative stress, and quality deterioration during storage. This study investigated the effects of ethanol vapor on browning inhibition, antioxidant capacity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism in fresh-cut stem lettuce. Samples were treated with ethanol vapor at 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mL/L and stored for 12 days. Among the treatments, 0.5 mL/L ethanol vapor most effectively delayed browning by suppressing the activities of peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, while reducing the accumulation of superoxide anion radicals and hydrogen peroxide. This treatment also enhanced antioxidant defense systems by increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase, as well as non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity, as indicated by elevated FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS scavenging activities. By the end of storage, FRAP and DPPH values in the 0.5 mL/L group were approximately 1.8 and 2-fold higher than those of the control. Overall, ethanol vapor at 0.5 mL/L effectively alleviated oxidative stress, maintained ROS homeostasis, and delayed enzymatic browning, demonstrating its potential as a practical preservation strategy to improve postharvest quality and extend the shelf life of fresh-cut stem lettuce during cold storage.

Proper postharvest storage preserves horticultural products, including tea, until they can be processed. However, few studies have focused on the physiology of ripening and senescence during postharvest storage, which affects the flavor and quality of tea. In this study, physiological and biochemical indexes of the leaves of tea cultivar ‘Yinghong 9′ preserved at a low temperature and high relative humidity (15–18 °C and 85–95%, PTL) were compared to those of leaves stored at ambient conditions (24 ± 2 °C and relative humidity of 65% ± 5%, UTL). Water content, chromatism, chlorophyll fluorescence, and key metabolites (caffeine, theanine, and catechins) were analyzed over a period of 24 h, and volatilized compounds were determined after 24 h. In addition, the expression of key biosynthesis genes for catechin, caffeine, theanine, and terpene were quantified. The results showed that water content, chromatism, and chlorophyll fluorescence of preserved leaves were more similar to fresh tea leaves than unpreserved tea leaves. After 24 h, the content of aroma volatiles and caffeine significantly increased, while theanine decreased in both groups. Multiple catechin monomers showed distinct changes within 24 h, and EGCG was significantly higher in preserved tea. The expression levels of CsFAS and CsTSI were consistent with the content of farnesene and theanine, respectively, but TCS1 and TCS2 expression did not correlate with caffeine content. Principal component analysis considered results from multiple indexes and suggested that the freshness of PTL was superior to that of UTL. Taken together, preservation conditions in postharvest storage caused a series of physiological and metabolic variations of tea leaves, which were different from those of unpreserved tea leaves. Comprehensive evaluation showed that the preservation conditions used in this study were effective at maintaining the freshness of tea leaves for 2–6 h. This study illustrates the metabolic changes that occur in postharvest tea leaves, which will provide a foundation for improvements to postharvest practices for tea leaves.

Transplantation of kidneys results in delayed graft function in as many as 40% of cases. During the organ transplantation process, donor kidneys undergo a period of cold ischemic time (CIT), where the organ is preserved with a cold storage solution to maintain tissue viability. Some complications observed after grafting may be due to damage sustained to the kidney during CIT. However, the effects due to this damage are not apparent until well after transplant surgery has concluded. To this end, we have used spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) to measure spatially resolved optical properties of porcine kidneys over the course of 80-h CIT. During this time, we observed an increase in both reduced scattering (μs′) and absorption (μa) coefficients. The measured scattering b parameter increased until 24 h of CIT, then returned toward baseline during the remaining duration of the imaging sequence. These results show that the optical properties of kidney tissue change with increasing CIT and suggest that continued investigation into the application of SFDI to kidneys under CIT may lead to the development of a noninvasive method for assessing graft viability.

Apples are abundant in essential nutrients, including a variety of minerals and vitamins, and are readily digestible and assimilated by the human body. Commonly consumed worldwide, apples are particularly diverse in their varieties. The “Black Diamond” apple from Linzhi, Tibet, stands out as a significant fresh variety. This study utilizes hyperspectral imaging and deep learning techniques to investigate the impact of room temperature storage on the quality of Linzhi “Black Diamond” apples. Specifically, we assess alterations in quality indices such as hardness, weight loss, sugar-acid ratio, as well as the content of phenolics ketones, and volatile aromatic compounds. Our findings provide detailed insights into the effects of ambient storage conditions on the sensory and nutritional quality of these distinctive apples.

Sediment flushing may be effective in mitigating loss of reservoir storage due to siltation, but flushing must be controlled to limit the impact on the downstream environment. A reliable prediction of the environmental effects of sediment flushing is hindered by the limited scientific information currently available. Consequently, there may be some controversy as regards to management decisions, planning the work, and monitoring strategies. This paper summarizes the main results of a monitoring campaign on the stream below a small alpine hydropower reservoir subjected to annual flushing between 2006 and 2009. The removed sediment was essentially silt, and the suspended solid concentration (SSC) of the discharged water was controlled to alleviate downstream impact. Control was achieved through hydraulic regulation and mechanical digging, alternating daytime sediment evacuation, and nocturnal clear water release. The four operations lasted about two weeks each and had an average SSC of about 4 g L −1 . Maximum values of SSC were generally kept below 10 g L −1 . Downstream impact was quantified through sampling of fish fauna (brown trout) and macroinvertebrate in the final reach of the effluent stream. The benthic community was severely impaired by the flushing operations, but recovered to pre-flushing values in a few months. As expected, the impact on brown trout was heavier on juveniles. While data biasing due to fish removal and re-stocking cannot be ruled out, the fish community seems to have reached a state of equilibrium characterized by a lower density than was measured before the flushing operations.

Most of the world's population faces freshwater scarcity threats, and reservoirs, built both for ensuring water supply during prolonged droughts and reducing downstream flood risks, are critical infrastructure for water sustainability. Historical inflow data and water demand were used to estimate reservoir storage allocation and operation policies when designing and building reservoirs, 50–100 years ago. This study assesses historical reservoir operations in 16 Southeastern reservoirs and evaluates the potential for utilizing existing flood control storage for alternative purposes without increasing downstream flood risk. Using a reservoir simulation model, we evaluate the resulting storage under four initial storage conditions for observed and synthetic seasonal maximum 6‐day flood pulses. For most reservoirs, we find conservation storage is depleting and did not exceed the flood storage capacity in their historical operation. The simulation model resulted in most of the reservoirs' storage levels staying within the flood control pool for all scenarios (for observed and synthetic floods). Additional flood risk was lowest for initial storage condition 1 (flood control pool empty) and highest with condition 2 (50% of the flood control pool full). Flood risk increased the most for reservoirs with small ratios of flood control to conservation pool storage. Our study shows the potential for reallocation and utilization of flood control storage to meet the increasing demand. As limited opportunities for new reservoirs exist, utilizing current reservoir storage without introducing additional downstream risk may be an effective management strategy to mitigate flood and drought risk under climate change and population growth. Plain Language Summary This study looks at 16 reservoirs across the Southeast to analyze whether water storage within existing reservoir systems can be utilized by storing more water in the flood control pool without increasing downstream risk. First, the historical reservoir operations are evaluated by the number of days the reservoirs are operated within each storage allocation pool. Next, extreme flood events are used in reservoir simulations, at four different initial storage conditions, to determine whether the floods would result in overtopping of the flood control pool. The new storage level, resulting from the initial extreme flood event, was used to quantify the associated risk of a second flood event immediately occurring and causing the water level to exceed the flood control pool. The focus of this work is to evaluate the tradeoff between storing additional water within each reservoir system and increasing the risk of downstream flooding. Key Points Utilizing reservoir storage does not increase downstream flood risk and could improve water supply availability For observed and synthetic 6‐day extreme floods, little risk is added by storing additional water in each reservoir for all seasons Additional flood risk was highest for reservoirs with small ratios of flood control pool storage to conservation pool storage

Seed exploration is one of the conservation strategies used to enhance the collection of seeds as natural resources in the seed bank. In 2020, we explored Nusakambangan Island from the West Nusakambangan nature reserve area, Batar Panjang coast, to Kali Jati Riverbanks. The exploratory approach and direct fruit tree sampling were employed. This study seeks to collect and preserve plant seeds and discover their biological seed characteristics. Thirty-two (32) collection numbers were obtained, consisting of 22 families and 27 genera. Moraceae and Euphorbiaceae (4 species) have the most fruiting trees in this exploration. Ficus variegata, Mucuna gigantea , and Ziziphus horsfieldii are new Bogor Botanic Gardens database collections. Most seeds (75%) we collect are orthodox and suitable for long-term storage. In addition, the specimens are not endemic or endangered trees; few still need identification. Also, this study provides information on biological seed characteristics that facilitate seed conservation storage at Bogor Botanical Garden Seed Bank.

Background Metabolomics reflects the molecular communications within biological systems. Urine is a noninvasive biofluid, rich in metabolites that serve as potential biomarkers for human health and disease. The impact of storage conditions and DNA stabilizers for urine samples in metabolomic studies remain unclear. Objective To evaluate the impact of common storage conditions and the presence of a DNA stabilizer, AssayAssure® (Thermo Scientific), on the metabolite content of voided human urine. Methods We assessed the urinary metabolite composition under different storage conditions and with the addition of AssayAssure® to determine its effect on metabolomic analysis. Results Urinary metabolite composition remained consistent across different storage conditions. However, the addition of AssayAssure® significantly altered the metabolic profile due to adduct formation. Despite these alterations, the identification of parent metabolites was not compromised, and biological differences were still distinguishable. Conclusion These findings suggest that urine biobanked under the tested storage conditions is suitable for metabolomic analysis. The addition of AssayAssure® does not hinder the detection of parent metabolites, although it may affect the overall metabolic profile.

Reducing the initial bacteria number from meat and extending its shelf life are crucial factors for ensuring product safety and enhancing economic benefits for enterprises. Currently, controlling enzyme activity and the microbial survival environment is a common approach to reducing the rate of deterioration in raw meat materials, thereby achieving the goal of bacteria reduction during storage and preservation. This review summarizes the commonly used technologies for reducing bacteria in meat, including slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW), organic acids, ozone (O3), ultrasound, irradiation, ultraviolet (UV), cold plasma, high-pressure processing (HPP), and biological bacterial reduction agents. This review outlines the mechanisms and main features of these technologies for reducing bacteria in meat processing. Additionally, it discusses the status of these technologies in meat storage and preservation applications while analyzing associated problems and proposing solutions. The aim is to provide valuable references for research on meat preservation technology.