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Marketing of ready to eat fresh produce has an increasing share of supermarket shelves around the world. Most products are prepared manually or partially mechanized. Mechanization of fruit peeling and cutting is a known procedure mainly in canned fruits and vegetables production. As an exception, an automatized technology and mechanization for production of fresh produce was developed by the Institute of Agricultural Engineering for extracting pomegranate arils, now it is manufactured and distributed by Juran Ltd (Israel). The present study is designed to develop a technology and machinery for production of fresh cut, ready to eat watermelons and cantaloupes. It aims to mechanically cut, peel and pack the watermelons and cantaloupes. As part of this study we examined several alternatives to perform the whole process, ranging from laser-cut to high-pressure water using artificial vision systems as utilized in sorting processes in the production industry. The study evaluated, analyzed and developed a number of special puncturing tools: fixed, rotating, solid and perforated. As part of these experiments the shelf life of the fruit was tested. It was found that a round, disk shape slice as final fine product is achievable and maintains quality requirements more than a week in cooled and hermetically closed package. The results of these trials have led to the design of the semiautomatic system which requires at this stage a manual feed of the fruit. The main parts of the machinery have been built and tested successfully.

In order to improve the determination of pepper maturity, we examined a fusion of non-destructive sensor outputs and a fusion of destructive reference parameters. Multi-sensor models were assessed against single sensor models based on the significantly lower root mean square errors of cross validation values for all tested cultivars and all reference parameters. The fusion procedure was based on the combination of sensor outputs and the combination of reference parameters. Linear and non-linear regression methods were applied for model establishment. Through the reference parameter fusion a new combined quality index was developed in order to assess the global quality of the produce. With this new combined quality index, the comprehensive quality of the produce could be predicted as well as its maturity stage. This could support better decisions regarding harvest schedule; as the new index correlate with physical property change during growth. The sensors used in the present work were spectrophotometers at the VIS-NIR and SWIR spectral range, relaxation and ultrasonic tests, and colour measurement. The reference parameters were the following: total soluble solids, dry matter, osmotic potential, ascorbic acid, total chlorophylls, carotenoids content, coefficient of elasticity measured in compression and rupture mode.

Overviewed are some results of our recent works aimed at the synthesis of ultrafine and nanosized refractory powders by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) combined with chemical dispersing of combustion products. The possible application of SHS for preparing ultrafine and nanosized powders of refractory compounds is examined. Specific features of SHS afford to affect not only the chemical/phase composition of products but also the morphology and size of synthesized particles. Quenching experiments have shown that the primary product particles formed in the combustion wave may have a size of below 0.1-0.2 μm. By etching a ground SHS cake with appropriate solutions, one can dissolve the defect-rich layers between the crystallites and remove impurities. As a result, the sinter cake breaks into crystalline particles of the same size as the primary crystallites, without compositional changes. This process was termed chemical dispersion. The phase and chemical composition, specific surface and grain size of SHS refractory compounds powders are detected before and after treatment. The influence of the synthesis conditions and the dispersion agent on the morphology and particle size of the resultant powders are ascertained. Successive chemical dispersing of raw products (carbides, nitrides, silicides, borides, oxides of metals and nonmetals) with solutions of different acids, alkalis, and salts leads to an additional grinding of the product, an increase in the specific surface and a decrease in the particle size. So, the possibility to control the SHS processes allows changing the particle size and structure of the synthesized compounds and provides obtaining high-quality products of the preset structure. The following thermochemical treatment of the ground cake by special solutions (chemical dispersion) allows to segregate ultra- and nanosized powders of refractory compounds. Our experience in preparation, separation, and purification of SHS-produced nanopowders can be used as a basis for elaboration of general methodology for pilot-scale production of nanostructured compounds and composites.

The European market demands vegetable products of the highest quality and this commercial quality must be maintained till the goods reach the customer. One of these important quality parameters is the fruit firmness of pepper. The experiments were aimed at to find out the influence of different growing methods (soil or rockwool-based) and pruning technologies (to 1, 2, 3 or 4 shoots) on the yield and fruit firmness of three pepper varieties (HO F1, Karpia Fl and Pritavit F1) which are common in Hungary. Fruit firmness was measured by the non-destructive impact method. On the basis of the results, in unheated forcing the pruning to 1, 2 or 3 shoots can be suggested for all three varieties, as well as the utilisation of rockwool in their growing. The non-destructive impact method has been found suitable for testing the fruit firmness of pepper varieties. In the experiments involving different growing mediums pepper stands were found to show significant differences, however the different pruning methods had no significant influence on fruit firmness.

Inclusive citizen science, an emerging field, has seen extensive research. Prior studies primarily concentrated on creating theoretical models and practical strategies for diversifying citizen science (CS) projects. These studies relied on ethical frameworks or post-project empirical observations. Few examined active participants' socio-demographic and behavioral data. Notably, none, to our knowledge, explored prospective citizen scientists' traits as intrinsic factors to enhance diversity and engagement in CS. This paper presents a new inclusive CS engagement model based on quantitative analysis of surveys administered to 540 participants of the dedicated free informal education MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) 'Your Right to Privacy Online' from eight countries in the EU funded project, CSI-COP (Citizen Scientists Investigating Cookies and App GDPR compliance). The surveys were filled out just after completing the training stage and before joining the project as active CSs. Out of the 540 participants who completed the surveys analyzed in this study, only 170 (32%) individuals actively participated as CSs in the project. Therefore, the study attempted to understand what characterizes these participants compared to those who decided to refrain from joining the project after the training stage. The study employed descriptive analysis and advanced statistical tests to explore the correlations among different research variables. The findings revealed several important relationships and predictors for becoming a citizen scientist based on the surveys analysis, such as age, gender, culture, education, Internet accessibility and apps usage, as well as the satisfaction with the MOOC, the mode of training and initial intentions for becoming a CS. These findings lead to the development of the empirical model for inclusive engagement in CS and enhance the understanding of the internal factors that influence individuals' intention and actual participation as CSs. The devised model offers valuable insights and key implications for future CS initiatives. It emphasizes the necessity of targeted recruitment strategies, focusing on underrepresented groups and overcoming accessibility barriers. Positive learning experiences, especially through MOOCs, are crucial; enhancing training programs and making educational materials accessible and culturally diverse can boost participant motivation. Acknowledging varying technological proficiency and providing necessary resources enhances active engagement. Addressing the intention-engagement gap is vital; understanding underlying factors and creating supportive environments can transform intentions into active involvement. Embracing cultural diversity through language-specific strategies ensures an inclusive environment for effective contributions., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Hadad et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The Gumelnița site belongs to the Kodjadermen-Gumelnița-Karanovo VI (KGK VI) communities (c. 4700-3900 cal BC) and comprises the tell-type settlement and its corresponding cemetery. This paper reconstructs the diet and lifeways of the Chalcolithic people in the northeastern Balkans using archaeological remains found at the Gumelnița site (Romania). A multi-bioarchaeological investigation (archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, anthropology) was conducted on vegetal, animal, and human remains, alongside radiocarbon dating and stable isotope analyses (δ 13 C, δ 15 N) of humans (n = 33), mammals (n = 38), reptiles (n = 3), fishes (n = 8), freshwater mussels shells (n = 18), and plants (n = 24). According to the results of δ 13 C and δ 15 N values and FRUITS, the inhabitants of Gumelnița had a diet based on crops and using natural resources, such as fish, freshwater molluscs and game. Although domestic fauna was occasionally exploited for meat, it had a role in providing secondary products. Crops were heavily manured, and chaff and other crop waste may have been necessary fodder for cattle and sheep. Dogs and pigs fed on human waste, although the diet of the latter is more similar to that of wild boars. Foxes had a diet close to dogs, which may indicate synanthropic behaviour. Radiocarbon dates were calibrated with the percentage of freshwater resources obtained by FRUITS. As a result, the corrected dates for the freshwater reservoir effect (FRE) have a delay of an average of 147 years. According to our data, this agrarian community developed a subsistence strategy under the pressure of some climatic changes that started after 4300 cal BC, corresponding to KGK VI rapid collapse/decline episode tracked recently (that begins around 4350 cal BC). This matching of our data in the two models (climatic and chrono-demographic) allowed us to capture the economic strategies that led to the resilience of those people more than other contemporary KGK VI communities., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Fouling of aquatic systems by harmful microalgal and cyanobacterial species is an environmental and public health concern. Microalgal bioreactors are engineered ecosystems for the cultivation of algal biomass to meet the increasing demand for alternative protein sources and algae-derived products. Such bioreactors are often open or semi-open ponds or raceways that are prone to contamination by contaminant photosynthetic microorganisms, including harmful cyanobacterial species (HCBs). HCBs affect the quality of products through the accumulation of off-flavours, reducing their acceptance by consumers, and through the production of several different toxins collectively known as cyanotoxins. The density of cultured species within the bioreactor environment creates difficulty in detecting low concentrations of contaminant cells, and there is currently no technology enabling rapid monitoring of contaminations. The present study demonstrates the potential of Low-Resolution Raman Spectroscopy (LRRS) as a tool for rapid detection of low concentrations of HCBs within dense populations of the spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) cultures. An LRRS system adapted for the direct measurement of raw biomass samples was used to assemble a database of Raman spectral signatures, from eight algal and cyanobacterial strains. This dataset was used to develop both quantitative and discriminative chemometric models. The results obtained from the chemometric analyses demonstrate the ability of the LRRS to detect and quantify algal and cyanobacterial species at concentrations as low as 10 3 cells/mL and to robustly discriminate between species at concentrations of 10 4 cells/mL. The LRRS and chemometric analyses were further able to detect the presence of low concentrations (10 3 cells/mL) of contaminating species, including the toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa, within dense (>10 7 cells/mL) spirulina cultures. The results presented provide a first demonstration of the potential of LRRS technology for real-time detection of contaminant species within microalgal bioreactors, and possibly for early detection of developing harmful algal blooms in other aquatic ecosystems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: A provisional patent application based on some of the methods described has been filed by Adejimi, Ignat, Schmilovitch and Shapiro., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cardiohelp System use for pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) beyond the transport setting is sparsely described in literature. We report the use of Getinge's Cardiohelp System in children and integrated utilization of Mobile ECMO Retrieval Team (MERT) at an all-age specialized cardiorespiratory center. Electronic database of all patients under 16 years of age who received ECMO with use of the Cardiohelp System between January 2018 and March 2020 was retrospectively reviewed and analyzed for demographics, set-up, complications, and outcomes. Out of 41 patients, seven patients (four in middle childhood, three in early teenage) with median age of 10 years (range 8.8-15.6) were supported with use of Cardiohelp System. Median weight and height were 34 kg (range 28-53) and 145 cm (range 134-166) respectively. Initial ECMO deployment was veno-arterial (V-A) in five patients and veno-venous (V-V) in two. There were three interhospital transfers by our MERT, and 12 intrahospital transfers for interventions or imaging. The median ECMO therapy was 7 days (range 4-25), with standard 3/8-inch tubing and ECMO flow rate range at 56-100 mL/kg/min (1.89-5.0 LPM). There were two circuit changes and three reconfigurations of support. Two patients received continuous veno-venous hemofiltration via ECMO circuit. The 90-day and 180-day survival rates were 100% (including two heart transplants at day 7 and day 8). There were no transport-related or circuit-related complications during the 1750 h of Cardiohelp use. Cardiohelp System use is safe in pediatric patients for diverse application of ECMO support including inter- and intrahospital transfers.

Management of environmental resources presents challenges across agricultural production. In the case of the semi-arid region of Arava Valley in Israel, irrigation with groundwater brackish water is a widespread practice that has severe limitations. In this research studies are taking place for brackish groundwater upgrading for unrestricted use for the irrigation and sustainable agricultural production. The treatment system applies two main treatment stages: nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membrane process and, the pilot system with a capacity of around 1 m 3 /hr. Different mixtures of nanofiltration and reverse osmosis, Brackish and potable permeates are then applied for the irrigation of pepper crops. The field results with the graphical visualization approach using total ranking, multi-dimensional scaling, and clustering technique show that the conventional brackish feed water produces good results of relaxation time, total soluble solids and Vitamin C content. Treatment system using hybrid nanofiltration and reverse osmosis technology improves product quality related to the relative fruit colour red shade.

The current digital content industry is heavily oriented towards building platforms that track users' behaviour and seek to convince them to stay longer and come back sooner onto the platform. Similarly, authors are incentivised to publish more and to become champions of dissemination. Arguably, these incentive systems are built around public reputation supported by a system of metrics, hard to be assessed. Generally, the digital content industry is permeable to non-human contributors (algorithms that are able to generate content and reactions), anonymity and identity fraud. It is pertinent to present a perspective paper about early signs of track and persuasion in scholarly communication. Building our views, we have run a pilot study to determine the opportunity for conducting research about the use of "track and persuade" technologies in scholarly communication. We collected observations on a sample of 148 relevant websites and we interviewed 15 that are experts related to the field. Through this work, we tried to identify 1) the essential questions that could inspire proper research, 2) good practices to be recommended for future research, and 3) whether citizen science is a suitable approach to further research in this field. The findings could contribute to determining a broader solution for building trust and infrastructure in scholarly communication. The principles of Open Science will be used as a framework to see if they offer insights into this work going forward., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Ignat, Ayris, Gini, Stepankova, Özdemir, Bal and Deyanova.)

Crude oil pollution is a global environmental concern since it persists in the environment longer than most conventional carbon sources. In December 2014, the hyper-arid Evrona Nature Reserve, Israel, experienced large-scale contamination when crude oil spilled. The overarching goal of the study was to investigate the possible changes, caused by an accidental crude oil spill, in the leaf reflectance and biochemical composition of four natural habitat desert shrubs. The specific objectives were (1) to monitor the biochemical properties of dominant shrub species in the polluted and control areas; (2) to study the long-term consequences of the contamination; (3) to provide information that will assist in planning rehabilitation actions; and (4) to explore the feasibility of vegetation indices (VIs), along with the machine learning (ML) technique, for detecting stressed shrubs based on the full spectral range. Four measurement campaigns were conducted in 2018 and 2019. Along with the various stress indicators, field spectral measurements were performed in the range of 350-2500 nm. A regression analysis to examine the relation of leaf reflectance to biochemical contents was carried out, to reveal the relevant wavelengths in which polluted and control plants differ. Vegetation indices applied in previous studies were found to be less sensitive for indirect detection of long-term oil contamination. A novel spectral index, based on indicative spectral bands, named the "normalized blue-green stress index" (NBGSI), was established. The NBGSI distinguished significantly between shrubs located in the polluted and in the control areas. The NBGSI showed a strong linear correlation with pheophytin a. Machine learning classification algorithms obtained high overall prediction accuracy in distinguishing between shrubs located in the oil-polluted and the control sites, indicating internal component differences. The findings of this study demonstrate the efficacy of indirect and non-destructive spectral tools for detecting and monitoring oil pollution stress in shrubs., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Weed infestations in agricultural systems constitute a serious challenge to agricultural sustainability and food security worldwide. Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson (Palmer amaranth) is one of the most noxious weeds causing significant yield reductions in various crops. The ability to estimate seed viability and herbicide susceptibility is a key factor in the development of a long-term management strategy, particularly since the misuse of herbicides is driving the evolution of herbicide response in various weed species. The limitations of most herbicide response studies are that they are conducted retrospectively and that they use in vitro destructive methods. Development of a non-destructive method for the prediction of herbicide response could vastly improve the efficacy of herbicide applications and potentially delay the evolution of herbicide resistance. Here, we propose a toolbox based on hyperspectral technologies and data analyses aimed to predict A. palmeri seed germination and response to the herbicide trifloxysulfuron-methyl. Complementary measurement of leaf physiological parameters, namely, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductence and photosystem II efficiency, was performed to support the spectral analysis. Plant response to the herbicide was compared to image analysis estimates using mean gray value and area fraction variables. Hyperspectral reflectance profiles were used to determine seed germination and to classify herbicide response through examination of plant leaves. Using hyperspectral data, we have successfully distinguished between germinating and non-germinating seeds, hyperspectral classification of seeds showed accuracy of 81.9 and 76.4%, respectively. Sensitive and resistant plants were identified with high degrees of accuracy (88.5 and 90.9%, respectively) from leaf hyperspectral reflectance profiles acquired prior to herbicide application. A correlation between leaf physiological parameters and herbicide response (sensitivity/resistance) was also demonstrated. We demonstrated that hyperspectral reflectance analyses can provide reliable information about seed germination and levels of susceptibility in A. palmeri . The use of reflectance-based analyses can help to better understand the invasiveness of A. palmeri , and thus facilitate the development of targeted control methods. It also has enormous potential for impacting environmental management in that it can be used to prevent ineffective herbicide applications. It also has potential for use in mapping tempo-spatial population dynamics in agro-ecological landscapes.

Boron-doped diamond (BDD) is a prospective electrode material that possesses many exceptional properties including wide potential window, low noise, low and stable background current, chemical and mechanical stability, good biocompatibility, and last but not least exceptional resistance to passivation. These characteristics extend its usability in various areas of electrochemistry as evidenced by increasing number of published articles over the past two decades. The idea of chemically modifying BDD electrodes with molecular species attached to the surface for the purpose of creating a rational design has found promising applications in the past few years. BDD electrodes have appeared to be excellent substrate materials for various chemical modifications and subsequent application to biosensors and biosensing. Hence, this article presents modification strategies that have extended applications of BDD electrodes in electroanalytical chemistry. Different methods and steps of surface modification of this electrode material for biosensing and construction of biosensors are discussed.

Recent progress in patterned microelectrode manufacturing technology and microfluidics has opened the way to a large variety of cellular and molecular biosensor-based applications. In this extremely diverse and rapidly expanding landscape, silicon-based technologies occupy a special position, given their statute of mature, consolidated, and highly accessible areas of development. Within the present work we report microfabrication procedures and workflows for 3D patterned gold-plated microelectrode arrays (MEA) of different shapes (pyramidal, conical and high aspect ratio), and we provide a detailed characterization of their physical features during all the fabrication steps to have in the end a reliable technology. Moreover, the electrical performances of MEA silicon chips mounted on standardized connector boards via ultrasound wire-bonding have been tested using non-destructive electrochemical methods: linear sweep and cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy. Further, an experimental recording chamber package suitable for in vitro electrophysiology experiments has been realized using custom-design electronics for electrical stimulus delivery and local field potential recording, included in a complete electrophysiology setup, and the experimental structures have been tested on newborn rat hippocampal slices, yielding similar performance compared to commercially available MEA equipments.

Porous silicon (PS) which has different properties from the bulk material due to the quantum confinement effects is beside other physical properties (e.g., light emitting) bioactive or even bioresorbable. The aim of this paper is to optimise the experimental conditions for the fabrication of nanostructured Si particles and to find the best methods for attaching on its surface molecules of therapeutic interest. The selective porosification has been performed using (i) a dielectric/metallic masking layer micropatterned with corresponding etching windows; (ii) a controlled diffusion process leading to n-type islands into p-type Si substrate. The PS particles were detached from the Si substrate by switching the electrochemical etching conditions from porosification towards the electropolishing regime. Also, similar results were obtained by fabrication of PS multilayer structures subjected to an additional ultrasonation process. Different organic molecules with antitumoral effect, such as chondroitin sulphate (a sulphated glycosaminoglycan), lactoferrin (globular protein with antimicrobial activity) and N-butyldeoxynojirimycin (an imino sugar that inhibits the growth of the CT-2A brain tumour) were covalently attached on the PS particle surface using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) molecule as linker. Furthermore, to complete the administration/therapy of drugs, for microparticle targeting and imaging, Fe3O4 nanoparticles were integrated in PS matrix by co-precipitation from a solution of iron salts (Fe3+/Fe2+) in alkaline medium. Microscopic and spectroscopic analyses have been used to characterize the Si microparticles. Tumoral cells were cultivated on the nanostructured PS particles and a significant decrease of the cells density was observed on all investigated samples comparatively with the blank substrate without antitumoral molecules.

Emerging applications of porous silicon (PS) lies in its ability to incorporate other materials, such as organic groups, organic and inorganic nanoparticles to form (bio)hybrid systems where each individual constituent may be optimized for a particular function. This paper presents our recent experimental results on the fabrication and applications in biosensing of the porous silicon (PS) based microstructures. We have demonstrated that different morphologies of PS, either as-prepared or coated with gold nanoparticles have an important role in biomolecule detection, due to its large internal surface combined with specific electro-optical properties, being in the same time support for immobilization of complementary biomolecules as well as transducer for biochemical interactions. Therefore, we have investigated the photoluminescence properties of nanoporous Si prepared on different Si micropatterned surfaces comparatively with PS/flat Si in order to develop a new simple and versatile process for biosensor transducer fabrication. Meso- and macro-PS have been investigated for protein immobilization and detection using microarray technique or for DNA biomolecule detection by impedance spectroscopy. Finally, we have demonstrated that macroporous silicon constitutes an appropriate substrate for very sensitive SERS biosensors. RAMAN signal of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid was investigated on Au/macroporous silicon. Various characterisation techniques have been used, optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate samples morphology, X-ray diffraction for nanoparticle structure, Raman and PL spectroscopy, and laser fluorescence detection for chemical and optical properties analysis and impedance spectroscopy for investigation organic molecule attachment on the Au/PS structures.