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In this study, the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) is employed to construct a three-dimensional barotropic ocean model with a monodirectional upper boundary and homogeneous and steady wind covering the entire computation area. Eight perturbation experiments are designed to determine the vertical grid distribution difference with high resolution at the surface and bottom. Two types are considered in the model, including removing the Coriolis force (type 1) and employing a different Coriolis force (type 2). According to the experiments, the velocity of the current in type 1 yields uncertainty, and wind energy could penetrate the upper ocean and reach the abyss. The surface velocity in type 2 is fundamentally compatible with the empirical relationship constructed by Ekman, and the curved lines of the vertical distribution of horizontal currents nearly match. For type 1, the velocity is very strong from the sea surface to the bottom. When comparing type 1 and type 2 cases, the Coriolis force obstructs the wind energy transfer into the deep ocean. In addition, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)’s global surface wind distribution indicates that the realistic ocean upper wind boundary is similar to the numerical experiment in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, where the wind direction is along the latitude line at the equator. In order to make the experimental situation as close as possible to the real ocean, validation experiments are conducted in this study to consider the uncertainty in the current profile at the equator. The simulation results of type 1 differ significantly from the data obtained from the real ocean. This uncertainty may transfer the signal to higher latitudes, causing incorrect simulation results, especially in the critical region. Overall, this research not only makes discoveries in physical ocean theory but also guides predictive and forecasting techniques for ocean modeling.

The inhaled delivery of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) probiotics has been demonstrated to exert therapeutic benefits to the lungs due to LAB’s immunomodulatory activities. The development of inhaled probiotics formulation, however, is in its nascent stage limited to nebulized LAB. We developed a dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulation of lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) intended for bronchiectasis maintenance therapy by spray freeze drying (SFD). The optimal DPI formulation (i.e., LGG: mannitol: lactose: leucine = 35: 45: 15: 5 wt.%) was determined based on the aerosolization efficiency (86% emitted dose and 26% respirable fraction) and LGG cell viability post-SFD (7 log CFU/mL per mg powder). The optimal DPI formulation was evaluated and compared to lyophilized naked LGG by its (1) adhesion capacity and cytotoxicity to human lung epithelium cells (i.e., A549 and 16HBE14o- cells) as well as its (2) effectiveness in inhibiting the growth and adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to lung cells. The optimal DPI of LGG exhibited similar non-cytotoxicity and adhesion capacity to lung cells to naked LGG. The DPI of LGG also inhibited the growth and adhesion of P. aeruginosa to the lung cells as effectively as the naked LGG. The present work established the feasibility of delivering the LAB probiotic by the DPI platform without adversely affecting LGG’s anti-pseudomonal activities.

A high alkaline pH was previously demonstrated to enhance the extraction yield of brewer’s spent grains (BSG) proteins. The effects of extraction pH beyond the extraction yield, however, has not been investigated before. The present work examined the effects of extraction pH (pH 8–12) on BSG proteins’ (1) amino acid compositions, (2) secondary structures, (3) thermal stability, and (4) functionalities (i.e., water/oil holding capacity, emulsifying, and foaming properties). The ideal extraction temperature (60 °C) and BSG-to-solvent ratio (1:20 w/v) for maximizing the extraction yield were first determined to set the conditions for the pH effect study. The results showed that a higher extraction pH led to more balanced compositions between hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acids and higher proportions of random coils structures indicating increased protein unfolding. This led to superior emulsifying properties of the extracted proteins with more than twofold improvement between pH 8 and a pH larger than 10. The extraction pH, nevertheless, had minimal impact on the water/oil holding capacity, foaming properties, and thermal denaturation propensity of the proteins. The present work demonstrated that a high alkaline pH at pH 11–12 was indeed ideal for both maximizing the extraction yield (37–46 wt.%) and proteins’ functionalities.