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Silkworm pupae as widely consumed insect products are good biosources of protein and micronutrients. Silkworm rearing throughout the year can be achieved by feeding them an artificial diet instead of native plants, facilitating extensive pupa production. However, artificial diets are prone to spoilage caused by bacterial contamination. Here, we evaluated the antiseptic effect of ethylparaben (EP, chemical preservative) and medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA, natural preservative) in a silkworm artificial diet. Results showed that both preservatives effectively inhibited pathogenic bacterial growth. Furthermore, the addition of EP or MCFA did not negatively impact the production capacity of silkworms and the homeostasis of gut microbiota. However, the expression of genes involved in detoxification such as Ugt2, and immune response such as Cecropin B, were upregulated after EP consumption. Therefore, natural preservative MCFA emerges as a suitable option from a safety perspective. These findings highlight future directions for improving insect artificial diet formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with multi-axis CNC machines, industrial robots provide a new solution to complex surface machining due to the significant advantages of cost-effectiveness, good flexibility, and large workspace. However, the programming for robotic machining trajectory is complex and time-consuming, due to the limitations for robots to execute G-Code command generated via the CAD/CAM post-processing techniques. To this end, the paper proposed an effective methodology to generate the robotic machining trajectory by the conversion from G-Code commands for practical operations, in which the robotic machining system and the associated kinematic analysis are implemented using ABB IRB 2600 robot, as well as the interpretation of G-Code and robot control commands. The conversion relationship from G-Code to robot control commands is achieved with the information of the CL point parameters and machining configuration parameters. One off-line programming software, RobMach, is developed to simulate and validate the effectiveness of the robotic machining trajectory by loading G-Code file of one blade milling, and the generated robot control program can be directly sent to the robot's controller for achieving the robotic machining capabilities, which can be extended to the machining operations of different industrial robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reservoir water is the most important freshwater resource for many cities, especially in densely populated humid subtropical areas. Economic growth, population increase, and urbanization have been putting reservoir water of Shenzhen (China), a humid subtropical city, under severe threat of eutrophication and water supply shortage. In this study, we focused on an upstream reservoir of Shenzhen and established a 3-dimensional hydrodynamic-ecological model to investigate the water dynamics and nutrient budget. Tributaries to the reservoir were identified as the greatest contributors to nitrogen and phosphorus loads. Zones with weak flows and high nutrient concentration have high risks of causing blooms. Several mitigation measures were proposed, including improving flow by adding additional water exit locations in the reservoir, reducing nutrients in tributaries, and enhancing algal predation, and were evaluated with the established model. The strategies combining hydrodynamic improvement and phosphorus reduction were suggested to decision makers and government managers for short-term management. However, for future water safety, excessive nitrogen is a potential danger. This study provides a modeling framework that can be applied to anthropogenic-influenced reservoirs elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]