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Ergothioneine (EGT) is a high-value natural sulfur-containing amino acid and has been shown to possess extremely potent antioxidant and cytoprotective activities. At present, EGT has been widely used in food, functional food, cosmetics, medicine, and other industries, but its low yield is still an urgent problem to overcome. This review briefly introduced the biological activities and functions of EGT, and expounded its specific applications in food, functional food, cosmetic, and medical industries, introduced and compared the main production methods of EGT and respective biosynthetic pathways in different microorganisms. Furthermore, the use of genetic and metabolic engineering methods to improve EGT production was discussed. In addition, the incorporation of some food-derived EGT-producing strains into fermentation process will allow the EGT to act as a new functional factor in the fermented foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests play an important role in promoting carbon cycling and mitigating the urban heat island effect as one of the world's major carbon storages. Scientifically quantifying tree biomass is the basis for assessing tree carbon storage and other ecosystem functions. In this study, a sample plot of Populus tomentosa plantation in the Olympic Forest Park in Beijing was selected as the research object. Point cloud data from three types of laser scanners, including terrestrial laser scanner (TLS), backpack laser scanner (BLS), and handheld laser scanner (HLS), were used to estimate the biomass of single tree trunks, branches, leaves, and aboveground total biomass based on the Allometric Biomass Model (ABM) and Advanced Quantitative Structure Model (AdQSM). The following conclusions were drawn from the estimation results: (1) For the three types of laser scanner point clouds, the biomass estimation values obtained using the AdQSM model were generally higher than those obtained using the Allometric Biomass Model. However, the estimation values obtained using the two models were similar, especially for tree trunks and total biomass. (2) For total biomass and individual biomass components of single trees, the results obtained from handheld and terrestrial laser scanner point clouds are consistent; however, they show some differences from the results obtained from backpack-mounted point clouds. This study further enriches the methodological system for estimating forest biomass, providing a theoretical basis and reference for more accurate estimates of forest biomass and more sustainable forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, low-cost, low-power sensors have made wireless communication possible for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), which are growing in popularity and bringing about tremendous improvement. Nevertheless, their autonomy eventually wanes because WSN nodes run entirely on batteries. The network lifetime is affected by this energy constraint. Therefore, the proposed method uses Quantum-based Optical sensors with the CUCKOO-ANN method for Enhanced Energy-Efficient Wireless Communication to overcome the existing issues. Initially, the Quantum-based optical sensors helped collect the data from the location and were also used for energy-efficient communication. It transfers the data very quickly and securely without any interruption. Next, the CUCKOO-ANN method optimises the real-time data and provides efficiency. Therefore, it helps to find an optimal route between the user and the Base station. The concept that has been presented exhibits excellent potential as it can efficiently fulfil customer service level agreements, lower average execution times, and improve data centre energy efficiency. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed energy-efficient method minimises energy consumption, optimises data transmission, improves the network lifetime, and enhances the scalability of the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using induction heating method, in this paper, a kind of operational and uncomplicated process was explored, by which large diameter thin-walled aluminum alloy and copper pipe could be welded. The effect of welding current, welding-length and welding high temperature insulation time on large diameter thin-walled copper aluminum tubes was studied. The microstructures of the interface were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and polarizing microscope (PM), and the interfacial reaction products were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). When the heating time was 6 s and weld length was 15 mm, the quality of copper aluminum welded pipe was the best, and the tensile strength was highest. The copper-aluminum intermediate compounds layer were only Al2 Cu and AlCu, and no Al4Cu9-type compounds had been found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Al/SnPb composite layer was prepared by brushing a layer of SnPb alloy on the surface of Al by mechanical rupture and induction heating. The binding interface was characterized by polarized light microscopy (PM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray energy spectroscopy (EDS). The results show that the bonding interface of Al/SnPb composites was good, and the microscopic interface exhibited a distinct transitional state. The bonding interface was jagged and had a small amount of Al-Sn supersaturated solution. The Al matrix was effectively bonded to the Sn-Pb alloy through the transition layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ergothioneine (EGT) is a high-value food functional factor that cannot be synthesized by humans and other vertebrates, and the low yield limits its application., Results: In this study, the optimal fermentation temperature, fermentation time, initial pH, inoculum age, and inoculation ratio on EGT biosynthesis of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa DL-X01 were optimized. In addition, the effects of three key precursor substances - histidine, methionine, and cysteine - on fungal EGT synthesis were verified. The optimal conditions were further obtained by response surface optimization. The EGT yield of R. mucilaginosa DL-X01 under optimal fermentation conditions reached 64.48 ± 2.30 mg L -1 at shake flask fermentation level. Finally, the yield was increased to 339.08 ± 3.31 mg L -1 (intracellular) by fed-batch fermentation in a 5 L bioreactor., Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest EGT yield ever reported in non-recombinant strains. The fermentation strategy described in this study will promote the efficient biosynthesis of EGT in red yeast and its sustainable production in the food industry. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Heated tobacco products (HTPs), including I Quit Ordinary Smoking (IQOS), are new tobacco products that use an electronic device to heat compressed tobacco leaves to generate an aerosol for consumers to inhale. Marketing of HTPs is prevalent on Instagram, a popular social media platform., Objective: This study aims to characterize posts related to HTPs on Instagram and their associations with user engagement., Methods: Through the Instagram application programming interface, 979 Instagram posts were collected using keywords related to HTPs, such as "IQOS" and "heat-not-burn." Among them, 596 posts were related to IQOS and other HTP marketing. The codebook was developed from a randomly selected 200 posts on the post content by hand coding, which was applied to the remaining 396 Instagram posts. Summary statistics were calculated, and statistical hypothesis testing was conducted to understand the popularity of Instagram posts on HTPs. Negative binomial regression models were applied to identify Instagram post characteristics associated with user engagement (eg, count)., Results: Among Instagram posts related to HTP marketing (N=596), "product display" was dominant (n=550, 92.28%), followed by "brand promotion" (n=41, 6.88%), and "others" (n=5, 0.84%). Among posts within "product display," "device only" was the most popular (n=338, 61.45%), followed by "heatstick only" (n=80, 14.55%), "accessory" (n=66, 12%), "device and heatstick" (n=56, 10.18%), and "capsule" (n=10, 1.82%). A univariate negative binomial regression model with pairwise comparisons across "product display" types showed that the number of likes for posts with HTP heatsticks was significantly lower compared to posts with HTP devices, accessories, and device-heatstick sets. Multivariate negative binomial regression models showed that HTP-related Instagram posts with a model or lifestyle elements (;=.60, 95% CI 0.36-0.84) or without obvious product advertising information (=.69, 95% CI 0.49-0.89) received more likes., Conclusions: It is shown that posts with product displays were dominant among HTP-related posts on Instagram. Posts with model or lifestyle elements are associated with high user engagement, which might be one of the web-based marketing strategies of HTPs., (©Jiarui Chen, Siyu Xue, Zidian Xie, Dongmei Li. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 15.03.2023.)