Watercore is a physiological disorder that reduces fruit quality in durian, yet its underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. This study compared the tolerant cultivar ‘Monthong’ (MT) and the susceptible cultivar ‘Chanee’ (CN) to identify structural, physiological, biochemical, and molecular traits associated with watercore development. CN developed watercore symptoms earlier and reached nearly 100% incidence at the overripe stage, whereas MT exhibited only mild symptoms. These differences were not associated with fruit maturity, transpiration, fruit surface water uptake, or vascular structure. Instead, CN exhibited higher specific gravity and lower intercellular gas content in both the whole fruit and central axis, indicating smaller intercellular air spaces. Ripening was accompanied by greater accumulation of glucose, fructose, and total sugars in the central axis of CN than in MT, although these changes were not consistently associated with the expression of DzSUC2, DzN3, or DzCWINV1. Osmotically driven water uptake was evident following vacuum infiltration, whereas apoplastic soluble solids concentration did not differ between cultivars in healthy fruit. During watercore progression, only apoplastic fructose increased significantly with symptom severity. Membrane deterioration occurred only during advanced ripening. Collectively, these findings suggest that limited intercellular air space is the primary factor associated with watercore susceptibility, while ripening-associated changes in sugar composition may contribute to symptom development.
The objective of this investigation was to understand the influence of a pulsed coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (PCDBD) plasma loop-tubing system with a pulsed-plasma-like application on the physicochemical properties and Escherichia coli K12 inactivation in a 5% glucose solution flowing (Q) at 1, 2 and 3 l/min. The system enabled repeated pulsed exposure by featuring defined plasma discharge and non-discharge zones in a closed loop. Significant inactivation of E. coli K12 occurred despite a brief total plasma exposure of 46.9 s within 1200 s of circulation. Lower flow rates extended exposure per loop, enhancing lethality. Real-time IoT-based sensing showed linear decrease in oxidative-reductive potential (ORP) and pH but linear increase in electrical conductivity (EC) and temperature with pseudo-zero-order kinetics. E. coli K12 inactivation pseudo-kinetics followed a sigmoidal pattern well described by the Baranyi model. Secondary Ratkowsky-type models related plasma residence time per cycle D-1 to physicochemical and microbial pseudo-kinetic parameters more effectively than flow rate Q. Among physicochemical indicators, ORP showed the strongest correlation with microbial lethality, supporting its use as a primary real-time control variable. Machine-learning models trained on operational and microbial parameters, and sensor data achieved high predictive accuracy (R-2 > 0.97), with an artificial neural network outperforming gradient boosting and random forest models, particularly under noisy and interpolation conditions. These findings encourage the integration of a PCDBD loop-tubing reactor with real-time sensing, kinetic modeling and ANN-based soft sensing to provide a robust framework for intelligent cold-plasma decontamination of glucose-based liquids.
This study presents a tannic acid (TA)-mediated strategy to engineer the structure and functionality of chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (CS/PVA) packaging films by simultaneously crosslinking polymers and integrating nanoparticles. TA served as a multifunctional structuring agent, forming extensive hydrogen-bonding networks within the CS/PVA matrix and coordinating with MgO–TiO2 nanoparticles to generate stable metal–phenolic interfaces. This dual interaction produced a more compact, integrated film network with enhanced interfacial compatibility and reduced polymer chain mobility. Consequently, the composite film showed a 79% increase in tensile strength (29.3 MPa), along with significant reductions in water vapor permeability (21%) and oxygen permeability (36.4%), indicating improved barrier performance through increased network density and tortuous diffusion pathways. TA-mediated coordination further modified the optical properties of MgO–TiO2, enabling visible-light responsiveness and promoting reactive oxygen species generation, which contributed to strong antibacterial activity, with bacterial reduction exceeding 5 log CFU mL−1 against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus within 24 h. In addition, the films exhibited enhanced antioxidant activity and complete UV shielding. When applied to banana preservation, the optimized film effectively delayed ripening, extending shelf life by approximately four days while maintaining acceptable quality. Overall, this work highlights a synergistic approach to tailoring hybrid film networks via polyphenol-mediated crosslinking and metal–phenolic coordination, providing insights into structure–property relationships for the design of advanced active packaging materials.
Background Dynamic binding capacity at 5% breakthrough (DBC5%) is a key performance parameter in packed-bed chromatography because it determines the effective working capacity of the adsorbent and directly influences process productivity under dynamic-flow conditions. Methods This study presents a systematic methodology for the predictive optimization and scale-up of DBC5% for C-phycocyanin (CPC) purification from Spirulina platensis using a sequential design of experiments (DoE) approach. A 2⁴ full factorial design with two center points (2⁴ + 2) was first employed to identify the significant operating variables, followed by a central composite design (CCD) to evaluate potential nonlinear responses. Significant findings The 2⁴ + 2 factorial model exhibited superior predictive performance, achieving an R² of 98.97% and a predicted R² of 94.82%, compared with corresponding values of 91.04% and 48.50%, respectively, for the CCD model. The optimized operating conditions (pH 6.0, 10% (w/v) feed concentration, 1.6 cm bed height, and a flow rate of 10.0 mL/min) yielded a predicted DBC5% of 10.51 mg/mL, which was experimentally validated by an observed value of 10.45 mg/mL, corresponding to a relative error of 2.9%. Furthermore, scale-up from 1.6 cm to 5.0 cm internal-diameter columns while maintaining hydrodynamic similarity successfully preserved DBC5%, demonstrating consistent adsorption performance across the investigated scales. Although the developed regression model is specific to the chromatographic system investigated, the proposed DoE-based optimization framework and hydrodynamic scale-up strategy provide a practical methodology that can be applied to other packed-bed chromatography systems following appropriate experimental calibration and validation.
The Khorat Plateau is Thailand's largest uranium-bearing region and is well known for its Mesozoic sandstone-hosted uranium deposits and abundant dinosaur fossil localities. Recent studies have identified naturally radioactive fossils formed through the incorporation of naturally occurring radionuclides during fossilization and post-burial diagenesis. However, the implications of this natural radioactivity for occupational exposure during fossil excavation and handling remain poorly understood. This study presents the first comprehensive radiological assessment of Thailand's dinosaur fossil excavation sites by combining long-term field monitoring with laboratory characterization of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM).Field investigations were carried out at the indoor Phu Wiang (Khon Kaen Province) and outdoor Phu Noi (Kalasin Province) excavation sites. Ambient gamma dose rates measured using optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters ranged from 0.052 to 0.171 μSv·h−1, while radon concentrations measured using RADUET CR-39 detectors ranged from 3.158 to 74.012 Bq·m−3, with generally higher values during winter. One-way ANOVA showed significant seasonal variation in radon concentrations at the Phu Noi site (p-value < 0.001), whereas no significant seasonal difference was found at the Phu Wiang site (p-value = 0.129). High-purity germanium gamma-ray spectrometry of 33 soil samples yielded mean activity concentrations of 41.14 ± 11.55 Bq·kg−1 for 226Ra, 54.80 ± 14.82 Bq·kg−1 for 232Th, and 965.89 ± 313.81 Bq·kg−1 for 40K. Gamma dose rates measured from 37 fossil specimens differed significantly between the two excavation sites (Welch's t-test, p-value < 0.001), suggesting localized radionuclide enrichment during fossilization.Although some measured values exceeded worldwide average background levels, the estimated occupational radiation doses remained below internationally accepted protection limits. These findings support routine radiation monitoring, adequate ventilation, and appropriate work planning, particularly in enclosed environments. This study provides the first scientific basis for radiation protection and safety management at Thailand's dinosaur fossil excavation sites.
