Rapid and sensitive detection of viable bacteria is essential in food safety, healthcare, and environmental monitoring. Although label-free electrical biosensing offers a rapid and simplified alternative to conventional methods, its performance is often constrained by inefficient transport and accumulation of target cells at the sensing interface. Here, we present a microfluidic geometry-assisted dielectrophoretic (DEP) enrichment strategy integrated with a 65 GHz LC-oscillator dielectric sensing platform for label-free detection of Escherichia coli. A Y-shaped microfluidic architecture coupled with a high-density DEP electrode array (62 × 24, 3 × 3 mm2) enables spatial redistribution of bacteria from a wide upstream region into a confined downstream detection channel. This geometry-induced concentration enhances the effective local cell density per sensing element, thereby amplifying the initial sensing response under the same DEP operating conditions. Under optimized conditions (500 kHz, 0.01 S m-1), distinct DEP behaviors of live, pasteurized, and autoclaved cells enable preferential enrichment of viable bacteria. Compared with a straight-channel configuration, the proposed design achieves a 20-fold enhancement in sensitivity, with a detection limit of 4.4 × 103 CFU mL-1 within 20 min, further improved to 8.8 × 102 CFU mL-1 with extended enrichment. Unlike systems that use the same electrodes for DEP manipulation and impedance sensing, this platform separates the two electrical functions into co-located DEP and LC sensing units. It enables localized, per-element frequency-shift mapping of geometry-enhanced bacterial accumulation within the CMOS array.

Eggshell is a natural protective barrier and plays multiple functions for an egg. This study investigated the noble and fundamental biological phenomena of hen age dependency of eggshell optical properties and microstructure using Terahertz spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM) respectively. SEM was used for taking the cross-sectional ultrastructure image of eggshell. Images were taken with resolution of 256 ⋅ 256 pixels, dimension of 1280 ⋅ 960 pixels and magnification at 1000x. Images were processed to visualize the differences in eggshell structure. In case of younger birds` eggshell, course microstructure, less deep mammillary layer, but wider space between two mammillary cones are found and opposite characteristics were found for older aged birds. The RI (a measure of material density) of the eggshell was significantly ( p -value < 0.05) higher for older hens (2.6) than eggshell from younger hens (2.4). This study might contribute to egg and poultry industry and for better understanding the variations in eggshell in avian protocols and corresponding mother birds’ health and nutritional status for precision egg and poultry production management.

Sex prediction in layer chicks before hatching is a critical issue that needs to be resolved, and vascular imaging is known to be useful. However, features distinguishing male and female chicks in the vascular image during early hatching stages remain unknown. In this study, we aimed to extract data on features related to growth in the embryo and the vascular network from yolk images captured after removing the eggshell at the third (Day 3) and fourth (Day 4) days of the incubation period. The features were analyzed using frequentist statistical inference and Bayesian inference to elucidate the appearance of sexual differences. Welch’s t-test showed some sexual differences in the embryo-vascular area and fractal dimension in Day 3 eggs (p < 0.05). In the Bayesian inference, the fractal dimension made the greatest contribution to sex prediction, followed by the embryo-vascular area. However, these sexual differences were reduced by Day 4. Our results suggest that these features can make a sex prediction model simpler and more robust than using all transmission images.

Food safety remains a critical concern, with bacterial contamination in beverages posing significant health risks due to rapid bacterial proliferation. Traditional bacterial detection methods, such as plate culture, require days of cultivation, while molecular and optical techniques demand complex pretreatment and specialized equipment, limiting their practicality for routine food inspection. To address these challenges, we developed a rapid, label-free bacterial detection method using a dielectrophoresis (DEP)-integrated 65-GHz inductor-capacitor (LC) oscillator array sensor chip. The sensor chip, fabricated using 65 nm CMOS technology, consists of 1488 sensor elements arranged in a zigzag pattern, each incorporating 5-mu m DEP electrodes and a 50-mu m LC oscillator. The set up allows for distributed bacterial collection and measurement. We evaluated the sensor's DEP collection patterns for Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, optimizing conditions for E. coli detection in various beverage matrices, including mineral water, green tea, and bovine milk. The method achieved detection limits of 1.3 x 105 bacterial cells/mL in mineral water and green tea and 5.4 x 106 cells/mL in bovine milk, with an enrichment rate reaching up to 20-fold. The entire detection process was completed within 30 min without the need for pretreatment, external analyzers, or temperature control. Overall, we demonstrated the utility of our simplified and cost-effective bacterial detection technique that enables efficient separation and enrichment of bacteria from food matrices. The sensor's compact design, reusability, and speed make it well-suited for on-site industrial food safety inspections, laying the groundwork for further improvements in real-world applications.

In the wagyu industry worldwide, high-quality marbling beef is produced by promoting intramuscular fat deposition during cattle fattening stage through dietary vitamin A control. Thus, however, cattle become susceptible to either vitamin A deficiency or excess state, not only influencing cattle performance and beef quality, but also causing health problems. Researchers have been exploring eye photography monitoring methods for cattle blood vitamin A levels based on the relation between vitamin A and retina colour changes. But previous endeavours cannot realise real-time monitoring and their prediction accuracy still need improvement in a practical sense. This study developed a handheld camera system capable of capturing cattle fundus images and predicting vitamin A levels in real time using deep learning. 4000 fundus images from 50 Japanese Black cattle were used to train and test the prediction algorithms, and the model achieved an average 87%, 83%, and 80% accuracy for three levels of vitamin A deficiency classification (particularly 87% for severe level), demonstrating the effectiveness of camera system in vitamin A deficiency prediction, especially for screening and early warning. More importantly, a new method was exemplified to utilise visualisation heatmap for colour-related DNNs tasks, and it was found that chromatic features extracted from LRP heatmap highlighted-ROI could account for 70% accuracy for the prediction of vitamin A deficiency. This system can assist farmers in blood vitamin A level monitoring and related disease prevention, contributing to precision livestock management and animal well-being in wagyu industry.

Acid hydrolysis and heat-moisture treatment (HMT) have been used to alter digestibility of starch in white sweet potato, providing health benefits. The potential of terahertz spectroscopy for rapid and non-destructive determination of starch digestibility in white sweet potato treated with acetic acid and citric acid, followed by HMT, was investigated. An in vitro starch digestibility assay was employed to measure the contents of rapidly digestible starch (RDS), slowly digestible starch (SDS), and resistant starch (RS). The intensities of the peaks attributed to covalent vibrational modes at 9.0, 10.5, and 13.1 THz showed a strong correlation with RDS content (R2 > 0.95). Moreover, the intensities of the peaks sensitive to non-covalent forces within and between double helices of starch, around 5.0 and 7.9 THz, were correlated with RS content (R2 > 0.65). These results indicate, after acid hydrolysis and HMT, the starch digestibility of white sweet potato can be determined using THz peaks.

Water in intermediate-moisture foods can be broadly classified into bound water, which is strongly bound to components, and free water, which can easily move or evaporate due to changes in surrounding environmental conditions. Free water is essential for the growth of microorganisms that can cause spoilage of foods. Glycerol, a humectant with high water retention capacity, has been used as an additive to reduce the free water content in processed foods because it is easily hydrated to form stable hydrogen bonds with water and has been thought to reduce the free water percentage in foods. Our research group used microwave dielectric spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to evaluate the hydration state around glycerol in comparison with several polyols with different water-holding capacity. Microwave dielectric spectroscopy showed that the dielectric spectra of the polyol aqueous solutions exhibited different molecular dynamics. Quantitative estimation of free water content for 10 mol% concentration aqueous solutions based on DSC results indicated that glycerol had significantly higher free water content. These results were consistent, suggesting that humectants with high water retention properties may not exhibit strong hydration. It was also suggested that the hydration state around the solute, with low hydration water content, may be a unique property of glycerol. In any case, the results overturn the conventional interpretation that hydration plays an important role in the water-holding capacity of humectants.

In this study, we report a sensitive real-time microbial growth monitoring technique using a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) dielectric sensor with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane. The sensor comprised an LC oscillator array operating at 65-GHz, whose resonant frequency was altered according to the dielectric properties of the region approximately 15 mu m from the surface. We previously reported the rapid detection of viable Escherichia coli suspended in a liquid medium using the dielectric sensor; however, sensing growing cells was challenging owing to their tendency to float outside the effective sensing area in the suspended medium. To address this, we propose a new method to enhance the sensitivity of the device using a PTFE membrane that retains cells inside the effective area during measurement. Experiments using Escherichia coli suggested that the use of the membrane more than doubled sensitivity, reducing inspection times for practical applications. Furthermore, experiments with Lactococcus lactis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae demonstrated that this method can be used to monitor the growth of various microbes. In addition, variations in the output values of each oscillator facilitated the determination of microbial characteristics, such as cell size and growth distribution. This microbial growth monitoring technique is expected to find applications across a wide range of fields, such as food inspection, environmental hygiene monitoring, antibiotic susceptibility testing, new drug discovery, and the exploration of beneficial microbes.

The crystallinity of amylose-fatty acid complex can be one of the indicators for the glycemic index of rice products. X-ray diffraction (XRD), the standard method for measuring crystallinity, however, suffers from matrix effect. In this study, the potential of terahertz spectroscopy for determining the crystallinity of gelatinized rice starch after complexing with lauric acid (LA) and palmitic acid (PA), two fatty acids whose spectra overlap with XRD spectra of starch, was investigated. The crystallinities of amylose-fatty acid complex and trapped PA crystals were derived from XRD spectra. The crystallinity of amylose-fatty acid complex correlated with the intensity of the second derivative spectra at 12.0 THz. Furthermore, this peak did not overlap with the spectra of trapped PA peaks. These results indicate the intensity of the peak at 12.0 THz can be used to accurately and robustly determine the crystallinity of amylose-fatty acid complex in gelatinized rice starch-fatty acid mixtures without inference from the presence of LA and trapped PA in the sample matrix.

Japanese black Wagyu cattle are renowned for producing some of the world's most highly valued and recognized beef with exceptional marbling. Therefore, the primary focus of genetic selection for Wagyu cattle has historically been on meat quality, particularly achieving high marbling levels. However, even when the price of the final product is high, production costs also remain high, especially considering that most of the feed has to be imported. The objective of this study was to evaluate phenotypic relationships between feed efficiency, specifically residual feed intake (RFI), as the most utilized efficiency index in cattle, and various meat quality parameters in Japanese black cattle in order to determine if a common phenotypic selection for these parameters could be feasible. For this, a total of 39 Wagyu cattle were evaluated for feed efficiency over their entire fattening period (900 d), with a focus on RFI as a key indicator. Animals were fed high-starch diets with vitamin A deprivation to achieve the desired marbling. Results revealed positive correlations between feed efficiency and meat quality in Wagyu cattle. Specifically, animals with higher feed efficiency exhibited superior meat quality traits, including firmness, marbling, and overall meat rating. When comparing the 20 most extreme RFI individuals (10 most and 10 least efficient), we observed that efficient RFI animals showed increased marbling levels (+13.2%, P = 0.05) and ranking quality (+12%, P = 0.06) of the meat. In conclusion, this research contributes to understanding the interplay between feed efficiency and meat quality in Japanese black Wagyu cattle. Phenotypic correlations observed suggest the possibility of incorporating RFI criteria into genetic selection programs without compromising the prized meat quality traits of Wagyu beef. Residual feed intake (RFI), one of the most popular efficiency index used for genetic selection in cattle, was related with meat quality parameters in Japanese black cattle. This study reveals that selection by efficient individuals may also improve meat quality parameters such as marbling in Wagyu cattle. The Japanese black cattle, or Wagyu, are known because of its exceptional meat quality and its high degree of marbling. However, to achieve this condition, animals are fed with high amount of concentrate and over long periods of time. In order to decrease both environmental impact and economic profitability of Wagyu producers, feed efficiency may be improved. Therefore, the present work evaluates the phenotypic relationship between meat quality variables of Japanese black cattle and their efficiency of feed utilization. Results showed how individuals with improved efficiency of feed utilization present higher degree of marbling than non-efficient, which may represent the footprint of a new genetic selection program which encompasses both meat quality criteria and feed efficiency values. These results have to be confirmed by genetic studies to verify heritability of these treatments.

Non-invasive potato defects detection has been demanded for sorting and grading purpose. Researches on the classification of the defects has been available, however, investigation on the severity level calculation is limited. For the detection of the common scab, it has been found that imaging in the infrared region provide an interesting characteristic that could distinguish defected area to normal area. Thus, investigations on this wavelength range is interesting to add more knowledge and for applications. In this research, the multispectral image has been obtained and investigated especially at three wavelengths (950, 1 150, 1 600 nm). Image pre-processing and pseudo-color conversion techniques were explored to enhance the contrast between defects, normal background skin area and soil deposits. Results show that external defects, such as common scab and some mechanical damage types, appear brighter in the near infrared region, especially at 1 600 nm against the normal skin background. It has been found that pseudo-color images conversion provides more information regarding type if surface characteristics compared to grayscale single imaging. Image segmentation using pseudo-color images after multiplication operation pre-processing could be used for common scab and mechanical damage detection excluding soil deposits with a Dice Sorensen coefficient of 0.64. In addition, image segmentation using single image at 1 600 nm shown relatively better results with Dice Sorensen coefficient of 0.72 with note that thick soil deposits will also be segmented. Defect severity level evaluation had an R2 correlation of 0.84 against standard measurements of severity.

“Japanese Black” is a breed of beef cattle endemic to Japan and has a propensity to produce marbled meat, which requires the regulation of the blood vitamin A, retinol. To control retinol levels in a healthy way, the fluorescence of whole blood, plasma and plasma with a blood cell separation filter of cattle was measured by Excitation Emission Matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectrophotometry to develop a blood retinol estimation technique that is simpler and faster than conventional chemical analysis. Actual blood retinol concentrations were determined by HPLC methods. The EEM of each sample was measured in the excitation 300–400 nm and fluorescence 320–550 nm range and the retinol concentration was estimated by PLS regression. R2Pred, and RMSEP for the whole blood were 0.91, 9.12, for plasma 0.94, 7.58, and for plasma with glass filter 0.92, 11.1, respectively.

Proactive dietary control of blood vitamin A levels is crucial for the intramuscular fat development in cattle worldwide. However, cattle become susceptible to either vitamin A deficiency or excessive state during fattening stage, influencing cattle performance, health, and beef quality. A good understanding and modelling of vitamin A levels throughout the whole cattle growth phase is needed. This study aims to assist in controlling the fattening process for production of high-marbling beef through a non-invasive monitoring of blood vitamin A levels. Using an automatic double imaging system, this study captured both surface and fundus images of cattle eyes, and based on this, predicted blood vitamin A levels through a novel dynamic analysis of 29 eye features. The best PLS model had a prediction of R2 = 0.82 and RMSE = 6.50 IU center dot dL-1 (equivalent to 0.02 mu g center dot mL-1), which is of a clinically meaningful accuracy. This system can greatly facilitate vitamin A levels management in cattle raising, contributing to the effective control of beef marbling for both the market and industry.

Fluorinated solvents have been used as oxygen carriers in closed microbial cultures to sustain aerobic conditions. However, the growth-promoting effects of fluorinated solvents remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which fluorinated solvents promote microbial growth and to explore alternative materials that can be easily isolated after culture. Escherichia coli and HFE-7200, a fluorinated solvent, were used to explore factors other than oxygen released by fluorinated solvents that promote microbial growth. E. coli growth was promoted in gas-permeable cultures, and HFE-7200 alleviated medium acidification. Gas chromatography confirmed that HFE-7200 functioned as a scavenger of carbon dioxide produced by E. coli metabolism. Because fluorinated solvents can dissolve various gases, they could scavenge metabolically produced toxic gases from microbial cultures. Furthermore, using polytetrafluoroethylene, a solid fluorine material, results in enhanced bacterial growth. Such solid materials can be easily isolated and reused for microbial culture, suggesting their potential as valuable technologies in food production and biotechnology.

Since hydrothermal treatments can enhance resistant starch (RS) content in rice and provide health benefits when consumed, a less laborious and non-destructive method to determine RS content is needed. Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy is hypothesized as a suitable method to quantify RS content in rice after hydrothermal treatment with its sensitivity for the intermolecular forces increase in the formation of RS. In this study, we first used the traditional in vitro hydrolysis method to determine the content of RS in rice. Then, the potential of starch absorbance peaks to quantify RS content after three commonly used hydrothermal methods, soaking, mild heat-moisture treatment, and parboiling, was investigated. The second derivative intensities of the peak at 9.0, 10.5, 12.1, and 13.1 THz were confirmed as being correlated with RS content and showed the high accuracy to predict RS content in samples (R2 > 0.96). Our results indicate the RS content of hydrothermally treated rice can be accurately quantified using these peaks.

Blood vitamin A levels during fattening have a crucial influence on beef marbling. As an alternative of conventional blood assays, eye imaging method has been raised as a potential non-invasive way to monitor vitamin A levels in cattle. However, current image capture systems merely acquire cattle eye surface images, which cannot adequately reflect the chromatic information of eye retina that indicates vitamin A level changes. Based on previous research, we propose a novel, automatic double imaging system that combined two illuminating system as well as the installation of polarising filters to eliminate eye surface reflection and consequently, obtain clear fundus images. This greatly facilitated subsequent image processing and feature extraction for vitamin A prediction. The proposed imaging system demonstrated a stronger correlation between vitamin A levels and chromatic features in fundus images than previous systems. An improved classification (accuracy 82%) of vitamin A deficiency level than previous study (56.6%) strongly supports this system’s advantage. Being non-invasive cost-effective and rapid, this double imaging system is expected to play an important role in precision livestock farming as well as clinical diagnosis in veterinarian.