Aggregation operators on group-based generalized q-rung orthopair fuzzy N-soft sets and applications in solar panel evaluation.

Every problem in decision-making has a solution when the information that is available is properly and precisely modeled. This study focuses on non-binary data from N-soft sets and q-rung orthopair fuzzy values, referred to as group-based generalized q-rung orthopair fuzzy N-soft sets (GGq-ROFNSSs). The GGq-ROFNSSs model provides information simultaneously on numerous competing criteria, alternatives, sub-alternatives, and data summarization. We introduce properties of GGq-ROFNSSs such as distinct inclusion features of GGq-ROFNSSs, weak complements of the GGq-ROFNSS, top weak complements the GGq-ROFNSS, bottom weak complements the GGq-ROFNSS. We provide the notion of GGq-ROFNSWA and GGq-ROFNSWG operators as well as their idempotency, monotonicity, and boundedness features. The notion of GGq-ROFNSSs requires a sound methodology of multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) since GGq-ROFNSS combines numerous elements of complex decision-making. We provide a MCDM methodology for the GGq-ROFNSWA and GGq-ROFNSWG operators and depict it in a flowchart. The selection of solar panels for a city is a difficult procedure because it depends on several components such as environment, where the area is located, what kinds of needs are being met, etc. We find a solution to the problem of selecting a suitable solar panel for a city with their underlying characteristics. Finally, we provide a comparison of the suggested method with other techniques to demonstrate its advantages.

Investigating the Antibacterial and Anti-inflammatory Potential of Polyol-Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles.

Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were synthesized by using the polyol method. The structural and morphological characteristics of Ag-NPs were studied by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The XRD analysis revealed the formation of single-phase polycrystalline Ag-NPs with an average crystallite size and lattice constant of ∼23 nm and 4.07 Å, respectively, while the FE-SEM shows the formation of a uniform and spherical morphology. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the formation of single-phase Ag-NPs, and no extra elements were detected. A strong absorption peak at ∼427 nm was observed in the UV-vis spectrum, which reflects the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) behavior characteristic of Ag-NPs with a spherical morphology. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra also supported the XRD and EDX results with regard to the purity of the prepared Ag-NPs. Anti-inflammatory activity was tested using HRBCs membrane stabilization and heat-induced hemolysis assays. The antibacterial activity of Ag-NPs was evaluated against four different types of pathogenic bacteria by using the disc diffusion method (DDM). The Gram-negative bacterial strains used in this study are Escherichia coli (E. coli), Klebsiella, Shigella, and Salmonella. The analysis suggested that the antibacterial activities of Ag-NPs have an influential role in inhibiting the growth of the tested Gram-negative bacteria, and thus Ag-NPs can find a potential application in the pharmaceutical industry.

Mechanism of Dihydromyricetin-Induced Reduction of Furfural Derived from the Amadori Compound: Formation of Adducts between Dihydromyricetin and Furfural or Its Precursors.

Dihydromyricetin (DMY) was employed to reduce the yield of furfural derived from the Amadori rearrangement product of l-threonine and d-xylose (Thr-ARP) by trapping Thr-ARP, 3-deoxyxyosone (3-DX), and furfural to form adducts. The effect of different concentrations of DMY at different pH values and temperatures on the reduction of furfural production was studied, and the results showed that DMY could significantly reduce furfural production at higher pH (pH 5-7) and lower temperature (110 °C). Through the surface electrostatic potential analysis by Gaussian, a significant enhancement of the C6 nucleophilic ability at higher pH (pH ≥ 5) was observed on DMY with hydrogen-dissociated phenol hydroxyl. The nucleophilic ability of DMY led to its trapping of Thr-ARP, 3-DX, and furfural with the generation of the adducts DMY-Thr-ARP, DMY-3-DX, and DMY-furfural. The formation of the DMY-Thr-ARP adduct slowed the degradation of Thr-ARP, caused the decrease of the 3-DX yield, and thereby inhibited the conversion of 3-DX to furfural. Therefore, DMY-Thr-ARP was purified, and the structure was identified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The results confirmed that C6 or C8 of DMY and carbonyl carbon in Thr-ARP underwent a nucleophilic addition reaction to form the DMY-Thr-ARP adduct. In combination with the analysis results of Gaussian, most of the DMY-Thr-ARP adducts were calculated to be C6-DMY-Thr-ARP. Furthermore, the formation of DMY-furfural caused furfural consumption. The formation of the adducts also shunted the pathway of both Thr-ARP and 3-DX conversion to furfural, resulting in a decrease in the level of furfural production.

Exogenous Alanine Promoting the Reaction between Amadori Compound and Deoxyxylosone and Inhibiting the Formation of 2-Furfural during Thermal Treatment.

The involvement of exogenous alanine was observed to inhibit the generation of 2-furfural during the thermal degradation of the Amadori rearrangement product (ARP). To clarify the reason for the reduced yield of 2-furfural triggered by exogenous alanine, the evolution of the precursors of 2-furfural formed in the ARP model and ARP-alanine model was investigated, and a model including ARP and 15N-labeled alanine was used to differentiate the role of endogenous and exogenous alanine in the degradation of ARP. It was found that the condensation between ARP and 3-deoxyxylosone could occur during thermal treatment. Nevertheless, the interaction of ARP with 3-deoxyxylosone exhibited an accelerated pace in the presence of exogenous alanine. In this way, exogenous alanine blocked the recovery of endogenous alanine while simultaneously enhancing the consumption of ARP and 3-deoxyxylosone during the Maillard reaction. Hence, the yield of 2-furfural was diminished with the interference of exogenous alanine. Furthermore, the promotion of the reaction between ARP and deoxyxylosone induced by exogenous alanine blocked their retro-aldolization reaction to short-chain α-dicarbonyls (α-DCs) and consequently resulted in a lack of pyrazine formation during the ARP degradation. The present study provided a feasible method for the controlled formation of 2-furfural during the thermal treatment of ARP derived from alanine.

Synthesis of ZnO and PEG-ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) with controlled size for biological evaluation.

The objective of this research was to produce the smallest possible ZnO nanoparticles through an adapted wet chemical process and subsequently, to fabricate a core-shell structure utilizing polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the shell component. The synthesis, size, and shape of the NPs were confirmed using advanced techniques. The resulting clustered NPs were round and had a size of 9.8 nm. Both plain and core-shell NPs were tested for their antibacterial properties against multi-drug resistant bacteria strains (E. cloacae, E. amnigenus, S. flexneri, S. odorifacae, Citrobacter, and E. coli), with concentrations of 500, 1000, and 1500 µg ml-1 used for testing. Both types of NPs demonstrated antibacterial activity against the tested pathogens, with the core-shell NPs being more effective. The synthesized NPs were biocompatible with human red blood cells, with a low level of hemolysis observed. The biocompatibility of the core-shell NPs was significantly enhanced by the presence of the PEG added as the shell. In addition, their effectiveness as photosensitizers for cancer treatment via photodynamic therapy (PDT) was evaluated. MTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of ZnO and PEG-ZnO, and the results showed that these NPs were able to generate ROS inside tumor cells upon irradiation, leading to apoptosis and cell death, making them a promising candidate for PDT.

Novel pyrazoline linked acyl thiourea pharmacophores as antimicrobial, urease, amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors: design, synthesis, SAR and molecular docking studies.

In the present work, a small library of novel pyrazolinyl-acyl thiourea (5a-j) was designed and synthesized through a multistep sequence and the synthesized compounds were screened for their antifungal, antibacterial and antioxidant activities as well as urease, amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. The synthesized series (5a-o) was characterized using a combination of spectroscopic techniques, including FT-IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR. All compounds (5a-j) were found to have significant potency against urease, α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and DPPH. The synthesized compounds were also screened for potential antibacterial and anti-fungal inhibition activities. IC50 values for all the prepared compounds for urease, α-glucosidase, amylase, and DPPH inhibition were determined and derivatives 5b and 5g were found to be the most potent urease inhibitors with IC50 values of 54.2 ± 0.32 and 43.6 ± 0.25 µM, respectively. Whilst compound 5b (IC50 = 68.3 ± 0.11 µM) is a potent α-glucosidase inhibitor, compound 5f (90.3 ± 1.08 µM) is a potent amylase inhibitor and compound 5b (103.4 ± 1.15 µM) is a potent antioxidant. The different substitutions on the phenyl ring were the basis for structure-activity relationship (SAR) study. The molecular docking study was performed for the confirmation of binding interactions.

Polysaccharide-coated quercetin-loaded nanoliposomes mitigate bitterness: A comparison of carrageenan, pectin, and trehalose.

The intense bitterness of quercetin poses a challenge to its utilization in the food industry. To address this issue, three anionic polysaccharides (carrageenan, pectin, and trehalose) were individually incorporated to fabricate polysaccharide-coated liposome nanocarriers. Electronic tongue analysis revealed a significant decreasing bitterness value (10.34 ± 0.07 mV, sensory score 1.8 ± 0.2, taste weak bitter) in quercetin-loaded nanoliposomes, compared with the bitterness value of quercetin aqueous solution (14 ± 0.01 mV, sensory score 7.3 ± 0.3, taste strong bitter). Furthermore, the polysaccharide-coated nanoliposomes exhibited an even greater capacity to mask the bitterness of quercetin, with carrageenan coated nanoliposomes demonstrating the most pronounced effect. The superior bitter masking ability of carrageenan coated nanoliposomes can be attributed to its high charge and viscosity. In sensory evaluations, gummy incorporated with carrageenan-coated nanoliposomes received the highest ratings, exhibiting enhanced overall palatability and antioxidant activity. This study offers insights into expanding the use of bitter nutrients in food applications and paves the way for more appealing and healthful food products.

Protein-stabilized Pickering emulsion interacting with inulin, xanthan gum and chitosan: Rheological behavior and 3D printing.

Physical stability and lipid digestion of protein-stabilized Pickering emulsions interacting with polysaccharides have been emphasized in our previous investigation. However, the polysaccharide coating and micelle protection of protein-based stable Pickering emulsion and its three-dimensional (3D) printing properties have not been thoroughly studied. The rheological properties and 3D printing properties of gelatin-catechin nanoparticles (GCNPs) stabilized Pickering emulsion were studied by using different charged polysaccharides, such as inulin (neutral), Xanthan gum (XG, anion), and chitosan (cation) as stable materials. The microstructure analysis of polysaccharide-stabilized Pickering emulsion (PSPE) showed that the order of pore wall thickness was GC-Chitosan > GC-XG > GC-Inulin. The network structure of GC-Chitosan was thickened, allowing the 3D printed product to have a good surface texture and adequate support. Rheological analysis showed that PSPEs in extrusion (shear thinning), self-support (rigid structure), and recovery (the outstanding thixotropy) of the three stages exhibited good potential of 3D printing. 3D printing results also showed that GC-Chitosan had the best printing performance. Therefore, polysaccharide-stabilized Pickering emulsions can provide a basis for the development of 3D printed food products.

Maillard Reaction Process and Characteristic Volatile Compounds Formed During Secondary Thermal Degradation Monitored via the Change of Fluorescent Compounds in the Reaction of Xylose-Corn Protein Hydrolysate.

Until now, no effective method has been found to monitor the Maillard reaction process for complex protein hydrolysates. Dynamic changes in the concentration of α-dicarbonyl compounds, fluorescence intensity, and browning degree were investigated during the Maillard reaction of corn protein hydrolysates. When the fluorescence intensity reached the peak, deoxyosones would continue to be increased by ARP's degradation. However, the reaction node with the highest fluorescence intensity coincided with the turning point of the browning reaction, and the subsequent browning rate remarkably increased. Therefore, the change in fluorescence intensity could be used to monitor the degradation of ARP and the formation of browning melanoidin at different stages of the Maillard reaction of complex systems, thus effectively indicating the process of the Maillard reaction. When Maillard reaction intermediates (MRIs) with maximum fluorescent compounds were heated, the most abundant pyrazines were subsequently achieved. However, furan compounds would be progressively increased during the thermal process of MRIs with continuously enhanced browning.

Light-Colored Maillard Peptides: Formation from Reduced Fluorescent Precursors of Browning and Enhancement of Saltiness Perception.

The browning formation and taste enhancement of peptides derived from soybean, peanut, and corn were studied in the light-colored Maillard reaction compared with the deep-colored reaction. The fluorescent compounds, as the browning precursors, were accumulated during the early Maillard reaction of peptides and subsequently degraded into dark substances, which resulted in a higher browning degree of deep-colored Maillard peptides (MPs), especially for the MPs derived from corn peptide. However, the addition of l-cysteine in light-colored Maillard reaction reduced the formation of deoxyosones and short-chain reactive α-dicarbonyls, thereby weakening the generation of fluorescent compounds and inhibited the browning of MPs. Synchronously, the peptides were thermally degraded into small peptides and amino acids, which were consumed less during light-colored thermal reaction due to its shorter reaction time at high temperature compared with deep-colored ones, thus contributing to a stronger saltiness perception of light-colored MPs than deep-colored MPs. Besides, the Maillard reaction products derived from soybean and peanut peptides possessed an obvious "kokumi" taste, making them suitable for enhancing the soup flavors.

Exploring the Potential of Hierarchical Zeolite-Templated Carbon Materials for High-Performance Li-O2 Batteries: Insights from Molecular Simulations.

The commercialization of ultrahigh capacity lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries is highly dependent on the cathode architecture, and a better understanding of its role in species transport and solid discharge product (i.e., Li2O2) formation is critical to improving the discharge capacity. Tailoring the pore size distribution in the cathode structure can enhance the ion mobility and increase the number of reaction sites to improve the formation of solid Li2O2. In this work, the potential of hierarchical zeolite-templated carbon (ZTC) structures as novel electrodes for Li-O2 batteries was investigated by using reactive force field molecular dynamics simulation (reaxFF-MD). Initially, 47 microporous zeolite-templated carbon morphologies were screened based on microporosity and specific area. Among them, four structures (i.e., RHO-, BEA-, MFI-, and FAU-ZTCs) were selected for further investigation including hierarchical features in their structures. Discharge product cluster analysis, self-diffusivities, and density number profiles of Li+, O2, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) electrolyte were obtained to find that the RHO-type ZTC exhibited enhanced mass transfer compared to conventional microporous ZTC (approximately 31% for O2, 44% for Li+, and 91% for DMSO) electrodes. This is due to the promoted formation of small-sized product clusters, creating more accessible sites for oxygen reduction reaction and mass transport. These findings indicate how hierarchical ZTC electrodes with micro- and mesopores can enhance the discharge performance of aprotic Li-O2 batteries, providing molecular insights into the underlying phenomena.

Efficient Formation of N-(1-Deoxy-d-ribulos-1-yl)-Glutathione via Limited Oxidation and Degradation of Glutathione during the Atmospheric-Vacuum Thermal Reaction.

The efficient preparation of the ribose-glutathione (Rib-GSH) Amadori rearrangement product (RG-ARP) as a potent precursor of meaty flavor was studied through the atmospheric-vacuum thermal reaction. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis revealed that the oxidation and degradation of GSH occurred during the preparation of RG-ARP via the atmospheric thermal reaction, especially at a low molar ratio of Rib to GSH and high reaction temperature. The RG-ARP and the ARPs derived from the products of GSH oxidation and degradation with the participation of Rib were identified by MS/MS as N-(1-deoxy-d-ribulos-1-yl)-glutathione, N-(1-deoxy-d-ribulos-1-yl)-cysteinylglycine, and N-(1-deoxy-d-ribulos-1-yl)-glutathione disulfide. The selective formation of RG-ARP was disrupted due to the multiple consumption pathways of GSH and Rib. The removal of water and the reduction of oxygen content during vacuum dehydration exhibited an obvious inhibitory effect on the oxidation of cysteinyl and the cleavage of glutamyl, limiting the oxidation and degradation of GSH. Meanwhile, the rapid evaporation of water promoted the molecular collision between the reactants, which allowed the glycation reaction of GSH to be advanced and fragmentation of RG-ARP to be inhibited at a mild dehydration temperature. Accordingly, the atmospheric-vacuum thermal reaction was proposed to limit the generation of secondary byproducts and enhance the yield of RG-ARP, enabling the RG-ARP yield to reach 49.23% at 80 °C and a molar ratio of 2:1 (Rib/GSH) for 20 min.

Revisiting Mehrotra and Nichani's Corner Detection Method for Improvement with Truncated Anisotropic Gaussian Filtering.

In the early 1990s, Mehrotra and Nichani developed a filtering-based corner detection method, which, though conceptually intriguing, suffered from limited reliability, leading to minimal references in the literature. Despite its underappreciation, the core concept of this method, rooted in the half-edge concept and directional truncated first derivative of Gaussian, holds significant promise. This article presents a comprehensive assessment of the enhanced corner detection algorithm, combining both qualitative and quantitative evaluations. We thoroughly explore the strengths, limitations, and overall effectiveness of our approach by incorporating visual examples and conducting evaluations. Through experiments conducted on both synthetic and real images, we demonstrate the efficiency and reliability of the proposed algorithm. Collectively, our experimental assessments substantiate that our modifications have transformed the method into one that outperforms established benchmark techniques. Due to its ease of implementation, our improved corner detection process has the potential to become a valuable reference for the computer vision community when dealing with corner detection algorithms. This article thus highlights the quantitative achievements of our refined corner detection algorithm, building upon the groundwork laid by Mehrotra and Nichani, and offers valuable insights for the computer vision community seeking robust corner detection solutions.

Intrinsic Molecular Mechanisms of Transformation between Isomeric Intermediates Formed at Different Stages of Cysteine-Xylose Maillard Reaction Model through Dehydration.

2-Threityl-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA) and Amadori rearrangement product (ARP), the isomeric intermediates derived from the cysteine-xylose (Cys-Xyl) Maillard reaction model, possessed the ability to produce similar flavor profile during the thermal process, but the flavor formation or browning rate of heated TTCA was significantly lower than that of ARP. Macroscopically, the yield of TTCA reached the maximum when the moisture content of the reaction system just dropped to nearly 0% during the thermal reaction-vacuum dehydration process. During the subsequent dynamic intramolecular dehydration process, the reaction remained at an early stage of the Maillard reaction, and TTCA was the main intermediate. Thereinto, the water activity of the samples decreased with the increased dehydration time. From a molecular perspective, the dissipation of free water promoted the conversion of combined water to immobilized water and free water, increasing the intramolecular dehydration. Instantaneous high-temperature dehydration during the spray drying process revealed a higher efficiency than the thermal reaction-vacuum dehydration process, which facilitated the specific conversion of substrates to intermediates (TTCA, ARP). The loss of free water and immobilized water was a key driving force for the direct formation of TTCA/ARP, regulating the formation stages of MRIs. The increase of the inlet air temperature could alter the ratio of TTCA and ARP at the equilibrium state.

Promotion or Inhibition Effects of Exogenous Glutathione-Degraded Amino Acids on the Formation of 2,3-Butanedione and Pyrazines via Varied Pathways of Interaction with α-Dicarbonyl Compounds Derived from N-(1-Deoxy-d-xylulos-1-yl)-alanine.

The contribution of glutathione (GSH) and free amino acids degraded from GSH to the generation of pyrazines and 2,3-butanedione was illustrated during their interaction in the thermal treatment of the Amadori compound of alanine and xylose (ARP). GSH-degraded amino acids, glutamic acid (Glu), cysteine (Cys), and glycine (Gly), but not pyroglutamic acid (pGlu), could effectively capture α-dicarbonyls to facilitate the formation of pyrazines when ARP was heated with GSH. Deoxypentosones, the precursors of 2,3-butanedione, were largely consumed in the ARP-GSH model by the interaction with GSH and its degradative Cys compared with the ARP model. The addition of GSH and deoxypentosones inhibited the further degradation of deoxypentosones, resulting in less formation of 2,3-butanedione and other α-dicarbonyl compounds. Meanwhile, the reaction between GSH-degraded Cys and deoxypentosones to form sulfur-containing compounds such as thiols accelerated the consumption of deoxypentosones; thereby, the formation of 2,3-butanedione was severely interfered. However, this inhibition was compensated for by the GSH-degraded Gly through the addition between Gly and MGO and the subsequent deamination. The involvement of exogenous GSH could simultaneously boost the yields of 2,3-butanedione and pyrazines compared with those of ARP heated alone. As the degree of GSH degradation strengthened in the ARP-thermal-degraded GSH models, the yields of both pyrazines and 2,3-butanedione steadily increased.

Regulated Formation of Inhibited Color and Enhanced Flavor Derived from Heated 2-Threityl-Thiazolidine-4-Carboxylic Acid with Additional Cysteine Targeting at Different Degradation Stages.

This study explored the addition of cysteine (Cys) affecting the color formation of heated 2-threityl-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA) models under different reaction conditions and pointed out that temperature was considered to be the key parameter influencing the color inhibition behavior of Cys on TTCA reaction models. Results revealed that additional Cys not only controlled the reaction progress and blocked the formation pathway of browning but also changed the formation rate, intensity, and profile of the flavor generated from the TTCA reaction model. Meanwhile, the mechanism of Cys simultaneously regulating the formation of color and flavor was revealed through monitoring of the characteristic downstream products during TTCA degradation and model reaction systems. At the initial stage, the additional Cys acted as a color inhibitor before the deoxyxylosone degradation, preventing the formation of downstream browning precursors. With the continuous depletion of Cys as well as the generation of furans or α-dicarbonyl compounds, Cys became a flavor enhancer to act on the browning precursors and to provide more sulfur/nitrogen elements for the TTCA thermal reaction system. Therefore, Cys had the potential to act as both color inhibitor and flavor fortifier to match with TTCA for the preparation of a light-colored flavoring base with a desired flavor during thermal processing.

Exogenous Threonine-Induced Conversion of Threonine-Xylose Amadori Compound to Heyns Compound for Efficiently Promoting the Formation of Pyrazines.

The involvement of exogenous threonine during the degradation of l-threonine-d-xylose Amadori rearrangement product (Thr-ARP) was found to promote the formation of pyrazines. A model including Thr-ARP and 15N-labeled l-threonine was applied to reveal the role of free threonine in Thr-ARP conversion to pyrazines. Quantitative analyses of pyrazines in the model of Thr-ARP/15N-labeled threonine showed a precedence of the endogenous threonine (formed by the degradation of Thr-ARP) over the exogenous threonine in pyrazines formation, and the ratio of 15N to 14N content in pyrazines increased significantly over time. According to the observed occurrence of the Heyns rearrangement products (HRP) derived from 15N-threonine, as well as the sharp decrease of 15N-threonine content and a rapid increase of 14N endogenous threonine at the initial stage of heat treatment, it was proposed that aldimine condensation between exogenous threonine and Thr-ARP followed by the hydrolysis led to the endogenous threonine and the generation of HRP. Then, the HRP underwent dehydration followed by hydrolysis to form exogenous threonine and deoxyxyosones, and the dehydration and hydrolysis of deoxyxyosones to form organic acids was inhibited, but the retro-aldolization of deoxyxyosones was promoted, facilitating the generation of reactive α-dicarbonyl compounds. In this way, exogenous threonine accelerated the release of endogenous threonine and α-dicarbonyl compounds and the pH decline was slowed down, which was favorable for the formation of pyrazines.

A novel study of spherical fuzzy soft Dombi aggregation operators and their applications to multicriteria decision making.

In many decision-making situations, we are not restricted to two kinds of aspects, such as membership degree or nonmembership degree, and sometimes we need to include the abstinence degree (AD). However, many fuzzy set theories fail to cover issues, such as an intuitionistic fuzzy soft set, Pythagorean fuzzy soft set and q-rung orthopair fuzzy soft set. All the above notions can only consider membership degree and a nonmembership degree in their structures. The spherical fuzzy soft set compensates for these drawbacks in its structure. Moreover, the Dombi t-norm and Dombi t-conorm are the fundamental apparatuses to generalize the basic operational laws of sum and product. Therefore, in this article, based on the dominant features of spherical fuzzy soft sets and valuable features of the Dombi t-norm and Dombi t-conorm, we initially developed the basic Dombi operational laws for spherical fuzzy soft numbers. Moreover, based on these newly developed operational laws, we introduced aggregation operators called spherical fuzzy soft Dombi average (weighted, ordered weighted, hybrid) aggregation operators. We discussed the basic properties of these aggregation operators. Additionally, we have developed a multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) approach using an explanatory example via our approach to show its effective utilization. Furthermore, a comparative study of our approach shows the superiority of our introduced notions.

Investigation of conduction mechanism and UV light response of vertically grown ZnO nanorods on an interdigitated electrode substrate.

Vertically aligned zinc oxide nanorod (ZnO-NR) growth was achieved through a wet chemical route over a comb-shaped working area of an interdigitated Ag-Pd alloy signal electrode. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy images confirmed the formation of homogeneous ZnO-NRs grown uniformly over the working area. X-ray diffraction revealed single-phase formation of ZnO-NRs, further confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. Temperature-dependent impedance and modulus formalisms showed semiconductor-type behavior of ZnO-NRs. Two electro-active regions i.e., grain and grain boundary, were investigated which have activation energy ∼0.11 eV and ∼0.17 eV, respectively. The conduction mechanism was investigated in both regions using temperature-dependent AC conductivity analysis. In the low-frequency dispersion region, the dominant conduction is due to small polarons, which is attributed to the grain boundary response. At the same time, the correlated barrier hopping mechanism is a possible conduction mechanism in the high dispersion region attributed to the bulk/grain response. Moreover, substantial photoconductivity under UV light illumination was achieved which can be attributed to the high surface-to-volume ratio of zinc oxide nanorods as they provide high density of trap states which causes an increase in the carrier injection and movement leading to persistent photoconductivity. This photoconductivity was also facilitated by the frequency sweep applied to the sample which suggests the investigated ZnO nanorods based IDE devices can be useful for the application of efficient UV detectors. Experimental values of field lowering coefficient (ßexp) matched well with the theoretical value of ßS which suggests that the possible operating conduction mechanism in ZnO nanorods is Schottky type. I-V characteristics showed that the significantly high photoconductivity of ZnO-NRs as a result of UV light illumination is owing to the increase in number of free charge carriers as a result of generation of electron-hole pairs by absorption of UV light photons.

Evolution of lean meat tenderness stimulated by coordinated variation of water status, protein structure and tissue histology during cooking of braised pork.

Tenderness of lean meat in braised pork is of great importance to the consumer palatability and acceptance. The influence of water status, protein structure and histological changes on lean meat tenderness during cooking was investigated. Results indicated that lean meat began to tenderize mainly after 20 min-cooking. In the early period of cooking, the decrease of total sulfhydryl content caused the protein oxidative cross-linking, leading to the gradual unfolding of the protein structure, thus resulting in a decrease of T22 and an increase of centrifugal loss, which decreased the tenderness of lean meat. However, after cooking for 20 min, the ß-sheet decreased and random coil increased, thus generating conversion between P21 and P22. The rupture of perimysium structure was observed. Changes in protein structure, water status, and tissue histology could facilitate the initiation and development of lean meat tenderness.