Enzymatic treatment for juice extraction is most commonly used now a days. The enzymatic process is claimed to offer a number of advantages over mechanical-thermal comminution of several fruit pulps. ...Enzymes are an integral component of modern fruit juice manufacturing and are highly suitable for optimizing processes. Their main purposes are: increase extraction of juice from raw material, increase processing efficiency (pressing, solid settling or removal), and generate a final product that is clear and visually attractive. Juice extraction can be done by using various mechanical processes, which may be achieved through diffusion extraction, decanter centrifuge, screw type juice extractor, fruit pulper and by different types of presses. Enzymatic treatment prior to mechanical extraction significantly improves juice recovery compared to any other extraction process. Enzymatic hydrolysis of the cell walls increases the extraction yield, reducing sugars, soluble dry matter content and galacturonic acid content and titrable acidity of the products. Enzymatic degradation of the biomaterial depends upon the type of enzyme, incubation time, incubation temperature, enzyme concentration, agitation, pH and use of different enzyme combinations. We can conclude from the technical literature that use of the enzymes i.e. cellulases, pectinases, amylases and combination of these enzymes can give better juice yield with superior quality of the fruit juice. Pectinase enzyme can give maximum juice yield i.e. 92.4% at 360 minutes incubation time, 37°C incubation temperature and 5 mg/100 g of enzyme concentration. Whereas the combination of two enzymes i.e. pectin methyl esterase (PME) and polygalacturonase (PG) at 120 minutes of incubation time, 50°C of incubation temperature and 0.05 mg/100 gm of enzymatic concentration can give the maximum yield of 96.8% for plum fruits. This paper discusses the use of enzymes in fruit juice production focusing on the juice recovery, clarity and effect of the particular enzyme on the biochemical properties of the fruit juices.
Rapid detection of foodborne pathogens is important for reducing diseases caused by food contaminated with pathogens and toxins. Current methods rely on conventional culture-based techniques which ...are time-wise lengthy and require trained personnel, and are not effective for on-site use. On the other hand biosensors can detect pathogens in a much shorter time with sensitivity and selectivity comparable to the conventional methods, but with a slightly lower reliability. Since they are low-cost and high-throughput devices and do not require trained personnel, they potentially can be used in future as stand-alone devices for on-site monitoring. This article reviews biosensors that use optical, electrochemical and piezoelectric transduction mechanisms for the detection of foodborne contaminants. After a brief discussion of the transduction principles, specific examples of foodborne pathogen detection using biosensors are presented and critically reviewed. We conclude by noting that, in spite of the promising approaches demonstrated thus far, much work still needs to be done before they become a viable alternative to conventional methods.
We show for the first time that half antibody fragments obtained by reduction via tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) gave a larger response with shear-mode resonating mass sensors than physisorbed ...whole antibody or antibody immobilized via Protein G. The reduced antibody is shown to preserve the antigen-binding region and was determined via the antigen binding response. Reduction exposed the native thiol group in the antibody that readily chemisorbed onto the gold-coated sensor surfaces with the right orientation for antigen binding. Comparing responses obtained on a quartz crystal microbalance for the detection of pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 using TCEP-reduced antibody with native antibody showed that the proposed method enhances device sensitivity. Examining the half antibody fragments for detection of the pathogen in the presence of the nonpathogenic wild strain showed that the antibody fragments retained their specific antigen binding capability without loss of selectivity.
Green tomatoes contain significant levels of steroidal glycoalkoids (SGA) such as α-tomatine and green pigment chlorophyll. Tomatine is an admixture of two glycoalkoids; alpha tomatine and ...dehydrotomatine reported various health beneficial biological activities. Moreover, a hydrolyzed product of tomatine also contributes to age-related atrophy, and muscle weakness and helps the elderly recover from illness and injuries related to age. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the absorption of tomatine in the human body concerning proposed biological activity, which should be an area of interest in the future. Once, the absorption study is established compounds concentrated in green tomatoes are potentially involved as protective compounds for several diseases and also used for functional food. To facilitate the use of green tomatoes in food processing, this comprehensive review provides data on the nutritional value of green tomatoes, with emphasis on the evolution of the physiological chemistry, analytical, medicinal, and pharmacological effects of the α-tomatine and chlorophyll in an experimental model. The broad aim of this review is to evaluate the health benefits of green tomatoes in addition to their nutritional value and to study the several features of the role of α-tomatine and chlorophyll in human health.
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are used in a variety of applications such as aircraft, automobiles, body armors, and the sports sector owing to their ultra-strong and lightweight ...characteristics. However, the incorporation of an untreated pristine carbon fiber surface leads to a weak interfacial interaction with the polymeric matrix, thus triggering catastrophic failure of the composite material. Graphene oxide, a 2D-macromolecule consisting of several polar functional groups such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, and carbonyl on the basal planes and edges, tends to increase the surface area and has thus been applied between the fiber and matrix, helping to improve CFRP properties. Herein, we condense different routes of functionalization of GO nanosheets and their incorporation onto a fiber surface or in a carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy matrix, helping to improve the interfacial adhesion between the fiber and matrix, and thus allowing effective stress transfer and energy absorption. The improvement of the interfacial adhesion between the fiber and carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy matrix is due to the peculiar structure of GO nanoparticles composed of polar groups, especially on the edges of the nanosheets, able to provide strong interaction with the hosting cured epoxy matrix, and the "core" part similar to the structure of CFs, and hence able to establish strong π-π interactions with the reinforcing CFs. The article also covers the effect of functionalized graphene oxide incorporation on the mechanical, thermal, electrical, and viscoelastic properties of composite materials reinforced with carbon fibers.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) revolutionized cancer therapy by augmenting anti-tumor immunity via cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed death-1/programmed ...death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1). However, this breakthrough is accompanied by immune-related adverse effects (irAEs), including renal complications. ICI-related nephritis involves complex mechanisms like auto-reactive T cells, auto-antibodies, reactivation of drug-specific T cells, and cytokine-driven inflammation culminating in AKI. ICI-AKI typically manifests weeks to months into treatment, often with other irAEs. Timely detection relies on monitoring creatinine levels and urine characteristics. Biomarkers, like soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and urine cytokine levels, provide non-invasive insights, while renal biopsy remains the gold standard for confirmation. Management of ICI-AKI requires a balance between discontinuing ICI therapy and prompt immunosuppressive intervention, typically with corticosteroids. Some cases permit ICI therapy resumption, but varying renal recovery rates highlight the importance of vigilant monitoring and effective therapy. Beyond its clinical implications, the potential of irAEs to predict positive treatment responses in certain cancers raises intriguing questions. Data on nephritis-treatment response links are limited, and ongoing research explores this complex interaction. In summary, ICI therapy's transformative impact on cancer treatment is counterbalanced by irAEs, including nephritis. Early recognition and management are vital, with ongoing research refining diagnostic and treatment strategies.
We examined antibody and memory B cell responses longitudinally for ∼9–10 months after primary 2-dose SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination and 3 months after a 3rd dose. Antibody decay stabilized between 6 ...and 9 months, and antibody quality continued to improve for at least 9 months after 2-dose vaccination. Spike- and RBD-specific memory B cells remained durable over time, and 40%–50% of RBD-specific memory B cells simultaneously bound the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants. Omicron-binding memory B cells were efficiently reactivated by a 3rd dose of wild-type vaccine and correlated with the corresponding increase in neutralizing antibody titers. In contrast, pre-3rd dose antibody titers inversely correlated with the fold-change of antibody boosting, suggesting that high levels of circulating antibodies may limit the added protection afforded by repeat short interval boosting. These data provide insight into the quantity and quality of mRNA-vaccine-induced immunity over time through 3 or more antigen exposures.
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•Neutralizing antibody titers stabilize ∼6 months after primary vaccination•Memory B cells are stable for >9 months postvaccination and >50% cross-bind Omicron•Omicron-reactive memory B cells are reactivated by a 3rd dose of wild-type vaccine•Low preboost antibody levels correlate with a greater fold increase after boosting
Immunization with 2 doses of mRNA vaccine encoding the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 spike protein induces a population of durable memory B cells with broad reactivity to viral variants including Omicron. Boosting with a 3rd dose of ancestral vaccine increases variant-neutralizing antibody levels, highlighting the significance of vaccine-induced B cell memory.
Academics and the health community are paying much attention to developing smart remote patient monitoring, sensors, and healthcare technology. For the analysis of medical scans, various studies ...integrate sophisticated deep learning strategies. A smart monitoring system is needed as a proactive diagnostic solution that may be employed in an epidemiological scenario such as COVID-19. Consequently, this work offers an intelligent medicare system that is an IoT-empowered, deep learning-based decision support system (DSS) for the automated detection and categorization of infectious diseases (COVID-19 and pneumothorax). The proposed DSS system was evaluated using three independent standard-based chest X-ray scans. The suggested DSS predictor has been used to identify and classify areas on whole X-ray scans with abnormalities thought to be attributable to COVID-19, reaching an identification and classification accuracy rate of 89.58% for normal images and 89.13% for COVID-19 and pneumothorax. With the suggested DSS system, a judgment depending on individual chest X-ray scans may be made in approximately 0.01 s. As a result, the DSS system described in this study can forecast at a pace of 95 frames per second (FPS) for both models, which is near to real-time.
Nowadays, Fiber-reinforced Polymer Composites (FRPCs) are extensively utilized due to their remarkable properties such as high stiffness, excellent strength to weight ratio, resistance to wear, ...corrosion etc. Earlier, the FRPCs are prepared through synthetic fibers in order to attain high strength in conjunction with high elastic modulus. However, with the increasing economic and environmental factors regarding the accumulation of plastic waste, the development of natural and hybrid (combination of any two) fibers were started. The mechanical properties of FRPCs are largely determined by the way loads are transferred between the matrix and fibers, or by the strength of the bond between the fiber-matrix interfaces. Additionally, these factors play a significant role in determining the overall performance of FRPCs. Therefore, this review discusses the recent advancements in enhancing the interaction between fiber and matrix by means of chemical treatment and the inclusion of nanoparticles. The resulting mechanical performance of the end composites and their intended applications are also presented. Few targeted application areas of FRPCs such as aerospace, automobile, mechanical and biomedical implants were discussed in detail.
Abstract
Mucocutaneous diseases are the most common manifestation of human immunodeficiency virus and because of abnormal presentation, diagnosis and management is a challenge for clinicians. Here, ...we present three cases of unusual and severe presentation of common sexually transmitted diseases, out of which two patients had ulcerative lesions in genitals and one patient had cauliflower-like growth involving the pubic and anal region.
