Nanoscience and nanotechnology are new frontiers of this century. Their applications to the agriculture and food sector are relatively recent compared with their use in drug delivery and ...pharmaceuticals. Smart delivery of nutrients, bioseparation of proteins, rapid sampling of biological and chemical contaminants and nanoencapsulation of nutraceuticals are some of the emerging topics of nanotechnology for food and agriculture. Advances in technologies, such as DNA microarrays, microelectromechanical systems and microfluidics, will enable the realization of the potential of nanotechnology for food applications. In this review, we intended to summarize the applications of nanotechnology relevant to food and nutraceuticals together with identifying the outstanding challenges.
The importance of digital transformation (DGT) for increasing productivity cannot be negated and Chinese firms are rapidly embracing the digital transformation for their sustainability. But the ...mechanism and impact of digital transformation on total factor productivity (TFP) of firms is still unclear and this study is intended to fill this gap using the data of 3112 listed firms of China during 2011 to 2022. We applied various econometric techniques like stepwise regression analysis, instrumental variable approach, differences in difference approach, and mediating analysis to determine the relationship between digital transformation and TFP and robustness of estimated findings. The findings indicate that DGT has a positive impact on overall TFP of firms in China while operating efficiency, cheaper costs, and a stronger capacity for innovation mediates this relationship. Moreover, it is explored that conventional information and communication technologies have not significant impact on TFP of firms. The findings of the study remain valid even applying many robustness checks and attempts to control the issue of endogeneity. To fully leverage the potential benefits of digital transformation on TFP, it is essential to focus on enhancing digital literacy and skills among the workforce. Governments and relevant stakeholders should prioritize and invest in comprehensive digital literacy and skills training programs to empower the workforce with the knowledge and expertise needed to navigate the digital age effectively.
Trans and saturated fat replacers/substitutes have been a tremendously active area of research for the food industry. Unlike polymers used for hydrogels, oleogels utilize small, amphiphilic molecules ...that self-assemble via highly specific, non-covalent interactions entrapping liquid oil via capillary forces. Edible applications of oleogels have replaced the need for trans unsaturated and saturated fatty acids to structure processed foods. These innovations mitigate the use of hardstock fats that are associated with deleterious health risks and negative consumer perception. Over the past decade, oleogels have made significant strides towards emulating desired sensory traits while maintaining healthy nutritional profile of the oil. Due to the rapid advancements in the past decade, the most promising technologies will be reviewed.
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•Edible oleogels are becoming a more realistic alternative for hardstock fats in processed foods.•Oleogels, in some cases, have similar sensory properties with enhanced nutritional profiles.•Most edible oleogels currently being investigated have added bioactive benefits.
Theories of scientific and technological change view discovery and invention as endogenous processes
, wherein previous accumulated knowledge enables future progress by allowing researchers to, in ...Newton's words, 'stand on the shoulders of giants'
. Recent decades have witnessed exponential growth in the volume of new scientific and technological knowledge, thereby creating conditions that should be ripe for major advances
. Yet contrary to this view, studies suggest that progress is slowing in several major fields
. Here, we analyse these claims at scale across six decades, using data on 45 million papers and 3.9 million patents from six large-scale datasets, together with a new quantitative metric-the CD index
-that characterizes how papers and patents change networks of citations in science and technology. We find that papers and patents are increasingly less likely to break with the past in ways that push science and technology in new directions. This pattern holds universally across fields and is robust across multiple different citation- and text-based metrics
. Subsequently, we link this decline in disruptiveness to a narrowing in the use of previous knowledge, allowing us to reconcile the patterns we observe with the 'shoulders of giants' view. We find that the observed declines are unlikely to be driven by changes in the quality of published science, citation practices or field-specific factors. Overall, our results suggest that slowing rates of disruption may reflect a fundamental shift in the nature of science and technology.
Nanotechnology continues to offer new materials and applications that will benefit society, yet there is growing concern about the potential health and environmental impacts of production and use of ...nanoscale products. Although hundreds of studies of nanomaterial hazards have been reported, due (largely) to the complexity of the nanomaterials, there is no consensus about the impact these hazards will have. This Focus describes the need for a research agenda that addresses these nanomaterial complexities through coordinated research on the applications and implications of new materials, wherein nanomaterials scientists play a central role as we move from understanding to minimizing nanomaterial hazards. Greener nanoscience is presented as an approach to determining and implementing the design rules for safer nanomaterials and safer, more efficient processes.
Deep learning describes a class of machine learning algorithms that are capable of combining raw inputs into layers of intermediate features. These algorithms have recently shown impressive results ...across a variety of domains. Biology and medicine are data-rich disciplines, but the data are complex and often ill-understood. Hence, deep learning techniques may be particularly well suited to solve problems of these fields. We examine applications of deep learning to a variety of biomedical problems—patient classification, fundamental biological processes and treatment of patients—and discuss whether deep learning will be able to transform these tasks or if the biomedical sphere poses unique challenges. Following from an extensive literature review, we find that deep learning has yet to revolutionize biomedicine or definitively resolve any of the most pressing challenges in the field, but promising advances have been made on the prior state of the art. Even though improvements over previous baselines have been modest in general, the recent progress indicates that deep learning methods will provide valuable means for speeding up or aiding human investigation. Though progress has been made linking a specific neural network's prediction to input features, understanding how users should interpret these models to make testable hypotheses about the system under study remains an open challenge. Furthermore, the limited amount of labelled data for training presents problems in some domains, as do legal and privacy constraints on work with sensitive health records. Nonetheless, we foresee deep learning enabling changes at both bench and bedside with the potential to transform several areas of biology and medicine.
Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are an interesting and useful class of coordination polymers, constructed from metal ion/cluster nodes and functional organic ligands through coordination bonds, and ...have attracted extensive research interest during the past decades. Due to the unique features of diverse compositions, facile synthesis, easy surface functionalization, high surface areas, adjustable porosity, and tunable biocompatibility, MOFs have been widely used in hydrogen/methane storage, catalysis, biological imaging and sensing, drug delivery, desalination, gas separation, magnetic and electronic devices, nonlinear optics, water vapor capture, etc. Notably, with the rapid development of synthetic methods and surface functionalization strategies, smart MOF‐based nanocomposites with advanced bio‐related properties have been designed and fabricated to meet the growing demands of MOF materials for biomedical applications. This work outlines the synthesis and functionalization and the recent advances of MOFs in biomedical fields, including cargo (drugs, nucleic acids, proteins, and dyes) delivery for cancer therapy, bioimaging, antimicrobial, biosensing, and biocatalysis. The prospects and challenges in the field of MOF‐based biomedical materials are also discussed.
The synthesis and functionalization of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for biomedical applications in the delivery of cargos (drugs, nucleic acids, proteins, and dyes) for cancer therapy, bioimaging, antimicrobial, biosensing, and biocatalysis are overviewed, and the development prospects and challenges of MOF‐based theranostic systems are also discussed.
Consumption of biologically active amounts of omega-3 fatty acids is linked to improved human health, which has partly been attributed to their important role in brain development and cardiovascular ...health. Western diets are relatively low in omega-3 fatty acids and many consumers turn to supplements or functional foods to increase their intake of these healthy lipids. Fish oil is one of the most widely used sources of omega-3 fatty acid for supplementation and has greater health benefits than plant sources because of its higher concentration of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The incorporation of omega-3 fatty acids into foods and beverages is often challenging due to their low water-solubility, poor oxidative stability, and variable bioavailability. Nanoemulsions offer a promising way to incorporate omega-3 fatty acids into liquid food systems like beverages, dressing, sauces, and dips. Nanoemulsions are colloidal dispersions that contain small oil droplets (
r
< 100 nm) that may be able to overcome many of the challenges of fortifying foods and beverages with omega-3 fatty acids. The composition and fabrication of nanoemulsions can be optimized to increase the chemical and physical stability of oil droplets, as well as to increase the bioavailability of omega-3 fatty acids.
Nanoemulsions and emulsions can be used as delivery systems for omega-3 fatty acids into functional food and beverage products.
•Inulin production and its physicochemical properties are elucidated.•Preventive role of inulin against gastrointestinal complications like constipation.•Inulin consumption enhances the absorption of ...minerals and stimulates immune system.•Wide applications in food industry as fat and sugar replacer as well as dietary fiber.
Inulin is a water soluble storage polysaccharide and belongs to a group of non-digestible carbohydrates called fructans. Inulin has attained the GRAS status in USA and is extensively available in about 36,000 species of plants, amongst, chicory roots are considered as the richest source of inulin. Commonly, inulin is used as a prebiotic, fat replacer, sugar replacer, texture modifier and for the development of functional foods in order to improve health due to its beneficial role in gastric health. This review provides a deep insight about its production, physicochemical properties, role in combating various kinds of metabolic and diet related diseases and utilization as a functional ingredient in novel product development.
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