Pretreatment is widely used before drying of agro-products to inactivate enzymes, enhance drying process and improve quality of dried products. In current work, the influence of various pretreatments ...on drying characteristics and quality attributes of fruits and vegetables is summarized. They include chemical solution (hyperosmotic, alkali, sulfite and acid, etc.) and gas (sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and ozone) treatments, thermal blanching (hot water, steam, super heated steam impingement, ohmic and microwave heating, etc), and non-thermal process (ultrasound, freezing, pulsed electric field, and high hydrostatic pressure, etc). Chemical pretreatments effectively enhance drying kinetics, meanwhile, it causes soluble nutrients losing, trigger food safety issues by chemical residual. Conventional hot water blanching has significant effect on inactivating various undesirable enzymatic reactions, destroying microorganisms, and softening the texture, as well as facilitating drying rate. However, it induces undesirable quality of products, e.g., loss of texture, soluble nutrients, pigment and aroma. Novel blanching treatments, such as high-humidity hot air impingement blanching, microwave and ohmic heat blanching can reduce the nutrition loss and are more efficient. Non-thermal technologies can be a better alternative to thermal blanching to overcome these drawbacks, and more fundamental researches are needed for better design and scale up.
Abstract Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common disease associated with tissue inflammation, physical disability and imbalanced homeostasis in cartilage. For advanced treatments, biological approaches are ...currently focused on tissue regeneration and anti-inflammation. This study was undertaken to evaluate the therapeutic efficacies of hyaluronic acid (HA) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) (HA+PRP) on OA. Articular chondrocytes were obtained from five OA patients. The optimal HA and PRP concentrations were evaluated by MTT assay. The expressions of chondrogenic and inflammatory genes were analyzed by RT-PCR. Signaling pathway was examined by immunoblotting and the expressions of OA pathology-related chemokines and cytokines was demonstrated by real-time PCR-based SuperArray. The therapeutic efficacies of HA+PRP were then demonstrated in 3D arthritic neo-cartilage and ACLT-OA model. Here we showed that HA+PRP could greatly retrieve pro-inflammatory cytokines-reduced articular chondrocytes proliferation and chondrogenic phenotypes, the mechanism of which involve the sequential activation of specific receptors CD44 and TGF-βRII, downstream mediators Smad2/3 and Erk1/2, and the chondrogenic transcription factor SOX9. The real-time PCR-based SuperArray results also indicated that OA pathology-related chemokines and cytokines could be efficiently suppressed by HA+PRP. Moreover, the cartilaginous ECM could be retrieved from inflammation-induced degradation by HA+PRP in both 2D monolayer and 3D neo-cartilage model. Finally, the intra-articular injection of HA+PRP could strongly rescue the meniscus tear and cartilage breakdown and then decrease OA-related immune cells. The combination of HA+PRP can synergistically promote cartilage regeneration and inhibit OA inflammation. This study might offer an advanced and alternative OA treatment based on detailed regenerative mechanisms.
With a growing demand for safe, nutritious, and fresh-like produce, a number of disinfection technologies have been developed. This review comprehensively examines the working principles and ...applications of several emerging disinfection technologies. The chemical treatments, including chlorine dioxide, ozone, electrolyzed water, essential oils, high-pressure carbon dioxide, and organic acids, have been improved as alternatives to traditional disinfection methods to meet current safety standards. Non-thermal physical treatments, such as UV-light, pulsed light, ionizing radiation, high hydrostatic pressure, cold plasma, and high-intensity ultrasound, have shown significant advantages in improving microbial safety and maintaining the desirable quality of produce. However, using these disinfection technologies alone may not meet the requirement of food safety and high product quality. Several hurdle technologies have been developed, which achieved synergistic effects to maximize lethality against microorganisms and minimize deterioration of produce quality. The review also identifies further research opportunities for the cost-effective commercialization of these technologies.
In this letter, a compact pattern-reconfigurable filtering microstrip antenna is presented with broad bandwidth, good selectivity at the passband edge, and flat gain-frequency response. The ...pattern-reconfigurable filtering antenna has four resonant modes that can be adjusted independently: Three of them are created by multimode resonator (MMR), and the other one is by radiator. The four resonant modes are well distributed in desired band, and the resonant mode of radiator is located between the first two resonant modes of MMR. By the incorporation of two p-i-n diodes and metal strips, the radiation patterns can be reconfigured. When the resonant mode of radiator shifts slightly, the bandwidth and in-band characteristic of the filtering antenna are basically unaffected. Finally, a pattern-reconfigurable filtering antenna prototype with a fractional bandwidth of 25% at 5.2 GHz is designed and manufactured. The measured results are well-followed designed ones.
Biomimetic nanotechnology through camouflaging synthetic nanoparticles (NPs) with natural cell membranes, which bestows with immune evasion and superior targeting capacity, has been extensively used ...in drug delivery systems (DDS) over the last decades. These biomimetic NPs not only retain the physicochemical features of the synthetic vehicles but also inherit the cell membranes’ intrinsic functionalities. Combined with these benefits, optimized nano-biomimetic DDS allow maximum delivery efficacy. Compared to erythrocyte/cancer single cell membrane, the hybrid cell membrane expressing CD47 membrane protein and self-recognition molecules, from erythrocytes and cancer cells, provides remarkable features to the synthetic vehicles, such as immune evasion, long-term circulation, and homotypic targeting. In this review, we describe the preparation strategies, the camouflaging mechanism, and the antitumor applications of hybrid cell membrane-camouflaged NPs. Moreover, we discuss further modification of the hybrid cell membrane and the surface properties of fusion cellular membranes. Finally, we summarize the primary challenges and opportunities associated with these NPs.
Camouflaging synthetic nanoparticles with hybrid cell membrane has been extensively highlighted in recent years. The resultant biomimetic nanoparticles not only reserve the physicochemical properties of the synthetic nanoparticles but also inherit the biological functions of source cells. Compared with single cell membrane, hybrid cell membrane can endow synthetic nanoparticles with multiple biofunctions derived from the original source cells. To provide a timely review of this rapidly developing subject of research, this paper summarized recent progress on the hybrid cell membrane-camouflaged nanoparticles as drug delivery systems for cancer diagnosis and treatment. In this review, we focused primarily on five different types of hybrid cell membrane-camouflaged nanoparticles with the preparation strategies, the camouflaging mechanism, and the antitumor applications. Moreover, further modification of the hybrid cell membrane was also discussed for isolating effectively circulating tumor cells.
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The coupling between the spin and orbital degrees of freedom of photons is usually very weak, but recent studies have shown that this spin-orbit interaction (SOI) can be easily detected in metal ...structures. Here we show how the SOI of light is enhanced in plasmonic metal nanostructures, explore the underlying mechanism for this effect, and further demonstrate how it could potentially be harnessed for nanophotonic applications. Specifically, we show that the scattering of circularly polarized photons by a single metal nanosphere causes light to propagate along sharply twisted chiral trajectories near the nanosphere, thus revealing a strong SOI in the near field of surface plasmons. We find similar spin-dependent trajectories of light induced by a strong SOI also in the near field of surface plasmons generated on the tip of a metal nanowire. We utilize this strong SOI to for the first time experimentally realize spin sorting of photons in a compact plasmonic nanocircuit. The findings offer insights into how the SOI of light can be enhanced and explored for a new degree of freedom in plasmonic nanocircuits and future spin-controlled nanophotonic devices.
In this letter, a compact second-order balanced microstrip bandpass filter (BPF) with high selectivity and common-mode (CM) suppression performances is presented based on the magnetically coupled ...resonators. Under differential-mode (DM) operation, a transmission zero (TZ) near the passband can be created by the frequency-dependent coupling between two resonators. Meanwhile, the intrinsic high CM suppression performance can be maintained due to the magnetically coupling between two resonators under CM operation. Another two DM TZs can be generated by the frequency-dependent source-load (S-L) coupling. Finally, a compact high CM suppression balanced BPF with three TZs for WLAN application has been designed and fabricated, and the measured results show good agreement with simulated ones.
Background
Robot-assisted laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy is a novel minimally invasive surgery technique, and its effectiveness and safety remain unknown in patients with borderline malignant ...or malignant diseases. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the effectiveness and safety of RLPD versus open PD (OPD).
Methods
Between January 2010 and December 2013, 180 eligible patients were prospectively hospitalized for elective RLPD (
n
= 60) or OPD (
n
= 120). They were matched for tumor location, tumor type, tumor size, ASA classification, age, and sex. The main outcome measures included demographics, intraoperative variables, morbidity, postoperative recovery, and mid-term evaluation.
Results
Over the study period, the RLPD group had a significantly longer but decreasing operative time (median 410 vs. 323 min;
P
< 0.001), less blood loss (median 400 vs. 500 mL;
P
= 0.005), better nutritional status recovery, expedited off-bed return to activity (3.2 vs. 4.8 d;
P
< 0.001), faster resumption of bowel movement (3.6 vs. 5.2 d;
P
< 0.001), and shorter hospital stay (20 vs. 25 d;
P
= 0.002) compared to the OPD group. The two groups had similar surgical morbidities and mortality as well as R0 resection rate and number of lymph nodes resected. Among patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the two groups had similar overall and disease-free survival (ACTRN12614000299606).
Conclusions
This first largest, prospective matched study demonstrated that for treating selected borderline and malignant pathologies, RLPD was associated with a significant learning curve effect and expedited postoperative recovery, but had a surgical and oncological safety profile similar to OPD.
The microbial community plays an essential role in the high productivity in mangrove wetlands. A proper understanding of the spatial variations of microbial communities will provide clues about the ...underline mechanisms that structure microbial groups and the isolation of bacterial strains of interest. In the present study, the diversity and composition of the bacterial community in sediments collected from four locations, namely mudflat, edge, bulk, and rhizosphere, within the Mai Po Ramsar Wetland in Hong Kong, SAR, China were compared using the barcoded Illumina paired-end sequencing technique. Rarefaction results showed that the bulk sediment inside the mature mangrove forest had the highest bacterial α-diversity, while the mudflat sediment without vegetation had the lowest. The comparison of β-diversity using principal component analysis and principal coordinate analysis with UniFrac metrics both showed that the spatial effects on bacterial communities were significant. All sediment samples could be clustered into two major groups, inner (bulk and rhizosphere sediments collected inside the mangrove forest) and outer mangrove sediments (the sediments collected at the mudflat and the edge of the mangrove forest). With the linear discriminate analysis scores larger than 3, four phyla, namely Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Nitrospirae, and Verrucomicrobia, were enriched in the nutrient-rich inner mangrove sediments, while abundances of Proteobacteria and Deferribacterias were higher in outer mangrove sediments. The rhizosphere effect of mangrove plants was also significant, which had a lower α-diversity, a higher amount of Nitrospirae, and a lower abundance of Proteobacteria than the bulk sediment nearby.
The BO equation depicts the evolution of algebraic Rossby solitary waves in ocean and atmosphere. But, despite its overt fame, the BO equation is restricted as a two-dimensional model. On the basis ...of the great success in the soliton theory, a lot of works have recently been directed to three-dimensional models and investigations of solitary waves properties in three-dimensional systems. In this paper, a new ZK–BO equation for three-dimensional algebraic Rossby solitary waves is derived by employing perturbation expansions and stretching transformations of time and space. By virtue of the trial function method, the exact solution of the ZK–BO equation is presented. By comparing the solution with the solution of two-dimensional algebraic Rossby solitary waves, we can find that the wave length of three-dimensional algebraic Rossby solitary waves is shorter while the wave amplitude is higher. Based on the exact solution of ZK–BO equation, the dissipation effect is studied. The results reveal the influence of dissipation effect on the three-dimensional algebraic solitary waves. Further, after theoretical analysis, the conservation laws of three-dimensional algebraic Rossby solitary waves are discussed and the fission property is studied.
