FireNet-MLstm for classifying liver lesions by using deep features in CT images

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Nowadays working in the medical imaging domain remains a big challenge, since the collecting such datasets is so complex, deep learning techniques have...     

Anthocyanin-fortified konjac glucomannan/sodium alginate composite edible boba: characteristics of texture,microstructure, in vitro release behaviour and antioxidant capacity

Konjac glucomannan/sodium alginate composite edible boba (KGM/SA-boba) with good taste is very popular in China, and it is an outstanding carrier for health potential ingredients. In this work, KGM/SA-boba were fortified with 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00% purple sweet potato anthocyanin (PSPA), then characterised by the water distribution, texture, microstructure, in vitro release property of PSPA and antioxidant capacity. LF-NMR analysis demonstrated that the free water of KGM/SA-boba could transfer to tightly bound water with the addition of PSPA that made it with better water-binding ability, higher springiness and lower hardness. And the results of SEM and rheology showed that PSPA could stabilise the microstructure of KGM/SA-boba by forming more amorphous regions and hydrogen bonds proved by the results of DSC and FT-IR. Furthermore, 50% of PSPA in PSPA-fortified KGM/SA-boba can be released at the first hour in a simulated gastrointestinal environment. And the scavenging capacity of DPPH and ABTS of the PSPA-fortified KGM/SA-boba after digestion was higher than that of PSPA alone. Generally, PSPA could improve the texture while KGM/SA-boba in turn would make PSPA more stable in the gastrointestinal digestive system.     

Effect of microwave heating time on the gel properties of chicken myofibrillar proteins and their formation mechanism

The present work was conducted to illustrate the mechanism of gel formation of myofibrillar proteins (MPs) under different microwave heating times. The results showed that the denaturation enthalpy (ΔH) of the MPs significantly decreased when the heating time increased from 3 to 9 s and then completely disappeared as the heating time progressed, indicating that the MPs gradually denatured and subsequently aggregated with increasing heating time, which was further verified by the changes in the secondary structure, electrophoretic bands, and gel properties (e.g., water holding capacity and textural profiles) of the MPs. Microstructural images indicated that the MP gel formed under 12 s had the most compact network, indicating that extended microwave heating time could induce quality deterioration of MP gels. Moreover, the hydrophobic forces, electrostatic forces, and disulphide bonds of the MPs gradually intensified with increasing microwave heating time, suggesting that both non-covalent and covalent bonds could promote molecular denaturation and subsequent aggregation of MPs. In addition, correlation analysis revealed that the changes in the molecular conformation of MPs induced by different microwave heating times could effectively regulate the formation of MP gels and their related properties.     

Alkylated lignin with graft copolymerization for enhancing toughness of PLA

Journal of Materials Science - A green modification method for effectively enhancing toughness of PLA was established. Herein, alkaline lignin (LG) was firstly alkylated with dodecane, and then...     

Insights from proteome to phosphorylated proteome: deciphering different regulatory mechanisms in goat muscles with high- and low-meat quality

To investigate the inner mechanisms of meat quality differences between high-quality (HQ) and low-quality (LQ), a comparative quantitative study between longissimus thoracis and external intercostals of goat muscle was performed from proteome to phosphorylated proteome using RP-HPLC in combination with the ‘isobaric tag’ for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) labelling strategy. Altogether, 1441 proteins were identified in our study, of which 673 were phosphoproteins, and a total of twenty were common differentially expressed proteins. Myosin, carbonic anhydrase, and phosphoglucomutase could be used as proteins marker for HQ and LQ meat. Bioinformatics analysis showed that these proteins exhibited different rates for glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation reaction, thus causing the different pH and NADH change rates, and resulting in better colour, tenderness, and water retention in HQ meat. The release of Ca²⁺ and adenosine triphosphate changed the meat quality through calcium signalling. Our finding provides a comprehensive view of proteome changes and their phosphorylation levels in goat muscle, involved in producing meats of different muscle parts. It also gives a better understanding of the regulation of protein on various biological processes that determine the final meat quality attributes.