Effect of fortification with asparagus powder on the qualitative properties of processed cheese

The qualitative properties of processed cheese (PC) fortified with different levels of asparagus powder (AP) (0.5%, 1% and 1.5% wt/wt) were evaluated during storage. AP decreased the pH and lipolysis indexes and increased the phenolic content, antioxidant activity and proteolysis of the processed cheeses. AP made the structure of the cheese more elastic, increased the rigidity and decreased the spreadability compared with the control sample, which corresponded to the results obtained using dynamic oscillatory rheometry. The results showed that AP as a rich source of bioactive components could be used for the fortification of processed cheeses.     

Resource discovery approaches in cloudIoT: a systematic review

The Journal of Supercomputing - The cloud of things (CloudIoT) represents a general system of supporting infrastructure for storing and processing information gathered from smart objects and their...     

Combined Spectroscopic and Calorimetric Studies to Reveal Absorption Mechanisms and Conformational Changes of Protein on Nanoporous Biomaterials

In this study the effect of surface modification of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) on its adsorption capacities and protein stability after immobilization of beta-lactoglobulin B (BLG-B) was investigated. For this purpose, non-functionalized (KIT-6) and aminopropyl-functionalized cubic Ia3d mesoporous silica ([n-PrNH₂-KIT-6]) nanoparticles were used as nanoporous supports. Aminopropyl-functionalized mesoporous nanoparticles exhibited more potential candidates for BLG-B adsorption and minimum BLG leaching than non-functionalized nanoparticles. It was observed that the amount of adsorbed BLG is dependent on the initial BLG concentration for both KIT-6 and [n-PrNH₂-KIT-6] mesoporous nanoparticles. Also larger amounts of BLG-B on KIT-6 was immobilized upon raising the temperature of the medium from 4 to 55 °C while such increase was undetectable in the case of immobilization of BLG-B on the [n-PrNH₂-KIT-6]. At temperatures above 55 °C the amounts of adsorbed BLG on both studied nanomaterials decreased significantly. By Differential scanning calorimetry or DSC analysis the heterogeneity of the protein solution and increase in Tm may indicate that immobilization of BLG-B onto the modified KIT-6 results in higher thermal stability compared to unmodified one. The obtained results provide several crucial factors in determining the mechanism(s) of protein adsorption and stability on the nanostructured solid supports and the development of engineered nano-biomaterials for controlled drug-delivery systems and biomimetic interfaces for the immobilization of living cells.     

Systematic literature review on city logistics: overview,classification and analysis

City logistics is one of the significant branches of supply chain management, dealing with the logistics and transportation activities in urban areas. This research area has recently appropriated an exponential growth of publications. This paper presents a bibliometric analysis along with a systematic literature review to organise the results of surveying more than 370 papers and research works published since 2010. We identify the top contributing research topics. The most common keywords used in the city logistics literature are referred to in order to propose six research categories identifying the main innovative research perspectives.     

Preparation and study of a thermo-responsive membrane using binary liquid crystal mixtures of cholesteryl cetyl ether and cholesteryl oleyl carbonate

A facile method for the synthesis of thermotropic liquid crystalline cholesteryl cetyl ether (CCE) was carried out from cholesterol and cetyl alcohol using montmorillonite K-10 as an acid catalyst. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of liquid crystalline blends of CCE and cholesteryl oleyl carbonate (COC) with appropriate crystal to smectic phase temperature (T _c?Cs) just above body temperature as a temperature-modulated drug permeation system. Using 30/70?mol ratio of COC/CCE, a mixture of desirable phase transition temperature was obtained. The phase transition behavior of COC/CCE binary liquid crystalline mixture was established by differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microsopy. The COC/CCE-embedded cellulose nitrate membrane was used by an in vitro drug penetration studies. Paracetamol and mesalazine were chosen as hydrophobic and hydrophilic drug models, respectively. Paracetamol permeability through the membrane was higher at temperatures above the phase transition of liquid crystal (LC) blends (39?°C) than its permeability below the phase transition temperature of liquid crystal blends (30?°C). The drug penetration through LC-embedded cellulose membrane was influenced by the pore size of the membrane and therefore the adsorbed amount of LC. There was no penetration of mesalazine through that membrane presumably, due to the differences in hydrophilicity of LC-embedded membrane and permeated drug.