Inulin-based emulsion-filled gel as a fat replacer in prebiotic- and PUFA-enriched dry fermented sausages

In order to produce fermented sausages with prebiotic fibre and improved fatty acid composition, 16% of pork back fat was replaced with inulin gelled suspension (I) and inulin linseed oil gelled emulsion (IO). Physico-chemical analysis, fatty acid profiles, lipid oxidation, microbiological, textural, colour and sensory analysis were carried out. The fat content was lower in I (31.38%) and IO (35.36%) modified sausages compared to control (44.37%) (P < 0.05). IO sausages had lower SFA and MUFA and higher PUFA content with an improved n-6/n-3 ratio (2.23) (P < 0.05) and α-linolenic acid increment (5.74 g per 100 g). Reformulation led to decrease in springiness, chewiness and hardness and increase in adhesiveness of the sausages. Modified sausages had lower L* and higher a* values, while b* values of I sausages did not differ compared to control sausages. Modified sausages were acceptable regarding all sensory attributes. Lipid oxidation parameters showed higher susceptibility to oxidation and lipolysis in IO sausages.     

Fewer Defects in the Surface Slows the Hydrolysis Rate,Decreases the ROS Generation Potential,and Improves the Non‐ROS Antimicrobial Activity of MgO

Magnesium oxide (MgO) is recognised as exhibiting a contact‐based antibacterial activity. However, a comprehensive study of the impact of atomic‐scale surface features on MgO's antibacterial activity is lacking. In this study, the nature and abundance of the native surface defects on different MgO powders are thoroughly investigated. Their impacts on the hydrolysis kinetics, antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (ATCC 47076), Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation potential are determined and explained. It is shown that a reduction in the abundance of low‐coordinated oxygen atoms on the surface of the MgO improves its resistance to both hydrolysis and antibacterial activity. The ROS generation potential, determined in‐situ using a fluorescence microplate assay and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, is not an inherent property of the studied MgO, rather it is a side product of hydrolysis (only for the most highly defected MgO particles) and/or a consequence of the MgO/bacteria interaction. The evaluation of the mutual correlations of the hydrolysis, the antibacterial activity and the ROS generation, with their origin in the surface defects' peculiarities, led to the conclusion that the acid/base reaction between the MgO surface and the bacterial wall contributes considerably to the MgO's antibacterial activity.     

Whey valorization using transgalactosylation activity of immobilized β-galactosidase

Whey represents a significant dairy industry by-product that has recently received due attention based on the rich nutrient composition and significant transformation potential. Hereby, we investigated a possibility of whey lactose bioconversion into prebiotic compounds, galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) using β-galactosidase transgalactosylation activity. The results showed that whey could be successfully used for GOS synthesis, since the highest GOS concentration (around 62 g L⁻¹) was obtained batchwise using 40% (w/w) sweet whey powder solution under optimum conditions (50°C, pH 4.5). Nevertheless, an efficient immobilized preparation using methacrylic Lifetech ECR8409 immobilization carrier was developed, enabling additional process improvement and ensuring at least 4 reaction cycles with unchanged yields and 2.5- fold enhanced productivity in comparison to the soluble enzyme. Therefore, this study provides a valuable contribution to the efficient and economical valorization of whey, which can be further on utilized as functional food and feed constituent.     

Irradiation of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides Using a Focused Ion Beam: Controlled Single‐Atom Defect Creation

Manipulation and structural modifications of 2D materials for nanoelectronic and nanofluidic applications remain obstacles to their industrial‐scale implementation. Here, it is demonstrated that a 30 kV focused ion beam can be utilized to engineer defects and tailor the atomic, optoelectronic, and structural properties of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). Aberration‐corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy is used to reveal the presence of defects with sizes from the single atom to 50 nm in molybdenum (MoS₂) and tungsten disulfide (WS₂) caused by irradiation doses from 10¹³ to 10¹⁶ ions cm^?2. Irradiated regions across millimeter‐length scales of multiple devices are sampled and analyzed at the atomic scale in order to obtain a quantitative picture of defect sizes and densities. Precise dose value calculations are also presented, which accurately capture the spatial distribution of defects in irradiated 2D materials. Changes in phononic and optoelectronic material properties are probed via Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The dependence of defect properties on sample parameters such as underlying substrate and TMD material is also investigated. The results shown here lend the way to the fabrication and processing of TMD nanodevices.     

Degradomics in Biomarker Discovery

The upregulation of protease expression and proteolytic activity is implicated in numerous pathological conditions such as neurodegeneration, cancer, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases, and bone degeneration. During disease progression, various proteases form characteristic patterns of cleaved proteins and peptides, which can affect disease severity and course of progression. It has been shown that qualitative and quantitative monitoring of cleaved protease substrates can provide relevant prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic information. As proteolytic fragments and peptides generated in the affected tissue are commonly translocated to blood, urine, and other proximal fluids, their possible application as biomarkers is the subject of ongoing research. The field of degradomics has been established to enable the global identification of proteolytic events on the organism level, utilizing proteomic approaches and sample preparation techniques that facilitate the detection of proteolytic processing of protease substrates in complex biological samples. In this review, some of the latest developments in degradomic methodologies used for the identification and validation of biologically relevant proteolytic events and their application in the search for clinically relevant biomarker candidates are presented. The current state of degradomics in clinics is discussed and the future perspectives of the field are outlined.     

CO2 binding capacity of alkali-activated fly ash and slag pastes

Quantification of the CO₂ binding capacity of reinforced concrete is of high importance for predicting the carbonation potential and service life of concrete structures. Such information is still not available for alkali activated materials that have received extensive attention as a sustainable substitute for ordinary Portland cement (OPC)-based concrete. To address this gap, this paper evaluates the CO₂ binding capacity of ground powders of alkali activated fly ash (FA) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) pastes under accelerated carbonation conditions (1% v/v CO₂, 60% RH, 20?°C) for up to 180 days. The CO₂ binding capacity, the gel phase changes, and the carbonate phases are investigated with complementary TG-DTG-MS, FT-IR and QXRD techniques.Five mixtures with different FA/GBFS ratio are considered. CEM I and CEM III/B pastes are also studied to provide a baseline for comparisons. The results showed that the alkali-activated pastes have a lower CO₂ binding capacity in comparison to cement-based pastes. Furthermore, alkali-activated pastes have similar CO₂ binding capacity regardless of the FA/GBFS ratio. It was observed that the silicate functional groups corresponding to the reaction products in the pastes were progressively changing during the first 7 days, after which only carbonate groups changed. It was also found that the CO₂ bound in the alkali-activated pastes occurs to a substantial extent in amorphous form.