Recent developments in cold plasma-based enzyme activity (browning,cell wall degradation,and antioxidant) in fruits and vegetables

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations reports, approximately half of the total harvested fruits and vegetables vanish before they reach the end consumer due to their perishable nature. Enzymatic browning is one of the most common problems faced by fruit and vegetable processing. The perishability of fruits and vegetables is contributed by the various browning enzymes (polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase) and ripening or cell wall degrading enzyme (pectin methyl-esterase). In contrast, antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) assist in reversing the damage caused by reactive oxygen species or free radicals. The cold plasma technique has emerged as a novel, economic, and environmentally friendly approach that reduces the expression of ripening and browning enzymes while increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes; microorganisms are significantly inhibited, therefore improving the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. This review narrates the mechanism and principle involved in the use of cold plasma technique as a nonthermal agent and its application in impeding the activity of browning and ripening enzymes and increasing the expression of antioxidant enzymes for improving the shelf life and quality of fresh fruits and vegetables and preventing spoilage and pathogenic germs from growing. An overview of hurdles and sustainability advantages of cold plasma technology is presented.     

Exposure to fine and ultrafine particles from secondhand smoke in public places before and after the smoking ban, Italy 2005

Background

A smoking ban in all indoor public places was enforced in Italy on 10 January 2005.

Methods

We compared indoor air quality before and after the smoking ban by monitoring the indoor concentrations of fine (<2.5 μm diameter, PM_2.5) and ultrafine particulate matter (<0.1 μm diameter, UFP). PM_2.5 and ultrafine particles were measured in 40 public places (14 bars, six fast food restaurants, eight restaurants, six game rooms, six pubs) in Rome, before and after the introduction of the law banning smoking (after 3 and 12 months). Measurements were taken using real time particle monitors (DustTRAK Mod. 8520 TSI; Ultra‐fine Particles Counter‐TRAK Model 8525 TSI). The PM_2.5 data were scaled using a correction equation derived from a comparison with the reference method (gravimetric measurement). The study was completed by measuring urinary cotinine, and pre‐law and post‐law enforcement among non‐smoking employees at these establishments

Results

In the post‐law period, PM_2.5 decreased significantly from a mean concentration of 119.3 μg/m³ to 38.2 μg/m³ after 3 months (p<0.005), and then to 43.3 μg/m³ a year later (p<0.01). The UFP concentrations also decreased significantly from 76 956 particles/cm³ to 38 079 particles/cm³ (p<0.0001) and then to 51 692 particles/cm³ (p<0.01). Similarly, the concentration of urinary cotinine among non‐smoking workers decreased from 17.8 ng/ml to 5.5 ng/ml (p<0.0001) and then to 3.7 ng/ml (p<0.0001).

Conclusion

The application of the smoking ban led to a considerable reduction in the exposure to indoor fine and ultrafine particles in hospitality venues, confirmed by a contemporaneous reduction of urinary cotinine.     

Intracellular localization of dietary and naked DNA in intestinal tissue of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. using in situ hybridization

There is a continuing interest in the fate of DNA from genetically modified organisms (GMO) in the food chain including the uptake of DNA by intestinal cells from dietary sources containing GM feed ingredients. The objective of this study was to elucidate the uptake and persistence of foreign DNA in the intestinal tract of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. using in situ hybridization (ISH) that enables the intracellular localization of the DNA, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to verify the ISH results qualitatively. Two salmon intestinal models were employed for the investigations; intestinal tissues were sampled in two models namely (a) in vivo from salmon-fed diets containing 30% GM soybeans or 30% nonGM (nGM) soybeans, and (b) ex vivo from intestinal sleeves incubated using different concentrations of PCR-amplified test DNAs (211 and 305 bp) designed from the 35S promoter/plant DNA junction of the RoundupReady soybean (RRS) genome. Additionally, for the incubation study, the effect of a mucolytic agent dithiothreitol (DTT) and a permeability enhancer sodium deoxycholate (SDA) on DNA uptake were investigated. Both treatments were found to enhance DNA uptake ex vivo. Dietary DNA and PCR-amplified DNA could be visualized by ISH in the salmon intestine with more frequently observed signals in the ex vivo model compared to the in vivo model. All results could be verified by PCR. Dietary DNA was localized in the cell vacuolar system and in lamina propria of the mid intestine. Thus, based on the investigated DNA fragment lengths, this study shows that foreign DNA, can be taken up by Atlantic salmon intestinal tissue.     

Microstructure,mechanical properties,and corrosion resistance of Ti-20Zr alloy in undoped and NaF doped artificial saliva

The corrosion behavior of a new, advanced Ti-20Zr alloy with α+β microstructure (determined by optical microscopy, XRD, and SEM) and very good mechanical properties (obtained from the stress-strain curve) is studied in this paper. The composition of the alloy native passive film was determined from a XPS analysis and the long-term corrosion resistance in undoped and doped states with 0.05M NaF artificial Carter-Brugirard saliva of different pH values, simulating the severe functional conditions of a dental implant, was analyzed by electrochemical methods. This alloy possesses an advantageous balance between good mechanical resistance and plasticity and Young’s modulus and exhibits more favorable electrochemical parameters and corrosion resistance than CP Ti due to its more resistant passive layer containing Ti₂O₃, TiO₂, and ZrO₂ protective oxides. After 1000 h of immersion in saliva, the protective properties of the alloy were enhanced due to the deposited surface layer that incorporated protective phosphates (shown by SEM and XPS).     

Furfurals removal from roasted coffee powder by vacuum treatment

The possibility of removing 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural from roasted coffee by application of vacuum treatments was studied. In particular, different combinations of pressure and time were used. Results showed that the vacuum treatment was ineffective in removing HMF and furfural from anhydrous (commercial) coffee powder, while it proved effective if applied to previously hydrated samples. Besides, the hydration step alone was responsible for furfurals removal, although prolonged times were needed. By applying a hydration step up to a_w 0.7, followed by a vacuum treatment at 2.7 kPa and 60 °C for 10 min, 20% and 100% HMF and furfural removals were achieved, respectively. These differences in the percentages of HMF and furfural removal can be attributed to differences in the chemical and physical properties of the two molecules. However, the vacuum treatments caused a significant decrease in the coffee headspace total volatiles that in turn was responsible for a lower odour intensity of the samples. Therefore further studies are needed to reveal process conditions able to minimise the loss of sensory properties, making this technology a reliable strategy to mitigate the furfural contents in coffee.     

New Linkage with Linear Actuator for Tracking PV Systems with Large Angular Stroke

This paper focuses on the development of an optimized photovoltaic tracking system involving low-cost, relative simple mechanisms, with linear actuators able to insure strokes comparable with those resulted when using gear rotary actuators. Starting with a rhombus linkage, with a linear actuator on the diagonal used for the elevation motion till 90°, a new performance solution is generated. This new linkage allows large angular strokes by using an asymmetric rhombus and an eccentrically positioned linear ac...     

Field evidence of biodegradation of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in groundwater with incidental and active recycled water recharge

Biodegradation of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) has been found through laboratory incubation in unsaturated and saturated soil samples under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. However, direct field evidence of in situ biodegradation in groundwater is very limited. This research aimed to evaluate biodegradation of NDMA in a large-scale groundwater system receiving recycled water as incidental and active recharge. NDMA concentrations in 32 monitoring and production wells with different screen intervals were monitored over a period of seven years. Groundwater monitoring was used to characterize changes in the magnitude and extent of NDMA in groundwater in response to seasonal hydrogeologic conditions and, more importantly, to significant concentration variations in effluent from water reclamation plants (associated with treatment-process changes). Extensive monitoring of NDMA concentrations and flow rates at effluent discharge locations and surface-water stations was also conducted to reasonably estimate mass loading through unlined river reaches to underlying groundwater. Monitoring results indicate that significant biodegradation of NDMA occurred in groundwater, accounting for an estimated 90% mass reduction over the seven-year monitoring period. In addition, a discrete effluent-discharge and groundwater-extraction event was extensively monitored in a well-characterized, localized groundwater subsystem for 626 days. Analysis of the associated NDMA fate and transport in the subsystem indicated that an estimated 80% of the recharged mass was biodegraded. The observed field evidence of NDMA biodegradation is supported by groundwater transport modeling accounting for various dilution mechanisms and first-order decay for biodegradation, and by a previous laboratory study on soil samples collected from the study site [Bradley, P.M., Carr, S.A., Baird, R.B., Chapelle, F.H., 2005. Biodegradation of N-Nitrosodimethylamine in soil from a water reclamation facility. Bioremediat. J. 9 (2), 115-120.].     

Statistical optimization of desugarization process parameters of liquid whole egg using response surface methodology

The glucose is considered to affect the quality of the dried egg products; therefore the statistical optimization of desugarization process parameters of Liquid whole egg (LWE) was carried out in this study. The fermentation of Liquid whole egg (LWE) was done using compressed baker’s yeast. A polynomial model was regressed between reducing sugar & desugarization conditions. The coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.998 (P < 0.0001) for the regressed model indicated about the adequacy of the model, which implies the model was significant to predict reducing sugar content at different fermentation conditions. Optimum conditions for complete desugarization of Liquid whole egg (LWE) were found to be time 6.49 h, temperature 28 °C, pH 6.40 and yeast concentration 3.8 g/L and confirmed by conducting actual experiments at these conditions.     

Synthesis of new silicas with high stable and large mesopores and macropores for biocatalysis applications

Monomodal or bimodal porous silicas with large mesopores, constituted by particles or having a monolithic (block type) morphology, respectively, are synthesized using sodium silicate as siliceous species source, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as pore template and ethyl acetate (EtAc) as pH modifier. The monomodal porosity is represented by 20–30 nm pores and the bimodal one by these pores and also macropores. These characteristics are modulated in function of the CTAB and EtAc concentrations as well as the pH and hydrothermal treatment. The role of these reagents upon the porosity is rationalized. The presence of high CTAB concentration and a rather low pH decreasing rate (function of EtAc concentration and hydrothermal treatment) are essential for having the already known bimodal mesoporous silicas (BMS). On the contrary a rather high pH decreasing rate promotes the formation of the new bimodal mesoporous–macroporous silicas (BMMS) synthesized in this work, where the EtAc also plays the role of emulsion forming agent. The hydrolytic stability of the synthesized silica under aqueous conditions, at different pH values, makes these silicas good candidates for application in different areas of catalysis, especially in the enzymatic one.