Authentication technologies using DNA-based approaches for meats and halal meats determination

Food authenticity and safety are major concerns for researchers, consumers, and particularly the meat industry. Meat products are targets for species substitution and adulteration due to their market value. Presently, the demand for halal products is witnessing a substantial increase. Therefore, it is essential to use appropriate science-based methods for determining the species origin of halal meat. DNA barcoding is a useful technique for the molecular identification of biological specimens, and raw and processed foods. The potential of using DNA barcoding is increasingly applied as an authentication tool for halal animal and meat products. Our review will bring together all DNA-based techniques that have been developed for the authenticity of meat derived from halal and non-halal animals and also their derivatives. Additionally, the present paper will highlight the possibility of using the DNA barcoding approach for halal meat authenticity.     

Effect of synthesis methods for mesoporous zirconia on its structural and textural properties

Zirconia was synthesized by sol–gel and post-hydrothermal treatment under autogenous pressure in order to study the effect of synthesis methods on its structural and textural properties. On the basis of thermal analysis, in situ X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy techniques, the synthesis processes exhibit similar thermal behavior and zirconia phase transformation. The effect of in situ calcination temperature on the crystallization behavior, crystal phase transition, and crystallite size analysis was studied. The results obtained revealed that amorphous zirconia transformed into tetragonal phase above 400 °C and thermally stabilized up to 700 °C. A biphasic mixture of tetragonal and monoclinic zirconia was formed at 750 °C. Activation energy of sintering due to grain growth mechanism predicted that the zirconia phase transformation is due to the increase in the crystallite size of tetragonal phase above its critical size. The post-hydrothermal treatment resulted in the formation of high surface area mesoporous zirconia (213 m² g^?1). Upon increasing the calcination temperature, a pronounced decrease in the specific surface area of zirconia samples due to sintering process and phase transformation.     

New Frontiers in Monoclonal Antibodies for the Targeted Therapy of Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) represent an unmet clinical need whose prognosis is still dismal. Alterations of immune response play a prominent role in AML/MDS pathogenesis, revealing novel options for immunotherapy. Among immune system regulators, CD47, immune checkpoints, and toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) are major targets. Magrolimab antagonizes CD47, which is overexpressed by AML and MDS cells, thus inducing macrophage phagocytosis with clinical activity in AML/MDS. Sabatolimab, an inhibitor of T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3 (TIM3), which disrupts its binding to galectin-9, has shown promising results in AML/MDS, enhancing the effector functions of lymphocytes and triggering tumor cell death. Several other surface molecules, namely CD33, CD123, CD45, and CD70, can be targeted with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that exert different mechanisms of action and include naked and conjugated antibodies, bispecific T-cell engagers, trispecific killer engagers, and fusion proteins linked to toxins. These novel mAbs are currently under investigation for use as monotherapy or in combination with hypomethylating agents, BCL2 inhibitors, and chemotherapy in various clinical trials at different phases of development. Here, we review the main molecular targets and modes of action of novel mAb-based immunotherapies, which can represent the future of AML and higher risk MDS treatment.     

Floating ring journal bearings: theory, design and optimization

The performance characteristics and design data for journal bearings with a precise floating ring inserted between the rotating journal and a rigid housing are investigated theoretically. Based on convenient boundary conditions, a theory has been developed to predict the floating ring behaviour. Performance charts are presented with curves provided with optimum design areas to help in practical design applications. Induced ring speed, hydrodynamic behaviour, oil film variation, load capacity and frictional drag could thus be analytically or graphically determined. Results indicate that the ring dimensions are a dominant factor in deciding the final bearing behaviour and that the oil film thickness between the ring and the housing is much thinner than that between the journal and the ring. The floating ring bearing showed less frictional power loss than a fixed sleeve bearing, but this may have been achieved at the expense of the load capacity.     

Kinetic frictional behaviour of alumino-silicate ceramics

The frictional behaviour was experimentally investigated of alumino-silicate ceramics (3Al₂O₃, 2SiO₂) rubbing against a hard steel surface under static and kinetic friction conditions. Tests were carried out on a pin-on-disc machine under both dry and wet contact conditions. Results showed that the frictional behaviour under either static or kinetic conditions was highly dependent on the ceramic body phase transformation which in turn was controlled by the firing temperature during ceramic processing and treatment. Lower friction values were evident when using specimens of ceramic bodies containing a high mullite crystalline phase, which are attained at high firing temperatures. Both the running speed and applied loads had insignificant effects at high loads.During kinetic friction tests lower frictional values were displayed than for static friction tests under wet contact conditions, and under dry conditions when using high mullite ceramic bodies. For specimens of ceramics fired at relatively low temperatures, kinetic friction tests produced higher frictional values than static friction tests.     

Retracted: Hydrogen production using catalytic and noncatalytic supercritical water gasification of bagasse

The above article, published online on 10 May 2014 in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ), has been retracted by agreement between the authors, the journal Editor in Chief, Ibrahim Dincer, and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The retraction has been agreed due to overlap between this article and the following article published in Fuel Processing Technology; ‘Hydrogen production via supercritical water gasification of bagasse using unpromoted and zinc promoted Ru/γ‐Al2O3 nanocatalysts’ by Mokhtar Babatabar, Ahmad Tavasoli, Ajay K. Dalai, Umashanker Das. Volume 123, 2014, pages 140–148.     

Sum‐of‐Squares‐Based Finite‐Time Adaptive Sliding Mode Control of Uncertain Polynomial Systems With Input Nonlinearities

This paper proposes a novel adaptive sliding mode control (ASMC) for a class of polynomial systems comprising uncertain terms and input nonlinearities. In this approach, a new polynomial sliding surface is proposed and designed based on the sum‐of‐squares (SOS) decomposition. In the proposed method, an adaptive control law is derived such that the finite‐time reachability of the state trajectories in the presence of input nonlinearity and uncertainties is guaranteed. To do this, it is assumed that the uncertain terms are bounded and the input nonlinearities belong to sectors with positive slope parameters. However, the bound of the uncertain terms is unknown and adaptation law is proposed to effectively estimate the uncertainty bounds. Furthermore, based on a novel polynomial Lyapunov function, the finite‐time convergence of the sliding surface to a pre‐chosen small neighborhood of the origin is guaranteed. To eliminate the time derivatives of the polynomial terms in the stability analysis conditions, the SOS variables of the Lyapunov matrix are optimally selected. In order to show the merits and the robust performance of the proposed controller, chaotic Chen system is provided. Numerical simulation results demonstrate chattering reduction in the proposed approach and the high accuracy in estimating the unknown parameters.     

Numerical analysis of the crack growth path in the cement mantle of the reconstructed acetabulum

In this study, we use the finite element method to analyze the propagation's path of the crack in the orthopedic cement of the total hip replacement. In fact, a small python statement was incorporated with the Abaqus software to do in loop the following operations: extracting the crack propagation direction from the previous study using the maximal circumferential stresses criterion, drawing the new path, meshing and calculating again (stresses and fracture parameters). The loop is broken when the user's desired crack length is reached (number of propagations) or the value of the mode I stress intensity factor is negative. Results show that the crack propagation's path can be influenced by human body posture. The existing of a cavity in the vicinity of the crack can change its propagation path or can absolutely attract it enough to meet it. Crack can propagate in the outward direction (toward the acetabulum bone) and cannot propagate in the opposite direction, the mode I stress intensity factor increases with the crack length and that of mode II vanishes.     

Effect of different starter cultures on the biogenic amines production as a critical control point in fresh fermented sausages

The selection of critical control points is one of the most important steps in the design of a hazard analysis and critical control points system. In this study, the influence of starter culture inoculation on biogenic amine accumulation in fresh fermented sausage as critical control point was studied. The effect of three starter culture Lactobacillus plantarum plus Bifidobacterium lactis, L. plantarum plus Bifidobacterium bifidum or L. plantarum plus B. lactis and B. bifidum on amines production were investigated. Tyramine (TY), Cadaverine (CA), Putrescine (PU), Histamine (HIS) and Tryptamine (TR) contents increased during the fermentation and storage stage, and TY was the prevailing amine in the final product. Sausages produced by fermentation with starters, as compared to natural fermentation (control), had a lower amount of biogenic amine. A great reduction in biogenic amine content was achieved when Bifidobacterium sp. were inoculated, also levels of species of Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas decreased, while lactic acid bacteria counts increased during fermentation and storage.