The role of hydrocolloids in the development of gluten-free cereal-based products for coeliac patients: a review

A growing number of diseases in association with gluten intake, such as coeliac disease, have led to increasing demand for gluten-free products as a crucial economic and health issue. Gluten-free products, because of the absence of gluten, usually have a poor texture, taste and appearance. Therefore, the production of good quality gluten-free products with substances that can somehow mimic the viscoelastic properties of gluten is an important challenge. Recently, hydrocolloids are widely used to improve the quality and shelf-life of gluten-free products. In this study, the effect of hydrocolloids on the production of gluten-free cereal-based products, such as breads, cakes and muffins, biscuits and cookies, pasta and noodles, has been reviewed as well as their nutritional values. In general, this study could suggest key factors in the improvement of gluten-free products.     

Modelling of proteolysis in Iranian brined cheese using proteinase‐loaded nanoliposome

In this study, Flavourzyme was encapsulated in liposomes to accelerate the ripening of Iranian white cheese. Liposomal enzyme was prepared using a modified heating method. The influence of enzyme content, ripening time and curd retention in saturated brine on proteolysis indices and sensory perception was investigated using response surface methodology. The most influential factor on proteolysis indices was ripening time, while the content of liposomal enzyme and retention time were also significant (P < 0.05). The maximum proteolysis indices and highest sensory characteristic scores were achieved by applying 0.3% w/w enzyme, ripening for 30 days and 8‐h curd retention in saturated brine.     

Performance Assessment of a Precast-Concrete, Buried, Small Arch Bridge

Experimental field load-test and finite-element analysis were carried out for the performance assessment of a precast-concrete, modular, three-sided, low-profile, buried, arch bridge system. Finite-element analysis incorporated soil modeling and soil–structure interaction at service and limit load levels. The analytical study simulates step-by-step incremental phases of construction and service loads. The finite-element model was calibrated based on the experimental field assessment, to provide a better correlation between the analytically predicted behavior and the actual response of the structure. The study validates the incorporation of various soil models and soil–structure interaction characteristics, to allow a more cost-effective bridge design.     

Challenges of CRISPR-Based Gene Editing in Primary T Cells

Adaptive T-cell immunotherapy holds great promise for the successful treatment of leukemia, as well as other types of cancers. More recently, it was also shown to be an effective treatment option for chronic virus infections in immunosuppressed patients. Autologous or allogeneic T cells used for immunotherapy are usually genetically modified to express novel T-cell or chimeric antigen receptors. The production of such cells was significantly simplified with the CRISPR/Cas system, allowing for the deletion or insertion of novel genes at specific locations within the genome. In this review, we describe recent methodological breakthroughs that were important for the conduction of these genetic modifications, summarize crucial points to be considered when conducting such experiments, and highlight the potential pitfalls of these approaches.     

Optimal Allocation and Operating Point of DG Units in Radial Distribution Network Considering Load Pattern

Distributed generation (DG) is a new approach for solving some problems of older power networks. Due to the increasing power demand in recent power systems, the importance of power loss reduction and maintaining system voltages within an acceptable range has given rise to the wide use of DG units in power systems. On the other hand, unplanned and non-optimal application such as installation and operation of DG units might cause other technical problems. In addition, it is important to consider the load pattern in the network, and the best decision for DG unit's operation must be chosen accordingly. In this paper, a method is introduced in order to make the optimal placement and find an optimal operating point for the DG units, which means the power output of DG units, considering the load pattern of the network. This load pattern has an average load of 24 hr a day, four seasons a year. In the proposed method, optimization has two goals: first, is optimizing the DG unit's placement based on improvement of the voltage profile, and the second is operating DG units with optimum power factor, minimizing power loss, and improving voltage profile, with regard to the load pattern. In order to solve this problem, the gravitational search algorithm and genetic algorithm are used. The proposed method is applied on the IEEE 33-bus test system, and the result shows the effectiveness of the proposed method. In order to solve the optimization problem, MATLAB software is used.     

A New Sparse Learning Machine

This paper investigates the problem of global exponential synchronization for memristor-based neural networks with delay. Based on the nonsmooth analysis and differential inclusion theory, a new analytic technique is employed to design a discontinuous state feedback controller, which ensures the memristor-based drive system exponential synchronize with the response system. The succinct synchronization conditions is closely relate to the switching jumps. The estimated rate of the exponential synchronization can be obtained by solving a sample algebra equation. Simulation results are given to show the effectiveness and benefits of the proposed methods.     

Improvement of in vitro osteogenesis and anti-infection properties by GelMA scaffold containing levofloxacin nanoparticles and strontium microspheres for osteomyelitis

Journal of Materials Science - Biomaterials that have capacities to simultaneously induce bone regeneration and kill bacteria are in high demand because bone defects face risks of severe infection...     

The Prognostic Impact of Retinoid X Receptor and Thyroid Hormone Receptor alpha in Unifocal vs. Multifocal/Multicentric Breast Cancer

The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of the steroid hormone receptor expression, counting the retinoid X receptor (RXR) and thyroid hormone receptors (THRs), on the two different breast cancer (BC) entities: multifocal/multicentric versus unifocal. The overall and disease-free survival were considered as the prognosis determining aspects and analyzed by uni- and multi-variate analysis. Furthermore, histopathological grading and TNM staging (T = tumor size, N = lymph node involvement, M = distant metastasis) were examined in relation to RXR and THRs expression. A retrospective statistical analysis was carried out on survival-related events in a series of 319 sporadic BC patients treated at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Ludwig-Maximillian’s University in Munich between 2000 and 2002. The expression of RXR and THRs, including its two major isoforms THRα1 and THRα2, was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and showed to have a significant correlation for both BC entities in regard to survival analysis. Patients with multifocal/multicentric BC were exposed to a significantly worse disease-free survival (DFS) when expressing RXR. Patients with unifocal BC showed a significantly worse DFS when expressing THRα1. In contrast, a statistically significant positive association between THRα2 expression and enhanced DFS in multifocal/multicentric BC was shown. Especially the RXR expression in multifocal/multicentric BC was found to play a remarkably contradictory role for BC prognosis. The findings imply the need for a critical review of possible molecular therapies targeting steroid hormone receptors in BC treatment. Our results strengthen the need to further investigate the behavior of the nuclear receptor family, especially in relation to BC focality.     

Evaluation of 111In-Labeled GnRH-I Tracer for SPECT Tumor Imaging

Radiochemistry - Total synthesis, quality control, and preclinical evaluation of [111In]-DOTA-Triptorelin ([111In]-DOTA-TRP) for diagnostic SPECT imaging have been made. For 111In labeling, the...