Postmortem Changes in ATP, Creatine Phosphate, and Lactate in Sardine Muscle

Postmortem changes were followed in sardines stored in ice. Fast (“white”) muscle creatine phosphate began decreasing from 25 μmol/ g immediately after death. ATP concentration remained about 10 μmol/ g and began decreasing after 2 hr when rigor mortis onset was observed. ATP decreased rapidly when creatine phosphate concentration reached a level similar to ATP, and was 2 μmol/g after 8 hr when full rigor was observed. Lactate accumulation proceeded parallel to ATP degradation (correlation coefficient r = -0.995) and the degree of rigor mortis (r = -0.989). In contrast, sardine slow muscle was low in creatine phosphate (1 μmol/g) and ATP (5 μmol/g), both of which decreased immediately after death. Lactate accumulation was low in this muscle and correlation with rigor mortis progress was lower (r = -0.902) than for fast muscle.     

CHARACTERISTIC DRYING CURVE and MATHEMATICAL MODELING of THIN-LAYER SOLAR DRYING of PRICKLY PEAR CLADODE (OPUNTIA FICUS INDICA)

Thin‐layer solar drying experiments were conducted for the prickly pear cladode grown in Marrakech, Morocco. the experimental drying curves obtained show only a falling rate period. the results verified, with good reproducibility, that the drying air temperature is the main factor in controlling the drying rate. the expression of the drying rate equation was determined empirically from the characteristic drying curve. Eight different drying models were compared according to their correlation coefficient (r²) to estimate solar drying curves. the Page model could satisfactorily describe the solar drying curves of cladode with an r² of 0.9995. the coefficient of this model could be explained by the effect of drying air temperature with an r² of 1.0000.     

Synthesis,characterization and isotherm studies of new composite sorbents

With different methods, different molar ratios and different surfactants have been investigated to reach the optimum conditions for synthesized zirconium tungstate (Zr(IV)W). Zr(IV)W with different molar ratios of o-toluidine was synthesized to reach the optimum conditions for poly-o-toluidine zirconium tungstate (POTZr(IV)W). POTZr(IV)W with different molar ratios of tungstate was used to achieve the optimum conditions for poly-o-toluidine Zr(IV) tungstophosphate (POTZr(IV)WP). The Na⁺ capacity for all the prepared materials was investigated in order to determine the best ion exchanger towards the absorbed ions. The chemical and physical properties of materials were determined. Sorption isotherm studies of La³⁺, Ce³⁺, Nd³⁺ and Sm³⁺ ions were performed at different reaction temperatures and analysed by Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin–Raduchkivich and Temkin isotherm models. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° were determined and found to be endothermic and spontaneous in nature.     

INFLUENCE OF GROWING ENVIRONMENT AND STORAGE DURATION ON QUALITY OF FRESH-PACK CUCUMBER PICKLES3

Fruit of several pickling cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) grown in 1978 and 1979 in several environments under two soil nitrogen levels (high vs. normal) were stored for various time periods before fresh-pack processing. Firmness, color and general appearance as examined after equilibration were all highly affected by cultivar, growing environment, and storage duration but somewhat less by nitrogen level. Unexpectedly, color and appearance improved during the first 24 h after harvest. Acceptable firmness was maintained for at least 72 h after harvest. Fruit of genetically firm cultivars generally showed less change in firmness than did fruit of less firm cultivars.     

THE MONTHLY-AVERAGED AND YEARLY-AVERAGED COSINE EFFECT FACTOR OF A HELIOSTAT FIELD

Analyses are given to determine the monthly-averaged and yearly-averaged daily cosine effect factor for a heliostat field. The analyses showed that this factor depends on the latitude angle of the site, the month, and the relative position of the heliostat with respect to the tower. The position of the heliostat is defined in terms of its distance from the tower as multiples of the tower height and a position angle measured from the south direction. Calculations are carried out to determine the dependence of the monthly-averaged and the yearly-averaged daily cosine effect factor on the pertinent parameters. The results are plotted on charts for each month, and for the full year. These results cover latitude angles between 0 and 45^°N, for fields with radii up to 50 tower height. In addition, the results are expressed in mathematical correlations to facilitate using them in computer applications. A procedure is outlined to use the present results to preliminary layout the heliostat field, and to predict the rated MW_th reflected by the heliostat field during a period of a month, several months, or a year.     

On the Predictions of Critical Heat Flux in Rod Bundles at Low Flow and Low Pressure Conditions

Abstract

At low flow and low pressure conditions, critical heat flux (CHF) data for rod bundle geometry are very limited, and applicable design correlations are almost nonexistent. This paper investigates the applicability of recent CHF correlations developed for uniformly heated vertical annuli (for water mass flux ≤250 kg/m² s, and pressure of 0.118 MPa) to nonuniformly heated rod bundles. Results show that annuli correlations could be used to predict the CHF occurring at the same flow-regime transition in uniformly heated rod bundles. Also, the results demonstrate that the global conditions hypothesis (GCH), in conjunction with the annuli CHF correlations, may be used to predict CHF in nonuniformly heated rod bundles at low flow and low pressure conditions.     

Antimicrobial activities of three seaweeds extract against some human viral and bacterial pathogens

Microbial infections cause complicated health influences along with bad economic impacts. In the present investigation, three dominant seaweeds namely, Amphiroa anceps, Corallina officinalis and Sargassum filipendula were collected from different Egyptian sites at the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea during autumn 2019. Organic extracts of the three algae were screened for their antibacterial activity against three pathogenic bacteria Salmonella typhiimurium, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, in addition to in vitro antiviral activity against Rotavirus (RV), and Coxsackie virus B3 (CVB3) that cause severe diseases in human. Organic extract of A. anceps, C. officinalis and S. filipendula inhibit E. coli cells by 57.1%, 85.7%, and 91.4%, respectively. The highest level of concentration of the C. officinalis extract (100 µg/mL) inhibits 100% of Staphylococcus aureus cells followed by S. filipendula and A. anceps extract which inhibit 82.5% and 75% of S. aureus. Similarly, the highest concentration of C. officinalis extract inhibits S. typhiimurium by 80%. The extract of A. anceps exhibited a high antiviral effect against RV infection with TI = 22 and virus titers lessened by 2.75 log TCID₅₀ followed by extractions of C. officinalis with TI = 18.3 and virus titers reduced by 2.5 log TCID₅₀. Against CVB3 infection, the extract of A. anceps causes the highest antiviral activity with TI = 15 and reduce the viral titers by 2.5 log TCID₅₀, followed by extractions of C. officinalis with TI = 8.8 and inhibition of virus titers by 1.75 log TCID₅₀. Extract of S. filipendula displayed the lowest antiviral effects against RV and CVB3 infection with TI = 2.4 and 1.4, respectively. The obtained results clarified that the extract of three marine seaweeds maintains a potent antimicrobial activity, making them a future promising source of new antimicrobial drugs.

     

Secondary antiviral metabolites from fungi with special reference to coronaviruses

Profound inspection of the life forms on the earth teaches how to be the complexity of interrelationships amongthe various systems. Because of the emergence of novel viruses all the time and the inadequate of vaccines and antivirals,viral contagions are amongst the most causative diseases affecting people worldwide. Fungi exemplify a massive source ofbioactive molecules as, many fungal secondary metabolities like Oxoglyantrypine, Carneic acid F, Scedapin C, AsteltoxinE, Phomanolide, Norquinadoline A and Quinadoline B have antiviral activity. This review deals with how secondarymetabolites of fungi can help in the war against viruses in general and especially Coronaviruses moreover severalpieces of literature pointed out that many clusters of fungi in different biotopes are waiting to be exploited.     

Curcumin gum Arabic nanoparticles demonstrate potent antioxidant and cytotoxic properties in human cancer cells

The main purpose of the study was to enhance the stability and therapeutic effects of Curcumin (Cur) through nanoformulation with gum Arabic (GA) as a coating agent through an efficient synthetic approach. The antioxidant properties of the developed nanoparticles (Cur/GANPs) were assessed through several in vitro assays, such as β-carotene bleaching activity, DPPH, and nitric oxide scavenging activities in addition to evaluating its inhibitory activity on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). The cytotoxicity of Cur/GANPs was evaluated in vitro using different types of human cancer cells including breast cancer (MCF7, MDA-MB231), liver cancer (HepG2), and colon cancer (HT29) cells. The prepared particles displayed an elliptical shape with a size ranging between 20–260 nm and a potential difference of –15 mV. The Cur/GANPs exhibited significant antioxidant activity compared to free curcumin when using concentrations between 31.5 and 500 µg/mL. The Cur/GANPs also had inhibited the growth of all cancer cell lines in a proportional trend with concentrations used. Hence, the encapsulation with gum Arabic has augmented the antioxidant and anti-neoplastic effects of Curcumin. Therefore, Cur/GANPs may have effective therapeutic properties in diseases attributed to oxidative stress like cancer and hypertension.