Effect of high-voltage electrostatic field on quality of carrot juice during refrigeration

In the present study, carrot juice was used as the experimental material and stored in a 100 kV/m high-voltage electrostatic field (HVEF; E-group) which was used as a freshness-retention system. The changes in the biological properties were investigated relative to those juices which were stored in a common refrigerator (R-group) and controlled at the same temperature (4 °C). The results showed that the extent of color difference (ΔE), amount of total phenolics, tannins, and total plate counts of carrot juice were increased during the storage period, whereas the turbidity and amount of total carotenoids decreased under all treatment conditions. These factors remained relatively constant during storage in the E-group, whereas a significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in the R-group. The HVEF treatment yielded better physicochemical properties and prolonged the shelf-life of the carrot juice. The application of HVEF at low temperature has the potential of imparting freshness and a high nutritional value to the products.     

Sensitive Monoclonal Antibody-based Sandwich ELISA for the Detection of Porcine Skeletal Muscle in Meat and Feed Products

A monoclonal antibody‐based sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the sensitive detection of porcine skeletal muscle in raw and heat‐processed meat and feed products. Heat treatment of meat samples up to 132 °C for 2 h did not affect the assay performance. The assay uses a pair of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs 8F10 and 5H9) specific to skeletal muscle troponin I (TnI). MAb 8F10, reacting to mammalian TnI, is the capture antibody and the biotin‐conjugated MAb 5H9, specific to porcine TnI, the detection antibody. The sandwich ELISA is able to detect 0.05% (w/w) of laboratory‐adulterated pork in chicken, 0.1% (w/w) pork in beef mixtures, 0.05% (w/w) pork meal in soy‐based feed, and 1% commercial meat and bone meal (MBM), containing an unknown amount of pork, in soy‐based feed. This new assay provides a rapid and reliable means to detect the contamination of meat and feed products with trace amounts of porcine muscle tissue to ensure product quality and safety.     

A qualitative analysis of factors influencing the interpersonal dynamics of a prereferral team.

The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) encourages the use of problem-solving prereferral approaches and permits local education agencies to use 15% of federal funds for early intervention services for students who have not been identified as needing special education but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment. There is limited knowledge about the process prereferral teams use in a problem-solving approach and about desirable team practices. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the factors influencing the interpersonal dynamics of a prereferral process nominated as exemplary by district administrators. An awareness of the factors affecting the interpersonal interactions of prereferral teams may guide states in developing the early intervention services envisioned by the IDEIA. Implications for school psychologists and directions for future research are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluation and Optimization of Bioretention Media for Treatment of Urban Storm Water Runoff

Bioretention is a relatively new urban storm water best management practice. The objective of this study is to provide insight on media characteristics that control bioretention water management behavior. Eighteen bioretention columns and six existing bioretention facilities were evaluated employing synthetic runoff. In columns, the runoff infiltration rate through different media mixtures ranged from 0.28 to 8.15?cm/min at a fixed 15 cm head. For pollutant removals, the results showed excellent removal for oil/grease (>96%). Total lead removal (from 66 to >98%) decreased when the total suspended solids level in the effluent increased (removed from 29 to >96%). The removal efficiency of total phosphorus ranged widely (4–99%), apparently due to preferential flow patterns, and both nitrate and ammonium were moderate to poorly removed, with removals ranging from 1 to 43% and from 2 to 49%, respectively. Two more on-site experiments were conducted during a rainfall event to compare with laboratory investigation. For bioretention design, two media design profiles are proposed; >96%?TSS, >96%?O/G, >98%?lead, >70%?TP, >9%?nitrate, and >20%?ammonium removals are expected with these designs     

Cell cycle analysis and synchronization of pluripotent hematopoietic progenitor stem cells

Hematopoietic stem cells purified from mouse bone marrow are quiescent with less than 2% of Lin- Hoechst(low)/Rhodamine(low) (Lin- Ho(low)/Rho(low)) and 10% to 15% of Lin-/Sca+ cells in S phase. These cells enter proliferative cycle and progress through G1 and into S phase in the presence of cytokines and 5% heat-inactivated fetal calf serum (HI-FCS). Cytokine-stimulated Lin- Ho(low)/Rho(low) cells took 36 to 40 hours to complete first division and only 12 hours to complete each of 5 subsequent divisions. These cells require 16 to 18 hours to transit through G0/G1 period and 28 to 30 hours to enter into mid-S phase during the first cycle. Up to 56% of Lin- Rho(low)/Ho(low) cells are high-proliferative potential (7 factor-responsive) colony-forming cells (HPP-CFC). At isolation, HPP-CFC are quiescent, but after 28 to 30 hours of culture, greater than 60% are in S phase. Isoleucine-deprivation of Lin- Ho(low)/Rho(low) cells in S phase of first cycle reversibly blocked them from entering into second cycle. After the release from isoleucine-block, these cells exhibited a G1 period of less than 2 hours and entered into mid-S phase by 12 hours. Thus, the duration of G1 phase of the cells in second cycle is 4 to 5 times shorter than that observed in their first cycle. Similar cell cycle kinetics are observed with Lin-/Sca+ population of bone marrow cells. Stem cell factor (SCF) alone, in the presence of HI-FCS, is as effective as a cocktail of 2 to 7 cytokines in inducing quiescent Lin-/Sca+ cells to enter into proliferative cycle. Aphidicolin treatment reversibly blocked cytokine-stimulated Lin-/Sca+ cells at G1/S boundary, allowing their tight synchrony as they progress through first S phase and enter into second G1. For these cells also, SCF alone is sufficient for their progression through S phase. These studies indicate a very short G1 phase for stem cells induced to proliferate and offer experimental approaches to synchronize murine hematopoietic stem cells.     

Influence of dietary long-chain PUFA on premature baboon lung FA and dipalmitoyl PC composition

One of the major survival challenges of premature birth is production of lung surfactant. The lipid component of surfactant, dipalmitoyl PC (DPPC), increases in concentration in the period before normal term birth via a net shift in FA composition away from unsaturates. We investigated the influence of dietary DHA and arachidonic acid (AA) on lung FA composition and DPPC concentration in term and preterm baboons. Pregnant animals/neonates were randomized to one of four groups: breast-fed (B), term formula-fed (T⁻), preterm formulafed (P⁻), and preterm fed formula supplemented with DHA-AA (P⁺). Breast milk contained 0.68%wt DHA and the P⁺ group formula contained 0.61%wt DHA. In the preterm groups (P⁻ and P⁺), pregnant females received a course of antenatal corticosteroids. At the adjusted age of 4 wk, neonate lung tissue was harvested, and FA composition and DPPC were analyzed. Palmitate was ∼28%wt of lung total FA and no significant differences were found among the four treatment groups. In contrast, DPPC in the B group lung tissue was significantly greater than DPPC in the unsupplemented groups, but not compared with the P⁺ group. The B and P⁺ groups were not significantly different in DHA and AA, but were different compared with the unsupplemented (T, P⁻) groups. These results indicate that LCP supplementation increases lung DHA and AA, without compromising overall lung 16∶0 or DPPC. The shift in FA composition toward greater unsaturation in the groups consuming LCP supported improved surfactant lipid concentration in preterm neonate lungs.     

Identification of Entry Inhibitors against Delta and Omicron Variants of SARS-CoV-2

Entry inhibitors against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are urgently needed to control the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study developed a robust and straightforward assay that detected the molecular interaction between the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of viral spike protein and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor in just 10 min. A drug library of 1068 approved compounds was used to screen for SARS-CoV2 entry inhibition, and 9 active drugs were identified as specific pseudovirus entry inhibitors. A plaque reduction neutralization test using authentic SARS-CoV-2 virus in Vero E6 cells confirmed that 2 of these drugs (Etravirine and Dolutegravir) significantly inhibited the infection of SARS-CoV-2. With molecular docking, we showed that both Etravirine and Dolutegravir are preferentially bound to primary ACE2-interacting residues on the RBD domain, implying that these two drug blocks may prohibit the viral attachment of SARS-CoV-2. We compared the neutralizing activities of these entry inhibitors against different pseudoviruses carrying spike proteins from alpha, beta, gamma, and delta variants. Both Etravirine and Dolutegravir showed similar neutralizing activities against different variants, with EC50 values between 4.5 to 5.8 nM for Etravirine and 10.2 to 22.9 nM for Dolutegravir. These data implied that Etravirine and Dolutegravir may serve as general spike inhibitors against dominant viral variants of SARS-CoV-2.     

Preparation and multifunctional application of meso‐chitosan for the woolen process

This study used chitosan deacetylated to different degrees to process woolen fabrics via the nanometrization of sodium hydroxide of different concentrations. The analysis and determination of the bacterial resistance, shrink resistance, Fourier transform infrared, and dyeability were then carried out for the processed substances. The particle diameter was measured with light scattering and scanning electron microscopy. It was then reduced with 5% and higher concentrations of NaOH, in which the particle diameter was 150–750 nm. As for bacterial resistance, the processed cloth that was not oxidized by H₂O₂ had better bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects than the cloth that underwent the oxidation process. Chitosan and meso‐chitosan had a bacterial‐resistance effect on the woolen fabrics. The processed cloth also had a better shrink‐resistance rate, but the effect of nanometrization was not obvious. For the dyeability of the woolen fabrics, meso‐chitosan was better than chitosan. The higher degree of deacetylation of chitosan slightly improved the dyeability. The dyeability increased a little as the temperature of the curing treatment rose and the time of the curing treatment was extended. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 4080–4086, 2007