Effect of Aqueous Enzymatic Processes on Sunflower Oil Quality

The use of enzymes in aqueous vegetable oilseed extraction for simultaneous recovery of high quality oil and protein is gaining recognition. In the present work, five enzyme preparations [Protex 7L by Genencor (Rochester, NY USA), Alcalase 2.4L, and Viscozyme L by Novozymes (Bagsvaerd, Denmark), Natuzyme by Bioproton Pty Ltd (Australia) and Kemzyme by Kemin Europa N·V. (Belgium)] were studied to evaluate their effects on the extraction of oil and protein from sunflower seeds. Preliminary experiments were conducted for the selection of enzymes, optimum enzyme concentration, incubation time and pH. Maximum oil yield (87.25% of the total oil in the seed) was obtained with Viscozyme L, whereas, Protex 7L offered the highest level of protein in the aqueous phase. The comparison of the quality attributes of enzyme-assisted aqueous extracted (EAAE) oil with those of solvent-extracted and control (oils extracted without enzyme treatment) oils revealed no significant (P > 0.05) variations for iodine value, density, refractive index, unsaponifiable matter, and fatty acid composition among the extraction methods. The control and EAAE oils also exhibited a better oxidation state. The tocopherol concentration for the oils, produced with the enzymes, was noted to be quite improved relative to the control and solvent-extracted oils. A higher antioxidant activity in terms of total phenolic contents, 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging capacity and inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation was also observed for the EAAE oils as against control and the solvent-extracted oils.     

First passage time control charts assuming power law intensity for time to jointly monitor time and magnitude

Control charts are essential tools to monitor the quality of a process and commonly used in many industries besides industrial production. Due to the industrial revolution, many products have very low failure chances and labeled as the high-quality products, where the time-between-events (TBE) charts are commonly used to monitor such processes. This study purposes control charts to monitor time and magnitude assuming the power law process for the TBE whereas the magnitude is assumed cumulative as well as noncumulative over time. Besides two illustrative examples, a comparison to the existing rate and first passage time (FPT) charts is also presented in this study. It is shown numerically that the proposed charts are more efficient than the existing FPT and rate charts.     

New insights into the cholesterol esterase- and lipase-inhibiting potential of bioactive peptides from camel whey hydrolysates: Identification,characterization, and molecular interaction

Novel antihypercholesterolemic bioactive peptides (BAP) from peptic camel whey protein hydrolysates (CWPH) were generated at different time, temperature, and enzyme concentration (%). Hydrolysates showed higher pancreatic lipase- (PL; except 3 CWPH) and cholesterol esterase (CE)-inhibiting potential, as depicted by lower half-maximal inhibitory concentration values (IC₅₀ values) compared with nonhydrolyzed camel whey proteins (CWP). Peptide sequencing and in silico data depicted that most BAP from CWPH could bind active site of PL, whereas as only 3 peptides could bind the active site of CE. Based on higher number of reactive residues in the BAP and greater number of substrate binding sites, FCCLGPVPP was identified as a potential CE-inhibitory peptide, and PAGNFLPPVAAAPVM, MLPLMLPFTMGY, and LRFPL were identified as PL inhibitors. Molecular docking of selected peptides showed hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions between peptides and target enzymes. Thus, peptides derived from CWPH warrant further investigation as potential candidates for adjunct therapy for hypercholesterolemia.     

Valorization of fish byproducts: Sources to end-product applications of bioactive protein hydrolysate

Fish processing industries result in an ample number of protein-rich byproducts, which have been used to produce protein hydrolysate (PH) for human consumption. Chemical, microbial, and enzymatic hydrolysis processes have been implemented for the production of fish PH (FPH) from diverse types of fish processing byproducts. FPH has been reported to possess bioactive active peptides known to exhibit various biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, angiotensin-I converting enzyme inhibition, calcium-binding ability, dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibition, immunomodulation, and antiproliferative activity, which are discussed comprehensively in this review. Appropriate conditions for the hydrolysis process (e.g., type and concentration of enzymes, time, and temperature) play an important role in achieving the desired level of hydrolysis, thus affecting the functional and bioactive properties and stability of FPH. This review provides an in-depth and comprehensive discussion on the sources, process parameters, purification as well as functional and bioactive properties of FPHs. The most recent research findings on the impact of production parameters, bitterness of peptide, storage, and food processing conditions on functional properties and stability of FPH were also reported. More importantly, the recent studies on biological activities of FPH and in vivo health benefits were discussed with the possible mechanism of action. Furthermore, FPH-polyphenol conjugate, encapsulation, and digestive stability of FPH were discussed in terms of their potential to be utilized as a nutraceutical ingredient. Last but not the least, various industrial applications of FPH and the fate of FPH in terms of limitations, hurdles, future research directions, and challenges have been addressed.     

Numerical Analysis of Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCov) Pandemic Model with Advection

Recently, the world is facing the terror of the novel corona-virus, termed as COVID-19. Various health institutes and researchers are continuously striving to control this pandemic. In this article, the SEIAR (susceptible, exposed, infected, symptomatically infected, asymptomatically infected and recovered) infection model of COVID-19 with a constant rate of advection is studied for the disease propagation. A simple model of the disease is extended to an advection model by accommodating the advection process and some appropriate parameters in the system. The continuous model is transposed into a discrete numerical model by discretizing the domains, finitely. To analyze the disease dynamics, a structure preserving non-standard finite difference scheme is designed. Two steady states of the continuous system are described i.e., virus free steady state and virus existing steady state. Graphical results show that both the steady states of the numerical design coincide with the fixed points of the continuous SEIAR model. Positivity of the state variables is ensured by applying the M-matrix theory. A result for the positivity property is established. For the proposed numerical design, two different types of the stability are investigated. Nonlinear stability and linear stability for the projected scheme is examined by applying some standard results. Von Neuman stability test is applied to ensure linear stability. The reproductive number is described and its pivotal role in stability analysis is also discussed. Consistency and convergence of the numerical model is also studied. Numerical graphs are presented via computer simulations to prove the worth and efficiency of the quarantine factor is explored graphically, which is helpful in controlling the disease dynamics. In the end, the conclusion of the study is also rendered.     

Failure Analysis of AISI-304 Stainless Steel Styrene Storage Tank

This paper presents the failure analysis of AISI-304 stainless steel tank that was fabricated by welding and used for the storage of styrene monomers. After about 13 years of satisfactory operation, significant cracking was observed adjacent to the weld joints and in base plate near tank foundation. Weld repair was by shielded gas arc welding using AISI 308 stainless steel filler wire. The failed base plate was replaced with the new AISI 304 base plate of same thickness. After a short period of time, seepage was observed along the weld bead. Upon nondestructive testing cracks were found in the heat-affected zone and in the base plate. The failure investigation was carried out on welded and base plate samples using spectroscopy, optical and scanning electron microscopy, fractography, SEM–EDS analysis, microhardness measurements, tensile and impact testing. The results revealed transgranular cracks in the HAZ and base plate, and the failure was attributed due to stress corrosion cracking. Cracks initiated as a result of combined action of stresses developed during welding and the presence of a chloride containing environment due to seawater. It was further observed that improper welding parameters were employed for weld repair which resulted in sensitization of the structure and postweld heat treatment to remove weld sensitization and minimize the residual stresses was not done.     

Investigation on structural,optical and dielectric properties of Co doped ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by gel-combustion route

We report the synthesis of Co doped ZnO nanoparticles by combustion method using citric acid as a fuel for 0%, 1%, 3%, 5% and 10% of Co doping. The structural, optical and dielectric properties of the samples were studied. Crystallite sizes were obtained from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns whose values are decreasing with increase in Co content up to 5%. The XRD analysis also ensures that ZnO has a hexagonal (wurtzite) crystal structure and Co²⁺ ions were successfully incorporated into the lattice positions of Zn²⁺ ions. The TEM image shows the average particle size in the range of 10–20 nm for 3% Co doped ZnO nanoparticles. The energy band gap as obtained from the UV–visible spectrophotometer was found gradually increasing up to 5% of Co doping. The dielectric constants (?′, ?″), dielectric loss (tan δ) and ac conductivity (σ_ac) were studied as the function of frequency and composition, which have been explained by ‘Maxwell Wagner Model’.     

Comparative studies of four different phenolic compounds on in vitro antioxidative activity and the preventive effect on lipid oxidation of fish oil emulsion and fish mince

Antioxidative activities of different phenolic compounds (catechin, caffeic acid, ferulic acid and tannic acid) at various levels were determined by different assays. Among all the phenolic compounds tested, tannic acid exhibited the highest 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activities and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). Nevertheless, catechin showed the highest metal chelating activity (P < 0.05), whereas caffeic acid had the highest lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitory activity (P < 0.05). The impact of different phenolic compounds at a level of 100 mg/l on lipid oxidation of menhaden oil-in-water emulsion and mackerel mince was investigated. Tannic acid showed the highest efficacy in retardation of lipid oxidation for both model systems as evidenced by the lower peroxide value (PV), conjugated diene (CD) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) values. This was also related with the lower non-heme iron content in tannic acid treated samples. Tannic acid was therefore considered as the most potential natural antioxidant for controlling oxidation of fish oil-in-water emulsion and fish mince, whereas ferulic acid seemed to possess the lowest preventive effect on lipid oxidation.     

Reliability and validity of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale.

To investigate the reliability and validity of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), 28 youth aged 6 to 17 years with Tourette's syndrome (TS) participated in the study. Data included clinician reports of tics and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) severity, parent reports of tics, internalizing and externalizing problems, and child reports of depression and anxiety. All children participated in a 2nd YGTSS administration by the same rater 48 days later. Good internal consistency and stability were found for the YGTSS scores. YGTSS scores demonstrated strong correlations with parent-rated tic severity (r = .58-.68). YGTSS scores were not significantly related to measures of clinician ratings of OCD severity (r = .01-.15), parent ratings of externalizing and internalizing behavior (r = -.07-.20), and child ratings of depression (r = .02-.26) and anxiety (r = -.06 -.28). Findings suggest that the YGTSS is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of pediatric TS. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Cost-Effective Approach for NDN-Based Internet of Medical Things Deployment

Nowadays, healthcare has become an important area for the Internet of Things (IoT) to automate healthcare facilities to share and use patient data anytime and anywhere with Internet services. At present, the host-based Internet paradigm is used for sharing and accessing healthcare-related data. However, due to the location-dependent nature, it suffers from latency, mobility, and security. For this purpose, Named Data Networking (NDN) has been recommended as the future Internet paradigm to cover the shortcomings of the traditional host-based Internet paradigm. Unfortunately, the novel breed lacks a secure framework for healthcare. This article constructs an NDN-Based Internet of Medical Things (NDN-IoMT) framework using a lightweight certificateless (CLC) signature. We adopt the Hyperelliptic Curve Cryptosystem (HCC) to reduce cost, which provides strong security using a smaller key size compared to Elliptic Curve Cryptosystem (ECC). Furthermore, we validate the safety of the proposed scheme through AVISPA. For cost-efficiency, we compare the designed scheme with relevant certificateless signature schemes. The final result shows that our proposed scheme uses minimal network resources. Lastly, we deploy the given framework on NDN-IoMT.