Characterization and application of a coating of starch extracted from avocado (Persea americana L. cv. Hass) seeds as an alternative to reduce acrylamide content in French fries

O. Vega-Castro,M. Ramírez,L. Blandón-Mena,J. Contreras-Calderón,M. Mesías,C. Delgado-Andrade,F. J. Morales,D. Granda-Restrepo 한국식품과학회 2022 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.31 No.12

The starch extracted from avocado (Persea americana L. cv. Hass) seeds was characterized and used in the preparation of an edible coating to reduce the oil uptake and acrylamide content in French fries. Starch characterization was carried out using Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry, gelatinization, and scanning electron microscopy. Uncoated (UFF) and coated (CFF) French fries were compared and evaluated for moisture, water activity (Aw), fat, color, firmness, acrylamide content, and sensorial analysis. The extracted starch presented a high crystalline structure and good stability to mechanical work and heat treatments. The CFF French fries showed significantly higher Aw, color parameter a*, but lower luminosity and acrylamide content than UFF samples. Similarly, the CFF samples tended to decrease the fat content, although without statistical differences. Avocado seed starch can be an economical and technically feasible alternative to the food industry as an effective coating to reduce acrylamide content in French fries.

Intensive care unit professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain: social and work-related variables, COVID-19 symptoms, worries, and generalized anxiety levels

Fernando J. García-Hedrera,Fernanda Gil-Almagro,F. Javier Carmona-Monge,Cecilia Peñacoba-Puente,Patricia Catalá-Mesón,Lilian Velasco-Furlong 대한중환자의학회 2021 Acute and Critical Care Vol.36 No.3

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 outbreak has been identified as a pandemic and global health emergency. It presents as a severe acute respiratory disease. The rapid dissemination of the disease created challenges for healthcare systems and forced healthcare workers (HCWs) to deal with many clinical and nonclinical stresses. The aim of our research is to describe work conditions, symptoms experienced by HCWs, worries about contagion, and generalized anxiety symptoms and compare those findings across regions in Spain. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey. Critical care units throughout Spain were included. The sample comprised HCWs working in intensive care units from March to May 2020. We assessed work variables, physical symptoms, worries about contagion, and anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder-7 questionnaire). Results: The final sample comprised 448 surveys. Among the respondents, 86.9% (n=389) were nursing professionals, and 84.8% (n=380) were women. All participants cared for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients during the study period. Workload during the pandemic in Madrid was judged to be higher than in other regions (P<0.01). The availability of personal protective equipment was found to be higher in Cataluña. The most frequently experienced symptom was headaches (78.1%). Worries about self-infection and the possibility of infecting others received mean scores of 3.11 and 3.75, respectively. Mean scores for generalized anxiety levels were 11.02, with 58.7% of the professionals presenting with generalized anxiety syndrome during the assessment. Conclusions: In this study, we found high levels of anxiety among HCWs caring directly for COVID-19 patients, which could produce long-term psychological alterations that still need to be assessed.

An NADPH-Oxidase/Polyamine Oxidase Feedback Loop Controls Oxidative Burst Under Salinity

Gé,mes, Katalin,Kim, Yu Jung,Park, Ky Young,Moschou, Panagiotis N.,Andronis, Efthimios,Valassaki, Chryssanthi,Roussis, Andreas,Roubelakis-Angelakis, Kalliopi A. American Society of Plant Biologists 2016 Plant Physiology Vol.172 No.3

<P>The apoplastic polyamine oxidase (PAO) catalyzes the oxidation of the higher polyamines spermidine and spermine, contributing to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation. However, it is yet unclear whether apoplastic PAO is part of a network that coordinates the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under salinity or if it acts independently. Here, we unravel that NADPH oxidase and apoplastic PAO cooperate to control the accumulation of H2O2 and superoxides (O-2(center dot-)) in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). To examine to what extent apoplastic PAO constitutes part of a ROS-generating network, we examined ROS accumulation in guard cells of plants overexpressing or down-regulating apoplastic PAO (lines S2.2 and A2, respectively) or down-regulating NADPH oxidase (line AS-NtRbohD/F). The H2O2-specific probe benzene sulfonyl-H2O2 showed that, under salinity, H2O2 increased in S2.2 and decreased in A2 compared with the wild type. Surprisingly, the O-2(center dot-)-specific probe benzene sulfonyl-So showed that O-2(center dot-) levels correlated positively with that of apoplastic PAO (i.e. showed high and low levels in S2.2 and A2, respectively). By using AS-NtRbohD/F lines and a pharmacological approach, we could show that H2O2 and O-2(center dot-) accumulation at the onset of salinity stress was dependent on NADPH oxidase, indicating that NADPH oxidase is upstream of apoplastic PAO. Our results suggest that NADPH oxidase and the apoplastic PAO form a feed-forward ROS amplification loop, which impinges on oxidative state and culminates in the execution of programmed cell death. We propose that the PAO/NADPH oxidase loop is a central hub in the plethora of responses controlling salt stress tolerance, with potential functions extending beyond stress tolerance.</P>

Androgenesis induction in microspore culture of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

Csaba Lantos,Aniko´ Ge´mes Juhasz,Pa´l Va´gi,Ro´bert Miha´ly,Zolta´n Kristo´f,Ja´nos Pauk 한국식물생명공학회 2012 Plant biotechnology reports Vol.6 No.2

Isolated microspore culture experiments were carried out in sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) F1hybrid genotypes. In the first experiment, four culture media (W14, B5, MS and NLN) were compared to test their effectiveness in inducing the formation of microsporederived structures in two genotypes. The experiments revealed the superiority of B5 medium. In the second experiment, the effects of different ratios of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) (0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.5 mg l-1) and kinetin (0, 0.2 and 0.5 mg l-1) were also investigated in B5medium with two genotypes. The effect of growth regulators were investigated on the production of microsporederived calli and embryo-like structures (ELSs), the ratio of the two and plant regeneration (number of regenerated plantlets) in microspore culture. The histological experiments revealed the differences between the microsporederived ELSs and calli. The most promising results were obtained on the investigated parameters in the presence of 0.1 mg l-1 2,4-D and 0.2 mg l-1 kinetin producing the highest number of plantlets in both genotypes tested. In the response of 11 genotypes, the androgenesis induction was successful in each sweet pepper genotypes tested using the best basic medium and growth regulators combination. In case of 11 genotypes, the number of ELSs ranged from 20 to 100/Petri dish (an average of 48.1 ELS/Petri dish),while the number of green plantlets varied from 0 to 8plantlets/Petri dish (an average of 1.5 plantlets/Petri dish)depending on the genotype. The spontaneous rediploidization rate obtained was 25% in isolated microspore.

Assessment of Bacteria Removal Using Silver Ion Absorbed Ceramic Filter

( Woo Hang Kim ),( Ja Mes Smith ) 한국환경과학회 2012 한국환경과학회지 Vol.21 No.8

The objective of this study was to evaluate bacteria removal ability of the metallic silver which was baked silver ion impregnated ceramic filter at heating condition. Silver leaking from baked ceramic filter was tested to sustain bacteria removal for a long time. Silver impregnated ceramic filter could remove E. coli completely at 1012 MPN/100ml to 1013 MPN/100ml of influent, However, ceramic filter without silver did not remove E, coli completely under the same condition, After baking, the silver impregnated ceramic filter almost didn`t leak out the silver ion from filter. Photo of TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) showed that absorbed silver ions remained in ceramic filter after baking process and most of silver were less than 10 nm. According to the increase in the amount of silver in the ceramic filter, removal efficiencies of E. coli were increased but turbidity removal was decreased. It can be accounted that increased removal efficiency of E. coli was from disinfection of silver that is in the ceramic filter. Simulated concentrations of bacteria agree well with the observed experimental effluent concentration data. Moreover, first-order decay coefficients increased to 0.0034/min after silver was added in the ceramic filter. Increase of first-order decay coefficient proves that silver-added ceramic filter can remove bacteria easily.

호주 Century 아연 광산에서의 MT 탐사

이태종 ( Tae Jong Lee ),이성곤 ( Seong Kon Lee ),송윤호 ( Yoon Ho Song ),( Ja Mes Cull ) 대한지구물리학회 2007 지구물리 Vol.10 No.4