Impact of Food Safety and Standards Regulation on Food Business Operators

The main aim of the study is to understand food regulation and food safety in India context and global aspects. It also explains the major health problem and recent past reports of FSSAI. The primary data were collected from food business operators (mobile food vendors, many small scale hotels, and local restaurants). It also helps to ensure the knowledge and awareness level of the food business operators. This study is to understand the view of food-business operators in a B-grade city of India “Salem” in Tamil Nadu about the FSSAI regulations and the status of performance of the food safety department in maintaining safety and quality of food and also to know about the level of awareness among the usage of fortified foods among food-businesses. The Study concludes that the Food and Safety Officers should regularly visit for inspection and monitor the food business operators for the betterment of public health. There should be proper awareness about the ingredients are used in fortified food among food-businesses to eliminate malnutrition and avoid food adulteration. The future rules and regulations of FSSAI should be strictly implementing all over India and properly monitor their activities of food business operators to fulfil the FSSAI standards

Determination of Hospitality Services Quality and Customer Satisfaction – a Holserv Approach

This study examines the relationship between quality of perceived service and level of satisfaction customer attained in Tourism. Although the aforesaid relationship discussions proliferated, studies have employed customised SERVQUL for tourism remains dearth. This research attempts to fulfil the gap by using HOLSERV measurement instrument. HOLSERV is developed to measure the service quality in tourism, comprised with three factors named employee, tangibles, and reliability. Data have been collected from guests of the luxury hotels located in Pondicherry (Puducherry). 344 samples were used for data analyses after eliminating the unusable data by preliminary psychometric test. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) followed by Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was employed to examine the postulated relationship. The results supported the proposed hypotheses. Employees, tangibles, and reliability are confirmed as factors of hospitality service quality by CFA. Employee factor ascertained to be an important factor by SEM. From the results and findings of this study, implications have been drawn, limitations were given, and recommendations were made for future researcher

Refined Model of Maslow’s Needs Theory in Internet Era

This paper attempted to articulate a hierarchy of fundamental motives that serve as both an integrative framework and generative foundation for future empirical research. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (HoN) promulgates that self-actualization, often cited as the highest-order motivation, propels us to fathom our true finesse and attain our ideal self. 150 random samples were collected and tested hypotheses using regression analysis and descriptive, quantitative, and cross-sectional research design. The results indicated a significant relationship between the Internet and Wi-Fi and other levels of needs. The findings were utilized to create a ray of light on the perception that wireless internet has become a basic need, viz., food, shelter, and cloth for many people

Value Chain Analysis of Indian Edible Mushroom

The purpose of this study is to examine the value chain analysis of, consumers' awareness level of, and buying motives toward mushroom products. The primary data were collected through face-to-face interviews and by using a questionnaire filled out by 70 consumers from various major mushroom production districts, selected by non-random sampling. Secondary data were collected from various sources. Based on the data analysis, it was found that around 73% of consumers  preferred to buy their mushroom products in the supermarket, and 71% of consumers responded that factors other than the shape, color, and size of mushrooms motivated them to buy them. The research concludes that urban consumers were well aware of the nutrition value of mushrooms, but their consumption level was very low compared to non-vegetarians urban consumer in the studied area. Nearly 30% of respondents believed a myth about mushrooms having a mold and were prepared from compost, which causes a bad smell. It was found that that while producers put forth more effort and energy than other actors into the mushroom value chain they received less revenue and profit than wholesalers and retailers. Therefore, policy makers should develop new norms to remove barriers and others issues to safeguard mushroom producers for sustainable growth of the mushroom sector in India. In the future, there will be an increase in the consumption of processed foods. Hence, food companies have to concentrate on mushroom processing and fresh mushroom production

Functional gene delivery to and across brain vasculature of systemic AAVs with endothelial-specific tropism in rodents and broad tropism in primates

Delivering genes to and across the brain vasculature efficiently and specifically across species remains a critical challenge for addressing neurological diseases. We have evolved adeno-associated virus (AAV9) capsids into vectors that transduce brain endothelial cells specifically and efficiently following systemic administration in wild-type mice with diverse genetic backgrounds, and in rats. These AAVs also exhibit superior transduction of the CNS across non-human primates (marmosets and rhesus macaques), and in ex vivo human brain slices, although the endothelial tropism is not conserved across species. The capsid modifications translate from AAV9 to other serotypes such as AAV1 and AAV-DJ, enabling serotype switching for sequential AAV administration in mice. We demonstrate that the endothelial-specific mouse capsids can be used to genetically engineer the blood-brain barrier by transforming the mouse brain vasculature into a functional biofactory. We apply this approach to Hevin knockout mice, where AAV-X1-mediated ectopic expression of the synaptogenic protein Sparcl1/Hevin in brain endothelial cells rescued synaptic deficits

Functional gene delivery to and across brain vasculature of systemic AAVs with endothelial-specific tropism in rodents and broad tropism in primates

Delivering genes to and across the brain vasculature efficiently and specifically across species remains a critical challenge for addressing neurological diseases. We have evolved adeno-associated virus (AAV9) capsids into vectors that transduce brain endothelial cells specifically and efficiently following systemic administration in wild-type mice with diverse genetic backgrounds, and in rats. These AAVs also exhibit superior transduction of the CNS across non-human primates (marmosets and rhesus macaques), and in ex vivo human brain slices, although the endothelial tropism is not conserved across species. The capsid modifications translate from AAV9 to other serotypes such as AAV1 and AAV-DJ, enabling serotype switching for sequential AAV administration in mice. We demonstrate that the endothelial-specific mouse capsids can be used to genetically engineer the blood-brain barrier by transforming the mouse brain vasculature into a functional biofactory. We apply this approach to Hevin knockout mice, where AAV-X1-mediated ectopic expression of the synaptogenic protein Sparcl1/Hevin in brain endothelial cells rescued synaptic deficits

Enactment of Sustainable Technovations on Healthcare Sectors

This article discusses the use of innovative technologies and their potential to assist pan-India surveillance systems, including health  initiatives. The key goal is to review prior studies on innovative technology and its use for existing healthcare sectors and identify association strength among the selected variables using Vos Viewer software. Information gathered from research on randomized controlled trials, cross-sectional studies, review studies and systematic review studies, meta-analysis, sample, and case series. This article discusses the use of innovative technologies and their potential to assist pan-India surveillance systems, including health  initiatives to community based healthcare. This paper discusses the current usage of Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT) on health and developments.   The findings of the study state the complexities and opportunities of the mentioned technologies on the pan-India health surveillance system and indicates that data management, safety and security regulation gaps need to resolve before enforcing monitoring practices. This paper presents an analysis of recent instances of using IoT technologies centred on remote surveillance and indicate a need for an advanced computing architecture for future integrated with pilot and tracking operations

Characterisation of recombinant Hevea brasiliensis allene oxide synthase: Effects of cycloxygenase inhibitors, lipoxygenase inhibitors and salicyclate on enzyme activity

Mechanical wounding and jasmonic acid (JA) treatment have been shown to be important factors in controlling laticifer differentiation in Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree). With the long-term aim of potentially modifying the endogenous levels of JA in H. brasiliensis by gene transfer, we describe in this paper the molecular cloning of a H. brasiliensis allene oxide synthase (AOS) cDNA and biochemical characterisation of the recombinant AOS (His6-HbAOS) enzyme. The AOS cDNA encodes a protein with the expected motifs present in CYP74A sub-group of the cytochrome P450 super-family of enzymes that metabolise 13-hydroperoxylinolenic acid (13-HPOT), the intermediate involved in JA synthesis. The recombinant H. brasiliensis AOS enzyme was estimated to have a high binding affinity for 13-HPOT with a Km value of 4.02 ± 0.64 μM. Consistent with previous studies, mammalian cycloxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitors were shown to significantly reduce His6-HbAOS enzyme activity. Although JA had no effect on His6-HbAOS, salicylic acid (SA) was shown to significantly inhibit the recombinant AOS enzyme activity in a dose dependent manner. Moreover, it was demonstrated that SA, and various analogues of SA, acted as competitive inhibitors of His6-HbAOS when 13-HPOT was used as substrate. We speculate that this effect of salicylates on AOS activity may be important in cross-talking between the SA and JA signalling pathways in plants during biotic/abiotic stress

Correction: Structure-Activity Relationship Studies of N- and C-Terminally Modified Secretin Analogs for the Human Secretin Receptor

International audienc

Structure-Activity Relationship Studies of N- and C-Terminally Modified Secretin Analogs for the Human Secretin Receptor

International audienceThe pleiotropic role of human secretin (hSCT) validates its potential use as a therapeutic agent. Nevertheless, the structure of secretin in complex with its receptor is necessary to develop a suitable therapeutic agent. Therefore, in an effort to design a three-dimensional virtual homology model and identify a peptide agonist and/or antagonist for the human secretin receptor (hSR), the significance of the primary sequence of secretin peptides in allosteric binding and activation was elucidated using virtual docking, FRET competitive binding and assessment of the cAMP response. Secretin analogs containing various N- or C-terminal modifications were prepared based on previous findings of the role of these domains in receptor binding and activation. These analogs exhibited very low or no binding affinity in a virtual model, and were found to neither exhibit in vitro binding nor agonistic or antagonistic properties. A parallel analysis of the analogs in the virtual model and in vitro studies revealed instability of these peptide analogs to bind and activate the receptor