Food Dehydration Recent Advances and Approaches

Dehydration of organic material is undoubtedly a controlled attempt to conserve or construct a novel construct that will satisfy functional devotions. Food dehydration is reviewed in light of the latest progress in food materials research. Understanding the mechanics behind the drying process is crucial in food and agricultural product dehydration. Among the most crucial steps in preserving food is dehydration. Food drying innovations include photovoltaic, thermal imaging, microwave-assisted, and comparable hybrid technologies. According to a recent study, unique food dehydration technologies might increase drying efficiency by decreasing energy usage while improving product quality. Unique drying methods reduce food component degradation and create novel items for customers. Each method’s use of specific foods will be reviewed in this chapter

Evaluation of Apolipoprotein B / Apolipoprotein A Ratio as an Alternate of Lipid Profile for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Objective: To compare the predictive utility of serum Apo B/Apo A ratio with serum lipid profile in evaluation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Research was done at Department of Chemical Pathology & Endocrinology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Rawalpindi from 1 January 2021 to 31 March 2022. Materials and Methods: A total of 204 patients were enrolled from a tertiary care hospital admitted for recent cardiac events and were compared with 96 healthy individuals. A serum sample was taken from all the members of both groups. Their lipid profile, Apo A, and Apo B were analyzed. Apo B/ Apo A ratio was calculated. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Results: Means of patient group for total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and Apo B/Apo A ratio were 4.18±1.21, 2.52±1.06, 0.83±0.34, 0.71±0.31, 1.66±0.86, 0.96±0.60 respectively, whereas means for control group were 3.99±0.54, 2.31±0.56, 1.00±0.31, 0.59±0.15, 1.22±0.33 and 0.70±0.18 respectively. Independent t-test was applied to compare means between two groups, which showed statistically significant difference between Apo B/Apo A ratio, HDL, and TG (p value <0.001). Chi-square test was applied for comparison of two groups which was statistically significant (p value <0.001). Conclusion: Apo B/Apo A ratio is a better indicator for evaluation of cardiovascular disease as compared to lipid profile suggesting it to be a new and robust marker for CVD risk evaluation in our population

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Glycyrrhizin, Curcumin and Cinnamon Prevent From Concanavalin-A and Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury and Oxidative Stress in Mouse Model

Daily exposure to a number of xenobiotics is the major contributing factor to liver injury. The present study investigated the mechanism of hepatoprotection by glycyrrhizin, curcumin and cinnamon in two distinct models of hepatotoxicity i.e., by using Concanavalin-A (ConA) and Acetaminophen (APAP). For this evaluation, balb/c mice were pretreated with glycyrrhizin (200 mg/kg i.g.), curcumin (100 mg/kg i.g.) and cinnamon (200 mg/kg i.g.) extracts for 14 days followed by administration of ConA (15 mg/kg i.v.) and APAP (200 mg/kg i.p.) for 8 hours. At the end of the experiment, mice were dissected and blood and liver samples were collected for biochemical and histopathological analysis. Statistical analysis by using one-way ANOVA followed by DMR test was performed for the significance of results. The results showed that pre-treatment of glycyrrhizin, curcumin and cinnamon ameliorated the damaging effects of ConA and APAP on the liver as indicated by the serum transaminase enzymes and total protein levels. In addition, ConA and APAP exerted severe damage on liver tissues as confirmed from the histopathological analysis. However, glycyrrhizin, curcumin and cinnamon prevented liver injury, possibly through antioxidant mechanism. In conclusion, glycyrrhizin, curcumin and cinnamon possessed antioxidant properties with therapeutic potential in liver injury related to oxidative stress

An Exploratory Study of Distress and Redemption in Ghalib's "Yeh Na Thi Hamari Qismat"

The aim of this paper is to explore the human pain, loss, and the search for the salvation in Mirza Ghalib's invaluable Urdu ghazal "Yeh na thi hamari qismat". The paper takes up the qualitative approach to see the sights for tenderness and salvation in Ghalib’s poetry. The paper uses Herman’s trauma theory by Judith Herman as framework for the study and translation on Ghalib’s poetry by Ralph Russell. Through trauma theory applied to Ghalib's poetry, we seek to discover the psychological aspects of the suffering and redemption portrayed in the ghazal which will, in the turn, illuminate the complex interrelationship between the personal traumas and the search for meaning and peace. Moreover, this study reveals the stress of suffering, trauma recovery and survival in a subtle manner and this illustrates the enduring power of the ghazal as well as the universal appeal to audiences the world over regardless of age or nationality. Through the interaction of poetry and trauma theory, Ghalib’s poem is still able to deliver abiding life messages. &nbsp

An ethnopharmacological evaluation of Navapind and Shahpur Virkanin district Sheikupura, Pakistan for their herbal medicines

Abstract Background The chief aim of this study was to enlist the ethnobotanical uses of wild plants in district Sheikhupura, province Punjab, Pakistan. Due to extreme geographical and climatic conditions, Pakistan has a great floral diversity. Plants have been used by the indigenous people for treatment of different ailments since long. They are still dependent on the plants for their domestic purposes. Moreover, plants are used as first aid to treat diverse ailments such as cold, cough, influenza, asthma, cancer, antidote, gastric and hepatic disorders. The traditional uses of medicinal plants lead to the discovery of natural drugs. This is first quantitative ethnobotanical documentation of medicinal plants in NavaPind and ShahpurVirkan district Sheikhupura, province Punjab, Pakistan. Methods This ethnobotanical information was collected from about 400 informants including male and female. Sample size was determined by statistical formula. The informative data was based on semi-structured interviews, group discussions, Questionnaire and field visits. Then the data was analyzed by applying different quantitative indices such as Informant Consent Factor (ICF), Use value (UV), Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), the Fidelity level (FL) and Jaccard Index (JI). Results Almost 96 plants belonging to 34 families were reported. Most-frequently cited families were Poaceae (16 species) and Fabaceae (15 species). The most dominant life form was herbs (30.20%). The most-used plant parts were leaves (31.14%), followed by whole plant (24.59%), Most common mode of administration is extraction (81.25%). Generally herbal medicines were acquired from fresh plant material. Among all 54.16% plants were toxic, 31.25% were nontoxic, whereas the remaining 14.58% may be toxic or nontoxic because of their dual attitude. Almost 34 species were reported with their different medicinal uses as has been reported in literature. Conclusions This ethnobotanical documentation revealed that the plants are still used by natives of rural areas in their day-to-day lives. This study provides basis for the conservation of local flora. Plants with high ICF, UV and FL can be further used for phytochemical and pharmacological studies. This documentation could provide baseline information which can be used to develop new plant-based commercial drugs

Deformation of Emulsion Droplet with Clean and Particle-Covered Interface under an Electric Field

The electrohydrodynamic deformation of an emulsion droplet with a clean and particle-covered interface was explored. Here, the electrohydrodynamic deformation was numerically and experimentally demonstrated under the stimuli of moderate and strong electric fields. The numerical method involves the coupling of the Navier&ndash;Stokes equation with the level set equation of interface tracking and the governing equations of so-called leaky dielectric theory. The simulation model developed for a clean interface droplet was then extended to a capsule model for densely particle-covered droplets. The experiments were conducted using various combinations of immiscible oils and particle suspensions while the electric field strength ~105 V/m was generated using a high voltage supply. The experimental images obtained by the camera were post-processed using an in-house image processing code developed on the plat-form of MATLAB software. The results show that particle-free droplets can undergo prolate (deformation in the applied electric field direction) or oblate deformation (deformation that is perpendicular to the direction of the applied electric field) of the droplet interface, whereas the low-conductivity particles can be manipulated at the emulsion interface to form a &lsquo;belt&rsquo;, &lsquo;helmet&rsquo; or &lsquo;cup&rsquo; morphologies. A densely particle-covered droplet may not restore to its initial spherical shape due to &lsquo;particle jamming&rsquo; at the interface, resulting in the formation of unique droplet shapes. Densely particle-covered droplets behave like droplets covered with a thin particle sheet, a capsule. The deformation of such droplets is explored using a simulation model under a range of electric capillary numbers (i.e., the ratio of the electric stresses to the capillary stresses acting at the droplet interface). The results obtained are then compared with the theory and experimental findings. It was shown that the proposed simulation model can serve as a tool to predict the deformation/distortion of both the particle-free and the densely particle-covered droplets within the small deformation limit. We believe that this study could provide new findings for the fabrication of complex-shaped species and colloidosomes

Prevalence of Toxoplasmosis in Sheep and Goats in Pakistan: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, results in congenital disorders and miscarriages among livestock and humans worldwide. This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to determine the prevalence of T. gondii infection in sheep and goats in Pakistan from 2000 to 2020. We searched the PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases and selected 17 publications that fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Eight studies were conducted in Southern Punjab, six in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two in Northern Punjab, and one in Central Punjab. The diagnostic tests used in the included articles to confirm toxoplasmosis were the latex agglutination test in 56% of the studies, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 38%, and the indirect hemagglutination assay in 6%. The infection rates were substantially higher among sheep > 1 year of age (37%) than among sheep ≤ 1 year old (19%). Statistically significant differences in infection rates were found between male and female sheep and goats. The overall infection rate by age was also significant among sheep and goats. Sex and age variability between sheep investigations were significant, and sex heterogeneity and age homogeneity were significant among goats. Hence, robust infection control protocols should be implemented to prevent infection in animals and humans