Ultrastructural Studies of Raw and Processed Tissue of the Major Cultivated Mushroom, Agaricus bisporus

Commercial mushroom processors currently lose approximately 30 percent of the mushroom weight due to shrinkage during processing (blanching and canning) , resulting in substantial economic losses . Microscopy was used to assess the extent and type of chemical and structural changes induced by processing mushrooms and causing shrinkage. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the processing operations including vacuum hydration , blanching , and thermal treatment do not damage the integrity of the tissue. Light microscopy revealed that the morphology of the tissue, shape and spacing of cells, appear similar for raw and processed mushroom tissue . However, the intra ce ll ular material remained indistinct for both tissue types, and the processed tissue appeared distorted. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that commercial mushroom processing caused intracellular damage to the tissue. The heat treatment caused the coagulation of cytoplasmic material and the disruption of intracellular membranes, resulting in the loss of water holding capacity of the tissue. Therefore, shrinkage of processed mushrooms results from denaturation of the organelles and the associated loss of water holding capacity by those organelles

Nasopharyngeal Synovial Sarcoma - An Oncological Surprise

Synovial sarcoma is a rare and aggressive high-grade neoplasm with poor prognosis. It is usually encountered in the lower extremities of young adults; only a few cases have been reported in the head and neck region. We report the fourth case of synovial sarcoma of the nasopharynx, treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, complete surgical excision and adjuvant radiation with extensive review of literature

Nasopharyngeal Synovial Sarcoma - An Oncological Surprise

Synovial sarcoma is a rare and aggressive high-grade neoplasm with poor prognosis. It is usually encountered in the lower extremities of young adults; only a few cases have been reported in the head and neck region. We report the fourth case of synovial sarcoma of the nasopharynx, treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, complete surgical excision and adjuvant radiation with extensive review of literature.</p

Physical effects upon whey protein aggregation for nano-coating production

Production of edible nanostructures constitutes a major challenge in food nanotechnology, and has attracted a great deal of interest from several research fields — including (but not limited to) food packaging. Furthermore, whey proteins are increasingly used as nutritional and functional ingredients owing to their important biological, physical and chemical functionalities. Besides their technological and functional characteristics, whey proteins are generally recognized as safe (GRAS). Denaturation and aggregation kinetics behavior of such proteins are of particular relevance toward manufacture of novel nanostructures possessing a number of potential uses. When these processes are properly engineered and controlled, whey proteins may form nanostructures useful as carriers of bioactive compounds (e.g. antimicrobials, antioxidants and nutraceuticals). This review discusses the latest advances in nano-scale phenomena involved in protein thermal aggregation aiming at formation of bio-based nano-coating networks. The extent of aggregation is dependent upon a balance between molecular interactions and environmental factors; therefore, the impact of these conditions is addressed in a critical manner. A particular emphasis is given to the effect of temperature as long as being one of the most critical variables. The application of moderate electric fields (MEF), an emergent approach, as such or combined with conventional heating is considered as it may inhibit/prevent excessive denaturation and aggregation of whey proteins — thus opening new perspectives for development of innovative protein nanostructures (i.e. nano-coatings). A better understanding of the mechanism(s) involved in whey protein denaturation and aggregation is crucial as it conveys information relevant to select methods for manipulating interactions between molecules, and thus control their functional properties in tailor-made applications in the food industry.Oscar L. Ramos and Ricardo N. Pereira gratefully acknowledge Post-Doctoral grants (SFRH/BPD/80766/2011 and SFRH/BPD/81887/2011, respectively) by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal). All authors thank the FCT Strategic Project PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013 and Project "BioEnv - Biotechnology and Bioengineering for a sustainable world", REF. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000048, co-funded by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2 - O Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER

Protein Hydrolysates Are Avoided by Herbivores but Not by Omnivores in Two-Choice Preference Tests

Background: The negative sensory properties of casein hydrolysates (HC) often limit their usage in products intended for human consumption, despite HC being nutritious and having many functional benefits. Recent, but taxonomically limited, evidence suggests that other animals also avoid consuming HC when alternatives exist. Methodology/Principal Findings: We evaluated ingestive responses of five herbivorous species (guinea pig, mountain beaver, gopher, vole, and rabbit) and five omnivorous species (rat, coyote, house mouse, white-footed mouse, and deer mouse; N = 16–18/species) using solid foods containing 20% HC in a series of two-choice preference tests that used a nonprotein, cellulose-based alternative. Individuals were also tested with collagen hydrolysate (gelatin; GE) to determine whether it would induce similar ingestive responses to those induced by HC. Despite HC and GE having very different nutritional and sensory qualities, both hydrolysates produced similar preference score patterns. We found that the herbivores generally avoided the hydrolysates while the omnivores consumed them at similar levels to the cellulose diet or, more rarely, preferred them (HC by the white-footed mouse; GE by the rat). Follow-up preference tests pairing HC and the nutritionally equivalent intact casein (C) were performed on the three mouse species and the guinea pigs. For the mice, mean HC preference scores were lower in the HC v C compared to the HC v Cel tests, indicating that HC’s sensory qualities negatively affected its consumption. However, responses were species-specific. For the guinea pigs, repeated exposure to HC or C (4.7-h sessions; N = 10) were found to increase subsequent HC preference scores in an HC v C preference test, which was interpreted in the light of conservative foraging strategies thought to typify herbivores. Conclusions/Significance: This is the first empirical study of dietary niche-related taxonomic differences in ingestive responses to protein hydrolysates using multiple species under comparable conditions. Our results provide a basis for future work in sensory, physiological, and behavioral mechanisms of hydrolysate avoidance and on the potential use of hydrolysates for pest management

PREPARATION AND EVALUATION OF IMMOBILIZED SINGLE AND MULTIPLE ENZYME SYSTEMS.

Abstract not availabl

Facing the Demons of the Past: Transitional Justice in Gujarat

Scholars of transitional justice have recently suggested that our understanding of transitions need not be restricted to societies moving from authoritarian regimes to democracy. In fact, “non-paradigm transitions” occur in purportedly democratic states as well, in the aftermath of large-scale and State-sanctioned violations of human rights. This article focuses on one such non-paradigm transition occurring in the state of Gujarat in India post the 2002 communal carnage. The author proposes that in addition to retributive responses to the human rights violations, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission should be seriously considered as a means of effecting a real transition to peace in Gujarat