Production of Calcium Reduced Micellar Casein Concentrate Powders and Their Use in Process Cheese Products

Protein is an essential dietary component, and sufficient intake is vital in a healthy and balanced diet. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of and knowledgeable about the role of protein in the diet. Two of the next-generation dairy protein ingredients isolated from milk are micellar casein (MCC) and milk-derived whey protein, isolated from skim milk using microfiltration (MF). Membrane filtration has been used extensively by the dairy industry to produce a variety of dairy ingredients from milk. MCC manufactured from freshly pasteurized milk can be directly consumed or as a supplement to fortify and enhance nutritional qualities in processed food products. However, the use of MCC as an ingredient in food applications is sometimes limited due to some of its poor functional properties. Therefore, several researchers studied different ways to improve the functionality of the MCC. One of them is the acidification of milk to solubilize colloidal calcium. The first objective of this study was to develop a novel filtration method to manufacture MCC with higher soluble casein factions while effectively removing the calcium from acidified skim milk. Although some of the previous studies achieved a 50% reduction in calcium, there might be a loss of soluble caseins through MF permeate when MF-DF is directly applied to acidified skim milk. In addition, acidification of milk with any acid salts is nonreversible, whereas acidification of milk with CO2 is reversible. Hence an alternate strategy for improving casein functional properties via shifts in protein and mineral distributions is manufacturing modified milk protein ingredients by acidifying the milk through CO2 injection, giving a clean label functional MCC. In this study, we have evaluated the novel process of producing calcium reduced micellar casein concentrate powders (RC-MCC) using MF, UF-DF, and injecting the CO2 into the liquid Micellar casein to lower the pH to 5.7 and maintain the same pH during the UF-DF process. This novel production process resulted in an RC-MCC with 30% less calcium than the C-MCC, retaining higher soluble casein fractions; otherwise, it would have permeated through the MF when only MF is used to produce MCC powders. Furthermore, the retention of serum casein in the resultant RC-MCCs was established quantitively by comparing the ζ-potential and particle size distribution values of RC-MCC and C-MCC powders. We conclude that an additional UF-DF and CO2 injection step to the current standard only MF process could produce reduced calcium MCCs without losing a lot of serum casein fractions generating because of pH adjustment to solubilize calcium. The objective of the second study was to evaluate the physicochemical and functional properties of 30% reduced calcium MCCs (RCMCC) produced in the first study to confirm improved functionality of RCMCC powders with higher soluble caseins lower calcium content. This study evaluated the pilot-scale production of calcium-reduced MCC 80 powders using a novel Microfiltration-CO2 injection-Ultrafiltration process and the effect of the calcium reduction on the physicochemical and functional properties of the RC-MCC powders and dispersions, respectively. In addition, control micellular casein powders (C-MCC) without CO2 injection were also compared with RC-MCC. This study confirmed significantly improved instant solubility and heat stability of the RC-MCC powders. In addition, reducing calcium was observed to improve foam capacity; however, the emulsions stability and foam stability were lower than control powder dispersions. This could be attributed to smaller particle size and not enough viscosity to retard the coalescence of smaller oil droplets or foam bubbles. The objective of the third study was to determine if a process cheese product (PCP) could be produced with less emulsifying salts if 30% reduced calcium RCMCC is utilized in the formulation and its impact on the functional properties of PCP. PCP formula made with reduced calcium MCC at 25% less emulsifying salt than control PCP had improved the functional characteristics. Using reduced calcium MCC, PCP manufactured with 25% less emulsifying salts showed a significant decrease in hardness, improved meltability, and optimal viscosity, confirming improved emulsification in the process cheese products. Consequently, this study concluded a 30% reduced calcium MCC powder could be used to partially replace emulsifying salt up to 25% in PCP manufacture

Pulmonary response to intratracheal instillation of ultrafine versus fine titanium dioxide: role of particle surface area

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The production and use of nanoparticles is growing rapidly due to the unique physical and chemical properties associated with their nano size and large surface area. Since nanoparticles have unique physicochemical properties, their bioactivity upon exposure to workers or consumers is of interest. In this study, the issue of what dose metric (mass dose versus surface area dose) is appropriate for toxicological studies has been addressed. Rats were exposed by intratracheal instillation to various doses of ultrafine or fine TiO₂. At 1, 7, or 42 days post-exposure, inflammatory and cytotoxic potential of each particle type was compared on both a mass dosage (mg/rat) as well as an equal surface area dosage (cm²of particles per cm²of alveolar epithelium) basis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The findings of the study show that on a mass basis the ultrafine particles caused significantly more inflammation and were significantly more cytotoxic than the fine sized particles. However, when doses were equalized based on surface area of particles delivered, the ultrafine particles were only slightly more inflammogenic and cytotoxic when compared to the fine sized particles. Lung burden data indicate that ultrafine TiO₂appears to migrate to the interstitium to a much greater extent than fine TiO₂.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study suggests that surface area of particles may be a more appropriate dose metric for pulmonary toxicity studies than mass of particles.</p

In-Vitro Dissolution and In-Vivo Bioavailability of a Novel Solid Dispersion of Losartan Potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide.

The enhancement of oral bioavailability of poorly water soluble drugs remains one of the most challenging aspects of drug development. Although salt formation, solubilization, and particle size reduction have commonly been used to increase dissolution rate and thereby oral absorption and bioavailability of such drugs,1 there are practical limitations of these techniques. The present study shows improved dissolution and pharmacokinetics of HCT from a modified novel drug-drug solid dispersion. _ Dissolution and pharmacokinetics of HCT was better from HCT-LSP solid dispersion as compared to physical mixture and commercial product. This novel solid dispersion is stable as no physiological inert carriers that are affected by moisture are used. Cost effective and economical as this approach is free of the economical burden of physiological inert carriers. Further studies in humans are recommended to address the therapeutic advantages of the novel solid dispersion in clinical practice

Synthesis of betulinic acid via Baylis-Hillman reaction

Betulin is readily isolated from the bark of birch trees using simple extraction techniques and this molecule as well as its derivatives (eg. betulinic acid) exhibit impressive levels of biological activity. While it is naturally available and shows selective toxicity towards certain cancers, betulin suffers from a general lack of solubility in aqueous conditions. In this regard, we took up a project involving the synthesis of conjugates of betulin with improved solubility characteristics and we were able to identify a series of compounds that showed cytotoxicity against breast and pancreatic cancer cells. This thesis describes our efforts on the development of betulinic acid-derived second generation candidate compounds as potential anti-cancer agents. In our previous attempts, we coupled the betulinic acid template with Baylis-Hillman reaction based cinnamamides using click reaction-derived triazoles as the linker. We wanted to further explore the structure activity relationship profile for these conjugates. Accordingly, we synthesized two series of compounds (a) by removing the triazole linker and (b) by replacing the triazole with piperazine linker. The biological evaluation of these series of compounds is underway and the data obtained from this study would pave way for further functionalization and development

Effects of Excimer Laser on the Surface Morphology and Microstructure of Iron-based Metallic Glasses, and Evaluation of Its Wear and Corrosion Characteristics

Metallic Glasses are the new class of engineering materials having superior mechanical, tribological and corrosion properties when compared to conventional metals and alloys due to their disordered atomic structure. Fe-based metallic glasses belonging to this group of materials has potential applications in various industries due to its favorable properties. But, fabrication of these metallic glasses into micro, nano-scale components, and very fine intricate shapes with high dimensional accuracy cannot performed by traditional machining (lathe turning or drilling) methods. This motivated researchers to look for an alternative technique to process these materials with high dimensional accuracy. Excimer laser micromachining is a potential non-traditional machining technique where pulse length of 25 ns is used for micromachine material without any burrs, spatter etc. In this study, effect of excimer laser on the surface morphology and microstructure of these iron based metallic glasses was studied and evaluation of the corrosion resistance of the iron based metallic glass ribbon with heat treatment temperatures, wear behavior of the ribbon was conducted.Excimer laser induced craters were investigated by optical and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and laser interference microscope (MicroXam). The effects of pulse energy and number of pulses were studied in order to analyze the minimum pulse parameters required for the initiation of craters on the material surface. Morphological differences were observed in the crater surface compared with the surrounding area. Even change in the phase of material from amorphous structure to the crystalline structure was observed in these craters. The significance of this investigation is that ablation process in the excimer laser is not limited to direct solid-vapor transition, but also involves the substrate heating and change in microstructure due to thermal properties of the material. Increase in the corrosion resistance of the metallic glass ribbon was observed with the annealing temperature due to structural relaxation and variation of coefficient of friction in the range of 0.3-0.5 was observed for metallic glass ribbon during wear testing.Mechanical & Aerospace Engineerin

Furosemide Induced Tubulointerstitial Nephritis

Introduction Acute interstitial nephritis (AIN), also called tubulointerstitial nephritis, is a renal pathology that can cause a significant decline in kidney function. Drug-induced AIN accounts for 70% of all cases and is often due to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antimicrobials, and proton pump inhibitors. However, there have been isolated reports of other drugs being responsible for AIN. We hereby report a case of furosemide-induced AIN. Case Presentation A 68-year-old caucasian male with a medical history significant for chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3 due to hypertensive nephrosclerosis with a baseline serum creatinine (Cr) of 1.3-1.5, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and hypogonadism was admitted for evaluation of worsening renal failure. At initial evaluation, the patient had nonspecific symptoms like malaise, nausea, and vomiting but denied any other complaints. Physical examination was unremarkable, without any rashes or abdominal bruit. The patient’s creatinine progressively trended up from his baseline to 3.5 over three months. Pre-renal pathology was suspected initially, and the patient\u27s furosemide was held on admission with concurrent fluid resuscitation. However, this did not improve his kidney function as repeat lab work showed a worsening Cr level of 4.4, along with a blood urea nitrogen (BUN) of 72. Further evaluation showed a complete blood count significant for mild eosinophilia with urinalysis revealing hematuria, pyuria with eosinophiluria but no protein, WBC casts, or RBC casts. Renal ultrasound and abdominal CT scan were unremarkable. The patient had no known drug allergies until that point and was on a stable medication regimen for his chronic conditions for several years, except for a daily dose of furosemide started three months ago for fluid retention and elevated BNP. Ultrasound-guided renal biopsy revealed findings consistent with acute interstitial nephritis on top of chronic tubulointerstitial fibrosis plus underlying moderate arterial sclerosis from hypertension. Other extensive workup was negative for any autoimmune process, IgG4 related disease, sarcoidosis, or infection, thus favoring the diagnosis of drug-induced acute interstitial nephritis. Given the temporal relationship between the initiation of furosemide in this patient and his worsening kidney function makes it the likely offending agent. He was observed off furosemide without any immunosuppressant treatment. The patient’s creatinine level gradually trended down and ultimately returned to his baseline at a one-month follow-up. Discussion Furosemide is a loop diuretic, often used in patients to prevent volume overload. Therefore, furosemide is often implicated as a cause of pre-renal acute kidney injury (AKI) secondary to volume depletion. However, interstitial inflammation as a mechanism of furosemide-induced kidney injury is uncommon and can often be overlooked as a potential cause, especially in patients with long medication lists. In such patients, a causal link can be established by correlating the onset of decline in kidney function with the time of initiation of a new drug and resolution of AKI after discontinuation of the drug

Chimeric piggyBac transposases for genomic targeting in human cells.

Integrating vectors such as viruses and transposons insert transgenes semi-randomly and can potentially disrupt or deregulate genes. For these techniques to be of therapeutic value, a method for controlling the precise location of insertion is required. The piggyBac (PB) transposase is an efficient gene transfer vector active in a variety of cell types and proven to be amenable to modification. Here we present the design and validation of chimeric PB proteins fused to the Gal4 DNA binding domain with the ability to target transgenes to pre-determined sites. Upstream activating sequence (UAS) Gal4 recognition sites harbored on recipient plasmids were preferentially targeted by the chimeric Gal4-PB transposase in human cells. To analyze the ability of these PB fusion proteins to target chromosomal locations, UAS sites were randomly integrated throughout the genome using the Sleeping Beauty transposon. Both N- and C-terminal Gal4-PB fusion proteins but not native PB were capable of targeting transposition nearby these introduced sites. A genome-wide integration analysis revealed the ability of our fusion constructs to bias 24% of integrations near endogenous Gal4 recognition sequences. This work provides a powerful approach to enhance the properties of the PB system for applications such as genetic engineering and gene therapy

Content Based Image Retrieval by Preprocessing Image Database

Increase in communication bandwidth, information content and the size of the multimedia databases have given rise to the concept of Content Based Image Retrieval (CBIR). Content based image retrieval is a technique that enables a user to extract similar images based on a query, from a database containing a large amount of images. A basic issue in designing a content based image retrieval system is to select the image features that best represent image content in a database. Current research in this area focuses on improving image retrieval accuracy. In this work, we have presented an ecient system for content based image retrieval. The system exploits the multiple features such as color, edge density, boolean edge density and histogram information features. The existing methods are concentrating on the relevance feedback techniques to improve the count of similar images related to a query from the raw image database. In this thesis, we propose a dierent strategy called preprocessing image database using k means clustering and genetic algorithm so that it will further helps to improve image retrieval accuracy. This can be achieved by taking multiple feature set, clustering algorithm and tness function for the genetic algorithms. Preprocessing image database is to cluster the similar images as homogeneous as possible and separate the dissimilar images as heterogeneous as possible. The main aim of this work is to nd the images that are most similar to the query image and new method is proposed for preprocessing image database via genetic algorithm for improved content based image retrieval system. The accuracy of our approach is presented by using performance metrics called confusion matrix, precison graph and F-measures. The clustering purity in more than half of the clusters has been above 90 percent purity

Convolutional network based animal recognition using YOLO and darknet.

In general, the manual detection of animals with their names is a very tedious task. To overcome this challenge, this research work has developed a YOLOV3 model to identify the animal present in the image given by user. The algorithm used in YOLOV3 model is darknet, which has a pre-trained dataset. The overall performance of the model is based on different training images and testing images of the dataset. The main goal of this research work is to build an animal recognition methodology using YOLOV3 model. The image of animal will be given as input, then it will display the name of the animal as output by using YOLOV3 model. The detection is done by using a pre-trained coco dataset from darknet

GR-461 Sudoku solver using brute force algorithm with backtracking approach

Sudoku is a fun game that challenges our brain to think logically. It only has numbers from 1 to 9 in a 9x9 matrix network where the nine numbers should not be repeated in the same column, row or each 3x3 submatrix. Although there are numerous methods to solve this problem, the most common method is the backtracking algorithm. So, we are using brute force algorithm to solve sudoku and then compare it with backtracking to ensure which algorithm gives best results