Enhancing the safety and quality of blueberry juice by thermosonication

According to consumers' newest preferences, the juice segment is expanding in the market, especially using novel high technologies for processing. Ultrasound is an up-and-coming technology increasingly being applied in the food field since it can minimize the undesirable effects of thermal processing. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of thermosonication on the inactivation kinetics of L. innocua 2030c, a non-pathogenic surrogate of L. monocytogenes, in blueberry juice. Thermal treatments were conducted as controls, and both processes' impact was assessed on some physicochemical attributes of the juice. Blueberry fruit was chosen since it is recognized as a superfruit due to its high content of health-promoting compounds. Juice samples were prepared by defrosting frozen blueberries and using a domestic centrifuge. Freshly prepared juices were inoculated with L. innocua subculture (~109 CFU/mL). Thermosonication at two amplitude levels (60 and 100%) with a pulse duration of 10 sec on and 5 sec off was applied using a sonicator probe (700 W, 20 kHz). Thermosonication and thermal treatments were performed at 45 and 55 °C until a 5-log reduction was achieved. Physicochemical parameters of the juice (pH, total soluble solids, water activity, and color) were analyzed in fresh and treated samples. All treatments/analyses were performed in triplicate. The Weibull model was successfully applied to fit L. innocua inactivation kinetic by regression analysis. The processing times needed to achieve a 5-log reduction were, in the case of thermosonicated samples, much shorter (1 and 25 min) than the heated ones (10 and 60 min), showing the effectiveness of the synergistic effect of ultrasound and mild heating compared to heat treatment alone. For thermosonication treatments, the first decimal reduction time () obtained at 55 °C was 5.13 ± 0.83 and 4.26 ± 0.36 min, respectively, for 100 and 60% amplitudes. At 45 °C, those values were reduced to 1.15 ± 0.49 and 0.51 ± 0.17 min. When thermal treatments were used, decreased to 1.18 ± 0.33 (55 HT) and 0.08 ± 0.09 min (45 HT), showing the dependence on temperature and process. Thermosonication processes were more effective in microbial inactivation and retaining quality parameters than thermal procedures, with thermosonication at 45 °C the best treatment for blueberry juice.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Guidelines for the implementation of workforce planning (WFP) in project-driven environments

A core activity of human resource management, facing the huge challenge of matching the staffing needs in terms of right amount of skilled workers at the right moment, so as to make the whole organization able to deliver a project within a scope, on time, and budget

New Insights into the Evolution and Gene Structure of the Mitochondrial Carrier Family Unveiled by Analyzing the Frequent and Conserved Intron Positions

Mitochondrial carriers (MCs) belong to a eukaryotic protein family of transporters that in higher organisms is called the solute carrier family 25 (SLC25). All MCs have characteristic triplicated sequence repeats forming a 3-fold symmetrical structure of a six-transmembrane α-helix bundle with a centrally located substrate-binding site. Biochemical characterization has shown that MCs altogether transport a wide variety of substrates but can be divided into subfamilies, each transporting a few specific substrates. We have investigated the intron positions in the human MC genes and their orthologs of highly diversified organisms. The results demonstrate that several intron positions are present in numerous MC sequences at the same specific points, of which some are 3-fold symmetry related. Many of these frequent intron positions are also conserved in subfamilies or in groups of subfamilies transporting similar substrates. The analyses of the frequent and conserved intron positions in MCs suggest phylogenetic relationships not only between close but also distant homologs as well as a possible involvement of the intron positions in the evolution of the substrate specificity diversification of the MC family members

Clinico-pathological associations and concomitant mutations of the RAS/RAF pathway in metastatic colorectal cancer

Background: Over the past few years, next-generation sequencing (NGS) has become reliable and cost-effective, and its use in clinical practice has become a reality. A relevant role for NGS is the prediction of response to anti-EGFR agents in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), where multiple exons from KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF must be sequenced simultaneously. Methods: We optimized a 14-amplicon NGS panel to assess, in a consecutive cohort of 219 patients affected by mCRC, the presence and clinico-pathological associations of mutations in the KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA genes from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens collected for diagnostics and research at the time of diagnosis. Results: We observed a statistically significant association of RAS mutations with sex, young age, and tumor site. We demonstrated that concomitant mutations in the RAS/RAF pathway are not infrequent in mCRC, and as anticipated by whole-genome studies, RAS and PIK3CA tend to be concurrently mutated. We corroborated the association of BRAF mutations in right mCRC tumors with microsatellite instability. We established tumor side as prognostic parameter independently of mutational status. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first monocentric, consecutively accrued clinical mCRC cancer cohort tested by NGS in a real-world context for KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA. Our study has highlighted in clinical practice findings such as the concomitance of mutations in the RAS/RAF pathway, the presence of multiple mutations in single gene, the co-occurrence of RAS and PIK3CA mutations, the prognostic value of tumor side and possible associations of sex with specific mutations

Sister Mary Joseph's Nodule at a University Teaching Hospital in Northwestern Tanzania: A Retrospective Review of 34 cases.

Sister Mary Joseph's nodule is a metastatic tumor deposit in the umbilicus and often represents advanced intra-abdominal malignancy with dismal prognosis. There is a paucity of published data on this subject in our setting. This study was conducted to describe the clinicopathological presentation and treatment outcome of this condition in our environment and highlight challenges associated with the care of these patients, and to proffer solutions for improved outcome. This was a retrospective study of histologically confirmed cases of Sister Mary Joseph's nodule seen at Bugando Medical Centre between March 2003 and February 2013. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A total of 34 patients were enrolled in the study. Males outnumbered females by a ratio of 1.4:1. The vast majority of patients (70.6%) presented with large umbilical nodule > 2 cm in size. The stomach (41.1%) was the most common location of the primary tumor. Adenocarcinoma (88.2%) was the most frequent histopathological type. Most of the primary tumors (52.9%) were poorly differentiated. As the disease was advanced and metastatic in all patients, only palliative therapy was offered. Out of 34 patients, 11 patients died in the hospital giving a mortality rate of 32.4%. Patients were followed up for 24 months. At the end of the follow-up period, 14(60.9%) patients were lost to follow-up and the remaining 9 (39.1%) patients died. Patients survived for a median period of 28 weeks (range, 2 to 64 weeks). The nodule recurred in 6 (26.1%) patients after complete excision. Sister Mary Joseph's nodule of the umbilicus is not rare in our environment and often represents manifestation of a variety of advanced intra-abdominal malignancies. The majority of the patients present at a late stage and many with distant metastases. The patient's survival is very short leading to a poor outcome. Early detection of primary cancer at an early stage may improve the prognosis

Proceedings of the 10th Háskóli Íslands Student Conference on the Medieval North (Reykjavík, April 15–17, 2021)

The Háskoli Íslands Student Conference on the Medieval North was established in 2011 as an annual international and interdisciplinary forum for graduate students of Old Norse and broadly defined Medieval Scandinavia including but not limited to Archaeology, History, (Comparative) Literature, Old Nordic Religion, Linguistics, Editing and Digitisation, Codicology, Manuscript Transmission, Gender and Queer Studies, Ludology, and Modern Reception Studies. The conference is organised by Early Career Researchers and postgraduate students and at the University of Iceland. In recent years, the Háskóli Íslands Student Conference on the Medieval North has become a successful event with a steadily growing number of attendees. As the conference was held for the tenth time from April 15–17, 2021, we were delighted to expand the conference to a three-day online event on Zoom and Twitch and to introduce several new initiatives including a virtual exhibition of 14 posters, two keynote lectures, a manuscript showcase and a workshop on bookmaking and illuminated manuscripts. The conference comprised papers and posters from 51 graduate students and Early Career Researchers affiliated with 29 universities and institutions in 15 countries. These proceedings compile selected abstracts from the event in a more easily accessible format. The papers and posters at the conference showed a variety of novel research in the field of Medieval Norse Studies. Among the wide range of diverse, interdisciplinary topics, an encompassing question became evident: How do our interactions with the past shape the present and the future of research and us as researchers? Three key themes emerged: First, a significant number of papers engaged with the layers that comprise cultural identity, in particular, how it is created, how it impacts the relationship between individuals and communities, and what we can learn from it. Some speakers considered the internal and external perception of Old Norse culture, people and language, most notably regarding ability and disability, supernatural entities, and other marginalised groups. Some speakers focused on abstract concepts, for instance,dreams, performance, memory, and emotions, while others explored the changing image of Old Norse concepts in postmodern literature, media, and games. Second, several papers demonstrated instances of exciting technologies, such as LiDAR DEMs, 3D models, databases and mapping tools that can be useful contributions to our understanding of the Old Norse world. This trend underlines the increasing importance of Digital Humanities. Third, particularly the two keynote lectures and concluding conference reception presented strategies for Early Career Researchers to discuss how we can benefit from the knowledge and understanding of the Medieval North, and how to use it to develop our professional careers and build networks. Both keynote speakers, Dr Beeke Stegmann and Dr Luke John Murphy gave significant insights into the different possible pathways of academic careers by sharing their personal journeys with the audience. The organising committee would like to thank all participants of the 10th Háskóli Íslands Student Conference on the Medieval North. We would also like to thank the sponsors of the conference for their generous support, particularly Enkon A/S, Reykjavík UNESCO City of Literature, and Rimmugýgur, and we are grateful for the following institutions and universities which have been providing facilities, refreshments, and other resources for many years: The University of Iceland Centre for Medieval Studies (Miðaldastofan), the Centre for Research in the Humanities (Hugvísindastofnun), and the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. In addition, we extend our gratitude to a number of individuals without whom the 10th Háskóli Íslands Student Conference on the Medieval North would not have been possible: We thank Haraldur Bernharðsson (University of Iceland) for his continued support and advice throughout the process of planning and holding the conference as well as his assistance with this e-book. We are grateful for Guðvarður Már Gunnlaugsson and Vasarė Rastonis (Stofnun Árna Magnússonar í íslenskum fræðum) for allowing us to showcase three manuscripts in the Arnamagnæan collection, GKS 2365 4to, AM 350 fol., and AM 132 fol. We also appreciate the work of Liv Marit Mathilde Aurdal (Snorrastofa) and Beth Rogers (University of Iceland) and thank them for their involvement with the initial planning of the conference. Lastly, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Beeke Stegmann and Luke John Murphy who not only organised the first Háskóli Íslands Student Conference on the Medieval North, but also significantly enriched the anniversary conference in April 2021 with their insightful keynotes on strategies, opportunities, and overcoming challenges in Early Research Careers. The 11th Háskóli Íslands Student Conference on the Medieval North will take place online and at the University of Iceland on April 7–9, 2022. We hope to see you at a future event!Non peer reviewe

Upper Limit on the Prompt Muon Flux Derived from the LVD Underground Experiment

We present the analysis of the muon events with all muon multiplicities collected during 21804 hours of operation of the first LVD tower. The measured depth-angular distribution of muon intensities has been used to obtain the normalization factor, A, the power index, gamma, of the primary all-nucleon spectrum and the ratio, R_c, of prompt muon flux to that of pi-mesons - the main parameters which determine the spectrum of cosmic ray muons at the sea level. The value of gamma = 2.77 +/- 0.05 (68% C.L.) and R_c < 2.0 x 10^-3 (95% C.L.) have been obtained. The upper limit to the prompt muon flux favours the models of charm production based on QGSM and the dual parton model.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, RevTex. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Muon `Depth -- Intensity' Relation Measured by LVD Underground Experiment and Cosmic-Ray Muon Spectrum at Sea Level

We present the analysis of the muon events with all muon multiplicities collected during 21804 hours of operation of the first LVD tower. The measured angular distribution of muon intensity has been converted to the `depth -- vertical intensity' relation in the depth range from 3 to 12 km w.e.. The analysis of this relation allowed to derive the power index, $\gamma$, of the primary all-nucleon spectrum: $\gamma=2.78 \pm 0.05$. The `depth -- vertical intensity' relation has been converted to standard rock and the comparison with the data of other experiments has been done. We present also the derived vertical muon spectrum at sea level.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, to be published on Phys. Rev.

Formyl Peptide Receptor as a Novel Therapeutic Target for Anxiety-Related Disorders

Formyl peptide receptors (FPR) belong to a family of sensors of the immune system that detect microbe-associated molecules and inform various cellular and sensorial mechanisms to the presence of pathogens in the host. Here we demonstrate that Fpr2/3-deficient mice show a distinct profile of behaviour characterised by reduced anxiety in the marble burying and light-dark box paradigms, increased exploratory behaviour in an open-field, together with superior performance on a novel object recognition test. Pharmacological blockade with a formyl peptide receptor antagonist, Boc2, in wild type mice reproduced most of the behavioural changes observed in the Fpr2/3(-/-) mice, including a significant improvement in novel object discrimination and reduced anxiety in a light/dark shuttle test. These effects were associated with reduced FPR signalling in the gut as shown by the significant reduction in the levels of p-p38. Collectively, these findings suggest that homeostatic FPR signalling exerts a modulatory effect on anxiety-like behaviours. These findings thus suggest that therapies targeting FPRs may be a novel approach to ameliorate behavioural abnormalities present in neuropsychiatric disorders at the cognitive-emotional interface