Harnessing ethylene-producing bacteria for fruit bio-ripening: a comprehensive review

Fruit ripening is a complex biological process regulated by various endogenous and exogenous factors, with ethylene playing a pivotal role as a gaseous hormone. Traditionally, ethylene for commercial use has been derived from environmentally hazardous processes. However, the discovery of ethylene-producing bacteria presents a sustainable alternative for fruit ripening. This review explores the mechanisms and potential of utilizing ethylene-producing bacteria in the bio-ripening of fruits. Through an analysis of current research, we elucidate the synthesis pathways of ethylene in microorganisms, optimization techniques to enhance ethylene production, and the compatibility among microbial strains for the development of effective microbial consortia. Recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of ethylene-producing bacteria, such as Bacillus and Pseudomonas species, in bio-ripening fruits like kiwifruit, plums, bananas, and apples. The optimization of growth conditions and the development of microbial consortia aim to maximize ethylene production efficiency While minimizing environmental impacts. This review underscores the importance of ethylene-producing bacteria in revolutionizing fruit ripening technology and advancing sustainable agricultural practices. By providing insights into the opportunities and challenges associated with bio-ripening fruits by ethylene-producing bacteria, this review seeks to guide future research and innovation in the field. Ultimately, using ethylene-producing bacteria offers a promising avenue for achieving safe, environmentally friendly, and efficient fruit ripening methods in agricultural practices

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Tribological Investigation of Nano Composite Coated Titanium Alloy Surfaces under Unidirectional Sliding

Industrial application of sliding components required to improve the tribological properties by increasing the surface hardness, friction and wear resistance. Modern modification of surface layers for friction applications combines surface texturing and filling of textured layers by wear resistant coatings of various compositions to improve its functional aspect and enhanced service life. Texturing of contact surfaces has a remarkable influence on their tribological properties, especially in the effect of wear and friction. This work proposes the coating of nano sized Titanium Aluminum Nitride (TiAlN) by Magnetron Sputtering-Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) on the Titanium alloy (6Al-4V) substrate and study the performance of the coated surfaces by pin on disc tribometer. Two kinds of substrates were prepared one is the lapped surface and the other one is the textured surface by Laser beam machining. The Tribological performance of the wear resistant coatings on lapped and textured surfaces was experimentally investigated under various normal load conditions and the results were compared. Critical parameters such as friction coefficient, wear rate, wear volume, wear morphology and micro wear mechanism were investigated in this work. The coating surfaces and wear scars were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX). The results showed that the TiAlN coating on textured surfaces exhibited lower friction coefficient and wear rate than the TiAlN coating on lapped surfaces under same testing conditions.</jats:p