Acrylamide Mitigation in Fried Kochchi Kesel Chips Using Free and Immobilized Fungal Asparaginase

Akrilamid nastaje prilikom prženja hrane na visokim temperaturama. Prehrambeni tehnolozi neprestano razvijaju nove metode kojima bi se učinkovito smanjilo njegovo nastajanje u prženoj hrani. U ovom su radu kriške banane sorte kochchi kesel prije prženja tretirane asparaginazom iz plijesni Aspergillus terreus radi smanenja količine akrilamida nastale tijekom prženja. Uvjeti namakanja i prženja optimirani su pomoću slobodne asparaginaze i asparaginaze imobilizirane na kitozanu, te je utvrđeno da je optimalna temperatura namakanja bila 60 °C, a optimalno trajanje procesa 20 min. Optimalna aktivnost slobodne i imobilizirane asparaginaze bila je 5 U/mL, a optimalna temperatura prženja 180 °C tijekom 25 min. Maseni udjel akrilamida nakon prženja uz prethodnu obradu slobodnom asparaginazom bio je 1866 µg/kg, dok je nakon obrade imobiliziranom asparaginazom bio 954 µg/kg. Ispitani su i kinetički i termodinamički parametri smanjenja udjela akrilamida u čipsu od banane pomoću enzima. Zaključeno je da je prethodna obrada kriški banane asparaginazom imobiliziranom na kitozanu učinkovita metoda smanjenja udjela akrilamida u prženoj hrani.Acrylamide is formed when food products are fried at high temperature. Food researchers are constantly working on developing efficient methods for mitigating acrylamide in fried foods. In the present study, asparaginase from Aspergillus terreus was used for the pretreatment of kochchi kesel banana slices before frying to mitigate acrylamide formation during frying. The soaking and frying conditions were optimized using free and chitosan-immobilized asparaginase. The optimal soaking temperature and time were found to be 60 °C and 20 min, respectively. The optimal activity of free and chitosan-immobilized asparaginase was found to be 5 U/mL. The optimal frying temperature and time for both free and chitosan-immobilized asparaginase were found to be 180 °C for 25 min with an acrylamide mass fraction of 1866 and 954 µg/kg, respectively. The kinetics and thermodynamics of enzymatic mitigation of acrylamide in kochchi kesel chips were also studied. It was concluded that the chitosan-immobilized asparaginase pretreatment of kochchi kesel slices is an effective method for mitigation of acrylamide

Japanese encephalitis virus associated post-infectious relapsing acute onset chronic demyelinating polyradiculoneuritis

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is an uncommon manifestation of Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus infection. JE is a neurotropic viral tropical disease affecting both CNS and PNS. Hereby report a case of acute onset CIDP (A-CIDP) following primary infection with JE who presented as symmetric flaccid areflexic sensorimotor quadriparesis with subsequent clinical improvement with steroids and plasmapheresis

Contemporary approaches towards augmentation of distinctive heterogeneous catalyst for sustainable biodiesel production

In recent times, demand for energy has significantly increased due to the depletion of fossil fuels and the fast-industrial revolution. This has created a wide space for the development of sustainable and renewable energy sources. Biodiesel has attained exceptional contemplation among other biofuels due to the use of renewable and low-cost resources. Selection of suitable catalyst plays a vital role in biodiesel production by a catalytic transesterification reaction. Compared to homogeneous catalysts, heterogeneous catalysts are most preferred as they have high selectivity and stability with increased biodiesel yield. Heterogeneous catalyst has made incredible development in biodiesel production under mild operating conditions and has less impact on the environment. Nanocatalysts are the effective heterogeneous catalyst, which has brought a tremendous revolution in biodiesel production in recent years. Thus, present review provides a comprehensive analysis of the use of heterogeneous catalyst, importance and challenges associated in biodiesel production

Collation of chewing efficiency and dentures with diverse occlusal schemes

Background: Rehabilitation of an edentulous patient nurtures satisfaction and this lies in the chewing ability provided by the prosthesis. Aim: To evaluate and compare the masticatory efficiencies of complete dentures with different occlusal schemes. Materials and Methods: Fourteen completely edentulous patients from the age group of 50-70 years were selected according to the inclusion criteria followed in this study. The dentures were made with three different occlusal schemes, i.e., anatomic occlusion without balancing, anatomic occlusion with balancing, and lingualized occlusion and stored in water till the date of denture insertion. Post-insertion instructions were given to the patients at the time of delivery of the dentures. Patients were recalled after seven days and then masticatory efficiency was performed. The test was performed using boiled peanuts and Sieve system. Statistical Analysis: One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test and unpaired t-test were carried out. Results: The obtained masticatory efficiency values with anatomic occlusion without balancing, anatomic occlusion with balancing, and lingualized occlusion LO were analyzed using one-way ANOVA test and unpaired “t” test. The tests showed that lingualized scheme had highest masticatory efficiency. Conclusion: Within the scope of this study, it can be concluded that the masticatory efficiency will be generally higher in patients provided with complete dentures fabricated using the lingualized occlusal scheme

Dual-cavity spectrometer for monitoring broadband light extinction by atmospheric aerosols

Atmospheric Aerosols affect Earth’s climate directly by scattering and absorbing solar radiation. In order to study the optical properties of aerosols, we developed a broadband cavity-enhanced spectrometer that uses a supercontinuum laser source and a compact spectrometer, to measure simultaneously the extinction coefficient of aerosols over a broad wavelength region from 420 to 540 nm. The system employs a dual cavity approach with a reference and a sample cavity, accounting for changes in gases background and for laser spectral and intensity fluctuations. We tested the system with aerosolized salt particles and polystyrene latex spheres. We performed calculations using Mie theory and found good agreement with the measured extinction. We also found that the extinction coefficient of non-absorbing aerosol favorably compares with the scattering coefficient measured by a nephelometer. Finally, we generated soot particles and found an extinction Ångström exponent in good agreement with values reported in the literature. Wavelength dependent detection limits (1σ) for the instrument at 5 nm wavelength resolution and for an integration time of ∼10 min were found to be in the range ∼5 Mm−1 to 13 Mm−1. The broadband dual-cavity extinction spectrometer is simple and robust and might be particularly useful for laboratory measurements of the extinction coefficient of brown carbon aerosol. The laboratory tests suggest that the prototype is promising for future developments of a field-deployable instrument. Copyright © 2020 American Association for Aerosol Research

Retrieval of Broadband Optical Properties from Ambient Aerosols Measurements Using Inverse Mie Calculations

The role of atmospheric aerosols in earth’s radiative balance is crucial. A thorough knowledge about the spectral optical properties of various types of aerosols is necessary to quantify the net radiative forcing produced by aerosol–light interactions. In this study, we exploited an open-source inverse algorithm based on the Python—PyMieScatt survey iteration method, to retrieve the wavelength dependent Mie-equivalent complex refractive indices of ambient aerosols. This method was verified by obtaining the broadband complex refractive indices of monodisperse polystyrene latex spheres and polydisperse common salt aerosols, using laboratory data collected with a supercontinuum broadband cavity enhanced extinction spectrometer operating in the 420–540 nm wavelength range. Field measurements of ambient aerosol were conducted using a similar cavity enhanced extinction spectrometer (IBBCEES) operating in the wavelength range of 400–550 nm, a multi-wavelength aethalometer, and a scanning mobility particle sizer, in Changzhou city, People’s Republic of China. The absorption coefficients for the entire wavelength range were retrieved using the absorption Ångström exponents calculated from a pair of measured absorption coefficients at known wavelengths. The survey iteration method takes scattering and absorption coefficients, wavelength, and size distributions as inputs; and it calculates the Mie-equivalent wavelength dependent complex refractive index (RI = n ± ik) and estimated errors. The retrieved field RI values ranged from 1.66 ≤ n ≤ 1.80 to 1.65 ≤ n ≤ 1.86 and from 0.036 ≤ k ≤ 0.038 to 0.062 ≤ k ≤ 0.067 in the wavelength range (400–550 nm), for low and high aerosol loading conditions, respectively. Additionally, we derived the spectral dependencies of scattering and absorption coefficients along with the n and k Ångström exponents (AE). The nAE and kAE estimated values suggest a stronger wavelength dependence for aerosol light scattering compared to absorption, and a decreasing trend for the spectrally dependent single scattering albedo during both loading conditions. The extremum of errors in the retrieved n and k values were quantified by considering (a) uncertainties in input parameters in the broad spectral region (400–550 nm), (b) using CAPS extinction values at 530 nm and (c) an estimated size distribution incorporating the coarse particles (at 530 nm)

A broadband cavity-enhanced spectrometer for atmospheric aerosol light extinction measurements

Broadband optical cavity spectroscopy is considered as a technology for trace gas detection; however, recently this has been used for the retrieval of extinction coefficients of aerosols. In this study, we introduce an Incoherent Broadband Cavity Enhanced Extinction spectrometer (IBBCEES), spanning a spectral range from 400–550 nm, which was used to measure the broadband extinction coefficient of ambient aerosols and its temporal variations. Experiments were carried out as a part of an atmospheric field measurements campaign in Yangtze River Delta conducted during summer of 2019 in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, P. R. China. The size distributions and wavelength dependent absorption coefficients of aerosols were measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and an absorption spectrometer (Aethalometer-AE33), respectively. During the study, it was observed that the temporal variations of measured broadband extinction coefficients and absorption coefficients exhibited a similar trend with the aerosol number density, measured by the SMPS. The spectral dependent single scattering albedo (SSA) derived using the measured extinction and absorption coefficients favorably compares with co-located Cavity Attenuated Phase Shift-ALBedo monitor (CAPS-ALB) operating at 530 nm. The IBBCEES is a simple, sensitive, and robust instrument that can be used to measure the light extinction coefficient of atmospheric aerosols with an estimated net accuracy of ∼6.7% and a 3σ precision of ∼15 Mm−1. The net uncertainties estimated on the reported AAE, EAE and SSA values are ∼3.1%, ∼4.1% and ∼11%, respectively. Copyright © 2021 American Association for Aerosol Research