Evaluation of alternative preservation treatments (water heat treatment, ultrasounds, thermosonication and UV-C radiation) to improve safety and quality of whole tomato

Previously optimised postharvest treatments were compared to conventional chlorinated water treatment in terms of their effects on the overall quality of tomato (‘Zinac’) during storage at 10 °C. The treatments in question were water heat treatment (WHT = 40 °C, 30 min), ultrasounds (US = 45 kHz, 80 %, 30 min), thermosonication (TS =40 °C, 30 min, 45 kHz, 80 %) and ultraviolet irradiation (UV-C: 0.97 kJ m−2). The quality factors evaluated were colour, texture, sensorial analysis, mass loss, antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content, peroxidase and pectin methylesterase enzymatic activities, and microbial load reduction. The results demonstrate that all treatments tested preserve tomato quality to some extent during storage at 10 °C. WHT, TS and UV-C proved to be more efficient on minimising colour and texture changes with the additional advantage of microbial load reduction, leading to a shelf life extension when compared to control trials. However, at the end of storage, with exception of WHT samples, the antioxidant activity and phenolic content of treated samples was lower than for control samples. Moreover, sensorial results were well correlated with instrumental colour experimental data. This study presents alternative postharvest technologies that improve tomato (Zinac) quality during shelf life period and minimise the negative impact of conventional chlorinated water on human safety, health and environment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Methylation Defect in Imprinted Genes Detected in Patients with an Albright's Hereditary Osteodystrophy Like Phenotype and Platelet Gs Hypofunction

Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) indicates a group of heterogeneous disorders whose common feature is represented by impaired signaling of hormones that activate Gsalpha, encoded by the imprinted GNAS gene. PHP-Ib patients have isolated Parathormone (PTH) resistance and GNAS epigenetic defects while PHP-Ia cases present with hormone resistance and characteristic features jointly termed as Albright's Hereditary Osteodystrophy (AHO) due to maternally inherited GNAS mutations or similar epigenetic defects as found for PHP-Ib. Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (PPHP) patients with an AHO phenotype and no hormone resistance and progressive osseous heteroplasia (POH) cases have inactivating paternally inherited GNAS mutations.We here describe 17 subjects with an AHO-like phenotype that could be compatible with having PPHP but none of them carried Gsalpha mutations. Functional platelet studies however showed an obvious Gs hypofunction in the 13 patients that were available for testing. Methylation for the three differentially methylated GNAS regions was quantified via the Sequenom EpiTYPER. Patients showed significant hypermethylation of the XL amplicon compared to controls (36 ± 3 vs. 29 ± 3%; p<0.001); a pattern that is reversed to XL hypomethylation found in PHPIb. Interestingly, XL hypermethylation was associated with reduced XLalphaS protein levels in the patients' platelets. Methylation for NESP and ExonA/B was significantly different for some but not all patients, though most patients have site-specific CpG methylation abnormalities in these amplicons. Since some AHO features are present in other imprinting disorders, the methylation of IGF2, H19, SNURF and GRB10 was quantified. Surprisingly, significant IGF2 hypermethylation (20 ± 10 vs. 14 ± 7%; p<0.05) and SNURF hypomethylation (23 ± 6 vs. 32 6%; p<0.001) was found in patients vs. controls, while H19 and GRB10 methylation was normal.In conclusion, this is the first report of methylation defects including GNAS in patients with an AHO-like phenotype without endocrinological abnormalities. Additional studies are still needed to correlate the methylation defect with the clinical phenotype

Black holes, gravitational waves and fundamental physics: a roadmap

The grand challenges of contemporary fundamental physics—dark matter, dark energy, vacuum energy, inflation and early universe cosmology, singularities and the hierarchy problem—all involve gravity as a key component. And of all gravitational phenomena, black holes stand out in their elegant simplicity, while harbouring some of the most remarkable predictions of General Relativity: event horizons, singularities and ergoregions. The hitherto invisible landscape of the gravitational Universe is being unveiled before our eyes: the historical direct detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO-Virgo collaboration marks the dawn of a new era of scientific exploration. Gravitational-wave astronomy will allow us to test models of black hole formation, growth and evolution, as well as models of gravitational-wave generation and propagation. It will provide evidence for event horizons and ergoregions, test the theory of General Relativity itself, and may reveal the existence of new fundamental fields. The synthesis of these results has the potential to radically reshape our understanding of the cosmos and of the laws of Nature. The purpose of this work is to present a concise, yet comprehensive overview of the state of the art in the relevant fields of research, summarize important open problems, and lay out a roadmap for future progress. This write-up is an initiative taken within the framework of the European Action on 'Black holes, Gravitational waves and Fundamental Physics'

Molar Growth-Yield and Maintenance Energy Requirement of Arthrobacter-Crystallopoietes

WOS: A1987L70080000

The Effect of Nitrite, Garlic and Starter Culture on the Survival of Salmonella-Typhimurium In Turkish Soudjuk

WOS: A1993KQ34500014The effects of nitrite, garlic and starter cultures on the survival of Salmonella typhimurium were evaluated during manufacture and storage of Turkish soudjuk. Sodium nitrate (0.2 g kg-1) and garlic (8 g kg-1) added to the sausage did not have any significant effect on the survival of S typhimurium. The use of a commercial starter culture had a pronounced effect on the survival of the test organism. An initial inoculum of 2.5 x 10(5) g-1 S typhimurium cells decreased to an undetectable level within 12 days of the ageing period when the starter culture was used

Effects of selected chemicals on microbial stability of turkey meat

WOS: 000246761700005The influence of dipping turkey breast meat in lactic acid (LA), fumaric acid (FA), lactic acid plus fumaric acid (LA + FA), trisodiurn phosphate (TSP) and sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) solutions on aerobic mesophilic, psychrotrophic bacteria and yeast counts were assessed. 1-1.5% LA, 0.5% FA and 1% LA + 0.5% FA showed immediate inhibitory effects on aerobic mesophilic bacteria (0.3-0.6, 0.4 and 1.8 log unit reductions, respectively). 0.5% FA reduced psychrotrophic bacteria and yeast counts on fresh turkey breast fillets immediately by 1.1 and 0.4 log units, respectively. 5% TSP reduced aerobic mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria by 0.4 and 0.5 log units, respectively on breast fillets. 5% STPP reduced the yeast count on breast fillets immediately by 0.7 log unit. 1% LA, 0.5% FA and 1% LA + 0.5% FA reduced the psychrotrophic bacteria counts by 0.48, 0.23 and 1.27 log units after 8 days of storage, respectively in comparison to the untreated control samples. 1% LA + 0.5% FA treated fillets had a detectable discoloration and acid odour although there was no microbial spoilage at 14 days of storage. Dipping fillets in both 1% LA and 0.5% FA extended the storage life up to 4 days, without adversely affecting the colour

The Effect of Vacuum Packaging and Gaseous Atmosphere on Microbial-Growth In Tripe

WOS: A1988U469600005PubMed ID: 2205605