Control of Autochthonous Spoilage Lactic Acid Bacteria in Apple and Orange Juices by Sensorially Accepted Doses of Citrus Spp. Essential Oils Combined with Mild Heat Treatments

This study assessed the compromised acceptance threshold (CAT) and rejection threshold (RT) of Citrus lemon (CLEO) and Citrus reticulata essential oil (CREO) in apple and orange juices. The efficacy of CLEO and CREO concentrations below the RT were evaluated alone and combined with mild heat treatment (MHT) (54 °C, up to 12 min) to inactivate the autochthonous spoilage bacteria Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides in apple and orange juices. The CAT of CLEO and CREO varied from 0.15 to 0.17 µL/mL in orange and apple juices. The RT of CLEO was approximately 0.58 µL/mL in apple and orange juices, and the RT of CREO was 0.68 µL/mL in both juices. When CLEO and CREO were assayed alone, the highest concentration (0.50 µL/mL) decreased counts of all strains approximately 2 log 10 CFU/mL after 12 min of exposure to 54 °C. All concentrations of CLEO or CREO in combination with MHT acted synergistically against L. brevis, L. plantarum, and L. mesenteroides. Decreases in counts varied with the strain, CLEO and CREO concentrations, juice type, and exposure time to the combined treatment. CREO was more effective than CLEO in combination with MHT against the strains in apple and orange juices. Effective combinations of CLEO or CREO with MHT to control the autochthonous spoilage bacteria did not compromise the quality parameters (°Brix, pH, and titratable acidity) that characterize unsweetened juices. These results indicate CLEO or CREO at concentrations below the sensory RT in combination with MHT as a feasible technology to control autochthonous spoilage bacteria in fresh fruit juices. Practical Application: The present study provides novel information concerning the efficacy of sensorially accepted doses of CLEO and CREO combined with MHT against autochthonous spoilers in fruit juice. The valuable synergistic effects that can be observed when combining CLEO and CREO with MHT reveal a feasible preservation technology and alternative to traditional treatments that are successful because they help reduce treatment intensity, thereby avoiding adverse effects on the sensory, physicochemical, and nutritional properties of these products

Nanoemulsions of Mentha piperita L. essential oil in combination with mild heat, pulsed electric fields (PEF) and high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) as an alternative to inactivate Escherichia coli O157: H7 in fruit juices

This study was performed in order to obtain and characterize nanoemulsions of Mentha piperita L. essential oil (n-MPEO) to assess its efficacy in combination with mild heat (MHT) (50, 52, 54¿°C; 10¿min), pulsed electric fields (PEF) (20, 25, 30¿kV/cm; 150¿µs), and high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) (150, 200, 300¿MPa; 15¿min) treatments in causing a 5- log10 reduction in survival counts (from 7 to <2 log10 CFU/mL) of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in guava and mango juices. The droplets of n-MPEO were¿<¿200¿nm and showed good stability for 4¿months at 4¿°C. The n-MPEO at 5.0¿µL/mL displayed a more efficacious long-term antimicrobial activity than suspensions of MPEO (s-MPEO). Combined treatments of s-MPEO or n-MPEO and MHT, PEF, or HHP acted synergistically against E. coli. Nevertheless, combined treatments with n-MPEO showed the same or even higher efficacy than those with s-MPEO (up to 1- additional log10 reduction). Thus, by using nanoemulsions, lower doses of antimicrobial compounds (up to 4 times) or milder MHT (up to 4¿°C), PEF (up to 5¿kV/cm) and HHP (up to 100¿MPa) treatments can be applied, while still guaranteeing the microbial safety of tropical fruit juices

Soil Co 2 Emission Of Sugarcane Fields As Affected By Topography

The spatial and temporal variation of soil CO 2 emission is influenced by several soil attributes related to CO 2 production and its diffusion in the soil. However, few studies aiming to understand the effect of topography on the variability of CO 2 emissions exist, especially for cropping areas of tropical regions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial and temporal changes of soil CO 2 emission and its relation to soil attributes in an area currently cropped with sugarcane under different relief forms and slope positions. Mean CO 2 emissions in the studied period (seven months) varied between 0.23 and 0.71, 0.27 and 0.90, and 0.31 and 0.80 g m -2 h -1 of CO 2 for concave (Cone), backslope (BackS) and footslope (FootS) positions, respectively. The temporal variability of CO 2 emissions in each area was explained by an exponential relation between the CO 2 emission and soil temperature and a linear relation between CO 2 emission and soil water content. The Q 10 values were 1.98 (± 0.34), 1.81 (± 0.49) and 1.71 (± 0.31) for Conc, BackS and FootS, respectively. Bulk density, macroporosity, penetration resistance, aggregation and oxidizable organic carbon content explain the changes in soil CO 2 emission observed, especially when the Cone position was compared to BackS. 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The impact of the oblateness of Regulus on the motion of its companion

The fast spinning B-star Regulus has recently been found to be orbited by a fainter companion in a close circular path with orbital period P_b = 40.11(2) d. Being its equatorial radius R_e 32% larger than the polar one R_p, Regulus possesses a remarkable quadrupole mass moment Q. We investigate the effects of Q on the orbital period P_b of its companion in order to see if they are measurable, given the present-day level of accuracy in measuring P_b. Conversely, we will look for deviations from the third Kepler law, attributed to the quadrupole mass moment Q of Regulus, to constrain the ratio \gamma=m/M of the system's masses.Comment: LaTex, 6 pages, 5 figures, 1 table. Accepted by Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Viability of Noether symmetry of F(R) theory of gravity

Canonization of F(R) theory of gravity to explore Noether symmetry is performed treating R - 6(\frac{\ddot a}{a} + \frac{\dot a^2}{a^2} + \frac{k}{a^2}) = 0 as a constraint of the theory in Robertson-Walker space-time, which implies that R is taken as an auxiliary variable. Although it yields correct field equations, Noether symmetry does not allow linear term in the action, and as such does not produce a viable cosmological model. Here, we show that this technique of exploring Noether symmetry does not allow even a non-linear form of F(R), if the configuration space is enlarged by including a scalar field in addition, or taking anisotropic models into account. Surprisingly enough, it does not reproduce the symmetry that already exists in the literature (A. K. Sanyal, B. Modak, C. Rubano and E. Piedipalumbo, Gen.Relativ.Grav.37, 407 (2005), arXiv:astro-ph/0310610) for scalar tensor theory of gravity in the presence of R^2 term. Thus, R can not be treated as an auxiliary variable and hence Noether symmetry of arbitrary form of F(R) theory of gravity remains obscure. However, there exists in general, a conserved current for F(R) theory of gravity in the presence of a non-minimally coupled scalar-tensor theory (A. K. Sanyal, Phys.Lett.B624, 81 (2005), arXiv:hep-th/0504021 and Mod.Phys.Lett.A25, 2667 (2010), arXiv:0910.2385 [astro-ph.CO]). Here, we briefly expatiate the non-Noether conserved current and cite an example to reveal its importance in finding cosmological solution for such an action, taking F(R) \propto R^{3/2}.Comment: 16 pages, 1 figure. appears in Int J Theoretical Phys (2012

Profiling of lung SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus infection dissects virus-specific host responses and gene signatures

BACKGROUND: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which emerged in late 2019 has spread globally, causing a pandemic of respiratory illness designated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A better definition of the pulmonary host response to SARS-CoV-2 infection is required to understand viral pathogenesis and to validate putative COVID-19 biomarkers that have been proposed in clinical studies. METHODS: Here, we use targeted transcriptomics of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue using the NanoString GeoMX platform to generate an in-depth picture of the pulmonary transcriptional landscape of COVID-19, pandemic H1N1 influenza and uninfected control patients. RESULTS: Host transcriptomics showed a significant upregulation of genes associated with inflammation, type I interferon production, coagulation and angiogenesis in the lungs of COVID-19 patients compared to non-infected controls. SARS-CoV-2 was non-uniformly distributed in lungs (emphasising the advantages of spatial transcriptomics) with the areas of high viral load associated with an increased type I interferon response. Once the dominant cell type present in the sample, within patient correlations and patient-patient variation, had been controlled for, only a very limited number of genes were differentially expressed between the lungs of fatal influenza and COVID-19 patients. Strikingly, the interferon-associated gene IFI27, previously identified as a useful blood biomarker to differentiate bacterial and viral lung infections, was significantly upregulated in the lungs of COVID-19 patients compared to patients with influenza. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these data demonstrate that spatial transcriptomics is a powerful tool to identify novel gene signatures within tissues, offering new insights into the pathogenesis of SARS-COV-2 to aid in patient triage and treatment.Arutha Kulasinghe, Chin Wee Tan, Anna Flavia Ribeiro dos Santos Miggiolaro, James Monkman, Habib SadeghiRad, Dharmesh D. Bhuva, Jarbas da Silva Motta Junior, Caroline Busatta Vaz de Paula, Seigo Nagashima, Cristina Pellegrino Baena, Paulo Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes, Lucia de Noronha, Timothy McCulloch, Gustavo Rodrigues Rossi, Caroline Cooper, Benjamin Tang, Kirsty R. Short, Melissa J. Davis, Fernando Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes, Gabrielle T. Belz, and Ken O, Byrn