Extraction and Evaluation of Tamarind Kernel Mucilage powder for Hydrocolloidal Properties

Hydrocolloids are commonly used as dietary fibers, thickeners, gelling agents, emulsifiers, stabilizer, fat replacers, clarifying agents, flocculating agents, clouding agents and whipping agents. The development of applicable hydrocolloids from crops and food disposals allow the recovery, recycling and sustainability of high value-added ingredients in the food chain. Tamarind seeds are subjected to various methods (soaking, drying, parching) for removal of seed coat. Finally parching at 80c for 20min resulted in 72% seed coat removal. The kernels were then milled through 355µm mesh using hammer mill. TKM is isolated from powder by hydrating TKP and dried with spray dryer which yielded 40% of TKMP. Physical and bio chemical parameters are studied for the kernel powder and mucilage powder. Functional properties such as solubility, water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, swelling index, emulsifying ability and foaming capacity were analyzed. Solubility, WHC, OHC increased with increase in temperature, foaming and emulsifying capacity increased with increased weight to volume ratio of mucilage powder. The efficiency of using TKMP as coating agent was studied by dipping potato wedges in different aqueous 0.5% solutions of CMC, xanthan gum and TKMP. The percent coat pick up of TKMP was recorded as 6% which is higher than CMC. The percent frying yield of potato wedges dipped in TKMP solutions recorded 68.4% which is higher than the potato wedge dipped in CMC solution (60.97%). These results show that TKMP can be effectively used as coating material for increasing frying yield of the samples

Sonography in blunt abdominal trauma: a preliminary progress report.

Evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma is clinically challenging. Diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) and computed tomographic (CT) scanning have become primary diagnostic modalities. We examined the efficacy and role of ultrasonographic (US) studies in the initial abdominal evaluation of blunt trauma patients. Over an 8-month period, patients whose abdominal work-up indicated the need for DPL or CT were evaluated sonographically within the first hour after admission by trauma fellows (PGY-6) with at least 1 hour of theoretical training and 1 hour of practical training. Sonograms considered positive were those showing free peritoneal fluid or organ disruption. Hard copies of the sonograms were evaluated by a staff radiologist without knowledge of the fellows\u27 interpretations or of DPL or CT results. Based on the fellows\u27 interpretation of the real-time sonograms, among the first 163 patients studied were 11 true-positive, 146 true-negative, one false-positive, and five false-negative results. Sixteen patients had intra-abdominal injury documented by DPL, CT, or laparotomy. Ultrasonography was 91% sensitive in detecting the presence of hemoperitoneum. Overall, ultrasonography was 69% sensitive, 99% specific, and 96% accurate in diagnosing abdominal injury. We conclude that emergency sonography on admission can serve as a valuable adjunct to the physical diagnosis of clinically significant hemoperitoneum. It is noninvasive, portable, and accurate in determining the need for further diagnostic/surgical intervention

The Fanconi Anemia Pathway Limits Human Papillomavirus Replication

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) deregulate epidermal differentiation and cause anogenital and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). The E7 gene is considered the predominant viral oncogene and drives proliferation and genome instability. While the implementation of routine screens has greatly reduced the incidence of cervical cancers which are almost exclusively HPV positive, the proportion of HPV-positive head and neck SCCs is on the rise. High levels of HPV oncogene expression and genome load are linked to disease progression, but genetic risk factors that regulate oncogene abundance and/or genome amplification remain poorly understood. Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genome instability syndrome characterized at least in part by extreme susceptibility to SCCs. FA results from mutations in one of 15 genes in the FA pathway, whose protein products assemble in the nucleus and play important roles in DNA damage repair. We report here that loss of FA pathway components FANCA and FANCD2 stimulates E7 protein accumulation in human keratinocytes and causes increased epithelial proliferation and basal cell layer expansion in the HPV-positive epidermis. Additionally, FANCD2 loss stimulates HPV genome amplification in differentiating cells, demonstrating that the intact FA pathway functions to restrict the HPV life cycle. These findings raise the possibility that FA genes suppress HPV infection and disease and suggest possible mechanism(s) for reported associations of HPV with an FA cohort in Brazil and for allelic variation of FA genes with HPV persistence in the general population

Self-regulation, Corporate Social Responsibility, and the Business Case: Do they Work in Achieving Workplace Equality and Safety?

self-regulation, globalization, business case, corporate social responsibility, workplace equality, workplace safety,