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Cultured meat (also referred to as cultivated meat or cell-based meat)—CM—is fabricated through the process of cellular agriculture (CA), which entails application of bioengineering, i.e., tissue engineering (TE) principles to the production of food. The main TE principles include usage of cells, grown in a controlled environment provided by bioreactors and cultivation media supplemented with growth factors and other needed nutrients and signaling molecules, and seeded onto the immobilization elements—microcarriers and scaffolds that provide the adhesion surfaces necessary for anchor-dependent cells and offer 3D organization for multiple cell types. Theoretically, many solutions from regenerative medicine and biomedical engineering can be applied in CM-TE, i.e., CA. However, in practice, there are a number of specificities regarding fabrication of a CM product that needs to fulfill not only the majority of functional criteria of muscle and fat TE, but also has to possess the sensory and nutritional qualities of a traditional food component, i.e., the meat it aims to replace. This is the reason that bioengineering aimed at CM production needs to be regarded as a specific scientific discipline of a multidisciplinary nature, integrating principles from biomedical engineering as well as from food manufacturing, design and development, i.e., food engineering. An important requirement is also the need to use as little as possible of animal-derived components in the whole CM bioprocess. In this review, we aim to present the current knowledge on different bioengineering aspects, pertinent to different current scientific disciplines but all relevant for CM engineering, relevant for muscle TE, including different cell sources, bioreactor types, media requirements, bioprocess monitoring and kinetics and their modifications for use in CA, all in view of their potential for efficient CM bioprocess scale-up. We believe such a review will offer a good overview of different bioengineering strategies for CM production and will be useful to a range of interested stakeholders, from students just entering the CA field to experienced researchers looking for the latest innovations in the field.

Storage of a great amount of plum kernel waste becomes a challenge for food industry. In this work, the plum seed was used as a source of fixed oil that can be an ingredient of commercial products. Soxhlet extraction was carried out using the different solvents, such as n-hexane, n-heptane, ethyl acetate, acetone, or chloroform:methanol mixture (2:1 v/v). The highest yield of oil (about 30%) was obtained using n-heptane and n-hexane, while the lowest yield was obtained using ethyl acetate. The analysis of physico-chemical parameters indicated that all samples of plum seed oil have an exceptional quality. Schaal oven test indicated that the fixed oil of plum seed exhibited satisfactory oxidative stability at moderate storage temperatures (up to 65 °C). The composition of phenolic compounds in the oil samples was determined using HPLC method. The most abundant compound of seven identified and quantified phenolic compounds was vanillic acid. The highest content of β-carotene (1.67 mg 100 g−1 fixed oil) spectrophotometrically determined was in the oil extracted with n-hexane. The lowest content of β-carotene (1.26 mg 100 g−1 fixed oil) was determined in the oil extracted with a mixture of chloroform:methanol (2:1 v/v). This oil had the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 value of 4.35 mg mL−1) compared to other oil samples. The antioxidant activity was probably caused by the presence of phenolic compounds. The investigated physico-chemical properties demonstrated that the plum seed oil has a potential for application in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industry.

The aim of this study was to optimize the ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from black locust (Robiniae pseudoacaciae) flowers using central composite design. The ethanol concentration (33−67%), extraction temperature (33−67 °C), and extraction time (17−33 min) were analyzed as the factors that impact the total phenolic content. The liquid-to-solid ratio of 10 cm3 g−1 was the same during extractions. The optimal conditions were found to be 59 °C, 60% (v/v) ethanol, and extraction time of 30 min. The total phenolic content (TPC = 3.12 gGAE 100 g−1 dry plant material) and antioxidant activity (IC50 = 120.5 µg cm−3) of the extract obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction were compared with those obtained by maceration (TPC = 2.54 gGAE 100 g−1 dry plant material, IC50 = 150.6 µg cm−3) and Soxhlet extraction (TPC = 3.22 gGAE 100 g−1 dry plant material, IC50 = 204.2 µg cm−3). The ultrasound-assisted extraction gave higher total phenolic content and better antioxidant activity for shorter extraction time so that it represents the technique of choice for the extraction of phenolic compounds. The obtained extract, as the source of antioxidants, can be applied in the pharmaceutical and food industries.

The packaging materials industry has already recognized the importance of Total Productive Maintenance as a system of proactive techniques for improving equipment reliability. Bearing faults, which often occur gradually, represent one of the foremost causes of failures in the industry. Therefore, detection of their faults in an early stage is quite important to assure reliable and efficient operation. We present a new automated technique for early fault detection and diagnosis in rolling-element bearings based on vibration signal analysis. Following the wavelet decomposition of vibration signals into a few sub-bands of interest, the standard deviation of obtained wavelet coefficients is extracted as a representative feature. Then, the feature space dimension is optimally reduced to two using scatter matrices. In the reduced two-dimensional feature space the fault detection and diagnosis is carried out by quadratic classifiers. Accuracy of the technique has been tested on four classes of the recorded vibrations signals, i.e., normal, with the fault of inner race, outer race, and ball operation. The overall accuracy of 98.9% has been achieved. The new technique can be used to support maintenance decision-making processes and, thus, to increase reliability and efficiency in the industry by preventing unexpected faulty operation of bearings.

The aim of this study was to assess the quality of mandibular bone using CBCT images in archeological populations that inhabited Croatia from the medieval to the Early Modern Period. A total of 88 human skulls (45 male and 43 female) from three samples (pre-Ottoman (N = 27), Ottoman (N = 32), and Vlach (N = 29)) were analyzed by using CBCT. The mental index, gonion index, antegonion index, panoramic mandibular index, degree of resorption of the alveolar ridge, and cortical index of the mandible were evaluated using the OnDemand3DApp. The results showed an expected higher value of cortex thickness in males when compared to females. Females in the younger groups had higher values of cortical thickness than those in the older age group. The Ottoman sample had significantly lower values of mandibular indices than the other two samples. There were no age-related differences in bone thickness in males, suggesting that hormonal changes have a stronger influence in females. Lower values of mandibular indices in the Ottoman sample may be an indicator of specific factors that influenced this population. Our study of bone changes in archeological populations with different living conditions may contribute to a better understanding of impact of biocultural factors on physiological and pathological processes, which are extremely complex in bone tissue.

Sex assessment is a key part of forensic analysis to establish the identity of unknown deceased individuals. Previous studies have shown that canines are the most dimorphic teeth, but population-specific data are necessary for forensic methods. This study explores sex dimorphism in canine crown dimensions and morphology in a contemporary Croatian population. The material consisted of 302 dental casts (147 females, 155 males) of orthodontic patients and dental students (11–25 years). The distal accessory ridge (DAR) of the upper and lower canines was evaluated using the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System. Mesiodistal (MD) and buccolingual (BL) crown dimensions were measured on 120 casts. Sex differences in MD and BL dimensions were significant (p < 0.05) for all the canines (upper and lower, left and right), while in DAR only for lower canines (p < 0.000001). When all variables were put into the model, backward stepwise discriminant function analysis isolated lower canine DAR and lower left canine MD as the two independent variables differentiating sex. Using these two variables, a discriminant function formula allowed for sex determination with an accuracy of 73.5%. This study shows that both canine crown morphology and dimensions are useful for sex determination, especially for lower canines. These methods can be applied to children, as lower canines erupt at about 9 years of age.

A diluted ethanol orange peel extract was used for sustainable dyeing and functionalization of different fabrics. The extract analysis was performed using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS; its total flavonoid (0.67 g RE/100 g d.w.) and antioxidant (2.81 g GAE/100 g d.w.) contents and antioxidant activity (IC50 of 65.5 µg/mL) were also determined. The extract dyeing performance at various dyebath pH values was evaluated using multifiber fabric. Among six fabrics, extract possessed the ability for dyeing wool, polyamide, and cellulose acetate (at pH 4.5), which color strength (K/S) values increased after washing (9.7–19.8 vs. 11.6–23.2). Extract:water ratio of 20:35 (v/v) was found to be sufficient for achieving satisfactory K/S values (i.e., 20.17, 12.56, and 10.38 for wool, polyamide, and cellulose acetate, respectively) that were slightly changed after washing. The optimal dyeing temperatures for wool, polyamide, and cellulose acetate are 55, 35, and 25 °C, while the equilibrium dye exhaustion at those temperatures was achieved after 45, 120, and 90 min, respectively. The color coordinate measurements revealed that wool and polyamide fabrics are yellower than cellulose acetate, while, compared to polyamide and cellulose acetate, wool is redder. Possible interactions between selected fabrics and extract compounds are suggested. All fabrics possessed excellent antioxidant activity (88.6–99.6%) both before and after washing. Cellulose acetate provided maximum bacterial reduction (99.99%) for Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, which in the case of Staphylococcus aureus remained unchanged after washing. Orange peel extract could be used for simultaneous dyeing and functionalization of wool and polyamide (excellent antioxidant activity) and cellulose acetate (excellent antioxidant and antibacterial activity) fabrics.

Forensic odontology is the application of dentistry within the criminal justice system. Forensic expertise, including dental identification, mostly relies on dental records. We explored the practice of maintaining dental records among Croatian dentists, as well as their knowledge of legal regulations and the application of dental records in forensic odontology. In all, 145 dentists participated in an online survey. Questions covered general information on dentists, maintenance of dental records, and knowledge of legal requirements and forensic odontology. Overall, 70% of dentists obtain and archive written informed consents, while 87% record dental status. Generally, non-carious dental lesions and developmental dental anomalies were not recorded. About 72% of dentists record filling material and surfaces. Only 32% of dentists know the legal requirements for keeping records, whereas 21% have no knowledge of forensic odontology and its purpose. The survey revealed different practices in the maintenance of dental records, including significant flaws and lack of awareness of its forensic importance. This obvious need for additional education on proper maintenance of dental records could be met by including forensic odontology in compulsory undergraduate courses and postgraduate dental education. Establishing national and international standards in dental charting would comply with contemporary trends in health care and the requirements of forensic expertise.