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Washing and blanching are two important steps for the processing of fresh good grade small shiitake into casual snacks and prepared foods. This study explored their effects on the dimensions, weights, proximate compositions, taste and bioactive compounds of the shiitake caps and stipes. Results showed that the dimensions and weights of the caps and stipes increased after washing but decreased after blanching. On a dry basis, washing did not affect the nutrients and bioactive compounds contents of shiitake except sugars and polyols compared to fresh samples. However, blanching greatly reduced all the quality contents of the shiitake. The major minerals in the caps and stipes were potassium, magnesium and calcium. The main polyol, sugar, free amino acid, and 5'-nucleotide of shiitake were mannitol, trehalose, glutamine and 5'-adenosine monophosphate, respectively. Equivalent umami concentration (EUC) in the caps was three-fold higher than that in the stipes. Ergosterol, ergothioneine, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and total phenols contents in the caps were significantly higher than those of the stipes, but the polysaccharides showed the reversed. Overall, both caps and stipes contain the necessary nutrients and bioactive compounds, and the blanching significantly affected the above-mentioned components of all tested samples.

Food security and sustainability are the most urgent problems in worldwide. In the present study, the combinations of egg albumen, pea protein, and gellan gum were optimized to fabricate an artificial steak for specific populations. The relationships among the different components on the texture profile analysis, sensory evaluation, viscoelastic properties, and thermal behavior were conducted. 3D printing food was an emerging issue, this study also investigated how to fabricated an artificial steak and mitigate the impacts of meat production. Gellan gum was found to compensate for the proportion of proteins and regulate the instrumental hardness ranged from 453.82 ± 39.75 g to 2515.62 ± 144.55 g, the instrumental chewiness ranged from 156.29 ± 22.77 to 1054.66 ± 85.70 being feasible to regulated by different formulations, and extend to the customized platform and the applications of elderly’ foods. In sustainability orientation, 8.0% egg albumen /9.5% pea protein /0.7% gellan gel was computed as the optimal formulation, and 9.5% egg albumen /5.5% pea protein /0.7% gellan gel was conducted as the optimal solution in marketing orientation. The “Artificial steak” has the potential to improve food security and human well-being, reduce animal suffering, and mitigate most of the environmental impacts associated with meat production.

Abstract Background Micrococcus luteus is a group of actinobacteria that is widely used in biotechnology and is being thought as an emerging nosocomial pathogen. With one of the smallest genomes of free-living actinobacteria, it is found in a wide range of environments, but intraspecies genetic diversity and adaptation strategies to various environments remain unclear. Here, comparative genomics, phylogenomics, and genome-wide association studies were used to investigate the genomic diversity, evolutionary history, and the potential ecological differentiation of the species. Results High-quality genomes of 66 M. luteus strains were downloaded from the NCBI GenBank database and core and pan-genome analysis revealed a considerable intraspecies heterogeneity. Phylogenomic analysis, gene content comparison, and average nucleotide identity calculation consistently indicated that the species has diverged into three well-differentiated clades. Population structure analysis further suggested the existence of an unknown ancestor or the fourth, yet unsampled, clade. Reconstruction of gene gain/loss events along the evolutionary history revealed both early events that contributed to the inter-clade divergence and recent events leading to the intra-clade diversity. We also found convincing evidence that recombination has played a key role in the evolutionary process of the species, with upto two-thirds of the core genes having been affected by recombination. Furthermore, distribution of mammal-associated strains (including pathogens) on the phylogenetic tree suggested that the last common ancestor had a free-living lifestyle, and a few recently diverged lineages have developed a mammal-associated lifestyle separately. Consistently, genome-wide association analysis revealed that mammal-associated strains from different lineages shared genes functionally relevant to the host-associated lifestyle, indicating a recent ecological adaption to the new host-associated habitats. Conclusions These results revealed high intraspecies genomic diversity of M. luteus and highlighted that gene gain/loss events and extensive recombination events played key roles in the genome evolution. Our study also indicated that, as a free-living species, some lineages have recently developed or are developing a mammal-associated lifestyle. This study provides insights into the mechanisms that drive the genome evolution and adaption to various environments of a bacterial species.

A fatigue life prediction methodology is proposed based on weight-averaged maximum shear stress range plane.Firstly,based on modified Wang and Brown’s reversal counting method,a new approach to the determination of the critical plane is proposed under multiaxial variable amplitude loading. For the entire loading history,the orientation angle of the critical plane is determined through averaging the orientation angles of maximum shear stress range planes with largest normal tensile stress in all counted reversals. The weight function is defined as the ratio of maximum shear stress range for every counted reversal to the largest shear stress range for all counted reversals. The accuracy of the proposed critical plane approach is verified using experimental data of 7050-T651 aluminium alloy notched tubular specimens. Then,the proposed determination approach of critical plane is combined with multiaxial high-cycle fatigue criterion and Miner damage rule to establish the fatigue life prediction methodology under multiaxial variable amplitude loading. Finally,the proposed fatigue life prediction methodology is verified by the experimental data of 7050-T651 and 2024-T4 aluminum alloy notched tubular specimens,and the results show that the proposed methodology has good prediction results.

Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is well-known for its distinct flavor and texture as well as its medicinal and nutritional properties. Small good grade fresh shiitake mushrooms are highly perishable and have a low commodity value in the Taiwan market. As a result, these are frequently used as raw materials for vacuum-fried crisps. However, manufacturers continue to use traditional maltose (MO) syrup with no functional properties as a sweetener, and shiitake stipes are frequently discarded, increasing production costs. Isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO) is a functional oligosaccharide sweetener with health benefits. The purpose of this research is to study the use of functional IMO in the processing of shiitake crisps to replace MO, and the reusability of stipes. In the manufacture of vacuum-fried shiitake cap and stipe crisps, the 30–40°Brix IMO syrup replaces the 35°Brix MO syrup. Vacuum-fried crisps’ quality characteristics were determined using physicochemical and sensory evaluation. The results showed that centrifuged caps and stipes reach equilibrium after 3 h of being soaked in various concentrations of 90–95°C syrup. The L*, a*, b*, h*, and c* values for the cap crisps decreased with the increase in the level of IMO syrup. The breaking force for the stipe crisps was less than that for cap crisps. The crude protein and crude fat content of vacuum-fried cap and stipe crisps decreased as the level of IMO syrup increased, but the carbohydrate content increased. For a nine-point hedonic test, the sensory scores for cap and stipe crisps without seasoning powder were 6.9–7.4 and 6.1–6.5, respectively. Addition of seasoning powder increased the flavor and overall scores to 8.1–8.2 and 7.2–7.4, respectively. Overall, the addition of IMO syrup reduced the calories and increased the health benefits of vacuum-fried shiitake crisps. Furthermore, the result showed that stipes can also be used to make vacuum-fried crisps and increase profitability for manufacturers.

Extractions of the underground parts of valerian were prepared with water and ethanol (25–95%) at 25–75 °C. Extraction yields, bioactive compounds, and the 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging ability of lyophilized extracts were determined. The inhibitory effects of the extracts, valerenic acid derivatives and phenolic acids, on metabolic syndrome (MS)-related enzymes activities were further examined. Both roots and rhizomes extracted with 95% ethanol at 75 °C had the highest levels of bioactive compounds. The antioxidant capacity and inhibition of MS-related enzymes of the roots extract were better than those of the rhizomes. The roots extract more strongly inhibited pancreatic lipase (inhibition of 50% of enzyme activity (IC50), 17.59 mg/mL), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE, IC50, 3.75 mg/mL), α-amylase (IC50, 12.53 mg/mL), and α-glucosidase (IC50, 15.40 mg/mL). These four phenolic acids inhibited the activity of MS-related enzymes. Valerenic acid demonstrated more of an inhibitory ability for ACE (IC50, 0.225 mg/mL, except for caffeic acid) and α-glucosidase (IC50, 0.617 mg/mL) than phenolic acids. Valerian extract inhibited key enzyme activities that were associated with obesity (lipase), hypertension (ACE), and type 2 diabetes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase), suggesting that it is a potential candidate for the development of functional supplements.

Photocatalytic disinfection is a promising technology with low cost and high efficiency. However, most of the current studies on photocatalytic disinfection ignore the widespread presence of natural organic matter (NOM) in water bodies, so the incomplete conclusions obtained may not be applicable. Herein, this paper systematically studied the influence of humic acid (HA), one of the most important components of NOM, on the photocatalytic inactivation of bacteriophage f2 with electrospinning Cu-TiO2 nanofibers. We found that with the addition of HA, the light transmittance of the solution at 550 nm decreased from 94 to 60%, and the band gap of the photocatalyst was increased from 2.96 to 3.05 eV. Compared with reacting without HA, the degradation amount of RNA of f2 decreased by 88.7% after HA was added, and the RNA concentration increased from 1.95 to 4.38 ng·μL−1 after the reaction. Hence, we propose mechanisms of the effect of HA on photocatalytic disinfection: photo-shielding, passivation of photocatalysts, quenching of free radicals, and virus protection. Photo-shielding and photocatalyst passivation lead to the decrease of photocatalyst activity, and the reactive oxygen species (ROSs) (·OH, ·O2−, 1O2, H2O2) are further trapped by HA. The HA in water also can protect the shape of phage f2 and reduce the leakage of protein and the destruction of ribonucleic acid (RNA). This work provides an insight into the mechanisms for the influence of HA in photocatalytic disinfection process and a theoretical basis for its practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundChronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inborn error of immunity (IEI), characterised by recurrent bacterial and fungal infections. It is inherited either in an X-linked (XL) or autosomal recessive (AR) mode. Phenome refers to the entire set of phenotypes expressed, and its study allows us to generate new knowledge of the disease. The objective of the study is to reveal the phenomic differences between XL and AR-CGD by using Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) terms.MethodsWe collected data on 117 patients with genetically diagnosed CGD from Asia and Africa referred to the Asian Primary Immunodeficiency Network (APID network). Only 90 patients with sufficient clinical information were included for phenomic analysis. We used HPO terms to describe all phenotypes manifested in the patients.ResultsXL-CGD patients had a lower age of onset, referral, clinical diagnosis, and genetic diagnosis compared with AR-CGD patients. The integument and central nervous system were more frequently affected in XL-CGD patients. Regarding HPO terms, perianal abscess, cutaneous abscess, and elevated hepatic transaminase were correlated with XL-CGD. A higher percentage of XL-CGD patients presented with BCGitis/BCGosis as their first manifestation. Among our CGD patients, lung was the most frequently infected organ, with gastrointestinal system and skin ranking second and third, respectively. Aspergillus species, Mycobacterium bovis, and Mycobacteirum tuberculosis were the most frequent pathogens to be found.ConclusionPhenomic analysis confirmed that XL-CGD patients have more recurrent and aggressive infections compared with AR-CGD patients. Various phenotypic differences listed out can be used as clinical handles to distinguish XL or AR-CGD based on clinical features.

ImportanceMutations in known causal Alzheimer disease (AD) genes account for only 1% to 3% of patients and almost all are dominantly inherited. Recessive inheritance of complex phenotypes can be linked to long (>1-megabase [Mb]) runs of homozygosity (ROHs) detectable by single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between ROHs and AD in an African American population known to have a risk for AD up to 3 times higher than white individuals.Design, setting, and participantsCase-control study of a large African American data set previously genotyped on different genome-wide SNP arrays conducted from December 2013 to January 2015. Global and locus-based ROH measurements were analyzed using raw or imputed genotype data. We studied the raw genotypes from 2 case-control subsets grouped based on SNP array: Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium data set (871 cases and 1620 control individuals) and Chicago Health and Aging Project-Indianapolis Ibadan Dementia Study data set (279 cases and 1367 control individuals). We then examined the entire data set using imputed genotypes from 1917 cases and 3858 control individuals.Main outcomes and measuresThe ROHs larger than 1 Mb, 2 Mb, or 3 Mb were investigated separately for global burden evaluation, consensus regions, and gene-based analyses.ResultsThe African American cohort had a low degree of inbreeding (F ~ 0.006). In the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium data set, we detected a significantly higher proportion of cases with ROHs greater than 2 Mb (P = .004) or greater than 3 Mb (P = .02), as well as a significant 114-kilobase consensus region on chr4q31.3 (empirical P value 2 = .04; ROHs >2 Mb). In the Chicago Health and Aging Project-Indianapolis Ibadan Dementia Study data set, we identified a significant 202-kilobase consensus region on Chr15q24.1 (empirical P value 2 = .02; ROHs >1 Mb) and a cluster of 13 significant genes on Chr3p21.31 (empirical P value 2 = .03; ROHs >3 Mb). A total of 43 of 49 nominally significant genes common for both data sets also mapped to Chr3p21.31. Analyses of imputed SNP data from the entire data set confirmed the association of AD with global ROH measurements (12.38 ROHs >1 Mb in cases vs 12.11 in controls; 2.986 Mb average size of ROHs >2 Mb in cases vs 2.889 Mb in controls; and 22% of cases with ROHs >3 Mb vs 19% of controls) and a gene-cluster on Chr3p21.31 (empirical P value 2 = .006-.04; ROHs >3 Mb). Also, we detected a significant association between AD and CLDN17 (empirical P value 2 = .01; ROHs >1 Mb), encoding a protein from the Claudin family, members of which were previously suggested as AD biomarkers.Conclusions and relevanceTo our knowledge, we discovered the first evidence of increased burden of ROHs among patients with AD from an outbred African American population, which could reflect either the cumulative effect of multiple ROHs to AD or the contribution of specific loci harboring recessive mutations and risk haplotypes in a subset of patients. Sequencing is required to uncover AD variants in these individuals.

BACKGROUND Vesicular structure of volcanic rocks records the processes of the dissolution, expansion and escape of volatile gases in the ascending magma. The detailed study of characteristics of vesicles in volcanic rocks will be helpful to understand volatile content of magma and the ascent and erupting process of magma. Although a number of methods have been developed in the last decades to study the vesicle characteristics of volcanic rocks, they generally have the problems of low efficiency, less data collection, and sample destruction. OBJECTIVES To quantitatively characterize the content and size distribution of vesicles in volcanic rocks. METHODS On the basis of three-dimensional reconstruction of vesicular basalt by X-ray computed tomography, the content and size distribution of vesicles were calculated with three software programs (VG Studio MAX, ImageJ, Matlab), and an improved method for conversion of vesicle volume to volatile mass fraction in volcanic rock was also proposed. RESULTS The vesicle content in three-dimensional space for a basalt sample from the South China Sea in water depth of 1488 meter was 12.32%, and the vesicle size showed a lognormal distribution. The majority of vesicles were 180-200μm in equivalent sphere diameter and 340-360μm in maximum diameter. The content of vesicles in the two-dimensional slices on the profile varied greatly, but the amplitude of each value around the volume fraction fluctuated little, and there was a significant positive correlation with the number density of vesicles. Based on the known vesicle content, the calculated mass fractions of CO2 and H2O in the sample were 0.233% and 0.099%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The study demonstrates that industrial CT scanning combined with image processing software can produce non-destructive rapid statistics and analysis of volcanic vesicles. The proposed method will be an efficient tool to study the genesis of volcanic rocks and their magmatic processes.

Porous materials for uranium capture have been developed in the past, but materials for simultaneous uranium capture and detection are scarce. Here the authors develop a stable covalent organic framework capable of adsorbing and detecting uranyl ions.