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Introduction. This publication summarizes the experience of the use of applied containerized software tools in cloud environment, which the authors gained during the project “Development of methods, algorithms and intellectual analytical system for processing and analysis of heterogeneous clinical and biomedical data in order to improve the diagnosis of complex diseases”, accomplished by the team from the United Institute of Informatics Problems of the NAS of Belarus and V.M. Glushkov Institute of Cybernetics of the NAS of Ukraine. In parallel, the features of biomedical data and the main approaches to their processing and classification, implemented within the framework of an intelligent analytical system, and the possibility of their implementation as part of a container application are described. The purpose of the paper is to describe modern technologies that ensure the reproducibility of numerical experiments in this field and the tools aimed to integrate several sources of biomedical information in order to improve the diagnostics and prognosis of complex diseases. Special attention is also paid to the methods of handling data received from different sources of biomedical information. Particular attention is paid to methods of processing data obtained from various sources of biomedical information and included to the intelligent analytical system. Results. The experience of the use of applied containerized biomedical software tools in cloud environment is summarized. The reproducibility of scientific computing in relation with modern technologies of scientific calculations is discussed. The main approaches to biomedical data preprocessing and integration in the framework of the intelligent analytical system are described. The developed hybrid classification model presents the basis of the intelligent analytical system and aims to integrate several sources of biomedical information. Conclusions. The experience of using the developed classification module NonSmoothSVC, which is part of the developed intelligent analytical system, gained during its testing on artificial and real data, allows us to conclude about several advantages provided by the containerized form of the created application. Namely: • It permits to provide access to real data located in cloud environment, • It is possible to perform calculations to solve research problems on cloud resources both with the help of developed tools and with the help of cloud services, • Such a form of research organization makes numerical experiments reproducible, i.e. any other researcher can compare the results of their developments on specific data that have already been studied by others, in order to verify the conclusions and technical feasibility of new results, • There exists a universal opportunity to use the developed tools on technical devices of various classes from a personal computer to powerful cluster. The hybrid classification model as a core of the intelligent system will make it possible to integrate multidimensional, heterogeneous biomedical data with the aim to better understand the molecular courses of disease origin and development, to improve the identification of disease subtypes and disease prognosis.

The sympathetic restoration and conservation of built cultural heritage play a significant role in the management and preparedness for future climate scenarios by facilitating adaptive reuse, enhancing cultural resilience, preserving traditional knowledge, and boosting tourism. The importance of restoring damaged heritage sites after an earthquake drew international attention to Nepal after the 2015 Gorka Earthquake. UNESCO established an office in Kathmandu to promote the restoration of tangible and intangible heritage in the area. This included developing structural analyses of buildings with historical and cultural value that, due to their nature, cannot be intervened with the same methodology as modern buildings. In this paper, the case study of the earthquake-damaged Gopinath temple is discussed. First, an initial visual inspection phase and the following diagnosis of the structure are discussed. Then, the results from a series of static and dynamic structural analyses performed to determine the safety level of the structure, together with a sensitivity analysis, are presented. A sympathetic intervention proposal capable of increasing the temple’s safety level, and based on the addition of timber plates, has resulted in substantial improvements in the lateral behavior of the structure. The proposed intervention is deemed sustainable and able to increase the resilience of the temple in the face of future hazards.

Introduction: This study is a case of solitary clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) eyelid metastasis in a 66-year-old man as the first sign of a primary tumor. ccRCC usually spreads to the lungs, mediastinum, bones, liver, and brain, while ocular metastases are rare. Case Presentation: Solitary metastasis presented as a solid mass in the central third of the upper eyelid, which has been growing for 3 weeks. Treatment included tumor removal and blepharoplasty. Histopathological examination showed metastasis of clear cell renal carcinoma. A thorough examination revealed a primary tumor on the lower pole of the right kidney. A right nephrectomy was performed, and histopathology showed ccRCC. Postoperative examinations showed no signs of local or systemic disease. Sunitinib malate was administered to the patient. Conclusion: The eyelid metastasis in this case was still solitary and had been discovered before the existence of the primary tumor was known. Ocular metastasis of renal carcinoma is a rare initial manifestation of the disease and therefore requires a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of these patients.

This study explores the influence of algal incorporation on the sensory and physicochemical attributes of caseless sausage—ćevap (CSC). Various algae, including Chlorella vulgaris, Himanthalia elongata (sea spaghetti), and Undaria pinnatifida (wakame), were added at different concentrations to standard CSC formulations. Proximate analysis revealed that the addition of algae did not significantly change crude protein and fat content (p > 0.05). Furthermore, sea spaghetti and wakame resulted in lower moisture levels and decreased cooking loss, while all algae varieties raised the salt content (p < 0.05) due to their inherent sodium levels. Texture analysis demonstrated that the inclusion of sea spaghetti and Chlorella led to reductions in hardness and chewiness, while wakame resulted in a firmer texture, highlighting its substantial impact on textural attributes. Color measurements indicated that wakame significantly affected the color profile (p < 0.05), resulting in decreased lightness and increased darkness in the sausage, surpassing the effects of other algae. Sensory evaluations showed that formulations containing wakame received the lowest scores for color, smell, taste and overall acceptability—up to 1.5 points lower compared to the control samples. On the other hand, some formulations with other algae showed promising small deviations from the control. Overall, this research supports the viability of using algae as functional ingredients in meat products, emphasizing the importance of selecting the appropriate type and concentration of algae to optimize both physicochemical parameters and sensory qualities in caseless sausages.

Spontaneous regression of testicular germ cell tumors is a well-known phenomenon; however, the precise mechanisms of spontaneous regression are still unknown. Our study aimed to investigate programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in spontaneously regressed testicular germ cell tumors, exploring the link between the immune response and spontaneous regression. From a sample of 356 testicular germ cell tumors, we singled out 5 completely regressed and 6 partially regressed tumors. In four out of six cases with partial regression, a residual seminoma component was found, while in the remaining two cases, an embryonal carcinoma component was found. Comparisons were made with 20 pure seminomas and 20 mixed germ cell tumors (MGCTs). A semiquantitative immunohistochemical analysis of PD-L1 expression in tumor cells and intra/peritumoral lymphocytes was performed. There was no PD-L1 expression in tumors with complete regression. All partially regressed tumors showed expression in intra/peritumoral lymphocytes within the tumor remnants. Expression was significantly more frequent in pure seminomas compared to MGCTs (P = 0.004). A positive correlation was demonstrated between the seminoma component and the proportion of PD-L1 positive lymphocytes, with a Kendall Tau-b coefficient of 0.626 (P < 0.001). Tumor cells showed PD-L1 expression in three MGCTs within the embryonal carcinoma component. Our results support an immunological mechanism of spontaneous tumor regression, with the strongest potential in testicular tumors containing seminoma components. However, further research is necessary to determine the role of PD-L1 ligand more precisely in the microenvironment of spontaneously regressed tumors.

The classification of human face shapes, a pivotal aspect of one’s appearance, plays a crucial role in diverse fields like beauty, cosmetics, healthcare, and security. In this paper, we present a multi-step methodology for face shape classification, harnessing the potential of transfer learning and a pretrained EfficientNetV2S neural network. Our approach comprises key phases, including preprocessing, augmentation, training, and testing, ensuring a comprehensive and reliable solution. The preprocessing step involves precise face detection, cropping, and image scaling, laying a solid foundation for accurate feature extraction. Our methodology utilizes a publicly available dataset of female celebrities, comprising five face shape classes: heart, oblong, oval, round, and square. By augmenting this dataset during training, we magnify its diversity, enabling better generalization and enhancing the model’s robustness. With the EfficientNetV2S neural network, we employ transfer learning, leveraging pretrained weights to optimize accuracy, training speed, and parameter size. The result is a highly efficient and effective model, which outperforms state-of-the-art approaches on the same dataset, boasting an outstanding overall accuracy of 96.32%. Our findings demonstrate the efficiency of our approach, proving its potential in the field of face shape classification. The success of our methodology holds promise for various applications, offering valuable insights into beauty analysis, cosmetic recommendations, and personalized healthcare.

Therapy decision-making in prostate cancer has traditionally been limited to clinical, histopathological, and radiological variables that does not take into account the varying biology of prostate cancer manifestations. It is well-known that disease stratification tools we use in our clinics every day to customize therapy choices for individual patients with prostate cancer fail to capture and address the wide ranges of observed disease clinical courses. Prostate cancer is characterized by significant intra- and interpatient heterogeneity that makes this disease unique and extremely variable. The advent of affordable next-generation genomic sequencing techniques has allowed the incorporation of these data into clinical research, with enormous potential to aid clinical care in the future. The optimal goal of prostate cancer treatment is to personalize treatment specific to a patient’s unique clinic-genomic phenotypes. We may thus potentially avoid overtreatment in patients harboring less aggressive disease and undertreatment in patients harboring more aggressive disease. Currently, we lack that ability if we rely only on clinical stratification tools such as the NCCN model, CAPRA scoring, and D’Amico classification. It may be the case that prostate cancer genomics hold the key to understanding and predicting the response to crucial treatment modalities in prostate cancer: androgen deprivation therapy, radiotherapy, and next-generation androgen pathway inhibition therapy. Currently, there are many open questions about how to use these therapies optimally in individual patients. In this freeform narrative review, we summarize the literature and current clinical practice of biomarkers in prostate cancer, specifically focusing on genomic tests utilized in radiotherapy management and/or adjunctive therapies given with radiotherapy.

The accuracy of evaluating lymph node invasion (LNI) in patients with prostate cancer (PC) can still be best achieved through pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND). The occurrence of LNI during radical prostatectomy (RP) with limited PLND (lPLND) is approximately 1-3%. This study presents the frequency of LNI in a cohort of patients with RP who underwent lPLND at our medical institution. Our patients primarily received open retro-pubic RP as a treatment for clinically localized PC. They were categorized into two groups based on whether they underwent PLND or not. We compared the clinical and pathological characteristics of both groups. There were 196 patients who underwent PLND and 149 patients who did not have PLND performed. On average, 4.19 lymph nodes were removed per patient. The incidence of positive nodes was found to be 8.7%. There was no lymphocele formation recorded in study cohort. The rate of positive nodes and the corresponding median number of nodes removed in our study were approximately the same as results reported in literature for lPLND. Although the consensus for extended PLND has been reasonably established, it still remains unclear which template is the most valuable for patients, and oncological benefits seem to be very limited.

Berberis aristata, commonly known as Indian barberry, has been traditionally used for its medicinal properties. Despite its recognized pharmacological benefits, its potential application in the food industry remains underexplored. This study aims to investigate the proximate analysis and techno-functional properties of Berberis aristata root powder to evaluate its feasibility as a functional food ingredient. The root powder of Berberis aristata was subjected to proximate analysis to determine its moisture, ash, protein, fat, fiber, and carbohydrate content. Techno-functional properties, including water and oil absorption capacity, emulsifying and foaming properties, and bulk density, were evaluated using standardized analytical techniques. The proximate analysis revealed a high fiber content and a significant number of bioactive compounds. The root powder exhibited favorable water and oil absorption capacities, making it suitable for use as a thickening and stabilizing agent. Emulsifying and foaming properties were comparable to conventional food additives, indicating their potential in various food formulations. The findings suggest that Berberis aristata root powder possesses desirable techno-functional properties that could be leveraged in the food industry. Its high fiber content and bioactive compounds offer additional health benefits, making it a promising candidate for functional food applications. Further research on its incorporation into different food matrices and its sensory attributes is recommended to fully establish its utility.

Microalgae are a promising protein source due to their high protein content; high reproductivity; and low carbon, water, and arable land footprints. In this study, the impact of adding 3 and 5% of four Chlorella vulgaris strains, namely Smooth (SCV), Honey (HCV), White (WCV), and New Honey C. vulgaris (NHCV), on the processing, cooking behavior, color, firmness, structure, and sensory properties of durum wheat semolina pasta was investigated. It was hypothesized that (1) changes in physical properties depend on strain and concentration, (2) acceptability varies by strain due to different colors, odors, and flavors, and (3) the absence of fishy odors and flavors is crucial for acceptance rather than color. The results show that high-quality pasta could be produced with all C. vulgaris strains and concentrations. Cooking time and water absorption of all samples decreased but only significantly for the samples with NHCV added. Also, the bite resistance (determined instrumentally and sensorially) increased for almost all samples due to increasing protein and fiber content. A clear concentration dependency could not be found. In terms of sensory acceptance, NHCV performed the best, and an unaltered typical odor was identified to be crucial rather than color or the absence of fishy odor.

Intentions to purchase meat and repeat purchasing patterns will depend on the consumer’s perception of intrinsic and extrinsic quality cues. In order to discover consumers’ insights into the quality of pork and beef, the main objective of this study was to investigate meat color, marbling, and types of fresh meat defects. A total of 50 samples of meat were analyzed for three quality characteristics on different levels. This study applied a statistical calculation of a loss function invented by Taguchi. The results showed the values of variations in meat color and marbling that present the limits of consumers’ tolerance. Based on the obtained results, it was determined that the tolerable level of color variations of beef is 3.61, while for pork, this limit is 2.00. The most preferred marbling percentages were 21% and 5.74% for beef and pork, respectively. On the other hand, the negative effect of defects was the strongest for “dark cutting” for beef and “blood spotting” for pork loins.

Ohmic heating (OH) is a sustainable heating technology with a high potential in terms of energy and time efficiency. However, its industrial application for solid or semi-solid foods is not widespread yet. This study evaluates the pilot-scale production of Bologna-style sausages (2.3 kg weight) via conventional heating (COV) and OH at an electrical frequency of 10 kHz. Sausages with a diameter of 110 mm heated via OH were produced in approximately 5% of the time (i.e., 10 min) needed to produce sausages heated via COV. OH-treated samples showed a higher moisture content and an increased water holding capacity. A texture profile analysis revealed OH sausages as possessing a lower hardness, springiness, and chewiness. The microbiological load of the samples was identical, regardless of the heating technology. Color measurements (L*a*b* values) showed OH-treated samples to be less red. However, this difference could not be confirmed during sensorial evaluation. Temporal sensation of dominance and descriptive sensory analyses were conducted and revealed a decreased solid consistency but an increased meat taste when sausages were heated via OH. The gel network structures obtained via scanning microscopic analysis showed an increased size of fat globules within OH-treated samples. The results indicated that OH can be used as an alternative heating method to produce Bologna-style sausages.

Pulsed electric fields (PEF) is a non-thermal technology that is still looking for implementation on a larger scale by the meat industry. Its sustainability dimension, which is much improved by lowering energy consumption and shortening treatment times compared to conventional technologies, may tip the scale for successfully shifting the PEF technology readiness level to industrial application. This review provides an overview of the latest knowledge, and in the last three years, on using PEF processing in meat to enhance its functionality, nutrition, texture, colour and sensory quality. PEF treatment could improve meat’s protein digestibility and solubility while having no negative impact on its nutritional value. However, controversial indications regarding PEF’s effect on meat cooking loss are reported. Colour changes of meat after PEF treatment are directly proportional to the extent of total specific energy inputs used in the processing, while the effect of PEF on meat sensory properties is yet to be discovered. Since the ability of PEF to achieve its desired goals is dependent on many different factors, including the type of meat, electric field strength, number and duration of electric pulses, and others, more studies are needed to fully understand specific conditions that can be dependably applied in the meat industry.Highlights pulsed electric fields improve functional quality of meat pulsed electric fields do not negatively affect nutritional quality of meat pulsed electric fields sustainability research in meat industry is hugely missing

This paper gives an overview of development in research concerning the influence of video games on cognitive development and intelligence. The first part of the paper mentions three categories used by different researchers in their research: generally speaking, the development of constructs and commercial games. StarCraft is mentioned in the paper, one of the most complex strategical games of all time, and its influence on professional players in eSport. Additionally, it presents a taxonomy of strategy games compared to real world situations, such as crisis management and control. The papers indexed in Scopus and Web of Science databases are chosen for this research since they are based on the cognitive relations between the games and players. One of the conclusions is that games can influence the enhancement of cognitive abilities in both directions.

Numerous advanced methods have been applied throughout the years for the use in Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDS). Among these are various Deep Learning models, which have shown great success for attack classification. Nevertheless, false positive rate and detection rate of these systems remains a concern. This is mostly because of the low-sample, imbalanced nature of realistic datasets, which make models challenging to train.Considering this, we applied a novel semi-supervised EC-GAN method for network flow classifi- cation of CIC-IDS-2017 dataset. EC-GAN uses synthetic data to aid the training of a supervised classifier on low-sample data. To achieve this, we modified the original EC-GAN to work with tabular data. In our approach, WCGAN-GP is used for synthetic tabular data generation, while a simple deep neural network is used for classification. The conditional nature of WCGAN-GP diminishes the class imbalance problem, while GAN itself solves the low-sample problem. This approach was successful in generating believable synthetic data, which was consequently used for training and testing the EC-GAN.To obtain our results, we trained a classifier on progressively smaller versions of the CIC-DIS-2017 dataset, first via a novel EC-GAN method and then in the conventional way, without the help of synthetic data. We then compared these two sets of results with another author’s results using accuracy, false positive rate, detection rate and macro F1 score as metrics. Our results showed that supervised classifier trained with EC-GAN can achieve significant results even when trained on as little as 25% of the original imbalanced dataset.

This study investigated the potential effects of transport distance, animal weight, and muscle position on meat quality in young bulls under commercial conditions across four slaughtering weeks during the summer months (May to September). Data on transport distance, lairage time, and ambient temperature during slaughtering days were collected from 80 young bulls from North German farms. Meat quality parameters, including pH, temperature, and meat color were also recorded at several post-mortem times from two different carcass locations (shoulder clod and silverside). Meat texture was evaluated both by sensory and instrumental analysis, and their values were compared to find possible correlations between them. All of the aforementioned main factors (transport distance, animal weight, and muscle position), as well as the interaction between animal weight and transport distance, significantly influenced (p < 0.01) meat quality traits. The results of the assessment of the meat texture from the cooked meat patties suggested that silverside cuts were consistently harder than shoulder clod cuts, despite having lower pH48 values.

All over the world, especially in Western societies, table salt intake that is inordinately higher than the acceptable level has been observed. An excess of Na in the human diet, mostly from processed foods, is becoming the “number one killer”, leading to increased blood pressure. Therefore, the food industry is faced with a need to reduce Na in human nutrition in an effort to raise public health protection to a higher level. In this study, a commercially available combination of Na/K salts (COMB) at different concentrations was used as a NaCl substitute in the production of a modified, healthier, Na-reduced cheese. Samples of the modified low-Na white soft-brined cheese (WSBC) were produced by adding four different concentrations of COMB to production lots PL-1 to PL-4, and the control (CON) samples were prepared by salting with the usual, non-reduced concentration of NaCl. The effects of NaCl replacement on the physical–chemical parameters, major- and micro-elements, and microstructural and sensory properties of the WSBC were investigated. The obtained results indicated that there was no significant influence on the ash content, pH, and aw. The Na and K levels differed among treatments (p < 0.001). The lowest Na level in this study was recorded in PL-4 (only COMB was added) and was 334.80 ± 24.60 mg/100 g. According to the Na content, WSBC PL4 can be labeled with the nutrient claim “reduced amount of Na”. A significant difference (p < 0.05) was noticed in overall acceptance between the CON and PL-4, with no statistically significant difference found amongst other WSBC production lots. The replacement of NaCl resulted in a slightly greater firmness of the WSBC. The results confirm the possibility of producing low-Na WSBC when optimal amounts of a suitable mineral salt are used as a substitute for NaCl, thus reducing the risk of high Na intake in the human body through the consumption of evaluated cheese.

This study investigated food safety issues as perceived by food companies and food safety authorities in six countries in Europe and Central Asia. A total of 66 companies and 16 authorities participated in the survey. The results provide important insights related to what the main food safety priorities are, how they are addressed in the countries that participated in the survey, and what the role of the main stakeholders is in the food value chain. Almost 50% of food companies identified ‘food fraud’ as the most influential food safety attribute. One-third of food safety authorities recognized ‘food safety management system’ as the most influential food safety attribute. Principal component analysis separated food safety statements into two dimensions named ‘food safety hazards and risks’ and ‘food safety system’. Although there are slight differences in food safety statements between the two stakeholders, i.e., food companies and food safety authorities, it is the country of origin that plays a more important role in understanding their views. Food companies will need to implement a systemic approach and transform the entire food value chain continuum while considering new food safety challenges. It is expected that food safety authorities will have to play a more proactive role in the future.

Technology in the meat industry is advancing to create healthier and more sustainable food. Incorporating micro- and macroalgae into meat products presents an exciting possibility for the meat sector to develop functional food, given that they serve as excellent natural sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds. This review aims to systematically outline the impact of incorporating whole algae and their extracts into various meat products, examining their effects on quality, physicochemical and functional properties, sensory characteristics, and potential for enhancing shelf life. Adding algae to meat products generally increased pH values, with variations influenced by concentration, type, initial pH, and storage time. The protein content was mainly unaffected, except for Nori and Chlorella. Algae contributed to lower moisture and higher ash content due to dietary fiber. While including algae improved water-holding capacity and decreased cooking loss, it often led to increased hardness and chewiness. Algae and their extracts influenced color attributes, with variations based on the algae type. Sensory properties were distinctively affected, generally reducing overall acceptability, although Sea tangle at concentrations of 1–3% showed acceptable scores. Chlorella and Sea tangle positively impacted microbiology during refrigerated storage, while algae and their extracts demonstrated strong antioxidant activity.

Abstract Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is a disease that causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. To improve treatment, new biomarkers are needed to allow better patient risk stratification in terms of prognosis. This study aimed to clarify the prognostic significance of colonic-specific transcription factor special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 2 (SATB2), cytoskeletal protein cytokeratin 7 (CK7), and immune checkpoint molecule programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). We analyzed a cohort of 285 patients with surgically treated CRC for quantitative associations among the three markers and five traditional prognostic indicators (i.e., tumor stage, histological grade, variant morphology, laterality, and mismatch-repair/MMR status). The results showed that loss of SATB2 expression had significant negative prognostic implications relative to overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS), significantly shortened 5 years OS and CSS and 10 years CSS in patients with CRC expressing CK7, and borderline insignificantly shortened OS in patients with PD-L1 + CRC. PD-L1 showed a significant negative impact in cases with strong expression (membranous staining in 50–100% of tumor cells). Loss of SATB2 was associated with CK7 expression, advanced tumor stage, mucinous or signet ring cell morphology, high grade, right-sided localization but was borderline insignificant relative to PD-L1 expression. CK7 expression was associated with high grade and SATB2 loss. Additionally, a separate analysis of 248 neoadjuvant therapy-naïve cases was performed with mostly similar results. The loss of SATB2 and CK7 expression were significant negative predictors in the multivariate analysis adjusted for associated parameters and patient age. In summary, loss of SATB2 expression and gain of CK7 and strong PD-L1 expression characterize an aggressive phenotype of CRC.

This article proposes the Internet of Things-based self-sustaining modular grow room architecture for optimising the seed germination and seedling development process. The architecture is scalable and flexible as it can be adapted to particular environments, scopes, requirements and plant types; it is modular as the host room can contain one or more smaller-scale grow rooms, each of them controlling their own micro-environment independently. One of the main goals of the research was to develop such a system that could be deployed efficiently, with minimal costs and energy footprint, which would enable its practical usage primarily in private self-sustainable households. The usage of widely available and inexpensive components, open source code, and free cloud services all enabled us to reach such a goal. Besides simple automation mostly described by existing solutions, the architecture proposed within this article offers remote control and data processing and visualisation, data trend tracking, smart optimisation, and actuator control, and event notifications.

This paper proposes an open ontology for self-sustainable human settlements in an effort to set the common language for modelling self-sustainable systems and address the issues regarding heterogeneity of physical devices, protocols, software components, data and message formats and other relevant factors, which proved to be unavoidable in implementations of smart systems in the domain of self-sustainability, smart homes, Internet of things, smart energy management systems, demand side systems, and related areas of research and engineering. Although the existing body of research is showing significant results in related, specialized research areas, currently there is no common formal language available which would bring the diversity of such research efforts under a single umbrella and thus enhance and integrate such efforts, which is often pointed out by the researchers in related fields. This paper discuses self- sustainable systems and associated areas, argues the need for the ontology development, presents its scope, development methodology, domain’s architecture and metamodel, and finally the proposed ontology itself, implemented in an open OWL format.

All malignancies, including prostate cancer, require accurate diagnosing and staging before making a treatment decision. The introduction of targeted biopsies based on prostate MRI findings has raised prostate biopsy accuracy. Guided biopsies target the tumor itself during the biopsy instead of the most common tumor sites as is the case with a systemic biopsy. Some studies report that targeted biopsies should lower prostate cancer biopsy undergrading and overgrading. To determine the incidence of prostate cancer biopsy undergrading in patients who underwent a classic systemic biopsy compared to patients who underwent a mpMRI cognitive targeted biopsy. We identified the patients from our database who underwent a radical prostatectomy at our institution from January 1st, 2021, to June 30th, 2021.There were 112 patients identified. Patients were stratified into two groups based on the type of biopsy that confirmed prostate cancer. The mpMRI (N=50) group had a mpMRI cognitive guided transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) prostate biopsy performed, and the non-mpMRI group (N=62) received a classic, systemic TRUS biopsy. We compared the biopsy results with the final pathological results, and searched for undergrading or overgrading in the biopsies compared to the final histological reportThe undergrading was found in 17,7 % (N=11) cases in the non-mpMRI group and in 12,0 % (N=6) of cases in the mpMRI group (p=0,02, Mann-Whitney U test). No overgrading was found in our cohort. All cases of undergrading had Grade Group 1 in the biopsy report and Grade Group 2 in the final specimen report. The charasteristics of patients are listed in Table 1. In our cohort, the patients who underwent a mpMRI targeted biopsy had a lower undergrading incidence. During a systemic TRUS biopsy, the urologist targets the areas of the prostate where cancer is most commonly located, which is usually the peripheral zone of the prostate. Since different areas of the tumor have different areas of differentiation, only a low-grade part of the tumor is sometimes biopsied, which results in a sampling error. Once the prostate is removed, the whole tumor is analyzed, so the obtained pathological results related to the removed prostate are far more accurate than the analysis of prostate cores obtained by biopsy.

Este artigo busca trazer contribuições em relação à experiência de escuta de vozes a partir da perspectiva de ação da Rede Internacional Intervoice, discutida aqui como uma das abordagens em saúde mental que preconiza a centralidade do sujeito, a importância de sua narrativa em relação ao processo de adoecimento e cura, bem como seu posicionamento ativo em seu percurso de cuidado. O movimento Intervoice, através da formação de grupos de ouvidores de vozes em todo o mundo, busca criar condições para que a experiência de escuta de vozes possa ser ressignificada, contribuindo assim para a construção de um caminho de superação por meio destas novas coletividades, para além da mentalidade até então operante de se instituir o fenômeno da escuta de vozes e seus efeitos secundários como partes do processo de loucura, doença mental ou transtorno. Propõe-se, deste modo, problematizar algumas práticas convencionais em saúde mental que focam no diagnóstico e silenciamento do processo, para que em seguida seja apresentada a proposta dos grupos de ouvidores de vozes e a realidade do grupo Ouvi Falá, criado a partir da experiência de um estágio em psicologia.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Diagnosis of prostate cancer poses a significant challenge, due to several different key parameters that need to be evaluated, such as age, history of prostate specific antigen (PSA), clinical examination and more recently magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The current diagnostic pathway for prostate cancer has resulted in overdiagnosis and overtreatment as well as underdiagnosis and missed diagnoses in many men. Multiparametric MRI (mp-MRI) of the prostate has been identified as a test that could alleviate these diagnostic errors. Before prostate cancer treatment pathological confirmation is mandatory. Prostate biopsy is an invasive procedure with rare but not negligible potential complications. There are several methods of prostate biopsy of which most common are systemic or planar prostate biopsy and cognitive or targeted MRI-guided prostate biopsy. Multiparametric MRI has demonstrated better accuracy and reproducibility in detecting, locating and evaluating prostate cancer and also sparing some men unnecessary biopsies. Recent studies have shown a mpMRI benefit for better procedure planning regarding prostate cancer location, extent of disease and length of the urethra. There are still some challenges ahead, such as ensuring high-quality execution and reporting of mpMRI and ensuring that this diagnostic pathway is cost-effective. According to the latest urological clinical guidelines mpMRI became fundamental tool in management of prostate cancer. The aim of this study is to give a brief insight in use of mpMRI in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The aim of this research was to examine the technological properties of beef emulsions in which fatty tissue was partially substituted with pumpkin seed oil (PSO) encapsulated in alginate or pectin matrix, and where phosphates (F treatments) were simultaneously substituted with shell powder (C treatments). Fat replacement (in the amount of 25%) mostly had no significant influence on pH, cooking loss, purge loss, fluid release under pressure, residual nitrite level, and texture properties. On the other hand, higher yellowness and hue angle were observed when backfat was replaced with encapsulated PSO, but only in treatments with phosphates. The use of shell powder as a phosphate replacer led to significantly higher pH values and thus to significantly higher residual nitrite level: 70.87–74.64 mg/kg (C treatments) vs . 56.79–62.16 mg/kg (F treatments). The nitrite depletion rate during the seven-week storage was lower in C treatments. Moreover, higher lightness, yellowness and hue angle could be expected, as well as lower hardness, springiness, cohesiveness and chewiness. For the most part, seven-week storage had no influence on the observed technological properties, except on colour properties in which an opposite trend was observed in terms of yellowness – increase in treatments with phosphates and decrease in treatments with shell powder. Further research, which would include sensory analysis, should be conducted to determine how these altered colour and textural properties will be perceived by consumers.

This study analyzes the influence of two different types of game meat (deer and wild boar) in relation to quality characteristics and oral processing attributes of skinless sausage. The goal of this study was to compare grilled game-meat-based “ćevap” with conventional pork-meat-based samples. Research comprised of color analysis, evaluation of textural components, testing degree of difference, temporal dominance of sensations, calculation of main oral processing attributes, and examination of particle size distribution. The results show that oral processing attributes are similar in between samples and concur with results of the pork-based sample. This confirms the working hypothesis that it is possible to make game-meat-based “ćevap” fully comparable with conventional pork meat products. In parallel, color and flavor characteristics are influenced by the type of game meat in the sample. Most of the dominant sensory attributes that occurred during mastication were game meat flavor and juiciness.

Ganoderma lucidum is a medicinal mushroom that has been traditionally used in Chinese medicine for centuries. It has been found to have a wide range of medicinal properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting effects. Recent research has focused on the potential benefits of G. lucidum in treating metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity, as well as its possible role in preventing and treating infections caused by the coronavirus. Triterpenoids are a major group of bioactive compounds found in G. lucidum, and they have a range of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. These compounds have been found to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels in animal models of diabetes. Additionally, G. lucidum polysaccharides have been found to reduce bodyweight and improve glucose metabolism in animal models of obesity. These polysaccharides can also help to increase the activity of certain white blood cells, which play a critical role in the body’s immune response. For coronavirus, some in vitro studies have shown that G. lucidum polysaccharides and triterpenoids have the potential to inhibit coronavirus infection; however, these results have not been validated through clinical trials. Therefore, it would be premature to draw any definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of G. lucidum in preventing or treating coronavirus infections in humans.

Meat color research from the last two decades suggests that a combination of different intrinsic (ultimate pH, age of the animals, muscle position, breed, slaughter weight, and sex) and extrinsic factors (production systems and feeding, pre-mortem stress, slaughter season, and chilling rates) might have a deep impact in the color of beef muscle and influence consumers’ acceptance of fresh meat. Ultimate pH and muscle position were perceived as the most determinant intrinsic factors, whereas production systems, feeding, and ante-mortem stress were the extrinsic factors that more strongly influenced beef color attributes. From an industrial perspective, the extrinsic factors can be improved through the technological process at a higher ratio than the intrinsic ones. This review aims to evaluate the effect of each of those factors on myoglobin oxidation and beef color traits from a comprehensive standpoint. All the information discussed in this manuscript focuses on an industrial environment and offers possible solutions and recommendations for the global meat industry.

This study aimed to evaluate nitrite reduction impact on geometry, colour, chemical, microbiological, and sensory traits of dry sausage (kulen) traditionally prepared with red hot paprika powder. Three batches of kulen with different nitrite levels were produced and assessed: N110 (control with 110 mg/kg of sodium nitrite), N55 (55 mg/kg of sodium nitrite), and NF (without sodium nitrite). Samples for the analyses were taken on production day, after 8, 16, 24, 32, and 40 days of ripening and after 50 and 100 days of storage. Four novel digital methods for quality assessment were deployed such as computer vision system (CVS), three-dimensional (3D) laser imaging, oral processing, and temporal dominance of sensations (TDS). Reduction and removal of nitrites from the formulation of kulen did not result in significant (P

Most often, high-protein bars consist of a protein preparation in the form of a loose powder, stuck together with a syrup mixture, ensuring a stable mass. According to the legal regulations in force, at least 20% of the energy value must come from protein for the product to be called high-protein. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of different syrup sources (oligofructose, maltitol, tapioca fiber, and chickpea-maize fiber) on rheology, water activity, color, and nutritional and sensorial properties of high-protein bars. Texture has changed depending on the type of syrup used. A significant increase of the hardness parameter referring to the control sample was noted for bars containing chickpea-maize liquid fiber in chocolate (311.65 N), with low adhesiveness simultaneously (54.71 N). Samples without chocolate made with the use of oligofructose syrup had apparently higher dynamic viscosities than other bars (226.67 mPas · g/cm3). The water activity of all tested bars indicated the high stability of samples over time (

“Pirot ‘ironed’ sausage“ (Pis) is a traditional, fermented sausage, made from different types of meat (beef and chevon), without additives or starter cultures. The physical–chemical properties (pH, water activity, fats, moisture, and protein contents) were examined in the initial meat batter stuffing and during ripening. Total bacterial diversity was examined at different time points using both culturable (traditional) and non-culturable (NGS sequencing) approaches. During the ripening, a decrease in pH value, aw, and moisture content was observed, as well as an increase in protein and fat content. At least a two-fold significant decrease was noted for colorimetric values during the ripening period. The dominance of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes was observed in the non-culturable approach in all studied samples. During the ripening process, an increase in Firmicutes (from 33.5% to 63.5%) with a decrease in Proteobacteria (from 65.4% to 22.3%) was observed. The bacterial genera that were dominant throughout the ripening process were Lactobacillus, Photobacterium, Leuconostoc, Weissella, and Lactococcus, while Carnobacterium, Brochothrix, and Acinetobacter were found also, but in negligible abundance. Among the culturable bacteria, Latilactobacillus sakei (Lactobacillus sakei) and Leuconostoc mesenteoides were present in all stages of ripening.

The meat industry is typically using a mixture of fresh and frozen meat batters for minced meat production. Our goal was to find the exact threshold for fresh to frozen meat ratio capable of controlling the meat temperature during processing, but without having an adverse effect on the sensory quality of minced pork. To achieve this, the percentage of frozen meat used for the minced pork production was increased from 0% (control) to 50% (maximum) in 10% increments. To keep the minced meat temperature in control and make the processing resistant to fat smearing, the addition of 30% of frozen meat to the meat batter is sufficient. The soluble protein content, instrumental cutting force, and the sensory perceived firmness, juiciness, and inner cohesion were not affected by the addition of frozen meat. However, it has contributed to a significant increase of the drip loss and the amount of non-intact cells (ANIC). With the addition of frozen meat into the minced pork, the compliance to ANIC regulation by the German regulatory authorities is technologically (practically) almost impossible.

Nitrite and nitrate are well-known food additives used in cured meats and linked to different food safety concerns. However, no study about the possible effect of cooking treatment on the residual level of these compounds before consumption is available. In this work, 60 samples of meat products were analyzed in order to evaluate the variation in residual nitrite and nitrate level after baking, grilling and boiling. The analyses by ion chromatography demonstrated that meat cooking leads to a decrease in nitrite and an increase in nitrate residual levels in the final products. Meat boiling caused an overall decrease in two additives’ concentration, while baking and particularly grilling caused an increase in nitrate and, in some cases, nitrite as well. Some regulatory aspects were also considered, such as the possibility of revising the legal limit of nitrate from the actual 150 mg kg−1 to a more cautious 100 mg kg−1. Indeed, several meat samples (bacon and swine fresh sausage) resulted in a higher nitrate concentration than the legal limit after cooking by grilling (eleven samples) or baking (five samples). Finally, the Margin of Safety evaluation demonstrated a good level of food safety, all values being higher than the protective threshold of 100.

Among the various food items, meat products constitute a significant share in the diets of modern humans [...]

Introduction: Individual real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback (rtfMRI NF) might be a promising adjuvant in treating depressive symptoms. Further studies showed functional variations and connectivity-related changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the insular cortex. Objectives: The aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether individualized connectivity-based rtfMRI NF training can improve symptoms in depressed patients as an adjunct to a psychotherapeutic programme. The novel strategy chosen for this was to increase connectivity between individualized regions of interest, namely the insula and the dlPFC. Methods: Sixteen patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD, ICD-10) and 19 matched healthy controls (HC) participated in a rtfMRI NF training consisting of two sessions with three runs each, within an interval of one week. RtfMRI NF was applied during a sequence of negative emotional pictures to modulate the connectivity between the dlPFC and the insula. The MDD REAL group was divided into a Responder and a Non-Responder group. Patients with an increased connectivity during the second NF session or during both the first and the second NF session were identified as “MDD REAL Responder” (N = 6). Patients that did not show any increase in connectivity and/or a decreased connectivity were identified as “MDD REAL Non-Responder” (N = 7). Results: Before the rtfMRI sessions, patients with MDD showed higher neural activation levels in ventromedial PFC and the insula than HC; by contrast, HC revealed increased hemodynamic activity in visual processing areas (primary visual cortex and visual association cortex) compared to patients with MDD. The comparison of hemodynamic responses during the first compared to during the last NF session demonstrated significantly increased BOLD-activation in the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) in patients and HC, and additionally in the lateral OFC in patients with MDD. These findings were particularly due to the MDD Responder group, as the MDD Non-Responder group showed no increase in this region during the last NF run. There was a decrease of neural activation in emotional processing brain regions in both groups in the last NF run compared to the first: HC showed differences in the insula, parahippocampal gyrus, basal ganglia, and cingulate gyrus. Patients with MDD demonstrated deceased responses in the parahippocampal gyrus. There was no significant reduction of BDI scores after NF training in patients. Conclusions: Increased neural activation in the insula and vmPFC in MDD suggests an increased emotional reaction in patients with MDD. The activation of the mOFC could be associated with improved control-strategies and association-learning processes. The increased lOFC activation could indicate a stronger sensitivity to failed NF attempts in MDD. A stronger involvement of visual processing areas in HC may indicate better adaptation to negative emotional stimuli after repeated presentation. Overall, the rtfMRI NF had an impact on neurobiological mechanisms, but not on psychometric measures in patients with MDD.

Meat 4.0 refers to the application the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) technologies in the meat sector. Industry 4.0 components, such as robotics, Internet of Things, Big Data, augmented reality, cybersecurity, and blockchain, have recently transformed many industrial and manufacturing sectors, including agri-food sectors, such as the meat industry. The need for digitalised and automated solutions throughout the whole food supply chain has increased remarkably during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review will introduce the concept of Meat 4.0, highlight its main enablers, and provide an updated overview of recent developments and applications of Industry 4.0 innovations and advanced techniques in digital transformation and process automation of the meat industry. A particular focus will be put on the role of Meat 4.0 enablers in meat processing, preservation and analyses of quality, safety and authenticity. Our literature review shows that Industry 4.0 has significant potential to improve the way meat is processed, preserved, and analysed, reduce food waste and loss, develop safe meat products of high quality, and prevent meat fraud. Despite the current challenges, growing literature shows that the meat sector can be highly automated using smart technologies, such as robots and smart sensors based on spectroscopy and imaging technology.

The environmental performance of various aspects of animal origin food supply chains has been the focus of research in recent years, and has provided useful information. However, there were no studies that covered the entire egg supply chain from different perspectives. The aim of this study was to analyze the majority of environmental impacts in the table egg supply chain comprising of three subsystems: farms, retail outlets and households, with quantification of each individual subsystem and the entire supply chain. All data were gathered from 30 farms, 50 retail stores and 300 households in Serbia. In parallel, the perception and ranking of environmental impacts along the supply chain were also evaluated. Finally, the quality function deployment for the environment was used to determine the degree of correlation between the set of environmental requirements and the identified environmental impacts. Results revealed that the greatest environmental impacts come from the production of feed for laying hens and the use of natural resources, and they contribute the most to the pollution of each individual environmental indicator. Additionally, the results show the differences in the environmental impacts of each individual subsystem and identify opportunities to mitigate them through the optimization of animal feed, energy consumption and household food waste management. The overall perspective of the egg supply chain points to climate change effects as the most important. The differences in the perceptions of environmental impacts along the entire egg supply chain suggest the need for promotion of mitigation strategies to all stakeholders that would encourage them to achieve sustainable development goals.

This work examined the relationships between quality characteristics of raw milk and climatic conditions. Over a period of three years, a total of 5,065 samples were collected encompassing two types of farms. The quality characteristics analysed were titratable acidity (TA), total plate count (TPC) and somatic cells count (SCC). Climatic conditions were evaluated in respect to the outdoor air temperature, pressure, humidity and precipitation. Big farms showed a stronger correlation between TA and climatic conditions as opposed to SCC and climatic conditions. TPC was out of limit in big farms when the outdoor air temperature was higher than 19.8 °C (p0.05). Small farms showed a stronger correlation between SCC and climatic conditions as opposed to TA. In these farms, occurrence of acidity out of limit was detected in less than 7.2% of samples. Samples with TA out of limit were observed when air temperature was higher than 18.4 °C (p0.05). These results can be used to improve good agricultural practices in respect to climatic conditions and size of farms.

No one wants to eat food that is unsafe and that can put their health at risk in any way or form [...]

Consumer demand for specific dietary and nutritional characteristics in their foods has risen in recent years. This trend in consumer preference has resulted in a strong emphasis in the meat industry and scientific research on activities aimed at improving the nutritional value of fermented meat products. These types of meat products are valued by modern consumers due to their nutritional value resulting, among others, from the method of production. One of the major focuses of the current innovations includes the incorporation of bioactive compounds from plant-based food, in relation to the replacement of additives that may raise concerns among consumers (mainly nitrate and nitrite) as well as the modification of processing conditions in order to increase the content of bioactive compounds. Many efforts have been focused on reducing or eliminating the presence of additives, such as curing agents (nitrite or nitrate) in accordance with the idea of “clean label”. The enrichment of fermented meat products in compounds from the plant kingdom can also be framed in the overall strategies of functional meat products design, so that the meat products may be used as the vehicle to deliver bioactive compounds that may exert benefits to the consumer.

The main objective of this paper was to investigate the effect of fat reduction on different quality traits of tea sausage. This study also aimed to deploy the following digital methods of analysis: three-dimensional (3D) laser imaging, computer vision system and oral processing. Three batches of tea sausage with different amounts of pork back fat were manufactured: control (25%), medium fat (17.5%) and low fat (10%). Samples for the analyses were taken on the production day and after 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days of ripening. The fat level significantly influenced shrinkage, texture, pH, aw, moisture and ash contents, peroxide value, acid number, number of chewing strokes, consumption time, eating rate and fat intake rate. Oxidative stability, colour and microbiological parameters were not affected by fat reduction. The results of the sensory analysis showed that the fat level can be reduced to 17.5% without negatively affecting the quality and sensory properties of the product. The ripening time of the fat-reduced tea sausage should be reduced to 28 days. A strong correlation between shrinkage and weight loss suggests the possibility of using 3D laser imaging in predicting weight loss and moisture content of dry sausages.

The rationale behind this review is the potential of developing a single score tool for meat quality evaluation based on visual and sensorial assessments of fresh meat. Based on the known sensory wheel concept, the first step was to create quality wheels capturing most common intrinsic and extrinsic quality cues of pork and beef outlined in the latest scientific papers. This resulted in identifying meat color, sensory characteristics and fat content as the most important intrinsic quality cues of fresh beef and pork. Furthermore, the highest number of studies showed the importance of price, certification logos and brand for beef quality evaluation. According to recent articles, price, breed, animal welfare and a veterinary certificate are the most important extrinsic attributes for pork consumers. The second step was to develop a single-score tool named the “Meat quality index”. It has been developed in line with published approaches of different total quality index concepts used in the food sector, providing insights into its application in the meat sector. As a result, this review proposes a unique approach in using quality index application, through the consumer’s preferences aspect of fresh meat.