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Edible insects offer opportunities for food production, as they are an interesting source of many nutrients. In this study, the effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) and convective drying on the chemical composition with emphasizing the fat properties as well as physical, techno-functional, and thermal properties of yellow mealworm powders was investigated. The chemical composition of the yellow mealworm powders differed by PEF. When PEF was applied at 20 and 40 kJ/kg, the moisture, ash, and protein content were significantly lower, while the fat extraction yield significantly increased compared to the control sample. Furthermore, the fat extracted from these samples was characterized by a higher proportion of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids as well as a higher thrombogenicity index, which is not beneficial from a nutritional point of view. After treatment with PEF at 5 kJ/kg, the powder was the lightest, redness and yellowness. Moreover, the highest hygroscopicity, water activity, and water and oil binding capacity for this powder were determined. The results revealed that yellow mealworm powders are a good source of macronutrients and exhibit beneficial techno-functional properties, nevertheless, the drawback is their high cohesiveness (1.27-1.44), which can be difficult to apply under industrial conditions., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study emphasizes the significance of optimizing salt content during the fermentation of red beetroot to produce healthier and high-quality fermented products. It investigates the impact of different salt levels on fermentation, analyzing various parameters such as pH levels, dry matter content, total acidity, salt content, color changes, pigment content, and lactic acid bacteria count. This study identifies the most favorable salt concentration for bacterial growth during fermentation and storage as 2-3%. It was evaluated that salt levels fluctuated significantly during fermentation, with nearly 50% of the added salt absorbed by the beetroot tissues, mainly when lower salt concentrations were used. The fermentation process had a negative effect on the content of betalain pigments, as well as yellow pigments, including vulgaxanthin-I. It was also found that fermentation and storage affected the proportions of red pigments, with betacyanins proving to be more stable than betaxanthins, and that salt addition affected negatively pH and total acidity while causing an increase in yellow color. The pH was negatively correlated with the duration of the process, the amount of red pigment, and bacterial count. The results indicate that lower salt levels can lead to favorable physicochemical and microbiological parameters, allowing for the production of fermented red beetroot with reduced salt content without compromising quality.

Pumpkin is a highly nutritious plant, rich in valuable nutrients that benefit human health. Due to the high perishability of this fruit, the production of pumpkin juice is a practical way to use it effectively. Recently, fermented vegetable juices have been used as a dairy alternative due to their nutritional and potential probiotic properties. This study investigated the fermentation of pumpkin juice using different strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), with and without heat treatment. The effects of fermentation on microbial growth, pH, acidity, extract, sugars, carotenoids, polyphenols, and antioxidant properties were analyzed. The heat-treatment process did not greatly impact the dry matter content, pH, acidity, extract, or sugar content. However, it led to a reduction in carotenoid and polyphenol levels. During fermentation, there was a consistent decrease in pH and an increase in total acidity, with no noticeable differences between bacterial strains regarding their influence on these parameters. The study revealed that there were no distinctions between LAB strains in their effects on pH, acidity, and carotenoid content in fermented pumpkin juice. Nonetheless, both L . sakei and L . plantarum proved to be effective in the fermentation process, with L. sakei demonstrating greater adaptability. The expected pH, acidity, and sugar content changes were consistently observed throughout the fermentation process. Overall, results confirm the efficacy of the used Lactobacillus strains in fermenting pumpkin juice and highlight the potential impact of heat treatment on the nutritional composition of the juice. The purpose of thermal processing of pumpkin juice, which is conducted with lactic acid fermentation, is crucial for the food industry. It extends the product's shelf life, improves its nutritional and taste profiles, and guarantees its microbiological safety.

This single-center retrospective study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Tocilizumab (TOC) in children with polyarticular (pJIA) and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) who exhibited inadequate responses to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biological modifiers (bDMARDs). Conducted at the Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology, and Rehabilitation in Warsaw, Poland, between 2018 and 2022, the study enrolled 29 patients diagnosed with JIA based on International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) criteria. The cohort comprised 13 sJIA and 16 pJIA patients, aged 2-18 years, receiving TOC treatment for 24 months. Safety and efficacy assessments included analysis of medical documentation, laboratory tests (CRP, ESR, WBC), and Juvenile Disease Activity Score (JADAS) 71 at baseline, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months post-treatment initiation. Significant reductions in CRP and ESR levels were observed within three months, with sustained improvement in JADAS71 scores over the 24-month treatment period. A substantial majority, 73.07% of patients, achieved inactive disease status or low disease activity, highlighting T0C's effectiveness. Adverse effects were manageable, predominantly involving mild to moderate infections, with no serious adverse events or instances of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). The study also noted a steroid-sparing effect of TOC, with a reduction in glucocorticoid usage among the cohort. Tocilizumab demonstrates substantial efficacy in reducing disease activity and improving clinical outcomes in patients with pJIA and sJIA, coupled with a favorable safety profile. These findings reinforce the role of TOC as a critical component of the therapeutic arsenal for JIA, offering hope for improved quality of life and disease management in this patient population., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In this work, pine and birch wood were modified by graphene oxide using a single vacuum impregnation method. The research results indicate that the impregnation of wood with graphene oxide increases the crystallinity of cellulose in both pine and birch wood, and the increase in crystallinity observed in the case of birch was more significant than in the case of pine. FT-IR analyses of pine samples impregnated with graphene oxide showed changes in intensity in the absorption bands of 400-600, 700-1500 cm -1 , and 3200-3500 cm -1 and a peak separation of 1102 cm -1 , which may indicate new C-O-C connections. In the case of birch, only some differences were noticed related to the vibrations of the OH group. The proposed modification also affects changes in the color of the wood surface, with earlywood containing more graphene oxide than latewood. Analysis of scanning electron microscope images revealed that graphene oxide adheres flat to the cell wall. Considering the differences in the anatomical structure of both wood species, the research showed a statistically significant difference in water absorption and retention of graphene oxide in wood cells. Graphene oxide does not block the flow of water in the wood, as evidenced by the absorbability of the working liquid at the level of 580-602 kg/m 3 , which corresponds to the value of pure water absorption by wood in the impregnation method using a single negative pressure. In this case, higher graphene oxide retention values were obtained for pine wood.

Fresh meat has a limited shelf life and is prone to spoilage. Drying serves as a common method for food preservation. Non-thermal techniques such as ultrasound treatment (US) can positively affect the drying processes and alter the final product. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of US pre-treatment on the hot air (HA) and freeze-drying (FD) of chicken breast meat and the quality of the dried products. US pre-treatment had a varied impact depending on the drying method used. The contact US method extended the HA drying time (about 50%) but improved water removal during FD (about 30%) compared to the untreated samples. Both methods resulted in low water content (<8.3%) and low water activity (<0.44). While rehydration properties (RR) and hygroscopicity (H) were not significantly affected by US pre-treatment in HA drying (about 1.35% and about 1.1, respectively), FD noticed differences due to shrinkage and porosity variations (RR: 2.4-3.2%, H: 1.19-1.25). The HA-dried samples exhibited notably greater tissue shrinkage and a darker surface color than the FD meat. Ultrasonic processing holds substantial potential in creating dried meat products with tailored characteristics. Hence, meticulous consideration of processing methods and parameters is of utmost importance.

Entrapping bioactive ingredients like elderberry extract in hydrogels improves their stability and functionality in food matrices. This study assessed the effect of sequential thermal treatment with ultrasound (US) or high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and treatment duration on pea protein-psyllium hydrogels as elderberry extract carriers. Measurements included color parameters, extract entrapment efficiency, physical stability, textural properties, microrheology, FT-IR, thermal degradation (TGA), SEM images, total polyphenols content, antioxidant activity, and reducing power. The control hydrogel was obtained using only thermal induction. Both treatments impacted physical stability by affecting biopolymer aggregate structures. Thermal and US combined induction resulted in hydrogels with noticeable color changes and reduced entrapment efficiency. Conversely, thermal and HHP-combined induction, especially with extended secondary treatment (10 min), enhanced hydrogel strength, uniformity, and extract entrapment efficiency (EE = 33% for P10). FT-IR and TGA indicated no chemical structural alterations post-treatment. Sequential thermal and HHP induction preserved polyphenol content, antioxidant activity (ABTS = 5.8 mg TE/g d.m.; DPPH = 11.1 mg TE/g d.m.), and reducing power (RP = 1.08 mg TE/g d.m.) due to the dense hydrogel structure effectively enclosing the elderberry extract. Sequential thermal and HHP induction was more effective in developing pea protein-psyllium hydrogels for elderberry extract entrapment.

The growing world population necessitates the implementation of appropriate processing technologies for edible insects. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of distinct drying techniques, including convective drying at 70 °C (70CD) and 90 °C (90CD) and freeze-drying (FD), on the drying kinetics, physical characteristics (water activity, color), chemical characteristics (chemical composition, amino acid profile, oil properties, total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity, mineral composition, FTIR), and presence of hazards (allergens, microorganisms) of blanched yellow mealworm larvae. The freeze-drying process results in greater lightness and reduced moisture content and water activity. The study demonstrated that the freeze-dried insects exhibited lower contents of protein and essential amino acids as compared to the convective-dried insects. The lowest content of total polyphenols was found in the freeze-dried yellow mealworm larvae; however, the highest antioxidant activity was determined for those insects. Although the oil isolated from the freeze-dried insects exhibited the lowest acid and peroxide values, it proved to have the lowest PUFA content and oxidative stability. All the samples met the microbiological criteria for dried insects. The results of the study demonstrate that a high temperature during the CD method does not result in the anticipated undesirable changes. It appears that freeze-drying is not the optimal method for preserving the nutritional value of insects, particularly with regard to the quality of protein and oil.

The aim of the work was to investigate how ultrasonic (US) treatment impacts on the physical and chemical properties of vacuum-impregnated apples. Apple slices were subjected to vacuum impregnation (VI) in an Aloe vera juice solution without additional treatments, serving as the reference material. Alternatively, ultrasound (US) treatments, at frequencies of 25 or 45 kHz, and durations of 10, 20, or 30 min, were employed as a pre-treatments before the VI process. The use of US processing enabled a significant increase in the efficiency of VI, without influencing in a significant way the color of the VI samples. The VI process led to a reduction in the content of bioactive compounds, in particular vitamin C and TPC decreased by 34 and 32 %, respectively. The use of US as a pre-treatment, in particular at 45 kHz for 20 or 30 min, led to a better preservation of these compounds (unchanged values for vitamin C and decrease by 23-26 % for TPC in comparison to the fresh samples). Through cluster analysis encompassing all assessed properties, it was evident that US treatment was beneficial for the processing, however the application of appropriate parameters of US treatment (frequency and time) had an impact on achieving similar quality to VI samples. The ultrasound treatment before vacuum impregnation may be suitable, however, the specific processing parameters should be defined for the obtained high quality of the final product., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Plant-based beverages (PBs) are currently gaining interest among consumers who are seeking alternative sustainable options to traditional dairy drinks. The study aimed to obtain powdered plant beverages without the addition of carriers by spray drying method to implement them in the future as an alternative to the liquid form of dairy drinks. Some of the most well-known commercial beverages sources like soy, almond, rice and oat were analyzed in this work. The effect of different treatments (concentration, addition of oat fiber) and two approaches od spray drying (conventional high temperature spray drying-SD, and dehumidified air spray drying at low temperature-DASD) were presented. Moreover, moisture content, water activity, particle morphology and size of obtained powders were analyzed. It was possible to obtain PBs without the addition of carriers, although the drying yield of four basic beverages was low (16.1-37.4%). The treatments and change in spray drying approach enhanced the drying yield, especially for the concentrated beverage dried using DASD (59.2%). Additionally, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was applied to evaluate the differences in chemical composition of powdered PBs. FTIR analysis revealed differences in the range of the absorption frequency of amide I, amide II (1700-1500 cm -1 ) and carbohydrate region (1200-900 cm -1 ). Principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out to study the relationship between spray dried plant beverages samples based on the fingerprint region of FTIR spectra, as well as the physical characteristics. Additionally, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was employed to explore the clustering of the powders., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: In the OptiLink heart failure study, timely and appropriate reactions to telemedicine alerts improved clinical outcomes in heart failure patients. This analysis investigates the relation between the weekday of alert transmission and the subsequent patient contact., Methods: In patients enrolled in the intervention arm of the OptiLink heart failure study ( n  = 505, age 66.1 ± 10.1, 77.2% male, left-ventricular ejection fraction 26.7% ± 6.1%), fluid index threshold crossing alerts were analysed according to the weekday of the transmission. Transmissions on Mondays-Thursdays were categorized as TD1, Fridays-Sundays as well as public holidays as TD2., Results: Of 1365 transmitted alerts, 867 (63.5%) were categorized as TD1 and 498 (36.5%) as TD2. Same day telephone contacts were more frequent in TD1 (46.2%) than in TD2 (18.3%; p  < 0.001). Accordingly, the median time to contact was significantly longer in TD2 compared with TD1 (2(1-3) vs 0(0-1) days; p  < 0.001). Rates of no telephone contact were no different between the groups (12.1% vs 12.4%; p  = 0.866). Although signs of worsening heart failure were prevalent in 32.4% in TD1 versus 32.1% in TD2 ( p  = 0.996), initiation of a pharmacological intervention occurred more likely in TD1 compared with TD2 (27.9% vs 22.9%; p  = 0.041). No differences existed concerning hospitalization for heart failure within 30 days after alert transmission (3.9% vs 3.4%; p  = 0.636)., Conclusion: Alert transmissions during weekends and public holidays were less likely associated with timely patient contacts and initiation of pharmacological interventions than during the week. Telemedical centres providing 24/7 remote monitoring service and specific education programmes for physicians might help to optimize patient care., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsJB, RB, HO, CB and KR have all received grant support from Medtronic. VP has received honoraria from Bayer. MB has received lecture honoraria and consulting fees from Amgen, Abbott, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Medtronic, Novartis, Servier and Vifor. FM has received scientific support and speaker honoraria from Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Medtronic and ReCor Medical. JW and CU have received lecture honoraria from Bristol Myers Squibb. DM has no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.

In recent years, an increasing interest has been shown in alternative food sources. Many studies are focused on the use of insects. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the chemical and thermal properties of black soldier fly larvae influenced by the pulsed electric field (PEF) and convective (CD) or infrared-convective (IR-CD) drying techniques. Examinations of the basic chemical composition, properties of extracted fat (fatty acid composition, acid and peroxide values, and oxidative stability), total polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, allergen content, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were performed. Generally, the results showed that dried black soldier fly larvae are a good source of protein and fat, up to 33% and 44%, respectively. The fat extracted from the dried insects consisted mainly of saturated fatty acids (above 75%), in particular lauric acid (C12:0). A good oxidative stability of the fat was also observed, especially from samples dried with the IR-CD method. The convective drying technique allowed for better preservation of protein content compared to samples dried with the IR-CD method. Nevertheless, samples treated with PEF were characterized by significantly lower protein content. The samples after PEF pretreatment, with an intensity of 20 and 40 kJ/kg and dried with the IR-CD method, were represented by a significantly higher total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity. Furthermore, in most cases, the convectively dried samples were characterized by a higher allergen content, both crustaceans and mollusks. Taking into account all of the investigated properties, it can be stated that the samples without treatment and those that were PEF-treated with an intensity of 40 kJ/kg and dried with the infrared-convective method (IR-CD) were the most rewarding from the nutritional point of view.

Background: The use of implantable loop recorder (ILR) to detect atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with a history of cryptogenic stroke (CS) has seldom been investigated in "real-world" settings., Objective: This study aimed to present the results of the Stroke Prevention by Increasing DEtection Rates of Atrial Fibrillation (SPIDER-AF) registry., Method: SPIDER is a multicentric, observational registry, including 35 facilities all over Germany. It enrolled outpatients without AF history and with CS before ILR implantation., Results: We included 500 patients (mean age 63.1 ± 12.7 years), 304 (60.8%) were males, with previous stroke (72.6%) and TIA (27.4%). After inclusion, all were followed for at least 12 months. AF was detected in 133 (26.8%), 25.3% of patients with previous stroke and 29.9% with TIA (p = 0.30). AF was detected after a median of 121.5 days (IQR 40.5-223.0). AF was primarily paroxysmal (95.7% after stroke, 100% after TIA). In 19.5% (n = 26) anticoagulation was not administered after AF detection. Mean CHA2DS2-VASc score (OR 1.22; CI 1.01-1.49; p = 0.037) and age > 70 years (OR 0.41; CI 0.19-0.88; p = 0.0020) correlated with AF. Repeat cerebrovascular events at follow-up (28; 5.6%) correlated with AF (OR = 2.17; CI 1.00-4.72; p = 0.049). AF (p = 0.91) and recurrent events (p = 0.43) occurred similarly in females and males., Conclusions: In the context of cryptogenic strokes ILRs are a valuable tool for early detection of AF. In a real-world scenario, the anticoagulation therapy remains inadequate despite diagnosed AF in a relevant subset of patients requiring optimization of patient management., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)

Vacuum impregnation (VI) stands as a diffusion-driven food processing method that has found recent application within the food industry, particularly for the cold formulation of fortified food products. Pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment can affect the food structure, influencing therefore the mass transfer phenomena during the further processing. Thus, the study aimed at investigating the effect of PEF treatment on selected physicochemical properties of vacuum-impregnated apples. Apple slices were vacuum impregnated with aloe vera juice solution with or PEF treatment at different intensities (125, 212.5 or 300 V/cm). The PEF was applied as a pretreatment-applied before the VI process as well as posttreatment-applied after the VI process. The VI process with aloe vera juice resulted in a sample weight increase of over 24% as well as structural changes, partial cell viability loss and color alteration. In addition, the decrease of bioactive compounds was observed, while antioxidant activity remained at a similar level as in raw material. PEF treatment adversely affected vacuum impregnation efficiency, causing microstructural changes and cell viability loss. Additionally, chemical composition modifications were evident through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. Tissue hardness decreased significantly due to structural damage and caused high leakage from plant tissue, which resulted in hindering saturation with aloe vera juice during the VI process. Additionally, reduced bioactive substance content after PEF treatment was observed and the VI process did not restore apple samples of the bioactive compounds from aloe vera juice.

Aims: Remote monitoring (RM) of thoracic impedance represents an early marker of pulmonary congestion in heart failure (HF). Chronic kidney disease (CKD) may promote fluid overload in HF patients. We investigated whether concomitant CKD affected the efficacy of impedance-based RM in the OptiLink HF trial., Methods and Results: Among HF patients included in the OptiLink HF trial, time to the first cardiovascular hospitalization and all-cause death according to the presence of concomitant CKD was analysed. CKD was defined as GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 at enrolment. Of the 1002 patients included in OptiLink HF, 326 patients (33%) had HF with concomitant CKD. The presence of CKD increased transmission of telemedical alerts (median of 2 (1-5) vs. 1 (0-3); P = 0.012). Appropriate contacting after alert transmission was equally low in patients with and without CKD (57% vs. 59%, P = 0.593). The risk of the primary endpoint was higher in patients with CKD compared with patients without CKD (hazard ratio (HR), 1.62 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.16-2.28]; P = 0.005). Impedance-based RM independently reduced primary events in HF patients with preserved renal function, but not in those with CKD (HR 0.68 [95% CI, 0.52-0.89]; P = 0.006)., Conclusions: The presence of CKD in HF patients led to a higher number of telemedical alert transmissions and increased the risk of the primary endpoint. Inappropriate handling of alert transmission was commonly observed in patients with chronic HF and CKD. Guidance of HF management by impedance-based RM significantly decreased primary event rates in patients without CKD, but not in patients with CKD., (© 2023 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.)

Members of the NETWORKED (NET) family are involved in actin-membrane interactions. Here we show that two members of the NET family, NET4A and NET4B, are essential for normal guard cell actin reorganization, which is a process critical for stomatal closure in plant immunity. NET4 proteins interact with F-actin and with members of the Rab7 GTPase RABG3 family through two distinct domains, allowing for simultaneous localization to actin filaments and the tonoplast. NET4 proteins interact with GTP-bound, active RABG3 members, suggesting their function being downstream effectors. We also show that RABG3b is critical for stomatal closure induced by microbial patterns. Taken together, we conclude that the actin cytoskeletal remodelling during stomatal closure involves a molecular link between actin filaments and the tonoplast, which is mediated by the NET4-RABG3b interaction. We propose that stomatal closure to microbial patterns involves the coordinated action of immune-triggered osmotic changes and actin cytoskeletal remodelling likely driving compact vacuolar morphologies., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Vesiculation is a process employed by Gram-negative bacteria to release extracellular vesicles (EVs) into the environment. EVs from pathogenic bacteria play functions in host immune modulation, elimination of host defenses, and acquisition of nutrients from the host. Here, we observed EV production of the bacterial speck disease causal agent, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato ( Pto ) DC3000, as outer membrane vesicle release. Mass spectrometry identified 369 proteins enriched in Pto DC3000 EVs. The EV samples contained known immunomodulatory proteins and could induce plant immune responses mediated by bacterial flagellin. Having identified two biomarkers for EV detection, we provide evidence for Pto DC3000 releasing EVs during plant infection. Bioinformatic analysis of the EV-enriched proteins suggests a role for EVs in antibiotic defense and iron acquisition. Thus, our data provide insights into the strategies this pathogen may use to develop in a plant environment. IMPORTANCE The release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) into the environment is ubiquitous among bacteria. Vesiculation has been recognized as an important mechanism of bacterial pathogenesis and human disease but is poorly understood in phytopathogenic bacteria. Our research addresses the role of bacterial EVs in plant infection. In this work, we show that the causal agent of bacterial speck disease, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato , produces EVs during plant infection. Our data suggest that EVs may help the bacteria to adapt to environments, e.g., when iron could be limiting such as the plant apoplast, laying the foundation for studying the factors that phytopathogenic bacteria use to thrive in the plant environment., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

In recent years, there have been significant developments in plant proteins production for meat and fish analogues. Some of the key developments include the use of new plant protein sources such as soy, legumes, grains, potatoes, and seaweed, as well as insect proteins, leaf proteins, mushrooms, and microbial proteins. Furthermore, to improve the technological and functional properties of plant proteins, they can be subjected to traditional and unconventional treatments such as chemical (glycosylation, deamidation, phosphorylation, and acylation), physical (pulsed electric fields, ultrasound, high hydrostatic pressure, dynamic high-pressure treatment, and cold plasma), and biological (fermentation and enzymatic modification). To obtain the high quality and the desired texture of the food product, other ingredients besides proteins, such as water, fat, flavors, binders, dyes, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, also have to be used. The final product can be significantly influenced by the matrix composition, variety of ingredients, and water content, with the type of ingredients playing a role in either enhancing or constraining the desired texture of the food. There are several types of technologies used for meat and fish analogues production, including extrusion, shear cell technology, spinning, 3D printing, and others. Overall, the technologies used for meat and fish analogues production are constantly evolving as new innovations are developed and existing methods are improved. These developments have led to the creation of plant-based products that have a similar texture, taste, and nutritional profile to meat and fish, making them more appealing to consumers seeking alternatives to animal-based products.

Drying is one of the oldest methods of obtaining a product with a long shelf-life. Recently, this process has been modified and accelerated by the application of pulsed electric field (PEF); however, PEF pretreatment has an effect on different properties-physical as well as chemical. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pulsed electric field pretreatment and air temperature on the course of hot air drying and selected chemical properties of the apple tissue of Gloster variety apples. The dried apple tissue samples were obtained using a combination of PEF pretreatment with electric field intensity levels of 1, 3.5, and 6 kJ/kg and subsequent hot air drying at 60, 70, and 80 °C. It was found that a higher pulsed electric field intensity facilitated the removal of water from the apple tissue while reducing the drying time. The study results showed that PEF pretreatment influenced the degradation of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid. The degradation of vitamin C was higher with an increase in PEF pretreatment intensity level. PEF pretreatment did not influence the total sugar and sorbitol contents of the dried apple tissue as well as the FTIR spectra. According to the optimization process and statistical profiles of approximated values, the optimal parameters to achieve high-quality dried apple tissue in a short drying time are PEF pretreatment application with an intensity of 3.5 kJ/kg and hot air drying at a temperature of 70 °C.

Abiotic stresses are the most important environmental factors affecting seed germination, and negatively affect crop production worldwide. Water availability is essential for proper seed imbibition and germination. The mechanism by which seeds can germinate in areas with high soil salinity is, however, still unclear. The present study aims to investigate the protective roles of AgNPs in alleviating stress symptoms caused by salinity exposure in barley seeds. For this purpose, different treatment combinations of seed priming with PVP-AgNPs in salinity stress conditions were used. Salt stress (150 and 200 mM) was found to reduce seed germination by 100% when compared to the control. Under NaCl concentrations, seed priming with PVP-AgNPs (40 mg L -1 ) only for 2 h, reduced salinity effects. Salinity resulted in increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation compared to the control. However, increased antioxidants in the NPs treatments, such as SOD, CAT, GR, GPX (expression at both genes, such as HvSOD , HvCAT , HvGR or HvGPX , and protein levels) and glutathione content, scavenged these ROS. Considering all of the parameters under study, priming alleviated salt stress. To summarize, seed priming with AgNPs has the potential to alleviate salinity stress via reduced ROS generation and activation of the antioxidant enzymatic system during germination.

Red, yellow, and green peppers are vegetables rich in natural pigments. However, they belong to seasonal vegetables and need to be treated to prolong their shelf life. One new approach to processing vegetables is to pickle them using lactic acid bacteria. The use of such a process creates a new product with high health value, thanks to the active ingredients and lactic acid bacteria. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of the applied strain of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the chemical properties, including the content of active compounds (pigments) and the physical properties of the peppers. Levilactobacillus brevis , Limosilactobacillus fermentum , and Lactoplantibacillus plantarum were used for fermentation and spontaneous fermentation. The pigments, polyphenols content, and antioxidant properties were determined in the pickled peppers, as well as sugar content, color, dry matter, texture properties, and the count of lactic acid bacteria. In all samples, similar growth of LAB was observed. Significant degradation of chlorophylls into pheophytins was observed after the fermentation process. No significant differences were observed in the parameters tested, depending on the addition of dedicated LAB strains. After the fermentation process, the vitamin C and total polyphenols content is what influenced the antioxidant activity of the samples. It can be stated that the fermentation process changed the red bell pepper samples in the smallest way and the green ones in the highest way.

Transport Protein Particle II (TRAPPII) is essential for exocytosis, endocytosis, protein sorting and cytokinesis. In spite of a considerable understanding of its biological role, little information is known about Arabidopsis TRAPPII complex topology and molecular function. In this study, independent proteomic approaches initiated with TRAPP components or Rab-A GTPase variants converge on the TRAPPII complex. We show that the Arabidopsis genome encodes the full complement of 13 TRAPPC subunits, including four previously unidentified components. A dimerization model is proposed to account for binary interactions between TRAPPII subunits. Preferential binding to dominant negative (GDP-bound) versus wild-type or constitutively active (GTP-bound) RAB-A2a variants discriminates between TRAPPII and TRAPPIII subunits and shows that Arabidopsis complexes differ from yeast but resemble metazoan TRAPP complexes. Analyzes of Rab-A mutant variants in trappii backgrounds provide genetic evidence that TRAPPII functions upstream of RAB-A2a, allowing us to propose that TRAPPII is likely to behave as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for the RAB-A2a GTPase. GEFs catalyze exchange of GDP for GTP; the GTP-bound, activated, Rab then recruits a diverse local network of Rab effectors to specify membrane identity in subsequent vesicle fusion events. Understanding GEF-Rab interactions will be crucial to unravel the co-ordination of plant membrane traffic., (© 2019 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: The present paper describes the design, development, and implementation of the AutoInflammatory Disease Alliance (AIDA) International Registry specifically dedicated to patients with Schnitzler's syndrome., Methods: This is a clinical physician-driven, population- and electronic-based registry implemented for the retrospective and prospective collection of real-life data from patients with Schnitzler's syndrome; the registry is based on the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) tool, which is designed to collect standardized information for clinical research, and has been realized to change over time according to future scientific acquisitions and potentially communicate with other existing or future similar registries., Results: Since its launch, 113 centers from 23 countries in 4 continents have been involved. Fifty-seven have already obtained the approval from their local Ethics Committees. The platform counts 324 users (114 Principal Investigators, 205 Site Investigators, 2 Lead Investigators, and 3 data managers) at current (April 28th, 2022). The registry collects baseline and follow-up data using 3,924 fields organized into 25 instruments, including patient's demographics, history, clinical manifestations and symptoms, trigger/risk factors, laboratory, instrumental exams, therapies, socioeconomic information, and healthcare access., Conclusions: This International Registry for patients with Schnitzler's syndrome facilitates standardized data collection, enabling international collaborative projects through data sharing and dissemination of knowledge; in turn, it will shed light into many blind spots characterizing this complex autoinflammatory disorder., (Copyright © 2022 Sota, Vitale, Więsik-Szewczyk, Frassi, Lopalco, Emmi, Govoni, de Paulis, Marino, Gidaro, Monti, Opris-Belinski, Pereira, Jahnz-Rózyk, Gaggiano, Crisafulli, Iannone, Mattioli, Ruffilli, Mormile, Rybak, Caggiano, Airò, Tufan, Gentileschi, Ragab, Almaghlouth, Aboul-Fotouh Khalil, Cattalini, La Torre, Tarsia, Giardini, Ali Saad, Bocchia, Caroni, Giani, Cinotti, Ruscitti, Rubegni, Dagostin, Frediani, Guler, Della Casa, Maggio, Recke, von Bubnoff, Krause, Balistreri, Fabiani, Rigante and Cantarini.)