Suitability,efficiency and microbiological safety of novel physical technologies for the processing of ready‐to‐eat meals,meats and pumpable products

Consumer studies and market reports show an increase in consumption of ready‐to‐eat (RTE) foods. Although conventional processing technologies can in most cases produce safe products, they can also lead to the degradation of nutritional compounds and negatively affect quality characteristics. Consumers strongly prefer food that is minimally processed with the maximum amount of health‐promoting substances. Novel processing technologies as pre‐ or post‐treatment decontamination methods or as substitutes of conventional technologies have the potential to produce foods that are safe, rich in nutrient content and with superior organoleptic properties. Combining novel with conventional processes can eliminate potential drawbacks of novel technologies. This review examines available scientific information and critically evaluates the suitability and efficiency of various novel thermal and nonthermal technologies in terms of microbial safety, quality as well as nutrient content on the production of RTE meals, meats and pumpable products.     

Optical signal processing using integrated multi-element SOA-MZI switch arrays for packet switching

The use of discrete but interconnected SOA-MZI switches for performing logical and highly functional processing tasks, demonstrating the multi-functional potential of the photonic switching elements is discussed. An all-optical 3R burst-mode receiver consisting of four SOA-MZI switches and operating error-free with 40-Gb/s optical bursts, proving that interconnection of multiple switching units can lead to the realisation of key network node functionalities offering increased intelligence at the physical layer is presented. In order to allow for easier interconnectivity between the SOA-MZI switches and to provide compactness and cost effectiveness to the developed subsystems, the integration of multiple switches into the same platform is proposed. To this end, the implementation of the first integrated quadruple SOA-MZI switch array is reported, increasing the integration density level and reducing packaging and pigtailing costs. Finally, possible applications of integrated multiple switch arrays are discussed, indicating their suitability for producing compact circuits performing common processing tasks in a multi-wavelength environment, as well as their potential to lead to the development of an all-optical high-speed packet switched node by implementing critical packet switching functionalities in a compact and efficient way.     

Kernel-based machine learning for fast text mining in R

Recent advances in the field of kernel-based machine learning methods allow fast processing of text using string kernels utilizing suffix arrays. kernlab provides both kernel methods’ infrastructure and a large collection of already implemented algorithms and includes an implementation of suffix-array-based string kernels. Along with the use of the text mining infrastructure provided by tm these packages provide R with functionality in processing, visualizing and grouping large collections of text data using kernel methods. The emphasis is on the performance of various types of string kernels at these tasks.     

A Simulation Framework for Heterogeneous Agents

We introduce a generic simulation framework suitable for agent-based simulations featuring the support of heterogeneous agents, hierarchical scheduling, and flexible specification of design parameters. One key aspect of this framework is the design specification: we use a format based on the Extendible Markup Language (XML) that is simple-structured yet still enables the design of flexible models. Another issue in agent-based simulations, especially when ready-made components are used, is the heterogeneity arising from both the agents' implementations and the underlying platforms. To tackle such obstacles, we introduce a wrapper technique for mapping the functionality of agents living in an interpreter-based environment to a standardized JAVA interface, thus facilitating the task for any control mechanism (like a simulation manager) because it has to handle only one set of commands for all agents involved. Again, this mapping is made by an XML-based definition format. We demonstrate the technique by applying it to a simple sample simulation of two mass marketing firms operating in an artificial consumer environment.     

Order vs. Disorder: Cholesterol and Omega-3 Phospholipids Determine Biomembrane Organization

Lipid structural diversity strongly affects biomembrane chemico-physical and structural properties in addition to membrane-associated events. At high concentrations, cholesterol increases membrane order and rigidity, while polyunsaturated lipids are reported to increase disorder and flexibility. How these different tendencies balance in composite bilayers is still controversial. In this study, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, small angle neutron scattering, and neutron reflectivity were used to investigate the structural properties of cholesterol-containing lipid bilayers in the fluid state with increasing amounts of polyunsaturated omega-3 lipids. Either the hybrid 1-stearoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine or the symmetric 1,2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine were added to the mixture of the naturally abundant 1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and cholesterol. Our results indicate that the hybrid and the symmetric omega-3 phospholipids affect the microscopic organization of lipid bilayers differently. Cholesterol does not segregate from polyunsaturated phospholipids and, through interactions with them, is able to suppress the formation of non-lamellar structures induced by the symmetric polyunsaturated lipid. However, this order/disorder balance leads to a bilayer whose structural organization cannot be ascribed to either a liquid ordered or to a canonical liquid disordered phase, in that it displays a very loose packing of the intermediate segments of lipid chains.     

The EPH/Ephrin System in Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcomas’ Pathogenesis and Therapy: New Advancements and a Literature Review

Musculoskeletal sarcomas represent rare heterogenous malignancies of mesenchymal origin that can be divided in two distinct subtypes, bone and soft tissue sarcomas. Current treatment options combine the surgical excision of local tumors and multidrug chemotherapy to prevent metastatic widespread disease. Due to the grim prognosis that usually accompanies such tumors, researchers have attempted to shed light on the molecular pathways implicated in their pathogenesis in order to develop novel, innovative, personalized therapeutic strategies. Erythropoietin-producing human hepatocellular receptors (EPHs) are tyrosine-kinase transmembrane receptors that, along with their ligands, ephrins, participate in both tumor-suppressive or tumor-promoting signaling pathways in bone and soft tissue sarcomas. The EPH/ephrin axis orchestrates cancerous processes such as cell–cell and cell–substrate adhesion and enhances the remodeling of the intracellular cytoskeleton to stimulate the motility and invasiveness of sarcoma cells. The purpose of our study was to review published PubMed literature to extract results from in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials indicative of the role of EPH/ephrin signaling in bone and soft tissue sarcomas. Based on these reports, significant interactions between the EPH/ephrin signaling pathway and a plethora of normal and abnormal cascades contribute to molecular mechanisms enhancing malignancy during sarcoma progression. In addition, EPHs and ephrins are prospective candidates for diagnostic, monitoring and therapeutic purposes in the clinical setting against bone and soft tissue sarcomas.     

Effects of carbonate on the electrolytic removal of ammonia and urea from urine with thermally prepared IrO<Subscript>2</Subscript> electrodes

Recent studies have shown that electrolysis can be an efficient process for nitrogen removal from urine. These studies have been conducted with urea solutions or fresh urine, but urine collected in NoMix toilets and urinals has a substantially different composition, because bacteria hydrolyse urea quickly to ammonia and carbonate. In this study, we compared electrochemical removal of nitrogen from synthetic solutions of fresh and stored urine using IrO₂ anodes. We could show that in fresh urine both ammonia and urea are efficiently eliminated, mainly through chlorine-mediated oxidation. However, in stored urine the presence of carbonate, arising from urea hydrolysis, leads to an inhibition of ammonia oxidation. We suggest two parallel mechanisms to explain this effect: the competition between chloride and carbonate oxidation at the anode and the competition between chlorate formation, enhanced by the buffering effect of carbonate, and ammonia oxidation for the consumption of active chlorine in the bulk. However, further experiments are needed to support the latter mechanism. In conclusion, this study highlights the negative consequences of the presence of carbonate in urine solutions, but also in other wastewaters, when subjected to an electrolytic treatment on IrO₂ in alkaline media.