The health crisis with the resulting food shortage and economic emergency in the U. S and around ... more The health crisis with the resulting food shortage and economic emergency in the U. S and around the world caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic is enormous, and CNN and MSNBC are other news agencies emphasize the urgency to remedy resultant food insecurity. The national and global ‘stay at home’ directive makes access to food from shopping centers, grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and farms and ranches difficult. Moreover, prices for food and other goods have risen enormously, and prices are too high for most people. The effect is widespread and national, and the situation must be remedied and transformed. The objectives of this study are (1) to present the full advantage of C4, CAM and other improved plants that can be used to fortify our food supply and (2) to determine how best to utilize plants in the critical supply of food with the involvement of homes, households, and corporative bodies in the production process. Plants are essentially the autotrophic organisms that make organic ...
Locoweeds are legumes of the Astragalus and Oxytropis genera that live symbiotically with the fun... more Locoweeds are legumes of the Astragalus and Oxytropis genera that live symbiotically with the fungal endosymbionts belonging to Alternaria section Undifilum. These endophytes produce the toxin swainsonine, which causes a neurological syndrome (locosim) when the plant is ingested by grazing animals. Here we characterize the growth of the endophytes within plant tissues using confocal and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to define the physical relationship. Microscopy results revealed the endophyte distribution to be densely networked, with the mycelia aligned parallel to the long axis of the plant stem and with no pathology to plant cell walls, xylem, or phloem. The autofluorescent mycelia were located intercellulary in the pith of stems. Stereofluoroscope observations of Alternaria oxytropis, A. cinerea, and A. fulva in phytoagar showed that mycelial growth occurred at the tip of hyphae. The growth rate of A. cinerea was significantly faster than for A. oxytropis or A. fulva. All ...
Looseness is a very troublesome issue regarding the structure of leather as well as the final lea... more Looseness is a very troublesome issue regarding the structure of leather as well as the final leather product. It is a great concern to tanners who will go to great lengths to address it by adding different chemicals. However, its fine structure and effects on the mechanical properties are not fully understood. This investigation was devoted to gaining a better understanding of looseness based on microscopic observations of its fibrous structure and its effects on mechanical properties such as tensile strength and toughness. Microscopic studies showed visible gap between the interstitial layer and the corium layer in the loose leather. Moreover, the grain showed a sheet-like structure, whereas in normal leather, the grain layer is tightly packed together and the fiber bundles seem to be much smaller than the loose leather. Mechanical property studies showed looseness leads to a decrease in toughness. However, measurements also showed there is little change in tensile strength and elongation. Moreover, viscoelasticity studies showed that loose leather has very similar stress relaxation curves as tight leather. Both leathers demonstrated a rapid decrease in stress for the first few seconds followed by a much slower decay thereafter. The loose leather, nevertheless, has a greater initial stress than the tight leather, indicating a higher stiffness than tight leather. This study has provided a better understanding of looseness, which will lead to the development of measures to correct this defect such as adding fillers to the leather.
The thermostability of nisin and Nisaplin® was investigated in the presence and absence of pectin... more The thermostability of nisin and Nisaplin® was investigated in the presence and absence of pectin. By mixing with pectin, both nisin and Nisaplin® were able to inhibit microbial growth, even after heating to 433 K. In contrast, without pectin, the nisin was totally inactivated after heat treatment. Nisin and pectin in solution were complexed, as shown by atomic force microscopic analysis. Probably, the complex formation between the polysaccharide and the polypeptide improves the nisin thermostability; however, a detailed mechanism remains to be resolved. Thin membranes were prepared by co-extrusion of poly(lactic acid) and microparticles of pectin-Nisaplin®. Despite the high extrusion temperatures, the presence of pectin protected the biological activity of nisin and the resultant membranes were antimicrobial and could be used as an inner layer of multi-layer packaging materials for active packaging.
Gold nanoparticles reduced and stabilized by sodium squarate in water that attach to cellulose fi... more Gold nanoparticles reduced and stabilized by sodium squarate in water that attach to cellulose fibers and catalyse the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) with sodium borohydride.
Strips of taenia coli from guinea pigs were incubated under isometric conditions in Krebs-Ringer ... more Strips of taenia coli from guinea pigs were incubated under isometric conditions in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate saline (MKR) containing various concentrations of Ca+2 and/or Mg+2. Spontaneous or chemically induced contractile activity was abolished within 15 min of exposure to MKR containing Ca+2 at concentrations below 10-6 M; contractile activity was restored by reincubation in normal MKR after 1–2 h. Exposure of taenia coli to MKR containing Ca+2 at concentrations below 10-6 M for 1 h or more led to loss of thick and thin myofilaments from the sarcoplasm as observed with the electron microscope. Except for the loss of these two filament types, the cells contained all other structural features observed in preparations incubated in MKR containing Ca+2 at its normal level (1.3 x 10-3 M). The loss of thick and thin myofilaments in strips exposed to a Ca+2 concentration below 10-6 M was reversed by reincubation for 30 min in MKR containing normal Ca+2 levels. The observed loss of thick a...
Membranes with porosities of 100 and 200 nm were used to obtain a 4:1 milk volume reduction. Aver... more Membranes with porosities of 100 and 200 nm were used to obtain a 4:1 milk volume reduction. Average micelle diameters determined from electron micrographs were 46 nm (permeate) and 52 nm (permeate) for the 100-nm-pore fractions and 46 and 55 nm for the 200-nm-pore fractions. The calculated average micellar volumes of the retentate fractions were about twice those of the corresponding permeate fractions. Casein-whey ratios were 0.7-0.9 in the permeates and 5.0-7.7 in the retentates. Higher αs2- and lower β-casein contents were found in the permeate micelles than in the retentates.
ABSTRACT alpha-Tubulin in the microtubules of mouse oocytes and embryos is acetylated in a specif... more ABSTRACT alpha-Tubulin in the microtubules of mouse oocytes and embryos is acetylated in a specific spatial and temporal sequence. In the unfertilized oocyte, a monoclonal antibody to the acetylated form of alpha-tubulin is bound predominantly at the poles of the arrested metaphase meiotic spindle. The labeling intensity of the spindle microtubules is weaker as observed by immunofluorescence using oocytes double-labeled for total tubulin and acetylated alpha-tubulin, and as measured by immuno high-voltage electron microscopy (immunoHVEM) with colloidal gold; cytasters are not acetylated. At meiotic anaphase, the spindle becomes labeled, and by telophase and during second polar body formation only the meiotic midbody is acetylated. The sperm axoneme retains its acetylation after incorporation though the interphase microtubules are not detected. First mitosis follows a pattern similar to that observed at the second meiosis and during interphase only the mitotic midbodies are acetylated. After treatment with cold, colcemid, or griseofulvin, the remaining stable microtubules are acetylated, but immunoHVEM observations suggest that these fibers might not have been acetylated prior to microtubule disruption. Taxol stabilization does not alter acetylation patterns. Acetylated microtubules are not necessarily old microtubules since acetylated fibers are observed at 30 sec after cold recovery. These results show the presence of acetylated microtubules during meiosis and mitosis and demonstrate a cell-cycle-specific pattern of acetylation, with acetylated microtubules found at the centrosomes at metaphase, an increase in spindle labeling at anaphase, and the selective deacetylation of all but midbody microtubules at telophase.
ABSTRACT Exposing an extruded corn snack (ECS), an extruded biodegradable packing material (EBP),... more ABSTRACT Exposing an extruded corn snack (ECS), an extruded biodegradable packing material (EBP), carrots, and wood chip cork to relative humidity conditions ranging from 29.5 to 97.5% changed their moisture content and affected the respective internal structures. The ECS and EBP specimens evaluated after 24 h, absorbed moisture and lost crispness. Carrot and cork specimens were evaluated after 48 h; carrots lost moisture, became softer, and decreased in hardness from 55.02±7.59 to 23.6±8.6 N, while cork specimens were unchanged. For all products, loss of moisture increased surface roughness. Increasing moisture amplified turgidity and strength in EBP, decreased crispness in ECS, and stiffness in carrot, but produced no changes in the wood chip cork.
Thirty food and clinical isolates of Listeria were compared quantitatively in regard to lethality... more Thirty food and clinical isolates of Listeria were compared quantitatively in regard to lethality in immunocompromised mice, hemolytic activity for sheep erythrocytes, invasiveness towards Hep-2 epithelial cells, and cytotoxicity to CHO cells. All Listeria monocytogenes isolates were hemolytic, invasive, weakly cytotoxic, and lethal to immunocompromised mice. Listeria ivanovii isolates expressed the first three properties but were non-virulent. There was little quantitative correlation among the virulence markers, suggesting that there may be additional virulence related factors that may influence the pathogenicity of L. monocytogenes isolates. No systematic differences between the clinical and food isolates were apparent. Electron and light microscopy of infected Hep-2 cells revealed L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii encapsulated within cell processes containing an actin matrix.
Resiliency is the important quality characterizing the dimensional stability of leather. It expre... more Resiliency is the important quality characterizing the dimensional stability of leather. It expresses the ability of materials such as leather to recover from deformation after being subjected to a strain or stress. Resiliency is particularly important to automotive upholstery makers because poor recovery from deformation will create bagginess in car seats made with upholstery leather. We have designed a tensile method to characterize the resiliency of leather. Measurements showed that the resiliency of chrome-tanned leather is superior to chrome-free leather. Our studies also indicated that the physical properties of leather, particularly resiliency, were affected significantly by the drying and fatliquoring processes. Observations revealed that toggle drying may impair the resiliency of leather, while vacuum drying produced the best resilient leather in this study. In addition, data indicated that there is a close relationship between resiliency and fracture energy of leather.
A surrogate of jet fuel range hydrocarbons was produced from renewable feedstock such as Camelina... more A surrogate of jet fuel range hydrocarbons was produced from renewable feedstock such as Camelina oil, palm oil and the fatty acid methyl esters (FAME’s) derived from these oils. The process includes two steps involving hydrocracking and reforming in presence of the catalyst. This work involves the different reaction conditions by taking temperature, pressure, time of reaction and amount of catalyst as variable parameters. In this work bi-functional catalysts NiMo and CoMo supported on g-alumina were used along with an industrial catalyst. For this work bi-functional catalysts are prepared and used in the production of jet fuel. The feedstock, intermediate product and final product were analyzed by using ATR-FTIR, SEM-EDS, TGA and GC-MS. For analyzing the catalyst properties XRD, SEM-EDS and ASAP were used
The length-tension relationship was determined for strips of guinea pig taenia coli and correlate... more The length-tension relationship was determined for strips of guinea pig taenia coli and correlated with the length and ultrastructural organization of the component fibers. The mean fiber length in "stretched" strips (passive ≥ active tension) was 30% greater than that for fibers in "unstretched" strips (active >> passive tension). In stretched fibers the dense bodies and 100 A diameter myofilaments were consolidated into a mass near the center of fibers in cross-sectional profile. The thick myofilaments were segregated into the periphery of the fiber profiles. In unstretched fibers the dense bodies-100 A diameter filaments and the thick myofilaments were uniformly distributed throughout cross-sectional profiles. A tentative model is proposed to account for the change in fiber length and ultrastructural organization that accompanies stretch. The basic features of the model require the dense bodies to be linked together into a network by the 100 A diameter f...
Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2007 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl... more Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2007 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA, August 5 – August 9, 2007
Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2007 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl... more Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2007 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA, August 5 – August 9, 2007
Abstract Reconstituted native-type fibrils of dermatosparactic procollagen and of calf skin colla... more Abstract Reconstituted native-type fibrils of dermatosparactic procollagen and of calf skin collagen both formed reducible interinolecular crosslinks, in contrast to a previous report. Furthermore, although the specific activities were similar, the patterns of crosslinking were quantitatively different in the two types of collagen fibrils.
The health crisis with the resulting food shortage and economic emergency in the U. S and around ... more The health crisis with the resulting food shortage and economic emergency in the U. S and around the world caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic is enormous, and CNN and MSNBC are other news agencies emphasize the urgency to remedy resultant food insecurity. The national and global ‘stay at home’ directive makes access to food from shopping centers, grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and farms and ranches difficult. Moreover, prices for food and other goods have risen enormously, and prices are too high for most people. The effect is widespread and national, and the situation must be remedied and transformed. The objectives of this study are (1) to present the full advantage of C4, CAM and other improved plants that can be used to fortify our food supply and (2) to determine how best to utilize plants in the critical supply of food with the involvement of homes, households, and corporative bodies in the production process. Plants are essentially the autotrophic organisms that make organic ...
Locoweeds are legumes of the Astragalus and Oxytropis genera that live symbiotically with the fun... more Locoweeds are legumes of the Astragalus and Oxytropis genera that live symbiotically with the fungal endosymbionts belonging to Alternaria section Undifilum. These endophytes produce the toxin swainsonine, which causes a neurological syndrome (locosim) when the plant is ingested by grazing animals. Here we characterize the growth of the endophytes within plant tissues using confocal and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to define the physical relationship. Microscopy results revealed the endophyte distribution to be densely networked, with the mycelia aligned parallel to the long axis of the plant stem and with no pathology to plant cell walls, xylem, or phloem. The autofluorescent mycelia were located intercellulary in the pith of stems. Stereofluoroscope observations of Alternaria oxytropis, A. cinerea, and A. fulva in phytoagar showed that mycelial growth occurred at the tip of hyphae. The growth rate of A. cinerea was significantly faster than for A. oxytropis or A. fulva. All ...
Looseness is a very troublesome issue regarding the structure of leather as well as the final lea... more Looseness is a very troublesome issue regarding the structure of leather as well as the final leather product. It is a great concern to tanners who will go to great lengths to address it by adding different chemicals. However, its fine structure and effects on the mechanical properties are not fully understood. This investigation was devoted to gaining a better understanding of looseness based on microscopic observations of its fibrous structure and its effects on mechanical properties such as tensile strength and toughness. Microscopic studies showed visible gap between the interstitial layer and the corium layer in the loose leather. Moreover, the grain showed a sheet-like structure, whereas in normal leather, the grain layer is tightly packed together and the fiber bundles seem to be much smaller than the loose leather. Mechanical property studies showed looseness leads to a decrease in toughness. However, measurements also showed there is little change in tensile strength and elongation. Moreover, viscoelasticity studies showed that loose leather has very similar stress relaxation curves as tight leather. Both leathers demonstrated a rapid decrease in stress for the first few seconds followed by a much slower decay thereafter. The loose leather, nevertheless, has a greater initial stress than the tight leather, indicating a higher stiffness than tight leather. This study has provided a better understanding of looseness, which will lead to the development of measures to correct this defect such as adding fillers to the leather.
The thermostability of nisin and Nisaplin® was investigated in the presence and absence of pectin... more The thermostability of nisin and Nisaplin® was investigated in the presence and absence of pectin. By mixing with pectin, both nisin and Nisaplin® were able to inhibit microbial growth, even after heating to 433 K. In contrast, without pectin, the nisin was totally inactivated after heat treatment. Nisin and pectin in solution were complexed, as shown by atomic force microscopic analysis. Probably, the complex formation between the polysaccharide and the polypeptide improves the nisin thermostability; however, a detailed mechanism remains to be resolved. Thin membranes were prepared by co-extrusion of poly(lactic acid) and microparticles of pectin-Nisaplin®. Despite the high extrusion temperatures, the presence of pectin protected the biological activity of nisin and the resultant membranes were antimicrobial and could be used as an inner layer of multi-layer packaging materials for active packaging.
Gold nanoparticles reduced and stabilized by sodium squarate in water that attach to cellulose fi... more Gold nanoparticles reduced and stabilized by sodium squarate in water that attach to cellulose fibers and catalyse the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) with sodium borohydride.
Strips of taenia coli from guinea pigs were incubated under isometric conditions in Krebs-Ringer ... more Strips of taenia coli from guinea pigs were incubated under isometric conditions in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate saline (MKR) containing various concentrations of Ca+2 and/or Mg+2. Spontaneous or chemically induced contractile activity was abolished within 15 min of exposure to MKR containing Ca+2 at concentrations below 10-6 M; contractile activity was restored by reincubation in normal MKR after 1–2 h. Exposure of taenia coli to MKR containing Ca+2 at concentrations below 10-6 M for 1 h or more led to loss of thick and thin myofilaments from the sarcoplasm as observed with the electron microscope. Except for the loss of these two filament types, the cells contained all other structural features observed in preparations incubated in MKR containing Ca+2 at its normal level (1.3 x 10-3 M). The loss of thick and thin myofilaments in strips exposed to a Ca+2 concentration below 10-6 M was reversed by reincubation for 30 min in MKR containing normal Ca+2 levels. The observed loss of thick a...
Membranes with porosities of 100 and 200 nm were used to obtain a 4:1 milk volume reduction. Aver... more Membranes with porosities of 100 and 200 nm were used to obtain a 4:1 milk volume reduction. Average micelle diameters determined from electron micrographs were 46 nm (permeate) and 52 nm (permeate) for the 100-nm-pore fractions and 46 and 55 nm for the 200-nm-pore fractions. The calculated average micellar volumes of the retentate fractions were about twice those of the corresponding permeate fractions. Casein-whey ratios were 0.7-0.9 in the permeates and 5.0-7.7 in the retentates. Higher αs2- and lower β-casein contents were found in the permeate micelles than in the retentates.
ABSTRACT alpha-Tubulin in the microtubules of mouse oocytes and embryos is acetylated in a specif... more ABSTRACT alpha-Tubulin in the microtubules of mouse oocytes and embryos is acetylated in a specific spatial and temporal sequence. In the unfertilized oocyte, a monoclonal antibody to the acetylated form of alpha-tubulin is bound predominantly at the poles of the arrested metaphase meiotic spindle. The labeling intensity of the spindle microtubules is weaker as observed by immunofluorescence using oocytes double-labeled for total tubulin and acetylated alpha-tubulin, and as measured by immuno high-voltage electron microscopy (immunoHVEM) with colloidal gold; cytasters are not acetylated. At meiotic anaphase, the spindle becomes labeled, and by telophase and during second polar body formation only the meiotic midbody is acetylated. The sperm axoneme retains its acetylation after incorporation though the interphase microtubules are not detected. First mitosis follows a pattern similar to that observed at the second meiosis and during interphase only the mitotic midbodies are acetylated. After treatment with cold, colcemid, or griseofulvin, the remaining stable microtubules are acetylated, but immunoHVEM observations suggest that these fibers might not have been acetylated prior to microtubule disruption. Taxol stabilization does not alter acetylation patterns. Acetylated microtubules are not necessarily old microtubules since acetylated fibers are observed at 30 sec after cold recovery. These results show the presence of acetylated microtubules during meiosis and mitosis and demonstrate a cell-cycle-specific pattern of acetylation, with acetylated microtubules found at the centrosomes at metaphase, an increase in spindle labeling at anaphase, and the selective deacetylation of all but midbody microtubules at telophase.
ABSTRACT Exposing an extruded corn snack (ECS), an extruded biodegradable packing material (EBP),... more ABSTRACT Exposing an extruded corn snack (ECS), an extruded biodegradable packing material (EBP), carrots, and wood chip cork to relative humidity conditions ranging from 29.5 to 97.5% changed their moisture content and affected the respective internal structures. The ECS and EBP specimens evaluated after 24 h, absorbed moisture and lost crispness. Carrot and cork specimens were evaluated after 48 h; carrots lost moisture, became softer, and decreased in hardness from 55.02±7.59 to 23.6±8.6 N, while cork specimens were unchanged. For all products, loss of moisture increased surface roughness. Increasing moisture amplified turgidity and strength in EBP, decreased crispness in ECS, and stiffness in carrot, but produced no changes in the wood chip cork.
Thirty food and clinical isolates of Listeria were compared quantitatively in regard to lethality... more Thirty food and clinical isolates of Listeria were compared quantitatively in regard to lethality in immunocompromised mice, hemolytic activity for sheep erythrocytes, invasiveness towards Hep-2 epithelial cells, and cytotoxicity to CHO cells. All Listeria monocytogenes isolates were hemolytic, invasive, weakly cytotoxic, and lethal to immunocompromised mice. Listeria ivanovii isolates expressed the first three properties but were non-virulent. There was little quantitative correlation among the virulence markers, suggesting that there may be additional virulence related factors that may influence the pathogenicity of L. monocytogenes isolates. No systematic differences between the clinical and food isolates were apparent. Electron and light microscopy of infected Hep-2 cells revealed L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii encapsulated within cell processes containing an actin matrix.
Resiliency is the important quality characterizing the dimensional stability of leather. It expre... more Resiliency is the important quality characterizing the dimensional stability of leather. It expresses the ability of materials such as leather to recover from deformation after being subjected to a strain or stress. Resiliency is particularly important to automotive upholstery makers because poor recovery from deformation will create bagginess in car seats made with upholstery leather. We have designed a tensile method to characterize the resiliency of leather. Measurements showed that the resiliency of chrome-tanned leather is superior to chrome-free leather. Our studies also indicated that the physical properties of leather, particularly resiliency, were affected significantly by the drying and fatliquoring processes. Observations revealed that toggle drying may impair the resiliency of leather, while vacuum drying produced the best resilient leather in this study. In addition, data indicated that there is a close relationship between resiliency and fracture energy of leather.
A surrogate of jet fuel range hydrocarbons was produced from renewable feedstock such as Camelina... more A surrogate of jet fuel range hydrocarbons was produced from renewable feedstock such as Camelina oil, palm oil and the fatty acid methyl esters (FAME’s) derived from these oils. The process includes two steps involving hydrocracking and reforming in presence of the catalyst. This work involves the different reaction conditions by taking temperature, pressure, time of reaction and amount of catalyst as variable parameters. In this work bi-functional catalysts NiMo and CoMo supported on g-alumina were used along with an industrial catalyst. For this work bi-functional catalysts are prepared and used in the production of jet fuel. The feedstock, intermediate product and final product were analyzed by using ATR-FTIR, SEM-EDS, TGA and GC-MS. For analyzing the catalyst properties XRD, SEM-EDS and ASAP were used
The length-tension relationship was determined for strips of guinea pig taenia coli and correlate... more The length-tension relationship was determined for strips of guinea pig taenia coli and correlated with the length and ultrastructural organization of the component fibers. The mean fiber length in "stretched" strips (passive ≥ active tension) was 30% greater than that for fibers in "unstretched" strips (active >> passive tension). In stretched fibers the dense bodies and 100 A diameter myofilaments were consolidated into a mass near the center of fibers in cross-sectional profile. The thick myofilaments were segregated into the periphery of the fiber profiles. In unstretched fibers the dense bodies-100 A diameter filaments and the thick myofilaments were uniformly distributed throughout cross-sectional profiles. A tentative model is proposed to account for the change in fiber length and ultrastructural organization that accompanies stretch. The basic features of the model require the dense bodies to be linked together into a network by the 100 A diameter f...
Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2007 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl... more Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2007 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA, August 5 – August 9, 2007
Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2007 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl... more Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2007 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA, August 5 – August 9, 2007
Abstract Reconstituted native-type fibrils of dermatosparactic procollagen and of calf skin colla... more Abstract Reconstituted native-type fibrils of dermatosparactic procollagen and of calf skin collagen both formed reducible interinolecular crosslinks, in contrast to a previous report. Furthermore, although the specific activities were similar, the patterns of crosslinking were quantitatively different in the two types of collagen fibrils.
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