ABSTRACT
Abstract According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), roughly one-third of the total food produced is lost globally. The major cause of this wastage is the perishability of fruits and vegetables. Therefore, researchers have endeavored to develop an effective preservation technique. Our study explored the potential application of spider silk as an odourless and edible preservative coating for fruits. The spider silk was collected from spiders reared in the laboratory, following by degumming and dissolution to formulate the silk solution. For this study, apricots were selected as the model fruit. The apricots were dip coated with the formulated silk solution and allowed to dry. In order to enhance the beta sheet content of the silk coating, the fruits were exposed to water annealing for varying intervals of time under vacuum condition. The effect of silk coating and water annealing time period on preservation of fruits was then evaluated morphologically and gravimetrically. The results showed that the fruits, which were used as control, exhibited a greater degree of water loss and suffered from fungal attack. In contrast, the silk coated fruits showed less water loss and were protected from fungal attack. Therefore, the study provides compelling evidence regarding the application of spider silk as a preservative coating.
Resumo Segundo a Organização para Alimentação e Agricultura (FAO), cerca de um terço do total de alimentos produzidos é perdido globalmente. A principal causa deste desperdício é a perecibilidade das frutas e legumes. Portanto, os pesquisadores têm se esforçado para desenvolver uma técnica de preservação eficaz. Nosso estudo explorou a potencial aplicação de seda de aranha como um revestimento conservante inodoro e comestível para frutas. A seda da aranha foi coletada de aranhas criadas em laboratório, seguindo-se a degomagem e dissolução para formular a solução de seda. Para este estudo, os damascos foram selecionados como fruto modelo. Os damascos foram revestidos por imersão com a solução de seda formulada e deixados secar. A fim de aumentar o teor de folhas beta do revestimento de seda, os frutos foram expostos a recozimento de água durante vários intervalos de tempo sob condições de vácuo. O efeito do tempo de recobrimento de seda e recozimento de água na preservação de frutos foi então avaliado morfologicamente e gravimetricamente. Os resultados mostraram que os frutos, utilizados como controle, apresentaram maior grau de perda de água e sofreram ataque fúngico. Em contraste, os frutos revestidos de seda mostraram menos perda de água e foram protegidos contra ataques fúngicos. Portanto, o estudo fornece evidências convincentes sobre a aplicação de seda de aranha como um revestimento conservante.
Subject(s)
Spiders , Prunus armeniaca , Vegetables , Water , Silk , FruitABSTRACT
Abstract According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), roughly one-third of the total food produced is lost globally. The major cause of this wastage is the perishability of fruits and vegetables. Therefore, researchers have endeavored to develop an effective preservation technique. Our study explored the potential application of spider silk as an odourless and edible preservative coating for fruits. The spider silk was collected from spiders reared in the laboratory, following by degumming and dissolution to formulate the silk solution. For this study, apricots were selected as the model fruit. The apricots were dip coated with the formulated silk solution and allowed to dry. In order to enhance the beta sheet content of the silk coating, the fruits were exposed to water annealing for varying intervals of time under vacuum condition. The effect of silk coating and water annealing time period on preservation of fruits was then evaluated morphologically and gravimetrically. The results showed that the fruits, which were used as control, exhibited a greater degree of water loss and suffered from fungal attack. In contrast, the silk coated fruits showed less water loss and were protected from fungal attack. Therefore, the study provides compelling evidence regarding the application of spider silk as a preservative coating.
Resumo Segundo a Organização para Alimentação e Agricultura (FAO), cerca de um terço do total de alimentos produzidos é perdido globalmente. A principal causa deste desperdício é a perecibilidade das frutas e legumes. Portanto, os pesquisadores têm se esforçado para desenvolver uma técnica de preservação eficaz. Nosso estudo explorou a potencial aplicação de seda de aranha como um revestimento conservante inodoro e comestível para frutas. A seda da aranha foi coletada de aranhas criadas em laboratório, seguindo-se a degomagem e dissolução para formular a solução de seda. Para este estudo, os damascos foram selecionados como fruto modelo. Os damascos foram revestidos por imersão com a solução de seda formulada e deixados secar. A fim de aumentar o teor de folhas beta do revestimento de seda, os frutos foram expostos a recozimento de água durante vários intervalos de tempo sob condições de vácuo. O efeito do tempo de recobrimento de seda e recozimento de água na preservação de frutos foi então avaliado morfologicamente e gravimetricamente. Os resultados mostraram que os frutos, utilizados como controle, apresentaram maior grau de perda de água e sofreram ataque fúngico. Em contraste, os frutos revestidos de seda mostraram menos perda de água e foram protegidos contra ataques fúngicos. Portanto, o estudo fornece evidências convincentes sobre a aplicação de seda de aranha como um revestimento conservante.
ABSTRACT
Behcet's Disease is a multi-system, chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by chronic relapsing course. Its principal manifestations are oral and genital ulcers as well as inflammation of the eyes, skin and joints, while vascular and neurological complications may results in death. The etiology and pathogenesis of the disease are still obscure and specific treatment is not available. We report the case history of a patient with Behcet's Disease. He presented with fever, arthritis and weight loss of 3-week duration. He was also found to have hyperthyroidism, extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, and strongyloidiasis. Although, the association between thyroid diseases and auto-immune connective tissue disorders as well as tuberculosis is well recognized, there had been, to the best of our knowledge, no reports of Behcet's Disease associated with thyroid dysfunction. However, further studies are required to investigate any association between Behcet's Disease and thyroid dysfunction
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Adult , Hyperthyroidism , ComorbidityABSTRACT
The hematological and biochemical changes due to multi-organ involvement in typhoid fever are not uncommon. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and severity of the above changes in adult patients admitted to the hospital because of typhoid fever. This was a hospital based descriptive study conducted at the Infectious Diseases unit and medical wards at Rashid Hospital Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from March 2005 to February 2008. The study was designed to include demographics, clinical information, hematotogical and biochemical changes observed in each patient. Only patients whose blood culture yielded Salmonella typhi were included in the study. Full blood count, liver function tests, blood culture, urea, electrolytes, malaria parasite and coagulation profile were performed for all the patients, whereas viral hepatitis serology and ultrasound abdomen were limited to those with disturbed liver function tests. The patients with ALT> 3 times of normal were screened for viral hepatitis [A, B, and C] serology, whereas the patients' with significant hematologicat changes were subjected to bone marrow examination. A total of 75 patients were enrolled into the study. The mean age +/- SD of the patients under the study were 28.4 +/- 8.7 years and males outnumbered the females, 81.3% vs. 18.6%. The most common hematological changes observed were; anemia [61.3%], thrombocytopenia [40%], leucocytosis [10.6%] and leucopenia [4%]. Whereas, the biochemical changes included; raised alanine aminotransferase [73.3%], aspartate aminotransferase [62.7%], bilirubin [30.6%], alkaline phosphatase [44%], prothrombin time [57.3] and blood urea [12%], but the serum albumin was found to be low in 40%. The patients with raised ALT had high frequency of thrombocytopenia [p <0.04], raised serum bilirubin [p <0.02], alkaline phosphatase [p <0.01] and prothrombin time [p
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Salmonella typhi , Blood Cell Count , Liver Function Tests , Urea , Electrolytes , Ultrasonography , Prothrombin Time , Hepatitis, Viral, Human , Anemia , ThrombocytopeniaABSTRACT
Loiasis is a cutaneous filarial parasite of humans caused by the filarial nematode Loa loa, which is transmitted to humans by day-biting Chrysops flies. Human loiasis is confined to the rain forest and swamp forest areas of Western and Central Africa; however; sporadic cases hove been reported from other parts of the world including India. United Arab Emirates is relatively free from arthropod-borne parasitic diseases, but the region remains vulnerable to the introduction of such infections from areas where they are endemic due to a high traffic of a large expatriate population. We report a suspected case of loaiasis in a patient from India who lived and worked in Dubai, UAE, for several years and who had never visited Africa in the past. We assume that this is the first case of loaiasis reported from the gulf region where transmission of the infection has occurred outside the endemic areas