Changes In Quality Parameters Research Articles

Diversity of Epipelic Diatom in The Waters of Tanjung Pinang City Province of Riau Islands

Degradation indicator of water quality can be seen from changes in water quality parameters. Diatoms are one organism that can be used as an environmental bioindicator. Diatoms are the primary producers in waters so they have a very important role in the food chain. Data was collected in situ in the Tanjung Unggat waters of Tanjung Pinang City. The method used in this study is a survey method, where data is obtained through observations and measurements in the field. The samples taken are then taken to the laboratory for analysis. Epiphyte diatom samples were taken from 4 stations with different activities. Based on observations of the identification of diatom epipelic that has been done, found 22 diatom genera, namely, Pleurosigma sp., Navicula sp., Diploneis sp., Achnanthes sp., Synedra sp., Nitzschia sp., Gyrosigma sp., Surirella sp., Coscinodiscus sp., Thallasiossira sp., Thallasionema sp., Pinnularia sp., Plagiotropis sp., Halamphora sp., Biddulphia sp., Melosira sp., Chaetoceros sp., Triceratium sp., Isthmia sp., Licmopora sp., and Rhizosolenia sp. The abundance of diatoms in epipelic samples, which ranged from 905277 - 599530 ind / cm2. The structure of Epipelic Diatom Community average diversity index ranges from 3.72 to 4.65 and the dominance index value ranges from 1.09 to 1.46 and the uniformity index value ranges from 0.95 to 1.21.Then based on the results of the Storet Index classification, getting a score of -52.75 on 8 parameters tested. This scoring means that around the category of Class D Tanjung Pinang Coastal waters with a score ≥ -31 are classified as Heavy Polluted waters with the determination of the status of the waters quality is limited to 8 parameters tested.

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION, ANTIOXIDANT COMPONENTS AND ASCORBIC ACID CONTENT RESPONSE OF PEPPER FRUIT (Capsicum annuum L.) CULTIVARS GROWN UNDER SALT STRESS

Purpose: Salinity stress occurs due to the accumulation of high levels of salts in soil, which ultimately leads to the impairment of plant growth and crop loss. Stress tolerance-inducing compounds have a remarkable ability to improve growth and minimize the effects of salinity stress without negatively affecting the environment by controlling the physiological and molecular activities in plants.
 Methodology: The pots were arranged in a complete randomized design with one plant per pot and four replicates per treatment and carried out in 2017 and 2018 to study the influence of four levels of NaCl (0, 50, 100 and 200 mM) on the antioxidant, ascorbic acid, organic and inorganic compounds of three pepper fruits cultivars (‘Granada’, ‘Goliath’ and ‘Nobili’) at mature stage.
 Findings: The results obtained showed that salinity decreased the mineral content (Ca, K, Zn, Mg, Mn, Iron, S and P), relative water content, and agromorphological parameters of pepper fruit. This decrease was accompanied by a significant increase of Na, soluble proteins, proline content, soluble sugar (fructose, glucose) and antioxidants, including total phenolics and flavonoids, and reduced ascorbic acid and β-carotene content. It could be an indicator of salinity tolerance which explains the maintenance of a good water status among the studied plants. However, a varietal difference response to salt stress was observed between the studied varieties. Indeed, the varieties Granada and Nobili are characterized by their vigour in absence as in the presence of salt. Under the studied salinity level there was an enhancement of health-promoting compounds (phenolic compounds, flavonoids, β-carotene and ascorbic acid) synthesis in pepper fruits, with signifcant changes in other quality parameters.
 Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: It is concluded that varieties ‘Granada’ and ‘Nobili’ is more tolerant to salinity compared to the variety ‘Goliath’. Hence, they have a significant role to play in agriculture, food, and economy.

Soil enzymes activity: Effect of climate smart agriculture on rhizosphere and bulk soil under cereal based systems of north-west India

In agriculture production system, soil enzymes are important indicators of soil quality. Measurements of soil quality parameter changes are essential for assessing the impact of soil and crop management practices. Keeping this in view, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the enzyme activities namely dehydrogenase (DHA), β-glucosidase, acid and alkaline phosphatase (AcP &AlP), fluorescein diacetate hydrolases (FDH), cellulase, urease and aryl sulphatase in rhizosphere and bulk soil after 8 years of different management regimes. Soil organic carbon (SOC), moisture content and few enzyme indices such as enzymatic pH indicator (AcP/AlP), alteration index three (Al3) and geometric mean (GMea) were also measured. The treatments were conventional rice-wheat system (termed as scenario (Sc1), CT system), partial conservation agriculture (CA)-based rice-wheat-mungbean system (Sc2, PCA-RW), partial climate smart agriculture (CSA)-based rice-wheat-mungbean system (Sc3), partial CSA-based maize-wheat-mungbean system (Sc4), full CSA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system (Sc5), and full CSA-based maize-wheat-mungbean system (Sc6). Soil samples were collected from rhizosphere and away from roots (bulk soil) at 0–15 cm soil depth before sowing (from rhizosphere of previous crops), at maximum tillering, flowering, and after harvesting of wheat crop. Results showed that DHA activity was higher before sowing (59.8%), at maximum tillering (48.4%), flowering (8.6%) and after harvesting (19.1%) in rice based CSA systems (mean of Sc3 and Sc5) over maize based CSA systems (mean of Sc4 and Sc6) in rhizospheric soil. On average, β-glucosidase activity was significantly higher in rhizospheric soils of rice based system over maize based CSA system. Before sowing of wheat, significantly higher (21.4%) acid phosphatase activity was observed in rhizosphere over bulk soils of maize based CSA system. Significantly higher alkaline phosphatase activity was observed before sowing of wheat in bulk soils of rice (25.3%) and maize (38.5%) based CSA systems over rhizospheric soils. Rice based CSA systems showed 27% higher FDH activity than maize based systems. Significant interaction effect was observed between the managements and enzymes. SOC played an important role in regulating the enzymes activity both in rhizosphere and bulk soil. Significant variation in AcP/AlP, Al3 and GMea was observed among the managements. Therefore, CSA managements are beneficial in improving enzyme activities not only in rhizosphere but also in bulk soil where residues are retained thereby may help in improving nutrient cycling.

Mulching and technological interventions avoid land degradation in an intensive oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) production system

AbstractSoil quality characteristics are poorly understood after cultivating oil palm (OP) under irrigated conditions. OP grown under irrigated ecosystem on tropical soils is supplied with huge quantities of water and nutrients without considering changes in soil quality parameters. This may lead to the degradation of fertile lands. To understand the changes that take place in soil properties due to different management practices, data from 132 fixed points have been collected in West Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh in India, from 13‐year‐old plantations and for ca 6 years after imposing mulching and improved resource management interventions. Improvement in soil organic carbon (SOC) content, cation exchange capacity (CEC) available N, P, K, Mg and B contents were recorded due to mulching and improved management. In a monocrop stand of oil palm, mulching alone could enhance SOC content by 52% at 13 years after planting, whereas the corresponding improvement in an intercrop stand (with cocoa) was 77%, above its conventional cultivation SOC without mulching. Mulching in combination with improved management could enhance the SOC content by 40 and 56% respectively after 6 years in sole and intercrop stands respectively, over their corresponding levels at 13 years, in the top 0–30 cm layer. Conventional cultivation of OP recorded a reduction of SOC by 4% during the same time‐span of 6 years. Similar trend was observed in soil available nutrients also. The partial least squares (PLS)‐path model confirmed that sustainable production of oil palm is possible through mulching and improved management.

Gamma irradiation treatment of minimally processed kiwi fruit to maintain physicochemical quality and prevent microbial proliferation during refrigerated storage

Mature kiwi after minimal processing were treated with 0.5–2.0 kGy gamma irradiation to monitor changes in quality parameters under refrigerated conditions (3 ± 1°C, RH 85%) for 16 days. The results revealed that treatment of 2.0 kGy proved helpful in delaying onset of surface browning, reducing the polyphenol oxidase activity and preserving the original color of samples till 16 days. Dose dependent decrease in polyphenol oxidase activity and surface browning was observed in kiwi samples. Control samples were almost devoid of chlorophyll after 12 days; whereas 2.0 kGy samples, showed decrease of 29.6% in chlorophyll after 16 days. Dose of 2.0 kGy significantly prevented the proliferation of microbial load and resulted in 5.7 log reduction in yeast and mold count and 6.0 log reductions in bacterial count of kiwi samples after the end of 16 days of storage; therefore, satisfying food safety concerns of ready to eat kiwi fruit. Practical applications Increasing demand for ready to eat, convenience chemical free and health promoting foods associated with limited shelf-life has forced the food scientists to search for new technologies. Extending shelf-life and maintaining both nutritional as well as microbial quality has beneficial implications on industry and consumers. Present investigation showed that radiation processing of minimally processed kiwi offers a promising alternative to chemicals to delay the onset of browning besides maintaining other quality attributes and thus ensuring consumer safety and satisfaction.

Effect of Different Modified Atmosphere Packaging on the Quality of Mulberry Fruit (Morus alba L. cv Kokuso 21).

The control of temperature and gas composition is essential to maintain the fresh flavor and quality of perishable fruits like mulberry. This study presented a modified atmosphere experiment (MAP) for fresh fruit showing the potential benefits of innovative gas mixing with argon. The effects of MAP were studied on the physicochemical and qualitative attributes of mulberry preserved at 4 ± 1°C and 90 ± 5% R.H. Fresh mulberries were packaged with different gas combinations: MAP1 (4%O2+6%CO2+90%N2), MAP2 (10%O2+5%CO2+85%Ar), CTR1 (20.9%O2+0.04%CO2), and CTR2 (10%O2+5%CO2+85%N2). Changes in quality parameters were evaluated after 0, 4, 8, and 12 days of storage. Mulberries packaged with MAP had a lower weight loss than CTR samples which lost more than 80% of their initial weight. Furthermore, the results showed that the argon treatment was the best in keeping the fruit juice content, preserving its structure. Despite not showing great differences with MAP1 treatment, Ar allowed to maintain high TSS up to 8 storage days, slowed CO2 production. The sensory profile of mulberry fruit was not significantly affected by storage in modified atmospheres, and the production of potential unpleasant odors in MAP2 could not be perceived. The results of this study confirm that this innovative approach, using MAP technology, has a potential use in maintaining mulberry fruit quality for a longer time.

Game algorithm based on link quality: Wireless sensor network routing game algorithm based on link quality

Aiming at the problems of low data transmission efficiency and uneven energy consumption caused by unreliable link communication in the routing process of wireless sensor networks, this article designs a routing game algorithm based on link quality. In this article, the index for evaluating link quality is defined first. Then, the link quality, node residual energy, and minimum jump transmission strategy are integrated into the utility function to establish a game model to determine the best next hop transmission node. Finally, the routing optimal transmission path is obtained according to the analysis of the existence of Nash equilibrium in the game. In the simulation experiment, the influence of the change of link quality parameters on the performance of the algorithm is analyzed, and the proposed algorithm is compared with non-linear weight particle swarm optimization (NWPSO) algorithm and Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy-Improvement (LEACH-IMPT) algorithm in three aspects: the number of surviving nodes, network lifetime, and network energy consumption. The results show that the network lifetime of this method is 16.8% longer than that of LEACH-IMPT algorithm and 7.5% longer than that of NWPSO algorithm. This shows that the algorithm can effectively balance the network energy consumption and prolong the network life cycle. In addition, according to the routing path obtained in the simulation experiment, the optimality of its link quality is verified in the real experimental environment, and the experimental results prove the feasibility of the method in this article in practice.

High temperature induced changes in quality and yield parameters of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and similarity coefficients among genotypes using SSR markers

High temperature induced by climatic fluctuations are an important threat for plant growth, development and quality of agricultural produces. Adaptableness to environmental changes generally derives from a large set of genetic traits affecting physio-morphological, biochemical and agronomic parameters. Therefore, the identification of genotypes with higher yield and good quality parameters at high temperatures is becoming increasingly necessary for future breeding programs. Here, we analyzed the performance of different tomato genotypes grown under elevated temperatures in terms of yield and nutritional quality of the fruit. High temperature stress was induced from flower initiation to maturity stage by keeping the pots in a temperature controlled green house facility for 45 days. The quality and yield parameters were taken at the harvesting stage. Starch and soluble sugar concentration in the leaves of tomato genotypes showed significant reduction in its amount under heat stress. Titrable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS) and ascorbic acid content of tomato fruits were highest under high temperature conditions compared to ambient condition but lycopene content decreased with rise in temperature. The yield attributes viz., number of fruits/plant, fruit set %, average fruit weight (g), yield per plant (g/plant) were significantly lower for Arka Saurabh, Arka Rakshak and Pusa Rohini when compared to other genotypes under study. Molecular characterization of selected 22 tomato genotypes were assessed using 25 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Phylogenetic tree was constructed by the unweighted neighbour-joining method (UPGMA) using NTSYSpc cluster analysis software. The Jaccard's similarity matrix was constructed using the SIMQUAL method using UPGMA algorithm in NTSYSpc. Jaccard's similarity matrix among these tomato genotypes ranged from a minimum of 0.22 to a maximum of 1 with an average genetic similarity of 0.67. Hence this study has importance in identifying genotypes that could maintain good quality and higher yield under high temperature condition.

Inactivation kinetic of selected pathogens of coconut water by dimethyl dicarbonate and microbial shelf life during cold storage

This present work shows the potential of dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC) as a promising approach to ensure quality and safety of coconut water in term of microbial inactivation and minimal changes in quality parameters during cold storage (4°C). Pathogenic strains including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Enteritidis, and Listeria monocytogenes were selected for evaluation of inactivation kinetic with DMDC concentration between 0 and 300 ppm. Physico–chemical properties of DMDC-treated samples were analyzed and shelf-life determination was carried out by monitoring total plate count and yeast and mold count during cold storage (4°C). Results showed that microbial inactivation kinetic was best described by first-order kinetic model according to higher R2 in all strains tested. The DMDC-treated sample did not show any major undesirable effect on quality parameters. Therefore, the shelf life of coconut water could be extended by DMDC while quality parameters are still ensured with guaranteed safety. Novelty Impact Statement According to R2, first-order kinetic was chosen over zero-order kinetic for microbial inactivation of coconut water subjected to DMDC. An extended shelf life of coconut water was also obtained after DMDC treatment with minimal changes in quality. Therefore, this approach substantiates to be highly acceptable with respect to pasteurization in the case of coconut water and can be applied to other juices for industrial perspectives.

Breast meat quality in males and females of fast-, medium- and slow-growing chickens fed diets of 2 protein levels

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of genotype, sex, dietary protein level, and their interactions on select carcass characteristics and meat quality of fast- (Ross 308), medium- (Hubbard JA757) and slow-growing (ISA Dual) chickens (n = 2,520). The diet of the low-protein group of chickens had 6% lower CP than the commercial diet fed to the control group. When the chickens reached an average live weight of 2 kg, 10 males and 10 females of each genotype and the diet were selected for slaughter and breast meat–quality analysis. The dressing out and breast percentages were lower in the JA757 (−2.0 and −5.9%, respectively) and ISA Dual chickens (−9.9 and −14.3%, respectively) than those in the Ross 308 chickens. The ISA Dual chickens had higher abdominal fat percentage, higher DM and protein contents and lower ether extract content and shear force value in breast meat than the other genotypes. Significant interaction effects of genotype, sex, and diet were found on the color of breast skin. Among the various combinations of genotype, sex, and diet group, Ross 308 females fed the low-protein diet had the highest redness and yellowness of breast skin, highest pH45 value, and largest fibers, whereas ISA Dual females had the lowest color parameters and pH45 value, and ISA Dual males had the smallest muscle fibers. The low-protein diet was associated with decreased abdominal fat percentage and changes in meat quality parameters, including increased darkness, meat color intensity, drip loss, and muscle fiber area, in all genotypes. The results indicated greater differences in meat quality owing to genotype than to sex or dietary protein level.

Influence of Storage on Physiological Properties, Chemical Composition, and Bioactive Compounds on Cactus Pear Fruit (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.)

Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.) fruit from ‘Orito’ cultivar were stored at 2 °C and 90% RH for 28 days plus three days at 20 °C (shelf life, SL). This research analysed the changes in fruit quality parameters (weight loss, firmness, color, titratable acidity, and total soluble solids), ethylene production, respiration rate, antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds (total phenols and carotenoids) of cactus pear fruit during cold and shelf life storage. Under cold conditions, CO2 production decreased, and ethylene production increased slightly, while under shelf life conditions CO2 production increased and ethylene production increased more sharply. Firmness increased under cold conditions and did not change during shelf life period. The content of total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), pH, total carotenoids, and lipo-antioxidant activity (L-TAA) remained stable under both conservation conditions. However, hydro-antioxidant activity (H-TAA) increased under both cold and shelf life conditions, and total phenols remained stable during cold storage and increased under shelf life conditions. Besides, weight loss was acceptable under both storage conditions, and color changes were more pronounced under shelf life storage. These results show that the marketability of cactus pear fruit from ‘Orito’ cultivar was acceptable until the end of the storage under cold and shelf life conditions.

Changes in quality parameters of strawberry fruit through drip irrigation under protected cultivation

The present study was conducted at experimental farm of CSK HPKV, Palampur (Himachal Pradesh), during the year 2015-16 with the objectives of evaluating the effects of drip irrigation and NK fertigation levels on growth and quality of strawberry under protected condition. The treatments comprised of three drip irrigation levels (DI0.6, DI0.8 and DI1.0), three NK fertigation levels (NK50, NK75 and NK100) and Control (C). The results indicated that DI1.0 treatment due to favourable soil moisture regimes led to higher TSS content while vitamin C was higher in DI0.6. In case of different NK fertigation treatment, NK100 and NK75 had higher fruit length, breadth, weight and TSS content as compared to NK50 treatment.

Nutrient Composition, Antioxidant Components and Ascorbic Acid Content Response of Pepper Fruit (Capsicum annuum L.) Cultivars Grown under Salt Stress

Salinity stress occurs due to the accumulation of high levels of salts in soil, which ultimately leads to the impairment of plant growth and crop loss. Stress tolerance-inducing compounds have a remarkable ability to improve growth and minimize the effects of salinity stress without negatively affecting the environment by controlling the activities in plants. The pots were arranged in a complete randomized design with one plant per pot and four replicates per treatment and carried out in 2017 and 2018 to study the influence of four levels of NaCl (0, 50, 100 and 200 mM) on the antioxidant, ascorbic acid, organic and inorganic compounds of three pepper fruits cultivars (“Granada”, “Goliath” and “Nobili”) at mature stage. The results obtained showed that salinity decreased the mineral content, relative water content, and agro-morphological parameters of pepper fruit. This decrease was accompanied by a significant increase of Na, soluble proteins, proline content, fructose, glucose and antioxidants, including total phenolics and flavonoids, and reduced ascorbic acid and β-carotene content. However, a varietal difference response to salt stress was observed between the studied varieties. Indeed, the variety Granada is characterized by their vigour in absence as in the presence of salt. Under the studied salinity level there was an enhancement of health-promoting compounds (phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and soluble sugar) synthesis in pepper fruits, with significant changes in other quality parameters. “Granada” was more tolerant and stable in physiological, biochemical and agro-morphological traits suggesting that it could be grown in salt-affected soils.

The performance of diatom indices in assessing temporal changes in water quality in a large lowland river ecosystem

AbstractBenthic diatoms are often included in bioassessment programs of river health as sensitive indicators of nutrient status and pollution. Many diatom‐based indices have been developed and are frequently used to infer conditions in water quality. However, concerns have been raised regarding the robustness of these indices in riverine systems that have natural variability in environmental conditions, including seasonal change of water quality parameters, especially in terms of physical and chemical characteristics of water, which also influence diatom community composition. Here, we used three diatom‐based indices (Diatom‐based eutrophication/pollution index, EPI‐D; Biological Diatom Index, IBD; Watanabe's Index, WAT), which have previously been validated as robust for water quality assessment in China, to explore their response to temporal changes in water quality and diatom community structure in a riverine network over time. Concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), nitrate nitrogen (NO3‐N), total phosphorus (TP), temperature (t), and turbidity in April 2010 were significantly higher than in November 2007. The 141 diatom taxa we found in April 2010 were fewer than the 194 taxa we found in November 2007. On both occasions, the three diatom indices responded to same water quality variables (phosphorus and chloride or nitrogen) as reported in previous studies. Of the three diatom indices tested, EPI‐D provided the most robust measure of natural seasonal changes in water quality and indicated the phosphorus and chloride. Our study confirms that these three diatom indices are effective for evaluating long‐term water quality in large rivers.

Rheological behavior and storage studies of sprouted onion pastes from four onion varieties

ObjectiveThe study was carried out to investigate the rheological behavior and storage studies of sprouted onion pastes from four varieties (Punjab White, Punjab Naroya, PRO-6 and commercial). MethodsThe storage study of paste samples from raw and sprouted onions packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles was carried out at room temperature (25 ± 1 °C) after thermally processing them at 80 °C for 15 min. All the paste samples were periodically analyzed for the change in quality characteristics viz, colour, pH, titratable acidity, TSS(∘B), TS (%), Water activity, Moisture (%), Total phenol content (mg/g), Total flavonoid content (mg/g), Total antioxidant capacity (mg/g), DPPH (%) and microbial count. The rheological properties of raw and sprouted onion paste samples were studied using Modular Compact Rheometer MCR-102 equipped with parallel plates geometry. Results and conclusionsSprouted onion pastes were found to retain quality characteristics with lesser color changes, higher total phenolics, total flavonoids, antioxidant activity and microbial stability than raw pastes during storage. Storage period and its interactive effect with the variety and sprouting had significant (P < 0.05) effect on total antioxidant capacity, DPPH radical scavenging activity, L*, a* and b* values of onion pastes as revealed by multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA). The rheological studies of onion pastes depicted that the elastic modulus (G′) and viscous modulus (G″) decreased in all the sprouted paste samples which showed their decreased frequency dependency. In addition to the effect of sprouting the paste samples behaved either as a strong gel or weak gel depending on the concentration of the paste. This study showed that variety, sprouting and storage period resulted in onion pastes with different physicochemical composition, antioxidant potential and rheological characteristics. The intensity of change in quality parameters identified the opportunities of using sprouting process to enhance the storage stability and impart desirable rheological properties to onion pastes for various food applications.

Effect of agronomic management on rice grain quality Part II: Nitrogen rate and timing

AbstractBackground and objectivesIn temperate rice growing regions, the application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer is often split into two applications to reduce the risk of cold‐induced sterility associated with high N uptake. This strategy involves a basal N application applied pre‐permanent water (PW) and the second application following panicle initiation (PI). Split N application generally increases crop yield, however, data describing the impact on grain quality are relatively sparse. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the split N method on grain quality parameters. We analyzed grain quality under various pre‐PW and PI N rates.FindingsN applied pre‐PW increased head rice yield (HRY; the percentage of grain that remains whole or at least 75% of the original length after milling) in all tested cultivars, however, the effect of splitting the same total N rate into two doses on HRY was cultivar specific. N rate applied pre‐PW also showed a positive and negative relationship with milled grain yellowness (b*) and brightness (L*), respectively. The effect of N on amylose content was cultivar specific. The changes in quality parameters through pre‐PW N application were associated with protein content. However, total protein content did not correlate as strongly with quality parameters in the split treatments compared with the single‐dose treatments. Analysis of protein composition revealed N rate and timing affected protein composition, which had significant impacts on quality parameters, and the effects were cultivar specific.ConclusionThese results indicate altering the nutritional management of rice changes the protein composition affecting grain quality parameters.Significance and noveltyThis study demonstrates the importance of N rate and timing of application in regard to grain quality and the significant role protein composition plays in quality characteristics.

Significant change in air quality parameters during the year 2020 over 1st smart city of India: Bhubaneswar.

Prevention of Coronavirus results in lockdown in India from 24 March 2020 to 31 May 2020. Eastern India, which is having a dense cluster of coal-fired power plants and home to many mines, mineral industries, has not shutdown power plants and coal mines during this lockdown period, though other industrial and vehicular emissions were almost zero. The present study attempts to find the change in various atmospheric pollutants during this lockdown period over an eastern tropical Indian station—Bhubaneswar, which is the first smart city proposed in smart city mission of Government of India. The study analyses hourly concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, NOX, O3, and CO for March–May 2019 and 2020. The study shows a significant increase (rather than decrease) in PM2.5 and PM10, increase in O3 and a decrease in CO and NOX during the lockdown period. Results are advocating the impact of transported pollution over the study area for maintaining the PM2.5 and PM10 values even during the lockdown situation.

Biofortification of Chicken Eggs with Vitamin K-Nutritional and Quality Improvements.

National nutrition surveys have shown that over half of all adults in Ireland, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States of America (USA) have low vitamin K intakes. Thus, dietary strategies to improve vitamin K intakes are needed, and vitamin K biofortification of food may be one food-based approach. The primary aim of our study was to establish whether increasing the vitamin K3 content of hen feed can increase the vitamin K content of eggs, and the secondary aims were to examine the effects on hen performance parameters, as well as egg and eggshell quality parameters. A 12 week hen feeding trial was conducted in which Hyline chickens were randomized into four treatment groups (n = 32/group) and fed diets containing vitamin K3 (as menadione nicotinamide bisulfite) at 3 (control), 12.9, 23.7, and 45.7 mg/kg feed. Vitamin K1, menaquinone (MK)-4, MK-7, and MK-9 were measured in raw whole eggs via a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method. MK-4 was the most abundant form of vitamin K (91–98%) found in all eggs. Increasing the vitamin K3 content of hen feed over the control level significantly (p < 0.001) enhanced the MK-4 content of eggs (mean range: 46–51 µg/100 g, representing ~42–56% of US Adequate Intake values). Vitamin K biofortification also led to significant (p < 0.05) increases in the yellowness of egg yolk and in eggshell weight and thickness, but no other changes in egg quality or hen performance parameters. In conclusion, high-quality vitamin K-biofortified eggs can be produced with at least double the total vitamin K content compared to that in commercially available eggs.

Determination of selected biochemical parameters in blood serum and egg quality of Czech and Slovak native hens depending on the housing system and hen age

The objective of this study was to determine and evaluate the impact of the age and housing system on blood indicators (triacylglycerides, total cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, total proteins, albumin, glucose) and physical egg quality parameters (egg weight, shape index and surface area, eggshell proportion, thickness, strength, and color, albumen proportion and index, Haugh units, yolk proportion, index and yolk-to-albumen ratio) in selected native breeds of the Czech Republic (the Czech Golden Spotted hens) and Slovakia (the Oravka hens). Furthermore, the concentration of cholesterol in the yolk was determined. A total of 132 animals were used. There were 60 eggs collected from each breed at each monitored period for the evaluation of egg quality. Blood samples were taken by puncture of a wing vein. The assessments were made when the hens were of 34, 42, and 50 weeks old. Enriched cages and floor pens with litter were used as housing systems. The effects of breed, housing system, and age were observed. Furthermore, interactions among these factors were calculated. The significant effect of housing system was found in total cholesterol (P = 0.098) and aspartate aminotransferase (P = 0.0343) and the significant effect of age in total protein (P = 0.0392). The significant effect of breed (P = 0.0199), housing system (P = 0.0001), and age (P = 0.0001) was found in concentration of cholesterol in the yolk. Regarding the egg quality, the significant effect of breed (P = 0.0001) was found in eggshell color, albumen index and Haugh units, whereas the significant effect of housing system was found in egg weight (P = 0.0002), egg surface area (P = 0.0003), eggshell proportion (P = 0.0460), thickness (P = 0.0216), strength (P = 0.0049), and color (P = 0.0009). The significant effect of age was determined in all parameters except for the eggshell proportion and strength. The results represent an interesting comparison of changes in biochemical blood and egg quality parameters. It is necessary to further evaluate these indicators, especially in other genetic resources of hens, where the data are often nonexisting.

Evaluation of IoT-Enabled Monitoring and Electronic Nose Spoilage Detection for Salmon Freshness During Cold Storage.

Salmon is a highly perishable food due to temperature, pH, odor, and texture changes during cold storage. Intelligent monitoring and spoilage rapid detection are effective approaches to improve freshness. The aim of this work was an evaluation of IoT-enabled monitoring system (IoTMS) and electronic nose spoilage detection for quality parameters changes and freshness under cold storage conditions. The salmon samples were analyzed and divided into three groups in an incubator set at 0 °C, 4 °C, and 6 °C. The quality parameters, i.e., texture, color, sensory, and pH changes, were measured and evaluated at different temperatures after 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 14 days of cold storage. The principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm can be used to cluster electronic nose information. Furthermore, a Convolutional Neural Networks and Support Vector Machine (CNN-SVM) based algorithm is used to cluster the freshness level of salmon samples stored in a specific storage condition. In the tested samples, the results show that the training dataset of freshness is about 95.6%, and the accuracy rate of the test dataset is 93.8%. For the training dataset of corruption, the accuracy rate is about 91.4%, and the accuracy rate of the test dataset is 90.5%. The overall accuracy rate is more than 90%. This work could help to reduce quality loss during salmon cold storage.