Increasing Storage Duration Research Articles

Comparative Evaluation of Change in Organoleptic, Proximate and Vitamin Content of Freshwater Fish Species, Heteropneustes fossilis at Various Duration of Low Temperature Preservation

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of low temperature preservation on the sensory characteristics, proximate and vitamin content of freshwater fish species, Heteropneustes fossilis. Samples prepared from the fish were kept in low temperature for different duration and nutritional parameters were analyzed. The values of proximate composition of the sample showed the highest content for the fresh sample and the values tend to decreased with increasing storage duration except for carbohydrate. Among all the proximate parameters, moisture, protein, lipid and ash showed a content decreased during storage. However, carbohydrate showed the opposite trend, increased with storage duration. Again, among all the fat soluble vitamins, sample showed the highest value for vitamin D and lowest for vitamin E. Vitamins also showed the declining trend with increasing storage duration. From the present results, it can be stated that fresh fish sample had the highest nutrient content, therefore they should be preferably consumed over preserved fishes or if preserved, it should be for a shorter duration of time so that its nutritional content retains the same.

Renewable-battery hybrid power plants in congested electricity markets: Implications for plant configuration

Examining coupled renewable-battery power plants (“hybrids”) in congested areas provides insights into a future of increased wind and solar penetration. Our study focuses on two types of congested regions, Variable Renewable Energy (VRE)-rich Areas and Load Centers, and explores likely plant configuration choices for developers and transmission network planners. This paper examines how hybrid value, comprising energy and capacity value, varies by plant configuration and congested region type considering factors such as storage duration, battery degradation, and ability to charge from the grid. We select plant locations from across the seven main U.S. independent system operators (ISOs). Hybrid value for each configuration is computed based on profit-maximizing plant operation given perfect foresight, according to observed wholesale power market real time prices from 2018 to 2021. In VRE-rich Areas, the median increase in energy value from extending storage duration from one to 4 h is 29.4 % for solar and 26.8 % for wind, assuming low battery degradation costs and storage sized to 100 % of the plant's nameplate generation capacity. Increasing storage duration beyond 4 h does not substantially increase its value from energy markets, even in VRE-rich Areas. We find that solar hybrids reach a 90 % capacity credit with 4 h of storage, while wind hybrids require 8 h of storage, based on the capacity factor of each hybrid during the top 100 net load hours.

Physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory properties of healthy juices containing aloe vera gel and probiotics and their antidiabetic effects on albino rats.

The consumption of fruit and vegetable juices is widely recognized as a healthy choice across all age groups. Orange, carrot, and aloe vera are renowned for their functional properties and health benefits. In this study, we investigated the potential incorporation of aloe vera gel into blended orange and carrot juices. We also evaluated the resulting mixed probiotic juices (chemical, microbiological, and sensory aspects) during a 14-day storage period at refrigerator temperature. The chemical composition and phytochemical structure of aloe vera gel were examined, followed by an assessment of the biological effects of these healthy juices on diabetic albino rats. The results indicated improvements in total soluble solids, reducing sugars, and total sugars with increasing storage duration. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that incorporating aloe vera into the natural mixed juices enhanced their phytochemical quality. The treatment supplemented with aloe vera gel gave the highest total content of phenolic and flavonoid substances, which were 310 mg of GAE/100 g and 175 mg of quercetin/100 g, respectively. Probiotic strains (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis Bb12, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299V, and Lactobacillus acidophilus L10) exhibited good viable cell counts in orange and mixed orange and carrot probiotics juices with viable counts of 7.42-8.07 log CFU/mL. Regarding sensory attributes, the study found that increasing the ratio of orange juice improved the taste while increasing the ratio of carrot juice enhanced the color in juice mixtures. Incorporation of aloe vera into mixed natural juices also enhanced the reduction of blood glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL, creatinine, ALT, AST, and urea levels while increasing total protein and HDL levels in diabetic rats. Based on these findings, oranges, carrots, and aloe vera offer the potential to produce new, flavorful, nutritious, and appealing juices. Moreover, this study determined that a functional juice with favorable sensory properties can be created by blending 75% orange juice, 20% carrot juice, and 5% aloe vera gel. Additionally, aloe vera demonstrated greater efficacy as an antidiabetic agent in rats. Further research is suggested to explore the potential advantages of aloe vera gel and probiotic juices in mitigating diabetes and other metabolic syndromes.

Modeling electrical particle thermal energy storage systems for long-duration, grid-electricity storage applications

Particle-based thermal energy storage technologies could facilitate increased penetration of variable renewable energy resources by decreasing the costs of providing dispatchable, carbon-free generation resources. However, the technology is not yet commercially available, and its performance has not been thoroughly characterized. This work creates a system modeling platform for particle-based thermal energy storage systems that can characterize performance and is transferable to emerging forms and applications of particle-based thermal energy storage. A library of key component models developed for particle-based thermal energy storage is described and benchmarked against high-fidelity models or with experimental results. A notional 135 MWe power plant employing particle thermal energy storage for grid-scale, electricity storage applications is conceived and simulated. The results show these systems can achieve greater than 50% annual round-trip efficiencies in a variety of durations, locations, dispatch schedules, and key design parameters. A 1.5% decrease in round-trip efficiency was observed when increasing storage duration from 10 to 100 h. Dispatch schedules can impact round-trip efficiency by greater than 0.5%. In regards to component design and performance, the insulation thickness of the silos and the heat exchanger approach temperature impacted performance the most. Particle-based thermal energy storage has the potential to assist in the decarbonization of not only electricity but industry and building sectors as well. This work enables the analysis of the performance of systems in these sectors and serves as a detailed technical model for design optimization in the future.

The Effect of Temperature and Storage Duration on the Quality and Attributes of the Breast Meat of Hens after Their Laying Periods.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperature (2 °C and 6 °C) and storage duration on the quality and attributes of hens' breast meat after their laying periods. The study included physicochemical characteristics (pH, drip loss, colour, shear force), microbiological quality (total Enterobacteriaceae family and Pseudomonas count), and sensory quality. Bacterial identification was performed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The increased meat pH and drip loss was greater at 6 than 2 °C (p < 0.05). An increase in the tenderness of the meat stored at 6 °C was found as early as day 4, as well as at 2 °C on day 8 of storage (p < 0.05). On day 4 of storage, the meat was characterised by a darker colour than on the first day, but the darkening was greater at 6 °C than at 2 °C (p < 0.05). At 6 °C, on day 4 of storage, there was an increase in yellow saturation (b*) of the meat, which was higher at 6 °C than at 2 °C (p < 0.05). At 2 °C, the total bacterial count and number of Pseudomonas spp. in the meat gradually increased along with increasing storage duration, reaching 4.64 log cfu/g and 4.48 log cfu/g, respectively, on the 8th day of storage. At 6 °C, on the sixth day of storage, the total bacterial count in the meat exceeded 7 log cfu/g, considered the limit of microbiological safety. The meat stored at 2 °C had an acceptable sensory quality until the 8th day of storage. The study shows that storage at 2 °C preserves the sensory characteristics and microbiological safety of the hen meat longer at an acceptable level after the laying period. Extended storage life may be of importance to consumers and the meat industry.

Performance of non-waxy Japonica rice in the post-cooking storage process and with a varying water-to-rice ratio

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the water-to-rice (W/R) ratio and short-term storage after cooking on the physico-chemical properties and starch digestibility of good-eating-quality and conventionally cultivated Yudai 21. Organically cultivated Koshihikari was used as a reference. Polished grains were soaked with water in W/R ratios of ×1.4–×1.7, cooked, and stored at 3°C within 24 h. There was little change in the texture of Koshihikari regardless of the W/R ratio, whereas that of Yudai 21 changed with the W/R ratio, with maximum surface and overall adhesiveness and surface adhesion at ×1.6. The syneresis rate increased with increasing storage duration, and Yudai 21 had a lower syneresis rate (3.4%–3.9%) than Koshihikari (3.7%–4.5%). During storage, surface and overall firmness increased, surface and overall adhesiveness and adhesion decreased, and these changes were greater for Yudai 21 than for Koshihikari. The rapidly and slowly digestible starch, equilibrium concentration of starch hydrolysis, kinetic constant, and estimated glycemic index were not changed by variety and interaction but by storage. This study revealed that Yudai 21 was characterized as a rice with particularly high surface adhesiveness.

Inactivation Kinetics of Foodborne Pathogens in Carrot Juice by High-Pressure Processing.

In this study, Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes were separately inoculated in sterilized carrot juice and subjected to various types of high-pressure processing (HPP) at 200-600 MPa for 0.1-15 min to observe the effects of HPP on the inactivation kinetics of foodborne pathogens in carrot juice. The first-order model fits the destruction kinetics of high pressure on foodborne pathogens during the pressure hold period. An increase in pressure from 200 to 600 MPa decreased the decimal reduction time (D values) of S. Typhimurium, E. coli, and L. monocytogenes. Under pressure ≥ 400 MPa, the D values of E. coli were significantly higher than those of S. Typhimurium and L. monocytogenes, indicating that E. coli had greater resistance to high pressures than the others. The Zp values (the pressure range that causes the D values to change by 90%) of E. coli, S. Typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes were 195, 175, and 170 MPa, respectively. These results indicated that L. monocytogenes and E. coli were the most and least sensitive, respectively, to pressure changes. Additionally, the three bacteria were separately inoculated into thermal-sterilized carrot juice and subjected to 200-600 MPa HPP for 3 min. The treated carrot juices were stored at 4 °C for 27 d. Following S. Typhimurium and E. coli inoculation, the bacterial counts of the control and 200 MPa treatments remained the same during the storage duration. However, they decreased for the 300 and 400 MPa treatment groups with increasing storage duration. During the storage period, no bacterial growth was observed in the 500 and 600 MPa treatments. However, the bacterial number for the control and pressure treatment groups increased with prolonged storage duration following inoculation with L. monocytogenes. Therefore, following HPP, residual L. monocytogenes continued growing stably at low temperatures. Overall, HPP could inhibit and delay the growth of S. Typhimurium and E. coli in carrot juice during cold storage, but it was ineffective at inhibiting the growth of L. monocytogenes. There was a risk of foodborne illness despite the low-temperature storage of juice. The innovation of this preliminary study is to find the impact of high pressure on the inactivate kinetics of three food pathogens in carrot juice and its practical application in simulated contaminated juice.

Cold-stored platelets for acute bleeding in cardiac surgical patients: a narrative review.

Cold-stored platelets (CSP) are an increasingly active topic of international research. They are maintained at 1-6°C, in contrast to standard room-temperature platelets (RTP) kept at 20-24°C. Recent evidence suggests that CSP have superior hemostatic properties compared with RTP. This narrative review explores the application of CSP in adult cardiac surgery, summarizes the preclinical and clinical evidence for their use, and highlights recent research. A targeted search of MEDLINE and other databases up to 24 February 2022 was conducted. Search terms combined concepts such as cardiac surgery, blood, platelet, and cold-stored. Searches of trial registries ClinicalTrials.gov and WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were included. Articles were included if they described adult surgical patients as their population of interest and an association between CSP and clinical outcomes. References of included articles were hand searched. When platelets are stored at 1-6°C, their metabolic rate is slowed, preserving hemostatic function for increased storage duration. Cold-stored platelets have superior adhesion characteristics under physiologic shear conditions, and similar or superior aggregation responses to physiologic agonists. Cold-stored platelets undergo structural, metabolic, and molecular changes which appear to "prime" them for hemostatic activity. While preliminary, clinical evidence supports the conduct of trials comparing CSP with RTP for patients with platelet-related bleeding, such as those undergoing cardiac surgery. Cold-stored platelets may have several advantages over RTP, including increased hemostatic capacity, extended shelf-life, and reduced risk of bacterial contamination. Large clinical trials are needed to establish their potential role in the treatment of acutely bleeding patients.

Degradation of methylation signals in cryopreserved DNA

BackgroundBlood-based DNA methylation has shown great promise as a biomarker in a wide variety of diseases. Studies of DNA methylation in blood often utilize samples which have been cryopreserved for years or even decades. Therefore, changes in DNA methylation associated with long-term cryopreservation can introduce biases or otherwise mislead methylation analyses of cryopreserved DNA. However, previous studies have presented conflicting results with studies reporting hypomethylation, no effect, or even hypermethylation of DNA following long-term cryopreservation. These studies may have been limited by insufficient sample sizes, or by their profiling of methylation only on an aggregate global scale, or profiling of only a few CpGs.ResultsWe analyzed two large prospective cohorts: a discovery (n = 126) and a validation (n = 136) cohort, where DNA was cryopreserved for up to four years. In both cohorts there was no detectable change in mean global methylation across increasing storage durations as DNA. However, when analysis was performed on the level of individual CpG methylation both cohorts exhibited a greater number of hypomethylated than hypermethylated CpGs at q-value < 0.05 (4049 hypomethylated but only 50 hypermethylated CpGs in discovery, and 63 hypomethylated but only 6 hypermethylated CpGs in validation). The results were the same even after controlling for age, storage duration as buffy coat prior to DNA extraction, and estimated cell type composition. Furthermore, we find that in both cohorts, CpGs have a greater likelihood to be hypomethylated the closer they are to a CpG island; except for CpGs at the CpG islands themselves which are less likely to be hypomethylated.ConclusionCryopreservation of DNA after a few years results in a detectable bias toward hypomethylation at the level of individual CpG methylation, though when analyzed in aggregate there is no detectable change in mean global methylation. Studies profiling methylation in cryopreserved DNA should be mindful of this hypomethylation bias, and more attention should be directed at developing more stable methods of DNA cryopreservation for biomedical research or clinical use.

99 Influence of Storage Conditions on the Evaluation of Metal Bioaccessibility and Oxidative Potential of Welding Fumes

Abstract Welding fumes (WF) are a complex mixture of ultrafine polymetallic particles, which can deposit in all regions of the respiratory tract. They contain high levels of transition metals (Cr, Cu, Mn …) known to catalyze the production of reactive oxygen species which are related to numerous adverse health effects. In industrial hygiene, collected WF are analyzed several days later, following usual standard techniques. However, during storage WF samples may undergo several physico-chemical modifications that may lead to an underestimation of their oxidative potential (OP) and metal bioaccessibility. In this work, we determined the influence of several usual storage conditions on the OP (dithiothreitol method OPDTT) and metal bioaccessibility of WF. Fresh WF were generated using a controlled welding bench and the collected particles were subsequently stored following various conservation conditions (temperature, atmosphere composition and durations) before analysis. OPDTT of WF significantly decrease with increasing storage duration when stored in ambient air, either at +20°C or -20°C, while there are no significant variations for storage under N2(g). Furthermore, the metal bioaccessibilities show similar trends to that of the OPDTT of WF for the tested conservation conditions. This work confirms that storage conditions of WF have an undeniable influence on their metal bioaccessibility and OPDTT. On-line analysis could offer an alternative to WF filter sampling, using OPDTT as a probe of health monitoring for exposed professionals

Ascorbic acid reduces chilling injury in anthurium cut flowers during cold storage by increasing salicylic acid biosynthesis

Chilling injury (CI) and vase-life reduction are the dominant issues of anthurium cut flowers storage under cold conditions. In the present study, the influence of post-harvest treatments of ascorbic acid (AsA) at concentrations of 0, 1, 2 and 4 mM by two application methods included pulse and spraying on maintainability of anthurium cut flowers (cv. ‘Fire Glow’) was evaluated under temperature of 4 °C during 0, 7, 14 and 21 d of storage. Results demonstrated that increasing storage duration led to more CI and lower flowers quality. Application of AsA treatments effectively reduced CI and extended vase-life of anthurium cut flowers during cold storage. Pulse treatment was more effective than spraying method on maintainability of flowers, so that the lowest CI and highest vase-life was observed in pulse-treated flowers at 2 mM. Also, the lowest electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde content, hydrogen peroxide content and polyphenol oxidase, lipoxygenase and phospholipase D enzymes activity and the highest total phenol content, radical scavenging activity and catalase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase enzymes activity were recorded in flowers treated with this treatment. Obtained results indicated that AsA-treated flowers showed the higher endogenous contents of AsA and salicylic acid (SA) than the control and AsA and SA content of pulse-treated flowers was higher than those of sprayed flowers. AsA treatments probably increased the endogenous content of AsA and biosynthesis rate of SA which led to enhanced radical scavenging activity and reduced CI in treated flowers during cold storage. In conclusion, AsA pulse-treatment at 2 mM could be introduced as superior treatment and using that is recommendable as suitable method to enhance post-harvest chilling tolerance of anthurium cut flowers during cold storage under 4 °C.

Effect of Post-Harvest Treatments on Quality Characteristics of Carrots During Storage

Background: Carrot due to its versatility in culinary uses is considered to be one of the most preferred vegetable. The carrot in Pakistan ranks third among winter vegetables, but due to adoption of improper postharvest techniques and storage, it leads to a great reduction in its quality.&#x0D; Objective: The study was carried out to assess the effect of different treatments on quality characteristics of carrot.&#x0D; Methodology: The study was carried out at the Laboratory of Farm Structures, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam, Pakistan. Freshly harvested mature carrots free from damage and fungal attack were obtained from field. The carrot samples were subjected to different post-harvest treatments i.e. 40 ºC hot water dip for 2 minutes, 50 ºC hot water dip for 2 minutes, 0.4% concentration of calcium chloride (CaCl2) dip for 2 minutes and tap water.&#x0D; Results: The results revealed that moisture content and firmness decreased with increasing storage duration, whereas weight loss, fungal incidence and total soluble solids increased with increasing storage duration. The carrots treated with 0.4% concentration of CaCl2 dip for 2 minutes had maximum moisture content (78.32%) and firmness (4.12 lbs), with minimum weight loss (41.33%), fungal incidence (38.14%) and total soluble solids (10.43%), followed by 40 ºC hot water dip for 2 minutes, 50 ºC hot water dip for 2 minutes and tap water.&#x0D; Conclusion: The carrots treated with 0.4% concentration of CaCl2 dip for 2 minutes showed better quality characteristics at the end of storage. The adoption of this treatment should therefore be encouraged in the developing countries for extending the quality characteristics of carrots.

Application of temporary immersion system RITA® for efficient biomass multiplication and production of artificial seeds for ex situ conservation of Linnaea borealis L

Linnaea borealis L., belonging to the Linnaeaceae family, in some European countries including Poland, is a protected species. Phytochemical studies indicate the presence of pharmacologically important secondary metabolites, which may indicate undiscovered biological activity and untapped therapeutic potential of this species. Harvesting the raw material from natural sites is impossible due to the protection status of this glacial relict in many countries. The aim of the current work was to develop an efficient protocol of Linnaea borealis L. var. borealis shoot multiplication via the development of axillary buds in an agitated culture and a temporary-immersion system as well as to establish the production of artificial seeds via alginate encapsulated nodes for short-time storage. The highest results of growth parameters were obtained for shoots agitated in MS (Murashige & Skoog) liquid medium enriched with cytokinin, auxin and gibberellin (18.3 ± 0.4 shoots per explant and 2185 ± 98% biomass increase, respectively). The growth of shoots in the RITA® bioreactor was highly efficient, especially when hormone supplementation in MS medium was used, the amount of medium in the culture vessel was 100 or 150 ml, and the immersion time of the shoots was 1 or 2 min. The survival and recovery rates of L. borealis artificial seeds, regardless of encapsulation matrix used, subsequently decreased with the increased storage duration up to 6 months (from 100 to 60% at 4 °C and from 100 to 54% at -18 ºC, respectively). This is the first report on twinflower shoot multiplication in a temporary-immersion system and artificial seeds production of this species.

Microbial contamination and quantitative microbial risk assessment of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) film sachet drinking water in Ghana.

The present research estimated the impact of storage on the microbial quality of high-density polyethylene drinking water. Samples were taken from two popular companies in Greater Accra using a two-sided exact test in SAS JMP to estimate the sample size. The samples were stored across three temperature profiles at 8 °C, 30 °C (average room temperature), and 40 °C (average outdoor temperature) for 28 days. The samples were examined using standard microbiological methods for heterotrophic plate counts (HPCs), faecal coliforms, and Escherichia coli. The data were described and regressed with Microsoft Excel, Argo 4.3.1, and SAS JMP software. The results demonstrated increasing deterioration of the water samples for all microbial indices at all temperatures with increasing storage duration. The highest HPC, faecal coliforms, and E. coli were 1,312; 622; and 252 cfu/100 mL, respectively, all at 40 °C. The daily risk of infection due to E. coli O157:H7 was 5.22 × 10-5 infections per child per day for children under 5 years, and 1.6 × 10-4 attacks per adult per day, compared to the upper limit of 1.0 × 10-6. These results are higher than recommended exposures, and interventions along the sachet drinking water value chain are needed to protect public health.

Mitigating Voc Loss in Tin Perovskite Solar Cells via Simultaneous Suppression of Bulk and Interface Nonradiative Recombination.

Tin-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have recently attracted extensive attention as a promising alternative to lead-based counterparts due to their low toxicity and narrow band gap. However, the severe open-circuit voltage (Voc) loss remains one of the most significant obstacles to further improving photovoltaic performance. Herein, we report an effective approach to reducing the Voc loss of tin-based PSCs. We find that introducing ethylammonium bromide (EABr) as an additive into the tin perovskite film can effectively reduce defect density both in the tin perovskite film and at the surface as well as optimize the energy level alignment between the perovskite layer and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) transport material, thereby suppressing nonradiative recombination both in the bulk film and at the interface. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the Voc loss is gradually mitigated along with increasing storage duration due to the slow passivation effect. As a result, a remarkable Voc of 0.83 V is achieved in the devices optimized with the EABr additive, which shows a significantly improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.80% and good stability.

Fungal Diversity in Barley Under Different Storage Conditions.

The diversity of fungi in barley in simulated storage environments was analyzed. Barley was stored at different temperatures (15, 25, 35°C) and relative humidity (55, 65, 75, 85 RH) for 180 and 360 days. Alpha diversity, beta diversity, species composition, and species differences were analyzed using Illumina HiSeq technology. The fungal communities in all barley samples before and after storage belonged to 3 phyla, 18 classes, 39 orders, 71 families, 103 genera, and 152 species. The relative abundance of the dominant phylum Ascomycota was 77.98–99.19%. The relative abundance of Basidiomycota was 0.77–21.96%. At the genus level, the dominant genera of fungi in barley initially included Fusarium, Aspergillus, Microdochium, Alternaria, and Epicoccum. After 360 days of storage, the dominant genera became Epicoccum, Alternaria, Bipolar, Cladosporium, Fusarium, and Aspergillus. According to Venn diagrams and principal coordinates analysis, the fungal community diversity in barley initially was much higher than in barley stored at different temperatures and humidity. The application of PLS-DA could accurately distinguish between barley stored for 180 and 360 days. Some high-temperature and high-humidity environments accelerated storage. The dominant genera differed in different storage conditions and constantly changed with increasing storage duration. Epicoccum was one of the dominant genera after longer storage periods. This study provides theoretical support for optimizing safe storage conditions in barley.

The rehydration attributes and quality characteristics of ‘Quick-cooking’ dehydrated beans: Implications of glass transition on storage stability

Storage stability is an essential consideration for minimizing the deteriorative quality changes in foods post-processing. This study, for the first, time aimed to gain insight into the storage stability of quick-cooking ‘convenient’ dehydrated beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) using the glass transition (Tg) concept. Quick-cooking dehydrated beans were prepared by hydrothermal treatment of fresh beans followed by air-drying and are rehydrated prior to use. The impact of storage temperatures (25, 28, 35 and 42 °C) on the rehydration indices (rate constant and extent) and quality characteristics (colour, texture and volatile profile) of the beans were studied. The results indicate a decrease in the rehydration rate constants with increasing storage temperatures and duration. The rehydration ability also significantly decreased with increased storage duration (>28 °C) suggesting a strong inverse link with hardness. Although there was no overall colour change with storage, the formation of new volatiles associated with non-enzymatic chemical reactions occurred at elevated temperatures (28–42 °C). Identification of the critical water contents based on the Tg-moisture relation and the moisture sorption isotherm revealed that dehydrated beans of 10 % moisture content stored below 28 °C are in a glassy state. Overall, the quality characteristics are significantly influenced by storage and the utilization of the glass transition concept allows for identifying suitable storage conditions.

Effect of long-term storage on the quality of cryopreserved sperm of the giant grouper, Epinephelus lanceolatus

The giant grouper, Epinephelus lanceolatus, is one of the most valuable tropical commercial fishes. The asynchronous maturity periods between males and females hampers breeding programs. Sperm cryopreservation for gamete conservation is important for fish reproduction. We evaluated the effects of storage for 1, 3, 4, and 5 years on cryopreserved sperm of the giant grouper, E. lanceolatus, in 10% DMSO as a cryoprotectant with artificial seminal plasma and 300 mM sucrose as a diluent. Sperm motility, cell survival rate, DNA damage, fertilization rate, and hatching rate were investigated in this study. Post-thaw sperm motility peaked after 1 year of storage (63.27 ± 2.87%; p < 0.05), followed by 3 and 4 years (54.50 ± 4.33% and 54.40 ± 0.30%, respectively). Post-thaw sperm motility decreased after 5 years of storage. The cell survival rate after 1 year of storage (91.54 ± 3.02%) was similar to that of fresh sperm (98.12 ± 0.44%). The rate of DNA damage was unaffected by storage but significantly higher than that of fresh sperm. The fertility rate was significantly higher after storage for 1 and 3 years (98.06 ± 0.57% and 93.26 ± 1.73%, respectively). Samples stored for 1 and 3 years also resulted in high hatching rates (95.90 ± 1.53% and 88.73 ± 1.15%, respectively), which tended to decrease with increasing storage duration. Sperm cryopreserved for 4 years were of good quality in terms of motility and cell survival rate. However, storage for longer than 3 years decreased the fertility and hatching rates.

Donor genetic and nongenetic factors affecting red blood cell transfusion effectiveness.

BACKGROUNDRBC transfusion effectiveness varies due to donor, component, and recipient factors. Prior studies identified characteristics associated with variation in hemoglobin increments following transfusion. We extended these observations, examining donor genetic and nongenetic factors affecting transfusion effectiveness.METHODSThis is a multicenter retrospective study of 46,705 patients and 102,043 evaluable RBC transfusions from 2013 to 2016 across 12 hospitals. Transfusion effectiveness was defined as hemoglobin, bilirubin, or creatinine increments following single RBC unit transfusion. Models incorporated a subset of donors with data on single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with osmotic and oxidative hemolysis in vitro. Mixed modeling accounting for repeated transfusion episodes identified predictors of transfusion effectiveness.RESULTSBlood donor (sex, Rh status, fingerstick hemoglobin, smoking), component (storage duration, γ irradiation, leukoreduction, apheresis collection, storage solution), and recipient (sex, BMI, race and ethnicity, age) characteristics were associated with hemoglobin and bilirubin, but not creatinine, increments following RBC transfusions. Increased storage duration was associated with increased bilirubin and decreased hemoglobin increments, suggestive of in vivo hemolysis following transfusion. Donor G6PD deficiency and polymorphisms in SEC14L4, HBA2, and MYO9B genes were associated with decreased hemoglobin increments. Donor G6PD deficiency and polymorphisms in SEC14L4 were associated with increased transfusion requirements in the subsequent 48 hours.CONCLUSIONDonor genetic and other factors, such as RBC storage duration, affect transfusion effectiveness as defined by decreased hemoglobin or increased bilirubin increments. Addressing these factors will provide a precision medicine approach to improve patient outcomes, particularly for chronically transfused RBC recipients, who would most benefit from more effective transfusion products.FUNDINGFunding was provided by HHSN 75N92019D00032, HHSN 75N92019D00034, 75N92019D00035, HHSN 75N92019D00036, and HHSN 75N92019D00037; R01HL126130; and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

Changes in Physicochemical Properties and Qualities of Red Brown Rice at Different Storage Temperatures.

The effects of storage temperature on the physicochemical properties and qualities of red brown rice were investigated in this study. The samples were vacuum-packed in nylon/polyethylene pouches and stored at 15 °C, 25 °C and 35 °C for 12 weeks. The moisture content decreased as storage time was prolonged. Rice stored at 15 °C and 25 °C had a lower falling range of water content compared to the samples stored at 35 °C. Free fatty acid values increased fastest when samples were stored at a high temperature, and the rise can be effectively delayed at low temperatures. The pH of residual cooking water and adhesiveness decreased, while the heating water absorption rate and hardness increased during storage for red and brown rice. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance results indicate that water molecules migrated, the binding force of H protons became stronger and the bonds between molecules became closer with increased storage duration. Temperature had an obvious correlation with starch granules and protein structure, characterized by a scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Low temperatures significantly retarded those changes. The results indicate that storage temperature is a vital factor affecting the physicochemical properties and qualities of red brown rice and provided reference and theoretical basis for the actual storage of red brown rice.