Assessment of Physico-Chemical and Microbial Quality of Sugarcane Juice Sold by Street Vendors in Three Regions of Bangladesh

Sugar cane juice is a popular refreshing drink in most part of Bangladesh. It has great taste and health benefits;also it is available most of the public places at reasonable prices which consumed by road side customers including general public, shopping personals, tourists, students. In our country, street vendors crushing sugarcane between roller crusher and sold without any heat treatment or preservative, also served with or without added ice and lemon juice. The study aimed to identify and compare the physico-chemical and microbial quality of sugarcane juice. The chemical qualities of juices including moisture, PH, ash, total soluble solid, total sugar, reducing sugar and titrable acidity were found slightly different in Mymensingh, Gazipur and Narayangonj areas. The highest and lowest value of moisture, ash, PH, total soluble solids, total sugar, reducing sugar and titrable acidity were found in 84.33% - 79.26% (Gazipur-Mymensingh), 0.57% - 0.04% (Mymensingh-Gazipur), 5.9 - 2.9 (Gazipur-Narayangonj), 17.48% - 4.98% (Mymensingh-Narayangonj), 21.9% - 6.56% (Mymensingh-Gazipur), 3.7 - 2.1 (Gazipur-Mymensingh) and 0.523% - 0.007% (Narayangonj-Gazipur) respectively. For microbiological analysis, the total viable count of sugar cane juice in Mymensingh, Gazipur and Narayangonj were ranged from 0.6 × 105 - 43.6 × 105 cfu/ml, 4.6 × 105 - 21.6 × 105 cfu/ml and 3.6 × 105 - 36.6 × 105 cfu/ml respectively, where the permitted value is 1.0 × 104 cfu/ml, whereas the total coliform count was ranged from 0.4 × 105 - 6.4 × 105 cfu/ml, 0.6 × 105 - 8.4 × 105 cfu/ml and 0.00 - 8.4 × 105 cfu/ml, where the permitted value is 100 cfu/ml and total fungal count was ranged from 5.5 × 105 - 56.5 × 105 cfu/ml, 21.5 × 105 - 54.5 × 105 cfu/ml and 32.5 × 105 - 68.5 × 105 cfu/ml, where the permitted value is 1000 cfu/ml. According to the Gulf standard, the microbiological parameters of all the collected sugar cane juice were out of the permitted standards, so that a serious health outbreak can be caused anytime.

Consumption of sugary beverages,genetic predisposition and the risk of depression:a prospective cohort study

Background The associations between sugary beverages and genetic predisposition to depression risk remain unclear.Aims This study aimed to investigate the associations of sugar-sweetened beverages(SSBs),artificially sweetened beverages(ASBs)and natural juices(NJs)with depression and to assess whether these associations were modified by genetic predisposition.Methods We used data from the UK Biobank of 180599 individuals aged 39-72 years who were depression-free at baseline.Dietary intake of SSBs,ASBs and NJs was accessed by a 24-hour dietary recall between 2009 and 2012.The Polygenic Risk Score for depression was estimated and categorised as low(lowest tertile),intermediate(tertile 2)and high(highest tertile),.Cox proportional hazard and substitution models were conducted to evaluate hazard ratios(HRs)and 95%Cls.Results Over the 12-year follow-up,4915 individuals developed depression.Higher consumption(>2 units/day)of SSBs(HR:1.26,95%CI 1.12 to 1.43)and ASBs(HR:1.40,95%Cl 1.23 to 1.60)were both associated with an increased risk of depression.However,moderate consumption(>0-1 units/day)of NJs was associated with a lower risk of depression(HR:0.89,95%CI 0.83 to 0.95).Furthermore,genetic predisposition did not modify these associations(p interaction>0.05).In substitution models,the HRs for depression risk were 0.94(95%CI 0.89 to 0.99)and 0.89(95%CI 0.85 to 0.94),respectively,when 1 unit/day of SSBs or ASBs was replaced by an equivalent intake of NJs.Conclusions Higher consumption of SSBs and ASBs was associated with an increased risk of depression;in contrast,moderate consumption of NJs was inversely associated with a lower risk of depression.In theory,substituting SSBs and ASBswith NJs would suppose a reduction of depression risk.

Critical approaches in the catalytic transformation of sugar isomerization and epimerization after Fischer-History,challenges,and prospects

The transformation of aldose to ketose or common sugars into rare saccharides,including rare ketoses and aldoses,is of great value and interest to the food industry and for saccharidic biomass utilization,medicine,and the synthesis of drugs.Nowadays,high-fructose corn syrup(HFCS)is industrially produced in more than 10 million tons annually using immobilized glucose isomerase.Some low-calorie saccharides such as tagatose and psicose,which are becoming popular sweeteners,have also been produced on a pilot scale in order to replace sucrose and HFCS.However,current catalysts and catalytic processes are still difficult to utilize in biomass conversion and also have strong substrate dependence in producing high-value,rare sugars.Considering the specific reaction properties of saccharides and catalysts,since the pioneering discovery by Fischer,various catalysts and catalytic systems have been discovered or developed in attempts to extend the reaction pathways,improve the reaction efficiency,and to potentially produce commercial products.In this review,we trace the history of sugar isomerization/epimerization reactions and summarize the important breakthroughs for each reaction as well as the difficulties that remain unresolved to date.

Ingenious liquid-observed vapor exchange (LOVE) NMR method revealing how sugars protect dry protein structure

Recently,Gary et al.published an article elucidating how sugars contribute to the protection of dry protein structure.They utilized an ingenious liquid-observed vapor exchange(LOVE)nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)method,providing valuable insights into the protection mechanism of sugars during the drying process.The details of their study can be found in the article available at https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00692.

Systematizing Teacher Development:A Review of Foreign Language Teacher Learning

Foreign language teaching practice is developing rapidly,but research on foreign language teacher learning is currently relatively fragmented and unstructured.The book Foreign Language Teacher Learning,written by Professor Kang Yan from Capital Normal University,published in September 2022,makes a systematic introduction to foreign language teacher learning,which to some extent makes up for this shortcoming.Her book presents the lineage of foreign language teacher learning research at home and abroad,analyzes both theoretical and practical aspects,reviews the cuttingedge research results,and foresees the future development trend,painting a complete research picture for researchers in the field of foreign language teaching and teacher education as well as front-line teachers interested in foreign language teacher learning.This is an important inspiration for conducting foreign language teacher learning research in the future.And this paper makes a review of the book from aspects such as its content,major characteristics,contributions and limitations.

Nitrogen-Doped Amorphous Carbon Homojunction from Palmyra Sugar as a Renewable Solar Cell

An a-C/a-C:N junction,which used palmyra sugar as the carbon source and ammonium hydroxide(NH4OH)as the dopant source,was successfully deposited on the ITO glass substrate using the nano-spraying method.The current-voltage relationship of the junction was found to be a Schottky-like contact,and therefore the junction shows the characteristic rectifiers.This means the a-C and a-C:N are semiconductors with different types of conduction.Moreover,the samples showed an increase in current and voltage value when exposed to visible light(bright state)compared to the dark condition,thereby,indicating the creation of electron-hole pairs during the exposure.It was also discovered that the relationship between current and voltage for the a-C/a-C:N junction sample formed a curve that satisfies the rule of the photovoltaic effect when exposed to visible light from a light bulb.The exposure of this sample to direct sunlight at AM 1.5 conditions produced a curve that meets the rules for the emergence of the photovoltaic effect with higher characteristics for the current-voltage relationship.Thus,the a-C/a-C:N junction sample is a solar cell successfully fabricated using a sample method and has a maximum efficiency of 0.0013%.

Genome-Wide Discovery and Expression Profiling of the SWEET Sugar Transporter Gene Family in Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) under Developmental and Stress Conditions: Structural and Evolutionary Analysis

The SWEET(sugar will eventually be exported transporter)family proteins are a recently identified class of sugar transporters that are essential for various physiological processes.Although the functions of the SWEET proteins have been identified in a number of species,to date,there have been no reports of the functions of the SWEET genes in woodland strawberries(Fragaria vesca).In this study,we identified 15 genes that were highly homolo-gous to the A.thaliana AtSWEET genes and designated them as FvSWEET1–FvSWEET15.We then conducted a structural and evolutionary analysis of these 15 FvSWEET genes.The phylogenetic analysis enabled us to categor-ize the predicted 15 SWEET proteins into four distinct groups.We observed slight variations in the exon‒intron structures of these genes,while the motifs and domain structures remained highly conserved.Additionally,the developmental and biological stress expression profiles of the 15 FvSWEET genes were extracted and analyzed.Finally,WGCNA coexpression network analysis was run to search for possible interacting genes of FvSWEET genes.The results showed that the FvSWEET10 genes interacted with 20 other genes,playing roles in response to bacterial and fungal infections.The outcomes of this study provide insights into the further study of FvSWEET genes and may also aid in the functional characterization of the FvSWEET genes in woodland strawberries.

Transcriptome Sequencing for Sugar and Flavonoid Metabolism in Prunus persica‘Jinxiangyu’

In this study,high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)and RNA-seq transcriptome sequencing were used to study the changes in soluble sugar components and flavonoids in Prunus persica‘Jinxiangyu’at different developmental stages(20–90 d after flowering)and screen the key genes regulating the formation of soluble sugar and flavonoids in the fruits.The results showed that 60–85 d after flowering was the key stage of quality formation of Prunus persica‘Jinxiangyu’,and the content of soluble sugar,soluble solid,fructose,and sucrose in the fruit increased significantly during this period.The sugar content of ripe fruits was mainly fructose and sucrose.The content of kaempferol glycoside was low in the fruit.Quercetin glycoside content was higher in the young fruit stage and decreased with fruit maturity.There were no anthocyanin compounds in the fruit.The expression levels of genes involved in flavonoid metabolism(ANS,DFR,F3H,FLS,4CL1,etc.)were low in the fruit.A total of 181 differentially expressed genes were identified during fruit development to participate in five sugar metabolism pathways,among which the SDH gene had a higher expression level,which continuously rised in the later stage of fruit development.It mainly promoted the accumulation of fructose content in the later stage of fruit development.The expression levels of SPS1,SS,and SS1 genes were continuously up-regulated,which played a key role in sucrose regulation.The higher expression levels of SUS3 and INVA genes in the early stage of fruit development promoted the degradation of sucrose.

Colonoscopy-assisted removal of an impaction foreign body at the rectosigmoid junction: A case report

BACKGROUND When an anorectal foreign body is found,its composition and shape should be evaluated,and a timely and effective treatment plan should be developed based on the patient's symptoms to avoid serious complications such as intestinal perforation caused by displacement of the foreign body.CASE SUMMARY A 54-year-old male was admitted to our outpatient clinic on June 3,2023,due to a rectal foreign body that had been embedded for more than 24 h.The patient reported using a glass electrode tube to assist in the recovery of prolapsed hemorrhoids,however,the electrode tube was inadvertently inserted into the anus and could not be removed by the patient.During hospitalization,the patient underwent surgery,and the foreign body was dragged into the rectum with the aid of colonoscopy.The anus was dilated with a comb-type pulling hook and an anal fistula pulling hook to widen the anus and remove the foreign body,and the local anal symptoms were then relieved with topical drugs.The patient was allowed to eat and drink,and an entire abdominal Computed tomography(CT)and colonoscopy were reviewed 3 d after surgery.CT revealed no foreign body residue and colonoscopy showed no metal or other residues in the colon and rectum,and no apparent intestinal tract damage.CONCLUSION The timeliness and rationality of the surgical and therapeutic options for this patient were based on a literature review of the clinical signs and conceivable conditions in such cases.The type,material and the potential risks of rectal foreign bodies should be considered.

Overview on Soil Compaction and Sugar Beet Growth

With the advancement of agricultural mechanization,soil compaction has become a serious environmental problem.Soil compaction can increase soil bulk density and firmness,reduce porosity and permeability,and deteriorate soil structure,ultimately inhibit sugar beet growth and reduce both root yield and sugar content.However,few farmers recognize the link between soil compaction and these adverse effects.Soil compaction has a cumulative effect,with significant differences observed in the vertical range of compaction accumulation.The most significant soil compaction occurs in the topsoil of 0-10 cm,and the influence depth can reach 70 cm,but it is small in deep soil,and the inflection point is at a soil depth of 10 cm.The degree of soil compaction is related to soil type,water content,tractor shaft load,tyre type,tyre pressure and operation speed,etc.Therefore,in the production process of sugar beet,it is advisable to avoid high-humidity operations,use low pressure tyres,reduce the number of tractor-units passes over the farmland,and implement agricultural and agronomic measures to minimize soil compaction.These practices will help protect the soil environment and ensure sustainable production of sugar beets.

Specialization or Diversification:Which is More Conducive to Foreign Trade Resilience?Evidence from China-Russia Border Regions in Northeast China

Under the background of complex international situation,how to build the special geo-economic space of China-Russia bor-der lies in strengthening their foreign trade resilience against external shocks.Based on empirical evidence from ten prefecture-level China-Russia border regions in Northeast China,this paper analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution of foreign trade resilience under different shocks.Furthermore,through the Panel Regression model,the mechanism of the industrial structure on the foreign trade resilience in contraction period and expansion period was discussed.The results showed that:1)from 2004 to 2021,foreign trade in China-Russia border regions experienced five phases.The overall foreign trade resilience was higher than expected,showing a rising volatility trend,but there was significant spatial heterogeneity in the ability of cities to cope with shocks.2)Highly specialized clusters were mainly concentrated in Yichun,Heihe and Da Hinggan Ling Prefecture,while Mudanjiang and Yanbian performed better in related and unrelated diversification.3)In different stages of economic system evolution,the response mode,degree and result of border foreign trade resilience to regional industrial structure showed obvious stage characteristics.During the contraction period,related diversification was more conducive to improving the resistance through risk spillovers.During the expansion period,specialization played a more significant role in improving regional resilience through self-reinforcing effect.These results are beneficial for expanding the resilience theory,ensuring border economic security and optimizing border industrial investment layout.

Nasal congestion caused by long-term retention of a nasal foreign body near the orbit:A case report

BACKGROUND Nasal trauma presents a risk of foreign body invasion into the nasal cavity.However,in the early treatment stage of nasal trauma,patients and doctors are not always aware of possible foreign body invasion,resulting in delayed detection.We describe the case of an adult patient admitted to the hospital due to left nasal congestion accompanied by yellow,purulent,and bloody discharge.CASE SUMMARY Consultation with the patient revealed a history of nasal trauma 30 years prior that did not receive thorough examinations and imaging during treatment,resulting in a glass fragment retained in the nasal cavity adjacent to the orbit.After admission,computerized tomography(CT)confirmed the presence of the foreign body in the patient’s left nasal–maxillary sinus.The nasal foreign body led to symptoms such as chronic sinusitis,nasal polyps,fungal infection,and deviated nasal septum.The foreign body was successfully removed by nasal endoscopy,polypectomy,sinus fungal removal,left middle turbinate conchoplasty,fenestration via the right inferior meatus,nasal endoscopic maxillary sinus cystectomy,and septolplasty.The operation was successful and without any complications.CONCLUSION CT scans should be performed in addition to necessary debridement sutures to avoid possible foreign body invasion during nasal trauma.Surgical planning should be tailored to the patient’s specific situation.The surgical method should be carefully selected,and sufficient preparation should be undertaken before the surgery to avoid possible displacement of the nasal foreign body.

Flexible bronchoscopy for foreign body aspiration in children:A single-centre experience

BACKGROUND The technological evolution of bronchoscopy has led to the widespread adoption of flexible techniques and their use for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.Currently,there is an active debate regarding the comparative efficacy and safety of rigid vs flexible bronchoscopy in the treatment of foreign body aspiration.AIM To evaluate our experience with tracheobronchial foreign body extraction using flexible bronchoscopy and provide a literature overview.METHODS This was a single-centre retrospective study.Twenty-four patients were enrolled between January 2017 and January 2023.Medical records of patients aged below 18 years who were admitted to authors’affiliated institution with a suspected diagnosis of foreign body aspiration were collected from hospital’s database to Microsoft Excel 2019.Data were analysed using MedCalc Statistical Software.RESULTS Patient ages varied from 9 months to 11 years.The median age was 23.5 months,95%confidence interval(CI)19.49-44.77.We observed age clustering in children with foreign body aspiration at our institution with three age subgroups:(1)0-25 months;(2)40-60 months;and(3)120-140 months.We expectancy of an organic tracheobronchial foreign body was significantly higher in 0-25 months subgroup than that in older ones when subgroups 40-60 and 120-140 months were combined together(odds ratio=10.0,95%CI:1.44-29.26,P=0.0197).Successful foreign body extraction was performed in all cases.Conversion to a rigid bronchoscope was not required in any of the cases.No major complications(massive bleeding,tracheobronchial tree perforation,or asphyxia)were observed.CONCLUSION Flexible bronchoscopy is an effective and safe method for tracheobronchial foreign body extraction in children.

Wang Yi Addresses Symposium on International Situation and China's Foreign Relations in 2023

On January 9,2024,the Symposium on the International Situation and China’s Foreign Relations in 2023 was held in Beijing.Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the symposium and delivered a keynote speech entitled“Self-Confidence and SelfReliance,Openness and Inclusiveness,Fairness and Justice,and Win-Win Cooperation.”

Management of Vulnating Esophageal Foreign Bodies in Burkina Faso

Introduction: Esophageal foreign bodies (EFB) are a diagnostic and therapeutic emergency because of the serious complications they can cause. Aim: This paper aimed to study the vulnating esophageal foreign bodies in the ENT and Head and Neck Surgery departments of the Yalgado Ouedraogo and Bogodogo University Hospital. Methodology: This was an analytic cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection over 10 years (2012-2021). Results: We collected 91 cases of vulnating esophageal foreign bodies, i.e. 9.1 cases/year (4.7%). The mean age of the patients was 14 ± 19 years. The sex ratio was 1.6. The circumstances of occurrence were dominated by accidental ingestion of vulnating esophageal foreign bodies (98.9%). The average time to consultation was 7.5 hours. Dysphagia was the dominant symptom (64.8%). Cervico-thoracic radiography found dual contour radiopaque images in 71.4%. Esophagoscopy with rigid tube was performed in 97.8%. The average time for extraction of the vulnating esophageal foreign bodies was 8 hours. Vulnerating esophageal foreign bodies were non-organic in 84.6%. The button cell represented 64.8%. Their location was cervical in 61.5% intraoperatively. The lesion assessment found ulcerative lesions in 42.9% (p Conclusion: Vulnating esophageal foreign bodies are relatively frequent in our ENT practice. Although their diagnosis is often easy, their treatment is still difficult and requires multidisciplinary management. Thus, for us, prevention remains the first effective weapon.

Rail-Pillar Net:A 3D Detection Network for Railway Foreign Object Based on LiDAR

Aiming at the limitations of the existing railway foreign object detection methods based on two-dimensional(2D)images,such as short detection distance,strong influence of environment and lack of distance information,we propose Rail-PillarNet,a three-dimensional(3D)LIDAR(Light Detection and Ranging)railway foreign object detection method based on the improvement of PointPillars.Firstly,the parallel attention pillar encoder(PAPE)is designed to fully extract the features of the pillars and alleviate the problem of local fine-grained information loss in PointPillars pillars encoder.Secondly,a fine backbone network is designed to improve the feature extraction capability of the network by combining the coding characteristics of LIDAR point cloud feature and residual structure.Finally,the initial weight parameters of the model were optimised by the transfer learning training method to further improve accuracy.The experimental results on the OSDaR23 dataset show that the average accuracy of Rail-PillarNet reaches 58.51%,which is higher than most mainstream models,and the number of parameters is 5.49 M.Compared with PointPillars,the accuracy of each target is improved by 10.94%,3.53%,16.96%and 19.90%,respectively,and the number of parameters only increases by 0.64M,which achieves a balance between the number of parameters and accuracy.

Composite Panels from the Combination of Rice Husk and Wood Chips with a Natural Resin Based on Tannins Reinforced with Sugar Cane Molasses Intended for Building Insulation: Physico-Mechanical and Thermal Properties

The objective of this work is to develop new biosourced insulating composites from rice husks and wood chips that can be used in the building sector. It appears from the properties of the precursors that rice chips and husks are materials which can have good thermal conductivity and therefore the combination of these precursors could make it possible to obtain panels with good insulating properties. With regard to environmental and climatic constraints, the composite panels formulated at various rates were tested and the physico-mechanical and thermal properties showed that it was essential to add a crosslinker in order to increase certain solicitation. an incorporation rate of 12% to 30% made it possible to obtain panels with low thermal conductivity, a low surface water absorption capacity and which gives the composite good thermal insulation and will find many applications in the construction and real estate sector. Finally, new solutions to improve the fire reaction of the insulation panels are tested which allows to identify suitable solutions for the developed composites. In view of the flame tests, the panels obtained are good and can effectively combat fire safety in public buildings.

An Empirical Study on Foreign Language Majors’Needs for Ideological and Political Education Elements in Chinese Universities

The paper takes 2076 undergraduate students majoring in foreign languages from 15 Chinese universities as the research subjects to investigate their demand for ideological and political education elements in foreign language courses.The results show that:(1)Students have high needs for ideological and political education elements in foreign language courses;(2)There are differences in students’needs for ideological and political education elements across different dimensions.Students have higher demand for dimensions such as personal qualities,cultural literacy,moral cultivation,and patriotism,while their demand for dimensions related to constitutional law and political identity is relatively low.Therefore,foreign language majors in Chinese universities should optimize the supply of ideological and political education elements in their courses according to students’needs,and improve the effectiveness of moral education in these courses.

Let’s Talk LGBTQIA+:Strategies and Activities for Teaching Diversity and Inclusion in the Foreign Language Classroom at the College Level

In this presentation,the author explores strategies and activities that create a welcoming and nurturing environment for LGBTQIA+foreign language students at the college level in the United States.Indeed,as it is commonly stated,there is a clear lack of visibility,acceptance/tolerance,and inclusion of LGBTQIA+voices(active and proactive)in foreign language teaching and learning(pedagogical material as well as in-class attitudes and delivery).The reasons for this deficiency are diverse since they cover not only outward discrimination against and/or indifference(passive-aggressive behavior)toward the LGBTQIA+community and its plight,but they also illustrate the sheer,physical inexistence of quality material that can be used to create,present,and foster a welcoming and all-encompassing classroom environment that addresses the diverse spectrum of the LGBTQIA+community while its members try to learn a foreign language and(positively)negotiate how to express their very identity in their new language of choice.Moreover,the scant material that is available in the United States as well as in other Western countries where the LGBTQIA+community by and large is accepted-at least from the legal point of view-hardly represents and covers the subject matter in a satisfactory way.To address this gap,the author will provide some examples in European Portuguese(EP)and Italian(IT),followed by a courtesy translation in English,to illustrate some positive activities and strategies for including LGBTQIA+-related subject matter in the foreign language classroom at the college level.It is his desire that instructors of other foreign languages duplicate in their respective vernaculars the strategies and activities herein presented in order to create a welcoming and safe classroom environment that embraces the LGBTQIA+community as it goes through the enjoyable journey of learning a new language and culture.

An Empirical Study on Students’Evaluation of Moral Education in Foreign Language Education in China

Students’evaluation of moral education is of great significance for improving the quality of teaching.Through a survey of 2715 undergraduates majoring in foreign languages,this paper analyzes their evaluation of the moral education.Findings show that students speak highly of teachers’competence in moral education,teaching methods and the integration of moral education in the textbooks,but not in the course assessment and the overall effect of moral education.Suggestions were proposed accordingly to improve moral education of foreign language education in China.