Changes in Enzymatic Activity and Quality Attributes of Late-mature Peaches in Response to Controlled Atmosphere Conditions

Late-mature peaches (Prunus persica L. Batsch, cv. Dongxuemi) were stored in air, modification atmosphere (MA) and controlled atmospheres (CA) at 1℃ to investigate enzymatic activities, flesh browning, quality attributes and fruit storability during storage periods. Peaches stored in CA conditions showed significant lower activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) compared to that kept in MA and in air during the early period of storage. CA treatments indicated a better result in maintaining fruit firmness, color and titratable acidity than MA and control treatments. But there was no significant difference in vitamin C and total soluble solids of peaches stored in CA, MA and air. Increasing PPO activity obviously stimulated flesh browning. Peach fruits stored in CA conditions showed a lower activity of POD and higher firmness in the early period of storage. The peaches stored in 5%CO2 + 5%O2 and 10%CO2 + 5%O2 for 92 days had a good quality without any off-flavor. The results indicated CA conditions obviously inhibited the enzymatic browning, delayed senescence and maintained quality of late-mature peaches.

Use of subcutaneous tocilizumab to prepare intravenous solutions for COVID-19 emergency shortage:Comparative analytical study of physicochemical quality attributes

COVID-19,a disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-Co V-2,has produced a serious emergency for global public health,placing enormous stress on national health systems in many countries.Several studies suggest that cytokine storms(interleukins)may play an important role in severe cases of COVID-19.Neutralizing key inflammatory factors in cytokine release syndrome(CRS)could therefore be of great value in reducing the mortality rate.Tocilizumab(TCZ)in its intravenous(IV)form of administration-Ro Actemra?20 mg/m L(Roche)-is indicated for treatment of severe CRS patients.Preliminary investigations have concluded that inhibition of IL-6 with TCZ appears to be efficacious and safe,with several ongoing clinical trials.This has led to a huge increase in demand for IV TCZ for treating severe COVID-19 patients in hospitals,which has resulted in drug shortages.Here,we present a comparability study assessing the main critical physicochemical attributes of TCZ solutions used for infusion,at 6 mg/m L and 4 mg/m L,prepared from Ro Actemra?20 mg/m L(IV form)and from Ro Actemra?162 mg(0.9 m L solution pre-filled syringe,subcutaneous(SC)form),to evaluate the use of the latter for preparing clinical solutions required for IV administration,so that in a situation of shortage of the IV medicine,the SC form could be used to prepare the solutions for IV delivery of TCZ.It is important to remember that during the current pandemic all the medicines are used off-label,since none of them has yet been approved for the treatment of COVID-19.

Process performance and quality attributes of temperature and step-down relative humidity controlled hot air drying of Panax notoginseng roots

The effects of temperature and step-down relative humidity controlled hot-air drying(THC-HAD)on the drying kinetics,energy efficiency and quality,i.e.,rehydration ratio(RR),color parameters(L*,a*,b*),total color difference(ΔE*),Panax notoginseng saponins(PNS)content,and ginsenosides content(R1,Rg1,Re,Rd,Rb1)of Panax notoginseng roots were evaluated.The drying time was significantly affected by the drying temperature followed by the relative humidity(RH)of the drying air.Special combination of drying conditions,i.e.,drying temperature of 50°C,relative humidity of 40%for 3 h and then continuous dehumidification from 40%to 8%allowed to shorten the drying time by 25%compared to drying at the same temperature and continuous dehumidification.The longer was the drying time under constant high RH of drying air,the lower was the RR of dried samples.The step-down RH strategy contributed to the formation of a porous structure,enhancement of drying efficiency and quality improvement.Generally,the ginsenosides content increased with the increase in temperature,while no obvious trend was recorded for ginsenoside R1.The contents of the ginsenoside R1,Rg1,Rb1 and PNS decreased with the increase in the drying time under constant high RH.Taking into account the drying time,energy consumption and quality attributes,drying at the temperature of 50°C,constant RH of 40%for 3 h and then step-down RH from 40%to 8%was proposed as the most favorable combination of drying conditions for dehydration of whole Panax notoginseng roots.

Innovative superheated steam impingement blanching(SSIB)enhances drying rate and quality attributes of line pepper

Blanching is an essential step before processing of agricultural products as it can inactivate enzymes that cause undesirable changes.In current work the effects of superheated steam impingement blanching(SSIB)time and temperature on drying characteristics and red pigments content of line pepper were investigated.Results showed that after a 3-min SSIB pretreatment at 110℃ the pepper epidermis covered with wax coat was damaged.In addition,the drying time was extensively decreased and the loss of red pigments of dried products was reduced.Results showed that the whole drying process took place in the falling rate period,which indicated that diffusion was the dominant physical mechanism governing moisture movement in the samples.Therefore,the second Fick’s law of diffusion was used to determine the effective moisture diffusivity(Deff)of line pepper,which increased from 1.193×10^-10 to 3.128×10^-10 m^2/s with increasing of the drying temperature and air velocity.The drying activation energy(Ea)of pretreated samples was 34.31 kJ/mol,which decreased by 3% compared with the non-pretreatment group.The findings of this work indicate that SSIB is very promising pretreatment technique as it not only enhances drying process but also improves bioactive substance preservation of red pepper.

Software Coupling and Cohesion Model for Measuring the Quality of Software Components

Measuring software quality requires software engineers to understand the system’s quality attributes and their measurements.The quality attribute is a qualitative property;however,the quantitative feature is needed for software measurement,which is not considered during the development of most software systems.Many research studies have investigated different approaches for measuring software quality,but with no practical approaches to quantify and measure quality attributes.This paper proposes a software quality measurement model,based on a software interconnection model,to measure the quality of software components and the overall quality of the software system.Unlike most of the existing approaches,the proposed approach can be applied at the early stages of software development,to different architectural design models,and at different levels of system decomposition.This article introduces a software measurement model that uses a heuristic normalization of the software’s internal quality attributes,i.e.,coupling and cohesion,for software quality measurement.In this model,the quality of a software component is measured based on its internal strength and the coupling it exhibits with other component(s).The proposed model has been experimented with nine software engineering teams that have agreed to participate in the experiment during the development of their different software systems.The experiments have shown that coupling reduces the internal strength of the coupled components by the amount of coupling they exhibit,which degrades their quality and the overall quality of the software system.The introduced model can help in understanding the quality of software design.In addition,it identifies the locations in software design that exhibit unnecessary couplings that degrade the quality of the software systems,which can be eliminated.

Profiling the effects of microwave-assisted and soxhlet extraction techniques on the physicochemical attributes of Moringa oleifera seed oil and proteins

There is a constant search for biomaterials from natural products like plants for food and industrial applications.The work embodied in this report aimed at investigating the effects of microwave-assisted and soxhlet extraction(MAE and SE) techniques on the functional physicochemical quality characteristics of Moringa oleifera seed oil and proteins extracts. M. oleifera seeds were ground to fine powders and oil was extracted by microwave-assisted and soxhlet extraction techniques using petroleum ether. Quality attributes including yield percent, moisture content,iodine, saponification, specific gravity, viscosity, p H, thiobarbituric acid, acid and peroxide values were measured. Mineral and vitamin contents, chemical/functional groups, fatty acid(FA) composition, and reducing power of the oil were evaluated. Metabolomics of protein extracted from the defatted powders were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR). M. oleifera oil from MAE and SE methods had good yield(34.25 ± 0.0%,28.75 ± 0.0%), low moisture content(0.008 ± 0.0%, 0.011 ± 0.0%), non-drying and unsaturated, moderately saponified, less dense(0.91 ± 0.01, 0.92 ± 0.02 g m L^(-1)), had Newtonian flow, were weakly acidic, showed good content of FAs, recorded strong potential for long shelf-life, showed stability against oxidative rancidity and enzymatic hydrolysis, had very rich deposits of micro-and macro-nutrients as well as water-soluble and lipidsoluble vitamins, and functional groups in the oil were reflective of its content of long-and medium-chain triglycerides(LCT and MCT). Monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids(MUFA and SFA) were detected and the oil has excellent ferric ion reducing power. NMR metabolomic assay revealed the presence of nine essential amino acids(EAAs) in the protein extract. MAE technique is a feasible and acceptable alternative for high throughput extraction of M. oleifera oil with high yield and excellent quality attributes. The study revealed that MAE did not impart any remarkable advantage(s) on the physicochemical properties of M. oleifera seed oil and protein compared to SE technique.

Multivariate analysis between meteorological factor and fruit quality of Fuji apple at different locations in China

China has the largest apple planting area and total yield in the world, and the Fuji apple is the major cultivar, accounting for more than 70％ of apple planting acreage in China. Apple qualities are affected by meteorological conditions, soil types, nutrient content of soil, and management practices. Meteorological factors, such as light, temperature and moisture are key environmental conditions affecting apple quality that are difficult to regulate and control. This study was performed to determine the effect of meteorological factors on the qualities of Fuji apple and to provide evidence for a reasonable regional layout and planting of Fuji apple in China. Fruit samples of Fuji apple and meteorological data were investigated from 153 commercial Fuji apple orchards located in 51 counties of 11 regions in China from 2010 to 2011. Partial least-squares regression and linear programming were used to analyze the effect model and impact weight of meteorological factors on fruit quality, to determine the major meteorological factors influencing fruit quality attributes, and to establish a regression equation to optimize meteorological factors for high-quality Fuji apples. Results showed relationships between fruit quality attributes and meteorological factors among the various apple producing counties in China. The mean, minimum, and maximum temperatures from April to October had the highest positive effects on fruit qualities in model effect loadings and weights, followed by the mean annual temperature and the sunshine percentage, the temperature difference between day and night, and the total precipitation for the same period. In contrast, annual total precipitation and relative humidity from April to October had negative effects on fruit quality. The meteorological factors exhibited distinct effects on the different fruit quality attributes. Soluble solid content was affected from the high to the low row preface by annual total precipitation, the minimum temperature from April to October, the mean temperature from April to October, the temperature difference between day and night, and the mean annual temperature. The regression equation showed that the optimum meteorological factors on fruit quality were the mean annual temperature of 5.5-18°C and the annual total precipitation of 602-1121 mm for the whole year, and the mean temperature of 13.3-19.6°C, the minimum temperature of 7.8-18.5°C, the maximum temperature of 19.5°C, the temperature difference of 13.7°C between day and night, the total precipitation of 227 mm, the relative humidity of 57.5-84.0％, and the sunshine percentage of 36.5-70.0％ during the growing period （from April to October）.

An Approach to Early Prediction of Software Quality

Due to the rapid development of computers and their applications, early software quality prediction in software industry becomes more and more cruciaL Software quality prediction model is very helpful for decision-makings such as the allocation of resource in module verification and validation. Nevertheless, due to the complicated situations of software development process in the early stage, the applicability and accuracy of these models are still under research. In this paper, a software quality prediction model based on a fuzzy neural network is presented, which takes into account both the internal factors and external factors of software. With hybrid-learning algorithm, the proposed model can deal with multiple forms of data as well as incomplete information, which helps identify design errors early and avoid expensive rework.

Integration of an Objective Approach Focused on the Consumer to Evaluate the Quality of Processed Brussels Sprouts

Few research works focus on integration of the objective analysis of frozen vegetable quality and the preference of consumers for these products. The aim of the present work was to investigate the consumption patterns of Brussels sprouts, the degree of importance that consumers give to main attributes, and the constructions they make about product quality. For this aim, a series of surveys (snowball sampling method) were performed with consumers from four cities in Argentina. Also, the effect of different industrial operations (two blanching procedures, freezing and cooking) on texture, color, total chlorophyll content and ascorbic acid content of processed sprouts, was determined with respect to the fresh product. A function Z (overall quality) was defined to integrate the information obtained by both approaches. Taking into account the relative importance assigned by surveyed consumers to appearance, texture and nutrient content, the quality of final product obtained from different processing methods was equivalent. Most consumers, 96% of total, preferred the fresh product, which suggests that prejudging by consumers influences attempts at objective estimation of quality.

Attribute of Big Data Analytics Quality Affecting Business Performance

With an accelerating increase of business benefits produced from big data analytics (if used appropriately and intelligently by businesses in the private and public sectors), this study focused on empirically identifying the big data analytics (BDA) attributes. These attributes were classified into four groups (i.e., value innovation, social impact, precision, and completeness of BDA quality) and were found to influence the decision-making performance and business performance outcomes. A structural equation modeling analysis using 382 responses from a BDA related to practitioners indicated that the attributes of representativeness, predictability, interpretability, and innovativeness as related to value innovation greatly enhanced the decision-making confidence and effectiveness of decision makers who make decisions using big data. In addition, individuality, collectivity, and willfulness, which are related to social impact, also greatly improved the decision-making confidence and effectiveness of the same decision makers. This shows that the value innovation and social impact, which have received relatively less attention in previous studies, are the crucial attributes for BDA quality as they influence the decision-making performance. Comprehensiveness, factuality, and realism, which are linked to completeness, also have similar results. Furthermore, the higher the decision-making confidence of the decision makers who used big data was, the higher the financial performance of their companies. In addition, high decision-making confidence using big data was found to improve the nonfinancial performance metrics such as customer satisfaction and quality levels as well as product development capabilities. High decision-making effectiveness with big data was also shown to improve the nonfinancial performance metrics.

Spectra selection methods:A novel optimization way for treating dynamic spectra and in-line near infrared modeling

Near infrared(NIR)spectroscopy is now widely used influidized bed granulation.However,there are still some demerits that should be overcome in practice.Valid spectra selection during modeling process is now a hard nut to crack.In this study,a novel NIR sensor and a cosine distance method were introduced to solve this problem in order to make thefluidized process into"visualization".A NIR sensor wasfixed on the side of the expansion chamber to acquire the NIR spectra.Then valid spectra were selected based on a cosine distance method to reduce the influence of dynamic disturbances.Finally,spectral pretreatment and wavelength selection methods were investigated to establish partial least squares(PLS)models to monitor the mois-ture content.The results showed that the root mean square error of prediction(RMSEP)was 0.124%for moisture content model,which was much lower than that without valid spectra selection treatment.All results demonstrated that with the help of valid spectra selection treatment,NIR sensor could be used for real-time determination of critical quality attributes(CQAs)more accurately.It makes the manufacturing easier to understand than the process parameter control.

Detection and quantitation of host cell proteins in monoclonal antibody drug products using automated sample preparation and data-independent acquisition LC-MS/MS

Ensuring the removal of host cell proteins(HCPs) during downstream processing of recombinant proteins such as monoclonal antibodies(m Abs) remains a challenge.Since residual HCPs might affect product stability or safety,constant monitoring is required to demonstrate their removal to be below the regulatory accepted level of 100 ng/mg.The current standard analytical approach for this procedure is based on ELISA;however,this approach only measures the overall HCP content.Therefore,the use of orthogonal methods,such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS),has been established,as it facilitates the quantitation of total HCPs as well as the identification and quantitation of the individual HCPs present.In the present study,a workflow for HCP detection and quantitation using an automated magnetic bead-based sample preparation,in combination with a data-independent acquisition(DIA) LC-MS analysis,was established.Employing the same instrumental setup commonly used for peptide mapping analysis of m Abs allows for its quick and easy implementation into pre-existing workflows,avoiding the need for dedicated instrumentation or personnel.Thereby,quantitation of HCPs over a broad dynamic range was enabled to allow monitoring of problematic HCPs or to track changes upon altered bioprocessing conditions.

Mining Metrics for Enhancing E-Commerce Systems User Experience

The diversity of e-commerce Business to Consumer systems and the significant increase in their use during the COVID-19 pandemic as a one of the primary channels of retail commerce, has made all the most important the need to measuring their quality using practical methods. This paper presents a quality evaluation framework for web metrics that are B2C specific. The framework uses three dimensions based on end-user interaction categories, metrics internal specs and quality sub-characteristics as defined by ISO25010. Beginning from the existing large corpus of general-purpose web metrics, e-commerce specific metrics are chosen and categorized. Analysis results are subjected to a data mining analysis to provide association rules between the various dimensions of the framework. Finally, an ontology that corresponds to the framework is developed to answer to complicated questions related to metrics use and to facilitate the production of new, user defined meta-metrics.

Granulation process analysis technologies and potential applications in traditional Chinese medicine

Pharmaceutical production is changing from batch production to continuous production,during which granulation is one of the most important unit operations.The quality of mass-produced products is traditionally guaranteed by conducting off-line testing,which cannot meet the demand of continuous production for real-time monitoring of critical process parameters and critical quality attributes(CQAs)of the pharmaceutical granulation technology.Since the U.S.Food and Drug Administration proposed process analytical technology(PAT)in 2004,many PAT tools have been developed to monitor the granulation process and provide information regarding the granulation operation conditions and endpoint determination.In this article,we review the recent research and application of two PAT modes in the granulation process,namely,single CQA and multi-CQA PAT,with the aim to provide references for comprehensively improving the technological level of the pharmaceutical granulation process.Furthermore,the potential applications in traditional Chinese Medicine are discussed.

Effect of a combined microwave-assisted drying and air drying on improving active nutraceutical compounds,flavor quality,and antioxidant properties of Camellia sinensis L.(cv.Longjing 43)flowers

Drying tea flowers into a high-quality product is important to its commodity value.In the present work,a combination of microwave-assisted drying and air drying(MAD-AD)was applied in the processing of fresh tea flowers and its effects on flavor quality,active nutraceutical compounds,and antioxidant capacities were studied.The results showed that compared to air drying and freeze drying tea flowers,the MAD-AD tea flowers had higher amounts of active compounds such as catechins,flavonol glycosides,and triterpenoid saponins,and possessed high antioxidant activities.Moreover,this drying method improved the tea flowers'color and preserved a more floral fragrance.This combined method could be of interest as an industrial method for drying tea flowers with the benefit of reduced processing time,more reserved active compounds and high quality of products.

Progress in the design and quality control of placeboes for clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine

In recent years,new preparations of traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs)have been developed,increasing the need for their clinical trials.Using placeboes rather than control drugs is increasingly popular in clinical trials of TCMs,as the therapeutic effects of the tested TCMs can be more properly judged.The basic attributes of TCM placeboes include similarity,safety,applicability and controllability.In particular,it is necessary to have similarities in appearance,color,smell and taste between the tested TCMs and placeboes.This is quite difficult for some TCMs due to their distinctive smell and taste.On the other hand,according to the TCM theory on homology of medicine and food,many foods also have certain bioactivities,potentially further complicating the selection of materials for TCM placeboes.In this review,firstly,studies on the special smell and taste of TCMs were introduced.Then,the preparation quality evaluation processes for TCM placeboes were summarized and discussed,based on the relevant literature published in recent years and the research results from our own lab.This review will facilitate the further research and development of TCM placeboes.

Real-time monitoring system for quality monitoring of jujube slice during drying process

The real-time monitoring and prediction system for quality attributes of jujube slices during the drying process was designed to solve the problem of destructive and inconvenient of the traditional quality detection method and realize quality online monitoring.Firstly,machine vision and automatic weighing were employed to monitor the color and moisture content changes of jujube slices in real-time.Secondly,correlation models between color parameter(a^(*)value)and nutritional quality attributes(vitamin C,reducing sugar)were established to predict vitamin C and reducing sugar content of jujube slices during the drying process.Finally,the upper computer monitoring software was integrated and designed based on LABVIEW virtual instrument,and the real-time monitoring system was tested and validated.Results showed that:the changing trends of color(L^(*),a^(*),and b^(*)values)monitored by the system were basically the same as the results detected by color difference meter,and the average errors of L^(*),a^(*),and b^(*)values were 0.93,0.52,and 0.73,respectively.The average relative error of moisture content between the system monitoring and manual static detection was 0.18%.The average error of vitamin C and reducing sugar content between the system prediction and manual detection were 50 mg/100 g in dry basis and 0.71g/100 g in dry basis,respectively.The current work can provide a useful reference for real-time monitoring of quality attributes of fruits and vegetables during the drying process.

Effects of chitosan coatings fused with medicinal plant extracts on postharvest quality and storage stability of purple passion fruit(Passiflora edulis var.Ester)

Chitosan edible coating(Ch;2%,mass concentration)enriched with 2%of 0.1 mg/L Bidens pilosa(Ch+B),Lippia javanica(Ch+L),Syzygium cordatum(Ch+S),or Ximenia caffra(Ch+X)was applied as a composite edible coating in alleviating shrivel and maintaining the quality of purple passion fruit(Passiflora edulis var.Ester).Treated fruit was dipped for 3 min in the coating solution,and control fruit was dipped in distilled water.The fruit were stored at(8±2)℃and 90%±5%relative humidity(RH)for 32 d.Sampling was done every 8 d plus 3 d(20±2)℃and(50%±5%)RH to simulate retail conditions.Efficacy of medicinal plant extracts in the chitosan matrix varied;lower ethylene production(82.42μL C_(2)H_(4)/(kg·h))was seen in fruit coated with Ch+S,and the lowest respiration rate(75 mL CO_(2)/(kg·h))was observed in fruit coated with Ch+B.The control fruit showed the highest ethylene production(84.90μL C_(2)H_(4)/(kg·h))and respiration rate(117.98 mL CO_(2)/(kg·h)).Fruit coated with Ch+B had the lowest weight loss(41.67%),higher juice content(60.13%)and BrimA(3.31);while the control fruit had the highest weight loss(88.03%),lowest juice content(21.90%),and BrimA(2.49).Shrivel incidence was lowest(23.70%)on fruit coated with Ch+L and highest(83.30%)on the control fruit.Fruit coated with Ch+X had the lowest electrolyte leakage(71.40%),while the control fruit had the highest(91.97%).Fruit coated with chitosan alone performed better than the control fruit but did not exceed the quality of composite chitosan-coated fruit.Based on the principal component analysis,it can be concluded that passion fruit coated with Ch+B was more effective in alleviating shrivel incidence,better maintained the quality ofpassion fruit duringstorage,andshows potential for commercial applications.