Estimation of the proximal temperature rise of an excited upconversion particle by detecting the wavefront of emission

Monitoring the temperature distribution within a local environment at the micro and nanoscale is vital as many processes are solely thermal. Various thermometric techniques have been explored in the community, and out of these, fluorescent nano/micro particle-based mechanisms are accepted widely (fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) techniques, where the ratio of populations in two consecutive energy levels is compared with Boltzmann distribution). We describe a new technique to account for the temperature rise near an illuminated upconverting particle (UCP) using wavefront imaging, which is more sensitive than the conventional thermometric techniques on the microscale. We rely on a thermo-optical phase microscopic technique by reconstructing the wavefront of emission from an upconverting particle using a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. The wavefront maps the local phase distribution, which is an indicator of the surroundings' optical parameters, particularly the suspended medium's temperature-induced refractive index in the presence of convection currents. We describe how these extracted phase values can provide information about the optical heating due to the particle and hence its local environment along the direction of the emission. Our findings demonstrate the detection of a minimum temperature rise of 0.23 K, while the FIR methods indicate a minimum of 0.3 K rise. This technique is used to study the temperature increase in the backscattered direction for an upconverting particle illuminated on pump resonance. We also estimate the Soret coefficient for an upconverting particle optically trapped on pump resonance and experiencing anisotropic heating across the body.

The Rheology and Textural Properties of Bakery Products Upcycling Brewers' Spent Grain

This study aimed to evaluate the rheological properties of doughs with 50% brewers' spent grain (BSG) derived from a rye-based (RBSG) and barley-based (BBSG) beer added, and the textural profile of the related baked products. Simple model systems using BSG flour mixed with water were studied. Two bakery products, focaccia and cookies, were made as food systems using BSG in a 1:1 ratio with wheat flour (WF). Their rheological properties and texture after baking were characterized. BSG-added dough exhibited viscoelastic properties with a solid gel-like behavior. The addition of BSG increased G' > G″ and decreased the dough flexibility. BSG addition in baked RBSG focaccia increased the hardness, gumminess, and chewiness by 10%, 9%, and 12%, respectively. BBSG cookies had a 20% increase in fracturability. A positive correlation was found between the rheological metrics of the dough and the textural parameters of BBSG-added cookies. PCA analysis revealed that complex viscosity, G', G″, and cohesiveness separated BBSG focaccia from RBSG focaccia and the control. Therefore, the rheological properties of BSG dough will have industrial relevance for 3D-printed customized food products with fiber. Adding RBSG and BBSG to selected foods will increase the up-cycling potential by combining techno-functional properties.

Chitin, chitosan and chitooligosaccharides as potential growth promoters and immunostimulants in aquaculture: A comprehensive review

There is a stable growth in aquaculture production to avoid seafood scarcity. The usage of eco-friendly feed additives is not only associated with aquatic animal health but also reduces the risk of deleterious effects to the environment and consumers. Aquaculture researchers are seeking dietary solutions to improve the growth performance and yield of target organisms. A wide range of naturally derived compounds such as probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, complex carbohydrates, nutritional factors, herbs, hormones, vitamins, and cytokines was utilized as immunostimulants in aquaculture. The use of polysaccharides derived from natural resources, such as alginate, agar, laminarin, carrageenan, fucoidan, chitin, and chitosan, as supplementary feed in aquaculture species has been reported. Polysaccharides are prebiotic substances which are enhancing the immunity, disease resistance and growth of aquatic animals. Further, chitin (CT), chitosan (CTS) and chitooligosaccharides (COS) were recognized for their biodegradable properties and unique biological functions. The dietary effects of CT, CTS and COS at different inclusion levels on growth performance, immune response and gut microbiota in aquaculture species has been reviewed. The safety regulations, challenges and future outlooks of CT, CTS and COS in aquatic animals have been discussed in this review.

Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae as potential feedstock for the biodiesel production: Recent advances and challenges

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) Hermetia illucens is fastest growing and most promising insect species especially recommended to bring high-fat content as 5th generation bioenergy. The fat content can be fully optimized during the life-cycle of the BSFL through various organic dietary supplements and environmental conditions. Enriched fat can be obtained during the larval stages of the BSF. The presence of high saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in their body helps to produce 70 % of extractable oil which can be converted into biodiesel through transesterification. The first-generation biodiesel process mainly depends on catalytic transesterification, however, BSFL had 94 % of biodiesel production through non-catalytic transesterification. This increases the sustainability of producing biodiesel with less energy input in the process line. Other carbon emitting factors involved in the rearing of BSFL are less than the other biodiesel feedstocks including microalgae, cooking oil, and non-edible oil. Therefore, this review is focused on evaluating the optimum dietary source to produce fatty acid rich larvae and larval growth to accumulate C16-18 fatty acids in larger amounts from agro food waste. The process of optimization and biorefining of lipids using novel techniques have been discussed herein. The sustainability impact was evaluated from the cultivation to biodiesel conversion with greenhouse gas emissions scores in the entire life-cycle of process flow. The state-of-the-art in connecting circular bioeconomy loop in the search for bioenergy was meticulously covered.

Phycoerythrin: a pink pigment from red sources (rhodophyta) for a greener biorefining approach to food applications

Phycoerythrin (PE) is a photosensitive red pigment from phycobiliprotein family predominantly present in the red algae. The concentration of PE depends on photon flux density (PFD) and the quality of light absorbed by the algae tissue. This necessitates robust techniques to extract PE from the embedded cell-wall matrix of the algal frond. Similarly, PE is sensitive to various factors which influence its stability and purity of PE. The PE is extracted from Red algae through different extraction techniques. This review explores an integrative approach of fractionating PE for the scaling-up process and commercialization. The mechanism for stabilizing PE pigment in food was critically evaluated for further retaining this pigment within the food system. The challenges and possibilities of employing efficient extraction for industrial adoption are meticulously estimated. The techniques involved in the sustainable way of extracting PE pigments improved at a laboratory scale in the past decade. Although, the complexity of industrial-scale biorefining was found to be a bottleneck. The extraction of PE using benign chemicals would be safe for food applications to promote health benefits. The precise selection of encapsulation technique with enhanced sensitivity and selectivity of the membrane would bring better stability of PE in the food matrix.

Distribution, toxicity, interactive effects, and detection of ochratoxin and deoxynivalenol in food: A review

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi that cause severe damage to agricultural products and food in the food supply chain. These detrimental pollutants have been directly linked with poor socioeconomic patterns and human health issues. Among the natural micropollutants, ochratoxin A (OTA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) are widely distributed in food materials. The primary occurrence of these mycotoxins is reported in almost all cereal grains and fresh agro-products. Both mycotoxins have shown harmful effects, such as nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, and genotoxic effects, in humans due to their complex structural formation during the degradation/acetylation reaction. In addition, improper preharvest, harvest, and postharvest handling tend to lead to the formation of OTA and DON in various food commodities, which allows different harmful fungicides in practice. Therefore, this review provides more insight into the distribution and toxicity of OTA/DON in the food matrix and human health. Furthermore, the interactive effects of OTA/DON with co-contaminated organic and inorganic compounds are discussed. Finally, international regulation and mitigation strategies for detoxication are critically evaluated to meet food safety and good agriculture practices.

Analyses on the distribution and influence of higher-order aberrations both clinically and experimentally among varied refractive errors

PURPOSE:

The aim of this work is to determine and compare the distribution and influence of higher-order aberrations (HOAs) both clinically and experimentally between different refractive errors.

METHODS:

Commercially available Shack–Hartmann aberrometer was employed to measure the HOA clinically in human eyes. Experimentally, HOA was measured in a model eye by simulating various refractive errors by constructing an aberrometer based on the same Shack Hartmann principle. One-way analyses of variance and simple regression were employed to analyze the distribution and influence of HOA among various refractive errors.

RESULTS:

A total of 100 eyes were clinically measured for aberrations, of which 35, 50, and 15 eyes were emmetropes, myopes, and hyperopes, respectively. Out of the total root mean square (RMS) value, the HOAs found in the human eyes were 23%, 7%, and 26% and in the model eye, it was 20%, 8%, and 10% between emmetropes, myopes, and hyperopes, respectively. The mean higher-order RMS was almost similar between the groups and among various refractive errors. There was no statistical significance between the individual Zernikes except for the coma in both human and model eyes.

CONCLUSION:

The mean HOA is similar amidst the different refractive errors. The presence of 23% HOA in emmetropes signifies that larger part of the human eye is capable of complying with HOA without compromising the image quality. This work signifies that HOA does not play an important role in image clarity for human eyes with regular refractive surface unlike irregular refractive surfaces.

Hazardous impact of diclofenac on mammalian system: Mitigation strategy through green remediation approach

Diclofenac is an anti-inflammatory drug used as an analgesic. It is often detected in various environmental sources around the world and is considered as one of the emerging contaminants (ECs). This paper reviews the distribution of diclofenac at high concentrations in diverse environments and its adverse ecological impact. Recent studies observed strong evidence of the hazardous effect of diclofenac on mammals, including humans. Diclofenac could cause gastrointestinal complications, neurotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, hematotoxicity, genotoxicity, teratogenicity, bone fractures, and skin allergy in mammals even at a low concentration. Collectively, this comprehensive review relates the mode of toxicity, level of exposure, and route of administration as a unique approach for addressing the destructive consequence of diclofenac in mammalian systems. Finally, the mitigation strategy to eradicate the diclofenac toxicity through green remediation is critically discussed. This review will undoubtedly shed light on the toxic effects of pseudo-persistent diclofenac on mammals as well as frame stringent guidelines against its common usage.

Dieckol: a brown algal phlorotannin with biological potential

Dieckol [C36H22O18], is a naturally occurring phlorotannin found in some brown algal species. Dieckol is gaining more attention in the scientific community for its potential biological activities. It has been exhibited a broad spectrum of therapeutic functions including anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, anti-diabetic, neuroprotective, and other medicinal applications. Distinct emphasis has been given to extraction, purification, and biomedical applications of dieckol. This critical review comprises of in vitro, in vivo, and in silico biological properties of dieckol. An attempt has been made to evaluate the effectiveness, therapeutical application, and mechanism of dieckol against various diseases. The pharmacological significance, current status and the dosage of multifunctional dieckol and its mechanisms have been discussed in this review. Dieckol plays an important role in apoptosis induction via inhibiting the PI3K, AKT, mTOR and FAK signaling molecules. Dieckol remarkably inhibited the lipid accumulation in high fat diet induced animal models. Dieckol, a multifaceted compound will be beneficial in attenuating the action of various diseases and it could be a potential pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compound. Therefore, the combined effects of dieckol with existing drugs and natural compounds will be studied in future to optimize its benefits. Besides limited information on the toxicological action and dosage administration of dieckol on the human was reported to date. Overall, dieckol is a prospective health-promoting compound for the development of a novel drug against numerous diseases.

Recent insights into the extraction, characterization, and bioactivities of chitin and chitosan from insects

Background

Insects are a living resource used for human nutrition, medicine, and industry. Several potential sources of proteins, peptides, and biopolymers, such as silk, chitin, and chitosan are utilized in industry and for biotechnology applications. Chitosan is an amino-polysaccharide derivative of chitin that consists of linear amino polysaccharides with d-glucosamine and N-acetyl-d-glucosamine units. Currently, the chief commercial sources of chitin and chitosan are crustacean shells that accumulate as a major waste product from the marine food industry. Existing chitin resources have some natural challenges, including insufficient supplies, seasonal availability, and environmental pollution. As an alternative, insects could be utilized as unconventional but feasible sources of chitin and chitosan.

Scope and approach

This review focuses on the recent sources of insect chitin and chitosan, particularly from the Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Dictyoptera, and Odonata orders. In addition, the extraction methods and physicochemical characteristics are discussed. Insect chitin and chitosan have numerous biological activities and could be used for food, biomedical, and industrial applications.

Key findings and conclusions

Recently, the invasive and harmful effects of insect species causing severe damage in agricultural crops has led to great economic losses globally. These dangerous species serve as potential sources of chitin and are underutilized worldwide. The conclusion of the present study provides better insight into the conversion of insect waste-derived chitin into value-added products as an alternative chitin source to address food security related challenges.

Trends in the extraction, purification, characterisation and biological activities of polysaccharides from tropical and sub-tropical fruits - A comprehensive review

Tropical and sub-tropical fruits are tremendous sources of polysaccharides (PSs), which are of great interest in the human welfare system as natural medicines, food and cosmetics. This review paper aims to highlight the recent trends in extraction (conventional and non-conventional), purification and analytic techniques of fruit polysaccharides (FPSs). The chemical structure and biological activities, such as immunomodulatory, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-coagulant and anti-diabetic effects, of PSs extracted from 53 various fruits were compared and discussed. With this wide coverage, a total of 172 scientific articles were reviewed and discussed. This comprehensive survey from previous studies suggests that the FPSs are non-toxic and highly biocompatible. In addition, this review highlights that FPSs might be excellent functional foods as well as effective therapeutic drugs. Finally, the future research advances of FPSs are also described. The content of this review will promote human wellness-based food product development in the future.

Chemical structure and biological properties of a polysaccharide isolated from Pleurotus sajor-caju

Herein, a polysaccharide obtained from Pleurotus sajor-caju was fractionated via anion-exchange column chromatography and purified using gel permeation column chromatography.

A Clinical Study to Validate the Pupil Rescaling Technique by using COAS Shack Hartmann Aberrometer

In any optical system, optical aberrations of the imaging system affect the image quality. The human eye is also like an optical system which has optical aberrations influencing the quality of the retinal image. When pupil size exceeds 3 mm, ocular aberrations increase and play a major role on retinal image degradation. Pupil diameter is made constant in commercially available aberrometers by mathematically rescaling it. The aim of this study is to validate the pupil rescaling technique by using COAS (Complete Ophthalmic Analysis System)Shack Hartmann Aberrometer. Five subjects were recruited for this study. The measurements were taken over a moderately large pupil of 5mm in normal room illumination to allow for natural pupil dilation. The analyses diameter is fixed at 5 mm in COAS which means it rescales the aberration data to 5 mm if the pupil diameter recorded was more than 5 mm at the time of measurement. Ocular aberrations for natural and rescaled pupil sizes were analyzed. Estimation of ocular aberrations showed there was no statistical significance between natural pupil and rescaled pupil diameter.

Particle image velocimetry: improving fringe quality with a negative-mask method

The photographic negative-mask method of neutralizing the diffraction-halo effect in speckle photography is applied to enhance the quality of Young's fringes obtained in particle-image-velocimetry studies. The improvement of the fringes achieved with the negative-mask method is compared with improvements by the commonly used method of analyzing a contact copy of particle-image-velocimetry specklegrams. Theoretical analysis and experimental results are presented.

Laser beam collimation using Talbot interferometry

A modified method of checking laser beam collimation by using Talbot interferometry coupled with a moir6 phenomenon is described.

Pulsed lasers in speckle photography: error owing to pulse width

The effect of the pulse width of a pulsed laser in the studies of speckle velocimetry and transient vibration analysis is discussed. Because of the motion of the object during an exposure, a sine function is obtained by using the pointwise filtering method. This function modulates the halo along with the Young's fringes. It is shown that for high object velocities the sinc function modifies the halo distribution; as a result, the error in calculating the fringe position increases. An aperture geometry for which the autocorrelation halo is made constant in certain regions is proposed in which the intensity variation in this region is the result of the modulating sinc function only. A closed-form solution for the shift in the position of the fringes in this region is obtained. Experimental results of the simulation are presented.

Removal of the diffraction halo effect in speckle photography by using a negative mask

A method to neutralize the diffraction halo effect in speckle photography is presented. A negative of the halo is used in the fringe observation plane to achieve this goal. Experimental irradiance distributions as well as Young's fringes with and without the negative mask are presented. It is shown that the apodization procedure is effective in solving the problems caused by varying the diffraction halo irradiance.

Subtractive Moire technique for evaluating the wedge angle of a beam splitter

This Technical Note describes a method to measure the wedge angle of a beam splitter that relies on shear interferometry and the moire phenomenon.

Universal digital speckle shearing interferometer

A speckle shear interferometer is presented which can be used to yield lateral, radial, rotational, and inversion shear fringes in real time in conjunction with a digital image processing system. A modification of the optical arrangement yields reversal or folding shear as well. Experiments are conducted on an edge-clamped diaphragm with concentrated load. Unit contrast fringes have been obtained by resorting to nonlinear processing techniques such as level slicing. The results are presented for various types of shear.