We have great pleasure in writing the preface for this book on Analysis and Design of Plated Structures: Stability, the first of the planned set of two volumes on plated structures. The inspiration for these books comes from the recognition of the significant advances that have taken place during the last few decades. As a result of the research findings, our understanding of the behaviour…
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in women in the United States. A growing emphasis is being placed on alternative medicine and dietary approaches toward prevention of potential diseases. Phytochemicals are bioactive compounds that are naturally present in foods that, when acting in synergy, bestow potential anti-cancer properties. Resveratrol, a phytoalexin, and ur…
Besides digestion and assimilation, there are other modes of direct interaction between food and human body. As it is known, the mucosal layer of the digestive tract interfaces with food after the digestion process. It has been demonstrated to uptake the micro- and nanoparticles via mucosa-associated lymphatic tissues (MALT). On the other hand, food is a typical polydisperse system and contains…
How do functional foods affect human health? To answer this question it is important to understand what happens when food is digested and taken up by the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The gut is a selective nutrient absorption system and the most important signal transduction and information exchange system within the body. It acts as a signal transducer, a neuroendocrine sensor, and an immunolo…
The idea of this special contribution reviewing the latest advances in sponge science was conceived during the World Sponge Conference held in Girona (Spain) in September 2010. Dr. Michael Lesser, editor of the Advances in Marine Biology book series, first suggested the production of a sponge-dedicated monograph. As organizers of the conference, we realized that the amount of information a…
It is my pleasure to introduce this special volume of Advances in Marine Biology devoted to current topics in cephalopod research to a wider readership. Cephalopods—squid, octopuses, cuttlefish, and nautiluses—are highly evolved marine mollusks with diverse life histories and a wide range of habitat preferences. These rapidly growing animals have relatively short life cycles and die after a…
The idea of this special contribution reviewing the latest advances in sponge science was conceived during the World Sponge Conference held in Girona (Spain) in September 2010. Dr. Michael Lesser, editor of the Advances in Marine Biology book series, first suggested the production of a sponge-dedicated monograph. As organizers of the conference, we realized that the amount of information availa…
Following the great progress made in civil engineering and building materials, the 2014 4th International Conference on Civil Engineering and Building Materials (CEBM 2014) aimed at providing a forum for presentation and discussion of state-of-the-art development in Structural Engineering, Road & Bridge Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Architecture & Urban Planning, Transportation Enginee…
Advanced composites such as fi ber-reinforced polymer (FRP) are promising materials for civil infrastructure application. Despite their relatively short history in research and implementation, signifi cant advances have been made over the last two decades. Federal and municipal agencies now accept these non-conventional construction materials. Practitioners are eager to use them for their proje…
The inhibitory effects of a formulated product from citrus peel extract, Gold Lotion (GL), on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in mouse skin was reported in this study. It is found that in the TPA-induced skin inflammation model, the topical application of GL effectively inhibited the transcripti…
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious health burden for both governments and healthcare providers. Myricetin, a natural flavonol with hydroxyl groups at 3, 5, 7, 3, 4 and 5 positions, is commonly ingested through human diets such as fruits,vegetables, tea, berries and red wine. Although few epidemiological and clinical studies have reported the h…
Recent changes in taxonomy of Rhizopus, which are now heavily relying on molecular approach, create significant problem in assigning species name to particular Rhizopus strains isolated from various sources, including tempeh. The present study aims to determine 36 strains of Rhizopus from tempeh originated from 26 locations in Indonesia, using combination of molecular phylogenetic analysis base…
Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) produced by lactic acid bacteria have been well known for their important economic value in food, pharmaceutical and health industries. Large extracellular enzyme sucrases are used by lactic acid bacteria to polymerize EPS, i.e. fructansucrase and glucansucrase. This study aimed to characterize sucrase activity of three Weissella confusa strains MBF8-1, MBF8-2 and MBFC…
An experiment was conducted to study the effect of male and female host oysters on the pearl sac formation in Pinctada maxima oyster. One hundred sixty oysters were used in a completely randomized design with 2 4 factorial arrangement and 20 replications. The 1st factor was that sex of host oyster consisted of two levels that is males and females. The 2nd factor was week after nucleus implant…
The research was conducted to study the metagenomic of actinomycetes based on 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and bacterial nifH genes in soil and roots of four rice cultivars. The denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profile based on 16S rRNA gene showed that the diversity of actinomycetes in roots was higher than soil samples. The profile also showed that the diversity of actinomycetes was simila…
Coral diseases that have emerged since the early 1970s have caused significant regional ecological impacts. However, there has been a paucity of research into coral disease in South-East Asia, including Indonesia. This study provides baseline coral disease data in the Kepulauan Seribu Marine National Park. In this study we show a positive correlation between overall coral cover and the dominan…
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major cause of end-stage renal disease and its mortality is continuously increasingworldwide. Previous studies indicate that reactive oxygen species play an important role in high glucose-induced renal injury. Myrciaria cauliflora has been reported as a functional food rich in anthocyanins possessing anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. This study exam…
A novel electrochemiluminescence (ECL) luminophor of amoxicillin was studied and found to generate ECL following the oxidation or reduction of amoxicillin. The amoxicillin oxidation state was also found to eliminate the reduction state, generating ECL. When solutions of amoxicillin were scanned between þ1.5 V and 1.0 V with a graphite electrode in the presence of cetyltrimethyl ammonium brom…
Concrete and steel are by far the most widely used man-made construction materials in the world. Despite numerous successful constructions of worldwide infrastructures, many of these infrastructures are now rapidly deteriorating. It has been estimated that infrastructure rehabilitation costs, in the US alone, will reach into trillions of dollars over the next twenty years. One of the prima…
Oyster-derived polysaccharides (OPS) have been shown to modulate the T helper (Th)1/Th2 immunobalance toward the Th1-dominant direction in antigen-primed splenocytes. In the present study, we hypothesized that OPS might attenuate intestinal inflammation associated with food allergy, a Th2-dominant immune disorder. BALB/c mice were sensitized twice with ovalbumin (OVA) absorbed to alum and then…
Ligusticum chuanxiong (LC)eGastrodia elata (GE) compatibility is widely used in the clinic for the treatment of migraine. It has been shown that the changes of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system are closely related to the pathogenesis of migraine; whether LCeGE compatibility might affect the neurotransmitters in migraine rats has not yet been studied. In this study, high performanc…
Diospyros blancoi A. DC. is an evergreen tree species of high-quality wood. Mabolo, the fruit of this plant, is popular among the natives in Taiwan, but its potential in economic use has not been fully explored. Mabolo has a rich aroma. Of the 39 different volatile compounds isolated, its intact fruit and peel were found to both contain 24 compounds, whereas the pulp contained 28 compounds. The…
Regular insulin can reduce hyperglycemia when directly added to total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solutions. Insulin is not routinely added to all TPN solutions. For patients who require insulin prior to the initiation of TPN supplement, one-third to one-half of the usual total daily dose can be added to the TPN bag as regular human insulin. However, an incorrect dose or an interaction between i…
The present study intends to use microspheres as a delivery system of chlorogenic acid (CGA) to investigate the influences of CGA microspheres on dietary fat absorption and fecal triglyceride excretion in a mice model. Microspheres have an average particle size of about 53.3 mm. Results indicated that the microspheres were capable of gradually releasing the preloaded CGA into the surrounding me…
The hydroalcoholic extracts of the Turkish traditional coffee samples from 18 commercial brands were tested for their neurobiological effects through enzyme inhibition based on enzyme-linked immunosorbance microtiter assays against acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase,and tyrosinase, linked to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The extracts were also subjected to several antioxidant t…
Our study developed a quick method for confirmatory analysis of avermectins (abamectin B1a, doramectin, ivermectin B1a, eprinomectin B1a, and moxidectin) in bovine milk according to the European Commission Decision 2002/657/EC requirements. Avermectins were liquideliquid extracted with acetonitrile, followed by an evaporation step, and then analyzed by liquid chromatography/electrospray ioniza…
Genetically modified (GM) crops are a major product of the global food industry. From 1996 to 2014, 357 GM crops were approved and the global value of the GM crop market reached 35% of the global commercial seed market in 2014. However, the rapid growth of the GM crop-based industry has also created controversies in many regions, including the European Union, Egypt, and Taiwan. The effective d…
Fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharides, also termed “fucoidans”, which are known to possess antioxidant, anticoagulant, anticancer, antiviral, and immunomodulating properties,are normally isolated from brown algae via various extraction techniques. In the present study, two methods (SC1 and SC2) for isolation of fucoidan from Sargassum cristaefolium were compared, with regard to the ext…
Many plants originating from the Asteraceae family are applied as herbal medicines and also beverage ingredients in Asian areas, particularly in China. However, they may be confused due to their similar odor, especially when ground into powder, losing their typical macroscopic characteristics. In this paper, 11 different multiple mathematical algorithms,which are commonly used in data processin…
An incident of food-borne poisoning causing illness in 37 victims due to ingestion of fried fish sticks occurred in September 2014, in Tainan city, southern Taiwan. Leftovers of the victims' fried fish sticks and 16 other raw fish stick samples from retail stores were collected and tested to determine the occurrence of histamine and histamine-forming bacteria. Two suspected fried fish samples c…
Because of the high incidence of cardiovascular diseases in Asian countries, traditional fermented foods from Asia have been increasingly investigated for antiatherosclerotic effects. This study investigated the production of nattokinase, a serine fibrinolytic enzyme, in pigeon pea by Bacillus subtilis fermentation. B. subtilis 14714, B. subtilis 14715, B. subtilis 14716, and B. subtilis 14718 …
Electrolyzed water has significant disinfection effects, can comply with food safety regulations,and is environmental friendly. We investigated the effects of immersion depth of electrodes, stirring, electrode size, and electrode gap on the properties and chlorine generation efficiency of electrolyzing seawater and its storage stability. Results indicated that temperature and oxidation-reductio…
A new hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) sensor is fabricated based on a multiwalled carbon nanotube-modified glassy carbon electrode (MWCNT-GCE) and reactive blue 19 (RB). The charge transfer coefficient, a, and the charge transfer rate constant, ks, of RB adsorbed on MWCNT-GCE were calculated and found to be 0.44 ± 0.01 Hz and 1.9 ± 0.05 Hz, respectively. The catalysis of the electroreduction of H2O2…
Most studies of tea trees have focused on their ornamental properties, there are fewer published studies on their medical values. The purpose of this study was to compare the chemical constituents and the biological potential of the water extract of leaves in eight species of Camellia including Camellia sinensis. Among eight Camellia species, Camellia sasanqua showed potent anticancer activitie…
Xuefu Zhuyu decoction, a classic prescription in traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used in the clinical treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In order to profile the chemical material basis of this formula, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q/TOF MS) method has been established for rapid se…
The quality and acrylamide content of deep-fried and microwave-puffed shrimp chips fortified with 0.1%, 0.5%, or 1.0% calcium salts (calcium lactate, calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, or calcium acetate) were investigated. Microwave-puffed shrimp chips contained higher amounts of acrylamide (130.43 ppb) than did deep-fried shrimp chips. The greatest mitigation of acrylamide formation in over…
The relationships between the perceptions and practical implementation of food safety regulations by food suppliers in Taiwan were evaluated. A questionnaire survey was used to identify individuals who were full-time employees of the food supply industry with at least 3 months of experience. Dimensions of perceptions of food safety regulations were classified using the constructs of attitude o…
Gelidium amansii (GA) is an edible red algae that is distributed mainly in northeastern Taiwan. This study was designed to investigate the effects of GA on plasma glucose, lipids,and adipocytokines in rats with streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced diabetes. Rats were divided into four groups: (1) rats without diabetes fed a high-fat diet (control group); (2) rats with diabetes fed a high-fat die…
Mycotoxins are toxic food contaminants that are naturally produced by certain fungi. They induce negative effects on human health by making food unsafe for consumption. In this study, analyses were performed to determine the levels and incidence of aflatoxins (AFs) in peanut products, tree nuts, spices, and Coix seeds; ochratoxin A (OTA) in wheat and roasted coffee, as well as OTA and AFs in ri…
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a naturally occurring toxin in food, especially in puffer fish. TTX poisoning is observed frequently in South East Asian regions. In TTX-derived food poisoning outbreaks, the amount of TTX recovered from suspicious fish samples or leftovers,and residual levels from biological fluids of victims are typically trace. However,liquid chromatographyemass spectrometry and liquid …
Lophatheri Herba (Danzhuye; LH), the dried leaves of Lophatherum gracile Brongn (Poaceae),is commonly used in Chinese herbal medicine as an antipyretic, antibacterial, and diuretic. Chemical analysis has been conducted to isolate and identify seven major flavonoid glycosides,including a new flavone C-glycoside, luteolin 6-C-b-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1/2)-b-D-glucopyranoside (1), isoorientin (2), …
Electrolyzed water is a sustainable disinfectant, which can comply with food safety regulations and is environmentally friendly. We investigated the effects of platinum plating of electrode, electrode size, cell potential, and additional stirring on electrolysis properties of deep ocean water (DOW) and DOW concentration products. We also studied the relationships between quality properties of e…
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus is increasing rapidly, and its treatment with pioglitazone is likely to induce rhabdomyolysis. We aimed to determine the effect of cotreatment with pioglitazone and red mold dioscorea (RMD) produced by Monascus purpureus NTU 568 on pancreas function in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. In diabetic rats fed RMD, RMD with pioglitazone, and pio…
Food safety draws considerable attention in the modern pace of the world owing to rapidchanging food recipes and food habits. Foodborne illnesses associated with pathogens,toxins, and other contaminants pose serious threat to human health. Besides, a large amount of money is spent on both analyses and control measures, which causes significant loss to the food industry. Conventional detection m…
An increasing demand for natural additives has shifted the attention from synthetic to natural antioxidants and antifungal agents. This study was carried out to evaluate the antifungal and antioxidant activities of methanol, chloroform, and aqueous extracts of Annona squamosa Linn. leaves. The antifungal activities of all extracts of A. squamosa leaves against five different strains of fungi (A…
This article presents a precolumn derivatization procedure with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) reagent to detect oligosaccharides and monosaccharides in Hakka rice wine. The subsequent separation of the derivatized glucoseePMP also was performed using a mobile phase consisting of the molar ratio of acetonitrile to ammonium acetate buffer (0.1M) of 22:78 at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min with t…
The contents of lead, cadmium, chromium, copper, and nickel were determined in 25 tea samples from China, including green, yellow, white, oolong, black, Pu'er, and jasmine tea products, using high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The methods used for sample preparation, digestion, and quantificational analysis were established, generating satisfactory…
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are hepatotoxic, genotoxic, and carcinogenic in experimental animals. Because of their widespread distribution in the world, PA-containing plants are probably the most common poisonous plants affecting livestock, wildlife, and humans. Upon metabolism, PAs generate reactive dehydro-PAs and other pyrrolic metabolites that lead to toxicity. Dehydro-PAs are known to r…
Hazelnut is a type of plant that grows in wet and humid climatic conditions. Adverse climatic conditions result in the formation of aflatoxin in hazelnuts during the harvesting,drying, and storing processes. Aflatoxin is considered an important food contaminant,which makes aflatoxin analysis important in the international produce trade. For this reason, validation is important for the analysis…
The recent rise of specialty pharma is attributed to its flexible, versatile, and open business model while the traditional big pharma is facing a challenging time with patent cliff, generic threat, and low research and development (R&D) productivity. These multinational pharmaceuticalcompanies,facinga,havebeensystematicallyexternalizingR&Dand some even establish their own corporate venture ca…