Optimizing Protein Fiber Spinning to Develop Plant-Based Meat Analogs via Rheological and Physicochemical Analyses.

The substitution of meat products in the human diet with plant-based analogs is growing due to environmental, ethical, and health reasons. In this study, the potential of fiber-spinning technology was explored to spin protein fiber mimicking the structural element of meat muscle for the purpose of developing plant-based meat analogs. Overall, this approach involved extruding fine fibers and then assembling them into hierarchical fibrous structures resembling those found in whole muscle meat products. Considering the nutritional facts and to help build muscle fiber, soy protein, polysaccharide (pectin, xanthan gum, or carrageenan), plasticizer (glycerol), and water were used in the formulations to spin into fibers using an extruder with circular orifice dies. Extrudability and thermal and rheological properties were assessed to characterize the properties of the spun fiber. The extrusion trials showed that the presence of the polysaccharides increased the cohesiveness of the fibers. The properties of the fibers produced also depended on the temperature used during extrusion, varying from pasty gels to elastic strands. The extrudability of the fibers was related to the rheological properties (tan δ) of the formulations. This study demonstrated that fiber-spinning technology can be used to produce fibrous materials from plant-derived ingredients. However, the formulation and operating conditions must be optimized to obtain desirable physicochemical and functional attributes in the fibers produced.

Photocatalytic dye degradation using nickel ferrite spinel and its nanocomposite.

Coloured wastewater is a major issue of today for human health and ecology. Among all available processes such as physical, chemical, biological and electrochemical methods, photocatalysis can be a promising solution because of its ability to degrade colour-causing compounds completely by converting them into simpler molecules (H2O, CO2) depending on dye structure. In this work, NiFe2O4 was synthesized by the co-precipitation method. Furthermore, the composites of NiFe2O4 with TiO2 were synthesized by varying amounts of TiO2. The spinel and composites were characterized by XRD, ZETA analysis and UV-DRS. Their photocatalytic activities were investigated using the photocatalytic degradation of reactive turquoise blue 21 (RB 21) dye as model pollutants under sunlight. The increased absorption of the visible light and the enhanced separation of the electron-hole pairs due to the relative energy band positions in NiFe2O4 and TiO2 are considered as the main advantages. Our results showed that NiFe2O4-based nanocomposites could be used as an effective and magnetic retrievable photocatalyst.

Retrospective Study Demonstrating High Rates of Sustained Virologic Response After Treatment With Direct-Acting Antivirals Among American Indian/Alaskan Natives.

BACKGROUND: Treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) has rapidly evolved to simple, well-tolerated, all-oral regimens of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). There are few data on the epidemiology of HCV in American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs), a population disproportionately affected by HCV. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, all HCV-infected AI/AN patients treated with DAA therapies between January 1, 2014, and February 24, 2016, in specialty clinics or by primary care clinicians participating in Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) were included. Demographic, clinical, and virologic data on all patients treated for HCV from pretreatment through sustained virologic response at 12 weeks (SVR12) were collected. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty patients were included; 71.1% of patients (n = 199) were infected with genotype 1 (GT1), 18.2% (n = 51) with GT2, and 10.7% with (n = 30) GT3. At baseline, 26.1% (n = 73) patients had cirrhosis and 22.6% (n = 56) had active substance use disorder; eighty-eight percent (n = 232) of patients achieved SVR12. Among the 165 GT1 patients treated with sofosbuvir (SOF)/ledipasvir for 8, 12, and 24 weeks, SVR12 was achieved by 91.5% (n = 54), 92.2% (n = 71), and 100% (n = 13), respectively. Among GT2 patients, 87.2% (n = 34) and 71.4% (n = 5) treated with 12 and 16 weeks of SOF/ribavirin (RBV) achieved SVR12, respectively. Among GT3 patients, 100% (n = 2) and 83.3% (n = 20) treated with 12 and 24 weeks of SOF/RBV achieved SVR12, respectively. SVR12 rates remained high among patients with active substance use disorder. CONCLUSIONS: DAA therapies are highly efficacious in HCV-infected AI/ANs. SVR12 rates remained high among patients with active substance use disorder. More steps must be taken to increase access to treatment for this underserved, vulnerable population.

Markov modeling in hepatitis B screening and linkage to care.

BACKGROUND: With up to 240 million people chronically infected with hepatitis B worldwide, including an estimated 2 million in the United States, widespread screening is needed to link the infected to care and decrease the possible consequences of untreated infection, including liver cancer, cirrhosis and death. Screening is currently fraught with challenges in both the developed and developing world. New point-of-care tests may have advantages over standard-of-care tests in terms of cost-effectiveness and linkage to care. Stochastic modeling is applied here for relative utility assessment of point-of-care tests and standard-of-care tests for screening. METHODS: We analyzed effects of point-of-care versus standard-of-care testing using Markov models for disease progression in individual patients. Simulations of large cohorts with distinctly quantified models permitted the assessment of particular screening schemes. The validity of the trends observed is supported by sensitivity analyses for the simulation parameters. RESULTS: Increased utilization of point-of-care screening was shown to decrease hepatitis B-related mortalities and increase life expectancy at low projected expense. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that standard-of-care screening should be substituted by point-of-care tests resulting in improved linkage to care and decrease in long-term complications.

Alcoholic Liver Disease: High Risk or Low Risk for Developing Hepatocellular Carcinoma?

In this review we critically assess the literature to evaluate the level of risk posed by alcohol as both a primary etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and as a cofactor in its development. Although there have been conflicting findings, based on the body of evidence to date, it appears that the linkage between compensated alcoholic liver disease-associated cirrhosis and HCC is best characterized as medium-high risk, with the risk increasing with age and with quantity and duration of alcohol consumption and is more pronounced in females. While abstinence is the most effective way to reduce HCC risk, its effect seems largely dependent on the severity of liver damage at the point of cessation. Alcohol clearly interacts with other etiologies and conditions including viral hepatitis B and C, hereditary hemochromatosis, diabetes, and obesity to increase the risk for developing HCC, either synergistically or additively. Continued progress in genetics, especially through mechanistic-based and genome-wide association studies may ultimately identify which single nucleotide polymorphisms are risk factors for the onset of alcoholic liver disease and its progression to HCC and lead to the development of targeted therapeutics which may help providers better manage at-risk patients.

Hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance: a national survey of current practices in the USA.

BACKGROUND: The incidence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the USA is rapidly rising. Surveillance using biannual ultrasound (US) is recommended, but actual practices are unknown. AIM: To determine current HCC surveillance practices among gastroenterology and hepatology providers in the USA. METHODS: A 21-question electronic survey was emailed to 12,485 gastroenterology and hepatology providers in the USA. The survey contained questions concerning provider background, surveillance practices, and opinions. Pearson chi-square and multivariate logistic regression tests were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: We received 777 responses (6.2% response rate); 656 were eligible for analysis. 92% place cirrhotic patients under surveillance independent of etiology, 79% exclusively use a 6-month interval, and 77% use alpha-fetoprotein. While 93% use US, only 36% use US exclusively and 60% use two or more imaging modalities. Providers from transplant centers favor using additional imaging modalities, instead of only US. Multivariate analysis showed transplant center providers who allocate more time to patient care (OR 1.96, p = 0.004) and see more cirrhotic patients (OR 2.07, p = 0.033) have increased odds of using additional imaging modalities. CONCLUSIONS: Participating providers reported very high rates of surveillance utilization and use of a biannual interval. It is likely that the sample is composed of providers who are very engaged and informed about HCC surveillance. However, their surveillance imaging practices largely deviated from practice guidelines, which all recommend only using US. Providers affiliated with transplant centers tend to use additional imaging modalities such as computed tomography and MRI, instead of US only.