Weight loss and commodity evaluation of pear fruits during storage depending on the packaging method

Pear fruits have a high biological and nutritional value; however, they are perishable products, storage of which is accompanied by certain difficulties. You can preserve the quality of fresh pears through the use of various packaging methods, among which the use of polyethylene liners is effective. The article presents the results of studies of weight loss and yield of pears during storage, depending on the variety and method of packaging. Conferencia, Noiabrska, and Osnovianska pears of the highest and first commodity varieties were pre-cooled and packed in wooden boxes №3, with a capacity of up to 25 kg (“control” option) and in boxes with a plastic bag liner inserted inside the package 45–50 μm followed by sealing (option “box with a polyethylene liner”). Pear fruits were stored for four months at a temperature of 0 ... + 3 ± 1 ºС and relative humidity of 92% ± 2%. Fruit weight losses were determined by the method of weighing fixed samples, the yield of marketable products - according to DSTU 8326:2015. It was found that during the storage period of pear fruits, their weight loss was 2.3–5%, depending on the variety and method of packaging. In terms of pomological varieties, according to average data, the highest weight loss was pears of the Osnovianska variety – 2.6%. The use of polyethylene liners during the storage of pears helped to reduce losses by 0.5–2.3% depending on the variety and duration of storage. It was found that in the conditions of free air access the share of standard products was 78.6–88.3% with the minimum value in the fruits of Conference and the maximum in the fruits of Noiabrska Moldova. It is proved that packing pear fruits in wooden boxes with polyethylene inserts caused an increase in the yield of marketable products to 90.2–98.4%, a decrease in the share of non-standard products to 1.6–7.0%, and waste to 2.8%. The weight loss of pear fruits of the Noiabrska Moldova variety was 0.3–1.5 lower compared to similar indicators of other varieties. The fruits of the same variety recorded a higher yield of marketable products – 88.3–98.4% depending on the method of storage.

Accumulation of heavy metals in the grain of spring barley (Hordeum sativum) as affected by varietal characteristics and duration of storage

Purpose. Determine the content of heavy metals in the grain of spring barley varieties of different application as affected by the duration of storage. Methods. In the years 2018–2020, 11 spring barley varieties of different applications were studied: grain ‘Stalker’, ‘Vodohrai’, ‘Vzirets’, ‘Ahrarii’, ‘Shchedryk’; universal ‘Enei’; malting ‘Kozak’, ‘Dokuchaievskyi 15’, ‘Etyket’, ‘Helios’, ‘Sviatohor’. The content of chemical elements in the grain (cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic, copper, zinc) was determined in the dynamics: immediately after harvest, after 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. Results. In the studied varieties of spring barley, the lead (Pb) content in the grain varied immediately after threshing and after 7 days ranged from 1.01 to 1.12 mg/kg. Reduction of the studied element after 14 days was observed in all varieties. In particular, the lead content was 1.03 mg/kg in ‘Shchedryk’, 1.01 mg/kg in ‘Stalker’, 1.00 mg/kg in ‘Vzirets’, 0,78 mg/kg (the lowest) in ‘Vodohrai’, and 1.12 mg/kg (the highest) in ‘Ahrarii’. Studies have shown that the most sensitive to cadmium (Cd) grain variety of spring barley was ‘Vzirets’ with the content of 0.09 mg/kg immediately after threshing and on the 7th day of storage; on the 14th, 21st and 28th days, the content was 0.08 mg/kg. The content of cadmium in malting barley grain immediately after threshing and after 7 days was 0.08 mg/kg in ‘Sviatohor’, and 0.09 mg/kg in all other varieties. On the 14th day, the accumulation remained unchanged in varieties ‘Dokuchaievskyi 15’, ‘Etyket’, ‘Helios’, ‘Sviatohor’; insignificant decrease was noted in ‘Kozak’ (0.07 mg/kg). After the storage for 21 and 28 days, the cadmium content was 0.07 mg/kg in ‘Sviatohor’ and ‘Kozak’, and 0.08 mg/kg in all others. Conclusions. The lowest cadmium content was determined in variety ‘Shchedryk’. Immediately after threshing and after 7 days of storage it was 0.05 mg/kg, and on the 14th, 21st and 28th days it decreased to 0.03 mg/kg. Immediately after threshing and after 7 days, the mercury content of the varieties varied from 0.07 to 0.03 mg/kg. After 14, 21 and 28 days, the following values were determined: in ‘Vodohrai’ 0.06 mg/kg, in ‘Stalker’ and ‘Vzirets’ 0.05 mg/kg, in ‘Ahrarii’ 0.04 mg/kg, ‘Shchedryk’ 0.3 mg/kg. Depending on the varietal characteristics and duration of storage, the highest content (14.05 mg/kg) was determined in ‘Ahrarii’, and the lowest (12.55 mg/kg) in ‘Shchedryk’. The study of the ‘Enei’ variety of spring barley of universal application allows us to note that the accumulation of heavy metals, as affected by the duration of storage, did not differ significantly from the grain varities.

DEPENDENCE OF GERMINATION OF SEEDS OF FODDER CROPS ON THE DURATION OF STORAGE IN A GAS ENVIRONMENT

The research was carried out in the laboratory conditions of the Federal Williams Research Center of Forage Production and Agroecology on the seed material of nineteen varieties of the selection of VIC, stored since 1986 in a gas environment. The viability of the seeds was determined after 33 years of storage. The laboratory germination rate of the samples after storage varied from 0.7 to 90.3%. Aging of cereal grasses is faster. After storage in a gas environment for 33 years germination of more than 80% was observed in four samples of the legume family and one of the cereals. After being removed from the CSG and placed in normal conditions for a year, most of the samples retained their economic validity, with the exception of forage cereals: brome grass, meadow and reed fescue, and cocksfoot.

Duration of respiratory sample stability at -80ºC for SARS-CoV-2 PCR

Objective: To determine the stability of respiratory samples for SARS-CoV-2 PCR at standard laboratory ultra-freezer temperatures (-80°C). Methods: Five hundred and sixty-five archived, SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive patient specimens received at the Pathology Department of the Indus Hospital & Health Network between January 2021 and June 2021 were retested in June 2021. Samples had been stored at -70°C or below throughout this duration. Sample integrity following storage was assessed as the percentage of samples with reproducible results, and as consistency of cycle threshold (Ct) values between the original testing and the repeat testing. Results: Of the 565 samples evaluated in this study, 86% gave reproducible results upon retesting. However, there was no correlation between the duration of storage and result reproducibility, though the majority (69% for PCR Target-I and 78% for PCR Target-II respectively) of non-reproducible results had Ct values above 30. Similarly, there was a consistent increase of Ct values upon storage at ultra-freezer temperatures, though the effect again was more contingent upon freezing the sample in the ultra-freezer rather than the duration of storage. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 positive respiratory specimens for PCR can be stored for up to six months at -70°C or below without loss of sample integrity, though there is some loss of PCR-detected viral targets as evidenced by an immediate increased in the PCR-generated Ct values. In addition, samples with initial Ct values above 30 are more likely to give non-reproducible results. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.ICON-2022.5777 How to cite this:Aijaz J, Naseer F, Dojki M, Jamal S. Duration of respiratory sample stability at -80ºC for SARS-CoV-2 PCR. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(2):393-398. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.ICON-2022.5777 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Frequency and Nature of Transfusion Related Adverse Reactions in Patients Admitted in A Tertiary Care Hospital

Background:Transfusion of blood and blood products if employed safely, with intensive care can save manyvaluable lives. But a number of transfusion reactions may develop that are sometimesmore serious and life threatening.So this study was done to find out the most frequent and life threatening reactions that develop during transfusion. Methods: A Cross sectional descriptive observational study was performed at a tertiary care centre. Patients of 18 years and older irrespective of sexes who received blood and blood products due to different reasons between April 2020 to September 2020 were included in this study. A total of 96 patients were included in the study. Results:In thisstudy 11(11.5%) out of 96 patients had transfusion reactions of different types .Febrile non haemolytic reaction was the highest with 8 patients (8.33%),followed by Allergic reaction in 2 patients(2.08%) and Acute haemolytic transfusion reaction in 1 patient (1.04%).Among them 7(63.6%) reactions occurred with whole blood , 2(18.2%) reactions occurred with red cell concentrate and 1 reaction occurred with Apheresis platelet (9.1%) and fresh frozen plasma(9.1%).Statistically significant association was found between duration of storage of blood and transfusion reaction. Conclusion: Febrile non haemolytic reaction was the commonest type of transfusion reaction found in this study and there was also statistically significant association between duration of storage of blood and transfusion reaction. Bangladesh J Medicine July 2022; 33(1) : 27-33

INFLUENCE OF STORAGE TIMES OF SLUDGE FROM THE FERROALLOY INDUSTRY ON THE PROPERTIES OF CEMENT-BASED MIXTURES

Purpose. The transition to environmentally friendly, waste-free technologies is a priority for most countries in the world. The metallurgical and construction industries make a significant contribution to the formation of large volumes of man-made waste. During the production of ferroalloys, waste is generated in the form of sludge, which is stored in sludge collectors. Sludge storage has been going on for over 25 years. In order to study the effect of the duration of storage of sludge on its properties in the compositions of dry building mixtures on a cement basis, a comparison was made of the efficiency of using sludge with different storage periods. The influence of sludge of various storage periods on the strength of dry construction is estimated. Methodology. The studies were carried out in accordance with the standard methods for determining the physical and mechanical properties of solutions from dry mixtures for the installation of self-leveling floors, specified in DSTU B V. 2.7-126: 2011 “Sludge awesome dry modified. General technical minds”. Sludge from wet gas cleaning of ferrosilicon production is stored in dumps where it is a mixture of lumps of various fractions 5…50 mm in size. To use sludge in the composition of dry building mixtures, it must be dried and crushed on a roller crusher and on a disintegrator. Findings. The best ratio of the "age" of the sludge and its percentage in the composition of the mixture was determined to increase the strength characteristics of the cement stone. Originality. The influence of the chemical nature of sludge from wet gas purifiers of ferrosilicon production on the hydration processes and strength of cement stone is analyzed. Practical value. The use of man-made waste in the formulations of dry building mixtures helps to simultaneously reduce the harmful effect on the environment of industrial enterprises and increase the mechanical and economic characteristics of cement mortars based on dry mixtures.

Evolution of antioxidant properties of orange beverage during storage: Effects of time and temperature

Fruit beverages are the most consumed refreshing products worldwide. The quality of these drinks is not only influenced by the initial composition of the product but also by conditions and duration of storage. The purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate the incidence of two conservation parameters (temperature and time) on some bioactive compounds (phenolic, flavonoid, and carotenoid contents) and antioxidant capacity, measured by free radical scavenging activity (RSA) and ferric reducing power (FRP), on orange beverage during storage. The industrial drinking product freshly procured were subjected to storage under variable temperatures (5, 25, 35, and 45 °C) then analyses of bioactive compounds contents and antioxidant activity were performed periodically (0, 10, 20, and 30 days). The results showed that the initial orange beverage was endowed with interesting phenolic compound contents and considerable antioxidant potential. In the exception of 5 °C, which provided steady antioxidant parameters, all other temperatures induced decreases of analyzed phytochemicals and antioxidant activities proportionally with raising of storage temperature. The duration of storage for the temperatures 25, 35, and 45 °C also affected negatively antioxidant parameters in a proportional manner to time. The orange beverage was an interesting natural source of bioactive compounds but the duration of storage in relation to temperature must be chosen properly.

Influence of duration of storage and pre-sowing electromagnetic treatment on the development of the primary root system of cotton seeds

Seeds of five Bulgarian cotton varieties, stored for one and two years, were subjected to five pre-sowing electromagnetic treatments with different intensity and duration of exposure. It was found that the selected values of controllable factors had stimulating effect on the total length and total mass of sprout and root. The total length of sprout and root increased by 7.5-16.4% (p<0.05), the total mass of sprout and root increased by 7.8-12.7% (p<0.05). The best treatment options were 1[U=(8…5)kV, τ =(15…35)s] and 4[U=(6…3)kV, τ =(5…25)s]. Electromagnetic treatments had stronger positive effect on seeds stored for one year. Compared to the untreated control, corresponding to each storage period, the electromagnetic impact had stimulating effect for both storage periods: for the total length of sprout and root the increase was by 7.6-21.1% and 2.3-11.0% at option 4; for the total mass of sprout and root it was by 10.8-16.5% at option 1 and 4.5-9.1% at option 4, respectively, at one-year and two-year storage of seeds. In comparison with the control Chirpan-539 variety, untreated seeds, one-year storage, higher values for both studied characteristics were found only for seeds stored for one-year: for the total length of root and sprout at the varieties Natalia, treatment options 1 and 4, Nelina and Helius, options 2 and 4 and Chirpan-539, option 1; for the total mass of root and sprout at the varieties Nelina, options 1, 2 and 3 and Chirpan-539, option 5. Compared to the untreated control corresponding to each variety, the stimulating effect of the pre-sowing electromagnetic treatment for the two characteristics was found for all varieties, for both storage periods. The Helius variety was the most responsive to the electromagnetic impact, with the strongest stimulating effect for both characteristics, at the one-year storage of seeds the total length of sprout and root increased most strongly by 34.8-43.9% at options 1, 4 and 2[U=(6…3)kV, τ =(15…35)s], and the total mass of sprout and root increased by 48.5% at options 1.

Intensity of logistics processes of production

Increasing the intensity of the production process is directly related to improving the quality of human life. Today, there is a need for a quick and flexible response to changing consumer priorities. The solution to this complex problem is taken over by logistics. The logistics process is a sequence of operations that are organized in a certain way in time, allowing you to achieve your goals. The subject of the study of the logistics process is the organization, coordination, and optimization of the movement of material and related flows. The structure of the logistics process includes the following links: natural resources; mining; recycling; storage; distribution; transpor- tation of products. A simulation model of the logistics chain consisting of the above-listed links has been devel- oped. Resources are an energy source that feeds the logistics chain and ensures the movement of the material flow. Recycling transformation, transformation of resources into a specific type of product. Transport repre- sents active losses. Storage the delay in the movement of the material flow for the duration of storage. Distribu- tion costs for the trading sector. Mathematical models for studying the intensity of production processes using the Mathcad program are developed. The analysis was carried out: of a market model of the intensity of the flows of the production process of the market economy with a different resource bases; of a planned model of the inten- sity of the flows of the production process of the planned economy with different resource bases.

Determination of Organochlorine Residues in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. WALP) From Selected Markets in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata(L.) Walp) is one of the major stale plant protein food crops in Nigeria, but constantly being attacked by insects especially during storage. This has been a major production constraint which usually necessitated the use of synthetic pesticides and chemicals, but comes with the problems of high pesticides residues. In cowpea, only few information or research has been made as regarding the level of pesticides residues, therefore the objective of this study was to identify the awareness level and organochlorine insecticides residue presence trendy to cowpea grains. This study was carried out using a multiple choice questionnaire, in which three markets in Ibadan were selected as the case study due to their population and patronisation. The multiple choice questionnaire was used in getting information as regarding the pesticide used, method of application, duration of storage after pesticide application and level of awareness on the possible side effects of pesticides. Thirty samples of cowpea were collected from the selected three markets for residue analysis which was determined in an analytical laboratory using standard procedures. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results showed that Fumigation, spraying and baiting were the mostly used method of application of pesticides and Aluminium phosphide, Betoxin and Quickphos were the mostly used pesticides during application. Higher percentage (56.67%) of the respondent store the food stuff for less than a month before exposing it to the market for sales, about 53.3% of the respondents shows their ignorance about the health hazard associated with pesticides. Organochlorine pesticide residues were detected in all the samples of cowpea grains examined with highest mean concentration of Endosulfan (0.7500 mg/kg 0.3508).