Actinoporins are potent eukaryotic pore-forming toxins specific for sphingomyelin-containing membranes. They are structurally similar to members of the fungal fruit-body lectin family that bind cell-surface exposed Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen. In the present study we found a number of sequences in public databases with similarity to actinoporins. They originate from three animal and two plant ...

OBJECTIVES Vascular disease remains a leading cause of death. There are several vascular risk factors identified that can mitigate development of disease in ageing. We examine reported rates of modifiable risk factors in women responding to an online health questionnaire advertised by popular media. METHODS A sample of 26 620 women aged over 18 was examined in 2015 with a cross-sectional heal...

This aim of this study was to determine the antibacterial activity in extracts obtained from various Nigerian chewing sticks. Aqueous extracts from seventeen chewing sticks and the fruit of C. ferruginea, one fruit used in oral hygiene in Nigeria, were screened for antibacterial activity against type cultures of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aerugin...

The beneficial effects of proper temperature management include reduced decay, improved firmness and skin color, greener stems, and reduced pitting. Improper handling temperature rapidly reduces shelf life. Modified atmosphere packaging has lengthened the postharvest life of cherry fruit by reducing the rate of growth of decay organisms, retarding softening and retaining stem color. Modified at...

The processing of coffee before it can be drunk goes through a long process, namely harvesting fruits that have matured either by machine or hand, then and drying they become spindle coffee. Before the roasting fruit is chosen first to ripe in order produce last result best process. After selected, next process stripping speed up post-harvest fruit. Harvesting will also affect quality taste cof...

Hundred-seventy-nine children, 5- and 6-year-olds, were assigned to one of three groups; basic-context group (BC), intermediate-context group (IC), and superordinate-context group (SC). Each child listened to the first half of a story, which was the same for three groups except that it contained a basic-level word (e.g. apple) for BC group, an intermediate-level word (e.g. fruit) for IC group, ...

The cherry tomatoes online sorting according to their maturity is an important procedure after harvest. This research proposed an automated cherry tomato grading system base on machine vision. Three images of different angles are obtained from each cherry tomato, allowing the inspection of approximately 90% of the fruit surface. 9 features were extracted from the one cherry tomato images. In or...

Animals assess the values of rewards to learn and choose the best possible outcomes. We studied how single neurons in the primate amygdala coded reward magnitude, an important variable determining the value of rewards. A single, Pavlovian-conditioned visual stimulus predicted fruit juice to be delivered with one of three equiprobable volumes (P = 1/3). A population of amygdala neurons showed in...

Mangoes account for approximately half of all tropical fruits produced worldwide. India is the largest mango producer, accounting for about half of the global mango production. But, less than five per cent of the produced mangoes are processed and mango pulp is the main export product both in terms of volume and value. Contract system is the major marketing system in the supply of mangoes becau...

Propionic acid (10(-3)m) increases ethylene production by about 30 to 60% in tissue from green and half-ripe tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. var. Homestead) but does not increase ethylene production in tissue from ripe fruit. Stimulation is not due to the conversion of propionic acid to ethylene but appears to be secondary in nature and to operate on the endogenous ethylene-forming syst...