Narrow Results

The present study is based on band absorption of radiation from pulsed wideband infrared (IR) thermal source (PWBS) in conjunction with polyvinylidene fluoride film (PVDF). It is the first time to be employed to monitor the ripening state of olive fruit. Olive's characteristics vary at different stages of ripening, and hence, cultivation of olives at the right time is important in ensuring the best oil quality and maximizes the harvest yield. The photopyroelectric (PPE) signal resulting from absorption of wideband infrared (IR) radiation by fresh olive juice indicates the ripening stage of olives, i.e., allows an estimate of the suitable harvest time. The technique was found to be very useful in discriminating between olive oil samples according to geographical region, shelf life, some storage conditions, and deliberate adulteration. Our results for monitoring oil accumulation in olives during the ripening season agree well with the complicated analytical studies carried out by other researchers.

Olive Oil As the Painkiller.

The First Chinese Laboratory Recognized By International Olive Council (IOC).

China Kicks off Precision Medicine Research.

Chinese Researchers Find Flavonoids in Cotton Petals to Treat Alzheimer's Disease.

China Recognizes Prominent Scientists and Stresses on Innovation.

China Corporation Tencent in Kenya to Help Combat Illegal Wildlife Trade.

Catalyst Helps Convert Waste CO₂ into Fuel.

Articular Cartilage Stem Cells Participate in Cartilage Self-Repair during Early Osteoarthritis.

Chinese Scientists Develop Polygraph Based on AI Technology.

Scientists Uncover Beneficiary Effects of Dietary Iron Oxide Nanoparticles.

A New Water Robot “Born” to Detect Water Quality.

Archaeologists Discover World's Oldest Tea Buried with Ancient Chinese Emperor.

Scientists Find in situ KIT-expressing Cardiomyocytes.

Integrin CD11b Regulates Obesity-Related Insulin Resistance.

During the pandemic period, we were forced to reconsider teaching of practical labs, as students had mainly to work at home. It was the occasion to explore the use of cheap microcontroller kits for teaching chemistry and to work out some manipulations with household products. Back to normal life, it is important to valorize this equipment and work to design simple chemistry experiments which could be performed by students at home with Arduino kits adapted to chemistry, to illustrate various courses in addition to classical manipulations performed in the laboratory with specific equipment and products. We describe here the construction of a simple and cheap Arduino-based fluorimeter and its use to study relative porphyrinoids (mainly chlorophylls and pheophytins) contents in olive oils, and the effect of heating on the degradation of such substances. We used an Arduino Uno kit with a LED, a light-to-frequency converter associated with an excitation-blocking filter, and a 3D-printed sample holder.

Background: Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) does not only affect kidneys, but also affects remote organs especially the liver. Stress may lead to further progression of renal and hepatic insults. This study was planned to explore the efficacy of olive oil (OO) on the assumed renal and hepatic changes of immobilization stress following renal IRI.

Methods: Seventy-seven adult male Wistar albino rats were divided into the following five groups; Sham-Operated Control group, Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion group, Stressed Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion group, OO-Supplemented Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion group) and OO-Supplemented Stressed Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Group (OO+Stressed+IR). All animals were subjected to determination of renal and hepatic biochemical functions and histopathological examination.

Results: Renal IR significantly increased plasma creatinine and urea levels. This was associated with significant rise in serum levels of both ALT and AST, total bilirubin together with plasma level of TNF-$\alpha$, whereas the plasma level of albumin (ALB) was significantly reduced. In addition, histological disruptions of kidneys and livers were observed. Chronic immobilization stress aggravated the effects of renal IR. Also, renal and hepatic morphological changes were more worsened. Whilst, OO supplementation resulted in significant amelioration of renal and hepatic functions. Also, the kidney and liver morphologic lesions were attenuated.

Conclusion: Renal IR not only affected the renal functional and structural integrity but also the remote organ, the liver. Chronic immobilization stress rendered the kidney and liver more prone to injury. OO improved renal and hepatic dysfunction and morphological damage mediated by renal IRI, in control rats and in those exposed to chronic stress which can be exerted partially via its antioxidant, anti- inflammatory and nitric oxide (NO) reducing activities.

Detection of olive oil adulteration is an important research focus and hard task. In this paper a new detection adulteration method based on a microfluidic chip was proposed. In the hydrodynamic focusing microchannel of the microfluidic chip, when DI water as the dispersed phase enters the continuous oil, DI water will be squeezed and cut into water-in-oil droplets. Size of droplets depends on fluid flow rate, oil viscosity and water-oil interfacial tension. With increasing adulteration, the viscosity of sample oils decrease monotonically, water-oil interfacial tension remains approximately constant, therefore the size of water-in-oil droplets will increase monotonically at the same flow rate. By analyzing the size of water-in-oil droplets, different oils can be successfully distinguished and evaluated. The microfluidic approach is simple, economic, and easy to use.

Olive oil is an important product of olive tree. There is number of health benefits that can be taken into account of olive oil. However, by-products of olive oil mill effluent pose a serious environmental problem. The technological topics covered are: historical importance of olive oil, production of olive oil, production processes of olive oil, wastewater characterization of olive oil mill wastewaters, treatment technologies, costs, pilot-scale studies, effluent limitations, performance standards, pretreatment standards, and terminologies.