This study was designed to compare the effects of different stunning voltages of pulsed direct current on meat quality of broilers. For this purpose,

The series of biochemical reactions, metabolic pathways, and regulatory interactions that occur during the storage of meat are the main causes of meat loss and waste. The volatile compounds produced by these reactions, such as hydrogen sulfide, acids, and amines, can directly indicate changes in the freshness of meat during storage and sales. In this study, a one-pot hydrothermal method based on a surface control strategy was used to develop nanoparticles of silver with different reactivities, which were further immobilized in agar powder to develop a colorimetric sensor array. Due to the different chemical interactions with various volatile compounds, the colorimetric sensor array exhibited distinct color changes. The study demonstrates significant differences between 12 different volatile compounds and provides a quantitative and visual method to reveal rich detection indicators. The colorimetric sensor array is an economical and practical multi-analyte identification method. It has many potential applications such as food packaging, anti-counterfeiting, health monitoring, environmental monitoring, and optical filters.

Herein, we design and prepare large-area silver nanoparticle (Ag NP) films based on evaporation-induced self-assembly, which offers the visual and real-time detection of chilled broiler meat freshness. The color change is based on the fact that an increase in the biogenic amine (BA) concentration causes a change in the absorption wavelength of Ag NPs caused by aggregation and etch of the Ag NPs, resulting in a yellow to brown color change, thus enabling a naked-eye readout of the BA exposure. The Ag NP films exhibit a rapid, sensitive, and linear response to BAs in a wide detection range of 2 µM to 100 µM. The Ag NP films are successfully applied as a quick-response, online, high-contrasting colorimetric sensor for visual detection of the freshness of chilled broiler meat.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Pul-Stent as the treatment of postoperative branch pulmonary artery stenosis in children with congenital heart disease. Methods: This was a retrospective study. Thirty-three patients who underwent Pul-Stent implantation in Shanghai Children's Medical Center due to postoperative residual pulmonary artery stenosis from August 2014 to June 2015 were included. The immediate curative effect, follow-up and complications of Pul-Stent implantation were assessed. Comparisons between groups were performed with unpaired Student t test. Results: Pul-Stent implantation of 33 patients (19 males and 14 females) were performed successfully. Thirty-one patients underwent percutaneous stenting, and 2 patients underwent hybrid stenting. A total of 35 Pul-Stents were implanted (19 of model small, 15 of model medium and one of model large), 23 stents were planted in the proximal left pulmonary artery and 12 stents were in the proximal right pulmonary artery. The initial diameter of dilation balloon ranged from 6 to 16 mm, and the long sheath of percutaneous implantation ranged from 8 to 10 F in 29 patients (29/31, 94%). After stenting, the diameter of the narrowest segment of pulmonary artery increased from (4.0±1.7) mm to (9.1±2.1) mm in all patients (t=-21.60, P<0.001). The pressure gradient at the stenosis in 26 patients after biventricular correction decreased from (30.5±12.3) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) to (9.9±9.6) mmHg (t=12.92, P<0.001), and the right ventricular to aortic pressure ratio decreased from 0.57±0.14 to 0.44±0.12 (t=7.44, P<0.001). The pressure of the superior vena cava after stenting in 5 patients after cavopulmonary anastomosis decreased from (17.0±1.9) mmHg to (14.0±0.7) mmHg (t=2.86, P=0.046). Two patients died during reoperation for repairing other cardiac malformations. The remaining 31 patients were clinically stable during the follow-up period of (5.3±1.6) years, and one stent fracture was found on chest X-ray. Cardiac catheterization reexaminations in 16 patients showed that restenosis was found in one stent, while stent position and patency were satisfactory in the remaining stents. Nine children underwent post-dilation without stent fracture, displacement or aneurysm formation. Cardiac tomography showed no stent stenosis, fracture observed, or significant change in diameter of the stent in 8 patients. The inner diameter and pulmonary blood perfusion could not be accurately evaluated due to artifacts by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in 4 patients. Conclusions: Pul-Stent has good compliance and adequate radial strength, and can dilate further over time to accommodate for somatic growth. It performs safely and effectively in treating post-operative branch pulmonary artery stenosis in children.