In Silico Carotenoid Compound with Protein in Durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) Seed Waste and Hedonic Test Innovation in Making Healthy Cereal Organic (HCO) (Nutrient-rich Functional Food Alternative)
Durians’ seeds have potential as a food source due to their content and nutrients. Durians’ seeds contain fiber, minerals, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, carbohydrates, folate, potassium and copper. Nutrients are needed for the body's health and growth and development process. Durians’ seeds have the potential as a nutrient-rich food alternative. Researchers made an innovation in the form of cereal, Healthy Cereal Organic (HCO). Analysis of durians’ seed content through two stages. First, wet lab examination and second, in silico method. The wet lab examination shows the results that durians’ seeds contain 10.17 Kcal of fat energy, 4.09% ash content, 11.25% water content, 72.79% carbohydrates, 1.13% total fat and 10.74% protein and the in silico method shows the content of carotenoid compounds (vitamin A, quercetin, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin) as a drug delivery system which means that this compound is able to be absorbed by the body with the help of albumin as a carrier that maintains stability and increases its activity. Feasibility analysis based on toxicity tests, Durians’ seed compounds show inactive (non-toxic) results. Allergenicity test showed non-allergen durians’ seed content. Hedonic test was conducted on 20 panelists dominant to the HCO1 sample for aroma by 60%, texture 90%, taste 40%. It can be concluded that durians’seeds can be used as a basic ingredient for making nutrient-rich Healthy Cereal Organic (HCO).
SeaUVeed Succeed
In the first part of this project, distilled water and 95% ethanol were used to extract ultra-violet(UV)-absorbing and anti-oxidizing compounds from different types of algae including kelp, wakame, sea grape and nori. Activated charcoal was used in attempt to purify the extracts and removed excessive pigments. It was found that the charcoal was more effective in adsorbing pigments from ethanol extract in which up to 80 to 100% pigments could be removed. The UV-absorbing and anti-oxidizing properties of the algae extracts were also studied. All algae extracts showed significant UV-absorbing and anti-oxidizing properties. In particular, extract formed by using 3 g kelp powder in distilled water could significantly reduce 50% UV intensity and react 96.5% DPPH solution which acts as a source of free radicals. In the second part of the project, three applications of algae were explored in details. Firstly, it was found that kelp, wakame and nori extracts by using over 2 g of algae in 30 mL olive oil could absorb UVA and UVB by over 90%, which is comparable to the performance of zinc oxide, a common ingredient in commercial sunscreen products. Costs of preparing the sunscreens were also compared. Except for wakame extract, all other extracts were cheaper than using zinc oxide. Moreover, the kelp extract was found to maintain its UV- absorbing and anti-oxidizing abilities after at least 30 days of storage under room conditions. Lastly, sodium alginate was successfully extracted from kelp with a product yield up to 30%. The alginate solution was then used to form a calcium-alginate protective coating on plastic slides to reduce UV intensity by up to 50%. This aims to apply on nails or fingers during UV nail gel polish to protect against UVR.
Non-invasive study of the electrical activity of the brain of various chordate animals
In clinical practice, EEG is used to diagnose a number of neurological diseases and to diagnose epilepsy. But at present, the question of the nature of EEG has not been completely resolved and is of great scientific interest. There have been no studies at all on the non-invasive study of the electrical activity of the brain of the shark superorder, which belongs to the class of cartilaginous fish. By studying the electrical activity of the brain of various gnathostomes, it is possible to obtain an answer to the question of the emergence of rhythms from the point of view of phylogenesis and evolution, and by comparing their EEG with the human EEG, one can identify similar patterns that help in the study of reactions to various influences. During the work, for the first time, EEG indicators of spotted cat sharks, ECG, heart rate and respiratory rate of cat sharks and toads were obtained. In the future, it is planned to assemble a smaller neuroheadset for non-invasive studies of the electrical activity of the brain of small animals (sharks, toads, monitor lizards). This data can be used for evolutionary and medical research. *No animals were harmed during or after the experiments.
3D Arithmetic Billiards investigating edge points with a number theoretic approach
The billiard table is a cuboid with integer side lengths. A point-wise ball moves with constant speed along segments making a 45◦ angle with the sides and bounces on these. We allow the ball to start from any of the 8 corners, resulting in a periodic trajectory known as a corner path. The geometry of the path depends on the artihmetic properties of the side lengths (for example if these are pairwise coprime). Points of contact between the ball and edges, known as edge points, are inves- tigated and their characteristics like distribution explicitly described. This generalizes a previous work by Perucca, Reguengo da Sousa and Tronto of University of Luxembourg.