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Fulltext Sweet-beverage consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)

Navarrete-Muñoz EM, Wark PA, Romaguera D, Bhoo-Pathy N, Michaud D, Molina-Montes E, et al.

Am J Clin Nutr, 2016 Sep;104(3):760-8.
PMID: 27510540 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.116.130963

BACKGROUND: The consumption of sweet beverages has been associated with greater risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity, which may be involved in the development of pancreatic cancer. Therefore, it has been hypothesized that sweet beverages may increase pancreatic cancer risk as well.
OBJECTIVE: We examined the association between sweet-beverage consumption (including total, sugar-sweetened, and artificially sweetened soft drink and juice and nectar consumption) and pancreatic cancer risk.
DESIGN: The study was conducted within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. A total of 477,199 participants (70.2% women) with a mean age of 51 y at baseline were included, and 865 exocrine pancreatic cancers were diagnosed after a median follow-up of 11.60 y (IQR: 10.10-12.60 y). Sweet-beverage consumption was assessed with the use of validated dietary questionnaires at baseline. HRs and 95% CIs were obtained with the use of multivariable Cox regression models that were stratified by age, sex, and center and adjusted for educational level, physical activity, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. Associations with total soft-drink consumption were adjusted for juice and nectar consumption and vice versa.
RESULTS: Total soft-drink consumption (HR per 100 g/d: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.07), sugar-sweetened soft-drink consumption (HR per 100 g/d: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.08), and artificially sweetened soft-drink consumption (HR per 100 g/d: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.10) were not associated with pancreatic cancer risk. Juice and nectar consumption was inversely associated with pancreatic cancer risk (HR per 100 g/d: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.84, 0.99); this association remained statistically significant after adjustment for body size, type 2 diabetes, and energy intake.
CONCLUSIONS: Soft-drink consumption does not seem to be associated with pancreatic cancer risk. Juice and nectar consumption might be associated with a modest decreased pancreatic cancer risk. Additional studies with specific information on juice and nectar subtypes are warranted to clarify these results.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit and Vegetable Juices/adverse effects; Fruit and Vegetable Juices/analysis
Fulltext Vegetable and fruit consumption and the risk of hormone receptor-defined breast cancer in the EPIC cohort

Emaus MJ, Peeters PH, Bakker MF, Overvad K, Tjønneland A, Olsen A, et al.

Am J Clin Nutr, 2016 Jan;103(1):168-77.
PMID: 26607934 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.114.101436

BACKGROUND: The recent literature indicates that a high vegetable intake and not a high fruit intake could be associated with decreased steroid hormone receptor-negative breast cancer risk.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the association between vegetable and fruit intake and steroid hormone receptor-defined breast cancer risk.
DESIGN: A total of 335,054 female participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort were included in this study (mean ± SD age: 50.8 ± 9.8 y). Vegetable and fruit intake was measured by country-specific questionnaires filled out at recruitment between 1992 and 2000 with the use of standardized procedures. Cox proportional hazards models were stratified by age at recruitment and study center and were adjusted for breast cancer risk factors.
RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 11.5 y (IQR: 10.1-12.3 y), 10,197 incident invasive breast cancers were diagnosed [3479 estrogen and progesterone receptor positive (ER+PR+); 1021 ER and PR negative (ER-PR-)]. Compared with the lowest quintile, the highest quintile of vegetable intake was associated with a lower risk of overall breast cancer (HRquintile 5-quintile 1: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.80, 0.94). Although the inverse association was most apparent for ER-PR- breast cancer (ER-PR-: HRquintile 5-quintile 1: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.57, 0.96; P-trend = 0.03; ER+PR+: HRquintile 5-quintile 1: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.79, 1.05; P-trend = 0.14), the test for heterogeneity by hormone receptor status was not significant (P-heterogeneity = 0.09). Fruit intake was not significantly associated with total and hormone receptor-defined breast cancer risk.
CONCLUSION: This study supports evidence that a high vegetable intake is associated with lower (mainly hormone receptor-negative) breast cancer risk.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit
Vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography for the determination of furfurals and patulin in fruit juices

Abu-Bakar NB, Makahleh A, Saad B

Talanta, 2014 Mar;120:47-54.
PMID: 24468341 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2013.11.081

A fast and simple solvent microextraction technique using salting out-vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (salting out-VALLME) was developed for the extraction of furfurals (2-furfural (2-F), 3-furfural (3-F), 5-methylfurfural (5-MF) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF)) and patulin (PAT) in fruit juice samples. The optimum extraction conditions for 5 mL sample were: extraction solvent, 1-hexanol; volume of extractant, 200 µL; vortex time, 45 s; salt addition, 20%. The simultaneous determination of the furfurals and PAT were investigated using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). The separation was performed using ODS Hypersil C18 column (4.6 mm i.d × 250 mm, 5 μm) under gradient elution. The detection wavelengths used for all compounds were 280 nm except for 3-F (210 nm). The furfurals and PAT were successfully separated in less than 9 min. Good linearities (r(2)>0.99) were obtained within the range 1-5000 μg L(-1) for all compounds except for 3-F (10-5000 µg L(-1)) and PAT (0.5-100 μg L(-1)). The limits of detection (0.28-3.2 µg L(-1)) were estimated at S/N ratio of 3. The validated salting out-VALLME-HPLC method was applied for the analysis of furfurals and PAT in fruit juice samples (apple, mango and grape).

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit/chemistry*
Synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles using fruit extract of Momordica cymbalaria and assessment of their in vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxicity activities

Swamy MK, Akhtar MS, Mohanty SK, Sinniah UR

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc, 2015 Dec 5;151:939-44.
PMID: 26186612 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2015.07.009

Plant mediated synthesis of nanoparticles has been considered as green route and a reliable technique for the synthesis of nanoparticles due to its eco-friendly approach. In this study, we report a simple and eco-friendly approach for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using methanolic Momordica cymbalaria fruit extract as reducing agent. The fruit extract of M. cymbalaria exposed to AgNO3 solution showed the change in color from green to light yellow at room temperature within 1h of incubation confirms the synthesis of AgNPs. UV-vis spectra analysis revealed that the synthesized AgNPs had a sharp surface plasmon resonance at around 450 nm, while, the X-ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed distinctive peaks indices to the crystalline planes of the face centered cubic silver. The Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis results confirmed the presence of spherical shaped AgNPs by a huge disparity in the particle size distribution with an average size of 15.5 nm. The synthesized AgNPs showed strong antibacterial activity against all the tested multidrug resistant human pathogenic bacterial strains and also exhibited highest free radical scavenging activity (74.2%) compared to fruit extract (60.4%). Moreover, both fruit extract and the synthesized AgNPs showed the cytotoxicity towards Rat L6 skeletal muscle cell line at different concentrations, but the highest inhibition percentage was recorded for AgNPs at concentration of 100 μg/ml.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit
Fulltext Effects of Garcinia atroviridis on serum profiles and atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta of guinea pigs fed a high cholesterol diet

Amran AA, Zaiton Z, Faizah O, Morat P

Singapore Med J, 2009 Mar;50(3):295-9.
PMID: 19352574

The fruit extract of Garcinia atroviridis (G. atroviridis) contains hydroxycitric acid and flavonoids, which have been reported to have a hypolipidaemic property. This extract with solvent methanol was used to investigate its effects on serum lipid profiles of guinea pigs fed a high cholesterol diet.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit*
Fulltext Acute renal failure following jering ingestion

H'ng PK, Nayar SK, Lau WM, Segasothy M

Singapore Med J, 1991 Apr;32(2):148-9.
PMID: 2042077

We report two cases of acute renal failure that followed the ingestion of jering. Features of jering poisoning included clinical presentation of bilateral loin pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, oligo-anuria, haematuria and passage of sandy particles in the urine. Blood urea (40.8 mmol/l; 21.9 mmol/l) and serum creatinine (1249 mumols/l; 693 mumols/l) were markedly elevated. With conservative therapy which included rehydration with normal saline and alkalinisation of the urine with sodium bicarbonate, the acute renal failure resolved.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit/poisoning*
Fulltext Dual resonant frequencies effects on an induction-based oil palm fruit sensor

Harun NH, Misron N, Mohd Sidek R, Aris I, Wakiwaka H, Tashiro K

Sensors (Basel), 2014;14(11):21923-40.
PMID: 25414970 DOI: 10.3390/s141121923

As the main exporter in the oil palm industry, the need to improve the quality of palm oil has become the main interest among all the palm oil millers in Malaysia. To produce good quality palm oil, it is important for the miller to harvest a good oil palm Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB). Conventionally, the main reference used by Malaysian harvesters is the manual grading standard published by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB). A good oil palm FFB consists of all matured fruitlets, aged between 18 to 21 weeks of antheses (WAA). To expedite the harvesting process, it is crucial to implement an automated detection system for determining the maturity of the oil palm FFB. Various automated detection methods have been proposed by researchers in the field to replace the conventional method. In our preliminary study, a novel oil palm fruit sensor to detect the maturity of oil palm fruit bunch was proposed. The design of the proposed air coil sensor based on the inductive sensor was further investigated mainly in the context of the effect of coil diameter to improve its sensitivity. In this paper, the sensitivity of the inductive sensor was further examined with a dual flat-type shape of air coil. The dual air coils were tested on fifteen samples of fruitlet from two categories, namely ripe and unripe. Samples were tested within 20 Hz to 10 MHz while evaluations on both peaks were done separately before the gap between peaks was analyzed. A comparative analysis was conducted to investigate the improvement in sensitivity of the induction-based oil palm fruit sensor as compared to previous works. Results from the comparative study proved that the inductive sensor using a dual flat-type shape air coil has improved by up to 167%. This provides an indication in the improvement in the coil sensitivity of the palm oil fruit sensor based on the induction concept.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit/classification*; Fruit/chemistry*
Fulltext Improvement in sensitivity of an inductive oil palm fruit sensor

Misron N, Harun NH, Lee YK, Sidek RM, Aris I, Wakiwaka H, et al.

Sensors (Basel), 2014;14(2):2431-48.
PMID: 24496313 DOI: 10.3390/s140202431

Among palm oil millers, the ripeness of oil palm Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB) is determined through visual inspection. To increase the productivity of the millers, many researchers have proposed with a new detection method to replace the conventional one. The sensitivity of such a sensor plays a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of the method. In our preliminary study a novel oil palm fruit sensor to detect the maturity of oil palm fruit bunches is proposed. The design of the proposed air coil sensor based on an inductive sensor is further investigated to improve its sensitivity. This paper investigates the results pertaining to the effects of the air coil structure of an oil palm fruit sensor, taking consideration of the used copper wire diameter ranging from 0.10 mm to 0.18 mm with 60 turns. The flat-type shape of air coil was used on twenty samples of fruitlets from two categories, namely ripe and unripe. Samples are tested with frequencies ranging from 20 Hz to 120 MHz. The sensitivity of the sensor between air to fruitlet samples increases as the coil diameter increases. As for the sensitivity differences between ripe and unripe samples, the 5 mm air coil length with the 0.12 mm coil diameter provides the highest percentage difference between samples and it is amongst the highest deviation value between samples. The result from this study is important to improve the sensitivity of the inductive oil palm fruit sensor mainly with regards to the design of the air coil structure. The efficiency of the sensor to determine the maturity of the oil palm FFB and the ripening process of the fruitlet could further be enhanced.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit
Fulltext Near infrared spectral linearisation in quantifying soluble solids content of intact carambola

Omar AF, MatJafri MZ

Sensors (Basel), 2013;13(4):4876-83.
PMID: 23584118 DOI: 10.3390/s130404876

This study presents a novel application of near infrared (NIR) spectral linearisation for measuring the soluble solids content (SSC) of carambola fruits. NIR spectra were measured using reflectance and interactance methods. In this study, only the interactance measurement technique successfully generated a reliable measurement result with a coefficient of determination of (R2) = 0.724 and a root mean square error of prediction for (RMSEP) = 0.461° Brix. The results from this technique produced a highly accurate and stable prediction model compared with multiple linear regression techniques.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit/chemistry*
Fulltext An electronic nose for reliable measurement and correct classification of beverages

Mamat M, Samad SA, Hannan MA

Sensors (Basel), 2011;11(6):6435-53.
PMID: 22163964 DOI: 10.3390/s110606435

This paper reports the design of an electronic nose (E-nose) prototype for reliable measurement and correct classification of beverages. The prototype was developed and fabricated in the laboratory using commercially available metal oxide gas sensors and a temperature sensor. The repeatability, reproducibility and discriminative ability of the developed E-nose prototype were tested on odors emanating from different beverages such as blackcurrant juice, mango juice and orange juice, respectively. Repeated measurements of three beverages showed very high correlation (r > 0.97) between the same beverages to verify the repeatability. The prototype also produced highly correlated patterns (r > 0.97) in the measurement of beverages using different sensor batches to verify its reproducibility. The E-nose prototype also possessed good discriminative ability whereby it was able to produce different patterns for different beverages, different milk heat treatments (ultra high temperature, pasteurization) and fresh and spoiled milks. The discriminative ability of the E-nose was evaluated using Principal Component Analysis and a Multi Layer Perception Neural Network, with both methods showing good classification results.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit
Fulltext Determination of moisture content in oil palm fruits using a five-port reflectometer

Yee LK, Abbas Z, Jusoh MA, Yeow YK, Meng CE

Sensors (Basel), 2011;11(4):4073-85.
PMID: 22163837 DOI: 10.3390/s110404073

This paper presents the development of a PC-based microwave five-port reflectometer for the determination of moisture content in oil palm fruits. The reflectometer was designed to measure both the magnitude and phase of the reflection coefficient of any passive microwave device. The stand-alone reflectometer consists of a PC, a microwave source, diode detectors and an analog to digital converter. All the measurement and data acquisition were done using Agilent VEE graphical programming software. The relectometer can be used with any reflection based microwave sensor. In this work, the application of the reflectometer as a useful instrument to determine the moisture content in oil palm fruits using monopole and coaxial sensors was demonstrated. Calibration equations between reflection coefficients and moisture content have been established for both sensors. The equation based on phase measurement of monopole sensor was found to be accurate within 5% in predicting moisture content in the fruits when compared to the conventional oven drying method.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit/chemistry*
Fulltext Intelligent color vision system for ripeness classification of oil palm fresh fruit bunch

Fadilah N, Mohamad-Saleh J, Abdul Halim Z, Ibrahim H, Syed Ali SS

Sensors (Basel), 2012;12(10):14179-95.
PMID: 23202043 DOI: 10.3390/s121014179

Ripeness classification of oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) during harvesting is important to ensure that they are harvested during optimum stage for maximum oil production. This paper presents the application of color vision for automated ripeness classification of oil palm FFB. Images of oil palm FFBs of type DxP Yangambi were collected and analyzed using digital image processing techniques. Then the color features were extracted from those images and used as the inputs for Artificial Neural Network (ANN) learning. The performance of the ANN for ripeness classification of oil palm FFB was investigated using two methods: training ANN with full features and training ANN with reduced features based on the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) data reduction technique. Results showed that compared with using full features in ANN, using the ANN trained with reduced features can improve the classification accuracy by 1.66% and is more effective in developing an automated ripeness classifier for oil palm FFB. The developed ripeness classifier can act as a sensor in determining the correct oil palm FFB ripeness category.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit/classification*
Fulltext Investigations on a novel inductive concept frequency technique for the grading of oil palm fresh fruit bunches

Harun NH, Misron N, Sidek RM, Aris I, Ahmad D, Wakiwaka H, et al.

Sensors (Basel), 2013;13(2):2254-66.
PMID: 23435051 DOI: 10.3390/s130202254

From the Malaysian harvester's perspective, the determination of the ripeness of the oil palm (FFB) is a critical factor to maximize palm oil production. A preliminary study of a novel oil palm fruit sensor to detect the maturity of oil palm fruit bunches is presented. To optimize the functionality of the sensor, the frequency characteristics of air coils of various diameters are investigated to determine their inductance and resonant characteristics. Sixteen samples from two categories, namely ripe oil palm fruitlets and unripe oil palm fruitlets, are tested from 100 Hz up to 100 MHz frequency. The results showed the inductance and resonant characteristics of the air coil sensors display significant changes among the samples of each category. The investigations on the frequency characteristics of the sensor air coils are studied to observe the effect of variations in the coil diameter. The effect of coil diameter yields a significant 0.02643 MHz difference between unripe samples to air and 0.01084 MHz for ripe samples to air. The designed sensor exhibits significant potential in determining the maturity of oil palm fruits.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit/growth & development*
Fulltext Robust Wavelength Selection Using Filter-Wrapper Method and Input Scaling on Near Infrared Spectral Data

Silalahi DD, Midi H, Arasan J, Mustafa MS, Caliman JP

Sensors (Basel), 2020 Sep 03;20(17).
PMID: 32899292 DOI: 10.3390/s20175001

The extraction of relevant wavelengths from a large dataset of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) is a significant challenge in vibrational spectroscopy research. Nonetheless, this process allows the improvement in the chemical interpretability by emphasizing the chemical entities related to the chemical parameters of samples. With the complexity in the dataset, it may be possible that irrelevant wavelengths are still included in the multivariate calibration. This yields the computational process to become unnecessary complex and decreases the accuracy and robustness of the model. In multivariate analysis, Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR) is a method commonly used to build a predictive model from NIR spectral data. However, in the PLSR method and common commercial chemometrics software, there is no standard wavelength selection procedure applied to screen the irrelevant wavelengths. In this study, a new robust wavelength selection procedure called the modified VIP-MCUVE (mod-VIP-MCUVE) using Filter-Wrapper method and input scaling strategy is introduced. The proposed method combines the modified Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) and modified Monte Carlo Uninformative Variable Elimination (MCUVE) to calculate the scale matrix of the input variable. The modified VIP uses the orthogonal components of Partial Least Square (PLS) in investigating the informative variable in the model by applying the amount of variation both in X and y{SSX,SSY}, simultaneously. The modified MCUVE uses a robust reliability coefficient and a robust tolerance interval in the selection procedure. To evaluate the superiority of the proposed method, the classical VIP, MCUVE, and autoscaling procedure in classical PLSR were also included in the evaluation. Using artificial data with Monte Carlo simulation and NIR spectral data of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) fruit mesocarp, the study shows that the proposed method offers advantages to improve model interpretability, to be computationally extensive, and to produce better model accuracy.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit
Fulltext Highly Sensitive Fluorescence Sensor for Carrageenan from a Composite Methylcellulose/Polyacrylate Membrane

Hassan RA, Heng LY, Tan LL

Sensors (Basel), 2020 Sep 04;20(18).
PMID: 32899886 DOI: 10.3390/s20185043

Carrageenans are linear sulphated polysaccharides that are commonly added into confectionery products but may exert a detrimental effect to human health. A new and simpler way of carrageenan determination based on an optical sensor utilizing a methylcellulose/poly(n-butyl acrylate) (Mc/PnBA) composite membrane with immobilized methylene blue (MB) was developed. The hydrophilic Mc polymer membrane was successfully modified with a more hydrophobic acrylic polymer. This was to produce an insoluble membrane at room temperature where MB reagent could be immobilized to build an optical sensor for carrageenan analysis. The fluorescence intensity of MB in the composite membrane was found to be proportional to the carrageenan concentrations in a linear manner (1.0-20.0 mg L-1, R2 = 0.992) and with a detection limit at 0.4 mg L-1. Recovery of spiked carrageenan into commercial fruit juice products showed percentage recoveries between 90% and 102%. The optical sensor has the advantages of improved sensitivity and better selectivity to carrageenan when compared to other types of hydrocolloids. Its sensitivity was comparable to most sophisticated techniques for carageenan analysis but better than other types of optical sensors. Thus, this sensor provides a simple, rapid, and sensitive means for carageenan analysis.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit and Vegetable Juices
Fulltext Triple Flat-Type Inductive-Based Oil Palm Fruit Maturity Sensor

Aliteh NA, Misron N, Aris I, Mohd Sidek R, Tashiro K, Wakiwaka H

Sensors (Basel), 2018 Aug 01;18(8).
PMID: 30071614 DOI: 10.3390/s18082496

This paper aims to study a triple flat-type air coil inductive sensor that can identify two maturity stages of oil palm fruits, ripe and unripe, based on the resonance frequency and fruitlet capacitance changes. There are two types of triple structure that have been tested, namely Triple I and II. Triple I is a triple series coil with a fixed number of turns (n = 200) with different length, and Triple II is a coil with fixed length (l = 5 mm) and a different number of turns. The peak comparison between Triple I and II is using the coefficient of variation cv, which is defined as the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean to express the precision and repeatability of data. As the fruit ripens, the resonance frequency peaks from an inductance⁻frequency curve and shifts closer to the peak curve of the air, and the fruitlet capacitance decreases. The coefficient of the variation of the inductive oil palm fruit sensor shows that Triple I is smaller and more consistent in comparison with Triple II, for both resonance frequency and fruitlet capacitance. The development of this sensor proves the capability of an inductive element such as a coil, to be used as a sensor so as to determine the ripeness of the oil palm fresh fruit bunch sample.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit
Fulltext Fruit Battery Method for Oil Palm Fruit Ripeness Sensor and Comparison with Computer Vision Method

Aliteh NA, Minakata K, Tashiro K, Wakiwaka H, Kobayashi K, Nagata H, et al.

Sensors (Basel), 2020 Jan 23;20(3).
PMID: 31979252 DOI: 10.3390/s20030637

Oil palm ripeness' main evaluation procedure is traditionally accomplished by human vision. However, the dependency on human evaluators to grade the ripeness of oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) by traditional means could lead to inaccuracy that can cause a reduction in oil palm fruit oil extraction rate (OER). This paper emphasizes the fruit battery method to distinguish oil palm fruit FFB ripeness stages by determining the value of load resistance voltage and its moisture content resolution. In addition, computer vision using a color feature is tested on the same samples to compare the accuracy score using support vector machine (SVM). The accuracy score results of the fruit battery, computer vision, and a combination of both methods' accuracy scores are evaluated and compared. When the ripe and unripe samples were tested for load resistance voltage ranging from 10 Ω to 10 kΩ, three resistance values were shortlisted and tested for moisture content resolution evaluation. A 1 kΩ load resistance showed the best moisture content resolution, and the results were used for accuracy score evaluation comparison with computer vision. From the results obtained, the accuracy scores for the combination method are the highest, followed by the fruit battery and computer vision methods.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit
Fulltext Fast Recognition and Counting Method of Dragon Fruit Flowers and Fruits Based on Video Stream

Li X, Wang X, Ong P, Yi Z, Ding L, Han C

Sensors (Basel), 2023 Oct 13;23(20).
PMID: 37896537 DOI: 10.3390/s23208444

Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) is a tropical and subtropical fruit that undergoes multiple ripening cycles throughout the year. Accurate monitoring of the flower and fruit quantities at various stages is crucial for growers to estimate yields, plan orders, and implement effective management strategies. However, traditional manual counting methods are labor-intensive and inefficient. Deep learning techniques have proven effective for object recognition tasks but limited research has been conducted on dragon fruit due to its unique stem morphology and the coexistence of flowers and fruits. Additionally, the challenge lies in developing a lightweight recognition and tracking model that can be seamlessly integrated into mobile platforms, enabling on-site quantity counting. In this study, a video stream inspection method was proposed to classify and count dragon fruit flowers, immature fruits (green fruits), and mature fruits (red fruits) in a dragon fruit plantation. The approach involves three key steps: (1) utilizing the YOLOv5 network for the identification of different dragon fruit categories, (2) employing the improved ByteTrack object tracking algorithm to assign unique IDs to each target and track their movement, and (3) defining a region of interest area for precise classification and counting of dragon fruit across categories. Experimental results demonstrate recognition accuracies of 94.1%, 94.8%, and 96.1% for dragon fruit flowers, green fruits, and red fruits, respectively, with an overall average recognition accuracy of 95.0%. Furthermore, the counting accuracy for each category is measured at 97.68%, 93.97%, and 91.89%, respectively. The proposed method achieves a counting speed of 56 frames per second on a 1080ti GPU. The findings establish the efficacy and practicality of this method for accurate counting of dragon fruit or other fruit varieties.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit*
Fulltext Soil-transmitted helminth infections and associated risk factors in three Orang Asli tribes in Peninsular Malaysia

Anuar TS, Salleh FM, Moktar N

Sci Rep, 2014;4:4101.
PMID: 24525479 DOI: 10.1038/srep04101

Currently, information on prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections among different tribes of Orang Asli (aboriginal) is scarce in Malaysia. The present study is a cross-sectional study aimed at determining the factors associated with the prevalence of STH infections among the Proto-Malay, Negrito and Senoi tribes. Faecal samples were collected from 500 participants and socioeconomic data was collected via pre-tested questionnaire. All samples were processed using formalin-ether sedimentation and Wheatley's trichrome staining. Trichuris trichiura (57%) was the most common STH seen among the participants, followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (23.8%) and hookworm (7.4%). Trichuriasis and ascariasis showed an age-dependency relationship; significantly higher rates were observed among Senois who aged <15 years. Likewise, Negritos also showed an age-dependency association with ascariasis affecting mainly the under 15 years old individuals. Multivariate logistic regression model indicated the following predictors of trichuriasis among these communities; being aged <15 years, consuming raw vegetables, belonging to a large household members (≥8) and earning low household income (fruits.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit/parasitology
Fulltext Telescopic synthesis of cellulose nanofibrils with a stable dispersion of Fe(0) nanoparticles for synergistic removal of 5-fluorouracil

Sajab MS, Mohan D, Santanaraj J, Chia CH, Kaco H, Harun S, et al.

Sci Rep, 2019 08 12;9(1):11703.
PMID: 31406228 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48274-2

The recognition of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) in the past years as a high prospect material has been prominent, but the impractical cellulose extraction method from biomass remained as a technological barrier for industrial practice. In this study, the telescopic approach on the fractionation of lignin and cellulose was performed by organosolv extraction and catalytic oxidation from oil palm empty fruit bunch fibers. The integration of these techniques managed to synthesize CNF in a short time. Aside from the size, the zeta potential of CNF was measured at -41.9 mV, which allow higher stability of the cellulose in water suspension. The stability of CNF facilitated a better dispersion of Fe(0) nanoparticles with the average diameter size of 52.3-73.24 nm through the formulation of CNF/Fe(0). The total uptake capacity of CNF towards 5-fluorouracil was calculated at 0.123 mg/g. While the synergistic reactions of adsorption-oxidation were significantly improved the removal efficacy three to four times greater even at a high concentration of 5-fluorouracil. Alternatively, the sludge generation after the oxidation reaction was completely managed by the encapsulation of Fe(0) nanoparticles in regenerated cellulose.

Matched MeSH terms: Fruit

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