Portable vs. Benchtop NIR-Sensor Technology for Classification and Quality Evaluation of Black Truffle

Truffles represent the best known and most expensive edible mushroom. Known as Ascomycetes, they belong to the genus Tuber and live in symbiosis with plant host roots. Due to their extraordinary taste and smell, truffles are sold worldwide for high prices of up to 3000–5000 euros per kilogram (Tuber magnatum PICO). Amongst black truffles, the species Tuber melanosporum VITTAD. is highly regarded for its organoleptic properties. Nonetheless, numerous different sorts of black truffle are offered at lower prices, including Tuber aestivum VITTAD., Tuber indicum and Tuber uncinatum, which represent the most frequently consumed types. Because truffles do not differ visually for inexperienced consumers, food fraud is likely to occur. In particular, for the highly prized Tuber melanosporum, which morphologically forms very similar fruiting bodies to those of Tuber indicum, there is a risk of fraud via imported truffles from Asia. In this study, 126 truffle samples belonging to the four mentioned species were investigated by four different NIR instruments, including three miniaturized devices—the Tellspec Enterprise Sensor, the VIAVI solutions MicroNIR 1700 and the Consumer Physics SCiO—working on different technical principles. Three different types of measurement techniques were applied for all instruments (outer shell, rotational device and fruiting body) in order to identify the best results for classification and quality assurance in a non-destructive manner. Results provided differentiation with an accuracy up to 100% for the expensive Tuber melanosporum from Tuber indicum. Classification between Tuber melanosporum, Tuber indicum, Tuber aestivum and Tuber uncinatum could also be achieved with success of 100%. In addition, quality monitoring including discrimination between fresh and frozen/thawed, and prediction of the approximate date of harvesting, was performed. Furthermore, feasibility studies according to the geographical origin of the truffle were attempted. The presented work compares the performance for prediction and quality monitoring of portable vs. benchtop NIR devices and applied measurement techniques in order to be able to present a suitable, accurate, fast, non-destructive and reliable method for consumers.     

LAP-MALDI MS coupled with machine learning: an ambient mass spectrometry approach for high-throughput diagnostics

Large-scale population screening for early and accurate detection of disease is a key objective for future diagnostics. Ideally, diagnostic tests that achieve this goal are also cost-effective, fast and easily adaptable to new diseases with the potential of multiplexing. Mass spectrometry (MS), particularly MALDI MS profiling, has been explored for many years in disease diagnostics, most successfully in clinical microbiology but less in early detection of diseases. Here, we present liquid atmospheric pressure (LAP)-MALDI MS profiling as a rapid, large-scale and cost-effective platform for disease analysis. Using this new platform, two different types of tests exemplify its potential in early disease diagnosis and response to therapy. First, it is shown that LAP-MALDI MS profiling detects bovine mastitis two days before its clinical manifestation with a sensitivity of up to 70% and a specificity of up to 100%. This highly accurate, pre-symptomatic detection is demonstrated by using a large set of milk samples collected weekly over six months from approximately 500 dairy cows. Second, the potential of LAP-MALDI MS in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) detection is shown by employing the same mass spectrometric setup and similarly simple sample preparation as for the early detection of mastitis.

LAP-MALDI MS profiling provides rapid, cost-effective large-scale disease analysis as demonstrated by preclinical detection of bovine mastitis and antimicrobial resistance testing using a longitudinal sample collection from a 500-cows dairy herd.     

Cylindrically shaped dendritic structures

Initial steps toward the grafting of functionalized rodlike polymers with Fréchet-type dendritic fragments of the first two generations are described.     

The Role of Synthetic Pharmaceutical Polymer Excipients in Oral Dosage Forms – Poly(ethylene oxide)-graft-poly(vinyl alcohol) Copolymers in Tablet Coatings

A number of tablet coatings are available to provide a controlled release of pharmaceutically active compounds in the stomach or intestine using both instant or sustained released systems. The preferred properties of these tablet coatings are a low solution viscosity (preferable in water) combined with a phase separated morphology, showing good mechanical properties. PEO-g-PVAl copolymers have been developed as an instant-release tablet coating, and were obtained via a conventional radical polymerisation of VAc in the presence of PEO. No free PEO was observed in the PEO-g-PVAl copolymers 1f and 1i using 2D LCCC-SEC and MALDI-TOF analysis. Next to the requirement of being PEO free, the PEO-g-PVAl copolymers show a good combination of film forming properties, a fast dissolution and a low solution viscosity in water. The phase separated morphology, as demonstrated by TEM, DSC, DMTA, and WAXS experiments, should provide the PEO-g-PVAl copolymers with relatively constant mechanical properties. A model reaction, using 2-methoxyethyl-ether and 1,4,7,10-tetraoxacyclododecane, has been developed to imitate the grafting reaction of VAc on PEO. Using this model reaction and using the same reaction conditions (temperature, initiator, concentration, VAc:“PEO” ratio, etc.) as applied in the PEO-g-PVAl polymerisation procedure, a degree of grafting for PEO of 13±3% was found. Comparing this figure with the results of LCCC-SEC and MALDI-TOF measurements, this figure seems a few percent too high, pointing to a slightly increased reactivity of the two model compounds compared to the PEO used.     

Gd3Pt4In12 and Tb3Pt4In12 — New Ternary Indides with Condensed Distorted [PtIn6] Trigonal Prisms

The ternary indium compounds Gd₃Pt₄In₁₂ and Tb₃Pt₄In₁₂ were synthesized from an indium flux. Arc‐melted precursor alloys with the starting compositions ∼GdPtIn₄ and ∼TbPtIn₄ were annealed with a slight excess of indium at 1200 K followed by slow cooling (5 K/h) to 870 K. Both compounds were investigated by X‐ray powder diffraction: a = 990.5(1), c = 1529.5(3) pm for Gd₃Pt₄In₁₂ and a = 988.65(9), c = 1524.0(1) pm for Tb₃Pt₄In₁₂. The structure of the gadolinium compound was solved and refined from single crystal X‐ray data: P3¯m1, wR2 = 0.0470, 1469 F² values and 62 variable parameters. Both crystallographically different platinum sites have a slightly distorted trigonal prismatic indium coordination. These [PtIn₆] prisms are condensed via common edges and corners forming a complex three‐dimensional [Pt₁₂In₃₂] network. The gadolinium, In1 and In7 atoms fill cavities within this polyanion. Tb₃Pt₄In₁₂ is isotypic with the gadolinium compound.