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A pot experiment was conducted to observe the effect of salicylic acid on qualitative and quantitative attributes of tomato plants under salinity stress at Agriculture Research Institute Tarnab, Peshawar during the summer season 2016. The experiment was conducted in a shade house and laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) having 12 treatments and replicated thrice. After 15 days of transplantation tomato plants (cv. Rio Grande) were subjected to various levels of salinity (0, 30, 60 and 90 mM) and to foliar application of salicylic acid (0, 0.5 and 1 mM) at 6 days after salinity stress. Results revealed that salinity stress (90 mM NaCl) significantly reduced the fruit length (4.71 cm), fruit diameter (3.95 cm), number of fruits plant−1 (13), yield pot−1 (0.51 kg), fruit dry matter (6.89 g), and pH (4.14) with increase in fruit firmness (2.72 kg · cm2), total soluble solids (TSS, 8.87 0Brix) and vitamin C (18.07 mg · 100 ml). The foliar application of salicylic acid at 0.5 mM significantly reduced the harmful effect of salt stress and improved the fruit length (5.02 cm), fruit diameter (4.17 cm), number of fruits plant−1 (18.67), yield pot−1 (0.86 kg), fruit dry matter (9.04 g), fruit firmness (2.68 kg · cm2), TSS (9.05 0Brix), pH (4.33) and vitamin C (17.28 mg · 100 ml). Regarding in interaction both salinity and salicylic acid significantly affected all the variables except fruit firmness, total soluble solids, pH and vitamin C. From the present study it can be concluded that salinity reduced the quantitative attributes while it increased the qualitative attributes except pH. Therefore, salicylic acid at 0.5 mM might be applied to the tomato plant under saline condition up to 90 mM which could effectively alleviates the deleterious effect of salt stress.

Thermoplastic poly(ether/ester) elastomer (TPEE) has great potential as a mattress material due to its high resilience, breathability, and light weight. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of TPEE-3D fibrous material (T3DF), a three-dimensional block material made of TPEE fibers randomly aligned and loop-connected, for mattress application. After testing the compression properties of T3DF, the effects of T3DF structural layers on mattress firmness were investigated. The results showed that T3DF had good energy absorption capacity, broad indentation hardness range (126.94–333.82 N), and high compression deflection coefficient (2.79–4.39). The thickness and density of T3DF were the main factors influencing mattress firmness, and the impact of thickness was more significant (p < 0.05). Owing to the hard and soft segments contained in TPEE, T3DF could be used for both the padding and core layers of the mattress. The hardness value and Dsurface of the mattress with a T3DF padding layer increased with T3DF density but decreased with T3DF thickness. Moreover, the hardness value and Dsurface of the mattress with a T3DF core layer increased with T3DF density, while with T3DF thickness, its Dsurface increased and Dbottom decreased. Therefore, the thick and low-density T3DF padding layer could improve the comfort of the mattress surface, a thin T3DF core layer could satisfy both the softer surface and the firmer bottom of the mattress.

This study presents the first report on the postharvest responses of ‘Gold Delight’ muscadine as newly developed bronze cultivar compared with three bronze commercial muscadines ‘Granny Val’, ‘Triumph’, and ‘Hall’ during 28 d of cold storage at 4 °C. Weight loss differed markedly among cultivars, with ‘Gold Delight’ showing the lowest final loss (2.11% ± 0.05%) and ‘Hall’ the highest (3.29% ± 0.11%). Firmness decreased in all cultivars, with reductions from 190.8 ± 3.0 to 171.9 ± 1.6 g·mm −1 in ‘Gold Delight’ and from 202.9 ± 3.2 to 159.8 ± 4.0 g·mm −1 in ‘Triumph’, confirming the greater firmness retention of ‘Gold Delight’. Total soluble solids (TSS) remained relatively constant, titratable acidity (TA) decreased gradually, and pH increased slightly during storage. By day 28, ‘Triumph’ showed the highest TSS/TA ratio (27.04 ± 0.45), followed by ‘Hall’ (25.47 ± 0.50). Total phenolic content showed slight reductions by day 28, with final values of 33.11 ± 0.54 mg·L −1 gallic acid equivalents (GAE; (‘Gold Delight’), 26.03 ± 0.63 mg·L −1 GAE (‘Granny Val’), 35.98 ± 0.75 mg·L −1 GAE (‘Triumph’), and 39.40 ± 0.62 mg·L −1 GAE (‘Hall’). Total antioxidant activity decreased moderately across cultivars, ending at 54.42 ± 1.35, 49.20 ± 1.22, 66.65 ± 1.24, and 77.35 ± 1.87 μmols TE·L −1 for ‘Gold Delight’, ‘Granny Val’, ‘Triumph’, and ‘Hall’, respectively. Color parameters showed only minor changes across cultivars. Overall, this evaluation demonstrated clear cultivar-dependent differences in postharvest behavior, providing practical guidance for selecting muscadines best suited for fresh-market consumption and cold-storage handling.

Summary Retention of flesh texture attributes during cold storage is critical for the long‐term maintenance of fruit quality. The genetic variations determining flesh firmness and crispness retainability are not well understood. The objectives of this study are to identify gene markers based on quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and to develop genomics‐assisted prediction (GAP) models for apple flesh firmness and crispness retainability. Phenotype data of 2664 hybrids derived from three Malus domestica cultivars and a M. asiatica cultivar were collected in 2016 and 2017. The phenotype segregated considerably with high broad‐sense heritability of 83.85% and 83.64% for flesh firmness and crispness retainability, respectively. Fifty‐six candidate genes were predicted from the 62 QTLs identified using bulked segregant analysis and RNA‐seq. The genotype effects of the markers designed on each candidate gene were estimated. The genomics‐predicted values were obtained using pyramiding marker genotype effects and overall mean phenotype values. Fivefold cross‐validation revealed that the prediction accuracy was 0.5541 and 0.6018 for retainability of flesh firmness and crispness, respectively. An 8‐bp deletion in the MdERF3 promoter disrupted MdDOF5.3 binding, reduced MdERF3 expression, relieved the inhibition on MdPGLR3, MdPME2, and MdACO4 expression, and ultimately decreased flesh firmness and crispness retainability. A 3‐bp deletion in the MdERF118 promoter decreased its expression by disrupting the binding of MdRAVL1, which increased MdPGLR3 and MdACO4 expression and reduced flesh firmness and crispness retainability. These results provide insights regarding the genetic variation network regulating flesh firmness and crispness retainability, and the GAP models can assist in apple breeding.

In Chile, this work was supported by the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research CONICYT (FONDECYT 11130539) and the Universidad de Talca (research programs “Adaptation of Agriculture to Climate Change (A2C2)”, “Fondo Proyectos de Investigación” and “Núcleo Científico Multidisciplinario”). In Spain, this work was partially supported by “Fundación Carolina” and “Programa de Doctorado en Ciencia y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria”, Universitat de Lleida.

Human skin is continually changing. The condition of the skin largely depends on the individual’s overall state of health. A balanced diet plays an important role in the proper functioning of the human body, including the skin. The present study draws attention to bioactive substances, i.e., vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, polyphenols, and carotenoids, with a particular focus on their effects on the condition of the skin. The aim of the study was to review the literature on the effects of bioactive substances on skin parameters such as elasticity, firmness, wrinkles, senile dryness, hydration and color, and to define their role in the process of skin ageing.

From a state-of-the-art point of view, it is currently possible to optically monitor the enzymatic coagulation of milk for real time estimation of the elastic modulus to cut the gel at optimum gel firmness. However, European cheese industry produces a wide variety of cheeses, many of them artisanal, and has a very fragmented productive structure with many small-, medium-sized companies. Therefore, if the technology is to be successfully uptake, it must be not only accurate but very low-cost. The objective of this work was to evaluate a low-cost commercial multifiber probe, for inline optical determination of curd firmness during cheese making. Preliminary tests were carried out to select the most appropriate fiber core size and wavelength and after that coagulation trials were performed following a fully randomized factorial design with two factors, i.e., concentration of protein (3.2, 3.6 and 4.0%) and added calcium (150, 200 and 250 mg L−1), with three replicates. The observed linear increase of the least square means of the initial voltage with the protein content (V0 = 0.15[P, %] + 0.88; R2 = 0.999), will be likely synergistic with the elastic modulus prediction if the model needs to be corrected for protein. Finally, the multifiber probe allowed predicting curd firmness using the proposed model with SEP values < 7 Pa. The present work has proven that a low-cost multifiber probe is suitable for accurate, real-time prediction of curd firmness during cheese manufacture.

Summary Fruit firmness is an important trait in sweet cherry breeding because it directly positively influences fruit transportability, storage and shelf life. However, the underlying genes responsible and the molecular mechanisms that control fruit firmness remain unknown. In this study, we identified a candidate gene, PavSCPL, encoding a serine carboxypeptidase‐like protein with natural allelic variation, that controls fruit firmness in sweet cherry using map‐based cloning and functionally characterized PavSCPL during sweet cherry fruit softening. Genetic analysis revealed that fruit firmness in the ‘Rainier’ × ‘Summit’ F1 population was controlled by a single dominant gene. Bulked segregant analysis combined with fine mapping narrowed the candidate gene to a 473‐kb region (7418778–7 891 914 bp) on chromosome 6 which included 72 genes. The candidate gene PavSCPL, and a null allele harbouring a 5244‐bp insertion in the second exon that completely inactivated PavSCPL expression and resulted in the extra‐hard‐flesh phenotype, were identified by RNA‐sequencing analysis and gene cloning. Quantitative RT‐PCR analysis revealed that the PavSCPL expression level was increased with fruit softening. Virus‐induced gene silencing of PavSCPL enhanced fruit firmness and suppressed the activities of certain pectin‐degrading enzymes in the fruit. In addition, we developed functional molecular markers for PavSCPL and the Pavscpl5.2‐k allele that co‐segregated with the fruit firmness trait. Overall, this research identified a crucial functional gene for fruit firmness. The results provide insights into the genetic control and molecular mechanism of the fruit firmness trait and present useful molecular markers for molecular‐assisted breeding for fruit firmness in sweet cherry.

In the present study, inclusion of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) powder into bread doughs at 5 and 10% substitution level of soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) flour was tested to produce protein fortified breads. The addition of mealworm powder (MP) did not negatively affect the technological features of either doughs or breads. All the tested doughs showed the same leavening ability, whereas breads containing 5% MP showed the highest specific volume and the lowest firmness. An enrichment in protein content was observed in experimental breads where the highest values for this parameter were recorded in breads containing 10% MP. Breads fortified with 10% MP also exhibited a significant increase in the content of free amino acids, and especially in the following essential amino acids: tyrosine, methionine, isoleucine, and leucine. By contrast, no differences in nutritional quality of lipids were seen between fortified and control breads. Results of sensory analyses revealed that protein fortification of bread with MP significantly affected bread texture and overall liking, as well as crust colour, depending on the substitution level. Overall, proof of concept was provided for the inclusion of MP into bread doughs started with different leavening agents (sourdough and/or baker's yeast), at 5 or 10% substitution level of soft wheat flour. Based on the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale, the proposed bread making technology can be situated at level 4 (validation in laboratory environment), thus suggesting that the production of breads with MP might easily be scaled up at industrial level. However, potential spoilage and safety issues that need to be further considered were highlighted.