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Cashew (Annacardium occidentale L.) is a hardy and golden crop of arid regions, and the pseudo fruit, cashew apple is a vital source of sugars and vitamins that is discarded as a waste during cashew nut processing. Cashew apples start fermenting soon after the harvest, and due to the presence of a wide spectrum of polyphenols and tannins, the change of colour of cashew apples leads to an unappealing marketability and storage stability. The present study is aimed to rapid identification of different spoilage yeasts and to identify them using MALDI-TOF Mass Spectroscopy. Spoilage yeasts like Candida krusei, C. tropicalis, Pichia norvegensis, Brettannomyces bruxellensis were the spoilage yeasts found to have high confidence score values of 2.00 - 3.00 with high consistency.
Background: Patients with SLE have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with healthy people of the same age and gender.In women between the ages of 35 and 44, the presence of SLE increases the risk of developing CVD by 50 times.Generic risk factors for CVD contribute to the CVD risk in patients with SLE.Hypertension is an important modifiable risk factor for CVD and is common in patients with SLE.The risk associated with increasing blood pressure (BP) is continuous, with each 2 mmHg rise in systolic blood pressure associated with a 7% increased risk of mortality from ischaemic heart disease and a 10% increased risk of mortality from stroke.National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the general population suggest that if the clinic blood pressure is !140/90 mmHg, 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is indicated.We assessed blood pressure measurements in patients with SLE under the care of the Lupus Clinic at UCLH to assess how many would need to be referred for ABPM under these guidelines.Methods: We studied the clinic records for the last three consecutive appointments of 172 patients fulfilling ACR criteria for SLE.We recorded blood pressure measurements, concomitant use of antihypertensive drugs and indications for prescribing those drugs.Patients who had not been seen in the last year were excluded.We defined raised blood pressure as !140/90 mmHg according to the NICE guidelines.Results: Of the 172 patients studied, 153 (89%) were women.Fiftyseven per cent of patients were Caucasian, 18% Afro-Caribbean, 17% South Asian and 8% other ethnicity.Average age of all patients was 48 years.Seventy-four patients (42%) with an average age of 54 years were identified as having one or more elevated BP recordings and 36 of these patients had two or more consecutive readings of elevated BP.Though the majority (57/74) of these patients were on antihypertensive medication, 17/74 (23%) were not treated and might benefit from ABPM.Anti-hypertensive drugs were prescribed for hypertension (61%), LN (33%), pulmonary hypertension (4%) and CCF (2%).Of 35 patients prescribed anti-hypertensives for hypertension, 21 (60%) still had elevated BP.Conclusion: CVD is an important cause of disability and death in SLE.We have identified a large number of SLE patients with elevated blood pressures who would potentially be eligible for ABMP monitoring.This includes both untreated and under-treated patients whose BP !140/ 90 mmHg.Based on these findings we are setting up a service locally to refer these patients for 24-h ABMP and create a pathway for initiating treatment.A target-based approach by modifying risk factors may result in a reduced burden of cardiovascular disease in SLE patients.
A 3-year-old girl was referred to paediatrics by her general practitioner with a 2-day history of blisters on her hands. Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome was suspected, so intravenous flucloxacillin was started. All observations, including temperature, were within normal limits. Investigations showed normal full blood count and C reactive protein. Dermatology opinion was sought and further history revealed that on the day before the …
