Shear and extensional rheology of selected polysaccharides

Rheology is used for the elucidation of the flow properties of polysaccharide solutions. For a given polysaccharide, both shear and extensional rheological experiments should be performed for the full characterisation of its flow properties. The provided information will facilitate the efficient exploitation of a polysaccharide in various applications. Although shear rheology is widely used in polysaccharides’ characterisation, there are only limited extensional rheology studies due to lack of reliable techniques in the formation of pure extensional flow. However, recently, several commercial extensional rheometers have been developed and thus, accurate extensional experiments can now be performed. The present work initially presents the principles and concepts of both shear and extensional rheology and then reports rheological findings for solutions of various polysaccharides and their derivatives. Xanthan and various members of the galactomannan, cellulose and alginate families were selected.     

QUASI‐LIKELIHOOD INFERENCE FOR NEGATIVE BINOMIAL TIME SERIES MODELS

We study inference and diagnostics for count time series regression models that include a feedback mechanism. In particular, we are interested in negative binomial processes for count time series. We study probabilistic properties and quasi‐likelihood estimation for this class of processes. We show that the resulting estimators are consistent and asymptotically normally distributed. These facts enable us to construct probability integral transformation plots for assessing any assumed distributional assumptions. The key observation in developing the theory is a mean parameterized form of the negative binomial distribution. For transactions data, it is seen that the negative binomial distribution offers a better fit than the Poisson distribution. This is an immediate consequence of the fact that transactions can be represented as a collection of individual activities that correspond to different trading strategies.     

Processing and storage effects on the oxidative stability of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) oil‐in‐water emulsions

Hempseed oil was used to form oil‐in‐water emulsions, and the effect of heating, storage and light on the oxidative stability of the dispersed phase was investigated. Lipid oxidation rate increased following thermal processing and light exposure, whereas oxidation markers remained relatively unaffected during emulsions storage at 4 °C for 10 days. Induction times of the emulsions were reduced up to 26% and the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances increased up to 4.5‐fold, depending on the processing conditions. Selected berries as potential sources of natural antioxidants were screened for polyphenol and anthocyanin content in order to investigate their ability to retard lipid oxidation in comparison with a commercially available synthetic counterpart. Raspberry powder extract significantly improved the oxidative stability of hemp‐based emulsion compared with the control and was even more effective compared to a synthetic antioxidant when samples were subjected to heat treatment.     

Composition and antioxidant activity of essential oils from Oregano plants grown wild in Greece

In this study, four samples of essential oils obtained from plant species with a wide distribution in Greece and economic importance for the world-wide spice market and also carvacrol and thymol were tested for their possible antioxidant activity. The four plant species wereOriganum vulgare subsp.hirtum, O. onites, Coridothymus capitatus andSatureja thymbra. The essential oils were chemically characterised by gas chromatography-ion trap detection. All the essential oils examined and also carvacrol and thymol were found to have antioxidant activity when tested on TLC plates and by measuring peroxide values of lard stored at 35° C. The results indicate that the antioxidant effect may be related to the presence of carvacrol and thymol in essential oils.     

A novel HMM-based learning framework for improving dynamic wireless push system performance

A new machine learning framework is introduced in this paper, based on the hidden Markov model (HMM), designed to provide scheduling in dynamic wireless push systems. In realistic wireless systems, the clients’ intentions change dynamically; hence a cognitive scheduling scheme is needed to estimate the desirability of the connected clients. The proposed scheduling scheme is enhanced with self-organized HMMs, supporting the network with an estimated expectation of the clients’ intentions, since the system’s environment characteristics alter dynamically and the base station (server side) has no a priori knowledge of such changes. Compared to the original pure scheme, the proposed machine learning framework succeeds in predicting the clients’ information desires and overcomes the limitation of the original static scheme, in terms of mean delay and system efficiency.     

Facile Reduction of Nitroarenes into Anilines and Nitroalkanes into Hydroxylamines via the Rapid Activation of Ammonia⋅ Borane Complex by Supported Gold Nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles supported on titania catalyse, even at a ppm loading level, the quantitative reduction of nitroarenes into anilines and nitroalkanes into alkylhydroxylamines by the ammonia⋅ borane complex. No dehalohalogenation was seen in the case of chloro‐ or bromonitroarenes, while ester, cyano, or carboxylic acid functionalities also remain intact. The nitroarene to aniline reduction pathway does not require nitrosoarenes as intermediate products.     

Combined natural antimicrobial treatments (EDTA,lysozyme, rosemary and oregano oil) on semi cooked coated chicken meat stored in vacuum packages at 4 °C: Microbiological and sensory evaluation

The present study examined the effect of natural antimicrobials: Ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), lysozyme, rosemary and oregano oil and their combinations, on the shelf-life of semi cooked coated chicken fillets stored under vacuum packaging (VP), at 4 ± 0.5 °C for a period of 18 days. The treatments of semi cooked coated chicken fillets examined in the present study were the following: Air-packaged (A, control samples), vacuum-packaged (VP), VP with EDTA–lysozyme solution 1.50% w/w, (VP + EL), VP with rosemary oil 0.20% v/w, (VP + R), VP with oregano oil 0.20% v/w, (VP + O), VP with EDTA–lysozyme solution and rosemary oil (VP + EL + R) and finally VP with EDTA–lysozyme and oregano oil (VP + EL + O). The shelf-life of the samples was determined using both microbiological and sensory analyses. Among the antimicrobial combinations examined in the present study, the treatments VP + EL + R and VP + EL + O were the most effective against the growth of Gram-negative, Gram-positive bacteria, and to a lesser extent on yeasts. Based on both microbiological (TVC data) and sensory (taste attribute) analyses, treatments: VP and VP + O gave a shelf life extension of 6 days, whereas treatments VP + EL + R and VP + EL + O produced a shelf-life extension of 7–8 days, as compared to the control samples.Industrial RelevanceThe present research has highlighted the use of natural antimicrobial treatment combinations, including: EDTA, lysozyme, rosemary and oregano oil and their combinations, in the extension of shelf-life of semi cooked coated chicken fillets stored under vacuum packaging at 4 °C for a period of 18 days. Establishing, the determination of the shelf-life of fresh poultry and products represents a challenge for food companies as poultry meat has a short shelf-life, which causes substantial practical problems for its distribution. Therefore, knowledge of natural preservatives, that can be used as alternatives to chemical additives, that could extend the products' shelf life can have an important economic feedback by reducing losses attributed to spoilage and by allowing the products to reach distant and new markets. This study has shown that combinations of natural antimicrobials can extend the shelf-life of the product.