Use of mesquite cotyledon (Prosopis chilensis (Mol) Shuntz) in the manufacturing of cereal bars

Cereal bars with peanut and walnut has shown to be snack foods of good organoleptic characteristics and high caloric value, due to their content of protein, lipids and carbohydrates. Cotyledons of mezquite seeds have a high protein content which biological quality improves with thermal processing like toasting, microwave or moist heat under pressure. The purposes of this research were to study the use of mezquite cotyledon (Prosopis chilensis (Mol) Stuntz) in cereal bars with two different levels of peanut or walnut; and to determine the effect of two thermal treatment applied on the cotyledon upon the bar characteristics. Twelve different kind of bars were developed through the combination of two levels of peanut or walnut (15% and 18%); the use of mezquite cotyledon (0% and 6%); and the application of two thermal processing to the cotyledon (microwave and toasting). Cereal bars were analysed for chemical, physical and sensory characteristics: moisture, water activity, proximate chemical composition, sensory quality and acceptability. Moisture content of bars with peanut ranged between 10.4% and 10.9%; and for those with walnut, between 10.5% and 12.3%. Protein content was higher in the bars with mezquite cotiledon, being higher those with peanut. Thermal processing did not have any effect on the chemical composition. Bars with mezquite cotyledon treated by microwave showed a higher acceptability.     

Tensile and lignocellulosic properties of Prosopis chilensis natural fabric

The uniaxial natural fabric Prosopis chilensis was treated with NaOH (alkali), poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and polycarbonate (PC) solutions. The Prosopis chilensis fabric belongs to Leguminosae family. The properties of ligno‐cellulosic fabric and the effect of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treatment were evaluated using thermal analysis by means of thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry analysis, Autonated total reflection‐fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Tensile properties of the untreated and fabric treated with NaOH, PVA, and PC were also studied to assess their performance. The fabric has good thermal resistance on alkali treatment. The FTIR method indicates lowering the hemi cellulose and lignin content by alkali treatment. Further, the XRD studies reveal that crystallinity of the fabric increases on alkali treatment. Tensile properties of the fabric were enhanced on treatments with NaOH, PVA, and PC treatments. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Spectroscopic verification of zinc absorption and distribution in the desert plant Prosopis juliflora-velutina (velvet mesquite) treated with ZnO nanoparticles

The impact of metal nanoparticles (NPs) on biological systems, especially plants, is still not well understood. The aim of this research was to determine the effects of zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs in velvet mesquite (Prosopis juliflora-velutina). Mesquite seedlings were grown for 15 days in hydroponics with ZnO NPs (10 nm) at concentrations varying from 500 to 4000 mg L(-1). Zinc concentrations in roots, stems and leaves were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Plant stress was examined by the specific activity of catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APOX); while the biotransformation of ZnO NPs and Zn distribution in tissues was determined by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and micro X-ray fluorescence (μXRF), respectively. ICP-OES results showed that Zn concentrations in tissues (2102 ± 87, 1135 ± 56, and 628 ± 130 mg kg(-1) d wt in roots, stems, and leaves, respectively) were found at 2000 mg ZnO NPs L(-1). Stress tests showed that ZnO NPs increased CAT in roots, stems, and leaves, while APOX increased only in stems and leaves. XANES spectra demonstrated that ZnO NPs were not present in mesquite tissues, while Zn was found as Zn(II), resembling the spectra of Zn(NO(3))(2). The μXRF analysis confirmed the presence of Zn in the vascular system of roots and leaves in ZnO NP treated plants.     

Development of cereal bar with pineapple skin

The cereal bars are multi-component products consisting of cereals, dried fruit and syrup binder and may be added to the consumable parts of fruits and vegetables which usually are not exploited and have high nutritional value, thereby reducing food waste. It was developed a jam with pineapple skin, which it was utilized in 13.5% in the cereal bar formulation. The cereal bar was sensorial evaluated and had its centesimal and mineral composition determined. The new product achieved average of 8.3 for global impression using 9 points hedonic scale, 91% of acceptance rate and 67% of purchase intent. In this first use of pineapple skin jam as food ingredient it can be concluded that its aggregation in the cereal bar formula is feasible, making an accepted product with fibers, proteins and minerals, as an alternative to traditional cereal bars.     

Splicing of reinforcement bars with epoxy joints

The splicing of reinforcement bars in tension using epoxy-sleeve joints is described. The optimum length of the splicing sleeve required and the optimum bonding layer of epoxy resin in the joint were determined in direct tension tests. The performance of the epoxy-sleeve joint made to these optimum dimensions is then compared to that of a lap splice made according to the provisions of CP 110 in a beam flexure test. A sleeve length of 12 bar diameters and an optimum average thickness of 2 mm of the bonding layer of epoxy are shown to develop the full strength of the splices bar. Tensile reinforcement bars spliced using epoxy-sleeve joints are shown to perform satisfactorily as flexural reinforcement in beams and compare favourably with the standard CP 110 lap splice. Epoxy-sleeve joints are shown to produce stiffer beams and reduced crack width at the joints.     

The bond and flexural strengthening of reinforced concrete elements strengthened with near surface mounted prestressing steel (PS) bars

Abstract

The main objective of this work is to study the performance of prestressing steel (PS) bars as reinforcements in the reinforced concrete (RC) elements strengthened by the near-surface mounted method (NSM). The work includes two parts. In the first part, direct pull-out tests are performed in order to study the bond performance between PS reinforcement and concrete. The influences of groove sizes and PS surface conditions (smooth and sand coated) are evaluated. The results show that the sand coated PS (PS-Sc) reinforcement has the best adhesion behavior compared with the smooth bar, and its pull-out force is increased by 48%. For this reason, the PS-Sc bars are used in the second part of this work as NSM reinforcement to strengthen RC beams subjected to bending forces. Then, four-point bending tests are carried out to understand the flexural behavior of strengthened RC beams with PS-Sc reinforcements of different lengths and ratios. The obtained results demonstrate that the use of NSM-PS-Sc bars strengthening technique leads to important enhancement in the load carrying capacity of the RC beams. The first crack load and ultimate load of the strengthened RC beams attain 71.41 and 65.67%, respectively, which are higher than those of the control beam. Furthermore, the experimental values show a good agreement with the analytical values in both the ultimate deflection and the ultimate load. This proves that the NSM-PS-Sc bars studied in this work are promising reinforcement of the RC beams.     

UTILIZATION OF MESQUITE ( Prosopis julijlora) GUM AS EMULSION STABILIZING AGENT FOR SPRAY-DRIED ENCAPSULATED ORANGE PEEL OIL

Abstract

Orange peel oil was microencapsulated. Mesquite gum and its performance for producing spray-dried powders was compared to emulsions prepared with gum arabic. Average oil droplet size of mesquite gum capsules was smaller than that of gum arabic. Emulsions made with mesquite gum showed better stability than those made with gum arabic. Encapsulation capacity of mesquite gum was found to be 80.5 % of the starting oil whereas gum arabic was able to encapsulate 93.5 %. Sensory evaluation showed that there was not significant difference (α<0.05) in flavor intensity between orange peel oil encapsulated with the two emulsifiers.     

Characterisation of induced discontinuities in the Boom Clay around the underground excavations (URF, Mol, Belgium)

Excavation works were carried out in Boom Clay to extend the underground research facility in Mol (Belgium) located at a depth of 223 m below the surface. The attempt to characterise the extent of the Excavation Damaged Zone, or EDZ, around the second shaft, using seismic measurements and cored borings, was successful, as proven by observations during further excavation works in the investigated area. No evidence for the occurrence of natural discontinuities was found. Using an industrial technique, an 84-m-long gallery was excavated in the Boom Clay. These excavation works induced a symmetrical pattern of discontinuities and clearly limited the EDZ extent.     

Studies on the Interaction of Arabic (Acacia senegal) and Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) Cum as Emulsion Stabilizing Agents for Spray-Dried Encapsulated Orange Peel Oil

ABSTRACT

The encapsulation properties of pure mesquite and arabic gum powders and mixtures thereof with orange peel oil were measured. The highest rate of encapsulated oil was found to be 93.5 % for a ratio of 60.40% of arabic to mesquite gums. Pure arabic gum preparations were able to encapsulate similar amounts of the oil. Sensory evaluvation of the microencapsulates showed no significant differences (a≤.05) in flavor intensity beween orange peel oil encapsulated with pure arabic gum and mixtures containing mesquite gum.     

Effect of rosa mosqueta (Rosa rubiginosa) extract on the performance of chilean hazelnut oil (Gevuina avellana Mol.) at high temperature

The effect of the addition of rosa mosqueta husk extract (RME) on thermal oxidation of nontreated (HZO) and treated (THZO) Chilean hazelnut seed oil was evaluated at 180°C for 18 h. THZO to which was added 339 mg/kg of α-tocopherol was used as a comparison model because RME supplied 314 mg/kg of α-tocopherol. Formation of polar compounds and degradation of tocols and carotenoid, pigments were studied in these model systems. Degradation of trans-rubixanthin, trans-lycopene, and trans-β-carotene followed a pseudo first-order kinetics model. These pigments showed the same degradation rate in both HZO and THZO. The addition of RME to HZO and THZO decreased significantly (P<0.05) the formation of polar compounds, lead to less degradation of tocols, and improved their oxidative stability with respect to oils without RME. This behavior can be attributed to carotenoid-tocopherol interaction, suggesting that these pigments can protect tocols against degradation at high temperature.     

Optimization of a cake formulation with functional characteristics using resistant starch, Sphagnum magellanicum moss and deffated hazel nut flour (Gevuina avellana, Mol)

Resistant starch (RS) Hi Maize 260, Sphagnum magellanicum Moss (SM) both natural resources rich in total dietary fiber, and defatted hazel nut flour (DHN) as protein resource were used in the development of a pastry product (queque) with functional characteristics. Taguchi methodology was utilized in the optimization process using the orthogonal array L934 with four control factors: RS, SM. DHN and Master Gluten 4000 (MG), 3 factor levels and 9 experimental trials. The best result of Sensory Quality (SQ) and signal to noise ratio (S/N) was obtained combining the minor levels of the independent variables. Main effect (average effects of factor) analysis and anova analysis showed that SM and DHN were the control factors with a significant influence (p<0.05) on the CS with a relative contribution of 83%. It is important to emphasize the total dietary fiber (8.7%) and protein (7.2%) values, the formers due to the presence of RS and SM. Shelf life study showed that the sensory characteristics flavour, appearance and texture were not affected when samples were stored at refrigerated temperatures but not at 20 degrees C, specifically flavour always kept a good preference during the whole period of time. Samples of optimized cakes showed very good results when they were submitted to hedonic test with 100% of favorable consumer's opinions.     

柔性PMIA复合电介质的制备及其储能特性

为了抑制由于钛酸钡(BT)纳米粒子和聚间苯二甲酰间苯二胺(PMIA)介电常数差异引起的PMIA复合电介质内部局部电场畸变,分别将TiO₂和聚多巴胺(PDA)包裹在BT纳米粒子表面形成双核壳结构PDA@TiO₂@BT复合粒子(PTBP),随后将PTBP与PMIA浆料复合制备了PTBP/PMIA复合膜。采用FTIR、XRD、SEM对样品进行了表征,测试了PTBP/PMIA复合膜的介电性能、击穿强度及储能特性。结果表明,随着PTBP含量(以PMIA固体质量计,下同)的增加,PTBP/PMIA复合膜的介电常数明显提升;当PTBP含量为10%时,PTBP/PMIA复合膜在1×10³ Hz时的介电常数比PMIA基体提高了57.1%,在高温环境中(>150℃),其介电性能保持稳定。此外,PTBP还明显改善了PTBP/PMIA复合膜的储能特性;当PTBP含量为10%时,PTBP/PMIA复合膜在室温、电场强度为250 MV/m时的储能密度和放电能量密度分别为1.91和1.23 J/cm³,比PMIA基体分别提...     

Evaluation of nutritional potential of fish in diets based on beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and a cereal/corn (Zea mays) and/or rice (Oryza sativa)

p6e complementation between corn and fish, and rice and fish was evaluated for the purpose of establishing the required levels of each constituent in the mixture to obtain the optimum value in the biological evaluations for each diet. The optimum fish levels were around 10 and 6% for the corn and rice diets, respectively. Complementary levels of fish in the bean: corn and bean:rice diets were evaluated in the same manner. The best values in the biological evaluation were obtained with only 2% of fish. The economical analysis of these mixtures revealed that the nutritional value of the Central American rural diets can be increased with the introduction of fish in small quantities in the habitual diets, without increasing the family food expenses.     

Corrosion performance of conventional (ASTM A615) and low-alloy (ASTM A706) reinforcing bars embedded in concrete and exposed to chloride environments

Conventional reinforcing steel is used in the majority of reinforced concrete structures. In general, steel reinforcement meeting ASTM A615 specifications has been the predominant reinforcement used for these structures. Low-alloy reinforcing steel (ASTM A706) was developed and is being marketed to improve ductility and weldability deficiencies associated with the ASTM A615 reinforcement. Several State Highway Agencies have adopted the use of these low-alloy reinforcing steels. Limited research has been performed on the corrosion characteristics of the steel reinforcement meeting ASTM A706 specifications. This paper presents results from a laboratory study on the critical chloride threshold, macrocell corrosion rates, and mass loss testing for ASTM A706 and ASTM A615 reinforcing steels embedded in concrete and exposed to chloride solution. Results from this study indicate that ASTM A706 reinforcing steel exhibits lower critical chloride threshold levels and higher corrosion rates than ASTM A615 reinforcing steel when embedded in cementitious materials.     

ULTRA DENSITY OPTICAL (UDO)未来的专业光存储介质

什么是Uitra Density Optical (UDO)? UD0(Ultra Densuty Optical,超高密度光存储媒体一笔者泽)是下一代的专业的光存储技术,它是一个由5.25"M0发展而来的技术,寿命相当于12英寸的可记录光盘,成本司DVD相司.利用紫色激光和相变记录媒体技术提供巨大的存储密度.     

碳纳米管(CNT)及其储氢特性研究进展

综述了碳纳米管的不同制备和提纯方法,重点对碳纳米管在储氢实验方面的研究进行了介绍。并提出了今后碳纳米管储氢研究的方向。     

Cell-wall architecture of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cotyledon parenchyma cells and resistance to crushing

Light microscopy of peanut cotyledon tissue showed some unusual profiles that were interpreted to be cell walls. Comparable tissue was treated with enzymes to eliminate cellular contents and examined in a scanning electron microscope. These parenchyma cells had walls which were bizarre, resembling scalariform xylem elements. Crushing tests on tissue whose cellular contents were removed showed that these cells provided insignificant resistance to crushing.     

Major component in male sex pheromone of cereal pestEurygaster integriceps puton (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae) identified as a homosesquiterpenoid

A homosesquiterpenoid, (4Z,4E)-4-(1,5-dimethyl-4-heptenylidene)-1-methylcyclohexene, has been identified as a major component of the scent emitted by calling males ofEurygaster integriceps. Minor components of the scent included vanillin. TheE. integriceps male homosesquiterpenoid is an addition to the list of sesquiterpenoids identified as components of male attractant sex pheromones in pentatomoid Heteroptera.     

Enhanced Sulfur Tolerance of Ceria-Promoted NO x Storage Reduction (NSR) Catalysts: Sulfur Uptake, Thermal Regeneration and Reduction with H2(g)

SO _x uptake, thermal regeneration and the reduction of SO _x via H₂(g) over ceria-promoted NSR catalysts were investigated. Sulfur poisoning and desulfation pathways of the complex BaO/Pt/CeO₂/Al₂O₃ NSR system was investigated using a systematic approach where the functional sub-components such as Al₂O₃, CeO₂/Al₂O₃, BaO/Al₂O₃, BaO/CeO₂/Al₂O₃, and BaO/Pt/Al₂O₃ were studied in a comparative fashion. Incorporation of ceria significantly increases the S-uptake of Al₂O₃ and BaO/Al₂O₃ under both moderate and extreme S-poisoning conditions. Under moderate S-poisoning conditions, Pt sites seem to be the critical species for SO _x oxidation and SO _x storage, where BaO/Pt/Al₂O₃ and BaO/Pt/CeO₂/Al₂O₃ catalysts reveal a comparable extent of sulfation. After extreme S-poisoning due to the deactivation of most of the Pt sites, ceria domains are the main SO _x storage sites on the BaO/Pt/CeO₂/Al₂O₃ surface. Thus, under these conditions, BaO/Pt/CeO₂/Al₂O₃ surface stores more sulfur than that of BaO/Pt/Al₂O₃. BaO/Pt/CeO₂/Al₂O₃ reveals a significantly improved thermal regeneration behavior in vacuum with respect to the conventional BaO/Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst. Ceria promotion remarkably enhances the SO _x reduction with H₂(g).