Symbiosis Analysis on Industrial Ecological System

Industrial ecological system is a sustainable mode of modern industry development. Industrial symbio-sis, a sub-field of industrial ecology, engages traditionally separate industries in a collective approach, involving exchange of materials, energy, water, and/or by-products, to enhance competitive ability and environmental per-formance. To construct a symbiosis analysis method, this article employs a number of parameters embodying in-formation about materials, energy and economics as the main essential parameters in system analysis and introduces symbiosis profit and symbiotic consumption elements as the economic indicators. A modeling and simulation pro-gram is designed using the agent-based modeling approach to simulate the evolvement of a hypothetical coal-based industrial system and the change of symbiosis conditions in the process of construction is examined. The simulation program built using the Swarm library, which is a freely available multi-agent simulation package, provides a useful demonstration for the symbiosis analysis method.     

Formation of Zr-oxynitride thin films on 4H-SiC substrate

Formation of Zr-oxynitride by simultaneous oxidation and nitridation in nitrous oxide of sputtered Zr on SiC substrate is reported. Sputtered Zr on SiC substrate and followed by oxidation and nitridation in nitrous oxide ambient for 15 min at different temperatures (400-900 °C) have been systematically investigated. By using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, chemical compositions, and depth profile analysis have been evaluated, as well as energy band alignment of Zr-oxynitride/interfacial layer/SiC system. Zr-oxynitride film of Zr-O, Zr-N, and/or Zr-O-N and its interfacial layer composed of mixed Zr-O, Zr-N, Zr-O-N, Zr-Si-O, Si-N, and/or C-N phases were verified. A possible model related to the oxidation and nitridation mechanisms has been proposed and explicated.     

Evaluation of processed green and ripe mango peel and pulp flours (Mangifera indica var. Chokanan) in terms of chemical composition,antioxidant compounds and functional properties

BACKGROUND: Mango is a highly perishable seasonal fruit and large quantities are wasted during the peak season as a result of poor postharvest handling procedures. Processing surplus mango fruits into flour to be used as a functional ingredient appears to be a good preservation method to ensure its extended consumption. RESULTS: In the present study, the chemical composition, bioactive/antioxidant compounds and functional properties of green and ripe mango (Mangifera indica var. Chokanan) peel and pulp flours were evaluated. Compared to commercial wheat flour, mango flours were significantly low in moisture and protein, but were high in crude fiber, fat and ash content. Mango flour showed a balance between soluble and insoluble dietary fiber proportions, with total dietary fiber content ranging from 3.2 to 5.94 g kg^?1. Mango flours exhibited high values for bioactive/antioxidant compounds compared to wheat flour. The water absorption capacity and oil absorption capacity of mango flours ranged from 0.36 to 0.87 g kg^?1 and from 0.18 to 0.22 g kg^?1, respectively. CONCLUSION: Results of this study showed mango peel flour to be a rich source of dietary fiber with good antioxidant and functional properties, which could be a useful ingredient for new functional food formulations. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of the defatting process,acid and alkali extraction on the physicochemical and functional properties of hemp,flax and canola seed cake protein isolates

The effect of the defatting process, acid and alkali extractions on the physicochemical and functional properties of hemp, flax and canola protein isolates was studied. The defatting process enriched the protein content from around 35 to 52–55 % in the defatted oilseed cakes. Further treatment with acid and alkali led to the highest enrichment (P < 0.05) in the protein content (>90 %). The defatting process produced the lightest (P < 0.05) colour compared to the parent oilseed cakes and the protein isolates. Alkali extraction produced protein isolates with the highest (P < 0.05) water holding capacity while the original oilseed cakes had the highest oil holding capacity. Acid and alkali extractions produced protein isolates with the highest emulsifying activity and emulsion stability. The alkaline soluble flax protein isolate and acid hemp protein isolate had the highest (P < 0.05) creaming stability and largest droplet size respectively. Amino acid profiles of protein isolates after acid and alkali extraction were improved, leading to a protein suitable for fortification in food products that meet human nutrition requirements.     

Frozen Blueberry-soy Dessert Quality

ABSTRACT: Lowbush or wild blueberries ( Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) and soy protein offer many complementary health benefits; thus, combinations of these 2 foods may appeal to health-conscious consumers. Four frozen dessert formulations were prepared with soy protein isolate and different amounts of blueberry concentrate and puree. Fat content (3% or 10%) was adjusted with soybean oil and nondairy creamer. Consumers ( n = 40) from the campus community used a 9-point hedonic scale to assess acceptability. The 10% fat content and 8.6% blueberry concentrate formulation received the highest overall acceptability (6.63, P < 0.05), compared with formulations with 10% fat and 17.2% blueberry concentrate and 3% fat and 12.9% blueberry concentrate. More than 1 /3 of the panelists are trying to increase blueberry consumption, 20% want to increase soy, and 20% want to eat more of both foods. Development of palatable desserts combining lowbush blueberries and soy protein could lead to increased consumption of both healthy ingredients.     

Dietary magnesium oxide interactions with sodium bicarbonate on cows in early lactation

Thirty-six Holstein cows were fed a diet of 50% concentrate and 50% corn silage (dry matter) for 12 wk postpartum. Treatments were 0, .4, and .8% magnesium oxide with or without .8% sodium bicarbonate in a 2 X 3 factorial arrangement. Dry matter intake was not different among treatments although the combined buffers had higher intake. Milk production was higher for the .4% magnesium oxide treatments either alone or with sodium bicarbonate as compared with either the 0 or .8% magnesium oxide treatments. Ruminal pH was increased with addition of sodium bicarbonate either alone or together with magnesium oxide. Dietary addition of .4% magnesium oxide either alone or with sodium bicarbonate increased total volatile fatty acid in ruminal fluid. Propionate and valerate were depressed in both of the combined buffered diets. Fecal pH was increased with magnesium oxide addition either alone or with sodium bicarbonate. Increasing magnesium oxide increased magnesium in plasma. No interactions in animal performance were significant for the two buffers.     

The Glycemic Potential of White and Red Rice Affected by Oil Type and Time of Addition

Limited research exists on how different oil types and time of addition affect starch digestibility of rice. This study aimed to assess the starch digestibility of white and red rice prepared with 2 oil types: vegetable oil (unsaturated fat) and ghee (clarified butter, saturated fat) added at 3 different time points during the cooking process (“before”: frying raw rice in oil before boiling, “during”: adding oil during boiling, and “after”: stir‐frying cooked rice in oil). Red rice produced a slower digestion rate than white rice. White rice digestibility was not affected by oil type, but was affected by addition time of oil. Adding oil “after” (stir‐frying) to white or red rice resulted in higher slowly digestible starch. Red rice cooked using ghee showed the lowest amount of glucose release during in vitro digestion. The addition of ghee “during” (that is boiling with ghee) or “before” (that is frying rice raw with ghee then boiling) cooking showed potential for attenuating the postprandial glycemic response and increasing resistant starch content. This is the first report to show healthier ways of preparing rice. White rice with oil added “after” (stir‐fried) may provide a source of sustained glucose and stabilize blood glucose levels. Boiling red rice with ghee or cooking red rice with ghee pilaf‐style may provide beneficial effects on postprandial blood glucose and insulin concentrations, and improve colonic health. The encouraging results of the present study justify extending it to an in vivo investigation to conclusively determine the effect of time of addition of fat when rice is cooked on blood glucose homeostasis.     

Determination of optimum fermentation conditions for carotenoid production by Rhodotorula aurantiaca K-505

Carotenoid production by Rhodotorula aurantiaca K-505 was optimized in shake-flask cultures using a central composite design. Quadratic polynomial models were used to correlate the relationships between six fermentation factors (pH, temperature, and the concentrations of glucose, yeast extract, peptone extract, and ammonium sulfate) and three response variables (cell mass yield, carotenoid content, and carotenoid production). Different optimum culture conditions were predicted by the models for maximizing the three response variables, indicating that there is no direct correlation between cell growth and carotenoid production. The maximum carotenoid production of 4.9 mg/L predicted by the relevant model under optimum culture conditions agreed well with the experimentally measured value of 5.3 mg/L under the same culture conditions.     

Parametric analysis of shape changes of alginate beads

In this article, the various elements controlling the geometry of alginate beads such as voltage, solution concentrations and extrusive rates were experimentally investigated. The findings indicated that the combination of higher voltages more concentrated CaCl₂ solutions, shorter width of electrical field and slower extrusive rates can permit the alginate beads to become smaller. Also the effect of the electrical forces that acted on the liquid droplets was found to be stronger than that of the gravity forces did. The alginate solution concentration was found to influence the beads' shape significantly. Lower concentration of 0.5% resulted in tear-like beads arrangements and a higher concentration of 5 and 8% produced pear-like and sperm-like beads configurations. In addition to obtain special alginate beads, such as elliptical and bullet like beads, outside force could be applied. The above findings could open a broad gate for future control release system developments.