Fermented and malted millet products in Africa: Expedition from traditional/ethnic foods to industrial value-added products

With the prevalent food insecurity in Africa, there is a growing need to utilize the available crops to develop nutritious, affordable and palatable food for the populace. Millet is critical in this role, relative to its abundance in the continent and good nutritional composition. For ages, fermentation and malting have been traditionally used to transform millet into variety of produce. A paradigm shift has however occurred over the years, giving birth to new commercially available products. This review thus appraises and gives an overview of traditional and modern fermented and malted products. Although, millet has been diversified to several products, its major food uses are still restrained to traditional consumers and largely remains underutilized. Considering the potential embedded in this grain, it is important to explore this crop through the application of appropriate modern fermentation and malting technologies. This will ensure the availability of ready to eat (RTE) and ready to use (RTU) food products and to a large extent address the incessant food security challenges plaguing Africa.     

Revisiting CO2 emissions convergence in G18 countries

This study revisits whether CO₂ emissions converge in G18 countries over the period of 1950–2013. To work on this empirical analysis, we employ a more powerful quantile unit root test with per capita CO₂ emissions. While conventional unit root tests fail to reject convergence in CO₂ emissions in these G18 countries, quantile unit root test results demonstrate CO₂ emissions converged in 5 of these G18 countries (i.e., Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, and India). Our empirical results have important policy implications for the governments of G18 countries to direct efficient and effective energy policies to reduce the CO₂ emissions.     

Short communication: In vitro rumen gas production and starch degradation of starch-based feeds depend on mean particle size

Our objective was to model the effect of mean particle size (mPS) on in vitro rumen starch degradation (IVSD) and the kinetics of gas production for different starch-based feeds. For each feed, 2 batches of the same grains were separately processed through 2 different mills (cutter or rotor speed mills), with or without different screens to achieve a wide range of mPS (0.32 to 3.31 mm for corn meals; 0.19 to 2.81 mm for barley meals; 0.16 to 2.13 mm for wheat meals; 0.28 to 2.32 mm for oat meals; 0.21 to 2.36 mm for rye meals; 0.40 to 1.79 for sorghum meals; 0.26 to 4.71 mm for pea meals; and 0.25 to 4.53 mm for faba meals). The IVSD data and gas production kinetics, obtained by fitting to a single-pool exponential model, were analyzed using a completely randomized design, in which the main tested effect was mPS (n = 6 for all tested meals, except n = 7 for corn meals and n = 5 for sorghum meals). Rumen inocula were collected from 2 fistulated Holstein dairy cows that were fed a total mixed ration consisting of 16.2% crude protein, 28.5% starch, and 35.0% neutral detergent fiber on a dry matter basis. The IVSD, evaluated after 7 h of rumen incubation, decreased linearly with increasing mPS for corn, barley, wheat, rye, pea, and faba meals, and decreased quadratically with increasing mPS for the other meals. The y-axis intercept for 7-h IVSD was below 90% starch for corn, barley, and rye feeds and greater than 90% for the other tested feeds. The mPS adjustment factors for the rate of rumen starch degradation varied widely among the different tested feeds. We found a linear decrease in starch degradation with increasing mPS for barley, wheat, rye, and pea meals, whereas we noted a quadratic decrease in starch degradation for the other tested meals. Further, we observed a linear decrease in the rate of gas production with increasing mPS in each tested feed, except for pea meal, which had a quadratic relationship. For each 1 mm increase in mPS, the gas production was adjusted by ?0.009 h^?1 for corn, ?0.011 h^?1 for barley, ?0.008 h^?1 for wheat, and ?0.006 h^?1 for faba, whereas numerically greater adjustments were needed for oat (?0.022 h^?1), rye (?0.017 h^?1), and sorghum (?0.014 h^?1). These mPS adjustment factors could be used to modify the starch-based feed energy values as a function of mean particle size, although in vivo validation is required.     

基于英飞凌TC275的整车控制器CCP协议底层驱动开发

针对以英飞凌TC275单片机为平台的整车控制器,进行控制器局域网络标定协议(controller area network calibration protocol,CCP)底层驱动程序的开发。依据CCP的需求开发了英飞凌TC275的控制器局域网络(controller area network,CAN)模块、系统定时器(system timer,STM)模块和FLASH模块的底层驱动程序,实现CCP标定系统的通信连接、数据上传、数据下载、数据存储等功能。为验证系统的性能,进行整车控制器的实际测试,测试结果表明:所开发的基于TC275单片机的CCP底层驱动程序能够实现CCP的功能要求。     

Natural food mastication capability in preschool children according to their oral condition: A preliminary study

This study investigated, for the first time, the masticatory capability of preschool children using natural foods, and the impact of an early oral health alteration (early childhood caries: ECC) on the granulometry of ready-to-swallow food boluses. Thirteen children with ECC were compared to 13 preschool children with a healthy oral condition. Oral health criteria and NOT-S scores (Nordic Orofacial dysfunction Test-Screening) were recorded. For each child, number of masticatory cycles (Nc), chewing time (Ti), and frequency (Fq = Nc/Ti) were recorded during mastication of raw carrot (CAR), cheese (CHS) and breakfast cereals (CER) samples. Food boluses were collected by stopping children at their food-dependent individual swallowing threshold (Nc), and the median food bolus particle size value (D50) was calculated. Correlations were sought between oral health and masticatory criteria. In the ECC group, mean Fq values were significantly decreased for all three foods (p ≤ .001) and mean D50 values were significantly increased (p ≤ .001) compared to the control group (i.e., D50 CAR = 4,384 μm ± 929 vs. 2,960 μm ± 627). These alterations were related to the extent of ECC. The NOT-S mean global score was significantly increased in children with ECC (2.62 ± 1.37 vs. 1 ± 0.91 in the control group, p ≤ .01), due to “Mastication and swallowing” domain impairment. This study gives granulometric normative values for three foods in preschool children and shows the impact of ECC on D50 values. The progression of children's masticatory capability after dental treatment, and the impact of such modifications of sensory input on future eating habits should be explored.     

Applied data science in patient-centric healthcare: Adaptive analytic systems for empowering physicians and patients

We define the emerging research field of applied data science as the knowledge discovery process in which analytic systems are designed and evaluated to improve the daily practices of domain experts. We investigate adaptive analytic systems as a novel research perspective of the three intertwining aspects within the knowledge discovery process in healthcare: domain and data understanding for physician- and patient-centric healthcare, data preprocessing and modelling using natural language processing and (big) data analytic techniques, and model evaluation and knowledge deployment through information infrastructures. We align these knowledge discovery aspects with the design science research steps of problem investigation, treatment design, and treatment validation, respectively. We note that the adaptive component in healthcare system prototypes may translate to data-driven personalisation aspects including personalised medicine. We explore how applied data science for patient-centric healthcare can thus empower physicians and patients to more effectively and efficiently improve healthcare. We propose meta-algorithmic modelling as a solution-oriented design science research framework in alignment with the knowledge discovery process to address the three key dilemmas in the emerging “post-algorithmic era” of data science: depth versus breadth, selection versus configuration, and accuracy versus transparency.     

Exergy analysis of the diesel pre-reforming solid oxide fuel cell system with anode off-gas recycling in the SchIBZ project. Part I: Modeling and validation

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems with anode off-gas recirculation (AGR) and diesel pre-reforming are advantageous because they can operate with the current fuel infrastructure. In the SchIBZ-project, the prototype of such a SOFC system for maritime applications has already been commissioned. In this first paper, we model the system devices to conduct an exergy analysis of this real SOFC plant and validate them with experimental values from experiments in laboratory scale. The results of our simulation agree well with the experimental values. The calculations with the validated results may be closer to the real thermodynamic behavior of such system components than previous literature.     

基于数值微分核脉冲信号数字处理方法

核反应堆核测量系统测量探测器输出的核脉冲信号，该信号后沿拖尾很长，在计数率较高时容易产生信号堆积和基线漂移等问题，导致源区计数率测量上限仅能达到105 Hz左右。文中基于数值微分方法，采用数字处理技术，在时域上分析了核脉冲信号经过前置放大、信号成形、低通滤波和脉冲甄别后的输出，并利用探测器实测信号进行了仿真。仿真结果表明，基于数值微分的数字处理方法可以实现相邻0.4 μs脉冲信号的识别和测量，将源区测量计数率上限提升到2×106 Hz以上。      

肉桂特色资源加工利用产业发展现状

肉桂是我国特色经济林树种，我国肉桂种植面积和年产量均居世界首位。我国肉桂主要分布在两广地区，其中广西为14.9万hm²，广东为8.9万hm²，两地面积占全国肉桂分布总面积的95%以上。肉桂既是著名的香料又是传统的名贵中药，具有极高的经济价值，发展肉桂产业对于促进农民增收、维护健康中国有着重要的意义。本研究综述了肉桂资源量、分布情况及主要利用部位，介绍肉桂主要产品（如桂皮，桂枝，肉桂粉及肉桂油）及加工技术现状、产品质量控制及其分析检测方法，分析了产业未来的发展趋势，并提出了产业发展的对策和措施：加强肉桂标准化示范基地建设，提高优质资源供给能力；提高肉桂加工利用技术水平，延长产业链；培育肉桂龙头企业，提高产品市场竞争力。为我国肉桂特色资源加工利用产业的可持续发展提供一定的思路。