Novel pearl millet couscous process for West African markets using a low-cost single-screw extruder

Traditional West African pearl millet couscous products are popular; however, their preparation is laborious, time-consuming and energy-demanding, involving agglomeration, steaming, drying and sieving steps. In this study, a process was developed to produce millet couscous using a high pressure, high temperature and low-cost single-screw extruder. The innovation was to directly process the cooked low-moisture extrudate to a couscous product by drying and milling to the appropriate particle size (ranging between 1 and 2 mm). Throughput for the traditional process as prepared for commercial sale is 50 kg per day, but with the same amount of labour, the extrusion process yields ~350 kg per day. A consumer sensory study held in Niamey (Niger) showed that the extruded millet couscous was comparable to traditional couscous, though this was dependent on selection of the proper millet variety. This novel extrusion process could stimulate small- to medium-scale manufacturing of couscous and couscous-type products in West Africa.     

Degradation of the oxirane ring of epoxidized vegetable oils with solvated acetic acid using cation‐exchange resins

Vegetable oil epoxides (oxiranes) are customarily manufactured using acetic acid (AA) as oxygen carrier and reactant source, in aqueous/organic media. Further attack of the oxirane ring by AA proceeds in this acid‐catalyzed process, lowering yield. We report a study of the degradation of the ring by water‐solvated AA, using Amberlite IR‐120 as heterogeneous catalyst. The ring opening with solvated AA was found to be first order with respect to the concentration of epoxide groups and second order with respect to the carboxylic acid, with an activation energy of 58.7 ± 0.42 kJ mol^?1. This value is within the range found in liquid‐liquid systems (51.3–66.3 kJ mol^?1). Yet, using IR‐120, the degradation increases identically either by adding more mass of catalyst or by reducing its particle diameter while keeping the total mass constant, as both situations lead to higher external (exposed) area of the acidic catalyst (i.e., free protons associated to the sulfonic group) on the outer surface of the ion exchange resin beads. These free protons, in turn, become available to catalyze the attack on the oxirane groups of the long‐chain fatty acids, which cannot enter (diffuse) into the gel phase of the resin. Despite the unavoidable presence of surface‐exposed protons, the degradation can be reduced by several orders of magnitude – for similar process conditions – by using this type of heterogeneous catalysts instead of mineral acids.     

AZ31 magnesium alloy recycling through friction stir extrusion process

Friction Stir Extrusion is a novel technique for direct recycling of metal scrap. In the process, a dedicated tool produces both the heat and the pressure to compact and extrude the original raw material, i.e., machining chip, as a consolidated component. A proper fixture was used to carry out an experimental campaign on Friction Stir Extrusion of AZ31 magnesium alloy. Variable tool rotation and extrusion ratio were considered. Appearance of defects and fractures was related to either too high or too low power input. The extruded rods were investigated both from the metallurgical and mechanical points of view. Tensile strength up to 80 % of the parent material was found for the best combination of process parameters. A peculiar 3D helical material flow was highlighted through metallurgical observation of the specimens.     

Biosensors for monitoring the isothermal breakdown kinetics of peanut oil heated at 180 °C. Comparison with results obtained for extra virgin olive oil

The present research was devoted to studying the kinetics of the artificial rancidification of peanut oil (PO) when a sample of this oil was isothermally heated at 180 °C in an air stream. The formation of radical species due to heating was evaluated using a radical index whose value was determined using a biosensor method based on a superoxide dismutase (SOD), while the increasing toxicity was monitored using a suitable toxicity measuring probe based on the Clark electrode and immobilized yeast cells.     

Fouling in a Centritherm Evaporator With Whey Solutions

Fouling caused by sweet cheese whey and reconstituted whey powder solutions was studied in a Centritherm evaporator, with the behavior being estimated by measuring the change in the overall heat transfer coefficients with the time. It was found that there was no fouling detectable for the reconstituted whey powder solution. For sweet cheese whey, the fouling rate was strongly linked with the evaporating temperature and temperature difference. Visual observation showed that the deposit layer on the evaporator surface was very thin and soft, and like the type A milk deposit described by other investigators. A high velocity of liquid film delayed the formation of deposit on the surface. Some interactions between the evaporation temperature, feed flow rate, rotating speed, and temperature difference are discussed. The fouling is caused by denaturation of bovine serum albumin following a second-order rate reaction.     

Telepresence, soundscapes and technological expectation: putting the observer into the equation

In an experiment exploring the impact of sound on sensations of telepresence, 126 participants watched a video clip using either headphones or speakers. The results illustrate that sound is an important factor in stimulating telepresence responses in audiences. Interactions between soundscape and screen size were also revealed. A traverse interaction between aural/visual congruency and soundscapes was evident. A second data set of 102 participants was collected to illuminate the effect of technological expectation that emerged in the first study. Expectations had been mentioned in other studies, and the data support the notion that people have an expectation of the technological quality of a presentation. The results suggest that examining expectations could assist in future conceptualizations of telepresence.     

A design technique for spectral shaping in CPM systems

We describe a technique of pulse shaping able to control the power spectral density of a full-response CPM signal in various frequency ranges, under the constraint of a prescribed minimum Euclidean distance. Some examples illustrating the potentialities of the method and some comparisons with standard pulses are presented     

城市韧性与新奥尔良的复兴

文章从"城市韧性",即城市从毁灭中恢复的能力这一角度思考最近在新奥尔良发生的灾难。基于各种历史案例,作者认为城市韧性很大程度上取决于城市居民的韧性和可调动资源的能力。卡特里娜飓风不仅摧毁了新奥尔良的建成环境,而且通过强迫大规模的居民疏散,撕裂了城市的社会结构。重建城市物质基础设施的规划必须伴随着恢复社会组织和公民网络的努力。只有草根层面的强大的市民参与,新奥尔良的重建才能产生一个强健的、包容的大都市,而不是一个主题公园。     

Theoretical comparison of a new and the traditional method to calculate Clostridium botulinum survival during thermal inactivation

When published isothermal survival data of Clostridium botulinum spores in the range 101–121 °C were plotted in the form of logS(t) vs t relationships, where S(t) is the momentary survival ratio, they were all non‐linear. They had a noticeable upward concavity, in violation of the assumption that sporal inactivation is a process that follows first‐order reaction order kinetics. They could be described by the power law model logS(t) = ? b(T)t ^n(T), where b(T) and n(T) are temperature‐dependent coefficients of the order of 0.1–6 and about 0.4 respectively. These coefficients were used to construct simulated survival curves under different heating regimes with a recently proposed model. The model is based on the assumption that the local slope of the non‐isothermal survival curve, or the momentary inactivation rate, is determined solely by the momentary temperature and survival ratio, which in turn are functions of the population thermal history. The survival curves calculated with this model differ considerably from those produced by the standard method based on the traditional D and Z values. The shortcomings of the standard model are that these values depend on the number of points taken for the regression, and that its predicted survival ratios depend on the selected reference temperature. The differential equation which is proposed to replace it can be solved numerically using a program such as Mathematica®. Its predictions solely depend on the observed survival patterns under isothermal conditions and not on any preconceived kinetic model. Nevertheless, the method still needs verification with experimental non‐isothermal survival data, as has already been done with Listeria and Salmonella cells. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

IP QoS across multiple management domains: practical experiences from pan-European experiments

GEANT is the pan-European 10 Gbs network interconnecting European national research and educational networks (NRENs). A Premium IP service based on the DiffServ EF PHB has been specified and implemented for this environment to provide quality of service to selected user groups on a Europe-wide scale. Basic features of Premium IP are described, and results from early experiments in the production networks of GEANT and the NRENs are presented. Next steps are proposed for achieving a fast and wide availability of Premium IP in the European research networks.