Petroleum Asphaltites – a Highly Effective Additive in Production of Carbon Adsorbents

TIt is not possible to eliminate the acute shortage of carbon adsorbents by creating a scientifically substantiated assortment of sorbing materials with defined properties based on traditional stock bases alone. Petroleum residues with the most important natural resource can be used for this purpose. The number increases with the development of heavy, resinous, and mediumsulfur crude oils [13 ].     

Stability of vegetable based oils used in the formulation of ecofriendly lubricants – a review

Human need for energy is insatiable. ManBackspace use of conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon sources has served human energy requirements but not without associated challenges of renewability, toxicity, depletion, degradability, and environmental hazards. Since a complete substitute for fossilized-energy sources is yet to be realized, one viable options available to man is alternative, renewable, ecofriendly, and biodegradable energy sources – thus, minimizing complete reliance on mineral based energy sources. Lubricants are finding relevance in product processing, transportation, agriculture, and other key sectors of industrial developments as a result of use of machines to aid human operations. While more than 70% of commercially available lubricants are from crude oil/hydrocarbon, commercial formulation of lubricants using vegetable base oils are gaining global interests. Lubricants obtained from bio-based oils are eco-compatible but are widely reported to be thermally and oxidatively unstable, especially when such biolubricants are produced from crude form of vegetable oils. The aim of this review is to reappraise various scholarly works on thermal-oxidative stability of vegetable oils so as to validate their usefulness as potential alternative and renewable sources of energy used in the production of lubricants as against continuous usage of mineral based energy sources which is ecologically non benign.     

A monitoring study of glyceroltriheptanoate (GTH) in animal by-products through a validated GC–MS analytical method

According to Commission Regulation (EU) No 142/2011, animal by-products (ABPs) not intended for human consumption should be excluded from the food chain, as they are a potential source of risks to public and animal health. As an example, in recent years an improper use of certain ABPs brought to a spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Therefore, Commission Regulation (EU) 142/2009 forces producers to mark permanently the ABPs not intended for human consumption (category 1 and category 2), with glyceroltriheptanoate (GTH). All EU Member States have the duty to control the content of GTH in ABPs, which should be present homogenously throughout the substance at a minimum concentration of at least 250 mg GTH per kg fat. Starting from a Joint Research Centre procedure (von Holst, Boix, Bellorini, Androni, & Serano, 2009), a method based on gas chromatography coupled to mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) was studied and validated as stated by Regulation 882/2004, providing an efficient tool for both official and in-house laboratories. Moreover, a monitoring study on seventeen samples collected throughout Italy by the Official Veterinary Service in rendering industries was carried out. Eight samples were not compliant with Commission Regulation (EU) No 142/2011, as their GTH concentration ranged from 224 mg kg⁻¹ to values below the lower range limit. Results found satisfied the requirements of European Union analytical methods validation criteria (Regulation (EC) No 882/2004).     

The influence of transition metals – Fe,Co, Cu on transformation of organic matters from Domanic rocks in hydrothermal catalytic system

Character of conversion of organic matter from Domanic rocks of Pervomaiskoye field (Tatarstan) of Semiluki horizon of upper Devonian deposits in the hydrothermal-catalytic system at temperature of 300?°C in carbon dioxide medium was studied with the application of complex of oil-soluble precursors of catalysts containing Fe, Co, and Cu. In presence of catalysts complex, content of organic extract increases, in which content of hydrocarbon fractions, saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons, increases 1.5 times, while resins content decreases by two times. As result of kerogen destruction in products of experiments, the content of asphaltenes and carbonaceous substances such as carbenes and carboides increase.     

Performance of laboratories in speciation analysis in seafood – Case of methylmercury and inorganic arsenic

The international measurement evaluation program (IMEP) has together with the European Reference Laboratory for Heavy Metals in Feed and Food (EU-RL-HM) carried out two interlaboratory comparisons (ILC) in 2010 on the measurement of trace metals, as well as methylmercury and inorganic arsenic in seafood. In IMEP-109 only EU National Reference Laboratories (NRL) took part, while IMEP-30 was open to all laboratories. In this article only methylmercury and inorganic arsenic analysis will be discussed, as these appear generally to be more problematic measurands. They are also particularly interesting to legislators, as no maximum limits have been set yet for them in European legislation. The aim of the two ILCs was to produce more information to help tackling this issue. The results of the two exercises were pooled together, evaluated, and compared with former ILC projects for methylmercury and inorganic arsenic analysis. Results for inorganic arsenic were spread, but not method dependant. The measurand seems to be difficult to analyse in this matrix and possible method issues were identified. Methylmercury results were satisfactory, but not many laboratories perform this type of analysis because it is generally believed that specific instrumentation is needed. As an answer to this presumption, alternatives are suggested.     

Application of a neural network system combined with genetic algorithm to rank coalbed methane reservoirs in the order of exploitation priority

A new method based on the combination of a neural network and a genetic algorithm was proposed to rank the order of exploitation priority of coalbed methane reservoirs. The neural network was used to acquire the weights of reservoir parameters through sample training and genetic algorithm was used to optimize the initial connection weights of nerve cells in case the neural network fell into a local minimum. Additionally, subordinate functions of each parameter were established to normalize the actual values of parameters of coalbed methane reservoirs in the range between zero and unity. Eventually, evaluation values of all coalbed methane reservoirs could be obtained by using the comprehensive evaluation method, which is the basis to rank the coalbed methane reservoirs in the order of exploitation priority. The greater the evaluation value, the higher the exploitation priority. The ranking method was verified in this paper by ten exploited coalbed methane reservoirs in China. The evaluation results are in agreement with the actual exploitation cases. The method can ensure the truthfulness and credibility of the weights of parameters and avoid the subjectivity caused by experts. Furthermore, the probability of falling into local minima is reduced, because genetic the algorithm is used to optimize the neural network system.     

Aflatoxins in rice – A limited survey of products marketed in Austria

Eighty-one rice samples were purchased from different markets in Vienna and were analysed for their aflatoxin content. The samples were extracted using methanol in water (80/20 v/v) followed by immunoaffinity clean up. The determination was carried out by HPLC–FLD coupled to a Kobracell. Different samples including basmati rice, whole grain rice, long grain rice, short grain rice as well as puffed rice were investigated. Moreover, conventionally and organically produced rice were compared. The results revealed that 24 out of 81 samples contained detectable amounts of aflatoxins. Aflatoxin B₁ could be quantified in 15 samples and aflatoxin B₂ in one sample. The contamination range was noted to be between 0.45 μg kg⁻¹ and 9.86 μg kg⁻¹ for aflatoxin B₁ and 1.5 μg kg⁻¹ for aflatoxin B₂. Aflatoxins G₁ and G₂ were not detected in any sample. Three samples exceeded the maximum levels set in the European Union; having AFB₁ concentrations of 2.16, 2.85 and 9.86 μg kg⁻¹. In the three organic produced rice samples only traces of aflatoxins were found.     

The economics of a food fraud incident – Case studies and examples including Melamine in Wheat Gluten

Food Fraud can be an extremely profitable act even considering the capital investment of executing a complex and technologically challenging activity. This research was conducted to increase awareness of the economic motivation of Food Fraud through case studies that include commodity and finished goods pricing. The research objective was to establish a firm understanding of the economic drivers of Food Fraud. Examples provide insight on the macro- and micro-economic influences on the fraud opportunity. Specific case studies include: the Fraud Opportunity per One Shipment, Horsemeat in Beef, Selling Salmonella Contaminated Peanuts, Melamine in Wheat Gluten. An ingredient level review of a hypothetical food fraud example is also presented. Findings confirm that a single shipment of fraudulent food can result in tens of thousands of dollars in illegal profit. While the economic gain of a food fraud can be calculated based on an ingredient-level evaluation, the full economic impact of a food fraud incident is often incalculable.     

Performance of ultrasonic – Treated nano-zeolites employed in the preparation of dimethyl ether

Catalytic dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether was carried out over nano-zeolites and their modified samples via ultrasonic technique. Parent H-Beta and Parent H-Mordenite zeolites are used as synthesized and after sonication. H-Mordenite sonicated for 20 and 120 min whereas H-Beta sonicated for 20 min only. The reaction temperature was varied between 100 and 225 °C at three different contact times. The different catalyst samples were characterized using: XRD, FTIR, TEM, SEM and NH₃-TPD techniques. The results revealed that sonication of parent zeolite samples affects on the unit cell dimensions and their crystal size. FTIR-spectroscopic analysis indicated that sonication may decrease the pore opening and cause framework structure defects. TEM and SEM micrographs showed that sonication broke-up and re-ordered zeolite crystals with longer time resulted in a different morphology relative to parents and also change the particle size. Sonicated samples have a good performance in methanol dehydration with complete conversion and complete selectivity to dimethyl ether at lower temperature relative to the corresponding parent zeolites. TPD results indicated that the concentration of strong acid sites decreased in sonicated H-Mordenite samples leading to an increase of their catalytic activity and the selectivity to DME. On the other hand, ultrasonic treatment of H-Beta sample decreased its catalytic activity.     

Lactic acid bacteria in cooked hams – Sources of contamination and chances of survival in the product

The aim of this study is microbiological analysis of individual technological operations during the industrial production of cooked hams, focusing on lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Samples were during the course of the entire cooked ham production cycle in May–June (Experiment I) and November–December (Experiment II). A total of 215 samples were taken and subsequently tested. The difference in the occurrence of LAB in meat before thermal processing resulted from the initial level of contamination of the raw material. A reduction to the number of LAB from 4.0 to 5.0 log CFU/g of meat to a value of practically zero occurred during the thermal processing. The LAB population increased during storage of the finished products. A level of 7.0 log CFU/g was reached in slices of ham in the modified atmosphere after three (Experiment I) or two (Experiment II) weeks of storage, respectively. LAB of the genera Leuconostoc (Leuc. carnosum, Leuc. mesenteroides and Leuc. gelidum) occurred most frequently in samples of cooked ham after thermal processing. These species were also isolated from the production environment. Lactobacillus sakei, Lbc. curvatus and Weissella viridescens were other species of LAB that were isolated from samples after thermal processing.     

Simulation of the effect of rock type on recovery plan of a mature carbonate oilfield in the Middle East – Part 2: EOR plan

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology has gained a lot of attention during last decades. Declining oil production from brown fields is a major concern for oil companies. One of these mature fields is the X field, a carbonate oilfield in the Middle East, discovered in 1908. In this study, in addition to considering an EOR plan for the X field, it is aimed to investigate the effect of rock wettability on recovery process by means of two reported wettability data sets of the X field. Results of EORgui software show a sensitive dependence of oil recovery on initial rock wettability. Results of a laboratory chemical coreflooding experiment on the field core samples have been also included in the study.     

Can a visual loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay stand out in different detection methods when monitoring Campylobacter jejuni from diverse sources of samples?

Consumption and exposure to Campylobacter-contaminated food are important causes of bacterial diarrhea. This paper reports the development and evaluation of a visual loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay targeting the highly conserved cjaA gene of Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni). This assay could be used for specialized detection and primary screening of retail food samples in China. When applied to 475 different samples, PCR (14.9%) and bacterial culture (12.7%) showed lower detection rates than the LAMP, which demonstrated 51 positive (16.6%) with a 100% diagnostic sensitivity to bacterial culture with no targets undetected. When tested with samples that had different cleanliness, the specificity (0.955), accuracy (0.961), positive likelihood ratio (22.417), kappa coefficient (0.844) for retail food samples tested by LAMP were higher than for fecal and environmental samples. Moreover, when tested with food samples that had different C. jejuni carry rates, LAMP was more sensitive in monitoring raw pork meat samples-the specificity (0.958), accuracy (0.958), and positive likelihood ratio (23.600) were higher than for chicken samples compared with a bacterial culture. The LAMP test enables the cost-effective detection of C. jejuni in food samples in 40 min, and it can also function as a primary screening approach or a complementary method in large-scale and on-site assays of food.     

Growth of Listeria monocytogenes in salmon roe – A kinetic analysis

The objective of this study was to investigate the growth kinetics of Listeria monocytogenes in unsalted and salted (3%) salmon roe. Growth curves, developed using inoculated samples incubated at constant temperatures between 5 and 30 °C, were analyzed by curve-fitting to the Huang and Baranyi models using the USDA IPMP 2013. The experimental results showed that L. monocytogenes in salted samples exhibited approximately 40% longer lag times than the cells in unsalted samples under the same temperature condition, while the rates of bacterial growth were not affected by the addition of salt. The Ratkowsky square-root (RSR) model, Huang square-root (HSR) model, and an Arrhenius-type model were all shown suitable for evaluating the effect of temperature on specific growth rates. The estimated nominal minimum growth temperature in the RSR model was −0.5 °C, whereas the minimum growth temperature in HSR model was 2.57 °C. The HSR models may be more suitable for describing the temperature effect in salted salmon roe. The lag times of L. monocytogenes were found to change log-linearly with the specific growth rates. The mean h₀ in the Baranyi model was 0.742 in unsalted samples and 1.193 in salted samples, and did not appear to change with temperature in a systematic manner. In summary, kinetic models were developed for examining the effect of temperature on growth of L. monocytogenes in unsalted and salted salmon roe samples. The results may be used by the food industry and regulatory agencies to estimate the growth of L. monocytogenes in salmon roe, and to conduct risk assessments of this microorganism.     

Microbial contamination and purification of bivalve shellfish: Crucial aspects in monitoring and future perspectives – A mini-review

Shellfish are a nutritious food source whose consumption and commercial value has risen dramatically worldwide. Although bivalve’s consumption can contribute to a healthy diet, some can cause foodborne illnesses. Microbial contamination is chronic and pervasive in harvesting areas and may be passed on to the consumers. Current food safety programs intend to protect consumers. Nevertheless, bivalve’s microbial contamination is underestimated and undermanaged, which can pose a potential public health risk. We intend to provide an updated overview of the microbial assessment of bivalves and emerging alternatives or complementary perspectives for the elimination of microbial contamination. Further research is needed for the improvement of public health control and the enhancement of shellfish safety.     

Simulation of the effect of rock type on recovery plan of a mature carbonate oilfield in the Middle East – Part 1: Waterflooding recovery plan

The X field is a mature carbonate oilfield in the Middle East, discovered in 1908. Several uncertainties exist in relative permeability data of the old X field, due to rock type diversity of the field. In this study, the effect of rock wettability on waterflooding process of this field is investigated by means of two reported wettability data sets of the field. Results show that initial rock wettability plays an important role in improving oil recovery, affecting production rate, recovery factor, breakthrough time, water cut, residual oil saturation, project life, etc.     

Absence of parasitic nematodes in farmed,harvest quality Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Norway – Results from a large scale survey

A total of 4184 farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were sampled and subsequently examined for nematodes between January 2014 and July 2015. The fish originated from 37 salmon farms along the coast of Norway and represented all salmon-producing counties. Samplings took place at processing facilities during regular slaughtering procedures and consisted of 3525 harvest quality salmon processed for human consumption and 659 discarded salmon including runts and fish discarded for other quality defects. Both viscera and musculature (fillets including belly flaps) of the salmon were screened by applying the UV-press method. No nematodes were found in any of the harvest quality salmon. The only nematode findings were from the viscera of three runts (loser fish) originating in southern or western Norwegian farms, and consisted of two Anisakis simplex (s.s.) larvae and three adults of the non-zoonotic species Hysterothylacium aduncum. The absence of nematodes in the harvest quality salmon relates most likely to the diet since healthy and normally developing salmon seem to rely exclusively on the heated and extruded dry-feed, which cannot contain any viable parasites. The runts, however, may feed opportunistically on whatever prey available in the cages, which apparently facilitates the transfer of nematodes. Thus, the present results suggest that the risk of any parasitic nematodes to occur in the flesh of farmed Norwegian salmon intended for human consumption is very low.