Sensory quality and appropriateness of raw and boiled Jerusalem artichoke tubers (Helianthus tuberosus L.)

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to investigate the sensory attributes, dry matter and sugar content of five varieties of Jerusalem artichoke tubers and their relation to the appropriateness of the tubers for raw and boiled preparation. RESULTS: Sensory evaluation of raw and boiled Jerusalem artichoke tubers was performed by a trained sensory panel and a semi‐trained consumer panel of 49 participants, who also evaluated the appropriateness of the tubers for raw and boiled preparation. The appropriateness of raw Jerusalem artichoke tubers was related to Jerusalem artichoke flavour, green nut flavour, sweetness and colour intensity, whereas the appropriateness of boiled tubers was related to celeriac aroma, sweet aroma, sweetness and colour intensity. In both preparations the variety Dwarf stood out from the others by being the least appropriate tuber. CONCLUSION: A few sensory attributes can be used as predictors of the appropriateness of Jerusalem artichoke tubers for raw and boiled consumption. Knowledge on the quality of raw and boiled Jerusalem artichoke tubers can be used to inform consumers on the right choice of raw material and thereby increase the consumption of the vegetable. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Die Kinetik des Schmelzens und der Kristallisation von Kakaobutter

The Kinetics of Melting and Crystallization of Cocoa Butter Melting is kinetically the reverse of crystallization. It was shown in a previous publication that the kinetics of fat crystallization is the same as that of precipitation from colloids. It is shown in the present paper that the kinetics of melting of solid fat is the same as that of the dispersion of gels. The kinetics of the melting of cocoa butter was investigated by linearization of experimental data from the literature. The linearization shows that the melting is accompanied by crystal transformations, and that the various crystal forms melt in succession.     

Microbial sensors: Fundamentals and application for process control

Microbial sensors consist of microorganisms in intimate contact with transducer devices converting the biochemical reaction to a quantifiable electrical response signal. The aim of this combination is the sensitive determination of a large spectrum of substances in various fields, especially in fermentation processes and pollution control. Microbial sensors for more than 50 different parameters have been described in the literature. In this paper, the following main aspects are discussed: microbial and physical basis of microbial sensors, immobilization of microbes, principle of measurement, approaches for enhancing the selectivity and sensitivity of microbial sensors, applications in bioreactor and environmental control of microbial sensors.     

Supramolecular Self‐Assembly of Nanoconfined Ionic Liquids for Fast Anisotropic Ion Transport

Materials involving nanoconfinement of ionic liquids (ILs) have been pursued for functionalities and ionic devices. However, their complex synthesis, challenges to achieve long‐range order, and laborious tunability limit their practical implementation. Herein, these challenges are addressed by complexing surfactants to ILs, yielding a facile, modular, and scalable approach. Based on structural screening, ionic complexation of di‐n‐nonylamine to the terminal sulfonic acid of 1‐(4‐sulfobutyl)‐3‐methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate IL is selected as a proof of concept. Spontaneous homeotropic smectic order over micrometers is observed, with alternating ionic and alkyl layers. The 1 nm thick ionic layers involve 2D crystalline internal order up to 150 °C, strongly promoting anisotropic ion transport (σ_||/σ_⊥ > 6500), and curiously, still allowing fluidity. High ionic conductivity of 35 mS cm^?1 and mesoscopic diffusion coefficient of ≈10^?5 cm² s^?1 at 150 °C along the ionic layers are observed. Fast anisotropic ion transport by simply complexing two components open doors to functional materials and applications.     

Silo Persistence: It's not the Technology,it's the Culture!

Our article acknowledges technologies and enterprise solutions as common tools for knowledge management deployed to help foster collaboration. Though the tools are made widely available by forward-thinking executives, and though there is a torrent of knowledge management thought as evidenced in the ample literature, knowledge workers continue to have difficulties transitioning to acting out the commonly accepted philosophy of sharing knowledge. The focus of our comments is a review to highlight some of the primary technical and behavior barriers hindering the use of collaborative technology. In this article a combination of content analysis and professional observation were used to provide practical insight concerning how enterprises, small and large can address the challenges of information silos, with or without technical KM or Web 2.0 solutions.     

Polymer–water partition coefficients of extended range measured by using organic modifiers in the aqueous phase

A procedure for estimating equilibrium polymer–water partition coefficients over a broad range of solute hydrophobicity is presented and evaluated. The coefficients were calculated from the concentration change in the liquid phase and hydro-organic mixtures of varying proportions were used to extend the range. Three hydrophobic polymers (PP, PE, and EBA), two types of solvent (acetonitrile and alcohols) and 12 model solutes were used. The estimated polymer–water partition coefficients, log K_pw, ranged from −0.5 to 8.5. The coefficients correlated to other partitioning systems such as the calculated log P_{octanol–water} up to 14 and the retention factor (log k_w) in reversed-phase liquid chromatography.     

Structures,absolute configurations,and syntheses of volatile signals from three sympatric ant-lion species,Euroleon nostras,Grocus bore,andMyrmeleon formicarius (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae)

The thoracic gland of the ant-lionEuroleon nostras was found to contain nerol oxide (1a) and (Z)-6-undecen-2-ol (nostrenol,3) while the speciesGrocus bore contained 10-homonerol oxide (1b) and nostrenol (3). Nerol (2a) and 10-homonerol (2b) were found in a third species,Myrmeleon formicarius. 10-Homonerol, racemic 10-homonerol oxide, and racemic as well as (R)- and (S)-nostrenol were synthesized. The nerol oxide ofE. nostras and the 10-homonerol oxide ofG. bore were found to be racemic, while both species contained optically pure (R)-nostrenol (28).Visiting research scientists from Institute of Photographic Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Beijing, China (H. H.-Z.) and Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 345 Ling Lu, Shanghai, China (L. G.-Q.).     

Potato peeling costreams as raw materials for biopolymer film preparation

Potato peel mass is a costream produced in large quantities by the food industry. Its availability and the presence of starch (46%), pectin, and cellulose make it a potential renewable raw material for polymer products. In this study, biopolymer films were produced from potato peel mass and glycerol. High‐pressure homogenization (HPH) and HPH combined with heat treatment were investigated as pretreatment technologies before film casting. HPH‐treated potato peel mass yielded biopolymer films with similar barrier and mechanical properties as films prepared from pure potato starch, including complete impermeability to grease. Additional heat treatment of the peel mass enhanced starch gelatinization, resulting in improved barrier properties and smoother surface topography of the films. Films with similar appearance and quality were also obtained from starch‐free potato peel mass, indicating that potato fiber rich in pectin and cellulose is likewise a suitable material for biopolymer film preparation after HPH treatment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42862.     

Towards a model of user behaviour regarding the manual control of windows in office buildings

This paper presents the results of a field study of manual control of windows which has been carried out in 21 individual offices within the Fraunhofer Institute's building in Freiburg, Germany, from July 2002 to July 2003. Window status, occupancy, indoor and outdoor climatic conditions were measured every minute. Previous research findings are validated and extended by the results of this field study. The analysis of user behaviour reveals a strong correlation between the percentage of open windows and the time of year, outdoor temperature and building occupancy patterns. Most window opening is connected with the arrival of a person. Based on the results, a preliminary user model is proposed to simulate and predict window status in office buildings with varying outdoor temperature and occupancy.     

Compaction of LiBH4-LiAlH4 nanoconfined in activated carbon nanofibers: Dehydrogenation kinetics,reversibility, and mechanical stability during cycling

To enhance volumetric hydrogen capacity for on-board fuel cells, compaction of LiAlH₄-LiBH₄ nanoconfined in activated carbon nanofibers (ACNF) is for the first time proposed. Loose powders of milled and nanoconfined LiAlH₄-LiBH₄ samples are compacted under 976 MPa to obtain the pellet samples with thickness and diameter of ～1.20–1.30 and 8.0 mm, respectively. Dehydrogenation temperature of milled LiAlH₄-LiBH₄ increases from 415 to 434 °C due to compaction, while those of both compacted and loose powder samples of nanoconfined LiAlH₄-LiBH₄ are lower at comparable temperature of 330–335 °C. Hydrogen content liberated from milled LiAlH₄-LiBH₄ pellet is 65% of theoretical capacity in the temperature range of 80–475 °C, while that of nanoconfined LiAlH₄-LiBH₄ pellet is up to 80% at lower temperature of 100–400 °C. Besides, nanoconfined LiAlH₄-LiBH₄ pellet shows significant reduction of activation energy (ΔE_A up to 69 kJ/mol H₂) as compared with milled sample. Significant enhancement of volumetric hydrogen storage capacity up to 64% (from 32.5 to 53.3 gH₂/L) is obtained from nanoconfined LiAlH₄-LiBH₄ pellet. Hydrogen content released and reproduced of nanoconfined LiAlH₄-LiBH₄ pellet are 67 and 50% of theoretical capacity, respectively, while those of milled LiAlH₄-LiBH₄ pellet are only 30 and 10%, respectively. Moreover, upon four hydrogen release and uptake cycles, nanoconfined LiAlH₄-LiBH₄ pellet can preserve its shape with slight cracks, suggesting good mechanical stability during cycling. Curvatures and fibrous structure woven on one another of ACNF in nanoconfined LiAlH₄-LiBH₄ pellet not only favor hydrogen permeability through pellet sample during de/rehydrogenation, resulting fast kinetics, but also reinforce the pellet shape during cycling under high temperature and pressure condition.