Recent trends in the lipid‐based nanoencapsulation of antioxidants and their role in foods

Antioxidants may be utilised for two main purposes, to protect the sensory and nutritive quality of the food and/or to protect the body against chronic and age‐related diseases. Generally, antioxidants are subject to process degradation and, when given to the body in their free form, cannot pass cell membranes and are rapidly cleared from the general circulation. Because of their unique properties, lipid‐based nanoencapsulation systems enhance the performance of antioxidants by improving their solubility and bioavailability, in vitro and in vivo stability, and preventing their unwanted interactions with other food components. This paper reviews nanoliposomes, archaeosomes and nanocochleates with respect to their potential applications as antioxidant carriers in foods. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Einfluss der Mikrolegierung (Nb,Al, N) auf die Feinkornbeständigkeit von Einsatzstählen vom Typ 18CrNiMo7−6

The case-hardening steel 18CrNiMo7???6 is used for large gear wheels in wind turbines. To achieve the requirements for a wear resistant and tough material, the steel is carburized and case hardened at 980?°C for 80 h. During this heat treatment, grain growth occurs, which should be avoided by micro-alloying the steel with aluminium and niobium. These elements pin the grain boundaries in form of carbides and nitrides to reduce the grain growth. In this work the grain size stability of several micro-alloyed variants of the case-hardening steel 18CrNiMo7???6 under different heat treatment conditions was examined. For the microstructural characterization, light microscopy, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy as well as atom probe tomography were applied.     

Heat release rate markers for premixed combustion

The validity of the commonly used flame marker for heat release rate (HRR) visualization, namely the rate of the reaction OH + CH₂O ⇔ HCO + H₂O is re-examined. This is done both for methane–air and multi-component fuel–air mixtures for lean and stoichiometric conditions. Two different methods are used to identify HRR correlations, and it is found that HRR correlations vary strongly with stoichiometry. For the methane mixture there exist alternative HRR markers, while for the multi-component fuel flame the above correlation is found to be inadequate. Alternative markers for the HRR visualization are thus proposed and their performance under turbulent conditions is evaluated using DNS data.     

Modeling study of the influence of turbulence inhibitors on the molten steel flow, tracer dispersion, and inclusion trajectories in tundishes

In order to optimize steel flow and maximize the contact time of the inclusions with the slag layer inside the tundish, a proper flow-control arrangement must be designed, considering the shape, the dimensions of the prototype, and the plant operating conditions of the tundish. Physical and mathematical modeling has been used in this study, in a complementary fashion, to evaluate the influence of turbulence-inhibiting devices on the velocity fields, tracer dispersion, small- and large-particle trajectories, flow-pattern characteristics, and grade changes in a large-volume tundish. From the water model and mathematical simulation results, a flow-control system with the best performance was identified; this system must contribute to improving the productivity and cleanliness of the continuous-cast steel.     

Bootstrap Tests for an Autoregressive Unit Root in the Presence of Weakly Dependent Errors

This paper examines bootstrap tests of the null hypothesis of an autoregressive unit root in models that may include a linear rend and/or an intercept and which are driven by innovations that belong to the class of stationary and invertible linear processes. Our approach makes use of a sieve bootstrap procedure based on residual resampling from autoregressive approximations, the order of which increases with the sample size at a suitable rate. We show that the sieve bootstrap provides asymptotically valid tests of the unit-root hypothesis and demonstrate the small-sample effectiveness of the method by means of simulation.     

Superior Functionality by Design: Selective Ozone Sensing Realized by Rationally Constructed High‐Index ZnO Surfaces

A new technique is reported for the transformation of smooth nonpolar ZnO nanowire surfaces to zigzagged high‐index polar surfaces using polycrystalline ZnO thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The c‐axis‐oriented ZnO nanowires with smooth nonpolar surfaces are fabricated using vapor deposition method and subsequently coated by ALD with a ZnO particulate thin film. The synthesized ZnO–ZnO core–shell nanostructures are annealed at 800 °C to transform the smooth ZnO nanowires to zigzagged nanowires with high‐index polar surfaces. Ozone sensing response is compared for all three types of fabricated nanowire morphologies, namely nanowires with smooth surfaces, ZnO–ZnO core–shell nanowires, and zigzagged ZnO nanowires to determine the role of crystallographic surface planes on gas response. While the smooth and core–shell nanowires are largely non‐responsive to varying O₃ concentrations in the experiments, zigzagged nanowires show a significantly higher sensitivity (ppb level) owing to inherent defect‐rich high‐index polar surfaces.     

Preferences for view corridors through the urban environment

Cities with characteristic natural settings are facing the question of how to promote development while preserving views of the natural amenity. The size, shape and number of view corridors have been regulated while the view amenity policy preferred by the general public was largely unknown. This study explores public preference for urban views of a natural amenity using drawings. It was found that preserving a limited number of view corridors while restricting building height was preferred over policies for uniformly low buildings or for taller buildings with multiple views. These results do not agree with some recent recommendations of planners.     

Selecting nonlinear time series models using information criteria

Abstract.  This article considers the problem of selecting among competing nonlinear time series models by using complexity-penalized likelihood criteria. An extensive simulation study is undertaken to assess the small-sample performance of several popular criteria in selecting among nonlinear autoregressive models belonging to some families that have been popular with practitioners.     

Luminescence quartz dating of lime mortars. A first research approach

Lime mortars mixed with sand are well suited for connecting structural materials, like stones and bricks, due to the mechanical properties this material exhibits. Their extensive use in architectural and decorative works during the last 4000 years motivated the introduction of the 'Luminescence clock' for age determination of mortars. The same principles as for quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of sediments were applied for age estimation of a mortar fragment removed from a Byzantine church monument dated by archaeological means to 1050-1100 years ago (the first half of the 10th century). The OSL from the quartz was monitored under blue light stimulation and UV detection, using a single-aliquot-regenerative-dose protocol. The quartz-OSL dating of the mortar resulted in 870 +/- 230 a. TL polymineral fine grain dating was also performed on a brick fragment which was connected to the mortar, resulting in a TL age of 1095 +/- 190 a.     

Optimal platform investment for product family design

Existing models for developing modular product families based on a common platform are either too engineering oriented or too marketing centric. In this paper, we propose an intermediate modeling ground that bridges this gap by simultaneously considering essential concepts from engineering and marketing to construct an alternative model for platform-based product families. In this model, each variant (in the platform-based product family) contributes a percentage to overall market coverage inside a target market segment. The extent to which a specific variant contributes to market coverage is linked to its degree of distinctiveness. On the other hand the cost of development of all variants (that constitute the product family) is also dependent on the degree of commonality between these variants. The objective of the model is to maximize market coverage subject to an available development budget. Based on a conceptual design of the product family, the proposed model suggests the optimal initial investment in the platform, the commonality level between variants, and the number of variants to be produced in order to maximize market coverage using both analytical and simulation techniques. An application example using an ice scraper product family is included to demonstrate the proposed model.