Effects of Temperature,Time, and pH on the Stability of Anthocyanin Extracts: Prediction of Total Anthocyanin Content Using Nonlinear Models

In this study, different anthocyanin sources including grape skin, black carrot, and red cabbage were used to determine the effect of thermal treatment, different acidity levels, and time on the anthocyanin content and degradation. The total anthocyanin contents were modeled by neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and artificial neural network (ANN) models. The red cabbage anthocyanin stabilities were higher than others. The anthocyanins degraded more rapidly at higher temperatures. The anthocyanin contents of samples decreased with the increase of pH from 3 to 7. Comparison of the models showed that the ANFIS model performed better than the ANN model for the estimation of total anthocyanin content in all samples. The lowest root mean square error (0.0457) and highest R ² (0.9942) values were obtained for red cabbage and grape skin in the validation period with the ANFIS model, respectively. This study showed that both models can be utilized efficiently for the prediction of total anthocyanin content affected by temperature, time, and pH.     

Antimicrobial edible films and coatings

Increasing consumer demand for microbiologically safer foods, greater convenience, smaller packages, and longer product shelf life is forcing the industry to develop new food-processing, cooking, handling, and packaging strategies. Nonfluid ready-to-eat foods are frequently exposed to postprocess surface contamination, leading to a reduction in shelf life. The food industry has at its disposal a wide range of nonedible polypropylene- and polyethylene-based packaging materials and various biodegradable protein- and polysaccharide-based edible films that can potentially serve as packaging materials. Research on the use of edible films as packaging materials continues because of the potential for these films to enhance food quality, food safety, and product shelf life. Besides acting as a barrier against mass diffusion (moisture, gases, and volatiles), edible films can serve as carriers for a wide range of food additives, including flavoring agents, antioxidants, vitamins, and colorants. When antimicrobial agents such as benzoic acid, sorbic acid, propionic acid, lactic acid, nisin, and lysozyme have been incorporated into edible films, such films retarded surface growth of bacteria, yeasts, and molds on a wide range of products, including meats and cheeses. Various antimicrobial edible films have been developed to minimize growth of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, including Listeria monocytogenes, which may contaminate the surface of cooked ready-to-eat foods after processing. Here, we review the various types of protein-based (wheat gluten, collagen, corn zein, soy, casein, and whey protein), polysaccharide-based (cellulose, chitosan, alginate, starch, pectin, and dextrin), and lipid-based (waxes, acylglycerols, and fatty acids) edible films and a wide range of antimicrobial agents that have been or could potentially be incorporated into such films during manufacture to enhance the safety and shelf life of ready-to-eat foods.     

Miscibility,phase separation,and volumetric properties in solutions of poly(dimethylsiloxane) in supercritical carbon dioxide

Miscibility conditions and volumetric properties of solutions of poly(dimethylsiloxane) in supercritical carbon dioxide have been determined as a function of polymer molecular weight, polymer concentration, temperature, and pressure. Measurements have been conducted in a variable volume view cell equipped with an LVDT sensor to identify the position of a movable piston and thus the internal volume of the cell and consequently the density of the solution at a given pressure and temperature. The demixing data (in the form of P‐T curves for a given concentration, or as P‐x diagrams at a given T) and the density isotherms are presented for solutions of two polymer samples with different molecular weights (M_w = 38,600; M_w/M_n = 2.84 and M_w = 94,300; M_w/M_n = 3.01) at several concentrations in the range from 0.05 to 10 mass % over a temperature range from 302–425 K. Solution densities corresponding to the demixing points also have been identified. Representation of the demixing densities on the density isotherms, i.e., pressure‐density plots is a new methodology that gives a direct assessment of the volumetric expansion the solution must undergo before phase separation. The temperature–composition diagrams generated at selected pressures show that the poly(dimethylsiloxane) + CO₂ solutions display both lower critical solution and upper critical solution type behavior. The lower critical solution temperature moves to lower temperatures and the upper critical solution temperature moves to higher temperatures with decreasing pressure and they eventually merge together at lower pressures forming an hourglass‐shaped region of immiscibility. This behavior is linked to the solvent quality of supercritical carbon dioxide that changes with pressure. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 75: 1397–1403, 2000     

Effects of different polymerization protocols on the degree of conversion of two dual‐cured core buildup composites polymerized by light‐emitting diode and halogen light‐curing units

The aim of study was to investigate the effects of various curing protocols with quartz–tungsten halogen (QTH) or light‐emitting diode (LED) light‐curing units on the degree of conversion (% DC) of two dual‐cured core buildup resin composites. Two dual‐cured core buildup resin composites, Clearfil Dc Core Automix (CLF) and Grandio Core Dc (GR), were selected. Specimens were exposed to the polymerization protocols as follows: there was immediate photoactivation or photoactivation delayed by 2 or 5 min by a QTH or LED source, and one group was allowed to chemically polymerize and served as a control (n = 6). The % DC of the specimens was determined with attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The GR samples polymerized with QTH for the 5‐min‐delayed photoactivation had higher % DC values than those self‐cured, and the Clearfil Dc Core Automix (CLF) samples with immediate or delayed curing protocols with halogen yielded higher % DC values than the samples that were chemically polymerized. The comparison of the two resin composites polymerized with halogen showed a higher % DC for CLF than for GR in the 2‐min‐delayed photoactivation. On the other hand, when they were cured with LED, the % DC values of GR significantly increased after the 2‐min‐delayed photoactivation. In light of the results, it might be stated that CLF polymerized with QTH, could be the better option. GR provided adequate chemical polymerization; therefore, it might be useful in areas in which light curing is not possible. Clinicians should consider the polymerization characteristics of dual‐cured resin composites. The use of different composites may require the modification of the application procedures recommended by the manufacturer. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40560.     

Blood glucose level prediction for diabetes based on modified fuzzy time series and particle swarm optimization

Blood glucose control is an essential goal for the patients who have Type‐1 diabetes (T1D). The prediction of the blood glucose levels for the next 30‐minute is crucial. If the predicted blood glucose level is in the critical ranges, and these predictions can be known in advance, then the patients can take the necessary cautions to prevent from it. In this article, we propose a modified fuzzy particle swarm optimization algorithm for the prediction of blood glucose levels of 30‐minute after the last measurement. We form the average and patient‐specific models to predict the blood glucose level of the patients. Both models are tested on two different datasets which contain patients with T1D. The experimental results are evaluated in terms of root mean squared error and Clarke error grid analysis metrics. The results indicate that our proposed modified algorithm is feasible to be applied to the prediction of blood glucose levels. In addition, this approach can assist patients with T1D for their blood glucose control.     

Impact of employment-related experiences on immigrants' psychological well-being and adaptation to Canada.

Examined the process of acculturation with a specific emphasis on the impact of economic integration on psychological well-being and adaptation. 110 Turkish immigrants (aged 20–70 yrs) living in Montreal were surveyed through questionnaires. Despite high educational attainments, two-thirds of the sample were either unemployed or underemployed. Inability to fully integrate into the labor force in the 1st 6 mo in Canada was attributed mainly to lack of competence in both official languages, difficulty in getting credentials and accreditations recognized in Canada, and lack of Canadian work experience. In time, these barriers were overcome. In their place, market conditions (e.g., economic recession) delayed full participation in the work force. The model developed and tested through LISREL 8 demonstrated that adversity experienced in employment life, such as status loss, unemployment, and underemployment, had a negative impact on both psychological well-being and adaptation to Canada. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of fat replacers in the production of reduced‐calorie vanilla ice cream

The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of different fat replacers on the sensory and texture attributes of vanillin‐flavored ice cream. Inulin is a fairly new fat replacer which has been proven to be a health promoter. Two vanilla ice cream formulations were produced using different ratios of inulin and Simplesse® as fat replacers to provide better flavor and textural properties. Aspartame and acesulfam‐K were used as sweeteners in the low‐calorie ice creams. Sensory and instrumental analyses were used to evaluate the texture quality of light (4.55%) (control group), low‐fat (2%) and fat‐free vanilla ice creams. The experimental mixes were significantly more viscous than the control mix due to the water binding capacity of carbohydrate‐ and protein‐based substances. The texture scores of the ice creams (sensory evaluation) paralleled the viscosity values. Ice creams manufactured with fat replacers were free of cooked‐milk flavor. The energy value of ice cream was reduced compared to full‐fat ice cream (207 kcal/100 g): by 75% for non‐fat ice cream, 71% for low‐fat ice cream and 41% for light ice cream. An increase in total solids in the mix resulted in better texture, a lower melting rate and better shape retention.     

Watermarking via zero assigned filter banks

In order to identify the owner and distributor of digital data, a watermarking scheme in frequency domain for multimedia files is proposed. The scheme satisfies the imperceptibility and persistence requirements and it is robust against additive noise. It consists of a few stages of wavelet decomposition of several subblocks of the original signal using special zero assigned filter banks. By assigning zeros to filters on the high frequency portion of the spectrum, filter banks with frequency selective response are obtained. The information is then inserted in the wavelet-decomposed and compressed signal. Several robustness tests are performed on male voice, female voice, and music files, color and gray level images. The algorithm is tested under white Gaussian noise and against JPEG compression and it is observed to be robust even when exposed to high levels of corruption.