Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Milled Grape Canes (Vitis vinifera) Using a Pressurized Low-Polarity Water Extractor

Trans-resveratrol and trans-ε-viniferin were extracted from milled grape canes using pressurized low-polarity water. The effects of temperature were significant for both compounds (p ≤ 0.05): extraction at 160 °C resulted in a 40% loss of trans-resveratrol compared to 95 °C while reduction of trans-ε-viniferin at both temperatures remained at 30%. Increasing ethanol concentration from 0% to 25% increased the extraction of total phenolics and trans-ε-viniferin by 44% and 489%, respectively. Solvent flow rate also influenced trans-ε-viniferin extraction. Antioxidant activity showed a strong correlation with total phenolic content of the extracts, and the two target phenolic compounds. Except for the modifier concentration, the extraction parameters studied were not statistically significant with respect to the antioxidant activity of extracts (p > 0.05). Effective diffusivities of trans-resveratrol multiplied from 3.3 × 10⁻¹¹ to 10.4 × 10⁻¹¹ m²/s by three times with increasing temperature. The modified Gompertz equation satisfactorily explained the extraction of the stilbenes investigated.     

Throughput and delay analysis of multi-channel wireless infrastructure networks

Wireless infrastructure networks (WINs) provide ubiquitous connectivity to mobile nodes in metro areas. The nodes in such backbone networks are often equipped with multiple transceivers to allow for concurrent transmissions in multiple orthogonal channels. In this study, we develop an analytical model for the estimation of the delay and throughput performance of wireless infrastructure networks employing slotted ALOHA channel access and slotted Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) over multiple channels. The analytical model, which takes into account the correlation due to multi-hop transmissions, approximates the performance observed through simulations accurately.     

EFFECT OF INITIAL MOISTURE CONTENT ON THE THIN LAYER DRYING CHARACTERISTICS OF HAZELNUTS DURING ROASTING

ABSTRACT

Effect of initial moisture content on the thin layer drying characteristics of hazelnuts during roasting was described for a temperature range of 100-160°C, using several thin layer equations. The effective diffusivity varied from 2.8×10^?7 to 21.5×10^?7m²/s over the temperature and moisture range. Temperature dependence of the diffusivity coefficient was described by Arrhenius-type relationship. The activation energy for moisture diffusion was found to be 2703 kJ/kg, 2289 kJ/kg and 2030 kJ/kg for the initial moisture content of 12.3% db, 6.14% db, and 2.41% db, respectively. Two-term equation gave better predictions than Henderson and Pabis and Thompson equations, and satisfactorily described thin layer drying characteristics of hazelnut roasting. A generalised mathematical model with the linear temperature dependence for moistured, non-treated and pre-dried hazelnuts were also developed.     

Effects of Optimized Operating Parameters on Combustion Characteristics and NO_x Emissions of a Burner based on Orthogonal Analysis

To optimize the structure of the burner,improve the combustion performance,and reduce the emission of NO_x,a self-circulating low NO_x combustion technology was used to design a new type of flue gas self-circulating low NO_x burner.Based on previous research on the numerical model of combustion and the composition of mixed gas on combustion and NO_x emissions,the effect of various factors on the ejection coefficient of the flue gas self-circulating structure was analyzed using the orthogonal test method,and the burner operating parameters,such as preheating temperature and excess air coefficient,were deeply studied through the three-dimensional finite element numerical model in this paper.The results show that the diameter ratio of the nozzle and the length of the cylindrical section of the flue gas self-circulating structure have great influence on its ejection and mixing ability.The optimal ejection coefficient was 0.4829.Overall,the amount of NO_x emissions greatly increased from 6.23×10~(-6) (volume fraction) at the preheating temperature 973 K to 3.5×10~(-3) at preheating temperature 1573 K.When the excess air coefficient decreased from 1.2 to 1,the maximum combustion temperature decreased from 2036.3 K to 1954.22 K,and the NO_x emissions decreased from 352.29×10~(-6) to 159.73×10~(-6).     

Synthesis and application of a new functionalized resin for use in an on-line,solid phase extraction system for the determination of trace elements in waters and reference cereal materials by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

The synthesis and characterization of the resin Amberlite XAD-4 functionalized with 2,6-pyridinedicarboxaldehyde and its application in an on-line system for the preconcentration of cadmium, cobalt, copper, lead and manganese prior to determination using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) is proposed. Metal ions retained on the modified resin were eluted using 1.0 mol L⁻¹ HNO₃ solution and aspirated directly to the nebulizer–burner system of a FAAS instrument using a flow injection system. Detection limits (3σ) were determined to be 0.13 μg L⁻¹ for Cd, 0.29 μg L⁻¹ for Cu, 0.23 μg L⁻¹ for Mn, 0.58 μg L⁻¹ for Co and 2.19 μg L⁻¹ for Pb using a 10 mL of water sample loading volume. The limits of detection would be 100 times higher with units of μg kg⁻¹ for the solid samples in which their dilution ratios as (volume/weight) were 100. Enrichment factors ranged from 23.6 to 28.9 (for Co and Mn, respectively). The proposed method was successfully applied to determination of the analytes in natural water samples and certified reference materials.     

Diversity and functional characteristics of lactic acid bacteria from traditional kefir grains

Traditional kefir grains were collected from distinct parts of Turkey, and their microbial profile was determined. A wide bacterial biota was observed formed by distinct lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in which Lactococcus lactis strains appeared to be dominant. Yeast species were also identified in kefir grains. Significant levels of antifungal and antibacterial activities were monitored in kefir isolates. All tested LAB produced an exopolysaccharide (EPS) containing glucose and galactose, and some strains formed a fructan‐type EPS. Importantly, low levels of antibiotic resistance were observed among the kefir isolates.     

Production of the biomimetic small diameter blood vessels for cardiovascular tissue engineering

A novel biomimetic vascular graft scaffolds were produced by electrospinning method with the most superior characteristics to be a proper biomimetic small diameter blood vessel using Polycaprolactone(PCL), Ethyl Cellulose(EC) and Collagen Type-1 were used to create the most convenient synergy of a natural and synthetic polymer to achieve similarity to native small diameter blood vessels. Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy(FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry Analysis(DSC), tensile measurement tests, and in-vitro and in-vivo applications were performed. Results indicated significant properties such as having 39.33?nm minimum, 104.98?nm average fiber diameter, 3.2?MPa young modulus and 135% relative cell viability.     

Fastest random walk on a path

In this paper, we consider two convex optimisation problems in order to maximise the mixing rate of a Markov chain on an undirected path. In the first formulation, the holding probabilities of vertices are identical and the transition probabilities from a vertex to its neighbours are equal, whereas the second formulation is the more general reversible Markov chain with the same degree proportional stationary distribution. We derive analytical results on the solutions of the optimisation problems and compare the spectra of the associated transition probability matrices.     

Monotonic torsional resistance and fatigue resistance of novel SCOPE RS instruments

To evaluate monotonic torsional resistance and fatigue resistance of novel SCOPE RS instruments and to compare ROTATE, Hyflex CM, OneCurve, and ProTaper Next instruments as a counterpart. The instrument groups were as follows: SCOPE RS; ROTATE; HyflexCM; OneCurve; ProTaperNext. The cyclic fatigue resistance of unused instruments was tested at both room and body temperatures (n = 10). The time to fracture, the mean number of cycles until failure, and the length of the fractured fragments were analyzed. The monotonic torsional resistance of new instruments was measured in accordingly American National Standards/American Dental Association No. 28 and International Organization for Standardization 3630–1:2008 specifications (n = 10). The maximum torque and angular deflection at break were recorded. The fractographic examination was performed by scanning electron microscope. Energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy was used to investigate the microstructure of NiTi instruments. One‐way ANOVA with Games‐Howell Post Hoc multiple comparisons tests were used (p < .05). The ROTATE had superior cyclic fatigue resistance than other groups in both temperature conditions (p < .01). However, it exhibited lower torsional resistance than SCOPE RS (p < .01). SCOPE RS had superior torsional resistance than other groups (p < .01). Micrographs revealed typical features of fatigue behaviors in all groups. Weight percentages of the Ni and Ti revealed similarity for all instruments. The novel SCOPE RS instruments presented superior monotonic torsional resistance but failed to show any improvement in the cyclic fatigue resistance compared with its counterparts, ROTATE, HyflexCM, and OneCurve.     

Effects of particle size and sintering atmosphere on the structure and performance of 316L/SiC composite hollow fiber membranes

Journal of Porous Materials - 316L stainless steel hollow fiber membranes (HFs) are alternatives for polymer and ceramic based membranes. Chemical and waste treatment industries are application...