Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua in yogurt drink applying combination of high pressure processing and mint essential oils

Influences of high pressure processing (HPP) on some physical properties and on inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua in a yogurt drink (ayran) were quantified with or without addition of mint essential oil. Pressure treatment alone or combined with mint essential oil did not cause significant changes in pH, water activity, color and serum protein separation (p > 0.05). HPP of ayran samples at 600 MPa for treatment time of 300 s reduced L. monocytogenes and L. innocua by more than 5-log units (p ≤ 0.05) at ambient temperature. Addition of mint essential oil further enhanced inactivation of both bacteria by more than 1 log cfu mL^?1. Combination of mint essential oil with HPP provided a reduction in pressure treatment severity by 100–300 MPa or by 210 s to achieve the same amount of inactivation relative to HPP alone. Both Weibull distribution and log-logistic models were fitted to survival data. High pressure-processing combined with mint essential oil appeared to be a promising technique for preserving microbiologically-safe ayran with no significant impacts to product quality.     

Effects of cooking and reheating methods on the fatty acid profile of sea bream treated with rosemary extract

BACKGROUND: The effects of rosemary extract on the fatty acid profile of sea bream fillets cooked by different methods (oven baking, grilling and pan frying) as well as the effects of different reheating methods (microwave and conventional oven) on the fatty acid composition of fish after frozen storage for 4 months were investigated. RESULTS: The proportion of saturated fatty acids increased only slightly in fried samples but significantly in oven‐baked and grilled samples, while the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) increased significantly in fried samples but only slightly in oven‐baked and grilled samples. The proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids remained relatively constant after cooking. Of the fatty acids analysed, the most significant increases (P < 0.05) were observed in C18:1n‐9 and C18:2n‐6 and the most significant decreases (P < 0.05) in C14:0, C16:1, C20:5n‐3 and C22:6n‐3. Although sea bream fillets fried in sunflower oil showed an increase in PUFAs, the lowest eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid contents were found in fried samples. CONCLUSION: Sea bream fillets treated with rosemary extract showed slower oxidation than untreated fish. Neither conventional nor microwave reheating after frozen storage for 4 months had a detrimental effect on the fatty acid profile and its stability. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane over a monolith coated by molybdenum-vanadium-niobium mixed-oxide catalyst

Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene was investigated using Mo 0.71 V 0.21 Nb 0.08 mixed-oxide catalyst, in powder form and coated over a monolith. At 570°C and with a feed stream containing an O 2 /C 2 H 6 mole ratio of one, ethylene selectivity value reaching to 96% was obtained at a conversion level of about 5% with the monolith-supported catalyst. DRIFTS studies indicated the presence of adsorbed ethoxide species. The proposed reaction scheme for the production of ethylene includes the elimination of g -hydrogen of adsorbed species by the lattice oxygen.     

Capability of the rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) extract on the oxidative stability of cooked sea bream (Sparus aurata) during frozen storage

The effects of rosemary extract addition on oxidative stability of cooked sea bream during frozen storage period were investigated. Sea bream fillets were fried, oven baked and grilled. Three groups with rosemary extract were also cooked by the same methods and cooked samples (with and without rosemary extract) were stored in −18 °C for 4 months. After cooking procedures, the FFA formation was quite similar in fresh-raw and fried sea bream fillets, but significantly increased oven baked (0.31–0.33% oleic acid) and grilled fillets (0.39–0.40% oleic acid). The highest value of PV was also obtained from grilled fillets (1.18–1.58 meq/kg). However, TBA values (1.92 mg MA/kg for fresh-raw fillet) did not increase in sea bream fillets after the frying and grilling procedure except oven baking without rosemary extract (2.41 mg MA/kg). A considerable increase in the FFA, PV and TBA was observed in all cooked groups during frozen storage period. The treated samples with rosemary extract generally showed slower PV and TBA formation than those of the untreated samples. However, the additions of rosemary extract have positive effect on sensory quality of baked sea bream.     

Building knowledge networks through project-based online learning: A study of developing critical thinking skills via reusable learning objects

The main purpose of this paper is to explore and discuss the main characteristics of project-based online learning (PBOL) to promote learners’ critical learning skills through reusable learning objects (RLOs) from global online resources. Based on the main purpose of this study and the concerns, the key research inquiries are: (1) How does a PBOL environment improve the learners’ critical thinking skills via RLOs? (2) What are the patterns of the learners’ critical thinking skills in a PBOL environment when they focus on building and delivering RLOs? and (3) What are the learning impacts and communicational outcomes of a PBOL environment on the learners’ critical thinking skills when they work with RLOs? This is a qualitative case study that utilizes both qualitative and quantitative data to provide detailed information to the researcher for the data collection. The research site was the Designing and Delivering an E-Learning Environment graduate course at the Department of Distance Education of Social Sciences Institute in the large urban and government-based University in the Spring Semester 2004. There were totally 11 learners (three of them were men and the rest of them were women) in this course.