Total antioxidant activity in 35 Ugandan fruits and vegetables

The objective of this study was to analyse antioxidant activity (AA) in fruits and vegetables from Uganda and to investigate whether AA in traditional food is sufficiently high to prevent oxidative stress and thus combat disease. We used the FRAP (ferric reducing ability of plasma) procedure. The results showed great variation in AA, ranging from 72.3 ± 13.5 (Syzygium cuminii seed) to 0.09 ± 0.05 (Cucurbita maxima fruit) mmol/100 g fresh weight (FW). We estimated serving sizes and determined the total antioxidant capacity (TDAC) per day of three traditional Ugandan diets. The dietary plants with highest AA per serving size were pomegranate (Punica granatum), Canarium schweinfurthii, guava (Psidium guajava), mango (Mangifera indica) and tree tomato (Cyphomandra betacea) with values ranging from 8.91 to 3.00 mmol/serving. Of the traditional diets, the central/eastern (C/E) and the western (W) diets had almost the same AA (9.31–9.78 and 9.75 mmol/day), while the northern (N) diet had an AA of 7.50–8.02 mmol/day.     

New potato fibre for improvement of texture and colour of wheat bread

The aim of this project was to compare the functional properties of five fibre fractions by baking of wheat bread by substitution 0, 4, 8 and 12 w/w% of wheat flour using dry potato pulp (Fibre 1), a commercial potato fibre (Fibre 2), two fibre prepared from potato pulp by enzymatic hydrolysis (Fibre 3 and 4), and one solubilised fibre (Fibre 5). The effect of chemical composition of fibre on texture, colour, specific weight and volume of wheat bread was studied using objective methods for measurement of texture characteristics, colour (L, a, b) and sensory analysis. Dry potato pulp, Potex (Fibre 2) and two enzymatically prepared fibre powders (Fibre 3 and 4) with a high concentration of lignin and insoluble non-starch polysaccharides (INCP) had a detrimental effect on bread quality by substitution of more than 8% of the wheat flour by fibre. The detrimental effect was mainly due to increased hardness, deformation energy, modulus and gumminess. Multiple linear regression analysis with forward selection was used for determination of the relationship between quality characteristics and of soluble non-starch polysaccharides (SNSP), insoluble non-starch polysaccharides (INCP), cellulose and lignin. The enzymatic solubilised fibre (Fibre 5) with a high concentration of soluble fibre and a low concentration of cellulose and lignin could be used for substitution of at least 12% wheat flour for baking of bread with an attractive colour, delicious texture and flavour.     

In vitro fermentation of rye carbohydrates including arabinoxylans of different structure

Freeze‐dried ileal effluent from cannulated pigs fed rye bread diets based on either whole rye or one of three rye milling fractions enriched in pericarp/testa, aleurone and endosperm was incubated in an in vitro fermentation system with faecal inocula from pigs fed a whole grain rye diet. Three and 48 hours of in vitro degradation of arabinoxylans were comparable to the caecal and faecal degradation respectively. The productions of short‐chain fatty acids were highest from the ileum samples of the diets high in fermentable carbohydrates (whole rye, aleurone and endosperm). However, fermentation of the pericarp/testa ileum sample produced half the amount of short‐chain fatty acids resulting from the other ileum samples despite the fact that the pericarp/testa carbohydrates (CHO) were not fermented at all. Treating the pericarp/testa with alkali prior to the incubation increased fermentability considerably (from 0 to 49% of total arabinoxylans) and suggested that, at least in lignified tissue, alkali‐labile cross‐links were more important determinants of arabinoxylan (AX) degradability than AX structure itself. Oxidative delignification of the pericarp/testa ileal effluent increased fermentability too, but to a much lower degree, which indicates that the type and extent of links between polymers and lignin rather than the amount of lignin are important in determining degradability. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Applications and limitations of the colloid titration method for measuring activated sludge surface charges

Surface charge quantification of polymer solutions and sludge suspensions were investigated by the colloid titration technique and compared to charge densities obtained by pH-titration. The colloid titration technique worked well for polymer samples. The charge quantity of humic acid and activated sludge extracellular polymers (EPS) was estimated to be -1.51 and -0.42 meq/g, respectively. These values are reasonable when compared to pH-titration results. The surface charge of activated sludge particles appears to be below the limit of detection. However, surface charge estimates are obtained, when the reactant doses and sample concentration are increased. It is suggested that such estimates are not correct, but artefacts of the non-stoichiometric precipitation of the polymeric reactants at high doses. It appears that the colloid titration method is limited to conditions of low reactant doses and valid for charge determination of extracted sludge polymers, whereas the method is not valid for charge determination of whole sludge.     

Distribution of bacteria in a domestic hot water system in a Danish apartment building

Bacterial growth in hot water systems seems to cause problems such as bad odor of the water, skin allergies and increased heat transfer resistance in heating coils. In order to establish a basis for long-term suppression of bacterial growth, we studied the distribution of bacteria in a Danish domestic hot water system. Heterotrophic plate counts (HPC) were measured in both water and biofilm samples from various sampling sites in the system. In hot water samples, where the temperature was 55-60 degrees C, the HPC were 10(3)-10(4)CFU/mL at incubation temperatures of 25 degrees C or 37 degrees C and 10(5)CFU/mL at 55 degrees C or 65 degrees C. In the cold water (10 degrees C) supplying the hot water system, the HPC at 25 degrees C or 37 degrees C was lower than in the hot water, and no bacteria were found after incubation at 55 degrees C or 65 degrees C. HPC constituted from 38% to 84% of the AODC results in hot water but only 2% in cold water, which showed a high ratio of culturable bacteria in hot water. Biofilm samples from the hot water tank and the inner surface of the pipes in the cold and hot water distribution system were collected by specially designed sampling devices, which were exposed in the system for 42 days. The quasi-steady-state number of bacteria in the biofilm, measured as the geometric mean of the HPC obtained between 21 and 42 days, was five-fold higher in the hot water pipe (13x10(5)CFU/cm(2) at 55 degrees C) than in the cold water pipe (2.8x10(5)CFU/cm(2) at 25 degrees C). There was no significant difference between the number of bacteria in the biofilm samples from the top, middle and bottom of the hot water tank, and the number of bacteria in the biofilm counted at 55 degrees C ranged from 0.6x10(4) to 1.7x10(4)CFU/cm(2). The surfaces of the sacrificial aluminum anodes and the heating coils in the hot water tank also contained high bacterial numbers. The measured number of bacteria in water and biofilm samples was related to the dimensions of the hot water system, and calculations showed that the majority of bacteria (72%) were located in the biofilm especially in the distribution system, which accounts for the greatest surface area. Free-living bacteria accounted for 26% and only a minor part of the bacteria were in the sludge in the hot water tank (2%).     

Physico-chemical characteristics of full scale sewage sludges with implications to dewatering

An investigation was carried out for a variety of different sewage sludges in order to establish correlations between sludge composition, structure and dewatering properties. Results indicated that the fraction of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in sludges was the most important parameter with respect to sludge structure. With high EPS contents, sludges had a lower shear sensitivity and lower degree of dispersion. This in turn lead to better filterability in terms of low resistance to filtration (SRF). The floc stabilising role of EPS components was not consistent with DLVO-theory, as the zeta-potential increased with increased EPS content due to increased EPS charge content. This indicates that polymer entanglement is a key factor to stable floc structure. This does not rule out the possible change in dispersion due to changed electrostatic repulsion for a given EPS content. While EPS had a good effect on floc stability and filterability, the cake dry matter content decreased with large EPS contents. This could be due to an osmotic pressure related to the polymer charge quantity, or it could be caused by water entrapment in the floc structures. A high degree of sludge dispersion increased the cake dry matter content in filtration. This mechanism is, however, impractical due to high SRF and not important to conditioned sludge. In practice, dewatering also includes sludge expression. Taking this into account, osmosis related to EPS charges is likely to be increasingly important (increasing the negative effect of EPS content on cake dry matter).     

MASHA separator on the heavy ion beam for determining masses and nuclear physical properties of isotopes of heavy and superheavy elements

The MASHA mass spectrometer designed for identifying superheavy elements by their masses is described. The separation efficiency has been measured in the autonomous mode using four calibrated leakages of noble gases. The total separation efficiency of the mass spectrometer with a hot catcher and an ion source based on the electron cyclotron resonance has been determined using the ⁴⁰Ar beam. Test experiments have been carried out, in which α-active Hg isotopes produced in complete fusion reaction ⁴⁰Ar + ¹⁴⁴Sm → ^{184 ? xn} Hg + xn, have been detected in the focal plane of the mass spectrometer. The separation time and efficiency have been determined for short-lived Hg isotopes.     

Cathodic disbonding of paint films-transport of charge

Cathodic disbonding and charge transport through paint films were studied as a function of polarization potential, temperature, dry-film thickness and cation type in the electrolyte. It was found that both the disbonding rate and the charge transport were linearly related to the polarization potential. The activation energy for the disbonding process and the charge transport were quite different. The disbonding rate was linearly related to the dry-film thickness and was dependent on the cation type in the electrolyte. This was not the case for the charge transport. The results indicate a rate controlling factor for the disbonding process involving transport of cations through the film where the film is already disbonded. A fundamental difference in the conductive properties of the paint film on either side of the disbonding front is also proposed.     

Short-term temporal variations in speciation of Pb, Cu, Zn and Sb in a shooting range runoff stream

This study was designed to explore the changes in physico-chemical forms of Pb, Cu, Zn and Sb in a stream draining a contaminated shooting range, located at Steinsjøen in the South-Eastern part of Norway, during a period of 21 days. To obtain information on the element species distribution, an interphased size and charge fractionation system was applied, where membrane filtration (0.45 µm) and ultrafiltration using hollow fibre (nominal cut off 10 kDa) were performed prior to charge fractionation using chromatography (cationic and anionic exchange resins). The results show that Pb mainly was present as particulate and colloidal high molecular mass (HMM) species, Cu as colloidal (HMM) and low molecular mass (LMM) species, while Sb and Zn were mainly present as LMM species. The total element concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn and Sb were positively correlated to water flow and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), suggesting these are important factors in controlling the run-off of the investigated elements in this catchment. During episodes of higher water flow, the increase in element concentration was mainly in the colloidal fraction. Partial redundancy analysis (pRDA) revealed that variations in pH, HMM organic carbon (HMM OC) and LMM organic carbon (LMM OC) explained 47% of the variation in size distribution of the elements, while variations in precipitation and water flow explained 48% of the variation in the charge distribution of the elements. The variation in concentrations during the period varied by a factor of 4, also stressing the importance of frequent sampling opposed to spot sampling in environmental surveys and risk assessments.