Quality assessment of salted, modified atmosphere packaged rainbow trout under treatment with oregano essential oil

The present study evaluated the effect of oregano essential oil (EO) on fresh salted, packaged (45%CO(2)/5%O(2)/50%N(2)) rainbow trout fillets and stored for a period of 21 d at 4 °C. Treatments included the following: M1 (control without added EO), M2 (EO 0.2%, v/w), and M3 (0.4%, v/w). Populations of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), H(2)S-producing bacteria (including Shewanella putrefaciens), Enterobacteriaceae, and Pseudomonas spp. reached higher final numbers in control (M1) than for M2 and M3 samples. Under treatments M2 and M3, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) and trimethylamine nitrogen (TMAN) values were lower than for M1 samples, whereas lipid oxidation, as judged by determination of thiobarbituric acid values (TBA), did not occur during the refrigerated storage period. Interestingly, treatment M2 resulted in a shelf-life extension of 7 to 8 d for the fresh trout fillets, whereas treatment M3 proved unsuitable (due to strong odor) for trout fillet preservation, as determined by sensory evaluation. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The use of an essential oil such as oregano oil in fresh fish preservation may be considered an alternative "natural" additive, enhancing the sensory characteristics and extending the shelf life of the product.     

The effect of salts on the retention of ethyl butyrate by gellan gels

The effect of gellan gels with different texture on the retention of ethyl butyrate was investigated by Static Headspace Gas Chromatography. Calcium induced gels enriched with 400 ppm of the volatile showed not significantly different aroma release for calcium concentrations up to 40 mM, whereas higher concentrations exhibited greater partition coefficient values not significantly different from each other. Aroma release was not controlled by the mechanical properties when 1000 ppm of ethyl butyrate was added. When mixtures of calcium and potassium chloride, at a total molar concentration of 80 mM, were used to induce gelation, aroma release became greater with increasing calcium concentration in the mixtures. Moreover, elevated concentrations of the aroma compound (400-1000 ppm) added to gellan matrices, gelled by 10 mM calcium chloride, resulted in increased aroma release. For all samples, the percentage of retention was also calculated and both positive and negative values were determined.     

Preparation of yttria-stabilized zirconia nanoplatelets using vacuum roll coating

Roll-to-roll vacuum coating on moving plastic substrates and the subsequent comminuting of the film into a flake or platelet with microscale lateral and thickness dimensions is an industrially mature technology utilized to produce clean, consistent material with high throughput. In this study, we describe the novel preparation of nanoplatelets by top-down vacuum evaporation of yttria-stabilized zirconium dioxides (YSZ) on a nanoembossed, moveable substrate for the purposes of making nanoplatelets. Microscopy and particle size analysis of the resulting YSZ nanoplatelets revealed that use of the nanoembossed substrate results in significant narrowing of the particle size distribution. However, while the YSZ coatings were conformal and successfully replicated the nanopattern of the underlying substrate, the stress in the film was inadequate to fracture the film into platelets that replicated the nanometer dimensions of the underlying pattern. It was determined that this is due to the inherent fracture toughness of the nanoplatelets and the augmented adhesion forces along the increased length scale of nanoparticle contacts. The nanoplatelets were further reduced in average size and size distribution by post-processing techniques of sonication, ball milling, and centrifugation. The nanoplatelet’s stoichiometry and crystallinity were modified by manipulating the source material, deposition parameters, and post-processing steps.     

Solution viscosity and structural modification of pumpkin biopectin

Solutions of ‘biopectin’ obtained from pumpkin pulp by digestion with the multi-enzyme culture supernatant from Bacillus polymyxa (strain 88A) were prepared in 0.10 M NaCl and characterised by rotational viscosity measurements at 20 °C. The resulting double-logarithmic plot of specific viscosity versus the product of concentration (c) and intrinsic viscosity ([η], from combined Huggins and Kraemer extrapolation to c=0) showed a sharp increase in slope at c[η]≈1 in comparison with the normal value of c[η]≈4 for disordered coils, suggesting a branched structure, possibly arising from Ca²⁺-mediated association of constituent chains.Pumpkin biopectin is non-gelling, in marked contrast to the pectin obtained from the same source by conventional extraction with acid, although the yield is more than doubled. Attempts to induce gelation (with 70 wt% solids at low pH or with stoichiometric Ca²⁺ at neutral pH) by removing the high content of divalent cations naturally present in the biopectin and by chemical deacetylation under acidic conditions (pH 1.2; 4 days; 40 °C) proved unsuccessful. Further research using enzymic deacetylation is suggested.     

Low Temperature Steam Reforming of Ethanol Over Supported Noble Metal Catalysts

The catalytic activity of M/Al₂O₃ catalysts for the reaction of steam reforming of ethanol has been investigated in the temperature range of 300–450 °C. It has been found that the catalytic performance varies in the order of Pt > Pd > Rh > Ru, with Pt exhibiting high activity and selectivity toward hydrogen production, as well as long term stability at low temperatures. It is shown that the reaction occurs in a bifunctional manner, with the participation of both the dispersed metallic phase and the support. Ethanol interacts strongly with the Al₂O₃ carrier, promoting mainly ethanol dehydration, while in the presence of Pt, catalytic activity is shifted toward lower temperatures. Ethanol decomposition and dehydrogenation reactions dominate at low temperatures, while reforming, water-gas shift and methanation contribute significantly to product distribution.     

Microstructural Phenomena Controlling Losses in NiCuZn-Ferrites as Studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy

The magnetic losses of NiCuZn-ferrites with the chemical formula (Ni_0.37−δZn_0.63Cu_δ)Fe_1.93O₄ (0<δ<0.22) are found to exhibit a minimum as a function of the copper content. This minimum corresponds to a certain sintering temperature, which is also a function of the copper content. At sintering temperatures lower than the optimum, insufficient densification is considered to be the reason for increased losses. At sintering temperatures higher than the optimum, the increased losses are caused by the presence of copper segregation to the grain boundaries and by some identified microstructural defects such as subgrain boundaries and compositional modulations. Internal stress relaxation is believed to be the reason for those chemical and morphological imperfections. In contrast to the power losses, the magnetic permeability does not show the previous dependency and increases monotonically with increased density or grain size.     

Retention of ethyl butyrate by gellan gels in the presence of potassium ions

The air/biopolymer partition coefficient (K) and percentage of retention (R%) of ethyl butyrate (400 ppm) added to gellan gels were determined, using static headspace gas chromatography. Potassium chloride (40–120 mM) was used to induce gellan gelation. When 5 g of sample were left to equilibrate at 37 °C for 2 and 24 h, the coefficient values initially decreased with salt concentration to a certain value after which they raised again. The lower coefficient values, for the 24 h period, were observed at higher salt concentration than for the 2 h. Moreover, for both time periods, the lower coefficient values were found for the gellan gels with the greater strength and rigidity and were accompanied by positive percentages of retention. When 15 g of sample were used, after equilibration at 37 °C for 24 h, no significant changes in aroma release were observed. Moreover, negative percentages of retention values were calculated for all salt concentrations.     

Syngas production via the biogas dry reforming reaction over Ni supported on zirconia modified with CeO2 or La2O3 catalysts

The catalytic efficiency and bench scale time on steam stability of Ni dispersed on three commercially available catalytic supports (ZrO₂, La₂O₃–ZrO₂ and CeO₂–ZrO₂) has been studied for the dry reforming of methane (DRM) in the temperature range of 500–800 °C and a CH₄/CO₂ ratio equal to 1.5, simulating typical biogas quality. Ni supported on LaZr and CeZr carriers that obeyed enhanced basicity and oxygen ion lability values than Zr, exhibited superior catalytic efficiency and stability. A variety of techniques, namely N₂ physisorption-desorption (BET method), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), hydrogen temperature programmed reduction (H₂-TPR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, potentiometric titration and inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP), were applied for the characterization of particles morphology, textural, structural and other physical properties of the materials, as well as the type of carbon deposited on the catalytic surface after exposure to DRM reaction conditions. Post-reaction analysis of the deposited carbon on the catalysts surfaces showed that the prominent trend of the carbon deposits on the Ni/Zr and Ni/LaZr samples was to have a filamentous tube like morphology (graphite-2H). In contrast, on the Ni/CeZr used catalyst, the formation of small amount of carbon tube-like architectures was detected. The enhanced basicity and Ni dispersion of the Ni/LaZr and Ni/CeZr samples as well as the high oxygen ion lability of the lattice oxygen in the latter, were considered to be the major factors involved in the superior efficiency and durability of these samples in comparison to Ni/Zr sample.     

Technological Evolution of Historic Structural Mortars

Mortars are among the first building materials used in constructions, even from prehistoric times （8th millennium BC）. Their study reveals a great source of information regarding the evolution of their technological characteristics and application techniques, the availability and exploitation of raw materials, as well the wider socio-economic aspects of each era. The aim of this paper is to comparatively evaluate the analysis results from approximately 1,000 structural mortar samples taken from various monuments and historic buildings of Greece, dated from the Hellenistic period, until the beginning of the 20th century. The analysis focused in the determination of their physico-mechanical and chemical properties, such as porosity, apparent specific gravity, mechanical strength, aggregates type and granulometry and chemical composition. Through the results＇ evaluation, significant remarks can be made upon the evolution of the raw materials used （binding system, aggregates, additives）, as well as regarding the final properties of historic structural mortars. It is concluded that hydrated lime was the main binding agent used for a long-lasting period of 2.5 millenniums, while mixed type binding systems based on lime and natural pozzolan were systematically used for producing durable mortars, resistant to humidity. In any case, it seems that ancient masons were fully aware of the significant role of mortars in constructions and were capable of exploiting the available raw materials and application techniques to the maximum.