Storage Properties of Low Fat Fish and Rice Flour Coextrudates

In the present study, response surface method (RSM) and genetic algorithm (GA) were used to study the effects of process variables like screw speed, rpm (x ₁), L/D ratio (x ₂), barrel temperature (°C; x ₃), and feed mix moisture content (%; x ₄), on flow rate of biomass during single-screw extrusion cooking. A second-order regression equation was developed for flow rate in terms of the process variables. The significance of the process variables based on Pareto chart indicated that screw speed and feed mix moisture content had the most influence followed by L/D ratio and barrel temperature on the flow rate. RSM analysis indicated that a screw speed > 80 rpm, L/D ratio > 12, barrel temperature > 80 °C, and feed mix moisture content > 20% resulted in maximum flow rate. Increase in screw speed and L/D ratio increased the drag flow and also the path of traverse of the feed mix inside the extruder resulting in more shear. The presence of lipids of about 35% in the biomass feed mix might have induced a lubrication effect and has significantly influenced the flow rate. The second-order regression equations were further used as the objective function for optimization using genetic algorithm. A population of 100 and iterations of 100 have successfully led to convergence the optimum. The maximum and minimum flow rates obtained using GA were 13.19 × 10⁻⁷ m³/s (x ₁ = 139.08 rpm, x ₂ = 15.90, x ₃ = 99.56 °C, and x ₄ = 59.72%) and 0.53 × 10⁻⁷ m³/s (x ₁ = 59.65 rpm, x ₂ = 11.93, x ₃ = 68.98 °C, and x ₄ = 20.04%).     

A new mesoporous FeBO3 material having dominant surface magnetism

A new mesoporous iron(III) borate material has been synthesized hydrothermally by using supramolecular assembly of cationic (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) or anionic (sodiumdodecyl sulfate, SDS) surfactant as structure directing agent (SDA) during co-condensation of Fe(III) and H₃BO₃ under controlled pH condition. Powder X-ray diffraction, N₂ sorption, HRTEM, FE-SEM-EDS, AAS, FT-IR and UV–Vis spectroscopic tools, Mössbauer and magnetization measurements are used to characterize the nanostructure, porosity, morphology, chemical composition and magnetic properties. Template molecules can be removed from the as-synthesized material by two consecutive HCl–EtOH extraction and the template-free sample showed good surface area with a peak pore width of ca. 2.6 nm. Spectroscopic results suggested the octahedral coordination of Fe(III) in the FeBO₃ framework. Magnetic measurements suggested the coexistence of antiferromagnetic core and the glassy magnetic behavior. The glassy magnetic behavior is ascribed to the dominant surface magnetism for mesoporous FeBO₃. Acid catalytic properties of this material in liquid phase benzylation of mesityline and anisole have been studied.     

Cefuroxime-impregnated calcium phosphates as an implantable delivery system in experimental osteomyelitis

The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of porous calcium phosphates viz., hydroxyapatite (HAp) and a bi-phasic calcium phosphate (BCP) with predominately β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) prepared by aqueous solution combustion method impregnated with cefuroxime axetil for the treatment of experimental osteomyelitis and compared with parenteral treatment. In vitro release of the drug was tested for its sustained elution characteristics for 21 days in PBS (pH 7.2) and measured by HPLC. In the in vivo study, bone infection was induced in tibia of rabbits by inoculation of 1 ml (3 × 10⁶) CFU Staphylococcus aureus. On the 21st day, after the development of osteomyelitis, six animals were treated by filling the cavity with cefuroxime-impregnated HAp blocks (Group II), six animals with the same drug-impregnated β-TCP (Group III) and in six others, only cefuroxime (15 mg/kg twice daily) was injected parenterally 6 weeks (Group IV). Group I with six animals was kept untreated. Histologically, the signs of infection were found to subside by 3 and 6 weeks. Radiological evaluation with cefuroxime-impregnated HAp and β-TCP pointed out the disappearance of sequestrum and existence of newly formed bony specules. Concentration of cefuroxime in bone and serum as estimated by HPLC showed highest value on day 21 itself which reduced marginally by day 42 in both the groups and these values were higher than minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against S. aureus. Our findings suggest that bi-phasic calcium phosphates with predominately β-TCP content is a very efficient carrier material for antibiotic compounds even for refractory infections by S. aureus.     

Synthesis of Nanoparticles in High Temperature Ceramic Microreactors: Design, Fabrication and Testing

Microreactors as a novel concept in chemical technology enable the introduction of new reaction procedures in chemistry, pharmaceutical industry, and molecular biology. These miniaturized reaction systems offer many exceptional technical advantages for a large number of applications. One major application is in the bulk synthesis of nanoparticles. Despite the availability of a plethora of nanoparticle synthesis processes, there exist many difficulties in controlling the shape, size, and purity of nanoparticles in large quantities in a safe and cost-effective manner. These difficulties have been the principal factors adversely limiting the applications of ceramic nanoparticles. Recent experiments have shown that to study the process of growth and formation of nanoparticles, a reactor having much smaller dimensions, namely a microreactor is more appropriate. These studies have also shown that a microchannel reactor provides control over the mean residence time and hence over the nanoparticle size and shape. This paper deals with the design, fabrication, and testing issues related to a high temperature, ceramic microreactor by investigating the use of reactive gas streams in arrays of microchannel reactors. These innovations offer the potential to overcome the barriers associated with synthesis of ceramic nanoparticles in large quantities.     

高抑菌活性物质产生菌的选育、优化及其特性表征

以发酵液对金黄色葡萄球菌的抑菌能力作为指标,从实验室保藏菌株中筛选出一株产抑菌活性物质水平较高的菌株JN-814C,经鉴定其为地衣芽孢杆菌。进一步研究该菌株产生与分泌细菌素的特性,确定其最适培养基为糊精2.5 g/L,酵母粉7.5 g/L,胰蛋白胨10 g/L,氯化钠3g/L,最佳培养条件为培养时间22 h,培养温度37℃,初始pH 7.0,装液量50 mL,接种量2%。通过硫酸铵分级沉淀与DEAE-Sepharose-FF阴离子交换层析可初步纯化得到抑菌活性物质样品。纯化后的抑菌物质对革兰氏阳性菌有较好的拮抗性,对样品进行蛋白酶处理与氨基酸分析,发现其对碱性蛋白酶敏感,组成中谷氨酸含量较高,对温度、酸碱的敏感性较低,因此可基本被确定为一种抑菌肽。     

Hydrodynamic, thermo-analytical and molecular structural investigations of enzyme interesterified oil and its thermo-oxidative stability by thermogravimetric analysis

This paper deals with the effect of lipase-catalyzed interesterification of oil on hydrodynamic, thermo-analytical, structural properties and its stability. Interesterification of rice bran oil (RBO) and refined, bleached, deodorized palm olein (RBDPO) blend in 1:1 ratio was carried out at 60 ± 1 °C under stirring for 6 h. Results showed that hydrodynamic property of oils decreased from 3.61 × 10⁻⁶ in RBDPO to 2.91 × 10⁻⁶ m² s⁻¹ in enzyme interesterified oil (EI) and heat transfer coefficient increased from 221.0 in RBDPO to 250.7 Wm⁻² °C⁻¹ in EI over 170-190 °C. Peak melting point of triacylglycerols shifted from 10.36 °C in RBDPO to −4.76 °C in EI. Trisaturated triacylglycerols decreased from 4% in RBDPO to 0.6% in EI. The first step of thermal decomposition started at 190, 212.7 and 238.9 °C for RBDPO, RBO and EI, respectively. Sensory evaluation of poori fried using these oils revealed no significant (p > 0.05) differences in sensory attributes of the fried product.     

Filtering Super-Resolution Scan Conversion of Medical Ultrasound Frames

Wireless Personal Communications - In this paper, we consider a challenging problem of reconstruction of high resolution (HR) B-mode ultrasound (US) image by proposing a novel multi-frame based...     

In vitro and in vivo degradability,biocompatibility and antimicrobial characteristics of Cu added iron-manganese alloy

In recent years,iron(Fe)based degradable metal is explored as an alternative to permanent fracture fixation devices.In the present work,copper(Cu)is added in Fe-Mn system to enhance the degradation rate and antimicrobial properties.Fe-Mn-xCu(x=0.9,5 and 10 wt.％)alloys are prepared by the melting-casting-forging route.XRD analysis confirms austenite phase stabilization due to the presence of Mn and Cu.As predicted by Thermo-Calc calculations,Cu rich phase precipitations are noticed along the austen-ite grain boundaries.Degradation behaviours of Cu added Fe-Mn alloys are investigated through static immersion and electrochemical polarization where enhanced degradation is found for higher Cu added alloys.When challenged against E.Coli bacteria,the Fe-Mn-Cu alloy media extract shows a significant bac-tericidal effect compare to the base alloy.In vitro cytocompatibility studies,as determined using MG63 and MC3T3-E1 cell lines,indicate increased cell density as a function of time for all the alloys.When implanted in rabbit femur,the newly developed alloy does not show any kind of tissue necrosis around the implants.Better osteogenesis and higher new bone formation are observed with Fe-Mn-10Cu alloy as evident from micro-computed tomography(μ-CT)and fluorochrome labelling.     

An empirical approach towards characterization of encrypted and unencrypted VoIP traffic

Multimedia Tools and Applications - VoIP traffic classification plays a major role towards network policy enforcements. Characterization of VoIP media traffic is based on codec behaviour. With the...