Comparison of potato varieties between seasons and their potential for acrylamide formation

BACKGROUND: Acrylamide is a probable human carcinogen produced during food preparation, including frying of potato products. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of seasonal variation on tuber composition and its acrylamide generation potential. RESULTS: The chemical composition of potato varieties used respectively for French fry (Bintje and Ramos) and crisp (Lady Rosetta and Saturna) production was studied throughout a storage period of 9 months during two growing seasons (2003 and 2004), in addition to their acrylamide generation potential during preparation of French fries. A significant impact of variable climatological conditions on the reducing sugar, dry matter, total free amino acid and free asparagine contents of tubers was observed. Exceptionally warm summers gave rise to a lower reducing sugar content (expressed on a dry matter basis) and thus a lower susceptibility to acrylamide generation during frying. CONCLUSION: It cannot be excluded that potato growers and the potato‐processing industry are confronted with some harvests that are more prone to acrylamide generation than others owing to climatological variability, thus confirming the importance of a multifactorial approach to mitigate acrylamide generation in potato products. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Influence of variables of the combined coagulation-Fenton-sedimentation process in the treatment of trifluraline effluent

The effluent stream from the industrial production of the herbicide trifluraline (amination water) was submitted to a combined treatment of a physical-chemical process (coagulation) with an advanced oxidation process (Fenton). The recovering of the residual sludge was performed. The combined coagulation-Fenton-sedimentation process proved to be very suitable for wastewater color reduction (91.6%), promoting considerable abatement of the organic load (63.4% COD reduction). According to the fractionary factorial design, the main effects of pH (A) and Fenton sludge (B) variables were considered statistical fluctuations of the process (and not decisive), while the main effects of Fe(3+) (C), Fe(2+) (D) and H(2)O(2) (E), as well as the interactions between variables A and B, A and E, C and D and C and E were considered significant. The obtained results suggest that the combined process can be advantageous for the treatment of recalcitrant industrial effluents, such as the amination water from the trifluraline production.     

Electron-Doping Mottronics in Strongly Correlated Perovskite

The discovery of hydrogen-induced electron localization and highly insulating states in d-band electron correlated perovskites has opened a new paradigm for exploring novel electronic phases of condensed matters and applications in emerging field-controlled electronic devices (e.g., Mottronics). Although a significant understanding of doping-tuned transport properties of single crystalline correlated materials exists, it has remained unclear how doping-controlled transport properties behave in the presence of planar defects. The discovery of an unexpected high-concentration doping effect in defective regions is reported for correlated nickelates. It enables electronic conductance by tuning the Fermi-level in Mott–Hubbard band and shaping the lower Hubbard band state into a partially filled configuration. Interface engineering and grain boundary designs are performed for H_xSmNiO₃/SrRuO₃ heterostructures, and a Mottronic device is achieved. The interfacial aggregation of hydrogen is controlled and quantified to establish its correlation with the electrical transport properties. The chemical bonding between the incorporated hydrogen with defective SmNiO₃ is further analyzed by the positron annihilation spectroscopy. The present work unveils new materials physics in correlated materials and suggests novel doping strategies for developing Mottronic and iontronic devices via hydrogen-doping-controlled orbital occupancy in perovskite heterostructures.     

The Innovation Potential of Bulk Nanostructured Materials

The innovation potential is high for bulk nanostructured materials (BNM) produced by methods of severe plastic deformation and accordingly this report focuses on very recent developments demonstrating the potential of using BNM for advanced and functional applications in engineering and medicine.     

Fluorination-controlled Aggregation and Intermolecular Interactions in Pt(II) Complexes with Tetradentate Luminophores

In this work we describe the synthesis and DFT-supported photophysical characterization of a series of Pt(II) complexes bearing tetradentate luminophores with increasing degree of fluorination. Aggregation into crystalline phases leads to substitution-dependent arrangements that in all cases hinder intermetallic coupling, as intermolecular interactions are dominated by hydrogen bonding and π-stacking. In amorphous matrices, on the other hand, we observed that an increasing level of fluorination favors the tendency towards Pt−Pt interaction upon aggregation, leading to a red-shifted phosphorescence, if compared with monomeric species in dilute solutions and crystalline solids.     

The Interplay between Drivers of Erythropoiesis and Iron Homeostasis in Rare Hereditary Anemias: Tipping the Balance

Rare hereditary anemias (RHA) represent a group of disorders characterized by either impaired production of erythrocytes or decreased survival (i.e., hemolysis). In RHA, the regulation of iron metabolism and erythropoiesis is often disturbed, leading to iron overload or worsening of chronic anemia due to unavailability of iron for erythropoiesis. Whereas iron overload generally is a well-recognized complication in patients requiring regular blood transfusions, it is also a significant problem in a large proportion of patients with RHA that are not transfusion dependent. This indicates that RHA share disease-specific defects in erythroid development that are linked to intrinsic defects in iron metabolism. In this review, we discuss the key regulators involved in the interplay between iron and erythropoiesis and their importance in the spectrum of RHA.