Composition of peel essential oils from four selected Tunisian Citrus species: Evidence for the genotypic influence

The peel essential oils from four selected Tunisian Citrus species: sweet orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck), mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco); sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) and pummelo (Citrus grandis Osbeck), cultivated under the same pedoclimatic and cultural conditions have been analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The essential oils content ranged from 1.06% to 4.62% (w/w) in pummelo and mandarin, respectively. The qualitative and quantitative analysis led to the identification of 70 components in all oil samples. The analysed oils consist mainly in monoterpene hydrocarbons (97.59–99.3%), with limonene (92.52–97.3%) and β-pinene (1.37–1.82) being the major constituents. The remaining chemical classes were weakly represented (<1%). Both qualitative and quantitative differences between oil samples have been observed and numerous components have been proposed as marker compounds. Since the influence of different environmental factors has been eliminated, the observed chemical variability between the studied species and cultivars seems likely to results from the genetic variability.     

Effect of Temperature on the Solubility of CO2 in Bread Dough

Dough expansion during fermentation is caused by CO₂ production by yeast, and its transfer from liquid state in the dough liquor to gaseous phase in the gas cells. The liquid-gas equilibrium is controlled by the solubility of CO₂ in the dough and by the Henry coefficient. The solubility of CO₂ in bread dough was measured for different temperatures with a specific device based on the evolution of the pressure during fermentation at constant volume. The measurements range from 15 to 40°C. Data obtained was extrapolated to 0 and 50°C. Values were found between 1.6 × 10^?5 and 5 × 10^?6 g CO₂ kPa^?1 g^?1 LPD, at 0 and 50°C, respectively (LPD: Liquid Phase of Dough).     

Numerical study on the effects of the macropatterned active surfaces on the wall-coated steam methane reformer performances

This paper deals with a numerical study on the steam methane reforming reaction performances into a wall-coated steam methane reformer (WC-SMR), intended to produce hydrogen. In this work a new catalytic pattern, purporting to enhance the WC-SMR efficiency, is proposed. A comparison study is made between the new inter-catalytic layers pattern and a conventional one with a continuous catalytic layer pattern. Both WC-SMR models operate at similar conditions and at the same design parameters, except the catalytic zone length which is monitored by taking into account the inter-catalytic layers spacing or not. Our results show that, by adopting a catalytic surface with an inter-catalytic spacing, the methane conversion could be enhanced and thus the hydrogen production is intensified.     

Lactulose: production and use in functional food,medical and pharmaceutical applications. Practical and critical review

Lactulose is a synthetic disaccharide. It can be obtained from lactose by chemical, enzymatic or by electro‐activation synthesis. This review provides the comprehension of lactulose production and its application in medical, pharmaceutical and functional food applications. Lactulose can be used in medical and pharmaceutical applications for the treatment of diseases such as chronic constipation, therapy of portal systemic encephalopathy, inflammatory bowel disease, reducing blood ammonia levels, colon carcinogenesis, tumour prevention and immunology, mineral absorption and for the inhibition of the secondary bile acid formation. However, with the growing interest in functional foods, the use of nondigestible oligosaccharides such as prebiotic ingredients has increased considerably during the recent years. In this context, lactulose as a well‐recognised prebiotic offers excellent possibilities to develop new functional foods. It can be added to several foods.     

Entropy generation in Poiseuille–Benard channel flow

The issue of entropy generation in Poiseuille–Benard channel flow is analyzed by solving numerically the mass, momentum and energy equations with the use of the classic Boussinesq incompressible approximation. The numerical scheme is based on Control Volume Finite Element Method with the SIMPLER algorithm for pressure–velocity coupling. Results are obtained for Rayleigh numbers Ra and irreversibility φ ranging from 10³ to 5×10⁴ and from 10⁻⁴ to 10 respectively. Variations of entropy generation and the Bejan number as a function of Ra and φ are studied. The limit value φ_l for which entropy generation due to heat transfer is equal to entropy due to fluid friction is evaluated. It has been found that φ_l is a decreasing function of the Rayleigh number Ra. φ_l varies from 0.0015 to 0.096 when Ra decrease from 5×10⁴ to 10³. Stream lines and entropy generation maps are plotted at six times over one period at Ra =10⁴ and φ=10⁻³. It has been found that the maximum entropy generation is localized at areas where heat exchanged between the walls and the flow is maximum. No significant entropy production is seen in the main flow.     

Formation,rapid thermal oxidation and passivation of solar grade silicon nanowires for advanced photovoltaic applications

Uniform and regular silicon nanowires (SiNWs) arrays are fabricated on both sides of solar grade silicons (SiGS) by silver assist-electrochemical etching. SiNWs arrays exhibit an excellent antireflection character with an overall reflectance of 2% in the range from 300 to 1000 nm. More importantly, the effective lifetimes of the symmetric SiNWs/Si structures decreased due to the high densities of dangling bonds and surface defects. Surface passivation to overcome lifetime degradation is realized by means of rapid thermal oxidation (RTO). Following rapid oxidation, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy reveals that oxygen diffusion is enhanced inside silicon nanowires where the morphological structure is preserved during RTO. Moreover, it is shown that even the rapid thermal oxidation process is not effective to recover initial τ_eff due to the high density of imperfections involved during nanowires formation and the contamination level induced by silver. The interdiffusion between residual silver and metal contaminants in the core of the nanowire can probably limit the passivation effect due to the segregation of metal atoms at SiO₂ and to the redistribution of both impurities across the wire.     

Method for converting in-situ gamma ray spectra of a portable Ge detector to an incident photon flux energy distribution based on Monte Carlo simulation

A matrix stripping method for the conversion of in-situ gamma ray spectrum, obtained with portable Ge detector, to photon flux energy distribution is proposed. The detector response is fully described by its stripping matrix and full absorption efficiency curve. A charge collection efficiency function is introduced in the simulation to take into account the existence of a transition zone of increasing charge collection after the inactive Ge layer. Good agreement is obtained between simulated and experimental full absorption efficiencies. The characteristic stripping matrix is determined by Monte Carlo simulation for different incident photon energies using the Geant4 toolkit system. The photon flux energy distribution is deduced by stripping the measured spectrum of the partial absorption and cosmic ray events and then applying the full absorption efficiency curve. The stripping method is applied to a measured in-situ spectrum. The value of the absorbed dose rate in air deduced from the corresponding flux energy distribution agrees well with the value measured directly in-situ.     

Numerical analysis of an integrated storage solar heater

This work aims to evaluate the performance of an integrated phase change material (PCM) solar collector. The dynamic behavior of the system is investigated via a theoretical model based on the first law of thermodynamics and oriented to deliver a maximum outlet water temperature. A parametric study is used to assess the effects of the inlet water temperature, the PCM thicknesses and properties and the mass flow rates on the outlet water temperature and the melt fraction. A comparison with a conventional solar water heater without heat storage is made. Results indicate that charging and discharging processes of PCM offer six stages. It is observed that the complete solidification time is longer than the melting one. The latent heat storage system increases the heating requirements at night. The rise is most enhanced for higher inlet water temperature, melting PCM temperature and PCM thickness and for lower mass flow rate.