Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Soymilk-incorporated Bulgur

ABSTRACT Bulgur cooked in soymilk of 6% and 9% solid content had significantly ( P < 0.05) higher bulk density compared with bulgur cooked in soymilk of 3% solid content and control bulgur cooked in water. As the soymilk solid content increased, pilav bulgur yield increased whereas fine bulgur yield decreased. The SDS-extractability of bulgur proteins increases with the increase in soymilk solid content. Water absorption capacity of fine bulgur samples was affected by soymilk incorporation, and variations in oil absorption capacity were not significant ( P > 0.05). Soymilk incorporation improved color and sensory properties of pilav and fine bulgur. The results of this study suggest that soymilk can be successfully applied to bulgur production.     

Multicentre comparison of skin hydration in terms of physical-, physiological- and product-dependent parameters by the capacitive method (Corneometer CM 825)

A multicentre study for measuring skin hydration with 349 volunteers was carried out in six different laboratories. The purpose of the study was to investigate physical-, physiological- and product-dependent parameters of three test emulsions (base, base + moisturizer and base + moisturizer + lipids) in a double-blind study. A comparison between analogous and digital sensor technology of the Corneometer CM825 was examined. Here, a clear relationship between both sensor types could be highlighted. A vital point of the study was the division of the test subjects according to their skin type. To get more objective limits for three different skin types - very dry, dry and normal skin - visual expert evaluation, self-assessment and hydration measurements were analysed by means of statistical methods. The moisture-related skin types were determined as follows: very dry skin was characterized with corneometer units below 30, dry skin between 30 and 40 and normal skin higher than 40 a.u. (arbitrary units). The efficacy of the three test emulsions was examined in relation to the mentioned skin types. Analysing the measured data of all test centres, a clear dependency of skin physiology (skin type) and product efficacy became evident. The drier the skin, the higher the increase of hydration. The product performance of the three test emulsions compared to the untreated control resulted in a significant increase of skin hydration in all measuring centres. The evaluation of a product ranking showed a good differentiation between the basic emulsion and the two other products. An increase of efficacy by adding lipids could be observed in four of six centres. The important influence of the skin type of the volunteers on the degree of product performance, as demonstrated in this study, should be especially considered when drawing up guidelines for efficacy testing.     

Fungal growth inhibition by wood extracts from<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Juniperus foetidissima</Emphasis> and<Emphasis Type="Italic"> J. oxycedrus</Emphasis>

SubjectSap- and heartwood extracts obtained by successive extractions with cyclohexane, chloroform, ethanol and hot water from J. foetidissima and J. oxycedrus were tested for their antifungal activity by using the agar plate method. Generally, the extractive substances of heartwoods soluble in nonpolar or slightly polar solvents show higher activities, whereas the extract fractions with higher polarity also seem to possess notable inhibition in case of sapwoods.     

Adaptation of bovine milk towards mares’ milk composition by means of membrane technology for koumiss manufacture

This study was carried out to determine the physical, chemical, microbiological and organoleptic properties of koumiss made from bovine milk. The bovine milk was modified according to the composition of mares’ milk using ultrafiltration, microfiltration and nanofiltration. Koumiss made from modified bovine milk and mares’ milk were compared. In order to assess options for a consistent fermentation, a starter culture, instead of the prevailing spontaneous flora in traditional manufacture of koumiss, was used. Key compositional factors modified were the contents of dry matter, mineral, protein and lactose and the casein-to-whey protein ratio. Koumiss made from modified bovine milk and by starter cultures was found to be very similar to koumiss from mares’ milk in terms of pH, titratable acidity, alcohol, proteolytic activity, apparent viscosity, and microbiological composition, when assessed both in the freshly made product and that after 15 days storage at 4°C.     

Experimenting with concentrated sunlight using the DLR solar furnace

The high flux solar furnace that is operated by the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) at Cologne was inaugurated in June 1994 and we are now able to look back onto one year of successful operation. The solar furnace project was founded by the government of the State Northrhine Westfalia within the Study Group AG Solar. The optical design is a two-stage off-axis configuration which uses a flat 52 m² heliostat and a concentrator composed of 147 spherical mirror facets. The heliostat redirects the solar light onto the concentrator which focuses the beam out of the optical axis of the system into the laboratory building. At high insolation levels (>800 W/m²) it is possible to collect a total power of 20 kW with peak flux densities of 4 MW/m². Sixteen different experiment campaigns were carried out during this first year of operation. The main research fields for these experiments were material science, component development and solar chemistry. The furnace also has its own research program leading to develop sofisticated measurement techniques like remote infrared temperature sensing and flux mapping. Another future goal to be realized within the next five years is the improvement of the performance of the furnace itself.     

Adaptation of drafting plotter for buried contact groove formation

Lasers (e.g. Nd-YAG) have been used extensively for groove formation both in laboratories and commercial production but the initial capital cost is high. The production throughput is also low and thus adds to the cost of the cell. To reduce cost and increase production throughput a drafting plotter has been adapted to serve as a mechanical scriber for groove formation. The adapted plotter can scribe cells in matrix form to reduce the human labour and increase the production throughput. The characterization of the scribing tips in conjunction with the plotter showed that the best yield for the scriber is obtained when the scribing tip is mounted at 78° to the stock. Of the seven characterized scribing tips, the 90° conical scriber has been found to give the same groove geometry as the laser. The application of the adapted plotter to cell fabrication did not show any significant deterioration in the electrical output parameters for the mechanically scribed cells when compared with laser scribed cells. This article reports the adaptation of the x-y table drafting plotter to form buried contact grooves.     

Effects of hydraulic retention time,temperature, and effluent recycling on efficiency of anaerobic filter in treating rural domestic wastewater

With rural population expansion and improvement of the socio-economic standard of living, treatment of rural domestic wastewater has rapidly become a major aspect of environmental concern. Selection of a suitable method for treatment of rural domestic wastewater depends on its efficiency, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness. This study investigated the effects of hydraulic retention time(HRT), temperature, and effluent recycling on the treatment efficiency of an anaerobic filter(AF) reactor. The first round of experimental operations was run for three months with HRTs of one, two, and three days, temperatures of 18℃, 21℃, and 24℃, and no effluent recycling. The second round of experimental operations was conducted for another three months with HRTs of three and four days; temperatures of 30.67℃, 30.57℃, and 26.91℃; and three effluent recycling ratios of 1:1, 1:2, and 2:1. The first round of operations showed removal rates of 32% to 44% for COD, 30% to 35% for TN, 32% to 36% for +4NH-N, 19% to 23% for 3NO-N-, and 12% to 22% for TP. In the second round of operations, the removal rates varied from 75% to 81% for COD, 35% to 41% for TN, 31% to 39% for +4NH-N, 30% to 34% for 3NO-N-, and 41% to 48% for TP. The average gas production rates were 6.72 L/d and 7.26 L/d for the first and second rounds of operations, respectively. The gas production rate increased in the second round of operations as a result of applied effluent recycling. The best removal efficiency was obtained for an optimum HRT of three days, a temperature of 30℃, and an effluent recycling ratio of 2:1. The results show that the removal efficiency of the AF reactor was affected by HRT, temperature, and effluent recycling.     

Characterisation of Italian commercial apricot juices by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis and multivariate analysis

The modern fruit juice industry needs their products to be characterized by high-quality attributes to meet consumers’ expectation. In this view, the composition of 26 Italian commercial apricot juices obtained from organic, integrated and conventional agriculture was analysed for carbohydrates, organic acids, amino acids, phenolic compounds and furanic compounds by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The content of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in apricot juices (range 0.1–18 mg/l) was within the regulatory limit of 20 mg/l. The lack of furanic compounds in apricot fresh fruits confirmed their importance as quality markers of heating condition during processing and storage of fruit juices. Univariate analysis disclosed some significant differences among the composition of the apricot juices in terms of glucose, fructose, malic acid, glycine, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and a^∗-parameter (redness). Principal component analysis on chemical composition of apricot juices resulted in two principal components (PCs) that accounted for 66% of the total variance. Organic apricot juices showed some separation from the other juices, whereas a lack of distinction between integrated and conventional juices appeared.     

变频电潜泵在排水采气工艺中的应用

详细阐述了电潜泵的基本工作原理,指出了电潜泵排水采气工艺的适用范围与特点,并以蜀南气矿多口电潜泵工艺井为例,对电潜泵排水采气过程中出现的诸如气体干扰、天然气渗入电缆绝缘层导致电缆损坏等问题做了详细的分析,并提出了解决这些问题的具体方法.总结了多年来电潜泵排水采气工艺成功与失败的经验,对今后该项工艺的发展与推广有指导作用.     

Seasonal effects on Ca(2+) transport of sarcoplasmic reticulum and on meat quality of pigs with different malignant hyperthermia status

The intracellular Ca(2+) concentration is mainly regulated by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). A disturbed regulation leads to an increased metabolism and ultimately to inferior meat quality. In this study, pigs with normal and mutated calcium release channels (referred to as MHR and MHS, respectively) were used. One batch of pigs was slaughtered in winter months and another in summer months. The intention was to elucidate the impact of season on the Ca(2+) transport of SR and on meat quality in dependence of the MH-status. The results show an impact of MH-status and of season on the meat quality with inferior values in summer months, and in MHS pigs. Immediately after slaughter the rate of Ca(2+) sequestration of the SR with biochemically closed and with opened calcium release channels (CRC) was not different between experimental groups. However, with basic CRC (not biochemically manipulated) the Ca(2+) uptake rate of MHR muscle of summer pigs was significantly reduced and at the level of that of MHS pigs. The results indicate an impact of summer season on the ability of SR to regulate Ca(2+) concentration properly even in pigs with a normal CRC. This disturbed Ca(2+) regulation is correlated with diminished meat quality.