Characterisation of selected hazelnut cultivars: phenology, growing and yielding capacity, market quality and nutraceutical value

BACKGROUND: Sixteen hazelnut cultivars growing in the continental climate of Slovenia were analysed over 15 years for their phenology, growth habit, yield potential, susceptibility to hazelnut weevil and the pomological traits and phenolic content of their nuts in order to obtain a complex value of these cultivars for growers, the confectionary industry and consumers. RESULTS: Blooming occurred over an interval of 10–23 days for female (pistillate) flowers and 11–22 days for male (staminate) flowers. Nocchione, Romai, Pauetet, ID and Daria were the most productive cultivars, with a nine‐year cumulative yield ranging from 31.8 to 44.7 kg per plant. Pauetet, F. Coutard, Nocchione and Segorbe were less susceptible to unfavourable weather conditions during blooming and fertilisation, in terms of maintaining acceptable yields with limited blank production. Under integrated pest management, less than 2% of the nuts of Romai, Daria, TGDL and Nocchione were affected by hazelnut weevil, compared with an average of 5.5% for the other cultivars. Daria, Pauetet and T. Giffoni performed best with regard to kernel percentage and blanching ratio. The results suggest that raw kernels are a good source of the natural antioxidants gallic acid and epicatechin. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide direction when choosing hazelnut cultivars for planting, consuming or processing. They can be applied not only in Slovenia and nearby countries but also in other parts of central and northern European countries with similar climates and growing conditions. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Preparation and composition of chhana whey powders using membrane processing techniques

Chhana is a traditional Indian product used widely in the confectionery industry. It is produced from cow's milk by a combination of heat and acid coagulation. Chhana whey contains about 6% milk solids yet the vast majority is wasted which leads to pollution problems. This study describes the chemical composition and various options for utilisation of chhana whey using membrane processes. Chhana whey powder containing 956 g kg^?1 total solids, 750 g kg^?1 lactose, 21 g kg^?1 protein. 60 g kg^?1 fat, 65 g kg^?1 ash was produced following concentration of chhana whey by reverse osmosis. Chhana whey protein concentrate powders containing 270, 350, 400 and 580 g kg^?1 protein were produced following ultrafiltration or diafiltration of chhana whey.     

Effect of nozzle orifice geometry on spray, combustion, and emission characteristics under diesel engine conditions

Diesel engine performance and emissions are strongly coupled with fuel atomization and spray processes, which in turn are strongly influenced by injector flow dynamics. Modern engines employ micro-orifices with different orifice designs. It is critical to characterize the effects of various designs on engine performance and emissions. In this study, a recently developed primary breakup model (KH-ACT), which accounts for the effects of cavitation and turbulence generated inside the injector nozzle is incorporated into a CFD software CONVERGE for comprehensive engine simulations. The effects of orifice geometry on inner nozzle flow, spray, and combustion processes are examined by coupling the injector flow and spray simulations. Results indicate that conicity and hydrogrinding reduce cavitation and turbulence inside the nozzle orifice, which slows down primary breakup, increasing spray penetration, and reducing dispersion. Consequently, with conical and hydroground nozzles, the vaporization rate and fuel air mixing are reduced, and ignition occurs further downstream. The flame lift-off lengths are the highest and lowest for the hydroground and conical nozzles, respectively. This can be related to the rate of fuel injection, which is higher for the hydroground nozzle, leading to richer mixtures and lower flame base speeds. A modified flame index is employed to resolve the flame structure, which indicates a dual combustion mode. For the conical nozzle, the relative role of rich premixed combustion is enhanced and that of diffusion combustion reduced compared to the other two nozzles. In contrast, for the hydroground nozzle, the role of rich premixed combustion is reduced and that of non-premixed combustion is enhanced. Consequently, the amount of soot produced is the highest for the conical nozzle, while the amount of NO_x produced is the highest for the hydroground nozzle, indicating the classical tradeoff between them.     

Reaction Pathways for Ammonia Formation on Lean NOx Trap/Reduction System: A Spectroscopic Infrared Investigation

This study is devoted to an operando study of Pt–Rh/Al₂O₃–BaO lean-NO_x trap catalyst during the regeneration with H₂/CO reaction mixture. Particular attention was paid to the influence of CO coexisting with H₂ during the regeneration that can simulate the regeneration step by using reformate composed of CO and H₂. In rich H₂ mixture ammonia predominantly forms. As expected, strongly chemisorbed CO molecules over noble metals lower the efficiency of the trap at 150 °C. Successive hydrogenation of N atoms to ammonia predominates in our conditions. However, the comparison of the outlet gas composition with infrared spectral features also suggests a minor participation of isocyanate species (NCO) as possible intermediates in the production of ammonia especially for long regeneration duration in the absence of water. Interestingly, ammonia formation as reducing agent for the selective reduction of NO can stimulate practical applications for further coupling lean-NO_x trap with SCR catalysts.     

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis with short-side-chain Aquivion membrane and IrO2 anode catalyst

A series of three membrane types has been screened for medium temperature solid polymer electrolyte water electrolysis in membrane electrode assemblies coated with 2 mg cm⁻² of iridium oxide as a catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction, synthesised via a hydrolysis method from the hexachloroiridic acid precursor, and deposited on the membrane either directly by spray deposition or by decal transfer. The short-side-chain perfluorosulfonic acid Aquivion^® ionomer of equivalent weight 870 meq g⁻¹, in membranes of thickness 120 μm, gives higher water electrolysis performance at 120 °C than a composite membrane of Aquivion^® with zirconium phosphate, while a sulfonated ether-linked polybenzimidazole, sulfonated poly-[(1-(4,4′-diphenylether)-5-oxybenzimidazole)-benzimidazole], shows promising performance and no transport limitations up to 2 A cm⁻². The lowest cell voltage was observed at 120 °C for an MEA prepared using spray-coating directly on the Aquivion^® membrane, 1.57 V at 1 A cm⁻².     

Effect of Nitrogen Content on the Tensile and Stress Corrosion Cracking Behavior of AISI Type 316LN Stainless Steels

This paper deals with the effect of nitrogen on the tensile and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of type 316LN stainless steel. Yield stress (YS) and ultimate tensile stress (UTS) increased while the ductility [% total elongation (% TE)] decreased with increasing nitrogen content. Evaluation by conventional assessment parameters, such as ratios of UTS, % TE and SCC susceptibility index, derived by SCC testing using the slow strain rate testing (SSRT) technique indicated an improvement in SCC resistance on increasing the nitrogen content. However, crack growth rates, calculated from ratios of fracture stress from the SSRT tests in liquid paraffin and boiling 45 % magnesium chloride in SSRT tests, and the constant load tests at loads corresponding to 20 % YS in boiling 45 % magnesium chloride conclusively established that the SCC resistance of type 316LN stainless steel decreased with increasing nitrogen content.     

Household food insecurity in Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste is among the world’s youngest and poorest countries. It suffers from seasonal food insecurity and has the third-highest stunting rate globally. Previously inadequately documented, this paper summarises recent advances in understanding household food security in Timor-Leste and the multifaceted approaches being used to overcome it. Information comes from the extensive annual surveys of the Seeds of Life (SoL) program in Timor-Leste. The hungry season prior to maize and rice harvests is the key issue in household food security in Timor-Leste. Farm households cope with the problem through crop diversification with tubers playing a lead role as grain stocks dwindle. Foraging for wild food resources, selling animals and other assets, and social networks are other coping strategies. To address seasonal food insecurity, the government has focused on rice importation and the improvement of agricultural productivity within a multi-dimensional program. Information on storage by households of the key staple, maize, indicates an improving trend in food security at the household level from 2006/2007 to 2010/2011 through a significant reduction in the percentage of ‘at risk’ households—those who grow insufficient maize for storage during the year. The current emphasis on the widespread dissemination of the new high-yielding SoL cultivars has the potential to augment these improving trends. Nevertheless this picture remains vulnerable to weather shocks—such as drought—which are anticipated to increase with climate change and it is important to build further resilience into the agricultural systems of Timor-Leste.     

Health effects of olive oil polyphenols: Recent advances and possibilities for the use of health claims

The Mediterranean diet and consumption of olive oil have been connected in several studies with longevity and a reduced risk of morbidity and mortality. Lifestyle, such as regular physical activity, a healthy diet, and the existing social cohesion in Southern European countries have been recognised as candidate protective factors that may explain the Mediterranean Paradox. Along with some other characteristics of the Mediterranean diet, the use of olive oil as the main source of fat is common in Southern European countries. The benefits of consuming olive oil have been known since antiquity and were traditionally attributed to its high content in oleic acid. However, it is now well established that these effects must also be attributed to the phenolic fraction of olive oil with its anti‐oxidant, anti‐inflammatory and anti‐microbial activities. The mechanisms of these activities are varied and probably interconnected. For some activities of olive oil phenolic compounds, the evidence is already strong enough to enable the legal use of health claims on foods. This review discusses the health effects of olive oil phenols along with the possibilities of communicating these effects on food labels.     

The surface energy as an indicator of miscibility of SAN/EDPM polymer blends

Surface properties of blends prepared of styrene-acrylonitrile and ethylene-propylene-diene changing the homopolymer proportions and compatibilized by high impact polystyrene have been studied by contact angle measurement. The surface free energy of interphase of homopolymers pairs, work of adhesion, and wetting coefficient were calculated using Wu’s geometric mean method and the total surface free energy and acid–base components of the blends by using van Oss, Good and Chaudhury method. Blends were also characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis and by scanning electron microscopy. The miscibility of studied blends was estimated through changes of surface free energy, energy of interface and through the shifts of glass transition temperature and changes in morphology. From the results, it can be seen that added compatibilizer reduces the interface energy and provides more homogenous system by interfacial segregation and rearrangements of molecules at the blend surface. The results of morphological observations reveal that the addition of a small percentage of compatibilizer decreases the domain size of the dispersed phase and enhances the compatibility of the blends.     

A self-presentational view of psychotherapy: Reply to Hill, Gelso and Mohr (2000) and to Arkin and Hermann (2000).

The self-presentational view of psychotherapy challenges current assumptions about the benefits of high levels of clients' openness in therapy (A. E. Kelly, 2000; see record 2000-08364-001). The author responds to questions about whether clients' discretion really is linked to favorable therapy process ratings and outcomes (see record 2000-08364-002 and 2000-08364-003). She also addresses problems that may emerge if readers apply a narrow definition of self-presentation as a form of deliberate manipulation, rather than the intended definition of consciously or unconsciously showing oneself to be a particular kind of person for audiences. A brief review of the evidence on the role of audience feedback in self-concept change is offered, along with suggestions for explaining self-concept change to clients. The author concludes by clarifying and reasserting her suggestion that it is acceptable for clients to reveal the themes as opposed to details of their problems that seem particularly heinous or humiliating. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)