Analysis of ingredient functionality and formulation optimization of pasta supplemented with peanut flour

The working peanut pasta formulation range determined from a previous study was used to determine the effects of varying ingredient quantities and processing conditions on the pasta's quality and consumer acceptance. The variables studied were percent peanut flour substituted for durum wheat flour (30%, 40%, and 50%), amount of carrageenan (2.4%, 2.65%, and 2.9%), and drying temperature (60, 74, and 88 °C) on the final cooked pasta quality. Properties measured include color, texture, moisture content, and cooking loss. A home-use sensory test was conducted to determine consumer preferences and the optimum range for variables studied. Color lightness values ranged from 43.53 to 65.02, decreasing (becoming darker) with increased peanut flour level and increased drying temperature. Maximum cutting force for cooked pasta ranged from 1.59 N to 3.22 N, with higher values only for pasta dried at 88 °C. Moisture content ranged from 57.35% to 69.38%, and values decreased as drying temperature increased. Cooking loss ranged from 5.14% to 7.99%, increasing with higher levels of peanut flour and decreasing with higher levels of carrageenan. When prepared with 30% peanut flour and dried at 60 °C, the pasta was lighter in color, higher in moisture, and softer in texture than the varieties dried at higher temperatures and made with higher levels of peanut flour. Response surface analysis of consumer test data revealed that the optimum peanut pasta should contain between 35% and 45% peanut flour and should be dried between 60 and 71 °C; however, the pasta with 30% peanut flour was also a popular sample in the "favorite" categories. Practical Application: Most non-gluten protein fortification studies in durum wheat pasta found decreased firmness of dry and cooked pasta, increased cooking loss, increased stickiness, and darker product color when compared to traditional pasta. Partially defatted peanut flour is a versatile food ingredient and has high protein content. Since the lysine content of peanuts is higher than wheat, peanuts can be used to supplement wheat flour in food preparation. This study found by partially replacing wheat flour with peanut flour and with incorporation of hydrocolloid emulsifier, such as carrageenan or xanthan gum, dough viscosity, and pasta firmness significantly improved. Peanut pasta with high protein content and balanced amino acid profile can help support consumers with a healthy lifestyle.     

Plasma lipid regulatory effect of compounded freshwater clam hydrolysate and Gracilaria insoluble dietary fibre

This study investigates the hypocholesterolemic effects of a diet containing freshwater clam hydrolysate (PX) and insoluble dietary fibre from whole Gracilaria (IDF). Freshwater clam meat and whole dried Gracilaria were separately extracted using hot water. The residual meat was hydrolysed at 50 °C by Protamex to obtain freshwater clam hydrolysate (PX). Levels of triacylglycerol and cholesterol in Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were compared with those of rats fed diets containing casein and cellulose as a control. Plasma triacylglycerol levels decreased by 65.8%, 27.9%, and 44.3%, respectively, in PX10 (16.6% hydrolysate), IDF10 (13.0% IDF) and compounded PX10/IDF10 groups, while plasma total cholesterol levels decreased by 26.1%, 24.2%, and 17.1%, respectively. In the liver, triacylglycerol levels decreased by 27.6%, 21.0%, and 28.0%, respectively, while total cholesterol levels decreased by 50.0%, 38.5%, and 48.6%, respectively. The compound PX10/IDF10 diet group showed a higher excretion of faecal total cholesterol and bile acids levels than did the other groups.     

Open dumping site in Asian developing countries: a potential source of polychlorinated dibenz-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans

Open landfill dumping areas for municipal wastes in Asian developing countries have recently received particular attention with regard to environmental pollution problems. Because of the uncontrolled burning of solid wastes, elevated contamination by various toxic chemicals including dioxins and related compounds in these dumping sites has been anticipated. In this study, concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in soils from dumping sites in the Philippines, Cambodia, India, and Vietnam. Residue concentrations of PCDD/Fs and coplanar PCBs in dumping site soils were apparently greater than those in soils collected in agricultural or urban areas far from dumping sites, suggesting that dumping sites are potential sources of PCDD/Fs and related compounds. Observed PCDD/F concentrations in soils from dumping sites in the Philippines and Cambodia were comparable or higher than those reported for dioxin-contaminated locations in the world (e.g., near the municipal waste incinerators and open landfill dumping sites). Homologue profiles of PCDD/Fs in dumping site soils from the Philippines and, to a lesser extent, from Cambodia and India reflected patterns of samples representing typical emissions, while profiles of agricultural or urban soils were similar to those of typical environmental sinks. This result suggests recent formation of PCDD/Fs in dumping site areas and that open dumping sites are a potential source of dioxins in Asian developing countries. Uncontrolled combustions of solid wastes by waste pickers, generation of methane gas, and low-temperature burning can be major factors for the formation of dioxins in dumping sites. Elevated fluxes of PCDD/Fs to soils in dumping sites were encountered in the Philippines, Cambodia, India, and Vietnam-Hanoi, and these levels were higher than those reported for other countries. Considerable loading rates of PCDD/Fs in the dumping sites of these countries were observed, ranging from 20 to 3900 mg/yr (0.12-35 mg TEQ/yr). PCDD/F concentrations in some soil samples from the Philippines, Cambodia, India, and Vietnam-Hanoi exceeded environmental guideline values, suggesting potential health effects on humans and wildlife living near these dumping sites. The estimated intakes of dioxins via soil ingestion and dermal exposure for children were higher than those for adults, suggesting greater risk of dioxin exposure for children in dumping sites. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study on PCDD/Fs contamination in open dumping sites of Asian developing countries. On the basis of the result of this study, we have addressed a new environmental issue that open dumping sites are potential sources of PCDD/Fs and related compounds, and dioxin contamination in dumping sites may become a key environmental problem in developing countries.     

Chronic effects of dietary selenium on juvenile Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus)

The chronic effects of dietary selenium (Se) exposure in juvenile Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus) were investigated in the laboratory. A total of 960 (40 fish per tank, 3 tanks per diet) 7-month-old juvenile splittail were fed one of eight Purified-Casein diets supplemented with selenized yeast for 9 months in a flow-through system. These diets contained the following: 0.4 (control), 0.7, 1.4, 2.7, 6.6, 12.6, 26.0, and 57.6 mg of Se kg(-1) dry weight. Survival, Se tissue concentration, growth, gross morphology, and liver histopathology were assessed at 5- and 9-month of exposure. Mortalities occurred only in the two highest Se treatments and were accounted for 8.3 and 18.3% at 5-month and 10.0 and 34.3% at 9-month, respectively. Liver and muscle Se concentration were significantly correlated with dietary Se concentration. Fish exposed to 0.4-12.6 mg of Se kg(-1) diets had reached equilibrium in liver Se concentration by 5 month. Splittail fed diets at concentrations > or =26.0 mg of Se kg(-1) had not reached equilibrium in liver, and muscle Se concentrations and grew significantly slower (p < 0.05) at 5- and 9-month exposure. Se-induced deformities were observed in fish fed > or =2.7 mg of Se kg(-1) diets at 5-month and in fish fed > or =0.7 mg of Se kg(-1) diets at 9-month. Fish fed 26.0 and 57.6 mg of Se kg(-1) diets had higher liver lesion scores at 5-month while fish fed 6.6 and 57.6 mg of Se kg(-1) diet had higher liver lesion scores at 9-month. Results indicate that survivals, growth, changes of tissue Se concentrations, and histopathology of juvenile splittail were dose-dependent, but their response thresholds to dietary Se concentrations differed and depended on treatment concentrations and duration of exposure. Chronic exposure to 6.6 mg of Se kg(-1) diet induced deleterious health effects that can potentially impact survival of juvenile splittail.     

Effects of chlorine and pH on efficacy of electrolyzed water for inactivating Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes

The effects of chlorine and pH on the bactericidal activity of electrolyzed (EO) water were examined against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. The residual chlorine concentration of EO water ranged from 0.1 to 5.0 mg/l, and the pH effect was examined at pH 3.0, 5.0, and 7.0. The bactericidal activity of EO water increased with residual chlorine concentration for both pathogens, and complete inactivation was achieved at residual chlorine levels equal to or higher than 1.0 mg/l. The results showed that both pathogens are very sensitive to chlorine, and residual chlorine level of EO water should be maintained at 1.0 mg/l or higher for practical applications. For each residual chlorine level, bactericidal activity of EO water increased with decreasing pH for both pathogens. However, with sufficient residual chlorine (greater than 2 mg/l), EO water can be applied in a pH range between 2.6 (original pH of EO water) and 7.0 while still achieving complete inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes.     

Heterogeneous Structure Design to Strengthen Carbon-Containing CoCrFeNi High Entropy Alloy

A carbon-containing CoCrFeNi high entropy alloy (HEA) with heterogeneous structures was obtained through thermome-chanical treatments,which induced concurrent recrystallization and carbide precipitation in the alloy.A combination of high yield strength (556 MPa) and large uniform elongation (45％) was achieved in the investigated alloy.The enhancement of the strength is attributed to the combined effects of grain refinement,precipitation strengthening and microstructural het-erogeneity.Our work demonstrated that the heterogeneity design could be realized by thermomechanical processes,which provided a practical strategy for producing HEAs with high performance.     

On the performance of microstrip antenna embedded in composite laminated substrates

Fiber‐reinforced composite structures can be tailored to desire mechanical properties and to embed microstrip antenna in aerospace applications. The electromagnetic characteristics of a microstrip antenna on isotropic and uniaxial substrates have been known, but that embedded in composite laminated substrates remain unavailable to date. This work aims at analyzing the performance of microstrip antenna embedded in composite laminated substrates by spectral domain analysis. Parameter studies are conducted to investigate the effects of the substrate's dielectric constants, the fiber directions (the orientation between the antenna and the laminate layers), and the stacking sequence on antenna's resonant frequency and radiation pattern. The antenna size when embedded in composite laminated substrates is larger than that when attached on isotropic substrates, or conversely, the resonant frequency will deviate lower if assuming the substrate as isotropic. The far‐field pattern in composite laminated substrates is more ‘directional’ than that in isotropic substrates. The antenna gain in the substrates of symmetric stacking with ±45° fiber direction is 20 dB better than that in isotropic substrates in some elevations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Batch adsorption of organic pollutants from oxidation pond effluents using fly ashes

The batch shaking adsorption study was conducted to determine the potential of fly and volcanic ashes in removing organic pollutants from oxidation pond effluents. Factors affecting organic pollutant removals, such as concentrations and sizes of fly and volcanic ashes, initial pond effluent organic concentrations, washed and unwashed conditions of fly and volcanic ashes, were investigated. The TOC (total organic carbon) removal efficiency varied from 30 to 58 percent. The organic removal efficiency increased with increasing ash concentrations, with decreasing initial pond effluent organic concentrations and with decreasing sizes of ashes.     

An Improved Simple Method of Deducing JWL Parameters from cylinder expansion test

A simple method which is much simpler than, while retaining the same degree of accuracy, as that of a large computer hydrocode has been developed for deducing the JWL equation of state (EOS) of high explosive detonation products from the cylinder expansion test. The radial expansion history of metal tube, which is recorded by the streak camera, is expressed as an appropriate fitting function with the aid of a nonlinear curve fitting procedure. The measured data with respect to Eulerian coordinate are transformed to that in Lagrangian coordinate so that the p-V relation of detonation products may be obtained from the differentiation of fitting function and equations of conservation law. Metal strength is also taken into consideration to reduce the deviation at the lower pressure region. JWL parameters are acquired through the p-V relations by another nonlinear curve fitting procedure. The computed results for Comp-B, TNT, HMX, PBX-9404 and nitromethane, which are in good agreement with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) data, are listed for comparison with other procedures in literature which have been in use so far.