Chemical composition and nutritive value of peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) in rats

The peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) is the starchy fruit of a palm tree widely cultivated in Central and South America. The present study aimed at determining its chemical composition and its nutritive value in rats. The average chemical composition of 17 samples was as follows: 410 g kg^?1 water and, in g kg^?1 of dry matter (DM), 54 g crude protein, 114 g oil, 39 g neutral detergent fibre, 716 g starch, 21 g sugars and 18 g ash. The main variability was observed for the oil (60–180 g kg^?1 DM) and starch (590–780 g DM) contents. The proteins contained, on average, in g kg^?1 of proteins, 49 g lysine, 13 g methionine, 19 g cysteine, 39 g threonine and 7 g tryptophan. The mineral fraction contained, per kg DM: 1.0 g Ca, 0.8 g P, 0.6 g Mg, 0.3 g Na, 44 mg Fe, 4 mg Cu and 10 mg Zn. The digestibility of four peach palm genotypes was determined in rats fed a diet composed of 350 g kg^?1 of peach palm and 650 g of a control diet based on maize and soybean meal. The digestibility of DM, energy, starch and protein of peach palm alone reached, on average 91, 87, 96 and 95%, respectively. No difference was observed between varieties, except for starch (p < 0.05). On average, peach palm contained 51 g of truly digestible protein kg^?1 DM and 3.691 kcal digestible energy kg^?1 DM. A growth trial was also carried out for 1 month on rats (initial weight: 78 g) fed a diet containing 0, 200, 400, 600 or 800 g peach palm kg^?1, at the expense of a diet composed of maize starch and casein. The growth rate of the rats decreased (p < 0.05) as the peach palm concentration increased. The growth decrease was due to a decrease (p < 0.05) in DM intake and to the lower quality of the peach palm protein. It is concluded that peach palm is mainly an energy source for humans and animals. It is poor in protein and minerals but can be consumed in large amounts. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Ni/Fe electrodes prepared by electrodeposition method over different substrates for oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline medium

A series of Ni/Fe electrodes have been prepared by electrodeposition of metal salt precursors on different substrates. The surface morphology, chemical composition and electrochemical characteristics of these electrodes were studied by various physico-chemical techniques such as X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical properties of the electrodes were examined by steady-state polarization curves. First, the influence of features such as Ni/Fe composition and type of substrate for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) were determined by electrochemical techniques in a conventional 3-electrodes cell. The overpotential for the OER is lower for the electrodes with the higher concentrations of Ni. The electrodes with a Ni/Fe composition of 75/25 wt.% electrodeposited on steel mesh and/or 75/25 and 50/50 wt.% on nickel foam result in the most active configurations for the OER. These electrodes were further tested as anodes for alkaline water electrolysis during at least 70 h. In order to understand their activity and stability, the used electrodes were also characterized by SEM and compared to the fresh electrodes. Among the compositions and substrates examined, the Ni50Fe50-Nf electrode exhibited the lowest overpotential (2.1 V) for the OER and the higher stability as anode in an alkaline water electrolysis cell.     

Rheological performance of pectin-enriched products isolated from red beet (Beta vulgaris L. var. conditiva) through alkaline and enzymatic treatments

The rheological performance of pectin-enriched products extracted from red beet (Beta vulgaris L. var. conditiva) root by-products was evaluated in the present work. They were extracted through an alkaline pre-treatment with or without a subsequent enzymatic (hemicellulase or cellulase) hydrolysis at pH 5.2. Flow assays performed with 2.00% w/v-pectin aqueous systems showed pseudoplastic (flow index, n ≈ 0.4 or 0.8) or Newtonian (n = 1.0) behaviour after fitting of experimental data to Ostwald’s law, also showing poor thickening effect. When Ca²⁺ was added to water with the same pectin concentration, true gels developed as confirmed by the mechanical spectra obtained through dynamic assays. Junction zones of homogalacturonan (HG) side chains mediated by Ca²⁺ were able to build up rigid networks in water.Isolated pectins (2.00% w/v) were also used to constitute milk model systems. Whole and skimmed milk were used at two different concentrations. Milk systems showed more transient and weaker gel networks when compared to Ca²⁺-aqueous systems, and were associated to the formation of a [κ-casein?calcium cross linked low methoxyl pectin] complex dampened by the included milk fat globules. Relaxation spectra of pectin-milk systems were in general extended to large relaxation times (10⁴ s) for all isolated fractions studied, which is typical of structured systems. Since all pectin fractions showed very similar chemical composition and molecular weight (average value and distribution), it was suggested that some differences in the rheological performance of each pectin product came from the different length of arabinans and distribution of rhamnose kinks (RG-I, random coil) as well as from the length of demethylated HG chains (semi-flexible coils).The results of this research show that the pectin-enriched fractions isolated from red beet root wastes are useful as additives in food formulation.     

Influence of the gasket materials on the clamping pressure distribution in a PEM water electrolyzer: Bolt torques and operation mode in pre-conditioning

To keep optimally connected, all electrolysis cell elements is one of the most important design criteria. The optimal distribution of the clamping points is crucial to increasing cell performance. In this work, the compression pressure distribution inside of a 25 cm² PEM electrolysis cell was evaluated, using different materials: Teflon®, Viton®, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM), and nitrile rubber. Sealing material evaluation was performed taking as performance indicators: total compressed area (%) and compression pressure, for different torques applied. Pressure distribution was obtained by using pressure-sensitive films, analyzing the distribution of pressure points from three-dimensional plots (3D), and quantifying intensities of the images obtained. Results showed that pressure points distribution depends on the stiffness and thickness of the gasket materials. For a tightening torque of 3.70 N m, a pressure of 2.23 MPa is obtained with 85% of the membrane area compressed using nitrile rubber-EPDM gaskets.     

Morphological, optical and photocatalytic properties of TiO2–Fe2O3 multilayers

Morphological, optical and photocatalytic properties of TiO₂, Fe₂O₃ and TiO₂–Fe₂O₃ samples (formed by 1, 3 and 5 coatings) were studied. The layers were deposited on glass substrate by the sol–gel method. The catalytic activity of the samples was studied by the photodecomposition of methylene blue (MB) under visible light illumination. The FTIR results indicate that all samples present surface OH radicals that are bound either to the Ti or Fe atoms. This effect is better visualized at larger number of coatings in the TiO₂–Fe₂O₃/glass systems. Also, two mechanisms are observed during the photodecomposition of the MB.     

Electronic effects in manganite/insulator interfaces: interfacial enhancement of the insulating tunneling barriers

The transport properties across perovskite oxides heterointerfaces are analyzed. Epitaxial La(2/3)Ca(1/3)MnO3/SrTiO3 (LCMO/STO) heterostructures with different STO insulating-barrier thicknesses are systematically investigated and their behavior compared with LCMO/metal junctions. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements in current-sensing mode show typical features associated with tunneling conduction. Careful analysis of the I-V curves across LCMO/STO heterointerfaces, using the Simmons model in the intermediate voltage range, clearly shows the existence of an interface-induced enhancement of the tunneling barrier of about 1.6 nm on the LCMO side. These results confirm recent theoretical studies predicting electronic phase segregation and the formation of an orbital-ordered insulating phase at the manganite-insulator interface that is a result of the reduction in the number of charge carriers at the interface.     

Novel insights on the stabilising solution to the continuous-time algebraic Riccati equation

In the present paper we present a closed-form solution, as a function of the closed-loop poles, for the continuous-time algebraic Riccati equations (CAREs) related to single-input single-output systems with non-repeated poles. The proposed solution trades the standard numerical algorithm approach for one based on a spectral factorisation argument, offering potential insight into any control technique based on a CARE and its solution. As an example, we present the equivalence of two fairly recent control over network results. Furthermore we apply the proposed result to the formula for the optimal regulator gain matrix k (or equivalently the Luenberger's observer gain l) and present an example. Finally, we conclude by discussing the possible extension of the proposed closed-form solution to the repeated eigenvalues case and to the case when the CARE is related to multiple-input multiple-output systems.     

Palladium(II) complexes bearing the new pincer ligand 3,5-bis(indazol-2-ylmethyl)toluene; synthesis and catalytic properties

The reaction of 3,5-bis(bromomethyl)toluene with 1H-indazole in toluene, in the presence of triethylamine, yields the ligand 3,5-bis(indazol-2-ylmethyl)toluene (1). Compound 1 reacts with Pd(OAc)₂ in refluxing acetic acid, followed by a metathetic reaction with lithium chloride and with [PdCl₂(cod)] (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) in refluxing acetonitrile to give the complexes [PdCl{3,5-bis(indazol-2-ylmethyl)tolyl-N,C,N}] (2) and [PdCl₂{3,5-bis(indazol-2-ylmethyl)toluene-N,N}] (3), respectively. Compounds 1–3 were characterized by elemental analyses, mass spectra and IR and NMR (¹H, ¹³C) spectroscopies. The molecular structure of 1 was also determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The palladium(II) complexes (2,3) were tested as catalysts in ethylene polymerization and in C–C coupling reactions involving aryl halides substrates.     

Mineralogical and morphological changes of calcined paper sludge at different temperatures and retention in furnace

This work reports the project of thermal effects in mineralogy and texture of the paper sludge to employ them as pozzolanic material.For this reason, the chemistry and mineralogical composition has been studied, as well as its morphology by XRD, SEM and EDX.The initial sludge has been treated to 700, 750 and 800 °C during 2 and 5 h being observed that initial kaolinite becomes metakaolinite and that its pozzolanic activity with a paper sludge treated to 700 °C for 2 h is comparable to that of a commercial metakaolinite. The transformation of kaolinite after the dehydroxylation is to convert in amorphous metakaolinite. At the temperature mentioned above, calcite from the initial sludge is maintained active.It is concluded that the pozzolanic activity of metakaolinite is strongly related to the crystallinity of the original kaolinite. Well-ordered kaolinite is transformed into more reactive metakaolinite.