Physicochemical and technological properties of beef burger as influenced by the addition of pea fibre

This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics and sensory attributes of beef burgers with the addition of pea fibre as a partial substitute of meat or fat. Three formulations were prepared: control (CON) – similar to the commercial formulation; fibre/less meat (FLM)—5% meat reduction and addition of 1% pea fibre; fibre/less fat (FLF)—7% fat reduction and addition of 1% pea fibre. Non-significant differences were obtained for pH, colour parameters (L* and b*), texture profile, cooking loss and size reduction among formulations. Moreover, sensory analysis with consumers of beef burgers did not indicate differences among the formulations for all the analysed attributes. Therefore, pea fibre is a promising partial replacer for meat and fat in beef burgers due to the preservation of technological parameters and sensory acceptance.     

Plasmonic-excitonic multi-hybrid glass-based nanocomposites incorporating Ag plus core-shell CdSe/CdS and alloyed CdSxSe1−x nanoparticles

Successful fabrication of glass-based hybrid nanocomposites (GHNCs) incorporating Ag, core-shell CdSe/CdS and CdS_xSe_1?x nanoparticles (NPs) is herein reported. Both metallic (Ag) and semiconductor (CdSe/CdS) NPs were pre-synthesized, suspended in colloids and added into the sol-gel reaction medium which was used to fabricate the GHNCs. During fabrication of the nanocomposites a fraction (20–60%) of core-shell CdSe/CdS NPs was alloyed into CdS_xSe_1?x (0.20 < x < 0.35) NPs without changing morphology. Modulation of in situ alloying is possible via the relative content of organics added into the sol-gel protocol. Within colloids Ag (core-shell CdSe/CdS) NPs presented average diameter and polydispersity index of 49.5 nm (4.2 nm) and 0.41 (0.21), respectively. On the other hand, the Ag (core-shell CdSe/CdS) NPs’ average diameter and polydispersity index assessed from the GHNCs were respectively 51.5 nm (4.1 nm) and 0.43 (0.25), revealing negligible aggregation of the nanophases within the glass template. The new GHNCs herein introduced presented two independent excitonic transitions associated to homogenously dispersed semiconductor NPs, peaking around 420 nm (core-shell CdSe/CdS) and 650 nm (CdS_xSe_1?x) and matching the plasmonic resonance (Ag NPs) in the 400–500 nm range. We envisage that the new GHNCs represent very promising candidates for superior light manipulation while illuminated with multiple laser beams in quantum interference-based devices.     

Preparation and characterization of chitosan‐based dispersions

Complexation of chitosan in aqueous solutions by low molecular weight electrolytes is one of the simplest methods for the preparation of aqueous chitosan dispersions. In this work, the influence of storage time, sulfate concentration, method of preparation and surfactant content on some properties of the resultant chitosan dispersions (turbidity, viscosity and zeta potential) was analyzed. Turbidimetry was adequate to monitor the formation of particles, while viscometry was suitable to monitor changes in the dispersing phase. An analysis of the properties of these systems, mainly in terms of particle–particle and macromolecule–macromolecule interactions was carried out. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Use of electrochemical oxidation process as post-treatment for the effluents of a UASB reactor treating cellulose pulp mill wastewater.

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of the electrochemical oxidation process as a post-treatment for the effluents of a bench-scale UASB reactor treating simulated wastewater from an unbleached pulp plant. The oxidation process was performed using a single compartment cell with two plates as electrodes. The anode was made of Ti/Ru0.3Ti0.7O2 and the cathode of stainless steel. The following variables were evaluated: current density (75, 150 and 225 mA cm(-2)) and recirculation flow rate in the electrochemical cell (0.22, 0.45 and 0.90 L h(-1)). The increase in current density from 75 to 225 mA cm(-2) did not increased the color removal efficiency for the tested flow rates, 0.22, 0.45 and 0.90 L h(-1), however the energy consumption increased significantly. The results indicated the technical feasibility of the electrochemical treatment as post-treatment for UASB reactors treating wastewaters from pulp and paper plants.     

Probabilistic evaluation of lateral extent of soil liquefaction under earthquake loading

A Monte Carlo simulation method for calculating the probability of soil liquefaction of a finite area in which the ground motion is propagated upward from the bedrock through the soil layers is presented. The vertical propagation of the ground motion through the soil layers is analyzed using random vibration analysis. To account for the variability of soil properties with depth, the soil deposit is divided into layers. Within each layer the horizontal statistical correlation of the undrained cyclic shearing strength against liquefaction is taken into consideration by describing it as a two-dimensional homogeneous random field. The method computes the probability of liquefaction spreading over a specified area under a given earthquake loading considering the effects of spatial correlation of soil properties.     

Liquid–liquid extraction of a recombinant protein with reverse micelles

Recombinant cytochrome b₅ was extracted into the reversed micelle phase of an anionic surfactant (AOT) in octane and back-extracted to a final aqueous phase. The extraction of the protein was controlled by an electrostatic mechanism, since it was dependent on the global charge of the protein. This was directly demonstrated by experiments with native and mutant cytochromes obtained by site directed mutagenesis. The back-extraction of cytochrome b₅ to a fresh aqueous phase was decreased by factors that reduced the size of the water pool of the organic phase, such as high salt concentrations (1–2 mol dm^?3 NaCl) and low temperatures (4°C), probably because of an increase in a favourable interaction of this protein with the surfactant at closer distances.     

A model for the seismic reliability assessment of electric power transmission systems

A comprehensive model to evaluate the seismic reliability of electric power transmission systems is presented. The model provides information on the probability of structural failure of critical equipment at the major substations, from which the corresponding probabilities of power disruption to a given service area are determined. With the proposed methodology earthquake ground motions are defined as stochastic processes, and seismic capacities of electrical equipment are determined on the basis of available test data and simple modeling, from which fragility functions of critical equipment and specific substations are developed. Probabilities of power disruption resulting from network disconnectivity and abnormal power flow are assessed through Monte Carlo simulation. As a case study, the proposed model is applied to the electric power network in San Francisco and vicinity under the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and the probabilities of power interruption are contrasted with the actual power failures observed during that earthquake.     

Structural characterization of reactor blends of polypropylene and ethylene‐propylene rubber

Blends of isotactic polypropylene (PP), ethylene‐propylene rubber copolymer (EPR), and ethylene‐propylene crystalline copolymer (EPC) can be produced through in situ polymerization processes directly in the reactor and blends with different structure and composition can be obtained. In this work we studied the structure of five reactor‐made blends of PP, EPR, and EPC produced by a Ziegler‐Natta catalyst system. The composition of EPR was related to the ratio between ethylene and propylene used in the copolymerization step. The ethylene content in the EPR was in the range of 50–70 mol %. The crystallization behavior of PP and EPC in the blends was influenced by the presence of the rubber, and some specific interactions between the components could be established. By preparative temperature rising elution fractionation (P‐TREF) analysis, the isolation and characterization of crystalline EPC fractions were made. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 2155–2162, 2004