Preparation and characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol)/gum tragacanth/cellulose nanocomposite film

The effects of gum tragacanth obtained from two species of Astragalus Gossypinus (GT-G) and A. Parrowianus (GT-P) at two levels of 10% and 30% combined with cellulose nanofibers (CNF; 5%) on the physico-mechanical and structural properties of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposite film were investigated in this study. The water solubility and water vapor permeability of the films decreased with increasing the content of both gums, especially in the film containing 30% GT-P. The highest values of the tensile strength (39.3 MPa) and elongation at break (445%) belonged to the treatment containing 10% GT-P (90/10P/0). The FTIR and DSC analyses confirmed good interactions between GT and PVA in the 90/10P/0 treatment. SEM images indicated the dense structure of this film as the optimum treatment. Although the presence of CNF in the films containing GT-G improved some properties, especially the Young modulus, it impaired all the functional properties of nanocomposite GT-P film.     

A linear unsupervised transfer learning by preservation of cluster-and-neighborhood data organization

Pattern Analysis and Applications - The paper has proposed a linear unsupervised transfer learning (LUTL). Therefore, a cost function has been introduced. In the cost function of the proposed LUTL,...     

A unit-based,cost-efficient scheduler for heterogeneous Hadoop systems

The Journal of Supercomputing - A significant amount of research in the field of job scheduling is carried out in Hadoop. However, there is still need for research to overcome some challenges...     

Application of different nanocarriers for encapsulation of curcumin

Abstract

Curcumin is the main polyphenol of the curcuminoid class of turmeric, a well-known spice belonging to the ginger family. In addition to its common applications like coloring and antioxidant agent as food additives, it has a broad range of favorable biological functions, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic activities, and anti-cancer potentials against various cancers. However, curcumin suffers from some limitations including short shelf life due to its poor chemical stability, low bioavailability due to its poor absorption, low water solubility, rapid metabolism and rapid systemic elimination. Nanoencapsulaion has been addressed as an innovative and emerging technology for resolving these shortcomings. In this review, the different delivery systems used for loading of curcumin have been considered and explained including lipid-based, chemical polymer and biopolymer-based, nature-inspired, special equipment-based and surfactant-based techniques. Also, implications of nanoencapsulated curcumin in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic uses are discussed. In this sense, the relevant recent studies in the past few years along with upcoming challenges have been covered. Although incorporation of curcumin into nanocarriers can be a possible solution to overcome its inherent constraints, there are some rational concerns about their toxicological safety once they enter into the biological paths. Therefore, future investigations could focus on assessment of their biological fate during digestion and absorption within human body.     

An architecture for scheduling with the capability of minimum share to heterogeneous Hadoop systems

The Journal of Supercomputing - Job scheduling in Hadoop has been thus far investigated in several studies. However, some challenges including minimum share (min-share), heterogeneous cluster,...     

A comprehensive study of clustering ensemble weighting based on cluster quality and diversity

Pattern Analysis and Applications - Clustering as a major task in data mining is responsible for discovering hidden patterns in unlabeled datasets. Finding the best clustering is also considered as...     

The effect of gelatin and thymol-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier on physicochemical,rheological, and sensory properties of sesame paste/date syrup blends as a snack bar

The development of a novel snack bar based on sesame paste (SP) and date syrup (DS) was investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluation the effects of SP/DS ratio and encapsulated thymol (thymol-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier [TNLC]) on physicochemical, textural, rheological, and sensorial properties of snack bars. The effect of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), thymol, and TNLC showed that the addition of 100 ppm TNLC could improve the oxidative stability of SP/DS mixtures even better than BHT, while a higher concentration of TNLC had a negative effect. The unpleasant taste and odor of thymol could be overcome by its encapsulation in nanostructured lipid carriers. The textural properties of the formulations with different SP/DS ratios (1:2, 1:1, 2:1) and an overall concentration of 7 g of gelatin/kg of mixtures were evaluated. The texture profile analysis showed that the sample with an SP/DS ratio of 1:1 had higher hardness, adhesiveness, springiness, cohesiveness, and gumminess in comparison with the other ratios. From the sensory evaluation data, the bar prepared with an SP/DS ratio of 1:1 had the most acceptable texture. According to the results, the SP/DS ratio of 1:1 with gelatin and 100 ppm TNLC can be used in developing SP/DS blends as a highly acceptable functional food.     

Using the mixture design approach to predict the rheological properties of low-calorie dairy desserts containing gum tragacanth exuded by three Iranian Astragalus species

Food Science and Biotechnology - In this study, the flow behavior and creep parameters of saffron desserts containing gum tragacanth combinations of three species were modeled by the mixture design...