Search results for: FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer)

Authors: Ziwei Wang, Andrea Lucotti, Luigi Brambilla, Matteo Tommasini, Chiara Bertarelli

Abstract:

Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive detection that provides abundant information on low concentration analytes from various researching areas. Based on localized surface plasmon resonance, metal nanostructures including gold, silver and copper have been investigated as SERS substrate during recent decades. There has been increasing more attention of exploring good performance, homogenous, repeatable SERS substrates. Here, we show that electrospinning, which is an inexpensive technique to fabricate large-scale, self-standing and repeatable membranes, can be effectively used for producing SERS substrates. Nanoparticles and nanorods are added to the feed electrospinning solution to collect functionalized polymer fibrous mats. We report stable electrospun membranes as SERS substrate using gold nanorods (AuNRs) and poly(vinyl alcohol). Particularly, a post-processing crosslinking step using glutaraldehyde under acetone environment was carried out to the electrospun membrane. It allows for using the membrane in any liquid environment, including water, which is of interest both for sensing of contaminant in wastewater, as well as for biosensing. This crosslinked AuNRs/PVA membrane has demonstrated excellent performance as SERS substrate for low concentration 10-6 M Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) aqueous solution. This post-processing for fabricating SERS substrate is the first time reported and proved through Raman imaging of excellent stability and outstanding performance. Finally, SERS tests have been applied to several analytes, and the application of AuNRs/PVA membrane is broadened by removing the detected analyte by rinsing. Therefore, this crosslinked AuNRs/PVA membrane is re-usable.

Keywords: SERS spectroscopy, electrospinning, crosslinking, composite materials

Procedia PDF Downloads 140

Authors: Gramza-Michalowska Anna, Skrety Joanna, Anna Zywica, Kobus-Cisowska Joanna, Kmiecik Dominik, Korczak Jozef

Abstract:

Background: Modern consumer highly appreciates the positive influence of consumed products on well-being and overall health. High acceptance of new food is a result of intensified research showing many proofs confirming that food offers significant prophylactic and therapeutic potential, next to its basic nutritional function. Objective: Proposition of the technology of unsweetened oat drinks enriched with plant extracts for pro-health oriented individuals. We investigated the effects of selected plant extracts addition on antioxidative capacity and consumer’s acceptance of drinks as representative of all day diet product. Methods: The analysis of the basic composition and antioxidant properties of the drinking product was conducted. Basic composition included protein, lipids and fiber content. Antioxidant capacity of drink was evaluated with use radical scavenging methods (DPPH, ABTS), ORAC value and FRAP. Proposed drink as new product was also characterized with sensory analysis, which included color, aroma, taste, consistency and overall acceptance. Results: Results showed that addition of plant extracts into a oat drink allowed to enhance its antioxidant potential and influenced significantly its sensory values. The preferred composition and properties of designed beverage permit claim that it can have a positive impact on the health of the consumers. Conclusion: Designed oat drink would be an answer for pro-healthy life style of the consumers. Results showed that product with plant extracts addition would be accepted by the consumers and because of its antioxidative potential could be an important factor in prevention of free radicals influence on human organism.

Keywords: phytonutrients, pro-health, well-being, antioxidant potential, sensory value

Procedia PDF Downloads 344

Authors: Renzo Castillo, George Tsatsaronis

Abstract:

High-temperature ceramic membranes for air separation represents an important option to reduce the significant efficiency drops incurred in state-of-the-art cryogenic air separation for high tonnage oxygen production required in oxyfuel power stations. This study is focused on the thermodynamic analysis of two power plant model designs: the state-of-the-art supercritical 600ᵒC hard coal plant (reference power plant Nordrhein-Westfalen) and the membrane-based oxyfuel concept implemented in this reference plant. In the latter case, the oxygen is separated through a mixed-conducting hollow fiber perovskite membrane unit in the three-end operation mode, which has been simulated under vacuum conditions on the permeate side and at high-pressure conditions on the feed side. The thermodynamic performance of each plant concept is assessed by conventional exergetic analysis, which determines location, magnitude and sources of efficiency losses, and advanced exergetic analysis, where endogenous/exogenous and avoidable/unavoidable parts of exergy destruction are calculated at the component and full process level. These calculations identify thermodynamic interdependencies among components and reveal the real potential for efficiency improvements. The endogenous and exogenous exergy destruction portions are calculated by the decomposition method, a recently developed straightforward methodology, which is suitable for complex power stations with a large number of process components. Lastly, an improvement priority ranking for relevant components, as well as suggested changes in process layouts are presented for both power stations.

Keywords: exergy, carbon capture and storage, ceramic membranes, perovskite, oxyfuel combustion

Procedia PDF Downloads 185

Authors: S. O. Ayansina, O. A. Adekunle

Abstract:

There is an increasing demand for a functional extension delivery services in Nigeria with a view to meet up with the food and fiber needs of the ever growing population of human and animal respectively. The study was therefore designed to examine the farmers’ preference for public and private extension services in Southwestern Nigeria, specifically to determine the farmers’ level of participation in the two types of organizations involved and also to evaluate the Performance level of personnel in the two organizations in order to ascertain the beneficiaries’ satisfaction. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to samples 30 respondents from each of the three selected organizations in each of the three states sampled in Southwestern Nigeria. Hence, 270 respondents were sampled for the study. Data collected were analyzed with Kruskal Wallis one-way Analysis of variance to test the difference between the participation of beneficiaries in the public and private extension services and the level of benefit accrued from the two organizations involved in the study. Results generally revealed that private organizations were performing better and were more preferred by the beneficiaries. Results of the tested hypotheses as shown by Kruskal Wallis test of difference (x2=0.709) indicates no significant difference between farmers’ participation in the extension services of public and private organizations but however shows significant difference (X2=12.074) in the benefits achieved by respondents in the two organizations, such benefits include: increased quantity of Crop produced, farm income, skill acquisition, and improved Education in private extension organizations. Based on this result, it could be inferred that beneficiaries generally preferred private extension organizations because of their effectiveness and vibrancy in programme administration. Public extension is therefore recommended for general overhauling and possibly “merging” of public and private sectors in order to cater for teeming population of farmers demanding for efficient and functional extension services to better their lots both in production and processing.

Keywords: public and private involvement, extension services, farmers’ preferences, Kruskal Wallis Test

Procedia PDF Downloads 331

Authors: Mohammad Aminnia, Mahmood Hosseini

Abstract:

Environmental and functional conditions sometimes necessitate the architectural plan of the building to be asymmetric, and this result in an asymmetric structure. In such cases, finding an optimal pattern for locating the components of the lateral load bearing system, including shear walls, in the building’s plan is desired. In case of shear walls, in addition to the location, the shape of the wall cross-section is also an effective factor. Various types of shear wall and their proper layout might come effective in better stiffness distribution and more appropriate seismic response of the building. Several studies have been conducted in the context of analysis and design of shear walls; however, few studies have been performed on making decisions for the location and form of shear walls in multi-story buildings, especially those with irregular plan. In this study, an attempt has been made to obtain the most reliable seismic behavior of multi-story reinforced concrete vertically chamfered buildings by using more appropriate shear walls form and arrangement in 7-, 10-, 12-, and 15-story buildings. The considered forms and arrangements include common rectangular walls and L-, T-, U- and Z-shaped plan, located as the core or in the outer frames of the building structure. Comparison of seismic behaviors of the buildings, including maximum roof displacement, and particularly the formation of plastic hinges and their distribution in the buildings’ structures, have been done based on the results of a series of nonlinear time history analyses by using a set of selected earthquake records. Results show that shear walls with U-shaped cross-section, placed as the building central core, and also walls with Z-shaped cross-section, placed at the corners give the building more reliable seismic behavior.

Keywords: vertically chamfered buildings, non-linear time history analyses, l-, t-, u- and z-shaped plan walls

Procedia PDF Downloads 258

Authors: A. Banerjee, C. Grazon, B. Nadal, T. Pons, Y. Krishnan, B. Dubertret

Abstract:

Quantum Dots (QDs) have emerged as novel fluorescent probes for biomedical applications. The photophysical properties of QDs such as broad absorption, narrow emission spectrum, reduced blinking, and enhanced photostability make them advantageous over organic fluorophores. However, for some biological applications, QDs need to be first targeted to specific intracellular locations. It parallel, base pairing properties and biocompatibility of DNA has been extensively used for biosensing, targetting and intracellular delivery of numerous bioactive agents. The combination of the photophysical properties of QDs and targettability of DNA has yielded fluorescent, stable and targetable nanosensors. QD-DNA conjugates have used in drug delivery, siRNA, intracellular pH sensing and several other applications; and continue to be an active area of research. In this project, a novel method to synthesise QD-DNA conjugates and their applications in bioimaging are investigated. QDs are first solubilized in water using a thiol based amphiphilic co-polymer and, then conjugated to amine functionalized DNA using a heterobifunctional linker. The conjugates are purified by size exclusion chromatography and characterized by UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, electrophoresis and microscopy. Parameters that influence the conjugation yield such as reducing agents, the excess of salt and pH have been investigated in detail. In optimized reaction conditions, up to 12 single-stranded DNA (15 mer length) can be conjugated per QD. After conjugation, the QDs retain their colloidal stability and high quantum yield; and the DNA is available for hybridization. The reaction has also been successfully tested on QDs emitting different colors and on Gold nanoparticles and therefore highly generalizable. After extensive characterization and robust synthesis of QD-DNA conjugates in vitro, the physical properties of these conjugates in cellular milieu are being invistigated. Modification of QD surface with DNA appears to remarkably alter the fate of QD inside cells and can have potential implications in therapeutic applications.

Keywords: bioimaging, cellular targeting, drug delivery, photostability

Procedia PDF Downloads 422

Authors: Barbara Janari

Abstract:

This paper focuses on temporality in J.M. Coetzee’s first novel, Dusklands, to argue that the novel’s fractured, disjointed temporality is intricately linked to the representations of the war in Vietnam and the colonial project in South Africa. The disrupted temporalities in the novel eschew chronological plots and linear time in favour of narratives that subvert the notion of historical progress to suggest instead the coextensive, multivalent ways in which the past and present interpenetrate one another. The disruption of temporal flow in the novel is evident in its form – the novel comprises two novellas that are juxtaposed, with the first part (‘The Vietnam War’) set centuries before the second part (‘The Narrative of Jacobus Coetzee’). The juxtaposition of the two novellas suggests history’s sometimes overlapping and lateral, rather than linear, movement. The novel’s form is extended in its montage narrative structure, which works to extend its temporal range. The temporal disjunction is reinforced, firstly, by Coetzee’s textual strategies, which include the subversion and critique of realism, parody, repetition, and the narrative technique of montage, and secondly, by the novel’s thematic concerns, which focus on the ways in which American domination can be linked to the colonial quest from earlier times. The complex structure of various strands and levels of authorship slows down the narrative’s temporal flow, requiring the reader to spend a fair amount of time unraveling the various parts of the narrative and relating them to each other. The structure epitomizes reflexive referencing, in which the reader can only make sense of the narrative by going back and forth and connecting various parts of it. The narrative structure also emphasizes the underlying similarities in the brutality that marked these two distinct historical events, epitomized by the drive towards subjection and domination by the novel’s two protagonists, Eugene Dawn and Jacobus Coetzee. The links and overlapping strands between the two novellas emphasize the ways in which the historical truth of colonial discourse becomes as much a myth as the propaganda program in Vietnam.

Keywords: disjunction, juxtaposition, montage, temporality

Procedia PDF Downloads 64

Authors: H. Duggal, G. Singh, G. Singh, A. Bhalla, S. Kumar, J. S. Shahi, D. Mehta

Abstract:

The total differential cross section for scattering of the 5.895 keV photons by various polymers has been measured at scattering angle of 135o. The experimental measurements were carried out using the energy dispersive setup involving annular source of the 55Fe radioisotope and a low energy germanium (LEGe) detector. The cross section values are measured for 20 polymer targets namely, Paraffin Wax, Polytetrafluoro ethylene (PTFE), Cellulose, Silicone oil, Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), Polyvinyl purrolidone (PVP), Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), Kapton, Mylar, Chitosan, Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Bakelite, Carbopol, Chlorobutyl rubber (CBR), Polyetylene glycol (PEG), Polysorbate-20, Nylon-6, Cetyl alcohol, Carboxyl methyl sodium cellulose and Sodium starch glucolate. The measurements were performed in vacuum so as to avoid scattering contribution due to air and strong absorption of low energy photons in the air column. In the present investigations, the geometrical factor and efficiency of the detector were determined by measuring the K x-rays emitted from the 22Ti and 23V targets excited by the Mn K x-rays in the same experimental set up. The measured scattering cross sections have been compared with the sum of theoretically calculated elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections. The theoretical elastic (Rayleigh) scattering cross sections based on the various form factor approximations, namely, non-relativistic form factor (NF), relativistic form factor (RF), modified form factor (MF), and MF with anomalous scattering factor (ASF) as well as the second order S-matrix formalisms, and the inelastic scattering differential cross sections based on the Klein-Nishina formula after including the inelastic scattering function (KN+ISF) have been calculated. The experimental results show fairly good agreement with theoretical cross sections.

Keywords: photon, polymers, elastic and inelastic, scattering cross sections

Procedia PDF Downloads 690

Authors: Kobus-Cisowska Joanna, Flaczyk Ewa, Gramza-Michalowska Anna, Kmiecik Dominik, Przeor Monika, Marcinkowska Agata, Korczak Józef

Abstract:

Cereal products, including mainly bread is a staple food known from the beginning of history throughout the world. It is now believed that there is no replacement of the basic food. Bread, due to the high content of starch is the energy source for the proper functioning of our body. It also contains proteins, fats, vitamins, especially of the B group and vitamin E, a number of minerals, and fiber. The aim of the study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of new developed bread premixes with mulberry fruits for people with anemia, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. From the finished product-bread, aqueous and methanol extracts was prepared, which in next step were analyzed to assess the activity of the radical DPPH test, ABTS, chelating activity, the ability to reduce metals. Extracts were prepared from bread were acquired with premixes directly after production and stored for three months. The resulting trial breads effect by different mechanisms of antioxidant. They showed the ability to scavenge radicals ABTS and DPPH and chelating activity. Methanol extracts showed significantly greater antioxidant activity in comparison with aqueous extracts, and the largest effect was estimated for sample of bread for anemia, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The greatest ability to scavenging ABTS radicals showed breads for anemia, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, while smaller for anemia and control sample. It was shown that the methanol extracts of the breads samples showed no ability to chelate iron (II). These properties are observed only in the aqueous extracts. The greatest ability attempt had anemia while the lowest control sample. Financial supported by the UE Project no POIG 01.01.02-00-061/09.

Keywords: morus alba, antioxidant activity, free radicals, polyphenols

Procedia PDF Downloads 311

Authors: Nimot Opeyemi Wahab

Abstract:

Poor nutritional status during adolescence is a reflection of inadequate intake of nutrients. This can also be associated with a lack of consumption of diverse food. This study assessed the nutritional status and dietary diversity score (DDS) of in-school adolescents in Ibadan North, North East, and Ibadan South West Local Government Areas (LGA) of Oyo State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study involving 3,510 in-school adolescents from the three LGA was conducted. Nutrient intake was measured using a validated 24-hour dietary recall, and the anthropometric measurement was also taken. Dietary diversity score (DDS) was assessed using the Individual Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS) of nine food groups. Participants were between 10-19years, and the mean age was 14.76±1.68, 15.32±1.77, and 15.45±1.62 in Ibadan North, Ibadan North East, and Ibadan South West, respectively. About 48% of the participants were male (47.9%), while 52.1% were female. BMI-for-age showed that 92.1%, 5.4%, 2.1%, and 0.4% of the participants were normal, underweight, overweight, and obese, respectively. The mean energy intake (143.193±695.98) of the female respondents was more than that of the male respondents (1406.86±767.41). The macronutrients intake (protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fats) of the female participants was also found to be more than that of the male participants, with a non-significant difference of 0.336, 0.530, 0.234, and 0.069 (at p< 0.05). Out of all the vitamin intake, only vitamin C was found to be statistically different (p=0.038) at p<0.05 between the male and female respondents. Of all the mineral intake, only phosphorus showed a higher intake (575.20±362.12) among female respondents than the male respondents. The mean DDS of all participants was 4.59±0.939. The majority of the participants, 1183 (80.9%), were within the medium DDS category, 9.9% were low, while 1.5% were in the high category: of which males were 474 (71.5%) and females were 709 (88.6%). Participants from Ibadan North were 941(88.5%), and those from South West were 242(60.5%). A non-significant difference in the mean score of participants from the two locations (p=0.467) was also found. A negative correlation exists between DDS and BMI-for age (-0.11), DDS, and energy intake (-0.46) in Ibadan North and South West LGA. The nutritional status of in-school adolescents was normal, and DDS was within the medium category. Nutrition intervention regarding the consumption of diverse food is necessary among adolescents.

Keywords: nutritional status, dietary diversity, adolescents, nutrient intake

Procedia PDF Downloads 76

Authors: Sandrine Cardinal, Jean-Marc Pelletier, Guang Xie, Florian Mercier, Florent Delmas

Abstract:

Bulk metallic glasses exhibit several superior properties, compared to their corresponding crystalline counterpart, such as high strength, high elastic limit or good corrosion resistance. Therefore they can be considered as good candidates for structural applications in many sectors. However, they are generally brittle and do not exhibit plastic deformation at room temperature. These materials are mainly obtained by rapid cooling from a liquid state to prevent crystallization, which limits their size. To overcome these two drawbacks: fragility and limited dimensions, composite metallic glass matrix reinforced by a second phase whose role is to slow crack growth are developed. Concerning the limited size of the pieces, the proposed solution is to get the material from amorphous powders by densifying under load. In this study, Cu50Zr45Al5 bulk metallic glassy matrix composites (MGMCs) containing different volume fraction (Vf) of Zr crystalline particles were manufactured by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Microstructure, thermal stability and mechanical properties of the MGMCs were investigated. Matrix of the composites remains a fully amorphous phase after consolidation at 420°C under 600 MPa. A good dispersion of the particles in the glassy matrix is obtained. Results show that the compressive strength decreases with Vf : 1670 MPa (Vf=0%) to 1300MPa (Vf=30%), the elastic modulus decreases but only slighty respectively 97.3GPa and 94.5 GPa and plasticity is improved from 0 to 4%. Fractographic investigation indicates a good bonding between amorphous and crystalline particles. In conclusion, present study has demonstrated that SPS method is useful for the synthesis of the bulk glassy composites. Large controlled microstructure specimens with interesting ductility can be obtained compared with others methods.

Keywords: composite, mechanical properties, metallic glasses, spark plasma sintering

Procedia PDF Downloads 280

Authors: Debajyoti Bose

Abstract:

Chitosan has received much attention as a functional biopolymer for diverse applications, especially in pharmaceutics and medicine. Chitosan is a positively charged natural biodegradable and biocompatible polymer. It is a linear polysaccharide consisting of β-1,4 linked monomers of glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine. Chitosan can be mainly obtained from fungal sources during large fermentation process. In this study,three different fungal strains Aspergillus niger NCIM 1045, Aspergillus oryzae NCIM 645 and Mucor indicus MTCC 3318 were used for the production of chitosan. The growth mediums were optimized for maximum fungal production. The produced chitosan was characterized by determining degree of deacetylation. Chitosan possesses one reactive amino at the C-2 position of the glucosamine residue, and these amines confer important functional properties to chitosan which can be exploited for biofabrication to generate various chemically modified derivatives and explore their potential for pharmaceutical field. Chitosan nanoparticles were prepared by ionic cross-linking with tripolyphosphate (TPP). The major effect on encapsulation and release of protein (e.g. enzyme diastase) in chitosan-TPP nanoparticles was investigated in order to control the loading and release efficiency. It was noted that the chitosan loading and releasing efficiency as a nanocapsule, obtained from different fungal sources was almost near to initial enzyme activity(12026 U/ml) with a negligible loss. This signify, chitosan can be used as a polymeric drug as well as active component or protein carrier material in dosage by design due to its appealing properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, low toxicity and relatively low production cost from abundant natural sources. Based upon these initial experiments, studies were also carried out on modification of chitosan based nanocapsules incorporated with physiologically important enzymes and nutraceuticals for target delivery.

Keywords: fungi, chitosan, enzyme, nanocapsule

Procedia PDF Downloads 502

Authors: A. Natsir, M. Nadir, S. Syahrir, A. Mujnisa

Abstract:

In tropical countries such as in Indonesia, rice straw plays an important role in fulfilling the needs of feed for ruminant, especially during the dry season in which the availability of forage is very limited. However, the main problem of using rice straw as a feedstuff is low digestibility due to the existence of the links between lignin and cellulose or hemicellulose, and imbalance of its minerals content. One alternative to solve this problem is by application of biodecomposer (BS) derived from rumen bacterial of the ruminant. This study was designed to assess the effects of BS application on the changes of the chemical composition of rice straw. Four adults local buffalo raised under typical feeding conditions were used as a source of inoculum for BS development. The animal was fed for a month with a diet consisted of rice straw and elephant grass before taking rumen fluid samples. Samples of rumen fluid were inoculated in the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) media under anaerobic condition for 48 hours at 37°C. The mixture of CMC media and microbes are ready to be used as a biodecomposer following incubation of the mixture under anaerobic condition for 7 days at 45°C. The effectiveness of BS then assessed by applying the BS on the straw according to completely randomized design consisted of four treatments and three replication. One hundred g of ground coarse rice straw was used as the substrate. The BS was applied to the rice straw substrate with the following composition: Rice straw without BS (P0), rice straw + 5% BS (P1), rice straw +10% BS (P2), and rice straw + 15% BS. The mixture of rice straw and BS then fermented under anaerobic for four weeks. Following the fermentation, the chemical composition of rice straw was evaluated. The results indicated that the crude protein content of rice straw significantly increased (P < 0.05) as the level of BS increased. On the other hand, the concentration of crude fiber of the rice straw was significantly decreased (P < 0.05) as the level of BS increased. Other nutrients such as minerals did not change (P > 0.05) due to the treatments. In conclusion, application of BS developed from rumen bacterial of buffalo has a promising prospect to be used as a biological agent to improve the quality of rice straw as feeding for ruminant.

Keywords: biodecomposer, local buffalo, rumen microbial, chemical composition

Procedia PDF Downloads 208

Authors: S. Zhang, L. Zhang, X. Chen

Abstract:

Due to the large uncertainty on the mechanical properties of FRP (fibre reinforced plastic), the reliability evaluation of FRP structures are currently receiving much attention in industry. However, possible statistical correlation between ply mechanical properties has been so far overlooked, and they are mostly assumed to be independent random variables. In this study, the statistical correlation between ply mechanical properties of uni-directional and plain weave composite is firstly analyzed by a combination of Monte-Carlo simulation and finite element modeling of the FRP unit cell. Large linear correlation coefficients between the in-plane mechanical properties are observed, and the correlation coefficients are heavily dependent on the uncertainty of the fibre volume ratio. It is also observed that the correlation coefficients related to Poisson’s ratio are negative while others are positive. To experimentally achieve the statistical correlation coefficients between in-plane mechanical properties of FRP, all concerned in-plane mechanical properties of the same specimen needs to be known. In-plane shear modulus of FRP is experimentally derived by the approach suggested in the ASTM standard D5379M. Tensile tests are conducted using the same specimens used for the shear test, and due to non-uniform tensile deformation a modification factor is derived by a finite element modeling. Digital image correlation is adopted to characterize the specimen non-uniform deformation. The preliminary experimental results show a good agreement with the numerical analysis on the statistical correlation. Then, failure probability of laminate plates is calculated in cases considering and not considering the statistical correlation, using the Monte-Carlo and Markov Chain Monte-Carlo methods, respectively. The results highlight the importance of accounting for the statistical correlation between ply mechanical properties to achieve accurate failure probability of laminate plates. Furthermore, it is found that for the multi-layer laminate plate, the statistical correlation between the ply elastic properties significantly affects the laminate reliability while the effect of statistical correlation between the ply strength is minimal.

Keywords: failure probability, FRP, reliability, statistical correlation

Procedia PDF Downloads 159

Authors: Emine Aydin, Duygu Gocmen

Abstract:

In this study, pumpkin flours (PFs) were used to replace wheat flour in cookie formulation at three different levels (10%, 20% and 30% w/w). For this purpose PFs produced by two different applications (with or without metabisulfite pre-treatment) and then dried in freeze dryer. Control sample included no PFs. The total phenolic contents of the cookies supplemented with PFs were higher than that of control and gradually increased in total phenolic contents of cookies with increasing PF supplementation levels. Phenolic content makes also significant contribution on nutritional excellence of the developed cookies. Pre-treatment with metabisulfite (MS) had a positive effect on free, bound and total phenolics of cookies which are supplemented with various levels of MS-PF. This is due to a protective effect of metabisulfite pretreatment for phenolic compounds in the pumpkin flour. Phenolic antioxidants may act and absorb in a different way in humans and thus their antioxidant and health effects will be changed accordingly. In the present study phenolics’ bioavailability of cookies was investigated in order to assess PF as sources of accessible phenolics. The content of bioaccessible phenolics and phenolic bioaccessibility of cookies supplemented with PFs had higher than those of control sample. Cookies enriched with 30% MS-PF had the highest bioaccessible phenolics (597.86 mg GAE 100g-1) and phenolic bioaccessibility (41.71%). MS application in PF production caused a significant increase in phenolic bioaccessibility of cookies. According to all assay (ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP and DPPH), antioxidant activities of cookies with PFs higher than that of control cookie. It was also observed that the cookies supplemented with MS-PF had significantly higher antioxidant activities than those of cookies including PF. In presented study, antioxidative bioaccessibilities of cookies were also determined. The cookies with PFs had significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher antioxidative bioaccessibilities than control ones. Increasing PFs levels enhanced antioxidative bioaccessibilities of cookies. As a result, PFs addition improved the nutritional and functional properties of cookie by causing increase in antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, bioaccessible phenolics and phenolic bioaccessibilities.

Keywords: phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, dietary fiber, pumpkin, freeze drying, cookie

Procedia PDF Downloads 258

Authors: Walid Tawfik

Abstract:

The interaction of intense short nano- and picosecond laser pulses with plasma leads to reach variety of important applications, including time-resolved laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), soft x-ray lasers, and laser-driven accelerators. The progress in generating of femtosecond down to sub-10 fs optical pulses has opened a door for scientists with an essential tool in many ultrafast phenomena, such as femto-chemistry, high field physics, and high harmonic generation (HHG). The advent of high-energy laser pulses with durations of few optical cycles provided scientists with very high electric fields, and produce coherent intense UV to NIR radiation with high energy which allows for the investigation of ultrafast molecular dynamics with femtosecond resolution. In this work, we could experimentally achieve the generation of a two-octave-wide supercontinuum ultrafast pulses extending from ultraviolet at 3.5 eV to the near-infrared at 1.3 eV in neon-filled capillary fiber. These pulses are created due to nonlinear self-phase modulation (SPM) in neon as a nonlinear medium. The measurements of the generated pulses were performed using spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction. A full characterization of the output pulses was studied. The output pulse characterization includes the pulse width, the beam profile, and the spectral bandwidth. Under optimization conditions, the reconstructed pulse intensity autocorrelation function was exposed for the shorts possible pulse duration to achieve transform-limited pulses with energies up to 600µJ. Furthermore, the effect of variation of neon pressure on the pulse-width was studied. The nonlinear SPM found to be increased with the neon pressure. The obtained results may give an opportunity to monitor and control ultrafast transit interaction in femtosecond chemistry.

Keywords: femtosecond laser, ultrafast, supercontinuum, ultra-broadband

Procedia PDF Downloads 206

Authors: Giriprasath Ramanathan, Sivakumar Singaravelu, M. D. Raja, Uma Tirichurapalli Sivagnanam

Abstract:

Collagen is the abundant protein found in the skin of the animal body that has been designed to provide adequate structural support for the adhesion of cells. The dressing material widely used for tissue engineering and biomedical application has to posses good swelling and biological property for the absorption of exudates and cell proliferation. Acid solubilised collagen from the fish skin of the Arothron stellatus was extracted. The collagen with hydroxypropyl and carboxy methyl cellulose has the better biological property to enhance the healing efficiency. The inter property of collagen with interesting perspectives in the tissue engineering process leads to the development of biomaterial with natural polymer with biologically derived collagen. Keeping this as an objective, the composite biomaterial was fabricated to improve the wound healing and biological properties. In this study the collagen from Arothron stellatus fish skin (ACO) was uniformly blended separately with hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) and carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) as biosheets. The casted biosheets were impregnated with mupirocin to get rid of infection from the microbes. Further, the results obtained from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile studies and biocompatibility of the biosheets were assessed. The swelling, porosity and degradation of the casted biosheets were studied to make the biosheets as a suitable wound dressing material. ACO-HPMC and ACO-CMC biosheets both showed good results, but ACO-HPMC biosheet showed better results than ACO-CMC and hence it can be used as a potential dermal substitute in skin tissue engineering.

Keywords: arothron stellatus, biocompatibility, collagen, tensile strenght

Procedia PDF Downloads 321

Authors: D. Aydinoglu, N. Karaca, O. Ceylan

Abstract:

Limited water resources on the earth come first among the most alarming issues. In this respect, several solutions from treatment of waste water to water management have been proposed. Recently, use of hydrogels as soil additive, which is one of the water management ways in agriculture, has gained increasing interest. In traditional agriculture applications, water used with irrigation aim, rapidly flows down between the pore structures in soil, without enough useful for soil. To overcome this fact and increase the abovementioned limit values, recently, several natural based hydrogels have been suggested and tested to find out their efficiency in soil. However, most of these researches have dealt with grafting of synthetic acrylate based monomers on natural gelling agents, most probably due to reinforced of the natural gels. These results motivated us to search a natural based hydrogel formulations, not including any synthetic component, and strengthened with montmorillonite clay instead of any grafting polymerization with synthetic monomer and examine their potential in this field, as well as characterize of them. With this purpose, carrageenan-psyllium/ montmorillonite hybrid hydrogels have been successively prepared. Their swelling capacities were determined both in deionized and tap water and were found to be dependent on the carrageenan, psyllium and montmorillonite ratios, as well as the water type. On the other hand, mechanical tests revealed that especially carrageenan and montmorillonite contents have a great effect on gel strength, which is one of the essential features, preventing the gels from cracking resulted in readily outflow of all the water in the gel without beneficial for soil. They found to reach 0.23 MPa. The experiments carried out with soil indicated that hydrogels significantly improved the water uptake capacities and water retention degrees of the soil from 49 g to 85 g per g of soil and from 32 to 67%, respectively, depending on the ingredient ratios. Also, biodegradation tests demonstrated that all the hydrogels undergo biodegradation, as expected from their natural origin. The overall results suggested that these hybrid hydrogels have a potential for use as soil additive and can be safely used owing to their totally natural structure.

Keywords: carrageenan, hydrogel, montmorillonite, psyllium

Procedia PDF Downloads 115

Authors: R. S. Komartin, B. Balanuca, R. Stan

Abstract:

the last decades, studies about the use of polymeric materials of plant origin, considering environmental concerns, have captured the interest of researchers because these represent an alternative to petroleum-derived materials. Vegetable oils are one of the preferred alternatives for petroleum-based raw materials having long aliphatic chains similar to hydrocarbons which means that can be processed using conventional chemistry. Epoxidized vegetable oils (EVO) are among the most interesting products derived from oil both for their high reactivity (epoxy group) and for the potential to react with compounds from various classes. As in the case of epoxy resins starting from petrochemical raw materials, those obtained from EVO can be crosslinked with different agents to build polymeric networks and can also be reinforced with various additives to improve their thermal and mechanical performances. Among the multitude of known EVO, the most common in industrial practice are epoxidized linseed oils (ELO) and epoxidized soybean oils (ESO), the first with an iodine index over 180, the second having a lower iodine index but being cheaper. On the other hand, lignin (Ln) is the second natural organic material as a spread, whose use has long been hampered because of the high costs associated with its isolation and purification. In this context, our goal was to obtain new composite materials with satisfactory intermediate properties in terms of stiffness and elasticity using the characteristics of ELO and Ln and choosing the proper curing procedure. In the present study linseed oil (LO) epoxidation was performed using peracetic acid generated in situ. The obtained bio-based epoxy resin derived from linseed oil was used further to produce the new composites byloading Ln in various mass ratios. The resulted ELO-Ln blends were subjected to a dual-curing protocol, namely photochemical and thermal. The new ELO-Ln composites were investigated by FTIR spectrometry, thermal stability, water affinity, and morphology. The positive effect of lignin regarding the thermal stability of the composites could be proved. The results highlight again the still largely unexplored potential of lignin in industrial applications.

Keywords: composite materials, dual curing, epoxidized linseed oil, lignin

Procedia PDF Downloads 156

Authors: Emily Rabe, Stephanie Candelaria, Rachel Malone, Olivia Lenz, Greg Newbloom

Abstract:

Electrodialysis (ED) is a well-developed technology for ion removal in a variety of applications. However, many industries generate harsh wastewater streams that are incompatible with traditional ion exchange membranes. Membrion® has developed novel ceramic-based ion exchange membranes (IEMs) offering several advantages over traditional polymer membranes: high performance in low pH, chemical resistance to oxidizers, and a rigid structure that minimizes swelling. These membranes are synthesized with our patented silane-based sol-gel techniques. The pore size, shape, and network structure are engineered through a molecular self-assembly process where thermodynamic driving forces are used to direct where and how pores form. Either cationic or anionic groups can be added within the membrane nanopore structure to create cation- and anion-exchange membranes. The ceramic IEMs are produced on a roll-to-roll manufacturing line with low-temperature processing. Membrane performance testing is conducted using in-house permselectivity, area-specific resistance, and ED stack testing setups. Ceramic-based IEMs show comparable performance to traditional IEMs and offer some unique advantages. Long exposure to highly acidic solutions has a negligible impact on ED performance. Additionally, we have observed stable performance in the presence of strong oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide. This stability is expected, as the ceramic backbone of these materials is already in a fully oxidized state. This data suggests ceramic membranes, made using sol-gel chemistry, could be an ideal solution for acidic and/or oxidizing wastewater streams from processes such as semiconductor manufacturing and mining.

Keywords: ion exchange, membrane, silane chemistry, nanostructure, wastewater

Procedia PDF Downloads 86

Authors: Fils Olivier Kamanzi

Abstract:

This research Paper shows that materials CFRP were used to rehabilitate 9 Beams and retrofitting of 9 Beams with size (125x250x2300) mm each for M50 grade of concrete with 20% of Volume of Cement replaced by GGBS as a mineral Admixture. Superplasticizer (ForscoConplast SP430) used to reduce the water-cement ratio and maintaining good workability of fresh concrete (Slump test 57mm). Concrete Mix ratio 1:1.56:2.66 with a water-cement ratio of 0.31(ACI codebooks). A sample of 6cubes sized (150X150X150) mm, 6cylinders sized (150ФX300H) mm and 6Prisms sized (100X100X500) mm were cast, cured, and tested for 7,14&28days by compressive, tensile and flexure test; finally, mix design reaches the compressive strength of 59.84N/mm2. 21 Beams were cast and cured for up to 28 days, 3Beams were tested by a two-point loading machine as Control beams. 9 Beams were distressed in flexure by adopting failure up to final Yielding point under two-point loading conditions by taking 90% off Ultimate load. Three sets, each composed of three distressed beams, were rehabilitated by using CFRP sheets, one, two & three layers, respectively, and after being retested up to failure mode. Another three sets were freshly retrofitted also by using CFRP sheets one, two & three layers, respectively, and being tested by a two-point load method of compression strength testing machine. The aim of this study is to determine the flexural Strength & behaviors of repaired and retrofitted Beams by CFRP sheets for gaining good strength and considering economic aspects. The results show that rehabilitated beams increase its strength 47 %, 78 % & 89 %, respectively, to thickness of CFRP sheets and 41%, 51 %& 68 %, respectively too, for retrofitted Beams. The conclusion is that three layers of CFRP sheets are the best applicable in repairing and retrofitting the bonded beams method.

Keywords: retrofitting, rehabilitation, cfrp, rcc beam, flexural strength and behaviors, ggbs, and epoxy resin

Procedia PDF Downloads 108

Authors: Abhay Asthana, Shally Toshkhani, Gyati Shilakari

Abstract:

The present research was aimed to develop a biodegradable dermal patch formulation for wound healing in a novel, sustained and systematic manner. The goal is to reduce the frequency of dressings with improved drug delivery and thereby enhance therapeutic performance. In present study optimized formulation was designed using component polymers and excipients (e.g. Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, Ethylcellulose, and Gelatin) to impart significant folding endurance, elasticity and strength. Gelatin was used to get a mixture using ethylene glycol. Chitosan dissolved in suitable medium was mixed with stirring to gelatin mixture. With continued stirring to the mixture Curcumin was added in optimized ratio to get homogeneous dispersion. Polymers were dispersed with stirring in final formulation. The mixture was sonicated casted to get the film form. All steps were carried out under under strict aseptic conditions. The final formulation was a thin uniformly smooth textured film with dark brown-yellow color. The film was found to have folding endurance was around 20 to 21 times without a crack in an optimized formulation at RT (23C). The drug content was in range 96 to 102% and it passed the content uniform test. The final moisture content of the optimized formulation film was NMT 9.0%. The films passed stability study conducted at refrigerated conditions (4±0.2C) and at room temperature (23 ± 2C) for 30 days. Further, the drug content and texture remained undisturbed with stability study conducted at RT 23±2C for 45 and 90 days. Percentage cumulative drug release was found to be 80% in 12 h and matched the biodegradation rate as drug release with correlation factor R2 > 0.9. The film based formulation developed shows promising results in terms of stability and release profiles.

Keywords: biodegradable, patch, bioactive, polymer

Procedia PDF Downloads 516

Authors: Farhat Imtiaz, Umar Farooq

Abstract:

In this work, we developed a computational model to predict ply level failure in impacted composite laminates. Data obtained from physical testing from flat and round nose impacts of 8-, 16-, 24-ply laminates were considered. Routine inspections of the tested laminates were carried out to approximate ply by ply inflicted damage incurred. Plots consisting of load–time, load–deflection, and energy–time history were drawn to approximate the inflicted damages. Impact test generated unwanted data logged due to restrictions on testing and logging systems were also filtered. Conventional filters (built-in, statistical, and numerical) reliably predicted load thresholds for relatively thin laminates such as eight and sixteen ply panels. However, for relatively thick laminates such as twenty-four ply laminates impacted by flat nose impact generated clipped data which can just be de-noised using oscillatory algorithms. The literature search reveals that modern oscillatory data filtering and extrapolation algorithms have scarcely been utilized. This investigation reports applications of filtering and extrapolation of the clipped data utilising fast Fourier Convolution algorithm to predict load thresholds. Some of the results were related to the impact-induced damage areas identified with Ultrasonic C-scans and found to be in acceptable agreement. Based on consistent findings, utilizing of modern data filtering and extrapolation algorithms to data logged by the existing machines has efficiently enhanced data interpretations without resorting to extra resources. The algorithms could be useful for impact-induced damage approximations of similar cases.

Keywords: fibre reinforced laminates, fast Fourier algorithms, mechanical testing, data filtering and extrapolation

Procedia PDF Downloads 135

Authors: Nusaiba Al-Nemrawi, Belal Al-Husein

Abstract:

Methotrexate (MTX) is a stoichiometric inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase, which is essential for DNA synthesis. MTX is a chemotherapeutic agent used for treating many types of cancer cells. However, cells’ resistant to MTX is very common and its pharmacokinetic behavior is highly problematic. of MTX within tumor cells, we propose encapsulation of antitumor drugs in nanoparticulated systems. Chitosan (CS) is a naturally occurring polymer that is biocompatibe, biodegradable, non-toxic, cationic and bioadhesive. CS nanoparticles (CS-NPs) have been used as drug carrier for targeted delivery. Titanium dioxide (TiO2), a natural mineral oxide, which is used in biomaterials due to its high stability and antimicrobial and anticorrosive properties. TiO2 showed a potential as a tumor suppressor. In this study a new formulation of MTX loaded in CS NPs (CS-MTX NPs) and coated with Titanium oxide (TiO2) was prepared. The mean particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index were measured. The interaction between CS NPs and TiO2 NPs was confirmed using FTIR and XRD. CS-MTX NPs was studied in vitro using the tumor cell line MCF-7 (human breast cancer). The results showed that CS-MTX has a size around 169 nm and as they were coated with TiO2, the size ranged between and depending on the ratio of CS-MTX to TiO2 ratio used in the preparation. All NPs (uncoated and coated carried positive charges and were monodispersed. The entrapment efficacy was around 65%. Both FTIR and XRD proved that TiO2 interacted with CS-MTX NPs. The drug invitro release was controlled and sustained over days. Finally, the studied in vitro using the tumor cell line MCF-7 suggested that combining nanomaterials with anticancer drugs CS-MTX NPs may be more effective than free MTX for cancer treatment. In conclusion, the combination of CS-MTX NPs and TiO2 NPs showed excellent time-dependent in vitro antitumor behavior, therefore, can be employed as a promising anticancer agent to attain efficient results towards MCF-7 cells.

Keywords: Methotrexate, Titanium dioxide, Chitosan nanoparticles, cancer

Procedia PDF Downloads 95

Authors: Lori W. Gordon, Karen A. Jones

Abstract:

Today’s high-speed data connectivity depends on a vast global network of infrastructure across space, air, land, and sea, with undersea cable infrastructure (UCI) serving as the primary means for intercontinental and ‘long-haul’ communications. The UCI landscape is changing and includes an increasing variety of state actors, such as the growing economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Non-state commercial actors, such as hyper-scale content providers including Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon, are also seeking to control their data and networks through significant investments in submarine cables. Active investments by both state and non-state actors will invariably influence the growth, geopolitics, and security of this sector. Beyond these hyper-scale content providers, there are new commercial satellite communication providers. These new players include traditional geosynchronous (GEO) satellites that offer broad coverage, high throughput GEO satellites offering high capacity with spot beam technology, low earth orbit (LEO) ‘mega constellations’ – global broadband services. And potential new entrants such as High Altitude Platforms (HAPS) offer low latency connectivity, LEO constellations offer high-speed optical mesh networks, i.e., ‘fiber in the sky.’ This paper focuses on understanding the role of submarine cables within the larger context of the global data commons, spanning space, terrestrial, air, and sea networks, including an analysis of national security policy and geopolitical implications. As network operators and commercial and government stakeholders plan for emerging technologies and architectures, hedging risks for future connectivity will ensure that our data backbone will be secure for years to come.

Keywords: communications, global, infrastructure, technology

Procedia PDF Downloads 87

Authors: Daya Rani

Abstract:

Non-metal-based compounds have emerged as promising electrodes in recent years to replace scarce and expensive transition-metals for energy storage applications. Herein, a simple electro-spinning technique followed by carbonization is used to create tetraphosphorus triselenide(P4Se3)nano-flakes encapsulated in carbon nanofiber (P4Se3@CNF) to obtain a binder-free, metal-free and flexible hybrid electrode with high electrical conductivity and cyclic stability. A remarkable capacitive performance (5.5-folds@P4Se3) of 810Fg-1/[email protected] has been obtained using P4Se3@CNF electrode with an excellent rate capability compared to pristine(P4Se3) which is further supported by theoretical calculations via intercalating graphene within bare P4Se3 flakes inducing partial charge redistribution in hetero-structure. A flexible pouch-type hybrid-supercapacitor followed by coin-cell has been manufactured offering exceptional energy-density without sacrificing power density and ultra-long durability over 35000 and 100000-cycles with capacitance-retention of 99.77% and 100%, respectively. It has been demonstrated that as-fabricated device has practical usefulness towards renewable energy harvesting and storage via integrating commercial solar cell module with supercapattery array that can enlighten the blue LED approximately for 31minutes, rotate the homemade windmill device, power Arduino and glow “INST” against 2minutes of charging. This work demonstrates a facile route towards the development of metal-free electrochemical renewable energy storage/transfer devices offering an inevitable adoption in industrial platforms.

Keywords: metal free, carbon nano-fiber, pouch-type hybrid super-capacitor, nano-flakes

Procedia PDF Downloads 22

Authors: Tarali Kalita, Karabi Dutta

Abstract:

The North Eastern Region of India, with diverse climatic conditions and a wide range of ecological habitats, makes an ideal natural abode for a good number of silk-producing insects. Cocoon is the economically important life stage from where silk of economic importance is obtained. In recent years, silk-based biomaterials have gained considerable attention, which is dependent on the structure and properties of the silkworm cocoons as well as silk yarn. The present investigation deals with the morphological study of cocoons, including cocoon color, cocoon size, shell weight and shell ratio of eleven different species of silk insects collected from different regions of North East India. The Scanning Electron Microscopic study and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were performed to know the arrangement of silk threads in cocoons and the atomic elemental analysis, respectively. Further, collected cocoons were degummed and reeled/spun on a reeling machine or spinning wheel to know the filament length, linear density and tensile strength by using Universal Testing Machine. The study showed significant variation in terms of cocoon color, cocoon shape, cocoon weight and filament packaging. XPS analysis revealed the presence of elements (Mass %) C, N, O, Si and Ca in varying amounts. The wild cocoons showed the presence of Calcium oxalate crystals which makes the cocoons hard and needs further treatment to reel. In the present investigation, the highest percentage of strain (%) and toughness (g/den) were observed in Antheraea assamensis, which implies that the muga silk is a more compact packing of molecules. It is expected that this study will be the basis for further biomimetic studies to design and manufacture artificial fiber composites with novel morphologies and associated material properties.

Keywords: cocoon characterization, north-east India, prospects, silk characterization

Procedia PDF Downloads 90

Authors: Parvaneh Eskandari, Rachel O'Reilly

Abstract:

In the last years, controlling the self-assembly behavior of stimuli-responsive nano-objects, including micelles, vesicles, worm-like, etc., at different conditions is considered a pertinent challenge in the polymer community. The aim of the project was to synthesize aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active stimuli-responsive polymeric nano-objects to control the self-assemblies morphologies of the prepared nano-objects. Two types of nanoobjects, micelle and vesicles, including PDMAEMA-b-P(BzMA-TPEMA) [PDMAEMA: poly(N,Ndimethylaminoethyl methacrylate); P(BzMA-TPEMA): poly[benzyl methacrylate-co- tetraphenylethene methacrylate]] were synthesized by using reversible addition−fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT)- mediated polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA), which combines polymerization and self-assembly in a single step. Transmission electron microscope and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis were used to confirm the formed self-assemblies morphologies. The controlled self-assemblies were applied as nitrophenolic compounds (NPCs) adsorbents from wastewater, thanks to their CO2-responsive part, PDMAEMA. Moreover, the fluorescence-active part of the prepared nano-objects, P(BzMA-TPEMA), played a key role in the detection of the NPCs at the aqueous solution. The optical properties of the prepared nano-objects were studied by UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopies. For responsivity investigations, the hydrodynamic diameter and Zeta-potential (ζ-potential) of the sample's aqueous solution were measured by DLS. In the end, the prepared nano-objects were used for the detection and adsorption of different NPCs.

Keywords: aggregation-induced emission polymers, stimuli-responsive polymers, reversible addition−fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization, polymerization-induced self-assembly, wastewater treatment

Procedia PDF Downloads 73

Authors: Katarzyna Socha, Konrad Mielcarek, Grzegorz Kangowski, Renata Markiewicz-Zukowska, Anna Puscion-Jakubik, Jolanta Soroczynska, Maria H. Borawska

Abstract:

Nuts have high nutritional value. They are a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, dietary fiber, vitamins (B₁, B₆, E, K) and minerals: magnesium, selenium, zinc (Zn). Zn is an essential element for proper functioning and development of human organism. Due to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, Zn has an influence on immunological and central nervous system. It also affects proper functioning of reproductive organs and has beneficial impact on the condition of skin, hair, and nails. The objective of this study was estimation of Zn content in edible nuts. The research material consisted of 10 types of nuts, 12 samples of each type: almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts. The samples of nuts were digested in concentrated nitric acid using microwave mineralizer (Berghof, Germany). The concentration of Zn was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry method with Zeeman background correction (Hitachi, Japan). The accuracy of the method was verified on certified reference material: Simulated Diet D. The statistical analysis was performed using Statistica v. 13.0 software. For comparison between the groups, t-Student test was used. The highest content of Zn was shown in pine nuts and cashews: 78.57 ± 21.9, 70.02 ± 10,2 mg/kg, respectively, significantly higher than in other types of nuts. The lowest content of Zn was found in macadamia nuts: 16.25 ± 4.1 mg/kg. The consumption of a standard 42-gram portion of almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, peanuts, pecans, and pine nuts covers the daily requirement for Zn above 15% of recommended daily allowances (RDA) for women, while in the case of men consumption all of the above types of nuts, except peanuts. Selected types of nuts can be a good source of Zn in the diet.

Keywords: atomic absorption spectrometry, microelement, nuts, zinc

Procedia PDF Downloads 195

Authors: Hasika Mith, Hassany Ly, Hengsim Phoung, Rathana Sovann, Pichmony Ek, Sokuntheary Theng

Abstract:

Rice is one of the most important crops used in the production of ready-to-cook (RTC) products such as rice vermicelli, noodles, rice paper, Banh Kanh, wine, snacks, and desserts. Meanwhile, extrusion is the most creative food processing method used for developing products with improved nutritional, functional, and sensory properties. This method authorizes process control such as mixing, cooking, and product shaping. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to produce rice vermicelli using a twin screw extruder, and the cooking properties of extruded rice vermicelli were investigated. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with Box-Behnken design was applied to optimize extrusion conditions in order to achieve the most desirable product characteristics. The feed moisture rate (30–35%), the barrel temperature (90–110°C), and the screw speed (200–400 rpm) all play a big role and have a significant impact on the water absorption index (WAI), cooking yield (CY), and cooking loss (CL) of extrudate rice vermicelli. Results showed that the WAI of the final extruded rice vermicelli ranged between 216.97% and 571.90%. The CY ranged from 147.94 to 203.19%, while the CL ranged from 8.55 to 25.54%. The findings indicated that at a low screw speed or low temperature, there are likely to be more unbroken polymer chains and more hydrophilic groups, which can bind more water and make WAI values higher. The extruded rice vermicelli's cooking yield value had altered considerably after processing under various conditions, proving that the screw speed had little effect on each extruded rice vermicelli's CY. The increase in barrel temperature tended to increase cooking yield and reduce cooking loss. In conclusion, the extrusion processing by a twin-screw extruder had a significant effect on the cooking quality of the rice vermicelli extrudate.

Keywords: cooking loss, cooking quality, cooking yield, extruded rice vermicelli, twin-screw extruder, water absorption index

Procedia PDF Downloads 83