Changes in breaded chicken and oil degradation during discontinuous frying with cottonseed oil

Discontinuous frying of breaded chicken in cottonseed oil was evaluated. Three 400 g batches of foodstuff were fried daily in a 28 L fryer at 182 °C for 4.5 minutes for 7-8 days, and the experiment was repeated three times. The total polar compounds in the oil were determined by the conventional method. Changes in the oil were determined by the quick tests Testo 265, Viscofrit and Fri-check based on physical constants, and the results were compared with those of total polar compounds obtained by the conventional method. The free fatty acids, conjugated dienes, Lovibond color, oxidative stability, fatty acid composition, and polymeric compounds were also determined. During frying, the oil samples presented 6.0-39.2% total polar compounds, 0.0-12.9% polymerized triacylglycerols, 1.3-14.5% oxidized triacylglycerols, 2.8-11.0% diacylglycerols, and 1.6-2.6% fatty acids and unsaponifiable polar compounds. The breaded chicken samples lost moisture, absorbed oil up to approximately 6%, and there were small changes in the fatty acid composition and low formation of trans-isomers. The best method for monitoring and discarding the oil was that used for the determination of total polar compounds.

Changes in physical properties of extruded sour cassava starch and quinoa flour blend snacks

Given the broad acceptance of sour cassava starch biscuits in Brazil and the nutritional quality of quinoa flour, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of extrusion temperature, screw speed, moisture, and amount of quinoa flour on the physical properties of puffed snacks. Extrusion process was carried out using a single-screw extruder in a factorial central composite design with four factors. Effects of moisture and amount of quinoa flour on the expansion index and specific volume of snacks were observed. There was a pronounced increase in water solubility index of blends with the extrusion process with significant effects of all process parameters on the WSI. Higher water absorption index (WAI) was observed under high temperature, low moisture, and lower quinoa flour amount. Temperature and amount of quinoa flour influenced the color of the snacks. A positive quadratic effect of quinoa flour on hardness of products was observed. Blends of sour cassava starch and quinoa flour have good potential for use as raw material in production of extruded snacks with good physical properties.

Changes in the physicochemical and microbiological properties of frozen araça pulp during storage

Araça belongs to the Myrtaceae family and is popularly known as araçá-comum, araçá-azedo, or araçá-do-campo. Frozen fruit pulp is of great importance for the food industry, which can produce it at the time of harvest, store it, and use it according to the demand of the consumer market and/or as an ingredient in the formulation of products such as yogurt, candies, and ice creams among others. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physical, chemical, and microbiological stability of frozen araça pulp during 12 months of frozen storage. It was observed that the levels of moisture (90.55-88.75%), ash (0.34-0.26%) total soluble sugars (7.11-6.62%), sucrose (3.55-1.39%), soluble pectin (0.24-0.23%), total pectin (0.5-0.46%), pH (3.82-2.31%), organic acids (698.12-122.25 µg.g-1 citric acid), and phenolic compounds (6.22-0.00 mg GAE.100 g-1) decreased during storage, whereas the levels of protein (0.61-0.83%), lipids (0.14-0.38%), total carbohydrates (8.36-9.78%), calorific value (37.14-45.86 kcal.100 g-1), reducing sugars (3.51-5.21%), soluble solids (5.17-6.0%), total antioxidant capacity (6.89-35.13%), and color parameters (L*49.75-50.67; a*0.79-1.82 and b*22.5-25.19) increased over the one-year storage period. According to the chemical and microbiological parameters assessed, the product can be stored for 12 months without loss of quality with addition of citric acid as a preservative.

Antioxidant activities of kombucha prepared from three different substrates and changes in content of probiotics during storage

Kombucha is a health-promoting fermented beverage worldwide. The present study compared the free-radical scavenging abilities and total reducing power (TRP) of kombucha prepared from low-cost green tea (LGTK), black tea (BTK), and tea powder (TPK). LGTK had the highest scavenging abilities against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals, while BTK showed the highest TRP. Changes in content of probiotics in LGTK were investigated during storage as well. The number of acetic acid bacteria decreased moderately up to 10 days of storage. The number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) decreased significantly, and their survival rate was only 0.98% at the 8th day of storage.

Early changes in serum albumin: impact on 2-year mortality in incident hemodialysis patients

AbstractIntroduction/objective:We evaluated the predictability of early changes in serum albumin (sAlb) on the two-year mortality of incident hemodialysis patients.Methods:Observational, longitudinal retrospective study using the database of Fresenius Medical Care of Latin America. Adult patients starting dialysis from January/2000 to June/2004, from 25 centers were included. Changes in sAlb during the first 3 months on hemodialysis were used as the main predictor. The outcome was death from any cause.Results:1,679 incident patients were included. They were 52 ± 15 years old, 58.7% male and 21.5% diabetic, with a median sAlb of 38 g/L (bromocresol green). 923 patients had sAlb < 38 g/L (Low sAlb Group) and 756 ones had sAlb > 38.0 g/L (Adequate sAlb Group). The mortality was significantly higher in Low sAlb Group (17% vs. 11%, p < 0.001). Early changes in sAlb significantly affected two-year mortality. Factoring the Kaplan Meier curve of Low sAlb Group by the presence of an increase in sAlb uncovered of a statistically significant difference in mortality favoring the ones whose sAlb went up (19% vs. 15%, p = 0.043). Differently, patients from Adequate sAlb Group with a decrease in their sAlb had a statistically higher mortality rate (13% vs. 8%, p = 0.029).Conclusions:Early sAlb changes showed a significant predictive power on mortality at 2 years in incident hemodialysis patients. Those with low initial sAlb may have a better prognosis if their sAlb rises. In contrast, patients with satisfactory initial levels can have a worsening of their prognosis in the case of an early reduction in sAlb.

Modelling of changes in electricity end-use and their impacts on electricity distribution

The electricity distribution sector will face significant changes in the future. Increasing reliability demands will call for major network investments. At the same time, electricity end-use is undergoing profound changes. The changes include future energy technologies and other advances in the field. New technologies such as microgeneration and electric vehicles will have different kinds of impacts on electricity distribution network loads. In addition, smart metering provides more accurate electricity consumption data and opportunities to develop sophisticated load modelling and forecasting approaches. Thus, there are both demands and opportunities to develop a new type of long-term forecasting methodology for electricity distribution. The work concentrates on the technical and economic perspectives of electricity distribution. The doctoral dissertation proposes a methodology to forecast electricity consumption in the distribution networks. The forecasting process consists of a spatial analysis, clustering, end-use modelling, scenarios and simulation methods, and the load forecasts are based on the application of automatic meter reading (AMR) data. The developed long-term forecasting process produces power-based load forecasts. By applying these results, it is possible to forecast the impacts of changes on electrical energy in the network, and further, on the distribution system operator’s revenue. These results are applicable to distribution network and business planning. This doctoral dissertation includes a case study, which tests the forecasting process in practice. For the case study, the most prominent future energy technologies are chosen, and their impacts on the electrical energy and power on the network are analysed. The most relevant topics related to changes in the operating environment, namely energy efficiency, microgeneration, electric vehicles, energy storages and demand response, are discussed in more detail. The study shows that changes in electricity end-use may have radical impacts both on electrical energy and power in the distribution networks and on the distribution revenue. These changes will probably pose challenges for distribution system operators. The study suggests solutions for the distribution system operators on how they can prepare for the changing conditions. It is concluded that a new type of load forecasting methodology is needed, because the previous methods are no longer able to produce adequate forecasts.

Chemical changes in biomass during torrefaction

Torrefaction is moderate thermal treatment (~200-300 °C) of biomass in an inert atmosphere. The torrefied fuel offers advantages to traditional biomass, such as higher heating value, reduced hydrophilic nature, increased its resistance to biological decay, and improved grindability. These factors could, for instance, lead to better handling and storage of biomass and increased use of biomass in pulverized combustors. In this work, we look at several aspects of changes in the biomass during torrefaction. We investigate the fate of carboxylic groups during torrefaction and its dependency to equilibrium moisture content. The changes in the wood components including carbohydrates, lignin, extractable materials and ashforming matters are also studied. And at last, the effect of K on torrefaction is investigated and then modeled. In biomass, carboxylic sites are partially responsible for its hydrophilic characteristic. These sites are degraded to varying extents during torrefaction. In this work, methylene blue sorption and potentiometric titration were applied to measure the concentration of carboxylic groups in torrefied spruce wood. The results from both methods were applicable and the values agreed well. A decrease in the equilibrium moisture content at different humidity was also measured for the torrefied wood samples, which is in good agreement with the decrease in carboxylic group contents. Thus, both methods offer a means of directly measuring the decomposition of carboxylic groups in biomass during torrefaction as a valuable parameter in evaluating the extent of torrefaction. This provides new information to the chemical changes occurring during torrefaction. The effect of torrefaction temperature on the chemistry of birch wood was investigated. The samples were from a pilot plant at Energy research Center of the Netherlands (ECN). And in that way they were representative of industrially produced samples. Sugar analysis was applied to analyze the hemicellulose and cellulose content during torrefaction. The results show a significant degradation of hemicellulose already at 240 °C, while cellulose degradation becomes significant above 270 °C torrefaction. Several methods including Klason lignin method, solid state NMR and Py-GC-MS analyses were applied to measure the changes in lignin during torrefaction. The changes in the ratio of phenyl, guaiacyl and syringyl units show that lignin degrades already at 240 °C to a small extent. To investigate the changes in the extractives from acetone extraction during torrefaction, gravimetric method, HP-SEC and GC-FID followed by GC-MS analysis were performed. The content of acetone-extractable material increases already at 240 °C torrefaction through the degradation of carbohydrate and lignin. The molecular weight of the acetone-extractable material decreases with increasing the torrefaction temperature. The formation of some valuable materials like syringaresinol or vanillin is also observed which is important from biorefinery perspective. To investigate the change in the chemical association of ash-forming elements in birch wood during torrefaction, chemical fractionation was performed on the original and torrefied birch samples. These results give a first understanding of the changes in the association of ashforming elements during torrefaction. The most significant changes can be seen in the distribution of calcium, magnesium and manganese, with some change in water solubility seen in potassium. These changes may in part be due to the destruction of carboxylic groups. In addition to some changes in water and acid solubility of phosphorous, a clear decrease in the concentration of both chlorine and sulfur was observed. This would be a significant additional benefit for the combustion of torrefied biomass. Another objective of this work is studying the impact of organically bound K, Na, Ca and Mn on mass loss of biomass during torrefaction. These elements were of interest because they have been shown to be catalytically active in solid fuels during pyrolysis and/or gasification. The biomasses were first acid washed to remove the ash-forming matters and then organic sites were doped with K, Na, Ca or Mn. The results show that K and Na bound to organic sites can significantly increase the mass loss during torrefaction. It is also seen that Mn bound to organic sites increases the mass loss and Ca addition does not influence the mass loss rate on torrefaction. This increase in mass loss during torrefaction with alkali addition is unlike what has been found in the case of pyrolysis where alkali addition resulted in a reduced mass loss. These results are important for the future operation of torrefaction plants, which will likely be designed to handle various biomasses with significantly different contents of K. The results imply that shorter retention times are possible for high K-containing biomasses. The mass loss of spruce wood with different content of K was modeled using a two-step reaction model based on four kinetic rate constants. The results show that it is possible to model the mass loss of spruce wood doped with different levels of K using the same activation energies but different pre-exponential factors for the rate constants. Three of the pre-exponential factors increased linearly with increasing K content, while one of the preexponential factors decreased with increasing K content. Therefore, a new torrefaction model was formulated using the hemicellulose and cellulose content and K content. The new torrefaction model was validated against the mass loss during the torrefaction of aspen, miscanthus, straw and bark. There is good agreement between the model and the experimental data for the other biomasses, except bark. For bark, the mass loss of acetone extractable material is also needed to be taken into account. The new model can describe the kinetics of mass loss during torrefaction of different types of biomass. This is important for considering fuel flexibility in torrefaction plants.

Changes in gene expression during drying and imbibition of desiccation sensitive Magnolia ovata (A. St.-Hil.) spreng. seeds

Seeds of Magnolia ovata were dried to different water contents to assess the viability and transcript abundance of genes related to seed development, cell cycle, cytoskeleton and desiccation tolerance.The expression of development, cell cycle and cytoskeleton relative genes (ABI3, CDC2-like and ACT2) alone could not explain the germination behaviour of M. ovata seeds in relation to drying damage. Irrespective of their initial water content, the seeds performed in the same way during the initial period of germination and the deleterious effects of desiccation only occurred in later stages. Expression of PKABA1, sHSP17.5 and 2-Cys-PRX did not show a relationship with desiccation. However, the expression patterns of PKABA1 and sHSP17.5 suggested the participation of these genes in protective mechanisms during the imbibition of M. ovata seeds.

Changes in canola plant architecture and seed physiological quality in response to different sowing densities

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in canola yield components and seed physiological quality in response to different sowing densities. The study was made in a greenhouse at the REIPESOL Company Technological Center, Madrid - Spain, with the commercial "Toccata" hybrid variety. The initial sowing density was 360,000 plants/ha and the plant population was later thinned down to include treatments of 250 and 180 thousand plants/ha. Harvested seeds were sent to the Seed Technology Center Laboratory (CATES) at the Madrid Polytechnic University (UPM) to evaluate changes in plant architecture and yield components, as well as the seed physiological quality of different plant parts. Results demonstrated that canola plants showed changes in morphology and yield components in response to different sowing densities. The population of 250,000 plants/ha showed the best seed yield demonstrating that maximum yield is directly related to a correct sowing density. The number of pods/plant was the most important component for increased seed yield/plant and seed yield/area. The spatial distribution of canola seeds in the plant and canola sowing density did not affect seed physiological quality.

Internal Changes in International New Ventures During Initial Internationalization: Finnish SMEs Operating in Dynamic High-tech Industries

The purpose of this qualitative research is to study how international new ventures change internally during initial internationalization. Based on the analysis of seven INV firms, a framework illustrating this change process, will be developed. This research will also develop earlier theories, and create a solid combination of existing theories to explain the phenomenon. INV firms internationalize more rapidly and aggressively than traditional MNEs. At the same, external and internal drivers cause changes in INVs culture, resources, capabilities, strategic management, and output decisions inside the company. Organizational learning and resource acquisition through international business networks explain how INVs are able to cope with the dynamic high-technology industry and be able to adapt. Internationalization of INVs proceeds through several phases, which may be gone through rapidly due to the network effects and INVs’ special characteristics. The results of this research revealed that INVs internal change process proceeds through four phases; pre-incorporation phase, product development phase, internationalization and growth phase, and maturation phase. INVs culture, resources, capabilities, strategic management, and outputs change significantly during initial internationalization, and INVs develop from small start-ups into fully established companies.

Charting developmental EEG gamma changes in the auditory modality /

The oscillation of neuronal circuits reflected in the EEG gamma frequency may be fundamental to the perceptual process referred to as binding (the integration of various thoughts and perceptions into a coherent picture). The aim of our study was to expand our knowledge of the developmental course ofEEG gamma in the auditory modality. 2 We investigated EEG 40 Hz gamma band responses (35.2 to 43.0 Hz) using an auditory novelty oddball paradigm alone and with a visual-number-series distracter task in 208 participants as a function of age (7 years to adult) at 9 sites across the sagital and lateral axes (F3, Fz, F4, C3, Cz, C4, P3, Pz, P4). Gamma responses were operationally defined as change in power or a change in phase synchrony level from baseline within two time windows. The evoked gamma response was defined as a significant change from baseline occurring between 0 to 150 ms after stimulus onset; the induced gamma response was measured from 250 to 750 ms after stimulus onset. A significant evoked gamma band response was found when measuring changes in both power and phase synchrony. The increase in both measures was maximal at frontal regions. Decreases in both measures were found when participants were distracted by a secondary task. For neither measure were developmental effects noted. However, evoked gamma power was significantly enhanced with the presentation of a novel stimulus, especially at the right frontal site (F4); frontal evoked gamma phase synchrony also showed enhancement for novel stimuli but only for our two oldest age groups (16-18 year olds and adults). Induced gamma band responses also varied with task-dependent cognitive stimulus properties. In the induced gamma power response in all age groups, target stimuli generated the highest power values at the parietal region, while the novel stimuli were always below baseline. Target stimuli increased induced synchrony in all regions for all participants, but the novel stimulus selectively affected participants dependent on their age and gender. Adult participants, for example, exhibited a reduction in gamma power, but an increase in synchrony to the novel stimulus within the same region. Induced gamma synchrony was more sensitive to the gender of the participant than was induced gamma power. While induced gamma power produced little effects of age, gamma synchrony did have age effects. These results confirm that the perceptual process which regulates gamma power is distinct from that which governs the synchronization for neuronal firing, and both gamma power and synchrony are important factors to be considered for the "binding" hypothesis. However, there is surprisingly little effect of age on the absolute levels of or distribution of EEG gamma in the age range investigated.

Seasonal changes in behavioural and thermoregulatory responses to hypoxia in the Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) /

Mammalian heterotherms, such as hibemators, are known to be more tolerant of low oxygen tensions than their homeothermic counterparts. It has been suggested that this relative hypoxia tolerance is related to their ability to deal with dramatic changes in body temperature during entry to and arousal from torpor. However, hibemators demonstrate dramatic seasonality in both daily heterothermy and overall torpor expression. It was of interest to test if seasonal comparisons of normothermic individuals within a single species with the capacity to hibernate produce changes in the response to hypoxia that would reflect a seasonal change in tolerance to low oxygen. In particular, the species studied, the Eastern chipmunk {Tamias striatus), is known to enter into torpor exclusively in the winter. To test for seasonal differences in the metabolic and thermoregulatory responses to hypoxia, flow-through respirometry was used to compare metabolic rate, minimum thermal conductance, body temperature, and a thermal gradient used to assess selected ambient temperature in response to hypoxia in both summer and winter acclimated animals. Although the animals periodically expressed torpor throughout the winter, no differences between season in resting metabolic rate, body temperature or minimum thermal conductance were observed in normoxia. The metabolic trials indicated that chipmunks are less responsive to hypoxia in the winter than they are in the summer. Although body temperature dropped in response to hypoxia in both seasons, the decrease was less in the winter, and there was no corresponding decrease in metabolic rate. Providing the animals with a choice of ambient temperatures in hypoxia resulted in a blunting of the drop in body temperature in both seasons, suggesting that the reported fall in body temperature set point in hypoxia is not fully manifested in the behavioural pathways responsible for thermoregulation in chipmunks. Instead, body temperature in hypoxia appears to be highly dependent on ambient temperature and oxygen concentration. The results of this study suggest that the season in which the responses to hypoxia are measured is important, especially in a heterotherm where seasonality can affect the degree to 1 which the animal is tolerant of hypoxia. Winter-acclimated chipmunks appear more capable of defending metabolic heat production in hypoxia, a response consistent with the increased thermogenic capacity observed in animals that must periodically enter and arouse from torpor during hibernation.