Optimization of yogurt production using demineralized whey

The effect of three independent fermentation variables: demineralized whey powder (0.0; 1.5 and 3.0%), lactic culture concentration (1.0; 2.0 and 3.0%) and mix treatment temperature (85; 90 and 95°C) was studied. Fermentation time to reach pH 4.3, instrumental consistency and appearance, visual consistency and taste of the product were evaluated. Product consistency increased as mix treatment temperature increased and demineralized whey powder decreased. The powder had a stronger influence on instrumental consistency than did temperature. Appearance was better when whey powder was used at 1.4 to 1.6%. Visual consistency decreased as whey powder increased but addition of demineralized whey powder did not negatively affect yogurt flavor.

Análise de consistência de iogurte: correlação entre medida sensorial e instrumental

O efeito das variáveis independentes: soro desmineralizado em pó (0,0; 1,5 e 3,0 %), cultura láctica (1,0; 2,0 e 3,0 %) e temperatura de tratamento da mistura (85; 90 e 95°C) foi estudado nas respostas consistência sensorial e instrumental do iogurte. A metodologia de superfície de resposta foi usada para efetuar tratamentos estatísticos dos experimentos e desenvolver modelos matemáticos da relação entre as variáveis e as respostas. A consistência instrumental e sensorial apresentaram resultados semelhantes e correlacionáveis entre si, r = 0,65 (p < 0,01), ambas foram maiores quando aumentou-se a temperatura da mistura e diminuiu-se o teor de soro desmineralizado em pó.

Property cash flow studies : focusing on model consistency and data accuracy

The high degree of variability and inconsistency in cash flow study usage by property professionals demands improvement in knowledge and processes. Until recently limited research was being undertaken on the use of cash flow studies in property valuations but the growing acceptance of this approach for major investment valuations has resulted in renewed interest in this topic. Studies on valuation variations identify data accuracy, model consistency and bias as major concerns. In cash flow studies there are practical problems with the input data and the consistency of the models. This study will refer to the recent literature and identify the major factors in model inconsistency and data selection. A detailed case study will be used to examine the effects of changes in structure and inputs. The key variable inputs will be identified and proposals developed to improve the selection process for these key variables. The variables will be selected with the aid of sensitivity studies and alternative ways of quantifying the key variables explained. The paper recommends, with reservations, the use of probability profiles of the variables and the incorporation of this data in simulation exercises. The use of Monte Carlo simulation is demonstrated and the factors influencing the structure of the probability distributions of the key variables are outline. This study relates to ongoing research into functional performance of commercial property within an Australian Cooperative Research Centre.

Disaster triage : evidence, consistency and standard practice

Triage has military origins, with the initial purpose being to direct care to those most likely to be able to return to the battlefield. Conversely, modern disaster triage attempts to ensure both the prioritisation of care for those who need it most and a fair distribution of resources, so that health responders are able to ‘do the most for the most’...

Developing an efficient and reliable dry powder inhaler for pulmonary drug delivery : a review for multidisciplinary researchers

Pulmonary drug delivery is the focus of much research and development because of its great potential to produce maximum therapeutic benefit. Among the available options the dry powder inhaler (DPI) is the preferred device for the treatment of an increasingly diverse number of diseases. However, as drug delivery from a DPI involves a complicated set of physical processes and the integration of drug formulations, device design and patient usage, the engineering development of this medical technology is proving to be a great challenge. Currently there is large range of devices that are either available on the market or under development, however, none exhibit superior clinical efficacy. A major concern is the inter- and intra-patient variability of the drug dosage delivered to the deep lungs. The extent of variability depends on the drug formulation, the device design and the patient’s inhalation profile. This article reviews recent advances in DPI technology and presents the key factors which motivate and constrain the successful engineering of a universal, patient-independent DPI that is capable of efficient, reliable and repeatable drug delivery. A strong emphasis is placed on the physical processes of drug powder aerosolisation, deagglomeration, and dispersion and on the engineering of formulations and inhalers that can optimise these processes.

A comparative study of the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells cultured on β-TCP ceramics and demineralized bone matrix with or without osteogenic inducers in vitro

The repair of bone defects that result from periodontal diseases remains a clinical challenge for periodontal therapy. β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) ceramics are biodegradable inorganic bone substitutes with inorganic components that are similar to those of bone. Demineralized bone matrix (DBM) is an acid-extracted organic matrix derived from bone sources that consists of the collagen and matrix proteins of bone. A few studies have documented the effects of DBM on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of inorganic and organic elements of bone on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of hPDLCs using three-dimensional porous β-TCP ceramics and DBM with or without osteogenic inducers. Primary hPDLCs were isolated from human periodontal ligaments. The proliferation of the hPDLCs on the scaffolds in the growth culture medium was examined using a Cell‑Counting kit‑8 (CCK-8) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and the osteogenic differentiation of the hPDLCs cultured on the β-TCP ceramics and DBM were examined in both the growth culture medium and osteogenic culture medium. Specific osteogenic differentiation markers were examined using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). SEM images revealed that the cells on the β-TCP were spindle-shaped and much more spread out compared with the cells on the DBM surfaces. There were no significant differences observed in cell proliferation between the β-TCP ceramics and the DBM scaffolds. Compared with the cells that were cultured on β-TCP ceramics, the ALP activity, as well as the Runx2 and osteocalcin (OCN) mRNA levels in the hPDLCs cultured on DBM were significantly enhanced both in the growth culture medium and the osteogenic culture medium. The organic elements of bone may exhibit greater osteogenic differentiation effects on hPDLCs than the inorganic elements.

An aqueous-solution based low-temperature pathway to synthesize giant dielectric CaCu3Ti4O12-Highly porous ceramic matrix and submicron sized powder

A simple, cost-effective and environment-friendly pathway for preparing highly porous matrix of giant dielectric material CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) through combustion of a completely aqueous precursor solution is presented. The pathway yields phase-pure and impurity-less CCTO ceramic at an ultra-low temperature (700 degrees C) and is better than traditional solid-state reaction schemes which fail to produce pure phase at as high temperature as 1000 degrees C (Li, Schwartz, Phys. Rev. B 75, 012104). The porous ceramic matrix on grinding produced CCTO powder having particle size in submicron order with an average size 300 nm. On sintering at 1050 degrees C for 5 h the powder shows high dielectric constants (>10(4) at all frequencies from 100 Hz to 100 kHz) and low loss (with 0.05 as the lowest value) which is suitable for device applications. The reaction pathway is expected to be extended to prepare other multifunctional complex perovskite materials. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Kinetics of hydrogen evolution on submicron size Co, Ni, Pd and CoNi alloy powder electrodes by d.c. polarization and a.c. impedance studies

Submicron size Co, Ni and Co-Ni alloy powders have been synthesized by the polyol method using the corresponding metal malonates and Pd powder by reduction of PdOx in methanol. The kinetics of the hydrogen evolution reaction ( HER) in 6 M KOH electrolyte have been studied on electrodes made from the pressed powders. The d.c. polarization measurements have resulted in a value close to 120 mV decade(-1) for the Tafel slope, suggesting that the HER follows the Volmer-Heyrovsky mechanism. The values of exchange current density (i(o)) are in the range 1-10 mA cm(-2) for electrodes fabricated in the study. The a.c. impedance spectra measured at several potentials in the HER region showed a single semicircle in the Nyquist plots. Exchange current density (i(o)) and energy transfer coefficient (alpha) have been calculated by employing a nonlinear least square-fitting program.

Female slave narratives: consistency and permanence: a study of two texts from the XIXth and XXth centuries

Esta dissertação tem por objetivo investigar o papel das slave narratives como poderoso gênero literário na denúncia da escravidão africana e na representação do homem negro e da mulher negra nos séculos dezoito e dezenove. Este trabalho também se propõe a investigar o papel das neo-slave narratives no estudo do passado e a representação da identidade negra no século vinte. Ambos os gêneros desafiam seus tempos presentes ao discutirem questões de etnia e subjugação humana, em uma abordagem crítica. Em Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861), Harriet Jacobs narra sua experiência na escravidão, deixando um importante legado não somente para a História mas também para a Literatura Afro-Americana. Em Dessa Rose (1986), Sherley Anne Williams, revisa o passado para resgatar a memória da escravidão e reescrever a história para examinar seu tempo presente. Além disso, as duas autoras apresentam questões de gênero, levantando questões feministas em suas obras

Modelling dosator filling and discharge of powder

Dosators and other dosing mechanisms operating on generally similar principles are very widely used in the pharmaceutical industry for capsule filling, and for dosing products that are delivered to the customer in powder form such as inhalers. This is a trend that is set to increase. However a significant problem for this technology is being able to predict how accurately and reliably, new drug formulations will be dosed from these machines prior to manufacture. This paper presents a review of the literature relating to powder dosators which considers mathematical models for predicting dosator performance, the effects of the dosator geometry and machine settings on the accuracy of the dose weight. An overview of a model based on classical powder mechanics theory that has been developed at The University of Greenwich is presented. The model uses inputs from a range of powder characterisation tests including, wall friction, bulk density, stress ratio and permeability. To validate the model it is anticipated that it will be trialled for a range of powders alongside a single shot dosator test rig.

Responses of calves to acute stress: Individual consistency and relations between behavioral and physiological measures

The present study examined the consistency over time of individual differences in behavioral and physiological responsiveness of calves to intuitively alarming test situations as well as the relationships between behavioral and physiological measures. Twenty Holstein Friesian heifer calves were individually subjected to the same series of two behavioral and two hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis reactivity tests at 3, 13 and 26 weeks of age. Novel environment (open field, OF) and novel object (NO) tests involved measurement of behavioral, plasma cortisol and heart rate responses. Plasma ACTH and/or cortisol response profiles were determined after administration of exogenous CRH and ACTH, respectively, in the HPA axis reactivity tests. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to condense correlated measures within ages into principal components reflecting independent dimensions underlying the calves' reactivity. Cortisol responses to the OF and NO tests were positively associated with the latency to contact and negatively related to the time spent in contact with the NO. Individual differences in scores of a principal component summarizing this pattern of inter-correlations, as well as differences in separate measures of adrenocortical and behavioral reactivity in the OF and NO tests proved highly consistent over time. The cardiac response to confinement in a start box prior to the OF test was positively associated with the cortisol responses to the OF and NO tests at 26 weeks of age. HPA axis reactivity to ACTH or CRH was unrelated to adrenocortical and behavioral responses to novelty. These findings strongly suggest that the responsiveness of calves was mediated by stable individual characteristics. Correlated adrenocortical and behavioral responses to novelty may reflect underlying fearfulness, defining the individual's susceptibility to the elicitation of fear. Other independent characteristics mediating reactivity may include activity or coping style (related to locomotion) and underlying sociality (associated with vocalization). (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.