The effect of thermal processing in oil on the macromolecular integrity and acrylamide formation from starch of three potato cultivars organically fertilized

Starches from three organically produced cultivars of potato tuber (Lady Rosetta, Spunta and Voyager) have been studied in relation to (i) acrylamide production (ii) macromolecular integrity after frying with extra virgin olive oil, soybean oil and corn oil. During cultivation, a treatment involving the combination of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization under organic farming was applied (N1, P2, K1 where Ν1 = 1.3 g Ν per plant, P2 = 5.2 g P2O5 per plant, Κ1 = 4.0 g K2O per plant). Potatoes fried in olive oil retained the highest glucose concentrations for all cultivars 0.85 ± 0.2 mmol/kg, followed by 0.48 ± 0.2 for those fried in corn oil and 0.40 ± 0.1 mmol/kg for those fried in soybean oil. The highest average fructose concentration was recorded for the samples fried in corn oil as 0.81 ± 0.2, followed by 0.80 ± 0.2 and 0.68 ± 0.3 mmol/kg for the samples fried in olive and soybean oils, respectively. Asparagine was the most abundant free amino acid in the three varieties tested, followed by glutamine and aspartic acid. The mean initial concentration of asparagine in raw potatoes tubers was 42.8 ± 1.6 mmoles kg−1 for Lady Rosetta, 34.6 ± 1.2 mmoles kg−1 (dry weight) for Spunta and 36.2 ± 2.0 mmoles kg−1 for Voyager. Lady Rosetta contained a significantly higher concentration of asparagine compared to the other two varieties (p < 0.05). The greatest quantity of acrylamide was observed in French fries derived from the potato variety Lady Rosetta when fried in soybean oil and it was 2,600 ± 440 μg/kg, followed by Spunta which was 2,280 ± 340 μg/kg and Voyager 1,120 ± 220 μg/kg. There is a significant reduction in the formation of acrylamide in the variety Voyager compared to the others (p = 0.05)

Chain transfer to solvent in the radical polymerization of structurally diverse acrylamide monomers using straight-chain and branched alcohols as solvents

Chain transfer to solvent in conventional radical polymerizations of N-tert-butylacrylamide (TBAM) and N-(2-morpholin-4-ylethyl) acrylamide (MEA) in a range of alcohol solvents is investigated. Mayo analysis of polymerization of TBAM in linear alcohols (C-3-C-9) resulted in an approximately linear increase in chain transfer to solvent constant (C-tr,(S)) with the number of methylene (CH2) units in the solvent. The branched alcohol 3-methyl-3-pentanol gave the smallest C-tr,C-S (using Mayo analysis), and thus allowed attainment of higher molecular weights (MWs) in the nitroxide-mediated polymerizations (NMP) of TBAM. Overall, the data show that MEA is more prone to chain transfer to solvent than TBAM (higher C-tr,C-S), and further analysis of the conventional radical polymerization of MEA in 3-methyl-3-pentanol indicate chain transfer to monomer may also be occurring. The first controlled/ living polymerizations of MEA are detailed with chain transfer having a greater impact on maximum achievable MWs in NMP in comparison to TBAM

Emergent magnetism at transition-metal–nanocarbon interfaces

Charge transfer at metallo–molecular interfaces may be used to design multifunctional hybrids with an emergent magnetization that may offer an eco-friendly and tunable alternative to conventional magnets and devices. Here, we investigate the origin of the magnetism arising at these interfaces by using different techniques to probe 3d and 5d metal films such as Sc, Mn, Cu, and Pt in contact with fullerenes and rf-sputtered carbon layers. These systems exhibit small anisotropy and coercivity together with a high Curie point. Low-energy muon spin spectroscopy in Cu and Sc–C60 multilayers show a quick spin depolarization and oscillations attributed to nonuniform local magnetic fields close to the metallo–carbon interface. The hybridization state of the carbon layers plays a crucial role, and we observe an increased magnetization as sp3 orbitals are annealed into sp2−π graphitic states in sputtered carbon/copper multilayers. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements at the carbon K edge of C60 layers in contact with Sc films show spin polarization in the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and higher π*-molecular levels, whereas the dichroism in the σ*-resonances is small or nonexistent. These results support the idea of an interaction mediated via charge transfer from the metal and dz–π hybridization. Thin-film carbon-based magnets may allow for the manipulation of spin ordering at metallic surfaces using electrooptical signals, with potential applications in computing, sensors, and other multifunctional magnetic devices

Detecting Fast Frequency Events in Power System: Development and Comparison of Two Methods

In power systems, frequency deviation from nominal value can occur due to reasons such as loss of generation, loss of load, or major faults in the grid. Such frequency fluctuations can lead to serious subsequent outages and damages to both end-user and utility equipment. Therefore, a proper frequency deviation detection methodology must be in place to effectively identify frequency events in a timely manner. This manuscript provides a comparative analysis between two frequency deviation detection algorithms. One is based on signal processing and statistical analysis. The other is a regression-based algorithm. Both of these algorithms have multiple adjustable parameters, making them highly tunable for different Balancing Authorities

Diuretic activity of carob (Ceratonia silique L.) Honey: comparison with furosemide

Background: Honey has wide range of biological activities. It has effect on renal function, and urinary nitric oxide and prostaglandins level. The present study was conducted to evaluate diuretic potential of carob honey, collected from Morocco, in normal rats and the results were compared with use of furosemide.Materials and methods: Adult male Wister rats weighing between 230 and 278 g were used. The animals were divided into three groups; group 1 received oral administration of distilled water (10 ml/kg BW), and served as control group, group 2 received oral administration of furosemide (10 mg/kg BW), and group 3 was treated with oral administration of carob honey (100 mg/kg BW). Urine volume, and urine and plasma sodium and potassium were measured after single dose of the interventions and after daily administrations of the interventions.Results: After the single dose of carob honey, urine output was significantly increased at all time intervals (1-6 hrs and at 24 hrs after administration). The daily dose of carob honey for nine days significantly increased urine volume as compared to control group. Carob honey increased urinary levels of sodium and potassium, and did not cause hypokalemia, while furosemide increased urinary sodium and potassium and caused hypokalemia.Conclusion: Carob honey has diuretic, natriuretic and kaliuretic activity without side effects of hypokalemia that was observed with use of furosemide.Key words: Carob honey, furosemide, diuresis, sodium, potassium, creatinine clearanc

Fault classification and detection for photovoltaic plants using machine learning algorithms

Using photovoltaic (PV) energy has increased in recently, due to new laws that aim to reduce the global use of fossil fuels. The efficiency of a PV system relies on many types of malfunctions which may cause significant energy loss during the system’s operation, besides the ecological factors. Consequently, a monitoring system (MS) capable of measuring both the environmental and electrical factors is described in order to gather real-time and historical data and estimate the plant efficiency metrics. Additionally, a recursive linear model for detecting problems in the system is presented, where the input is the irradiance and temperature of the PV module, whereas the output is the power, using the same MS. The achieved fault detection’s accuracy for the 5-kW power plant reached 93.09 percent, based on 16 days and 143 hours of failures under various situations. After detecting a defect, a machine-learning-based algorithm categorizes each defect problem as short circuit, partial shadowing, deterioration, or open-circuit. The performance of the four most prevalent supervised machine learning (ML) approaches for this assignment (Naïve Bias, decision tree, LDA, and KNN) was evaluated according to their results

Behavioural evidence for self-medication in bumblebees?

The presence of antimicrobial secondary metabolites in nectar suggests that pollinators, which are threatened globally by emergent disease, may benefit from the consumption of nectars rich in these metabolites. We tested whether nicotine, a nectar secondary metabolite common in Solanaceae and Tilia species, is used by parasitized bumblebees as a source of self-medication , using a series of toxicological, microbiological and behavioural experiments. Caged bees infected with Crithidia bombi had a slight preference for sucrose solution laced with the alkaloid and behavioural tests showed that the parasite infection induced an increased consumption of nicotine during foraging activity, though nicotine had an appetite-reducing effect overall. When ingested, nicotine delayed the progression of a gut infection in bumblebees by a few days, but dietary nicotine did not clear the infection, and after 10 days the parasite load approached that of control bees. Moreover, when pathogens were exposed to the alkaloid prior to host ingestion, the protozoan's viability was not directly affected, suggesting that anti-parasite effects were relatively weak. Nicotine consumption in a single dose did not impose any cost even in starved bees but the alkaloid had detrimental effects on healthy bees if consistently consumed for weeks. These toxic effects disappeared in infected bees, suggesting that detoxification costs might have been counterbalanced by the advantages in slowing the progression of the infection. Nicotine consumption did not affect bee lifespan but the reduction in the parasite load may have other likely unexplored subtle benefits both for individual bees and their colony.  Potential evidence for self-medication is discussed. The contention that secondary metabolites in nectar may be under selection from pollinators, or used by plants to enhance their own reproductive success, remains to be confirmed.D.B. was supported by a Marie Curie Intra European Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Programm

Carbonaceous Materials Coated Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites

Carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites have high mechanical properties that make them exemplary engineered materials to carry loads and stresses. Coupling fibre and matrix together require good understanding of not only fibre morphology but also matrix rheology. One way of having a strongly coupled fibre and matrix interface is to size the reinforcing fibres by means of micro- or nanocarbon materials coating on the fibre surface. Common coating materials used are carbon nanotubes and nanofibres and graphene, and more recently carbon black (colloidal particles of virtually pure elemental carbon) and graphite. There are several chemical, thermal, and electrochemical processes that are used for coating the carbonous materials onto a carbon fibre surface. Sizing of fibres provides higher interfacial adhesion between fibre and matrix and allows better fibre wetting by the surrounded matrix material. This review paper goes over numerous techniques that are used for engineering the interface between both fibre and matrix systems, which is eventually the key to better mechanical properties of the composite systems

Nuclear astrophysics with radioactive ions at FAIR

The nucleosynthesis of elements beyond iron is dominated by neutron captures in the s and r processes. However, 32 stable, proton-rich isotopes cannot be formed during those processes, because they are shielded from the s-process flow and r-process, β-decay chains. These nuclei are attributed to the p and rp process. For all those processes, current research in nuclear astrophysics addresses the need for more precise reaction data involving radioactive isotopes. Depending on the particular reaction, direct or inverse kinematics, forward or time-reversed direction are investigated to determine or at least to constrain the desired reaction cross sections. The Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) will offer unique, unprecedented opportunities to investigate many of the important reactions. The high yield of radioactive isotopes, even far away from the valley of stability, allows the investigation of isotopes involved in processes as exotic as the r or rp processes

Attitudes and Perceptions of Healthcare Providers towards Clinical Pharmacy Services at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Purpose: To evaluate the attitudes and perceptions of health care providers towards clinical pharmacy services at King Khalid University Hospital Riyadh Saudi ArabiaMethod: A cross-sectional survey of healthcare providers was conducted in King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from September to November 2013. A self-administered questionnaire was delivered to health care professionals (HCPs) who included physicians, pharmacists and nurses.Results: The response rate was 78 % (457/600). The majority of the respondents (92.4 %) knew that the clinical pharmacist is an integral part of the medical team while 86.5 % of the participants expressed confidence in the ability of clinical pharmacists to improve the quality of patient care through their practice. Despite the relative lack of awareness of the increasing interest in clinical pharmacy practice (59.6 % were not aware of such a trend), pharmacists were less appreciative (p &lt; 0.05) of the positive role of clinical  pharmacists in direct patient care compared to both physicians and nurses (67.4, 74.3 and 72.3 %, respectively).Conclusion: The findings of this study reveal that health care professionals HCPs have positive attitude towards the role of the clinical pharmacist in the health care setting studied. However, there is a need for Saudi hospitals to adopt full clinical pharmacy service including drug monitoring, drug information and pharmacotherapy for enhanced health care.Keywords: Saudi Arabia, Clinical pharmacy services, Healthcare professionals, Attitude, Patient car