Effect of partial sugar replacement with ultrasonically treated citrus pectin on aeration and rheological properties of batter

Ultrasound treatment was applied on citrus pectin solution prior mixing into batter as partial replacement of sugar content. The pectin solutions were treated with ultrasound at 20%, 40%, and 60% amplitude for 5, 15, and 25 min. It was then replaced with 20% and 30% of sugar content in batter formulation. Aeration properties were tested by measuring batter density and rheological properties of batter, also volume and hardness of cake. The results shown that 20% of sugar replacement with non‐treated pectin in batter system gave lower batter density at lower viscosity, and higher consistency index with less viscoelasticity produced lower cake volume and cake hardness compared with 30% of sugar replacement. Ultrasound treatment on pectin solution at shorter duration was able to further reduce the batter density which increases the cake aeration by producing higher cake volume with lower hardness compared with non‐treated pectin in lower level of sugar replacement

Application of red pitaya powder as a natural food colourant in fruit pastille

Background: Confectionary products meet the important consumers’ need states of fun and enjoyment, especially among children. Synthetic colourant had been applied as a colouring agent in confectionery products for decades, however various adverse health effects have been reported after consumption. Hence, usage of natural colourant has increased enormously as it confers functional and nutraceutical benefits. Red pitaya, a common and popular fruit cultivated in South-east Asian countries. It is rich betacyanin content that gives the fruit a red-violet colour. Hence, red pitaya is a potential source of natural colorant as an alternative to the synthetic colorant.Objective: This research was aimed to produce fruit pastille with red pitaya powder applied as a natural colourant.Method: Production of red pitaya powder was achieved through spray drying process. Fruit pastille was prepared and subjected to antioxidant, stability and sensory analysis.Results: The Physicochemical study showed that pastille incorporated with red pitaya powder exhibited significantly (p<0.05) higher antioxidant properties than the blank pastille (control). An eight weeks storage stability study revealed that betacyanin content of pastille incorporated with pitaya powder remained stable for the first four weeks of storage. Besides, no significant change was observed in redness (a*) of pastille throughout the storage study. Sensory study was carried out to assess the consumer preference on pastille incorporated with pitaya powder and synthetic colourant. Colour attribute of pastille incorporated with red pitaya powder has gained significantly (p<0.05) higher liking that the one added with synthetic colour.Conclusion: Red pitaya powder could be a potential natural colourant for gummy confectionery

Parallelized simulation of grids by hypercubes

Cover title.Includes bibliographical references (p. 24)October 1990published_or_final_versio

O Serviço Social numa Comissão Social de Freguesia: uma abordagem preliminar deste novo espaço sócio ocupacional

Aprofundar o conhecimento do Serviço Social no âmbito das Comissões Sociais de Freguesia, refletindo sobre a prática do Serviço Social, nomeadamente na Comissão Social de Freguesia da Guia, é o objetivo deste relatório. O processo de criação e implementação do Programa Rede Social, como política social baseada nos fundamentos da descentralização de poderes e responsabilidades do Estado e a sua intensificação em parcerias entre o setor público e o setor privado, assentam numa lógica de desenho de políticas sociais neoliberais. O Serviço Social revela ser um importante recurso profissional para as autarquias, nomeadamente para as freguesias, desempenhando um trabalho de proximidade com as populações, facilitando-lhes o acesso a alguns direitos sociais e executando os seus deveres cívicos. No entanto, esta atuação de natureza assistencialista, pretende a resolução emergencial da situação de pobreza e das desigualdades sociais da população de determinada freguesia. Ora, estes fenómenos não estão circunscritos a uma pequena área territorial, são problemas estruturais e universais, como tal não podem ser tratados apenas como locais. Tendo como ponto de partida, a experiência vivenciada pela assistente social que fez parte da organização da Comissão Social de Freguesia da Guia e que desenhou o seu modelo de intervenção social, é feita uma análise a este novo espaço. Conclui-se, atestando que para a efetivação como espaço sócio profissional e que legitime a profissão, a política social que define as CSF terá que sofrer algumas alterações e melhorias, partindo ao encontro do projeto profissional do Serviço Social, ao mesmo tempo que potencia o enfrentamento à pobreza e desigualdades sociais ao nível local

Polymyxin-induced neuromuscular weakness: a case report

Polymyxin-induced neuromuscular blockade is a rare but potentially fatal condition, with majority of cases that were reported between 1962 and 1973. We describe a patient who developed hypercapnic respiratory failure after initiation of polymyxin for multi-drug resistant Escherichia Coli bacteremia, due to polymyxin-induced neuromuscular dysfunction. After cessation of polymyxin, he regained full strength, had complete resolution of ptosis, and was successfully extubated. In light of the renewed use of polymyxin in this era of antimicrobial-resistance, this case aims to raise awareness about this rare but life-threatening condition, which is easily reversible with early recognition and prompt discontinuation of the drug

Nozzleless fabrication of oil-core biopolymeric microcapsules by the interfacial gelation of pickering emulsion templates

Ionotropic gelation has been an attractive method for the fabrication of biopolymeric oil-core microcapsules due to its safe and mild processing conditions. However, the mandatory use of a nozzle system to form the microcapsules restricts the process scalability and the production of small microcapsules (<100 μm). We report, for the first time, a nozzleless and surfactant-free approach to fabricate oil-core biopolymeric microcapsules through ionotropic gelation at the interface of an O/W Pickering emulsion. This approach involves the self-assembly of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles at the interface of O/W emulsion droplets followed by the addition of a polyanionic biopolymer into the aqueous phase. Subsequently, CaCO3 nanoparticles are dissolved by pH reduction, thus liberating Ca(2+) ions to cross-link the surrounding polyanionic biopolymer to form a shell that encapsulates the oil droplet. We demonstrate the versatility of this method by fabricating microcapsules from different types of polyanionic biopolymers (i.e., alginate, pectin, and gellan gum) and water-immiscible liquid cores (i.e., palm olein, cyclohexane, dichloromethane, and toluene). In addition, small microcapsules with a mean size smaller than 100 μm can be produced by selecting the appropriate conventional emulsification methods available to prepare the Pickering emulsion. The simplicity and versatility of this method allows biopolymeric microcapsules to be fabricated with ease by ionotropic gelation for numerous applications

A technical guideline on integrated aquaculture performance assessment

The aim of this guideline is to provide a methodological approach for an integrated aquaculture performance assessment. It was developed as a deliverable of the Scaling Systems and Partnerships for Accelerating the Adoption of Improved Tilapia Strains by Small-Scale Fish Farmers (SPAITS) project. One of the main outputs of the project is to conduct an integrated performance assessment of improved tilapia strains in participating small-scale fish farming households in Myanmar. The integrated assessment comprises three domains: economic, social and environmental. We use the experience from SPAITS for illustration. The development of this technical guideline also draws on lessons from other projects. More specifically, the guideline focuses on assessing the performance of aquaculture technologies, such as improved fish strains, but it can also be used to assess innovations, such as business models. Section 2 of this report shows the steps to implement and operationalize the assessment together with tools and approaches for data collection. Section 3 illustrates the conceptual framework for a statistical performance assessment and non-statistical/qualitative assessment, focusing on gender scoping. The details of how to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data collected are explained in Section 4

Physicochemical and sensory analyses of high fibre bread incorporated with corncob powder

The primary objectives of the present work were to produce corncob powder (CCP) from corncobs and incorporate the CCP into bread formulation in order to develop high fibre bread, and to investigate the physicochemical and sensory properties of the produced high fibre bread (HFB). The corncobs were collected and washed before they underwent the grinding and drying processes. The obtained CCP was incorporated into the bread formulation in three different proportions (5, 10 and 20%) to partially substitute bread flour in the formulation. All three bread samples and the control (0% CCP in the formulation) were analysed to obtain their physicochemical and sensory properties. The incorporation of CCP significantly affected the texture, colour and volume attributes of the produced breads. Increasing the content of CCP in the formulation was found to be responsible for firmer, smaller and darker bread loaves as compared to the composite bread samples. The bread formulation incorporated with 10% CCP had the highest mean scores (7.00) of overall acceptability among all the other formulations, and it was comparable to the commercial breads in the current market

Age-Specific Associations of Usual Blood Pressure Variability With Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality: 10-Year Diabetes Mellitus Cohort Study.

Background The detrimental effects of increased variability in systolic blood pressure (SBP) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality risk in patients with diabetes mellitus remains unclear. This study evaluated age-specific association of usual SBP visit-to-visit variability with CVD and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods and Results A retrospective cohort study investigated 155 982 patients with diabetes mellitus aged 45 to 84 years without CVD at baseline (2008-2010). Usual SBP variability was estimated using SBP SD obtained from a mixed-effects model. Age-specific associations (45-54, 55-64, 65-74, 75-84 years) between usual SBP variability, CVD, and mortality risk were assessed by Cox regression adjusted for patient characteristics. After a median follow-up of 9.7 years, 49 816 events (including 34 039 CVD events and 29 211 mortalities) were identified. Elevated SBP variability was independently, positively, and log-linearly associated with higher CVD and mortality risk among all age groups, with no evidence of any threshold effects. The excess CVD and mortality risk per 5 mm Hg increase in SBP variability within the 45 to 54 age group is >3 times higher than the 70 to 79 age group (hazard ratio, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.49-1.85 versus hazard ratio, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.15-1.23). The significant associations remained consistent among all subgroups. Patients with younger age had a higher association of SBP variability with event outcomes. Conclusions The findings suggest that SBP visit-to-visit variability was strongly associated with CVD and mortality with no evidence of a threshold effect in a population with diabetes mellitus. As well as controlling overall blood pressure levels, SBP visit-to-visit variability should be monitored and evaluated in routine practice, in particular for younger patients

Fish supply and demand for food security in Sub-Saharan Africa: An analysis of the Zambian fish sector

The demand for fish in Sub-Saharan Africa, as driven by the trend of diet-shift to fish, economic and demographic growth, outstrips supply. The resulting fish deficit is drawing attention of policy makers as it poses threats to economic stability as well as food security in the region. In this paper, a multi-species, multi-sector equilibrium model is developed and applied to Zambia as a case study to provide a tool for policy makers to examine the interaction between fish supply and demand. Projection results show that under business-as-usual scenario, the fish deficit in Zambia will increase and fish import will be a key contributor of fish for consumption in 2030. Increasing import tax will not solve the fish deficit due to a limited substitution between domestic and imported fish, while this tariff restriction may increase the fish price and affect poor people. The model results suggest that further investment in aquaculture could provide a solution if input markets for seed and feed are appropriately developed. Though calibrated to Zambia's fish sector, the model can be applied to analyze the outlook of fish sectors in other developing countries.Funding support to the study was provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), on a project entitled “Aquaculture and the Poor: Improving Fish Production, Consumption and Nutrition Linkages” (2014–2016) and the CGIAR Research Programs on Policies, Institutions and Markets (PIM) and Fish Agri-food Systems (FISH)