Physicochemical and sensory analysis of instant cereal beverage incorporated with corncob powder

The primary objectives of this study were to process corncob into corncob powder (CCP) and to apply CCP in the formulation of instant cereal beverage (ICB) in order to produce high fibre ICB, and to investigate the physicochemical and sensory properties of the corncob-based instant cereal beverage. Corncobs were sourced and washed thoroughly before drying and grinding into CCP. CCP was then imparted into ICB formulation in three different ratios (10, 20 and 30% w/w) to partially substitute corn flour in the formulation. All four ICB samples including the commercial counterpart were analysed for their physicochemical and sensory properties. The incorporation of CCP has affected the viscosity, colour and sensory attributes significantly of the produced ICB. Higher contents of CCP in the formulation was found to be responsible for less viscous and browner effect compared to the commercial ICB samples. Formulation of ICB incorporated with 30% w/w CCP had the highest mean scores (6.00, p<0.05) of overall acceptability among all the other formulations and it was comparable to the commercial ICB in the current market

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

Evaluation of Distribution Network Modelling for Electric Vehicle Charging Impact

Electric vehicle (EV) is a new and uprising technology in the transportation and power sector that benefits the economy and environment. This study presents a comprehensive review of electric vehicle technology and its associated equipment, such as battery charger and charging station. An introduction is made on the residential charging type of electric vehicles in terms of charging time, size of battery and power of charger. The influence of electric vehicle charging on utility distribution system in terms of voltage and thermal limits are investigated in this paper. The current power system may not able to support the EV charging loads. The usage of electric vehicles, customer power consumption behavior and the distribution of electric vehicle used in a residential area may affect its power system structure. To study the influence of EV charging in a power distribution system, analysis were conducted based on these three factors. Firstly, the new network will be simulated using all the standard parameter for residential. Secondly, the EV load will be inserted into the network based on different scenarios of EV’s penetration level and the investigation will be carried out to study the impact of EV on the distribution network in terms of voltage and thermal limits. It is found that the higher penetration level of EV charging will lead to the higher voltage drop and feeders’ thermal limit

An Overview on Network Diagrams: Graph-Based Representation

Graph theory is an important area in mathematics. A network is a graph-based representation which represents a problem as a graph to provide a different point of view to the problem. A problem is much simpler when it is represented as a graph since it can provide the appropriate tools for solving the problem. Hence, graph or network acts as an excellence modeling tool in representing several fundamental issues in network such as connectivity, routing, data gathering, mobility, topology control, traffic analysis, finding shortest path and load balancing. In this regard, this paper first presents concepts of graph theory and their associated applications in various networking field. Subsequently, relevant applications of graph-based representation in technological fields are focused and discussed

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London