Enhancement of the folate content in Egyptian pita bread

Introduction: Egypt has a high incidence of neural tube defects related to folate deficiency. One major food source for folate is pita (baladi) bread, which is consumed daily. Bioprocessing (e.g. germination) has been reported to increase the folate content in cereals. The aim was to produce pita bread with increased folate content using germinated wheat flour (GWF).Methods: Prior to milling the effects of germination and drying conditions on folate content in wheat grains were studied. Pita bread was baked from wheat flour substituted with different levels of GWF. The folate content in dough and bread and rheological properties of dough were determined.Results: Germination of wheat grains resulted in, depending on temperature, 3- to 4-fold higher folate content with a maximum of 61 µg/100 g DM (dry matter). The folate content in both flour and bread increased 1.5 to 4-fold depending on the level of flour replacement with GWF. Pita bread baked with 50% sieved GWF was acceptable with respect to colour and layer separation, and had a folate content of 50 µg/100 g DM compared with 30 µg/100 g DM in conventional pita bread (0% GWF).Conclusion: Using 50% GWF, pita bread with increased folate content, acceptable for the Egyptian consumer, was produced. Consumption of this bread would increase the average daily folate intake by 75 µg

KONTROLIRANJE PARAMETARA PROCESA MLJEVENJA KORIŠTENJEM CENTRALNO KOMPOZITNOGA PLANA ZA SMANJENJE MULJA U OPLEMENJIVANJU FOSFATNE RUDE

Ultrafine particles resulting from the grinding operations of phosphate ore cause problems of air pollution, and of the beneficiation plants particularly, flotation cells and filtration units. Particles of less than 38 μm are one of the undesirable consequences of the phosphate ore beneficiation stage, where fine or ultrafine powder accounts for 10–30 percent of phosphate quantities and is regarded as a loss. Furthermore, maintaining additional amounts of phosphate by reducing these particles will provide several benefits, including minimizing the environmental implications of slime disposal and enhancing the economic impact of the phosphate ore beneficiation process. This paper aims to maximize the useful phosphate particles and reduce the slime instead of doing even more work with traditional techniques. This goal might be attained by increasing the percent of particles of the desired size of the phosphate (Target) during the grinding process by determining the optimal operational conditions, that will reduce the amount of slime. The central composite design (CCD) is used to identify the number of experiments to be evaluated and to create a predictive model to be used for determining the optimal operation parameters. As a result of the optimization process, a maximum Target of 87.6% was obtained at grinding conditions t (5.1 min), v (42.6%), s (81.2%), and c (50.7%). Where t, v, s, and c stand for grinding time, occupied volume of ball, rotational speed percent from critical speed (%) and solid concentration by volume (%) respectively.Vrlo sitne čestice koje nastaju u procesu mljevenja fosfatne rude uzrokuju probleme onečišćenja zraka, a posebno probleme u samome radu oplemenjivačkih postrojenja, flotacijskih ćelija i filtracijskih jedinica. Čestice manje od 38 μm jedna su od nepoželjnih posljedica faze oplemenjivanja fosfatne rude, gdje sitni ili vrlo sitni prah čini 10 – 30 posto količina usitnjene fosfatne rude i smatra se gubitkom. Nadalje, održavanje dodatnih količina korisnoga fosfatnog proizvoda smanjenjem tih čestica pružit će nekoliko prednosti, uključujući minimiziranje utjecaja odlaganja mulja na okoliš i povećanje ekonomskoga učinka procesa oplemenjivanja fosfatne rude. Cilj je ovoga istraživanja povećati udio korisnih čestica fosfata i smanjiti udio mulja, umjesto ulaganja dodatnoga napora u postojećim postupcima. Taj se cilj može postići povećanjem udjela fosfatnih čestica željene veličine (u izlazu) tijekom procesa mljevenja, određivanjem optimalnih radnih uvjeta koji će smanjiti količinu jalovinskoga mulja. Centralno kompozitni plan (Central Composite Design – CCD) koristi se za utvrđivanje broja pokusa koji se trebaju evaluirati te za izradu modela predviđanja koji će se koristiti za određivanje optimalnih vrijednosti radnih parametara. Kao rezultat procesa optimizacije maksimalni udio čestica željene veličine u izlazu od 87,6 % dobiven je pri uvjetima mljevenja: t = 5,1 min, v = 42,6 %, s = 81,2 % i c = 50,7 %, gdje t, v, s i c predstavljaju vrijeme mljevenja, volumen koji kugle zauzimaju u mlinu, postotak brzine rotacije u kritičnoj brzini (%) i volumnu koncentraciju krutih čestica (%)

Less meat, more legumes: prospects and challenges in the transition toward sustainable diets in Sweden

The Western diet is characterized by high meat consumption, which negatively affects the environment and human health. Transitioning toward eating more plant-based products in Western societies has been identified as a key instrument to tackle these problems. However, one potential concern is that radically reducing meat in the current diet might lead to deficiencies in nutritional intake. In this paper, we explore a scenario in which meat consumption in Sweden is reduced by 50% and replaced by domestically grown grain legumes. We quantify and discuss the implications for nutritional intake on population level, consequences for agricultural production systems and environmental performance. The reduction in meat consumption is assumed to come primarily from a decrease in imported meat. We use data representing current Swedish conditions including the Swedish dietary survey, the Swedish food composition database, Statistics Sweden and existing life cycle assessments for different food items. At population level, average daily intake of energy and most macro- and micro-nutrients would be maintained within the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations after the proposed transition (e.g., for protein, fat, zinc, vitamin B12 and total iron). The transition would also provide a considerable increase in dietary fiber and some increase in folate intake, which are currently below the recommended levels. The transition scenario would increase total area of grain legume cultivation from 2.2% (current level) to 3.2% of Swedish arable land and is considered technically feasible. The climate impact of the average Swedish diet would be reduced by 20% and the land use requirement by 23%. There would be a net surplus of approximately 21,500 ha that could be used for bioenergy production, crop production for export, nature conservation, etc. Implementation of this scenario faces challenges, such as lack of suitable varieties for varying conditions, lack of processing facilities to supply functional legume-based ingredients to food industries and low consumer awareness about the benefits of eating grain legumes. In sum, joint efforts from multiple actors are needed to stimulate a decrease in meat consumption and to increase cultivation and use of domestically grown grain legumes

High-moisture meat analogues produced from yellow pea and faba bean protein isolates/concentrate: Effect of raw material composition and extrusion parameters on texture properties

Yellow pea and faba bean are potential candidates to replace soybean-based ingredients due to their suitability for cultivation in the northern hemisphere, non-genetically modified organisms cultivation practice and low risk of allergenicity. This study examined the functionality of local yellow pea and faba bean protein isolates/concentrate as meat analogue products. The most critical factors affecting the texture properties of meat analogue were also determined. Extrusion was used to produce high-moisture meat analogues (HMMAs) from yellow pea and faba bean protein isolates/concentrates and HMMAs with fibrous layered structures was successfully produced from both imported commercial and local sources. The texture properties of the HMMA produced were mainly affected by the ash, fiber and protein content and water-holding capacity of the source protein. Three extrusion process parameters (target moisture content, extrusion temperature, screw speed), also significantly affected HMMA texture. In conclusion, functional HMMA can be produced using protein isolates derived from locally grown pulses

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Experimental Development of a Novel Mine Backfill Material: Foam Mine Fill

This study aims to develop a novel mine backfill material called foam mine fill (FMF). A cellular structure is achieved by incorporating a premade foam into the backfill mixture using an air-entraining agent. FMF samples were prepared with copper-nickel mine tailings and normal Portland cement. Experiments were designed to investigate the effect of binder dosage, volume of entrained air, and foam mixing time on FMF unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and dry density. Moreover, a qualitative microscopic assessment investigated the effect of foam mixing time on air bubble structure. The pore size distribution and porosity of selected samples were investigated through mercury intrusion porosimetry. Relative to reference samples without entrained air, the UCS of FMF samples was 20–50% lower. However, the concomitant lower dry density (by up to 360 kg/m3) could enhance the safety of the underground working environment, especially in underhand cut-and-fill mining where miners and machinery work beneath the backfilled stope, and lower-density fill material would minimize the adverse effects of potential backfill failure. Prolonged foam mixing time led to a significant loss in UCS and total collapse of the air bubble structure. Other potential applications for FMF are areas where there are tailings shortages and as an alternative to hydraulic fill

An investigation into the develpoment and potential of foam minefill

Mine backfill, which is used to fill underground voids created during mining excavations, has recently become an integral part of underground mining. Many mines re-use mine tailings—created when valuable minerals were separated from gangue minerals in the mine processing plant—as mine backfill to reduce environmental exposure to tailings, maintain underground stability, and increase ore recovery. Three types of mine backfill are currently used in underground mining excavations: hydraulic, paste, and rock backfill. However, these materials have limitations that encourage ongoing research for innovative approaches to reduce weight, improve rheology, and minimize costs. Foam minefill (FMF) is a novel material proposed for backfilling mines, fabricated by mixing stable foam into a mixture of tailings, binders, and water using a foaming agent and foam generator. This action creates micro-air bubbles within the FMF mass, resulting in a cellular structure. The new filling material has a patent pending by McGill University. This research develops and investigates the properties of FMF, and explores its potentials. Uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), mercury intrusion porosimetry, microscopy, and rheology tests were carried out to achieve the research objectives. Samples of FMF were prepared using a sulfide-free tailings from a copper mine as the inert material, normal Portland cement as the binding agent, and Stable Air® foam as the air entraining agent. Properties were compared among samples prepared using different binder dosages, pulp densities, volumes of air entrained, and foam mixing times. Given that sulfide minerals commonly present in mine tailings pose problems in terms of oxidation and deterioration of backfill material, sulfide tailings from a gold mine were used to prepare foamed paste fill (FPF) samples for a second set of laboratory experiments. The FPF was compared to conventional paste fill to investigate how the incorporation of foam affects the properties of paste fill. Sulfide-free FMF properties were highly influenced by the binder dosage, volume of air entrained, and the interaction between these two variables. A prolonged mixing time appeared to destroy the surfactant molecules that stabilize the air bubbles. This ultimately resulted in the collapse of the entire cellular structure in the FMF and a significant decrease in UCS and FMF density. Moreover, air bubbles tended to coalesce when the volume of entrained air was increased. In FPF made with gold tailings containing sulfide, elevated amounts of foam reduced the UCS in the long term, probably by increasing oxygen diffusion into the mixture and promoting pyrite oxidation. However, addition of 5% air improved the UCS of the FPF samples after 56 days of curing. Results show there is a strong potential for foam fill technology in mining applications, especially in areas where there is a shortage of tailings or lack of water resources. The addition of air can compensate for this shortage and complete the void filling. Moreover, the use of foam can significantly decrease backfill density and promote a safer working environment for the miners.Mine de remblai, qui est utilisé pour remplir les vides souterrains créés au cours des excavations minières, est récemment devenue une partie intégrante de l'exploitation minière souterraine. Beaucoup de mines de réutilisation des résidus miniers-créés lors de minéraux précieux ont été séparés de minéraux de la gangue dans le traitement de la mine de plantes comme matériau de remblayage afin de réduire l'exposition environnementale à résidus, maintenir la stabilité souterraine, et la récupération augmentation de minerai.Trois types de matériaux de remblai sont actuellement utilisés dans des excavations souterraines minières: hydraulique, la pâte, et le rock remblai. Cependant, ces matériaux présentent des limitations qui encouragent la recherche continue des approches novatrices pour réduire le poids, améliorer la rhéologie, et de minimiser les coûts. Mousse Minefill (FMF) est un nouveau matériau proposé pour les mines de remblayage, fabriqués en mélangeant mousse stable dans un mélange de résidus, des liants, et de l'eau en utilisant un agent moussant et de la mousse générateur. Cette action crée des bulles micro-air dans la masse FMF, résultant en une structure cellulaire. Le nouveau matériau de remplissage a un brevet en instance par l'Université McGill.Cette recherche développe et étudie les propriétés de la FMF, et explore ses potentialités. Essais de résistance à la compression uniaxiale (UCS), porosimétrie au mercure, la microscopie et rhéologie ont été menées pour atteindre les objectifs de recherche.Des échantillons de FMF ont été préparés en utilisant un sulfure libre résidus provenant d'une mine de cuivre en tant que matériau inerte, de ciment Portland normal, l'agent de liaison, et la mousse de Air® Stable à titre d'agent entraîneur d'air. Propriétés ont été comparées entre les échantillons préparés en utilisant différents dosages de liant, la densité de la pâte, les volumes d'air entraîné, et de mousse temps de mélange.Étant donné que les minéraux sulfurés couramment présents dans les résidus miniers posent des problèmes en termes d'oxydation et la détérioration des matériaux de remblayage, les résidus de sulfure provenant d'une mine d'or ont été utilisés pour préparer remblai en pâte expansé (FPF) échantillons pour une deuxième série d'expériences de laboratoire. La FPF a été comparé au remplissage de pâte conventionnelle pour étudier comment l'incorporation de mousse affecte les propriétés de la pâte de remplissage.Propriétés FMF gratuitement sulfures ont été fortement influencés par le dosage de liant, volume d'air entraîné, et l'interaction entre ces deux variables.Un temps de malaxage prolongé apparu pour détruire les molécules tensioactives qui stabilisent les bulles d'air. Cela a finalement abouti à l'effondrement de toute la structure cellulaire dans la FMF et une diminution significative de la densité UCS et FMF. En outre, des bulles d'air ont tendance à coalescer lorsque le volume d'air entraîné a été augmentée.Dans FPF faite avec des résidus contenant du sulfure d'or, des quantités élevées de mousse réduit le SCU à long terme, probablement en augmentant la diffusion de l'oxygène dans le mélange et favoriser l'oxydation de la pyrite. Cependant, l'addition de 5% d'air amélioré les UCS des échantillons FPF après 56 jours de cure.Les résultats montrent qu'il ya un fort potentiel pour la technologie de mousse de remplissage dans les applications minières, en particulier dans les zones où il ya une pénurie de résidus ou le manque de ressources en eau. L'ajout d'air peut compenser cette pénurie et de compléter le remplissage de vide. En outre, l'utilisation de mousse peut réduire considérablement la densité de remblai et de promouvoir un environnement de travail plus sûr pour les mineurs

Experimental Development of an Innovative Approach to Enhance the Strength of Early Age Cemented Paste Backfill: A Preliminary Investigation of Microwave-Assisted Curing

In underground mining, the application of mine backfill has evolved into a standard practice. Mine backfill typically consists of tailings, water, and hydraulic binders. However, the high cost of binders has prompted scholars to research alternatives to reduce this cost while maintaining or even improving the properties of the backfill. One potential alternative is leveraging microwave irradiation. In this study, an innovative approach was developed to increase the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of early age cemented paste backfill (CPB). Microwave treatment was applied to CPB samples at various curing ages for varying durations. The UCS and ultrasonic pulse velocities were measured and analyzed in an experiment with a full factorial design. Moreover, the microstructural properties of the CPB were investigated using mercury intrusion porosimetry. The results indicate a significant potential to increase the UCS of CPB by up to 25% when microwave-treating samples for 8 min after 7 days of curing. This approach could shorten mining cycle times and improve productivity, presenting a promising method to enhance CPB strength

The Potential to Replace Cement with Nano-Calcium Carbonate and Natural Pozzolans in Cemented Mine Backfill

The effectiveness of mine backfilling depends on the properties of its constituents. The high cost of cement, which is commonly used as a binder in mine backfill, has led researchers to seek alternatives to partially replace it with other binders. This study investigated the potential to use nano-calcium carbonate (NCC) and natural pozzolans (zeolite and pumice) along with Portland cement (PC) in mine backfill. Two types of experimental samples were prepared: (1) gold tailings and silica sand to investigate the effect of NCC and (2) nickel tailings to investigate the effect of natural pozzolans. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) was measured for samples cured for up to 56 days. Moreover, selected samples were subject to mercury intrusion porosimetry to investigate microstructural properties. Results show that addition of NCC did not improve the UCS of backfill prepared with gold tailings and cured for 28 days, whereas a dosage of 1% NCC in backfill samples prepared with silica sand improved UCS by 20%, suggesting that the gold tailings negatively affected strength development. Natural pozzolans, in particular, 20% zeolite, had 24% higher UCS after 56 days of curing compared to samples prepared with PC and thus have the potential to partially replace cement in mine backfill