Development of Hand-Operated Mechanical Ginger Peeler

Ginger, an underground rhizome, is valued as a spice and is used in both dry and fresh form. The process of peeling is labour-intensive and is a time-consuming operation in post-harvest handling of ginger done manually by women labour. To reduce time and labour requirement, a mechanical ginger peeler having a square mesh drum was developed. Peeling trials were conducted for varying drum loads (6kg, 8kg and 10kg), varying drum speeds (35rpm, 40rpm and 45rpm) and for different peeling durations (5 min, 10 min and 15 min). Optimum machine parameters for maximum efficiency were: drum load of 8 kg per batch, operated at drum speed of 40rpm for peeling duration 15 min. Peeling efficiency and material loss at optimum conditions were determined to be 55.60% and 4.68%, respectively. Dry ginger obtained after mechanical peeling was found to contain essential oil at 2%, oleoresin 4.6%, moisture content 9.82% and crude fibre content 2.5%

FaaPred: A SVM-Based Prediction Method for Fungal Adhesins and Adhesin-Like Proteins

Adhesion constitutes one of the initial stages of infection in microbial diseases and is mediated by adhesins. Hence, identification and comprehensive knowledge of adhesins and adhesin-like proteins is essential to understand adhesin mediated pathogenesis and how to exploit its therapeutic potential. However, the knowledge about fungal adhesins is rudimentary compared to that of bacterial adhesins. In addition to host cell attachment and mating, the fungal adhesins play a significant role in homotypic and xenotypic aggregation, foraging and biofilm formation. Experimental identification of fungal adhesins is labor- as well as time-intensive. In this work, we present a Support Vector Machine (SVM) based method for the prediction of fungal adhesins and adhesin-like proteins. The SVM models were trained with different compositional features, namely, amino acid, dipeptide, multiplet fractions, charge and hydrophobic compositions, as well as PSI-BLAST derived PSSM matrices. The best classifiers are based on compositional properties as well as PSSM and yield an overall accuracy of 86%. The prediction method based on best classifiers is freely accessible as a world wide web based server at http://bioinfo.icgeb.res.in/faap. This work will aid rapid and rational identification of fungal adhesins, expedite the pace of experimental characterization of novel fungal adhesins and enhance our knowledge about role of adhesins in fungal infections

HST Images Flash Ionization of Old Ejecta by the 2011 Eruption of Recurrent Nova T Pyxidis

T Pyxidis is the only recurrent nova surrounded by knots of material ejected in previous outbursts. Following the eruption that began on 2011 April 14.29, we obtained seven epochs (from 4 to 383 days after eruption) of Hubble Space Telescope narrowband Ha images of T Pyx . The flash of radiation from the nova event had no effect on the ejecta until at least 55 days after the eruption began. Photoionization of hydrogen located north and south of the central star was seen 132 days after the beginning of the eruption. That hydrogen recombined in the following 51 days, allowing us to determine a hydrogen atom density of at least 7e5 cm^-3 - at least an order of magnitude denser than the previously detected, unresolved [NII] knots surrounding T Pyx. Material to the northwest and southeast was photoionized between 132 and 183 days after the eruption began. 99 days later that hydrogen had recombined. Both then (282 days after outburst) and 101 days later, we detected almost no trace of hydrogen emission around T Pyx. There is a large reservoir of previously unseen, cold diffuse hydrogen overlapping the previously detected, [NII] - emitting knots of T Pyx ejecta. The mass of this newly detected hydrogen is probably an order of magnitude larger than that of the [NII] knots. We also determine that there is no significant reservoir of undetected ejecta from the outer boundaries of the previously detected ejecta out to about twice that distance, near the plane of the sky. The lack of distant ejecta is consistent with the Schaefer et al (2010) scenario for T Pyx, in which the star underwent its first eruption within five years of 1866 after many millennia of quiescence, followed by the six observed recurrent nova eruptions since 1890. This lack of distant ejecta is not consistent with scenarios in which T Pyx has been erupting continuously as a recurrent nova for many centuries or millennia.Comment: 27 pages, 10 figures, submitted to the Astrophysical Journa

Development of a hand operated diamond cut mesh drum abrasive ginger peeler

Peeling of fresh ginger is an important operation done before drying to enhance the drying process and is generally done manually. A mechanical ginger peeler was developed with its peeling drum made of diamond cut mesh. Peeling trials were conducted for varying drum loads (5 kg, 6 kg and 7 kg), for varying drum speeds (20 rpm, 25 rpm and 30 rpm) and for different peeling durations (5 m, 10 m and 15 m) to determine the peeling efficiency and material loss in the developed peeler. It was found that peeling of ginger was associated with the material loss. The optimum machine parameters for maximum peeling with minimum loss was obtained at a drum load of 7 kg per batch, operated at a drum speed of 30 rpm for a peeling duration of 15 min, to produce sufficiently peeled ginger. The peeling efficiency and material loss at the optimum conditions were determined as 59.43% and 4.76%, respectively. The ginger obtained after mechanical peeling was dried and the quality was determined. It was found to have essential oil of 2.0%, oleoresin of 4.6%, moisture content of 9.82% and crude fibre content of 2.5%. &nbsp

Mechanical and thermal properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.)

Mechanical properties of fresh and stored (under ambient conditions for 2 months) ginger rhizomes (Zingiber officinale) (cv. Himachal) necessary for the design of processing machineries, were determined. Thermal properties were determined for fresh and dry ginger. Mechanical properties like peel penetration force for primary, secondary and tertiary finger rhizomes increased from 0.45 N, 0.52 N and 0.51 N to 0.60 N, 0.70 N and 0.65 N, respectively; the peel compressive force at rupture increased from 20.12 N, 19.86 N and 17.56 N to 22.58 N, 21.21 N and 19.67 N, respectively, and the cutting force required to penetrate through peel increased from 31.56 N, 27.68 N and 26.57 N to 32.71 N, 28.93 N and 28.16 N, respectively, in fresh and stored ginger rhizomes. Thermal properties like specific heat, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity for fresh ginger were 3566.87 J kg-1 K-1, 0.2916 W m-1 K-1 and 0.8609 x 10-7 m2 s-1 and the corresponding values for dry ginger at 10% moisture content were 1918.81 J kg-1 K-1, 0.0760 W m-1 K-1 and 1.7339 x 10-7 m2 s-1, respectively. &nbsp

Physical and biochemical parameters of fresh and dry ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe)

The physical and biochemical properties of fresh and dry ginger (Zingiber officinale) (cv: Himachal) obtained from Nemmara (Palakkad District, Kerala), useful for the design of processing machineries, were determined. The average moisture content of fresh and dry rhizomes were 81.70% and 8.85%, respectively. The average length, width and thickness of fresh rhizome were 14.99 cm, 8.17 cm and 4.49 cm, respectively and the corresponding values for dry rhizome were 9.74 cm, 5.56 cm and 4.49 cm. The mean values of cylindricity for primary, secondary and tertiary finger rhizomes were 0.46, 0.51 and 0.56, respectively and the corresponding values for dry finger rhizomes were 0.48, 0.53 and 0.58. The average mass, volume and surface area of fresh rhizomes were 103.45 g, 85.0 cm3 and 194.52 cm2, respectively and the corresponding values for dry rhizomes were 31.62 g, 22.10 cm3 and 65.84 cm2. The bulk density, true density and porosity for fresh rhizomes were determined as 471.49 kg m-3, 1107.01 kg m-3 and 66.80%, respectively, and for dry rhizomes the values were 460.09 kg m-3, 1013.22 kg m-3 and 54.09%. The angle of repose increased from 34.6° to 39.5° after drying. Mild steel surface offered more frictional resistance than other surfaces and the coefficient of friction for fresh and dry ginger against mild steel was 0.74 and 0.54, respectively. The average meat : peel ratio of the whole fresh rhizome was 10.7:1. The average recovery of dry ginger was 23.01%. The dry ginger obtained had 1.6% essential oil, 3.5% oleoresin and 2.7% crude fibre. &nbsp

Physical and biochemical parameters of fresh and dry ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe)

The physical and biochemical properties of fresh and dry ginger (Zingiber officinale) (cv: Himachal) obtained from Nemmara (Palakkad District, Kerala), useful for the design of processing machineries, were determined. The average moisture content of fresh and dry rhizomes were 81.70% and 8.85%, respectively. The average length, width and thickness of fresh rhizome were 14.99 cm, 8.17 cm and 4.49 cm, respectively and the corresponding values for dry rhizome were 9.74 cm, 5.56 cm and 4.49 cm. The mean values of cylindricity for primary, secondary and tertiary finger rhizomes were 0.46, 0.51 and 0.56, respectively and the corresponding values for dry finger rhizomes were 0.48, 0.53 and 0.58. The average mass, volume and surface area of fresh rhizomes were 103.45 g, 85.0 cm3 and 194.52 cm2, respectively and the corresponding values for dry rhizomes were 31.62 g, 22.10 cm3 and 65.84 cm2. The bulk density, true density and porosity for fresh rhizomes were determined as 471.49 kg m-3, 1107.01 kg m-3 and 66.80%, respectively, and for dry rhizomes the values were 460.09 kg m-3, 1013.22 kg m-3 and 54.09%. The angle of repose increased from 34.6° to 39.5° after drying. Mild steel surface offered more frictional resistance than other surfaces and the coefficient of friction for fresh and dry ginger against mild steel was 0.74 and 0.54, respectively. The average meat : peel ratio of the whole fresh rhizome was 10.7:1. The average recovery of dry ginger was 23.01%. The dry ginger obtained had 1.6% essential oil, 3.5% oleoresin and 2.7% crude fibre. &nbsp

Mathematical modeling for thin layer sun drying of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.)

Trials on drying of ginger were conducted during the month of April, 2009 at Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu). Ginger rhizomes were mechanically washed, partially peeled, spread in single layer on cemented yard and dried from initial moisture of 594.01% (d.b.) (dry basis) to a final moisture content value of 9.82% (d.b.). Drying of ginger was completed in eight days. Drying characteristics curves, showed no constant rate period and all the drying process occurred in the falling rate period. Thin layer modeling of drying data showed that diffusion approximation model best described the drying process. The effective moisture diffusivity for drying of ginger was calculated as 1.91 × 10-7 m2 s-1. Sun dried ginger rhizomes were evaluated for its quality and it was found that the essential oil, oleoresin, moisture and crude fibre contents were 2.0%, 4.6%, 9.82% and 2.5%, respectively &nbsp