ALTERNATIVE PROTEINS FEEDING THE WORLD: INCLUSION OF CRICKET POWDER IN CEREAL- BASED PRODUCTS

With the growing population worldwide and subsequently, the increasing demand for protein from livestock (poultry, fish, pigs and cattle) causes concern and future challenges. Entomophagy (the practice of consuming insects) can be promoted as an alternative and sustainable food source. Although there are around 1900 edible insect species globally, these are mainly consumed in developing countries due to their nutritional composition and ease of access. For instance, crickets are high in protein, fibre and low in carbohydrate, making them suitable to feed the world as an alternative food. The objective of this research was to understand the implications when using cricket powder fortificants within baked products. Three different sample replacement levels, wheat flour and cricket powder – 30% (WW+CP), wheat flour, cricket powder, quinoa- and Khorasan flour – 30:20:20% (WW+CP+Q+KH) and wheat flour, cricket powder, quinoa- Khorasan flour and mixed seeds – 30:20:20:25% (WW+CP+Q+KH+MS), were tested against a control sample (wheat flour – WW). Dough and bread samples were subjected to rheological, technological, chemical and sensory analysis to determine the individual analysis parameters. A negative linear correlation was observed between the number of inclusions within samples. Thus, impacting the rheological dough parameters, particularly a statistical significance (p < .05) for secondary parameters (protein weakening, starch gelatinisation and enzyme degradation). Crumb brightness and slice volume parameters decreased through the C-Cell illumination system as the replacement levels increased for all treatments. WW+CP+Q+KH+MS samples showed a decrease in the area occupied by air cells, the average air cell diameter, and cell wall thickness. However, the number of gas air cells increased for WW+CP+Q+KH and WW+CP+Q+KH+MS, indicating a good fermentation process within the bread samples. Texture profile analysis (TPA) was monitored at 1, 3, 5 and 7 days, showing a positive correlation between the higher number of flour inclusions and a reduced hardness within samples. Likewise, resilience decreased as the replacement levels increased for all treatments. Bread samples were analysed for nutritional composition and revealed an increase in crude- protein, fat and fibre as the replacement levels increased. This correlated with a positive linear increase between the increase in replacement levels and the macronutrients. Furthermore, this directly impacted the texture for sample WW+CP+Q+KH+MS, as it maintained the softest crumb reducing the staling rate. Finally, bread samples made with the combination of WW+CP+Q+KH+MS, showed a liking by 145 untrained panellists (appearance – 57%, taste – 74%, texture – 64%). Data collected highlighted a practical use of cricket powder, ancient grains and mixed seeds to produce enriched bread products. Meanwhile, a JISC survey found that consumers worldwide prefer insects as agricultural feed rather than a direct food source (r = .6). However, this changed when participants heard about crickets’ potential health benefits, and a shift to accepting crickets as a direct food source was noticed (r = .89). Furthermore, the food neophobia levels showed a decrease compared to previous studies, suggesting more acceptance of this alternative protein

Experimental analyses of trailing edge flows

An experimental study of several of the trailing edge and wake turbulence properties for a NACA 64A010 airfoil section was completed. The experiment was conducted at the Ohio State University Aeronautical and Astronautical Research Laboratory in the 6 inch X 22 inch transonic wind tunnel facility. The data were obtained at a free stream Mach number of 0.80 and a flow Reynolds number (based on chord length) of 5 million. The principle diagnostic tool was a dual-component laser Doppler velocimeter. The experimental data included surface static pressures, chordwise and vertical mean velocities, RMS turbulence intensities, local flow angles, and a determination of turbulence kinetic energy in the wake. Two angles of attack (0 and 2 degrees) were investigated. At these incidence angles, four flow field surveys were obtained ranging in position from the surface of the airfoil, between the transonic shock and the trailing edge, to the far-wake. At both angles of attack, the turbulence intensities and turbulence kinetic energy were observed to decay in the streamwise direction. In the far wake, for the non-lifting case, the turbulence intensities were nearly isotropic. For the two degree case, the horizontal component of the turbulence intensity was observed to be substantially higher than the vertical component

Local‐Regional Similarity in Drylands Increases During Multiyear Wet and Dry Periods and in Response to Extreme Events

Climate change is predicted to impact ecosystems through altered precipitation (PPT) regimes. In the Chihuahuan Desert, multiyear wet and dry periods and extreme PPT pulses are the most influential climatic events for vegetation. Vegetation responses are most frequently studied locally, and regional responses are often unclear. We present an approach to quantify correlation of PPT and vegetation responses (as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index [NDVI]) at the Jornada ARS‐LTER site (JRN; 550 km2 area) and the surrounding dryland region (from 0 to 500 km distance; 400,000 km2 study area) as a way to understand regional similarity to locally observed patterns. We focused on fluctuating wet and dry years, multiyear wet or dry periods of 3–4 yr, and multiyear wet periods that contained one or more extreme high PPT pulses or extreme low rainfall. In all but extreme high PPT years, JRN PPT was highly correlated... (See article for full abstract)

Climate forcings and the nonlinear dynamics of grassland ecosystems

The nonlinear interaction of climate forcings and ecosystem variables is instrumental in creating the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of grasslands. Ecosystem processes are a product of these interactions and vary in sensitivity to them across time. How forcings aggregate and shape ecosystem responses is an important aspect of grassland states and defines how they respond to changes in environmental conditions. Characterizing the relationship between climate drivers and ecosystem variables helps sharpen analysis of ecosystem flux dynamics during the growing season and identifies likely deviations from mean functioning. To address the question of how climate forcings and ecosystem variables interact to shape seasonal water and carbon dynamics in grasslands, this thesis is split into two analysis chapters. The first (Chapter 3) is a characterization of water and carbon flux responses to variable precipitation timing and magnitude. Particular focus is placed on temporal sensitivity to inputs, seasonality in water flux dynamics, and the linkage between precipitation, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and potential evaporation. Chapter 4 extends International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC A1B) regional climate scenario projections for the Central Plains of the United States to assess mesic grassland responses. The specific focus is assessing the ecosystem response to increased precipitation variability, increased potential evaporation, and earlier growing season onset. Effects of these forcings are shaped by simulations of constant and seasonally-varying water-use efficiency to assess the role of vegetation on grassland carbon assimilation, and also to explore species-specific responses at the Konza Prairie in North Central Kansas, USA. Results from both chapters show variation in seasonal sensitivity of fluxes to precipitation, with varying relationships between drivers, variable conditions, and fluxes. This research provides for a better understanding of ecosystem processes and provides assessment of the magnitude and extent that forcing variation has on grassland function. Results from the second chapter show increased seasonal water and carbon flux variability and increased frequency of water stress conditions. Vegetation responses suggest climate change will impact species and habitat compositions through changing environmental conditions and partitioning of carbon assimilation periods. This illustrates potential effects to grassland functioning and growing season dynamics