Fenugreek Seed

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum), native to southern Europe and Asia, is anannual herb with white flowers and hard, yellowish brown and angular seeds,known from ancient times, for nutritional value beside of it medicinal effects. Fenugreek seeds are rich source of gum, fiber, alkaloid, flavonoids, saponin and volatile content. Due to it's high content of fiber, fenugreek could be used as food stabilizer, adhesive and emulsifying agent to change food texture for some special purposes. Some evidences suggest that fenugreek may also be regarded as antidiabetic, anticarcinogenic, remedy for hypocholesterolemia and hypoglycemia, antioxidant, antibacterial agent, gastric stimulant, and anti-anorexia agent. The present article is aimed to review the potential applications of fenugreek as a functional food and nutraceutical. Keywords: Chemical composition, Fenugreek gum, Fenugreek, Health benefits

A New Method for Correcting Deviation of Volatiles Content and Chamber Pressure for Single Base Propellant

In this study, special treatment was applied to two production batches of single-base propellant to correct three of the most important properties in the final product. These properties are internal and external volatile content (IV%, EV% respectively) and chamber pressure, the special treatments depend on mixing two batches with different percentages of mixing starting with sieving and ended with blending to guarantee the homogeneity of the final batch. The batches under study (A and B), batch A with (IV% 0.53%) which must be not less than 0.6%, so it deviated from standard requirement and Bach B with (IV =0.88%), the treatment applied for these batches to generate (C and D) batches. Batch C was a mixture composed of (25% of batch A and 0.75% of batch B). batch D was a mixture composed of (50%batchA and 50% of batch B). Six samples were subjected to sieving and blending according to calculations to correct internal and external volatile content and chamber pressure. For all samples lab, ballistics test, and executive calculations were done. After the test observed that no significant difference between the test and the results of calculations for all samples with different mixing ratios either volatiles content or chamber pressure so according to the result achieved the procedure (Method) was dependable for correcting the deviation of volatiles content and chamber pressure. The selectivity of the optimum mixing ratio can be controlled by using the equation used in this study. The importance of this study in reducing material losses due to the non-conformity of the final product with the specification.

The enriched Variscan lithosphere of NE Iberia: data from postcollisional Permian calc-alkaline lamprophyre dykes of Les Guilleries

Post-collisional mafic dykes crosscut the Paleozoic metamorphic basement and late-Variscan plutons in Les Guilleries massif (Catalan Coastal Ranges, NE Iberia). The predominance of mafic phenocrysts, porphyritic texture, abundant amphibole, high MgO and volatile content, together with crustal-like trace-element patterns indicate that the dykes correspond to calc-alkaline lamprophyres, mainly spessartites. Their enrichment in LILE, HFSE and REE and initial Sr-Nd isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sri between 0.70851 and 0.71127, epsilon Ndi between -5.23 and -4.63) are consistent with an enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle source. U-Pb ages of matrix titanite crystals yield concordia ages of 262±7Ma, congruent with crosscutting relationships. Postmagmatic processes are evidenced by intense chloritization and albitization of the lamprophyres, together with systematic variations of Na2O vs SiO2, K2O, CaO, Ba, Rb, Cs, Pb, Sr, Tl, and Zn, and possibly the removal of F. The geochemical and geochronological data support an orogenic geochemical affinity, in accordance with the transitional tectonic regime between Variscan compression/transpression and post-collisional transtension/extension, related to the fragmentation of Pangea and thinning of the lithosphere. The lamprophyre dykes studied could represent the youngest pulse of Variscan orogenic magmatism and, therefore, mark its end in NE Iberia before the onset of the generalized Triassic extension.

Constraints on the behaviour and content of volatiles in Galápagos magmas from melt inclusions and nominally anhydrous minerals

Despite their relatively low concentration in most oceanic basalts, volatile species (e.g. H2O, CO2 and S) have a disproportionately large influence on a wide range of mantle and magmatic processes. However, constraining the concentration of H2O (and other volatiles) in basaltic magmas is not straightforward as submarine glass analyses are influenced by assimilation of hydrothermal brines, and the melt inclusion record is often reset by post-entrapment processes. Nevertheless, in this study we show that it is possible to reconstruct a detailed history of the volatile content of basaltic magmas through integration of multiple discreet volatile records and careful consideration of secondary processes. We present new analyses of volatiles in olivine-hosted melt inclusions, melt embayments and nominally anhydrous minerals (NAMS, clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene) found in basalts erupted on Floreana Island in the south-eastern Galápagos Archipelago. Our results indicate that the Floreana magmas, which are characterised by the most radiogenic Pb and Sr isotope signatures in the Galápagos Archipelago, contain H2O concentrations between 0.4 and 0.8 wt% (at a melt Mg# of 0.65, where Mg# = Mg/(Mg + Fe) molar). These are marginally greater than the H2O contents of magmas beneath Fernandina in the western Galápagos Archipelago (cf. 0.2–0.7 wt% H2O at Mg# = 0.65). While the volatile content of magmas from the western archipelago follow trends defined by concurrent mixing and crystallisation, NAMs from Floreana reveal the presence of rare, volatile-rich magmas (~2 wt% H2O) that form as a consequence of reactive porous flow in mush-dominated magmatic systems beneath the south-eastern Galápagos. Furthermore, the Floreana magmas have similar H2O/light Rare Earth Element ratios to basalts from the western Galápagos but contain F/Nd and Cl/K ratios that are ~2 – 3 times greater, indicating that the mantle source of the Floreana lavas might represent an important halogen reservoir in the Galápagos mantle plume.

Experimental Investigations of the Ignitability of Several Coal Dust Qualities

The ignition characteristics of coal dust is of high importance for the flame stability in coal-fired power plants. We investigate the ignitability of six lignite dust qualities and one hard coal using dust explosion tests and an ignitability characteristic number. The paper aims to identify the degree of impact of the properties of coals, such as the moisture content, the ash content etc., on the ignition characteristics and ultimately to compare the identified relevant ignition parameters to the ignition performance of the dust qualities in an industrially relevant environment. The minimum cloud ignition temperature (MCIT), the maximum rate of pressure rise ((dp/dt)max), the maximum explosion pressure (pmax), the deflagration index (Kst-value) and the modified ignitability characteristic number (ZWZmod.) were determined and were attributed to the moisture content, the ash content and the median particle size. The MCIT was largely influenced by the volatile content, whereas the variations of moisture and ash contents within the range of 10% to 20% did not have a significant impact on the MCIT. The maximum explosion pressure did not differ considerably and stayed in a narrow range among the tested dust qualities. The deflagration index showed a higher sensitivity to the dust properties. The deflagration index and the modified ignitability characteristics number dropped as the moisture content increased and the volatile content reduced. The Kst and ZWZmod. values showed the highest susceptibility to the coal dust properties. Hence, they were used as representative parameters for further comparison with the ignition performance of coal dust in a pilot-scale testing. The results showed that both parameters predicted the ignition performance relatively well and can be used as indicators for the prediction of the ignition performance.

New Evidence to Support Zephyria Tholus as a Composite Volcano on Mars

Zephyria Tholus has been proposed to be a composite volcano, however, detailed geomorphological study was not carried out due to limited high-resolution remote sensing data. Here we use MOLA, THEMIS, CTX and HiRISE data to conduct topographical and geomorphological analysis of Zephyria Tholus. We identify extensive valleys and troughs on the flank, which are sector collapse or glacio-fluvial in origin. The valleys and troughs indicate coexistence of different erosion resistance materials, along with the observed solid lava outcrops. There are also layered materials identified on the wall of the largest valley. In addition, perched craters are identified on the top depression and flanks of Zephyria Tholus, indicating the presence of ice-rich layer. We conducted crater size-frequency distribution of the caldera and found the absolute model age is 3.74 (+0.03, −0.04) Ga. The geomorphology evidence and chronology result support the composite volcano nature of Zephyria Tholus, and indicate the magma volatile content in the Aeolis region in Noachian is more than 0.15 wt% if the atmosphere paleo-pressure was similar to present Mars.