Anthocyanin content and storage stability of spray/freeze drying microencapsulated anthocyanins from berries: a review

A comprehensive literature search for articles published on spray and freeze-dried anthocyanins from a large variety of berries was performed. Out of a total of two-hundred and eight collected values, anthocyanin content in encapsulates had a 120-fold variation depending on the raw material and type of encapsulating agents. Highest observed anthocyanin concentration amounted to about 3500 mg/100 g powder. In most cases increasing the amount of encapsulant agents led to a noticeable reduction in the concentration of anthocyanins, this being attributable to a predominance of the dilution effect. Retention of encapsulated anthocyanins after storage at 25 °C (in darkness) for periods between 90 and 180 days were in the range of 80–67%, as long as the water activity (aw) was 0.33 or less. Some predicted values of half-time (t1/2) from literature must be taken with precaution since in many cases they were derived from experimental measurements taken at storage times smaller than predicted half times. Anthocyanin degradation during storage occurred even below the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the amorphous matrices.

SI engine fuel mixture type indicator and an assessment of its suitability of an economic driving style

The article presents the structure and a principle of operation of a simple indicator of the type of a fuel-air mixture supplying a spark-ignition engine with a direct fuel injection. The designed indicator was tested, as a result of which its correct operation was verified. By using information from the indicator, it was possible to assess its usefulness for assisting the driver in an economical driving style. Preliminary studies show that thanks to the use of the developed indicator, it is possible to save about 10% of fuel as a result of the correction of the economic driving style on the route selected for the purpose of this research paper. The target of this study was to confirm a noticeable reduction in fuel consumption when supplying the engine with a stratified mixture. In order to obtain more accurate data, the research should be extended to include a greater number of routes and its division into urban and non-urban areas.

Securing Audio Using AES-based Authenticated Encryption with Python

The focus of this research is to analyze the results of encrypting audio using various authenticated encryption algorithms implemented in the Python cryptography library for ensuring authenticity and confidentiality of the original contents. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is used as the underlying cryptographic primitive in conjunction with various modes including Galois Counter Mode (GCM), Counter with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code (CCM), and Cipher Block Chaining (CBC) with Keyed-Hashing for encrypting a relatively small audio file. The resulting encrypted audio shows similarity in the variance when encrypting using AES-GCM and AES-CCM. There is a noticeable reduction in variance of the performed encodings and an increase in the amount of time it takes to encrypt and decrypt the same audio file using AES-CBC with Keyed-Hashing. In addition, the corresponding encrypted using this mode audio spans a longer duration. As a result, AES should either have GCM or CCM for an efficient and reliable authenticated encryption integration within a workflow.

Scientific Advances and Pharmacological Applications of Marine Derived-Collagen and Chitosan

This work is devoted to investigating the effect of arc welding energy on microstructures and mechanical properties of steel 316L. This later is very useful in industrial, infrastructure transportation, containers shipping, and almost logistic applications. For that reason, five samples of welded steel 316L were carried out based on many parameters to reveal some properties (microstructure, mechanical, corrosion resistance, etc.). To reveal the anticorrosion efficiency. The epoxy/Alumina composite coating on welded steel 316L is tested in 1M HCl acidic media. This manipulation shows excellent corrosion resistance thanks to epoxy/Alumina coated. The choices of this coating are based on the environment, cost and safety. The used epoxy is only degrading with fire but not toxic. Also, it is not a costly method, and it is widely used and performed. Impedance studies on samples of welded steel 316L were conducted in 1M HCl media. The results showed that transfer resistance is increasing with the increase of welding energy. This result was assessed by potentiodynamic polarization measurements indicating a noticeable reduction of current densities with welding energy decrease. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrograph was undertaken in order to check how far the studied samples are protected by the used coating in such aggressive media.

Mechanical Properties of Epoxy Adhesive Under Thermal Aging and Their Chemical Degradation Behavior

Epoxy adhesive was analyzed under long term thermal aging and mechanical properties and chemical degradation were observed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Long term thermal exposure of epoxy causes a noticeable reduction in adhesive properties. We developed a predictive model of temperature and time dependent aging. The temperature dependent aging behavior of epoxy adhesive shows good agreement with conventional Arrhenius equations. Using XPS analysis, we also discovered a correlation between chemical degradation and the adhesive properties. Decay of C–C bonding ratio induced chain-scission of epoxy adhesive; increase of total numbers of C–O and C═O induced oxidation of epoxy adhesive during thermal exposure.

‘No One Should Be Terrified Like I Was!’ Exploring Drivers and Impacts of Child Marriage in Protracted Crises Among Palestinian and Syrian Refugees

Exacerbated by 9 years of conflict and displacement, child marriage among Syrian refugees appears to be increasing, while in Gaza, the noticeable reduction in child brides over the past two decades has recently plateaued. This comparative study explores drivers and consequences of child marriage in protracted crises, drawing on mixed-methods research from Gaza and Jordan with married adolescent girls and their parents. Our findings suggest that conflict reignites pre-existing drivers of child marriage, especially conservative norms around family honour and clan inter-marriage. Poverty is a strong driver of child marriage among Syrian refugees, while social protection programmes and educational opportunities for girls have played a protective role in Gaza. In both contexts, our findings underscore the multiple and intersecting negative effects of child marriage on girls’ health and bodily integrity, and point to the urgency of tackling this harmful practice to ensure that no adolescent is left behind.

Development and characterization of k-carrageenan platforms as periodontal intra-pocket films

Purpose: To prepare emulsion-based Intrapocket polymeric films for the treatment of periodontitis. Method: Films were fabricated by dehydration of an emulsion containing k-carrageenan (KC) in aqueous phase and Compritol® 888 ATO (Compritol® ) or Dimodan® UJ (DU® ) or different ratios of both. The resulting films were characterized by mechanical texture analyser to determine Young’s modulus and tensile strength. Glass transition temperature (Tg) of the films was evaluated by dynamic mechanical and thermal analyser while surface morphology was evaluated using scanning electron microscope. In-vitro drug release was conducted in pre-warmed phosphate buffer. Bacterial adherence was assessed after 24 h. Results: Young’s modulus was highest for KC films to which no lipid was added (5.33 ± 0.38 GPa) and decreased following lipid incorporation. Tg was highest in KC films (106.25 ± 4.53 ° C) but decreased upon addition of lipids. The surface of KC was smooth but roughness increased with increasing Compritol® load. Drug release from KC films was complete (99.80 ± 8.43 %) after 2 h; however, upon adding lipid, the release was extended 8 h and was affected by lipid type and ratio. Microbiologic assay demonstrated noticeable reduction in viable count compared to control and was affected by lipid type and ratio. The film formulated from a combination of DU® and Compritol® in a ratio of 80:20 was strong, flexible and reduced microbial adherence. Moreover, it showed a smooth surface and extended release for over 8 h. Conclusion: Intra-pocket films were prepared by drying emulsion-based films. Resulted films were strong, flexible, prolonged drug release over 8 h and could lower bacterial growth. The prepared film may offer efficient treatment in periodontitis patients.

FIRE PROTECTION OF STEEL ELEMENTS USING LIGHTWEIGHT HYBRID CEMENT MORTAR

Material properties of steel structures are significantly reduced at high temperatures, so a fire protection has strong positive impact on the fire resistance of the structure. Fire resistance of steel elements can be increased using a layer of cement-based materials as a fire protection. Most of commonly used cement-based materials do not withstand high temperatures without noticeable reduction of mechanical properties. Hybrid cement showed some interesting properties in the way of resistance to high temperatures and adhesion to steel surfaces, thus its behavior during fire exposure should be investigated. One experimental analysis with numerical simulation is presented in this article. It examines thermal material properties of lightweight hybrid cement mortar with expanded perlite from a simple experiment with a lab gas burner.

Mechanistic Modeling of Wellbore Cleanout in Horizontal and Inclined Wells

The accumulation of rock cuttings, proppant, and other solid debris in the wellbore due to inadequate cleanout remarkably impedes field operations. This article presents a new hole cleaning model, which calculates the Critical Transport Velocity (CTV) in conventional and fibrous fluids. The study is aimed to establish an accurate mechanistic model for optimizing wellbore cleanout in horizontal and inclined wells. The new CTV model is established to predict the initiation of bed particle movement during cleanout operations. The model is formulated considering the impact of fiber using a special drag coefficient (i.e. fiber drag coefficient), which represents the mechanical and hydrodynamic actions of suspended fiber particles and their network. The dominant forces acting on a single bed particle are considered to develop the model. Furthermore, to enhance the precision of the model, recently developed hydraulic correlations are employed to compute the average bed shear stress, which is required to determine the CTV. In horizontal and highly deviated wells, the wellbore geometry is often eccentric, resulting in the formation of flow stagnant zones that are difficult to clean. The bed shear stress in these zones is sensitive to the bed thickness. The existing wellbore cleanout models do not account for the variation in bed shear stress. Thus, their accuracy is limited when stagnant zones are formed. The new model addresses this problem by incorporating hydraulic correlations to account for bed shear stress variation with bed height. The accuracy of the new model is validated with published measurements and compared with the precision of an existing model. The use of fiber drag and bed shear stress correlations has improved model accuracy and aided in capturing the contribution of fiber in improving wellbore cleanout. As a result, for fibrous and conventional fluids, the predictions of the new model have demonstrated good agreement with experimental measurements and provided better predictions than the existing model. Model predictions show a noticeable reduction in fluid circulation rate due to the addition of a small quantity of fiber (0.04% w/w) in the fluid. In addition, results show that the existing model over predicts the cleaning performance of both conventional and fibrous fluids.

Applications of Rare Earth Metals in Al-Si Cast Alloys

The present article reviews a large number of research publications on the effect of mischmetal (MM), rare earth metals (RE), La or Ce, and combinations of La + Ce on the performance of Al-Si cast alloys mainly 319, 356, 380, 413, and 390 alloys. Most of these articles focused on the use of rare earth metals as a substitute for strontium (Sr) as a eutectic silicon (Si) modifier if added in low percentage (< 1 wt.%) to avoid precipitation of a significant amount of insoluble intermetallics and hence poor mechanical properties. Other points that were considered were the affinity of RE to react with Sr., reducing its effectiveness as modifier, as well as the grain refining efficiency of the added RE in any form. None of these articles mentioned the exact composition of the RE used and percentage of tramp elements inherited from the parent ore. Using high purity La or Ce proved to have no effect on the Si shape, size or distribution, in particular at low solidification rates (thick sections). However, regardless the source of the RE, its addition to Sr-modified alloys reduced the modification effect. As for grain refining, apparently a high percentage of RE (> 1 wt.%) is required to achieve a noticeable reduction in grain size, however at the cost of alloy brittleness.