Search

A new bubble-generating glass chamber with an extensive set of aerosol production experiments is presented. Compared to the experiments described in the literature since the ground-setting works of Edward C.​​​​​​​ Monahan et al. in 1980s, the current setup is among the medium-sized installations allowing for accurate control of the air discharge, water temperature, and salinity. The size and material of the chamber offer a variety of applications due to its portability, measurement setup adjustability, and sterilization option. The experiments have been conducted in a cylindrical bubbling tank of 10 L volume that was filled by ∼ 30 %–40 % with water of controlled salt content and temperature and covered with a hermetic lid. The chamber was used to study the characteristics of aerosols produced by bursting bubbles under different conditions. In line with previous findings, the sea spray aerosol production was shown to depend linearly on the surface area covered by the bubbles, which in turn is a near-linear function of the air discharge through the water. Observed dependencies of the aerosol size spectra and particle fluxes on water salinity and temperature, being qualitatively comparable with the previous experiments, substantially refined the existing parameterizations. In particular, the bubble size was practically independent from the air discharge through the water body, except in the case of very small flows. Also, the dependence of aerosol spectrum and amount on salinity was much weaker than suggested in some previous experiments. The temperature dependence, to the contrary, was significant and consistent, with a transition in the spectrum shape at ∼ 10 ∘C. Theoretical analysis based on the basic conservation laws supported the main results of the experiments but also highlighted the need for a better understanding of the aerosol production from a cold water surface.

The global need to expand the design of energy-storage devices led to the investigation of alkali metal - Ionic Liquid (IL) mixtures as a possible class of electrolytes. In this study, 1D and 2D Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) as well as Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations were used to study the intermolecular interactions in imidazolium-based IL - water - alkali halide ternary mixtures. The 1H and 23Na 1D and 1H DOSY NMR spectra revealed that the presence of small quantities of NaCl does not influence the aggregation of water molecules in the IL nano-domains. The order of adding ionic compounds to water, as well as the certain water and NaCl molecular ratios, lead to the formation of isolated water clusters. Two ternary solutions representing different orders of compounds mixing (H2O+ IL + NaCl or H2O+ NaCl + IL) showed a strong dependence of the initial solvation shell of Na+ and the self-clustering of water. Furthermore, the behaviour of water was found to be independent from the conditions applied during the solution preparation, such as temperature and/or duration of stirring and aging. These findings could be confirmed by large differences in the amount of ionic species, observed in the ternary solutions and depending on the order of mixing/solute preparation.

In the study, the effects of the degree of NaCl substitution by KCl (NaCl-KCl combinations of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25 : 75, 0:100) on microbiological and physico-chemical properties of heat-treated sucuk were investigated during production stages. In addition, the final product was analysed for sensory properties. NaCl-KCl combination, production stage and interactions of these two factors showed very important effects (P < 0.01) on water activity, pH and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, as well as lactic acid bacteria and Micrococcus or Staphylococcus. The production stage had very significant (P < 0.01) effect on L*, a* and b* values, while NaCl-KCl combination had no effect on colour values. By sensory analysis, it was determined that odour and taste scores decreased considerably in the case of using only KCl (100 %; P < 0.01). The combinations of 25 : 75 and 0:100 showed lower values than the control group (100:0) in terms of texture and general acceptability scores. Principal component analysis was also applied to determine relation the between NaCl-KCl combination and sensory properties. The results of the study showed that 50 % of NaCl could be replaced with KCl in the production of heat-treated sucuk.

Driven by Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 and the European Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC, we have re‐evaluated the available chronic freshwater ecotoxicity data for ionic silver (Ag) using strict data quality criteria. In addition, we generated new chronic ecotoxicity data for species potentially sensitive to Ag (the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus, the cyanobacteria Anabaena flos‐aquae, and the aquatic plant Lemna minor) using Ag nitrate as the test substance. The 10% effect concentrations for the most sensitive endpoint per test species were 0.31 µg dissolved Ag/L for B. calyciflorus (population size), 0.41 µg dissolved Ag/L for A. flos‐aquae (growth rate), and 1.40 µg dissolved Ag/L for L. minor (root length). We included these values in the set of reliable chronic freshwater data, subsequently covering a total of 12 taxonomic groups and 15 species. Finally, we applied a species sensitivity distribution approach to the data set using various models. The best‐fitting model (Rayleigh distribution) resulted in a threshold value protective for 95% of the species of 0.116 µg dissolved Ag/L. This value is considered reliable and conservative in terms of species protection and can be used as a solid basis for setting thresholds for Ag in freshwater after application of an appropriate assessment factor. Furthermore, this value represents reasonable worst‐case conditions for bioavailability in European Union surface waters (low hardness and low dissolved organic carbon). Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1678–1693. © 2021 European Precious Metals Federation. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Clostridium botulinum is a significant food safety concern due to its ability to produce highly potent neurotoxin and resistant endospores. Vegetarian sausages have become a popular source of plant protein and alternative for meat products. While vegetarian sausages have not been linked to botulism, numerous outbreaks due to preserved vegetables suggest a frequent occurrence of C. botulinum spores in the raw material. The product formulation of vegetarian sausages involves limited NaCl and preservatives, and shelf-lives may be several months. The safety of vegetarian sausages thus relies mainly on heat treatment and chilled storage. The main food safety concern is C. botulinum Group II that can grow and produce toxin at refrigeration temperatures. Here we show a high overall prevalence (32%) of C. botulinum in 74 samples of vegetarian sausages from seven producers. Both Groups I and II strains and genes for neurotoxin types A, B, E and F were detected in the products. The highest cell counts (1200 spores/kg) were observed for C. botulinum Group II in products with remaining shelf-lives of 6 months at the time of purchase. We conclude that vacuum-packaged vegetarian sausage products frequently contain C. botulinum spores and may possess a high risk of C. botulinum growth and toxin production. Chilled storage below 3°C and thorough reheating before consumption are warranted.

Despite the broad success of biological nanopores as powerful instruments for the analysis of proteins and nucleic acids at the single-molecule level, a fast simulation methodology to accurately model their nanofluidic properties is currently unavailable. This limits the rational engineering of nanopore traits and makes the unambiguous interpretation of experimental results challenging. Here, we present a continuum approach that can faithfully reproduce the experimentally measured ionic conductance of the biological nanopore Cytolysin A (ClyA) over a wide range of ionic strengths and bias potentials. Our model consists of the extended Poisson-Nernst-Planck and Navier-Stokes (ePNP-NS) equations and a computationally efficient 2D-axisymmetric representation for the geometry and charge distribution of the nanopore. Importantly, the ePNP-NS equations achieve this accuracy by self-consistently considering the finite size of the ions and the influence of both the ionic strength and the nanoscopic scale of the pore on the local properties of the electrolyte. These comprise the mobility and diffusivity of the ions, and the density, viscosity and relative permittivity of the solvent. Crucially, by applying our methodology to ClyA, a biological nanopore used for single-molecule enzymology studies, we could directly quantify several nanofluidic characteristics difficult to determine experimentally. These include the ion selectivity, the ion concentration distributions, the electrostatic potential landscape, the magnitude of the electro-osmotic flow field, and the internal pressure distribution. Hence, this work provides a means to obtain fundamental new insights into the nanofluidic properties of biological nanopores and paves the way towards their rational engineering. ispartof: NANOSCALE vol:12 issue:32 pages:16775-16795 ispartof: location:England status: published

Ionic liquids have the potential to be used for extracting valuable chemicals from raw materials. These processes often involve water, and after extraction, the water or other chemicals must be removed from the ionic liquid, so it can be reused. To help in designing such processes, we present data on the vapor-liquid equilibrium of the system containing protic ionic liquid 7-methyl-1,5,7-triazabicyclo [ 4.4.0 ] dec-5-enium acetate, water, acetic acid, and 7-methyl-1,5,7-triazabicyclo [4.4.0] dec-5-ene. Earlier studies have only focused on mixtures of water and an ionic liquid with a stoichiometric ratio of the ions. Here, we also investigated mixtures containing an excess of the acid or base component because in real systems with protic ionic liquids, the amount of acid and base in the mixture can vary. We modeled the data using both the ePC-SAFT and NRTL models, and we compared the performance of different modeling strategies. We also experimentally determined the vapor composition for a few of the samples, but none of the modeling strategies tested could accurately predict the concentration of the acid and base components in the vapor phase.

Pore-scale visualization was employed to investigate evaporative drying of brine and associated salt deposition at different wetting conditions, using a 2.5D etched-silicon/glass micromodel based on a thin section image of a carbonate rock. We also compared air drying with CO2 drying, with the latter having important applications in CO2 sequestration processes. The resulting permeability impairment was also measured. For deionized water in a water-wet model, we observed the three classical periods of evaporation: the constant rate period (CRP), the falling rate period (FRP), and the receding front period (RFP). The length of the deionized water CRP was much shorter for a uniformly oil-wet model, but mixed wettability made little difference to the drying process. For brine systems at all wetting conditions, the dry area became linear with the square root of time after a short CRP. This is due to the deposited salt acting as a physical barrier to hydraulic connectivity, unlike the case of deionized water, which is due to capillary disconnection from the fracture channel. For the water-wet model, we observed two regions of a linear downward trend in the matrix and fracture permeability measurements. A similar trend was observed for the mixed-wet systems. However, for the oil-wet systems, fracture permeability only changes slightly even for 360 g/L brine, a result of the absence of salt deposits in the fracture caused by the early rupture of the liquid-wetting films needed to aid hydraulic connectivity. Overall, matrix permeability for all wetting conditions decreased with increasing brine concentration and was almost total for the 360 g/L brine. Finally, using CO2 rather than air as carrier gas makes the brine phase more wetting, especially in the deionized water case, with the result that hydraulic connectivity was maintained for longer in the CO2 case compared to dry out with air.

Background: Previous studies have shown that exposure to high frequency electromagnetic fields induces alterations in simple organic systems such as proteins in bidistilled water solution. Objective: The aim of this study was to test the shielding action of sodium chloride in bidistilled water solution against exposure to a high frequency electromagnetic field, in order to evaluate if the addition of NaCl in proteins aqueous solution can be considered a valuable bioprotector against electromagnetic fields. Method: Samples of 250 μl of different hemoglobin aqueous solutions, in the absence or presence of sodium-chloride, were exposed for 3 hours to an electromagnetic field at 1750 MHz at a power density around 1 W/m2 emitted by an operational mobile phone. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy was used to study the effects of exposure on the secondary structure of hemoglobin also in the presence of sodium-chloride. Results: Spectral analysis evidenced that significant increase in intensity of the Amide I and II vibration bands in hemoglobin bidistilled water solution occurred after exposure to the electromagnetic field. This result can be due to the increase of dipole moment of the protein due to the alignment of α-helix towards the direction of the field. In contrast, no appreciable change was observed in hemoglobin in sodium-chloride water solution after exposure. Conclusion: This protective effect of sodium-chloride can be explained by the orientation of water molecules due to the strong electric field around each ion that reduces the possibility of rotation of the protein in response to an applied electromagnetic field.

Polyelectrolytes induce long-range order in water that correlates with viscosity changes., Ions interact with water via short-ranged ion-dipole interactions. Recently, an additional unexpected long-ranged interaction was found: The total electric field of ions influences water-water correlations over tens of hydration shells, leading to the Jones Ray effect, a 0.3% surface tension depression. Here, we report such long-range interactions contributing substantially to both molecular and macroscopic properties. Femtosecond elastic second harmonic scattering (fs-ESHS) shows that long-range electrostatic interactions are remarkably strong in aqueous polyelectrolyte solutions, leading to an increase in water-water correlations. This increase plays a role in the reduced viscosity, which changes more than two orders of magnitude with polyelectrolyte concentration. Using D2O instead of H2O shifts both the fs-ESHS and the viscosity curve by a factor of ~10 and reduces the maximum viscosity value by 20 to 300%, depending on the polyelectrolyte. These phenomena cannot be explained using a mean-field approximation of the solvent and point to nuclear quantum effects.

The low efficiency and high price of thermoelectric semiconductors has generated interest in unconventional forms of thermoelectric materials. In this article, ionic thermoelectricity has been studied with commercial ion-exchange membranes for different aqueous 1:1 electrolytes. The theory of thermal membrane potential has been derived taking into account the ionic heats of transport, the non-isothermal Donnan potentials, the temperature polarization, and the thermally-induced concentration polarization of the electrolyte. Also the generated thermoelectric power has been experimentally studied. The experiments show good agreement with the theory, and suggest ways for systematic improvement of the system performance. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermal gradients induce thermodiffusion, the Ludwig–Soret effect, which might be exploited in biotechnological, chemical, micro and nanofluidic applications. It has been shown that thermodiffusion depends very sensitively on the nature of the solute, suggesting that water–solute interactions play an important role in determining the preference of solutes to move towards hot or cold regions. Here we employ non-equilibrium molecular dynamics computations to gain insight into the role of water–ion interactions on the strength and sign of the Soret coefficient of alkali halide solutions. By performing simulations with different force-fields, we draw conclusions on the dependence of the thermodiffusive response with the properties of the first hydration shell of the ions. We further compute the thermal conductivity of aqueous solutions. State-of-the art force-fields reproduce the decrease of the thermal conductivity with increasing salt concentration when the thermal conductivity of pure water is corrected to match experimental data.

International audience; The durability of building materials with respect to salt crystallization is commonly determined by accelerated weathering tests, carried out in the laboratory. An effective laboratory weathering test should assess the durability and, in the case of conservation of historic buildings, the compatibility of repair materials with those existing. Besides, the test should provide reliable results within a reasonable period of time, accelerating the deterioration process without however altering its mechanism. Despite several national and international standards, recommendations and guidelines, a commonly accepted testing protocol does not yet exist. Researchers often develop and apply their own procedure, a fact that complicates comparison between different studies. The RILEM Technical Committee 271 ASC has been set up with the scope of developing improved test procedures for the assessment of the behaviour of materials under the influence of salt crystallization, which should overcome the limitations of existing standards and recommendations. This paper constitutes one of the first results of the work of the Technical Committee. It critically reviews the literature on salt crystallization tests, identifies advantages and limitations of the several test protocols and provides new ideas for the development of improved salt crystallization procedures.

Silicon stable isotopes are fractionated by a host of low-temperature aqueous processes, making them potentially useful as a weathering proxy. Here we characterize the silicon isotope signature of surficial chemical weathering of glassy basaltic lava flows at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii. Fresh basalt flow surfaces (

Constrained molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulations are presented for the solvation of Na+-Cl- ion-pair in supercritical methanol in an isothermal-isobaric ensemble (NPT) to understand the changes in the solvation structure of the ion pair as temperatures and pressures change from ambient to supercritical conditions. Potentials of mean force (PMF) of the Na+-Cl- ion-pair are calculated as a function of temperature and pressure. Contact ion-pair (CIP) is found to be the most stable and dominant in supercritical conditions. Over the temperature and pressure ranges investigated, we observe that methanol molecules retain significant hydrogen bonding. From calculations of energies and entropies through temperature derivatives of PMFs, we have found that Na+-Cl- ion-pair association in supercritical methanol is endothermic and is driven by entropy. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of sigB, a major transcriptional regulator of stress response genes, was assessed in formation of single and mixed species biofilms of Listeria monocytogenes EGD-e and Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 as secondary species at 20 °C and 30 °C using different medium compositions (nutrient-rich medium with and without supplementary manganese, glucose and salt). L. monocytogenes showed significant biofilm development at both temperatures and in all media tested although less biofilm was formed when glucose was supplemented only. The contribution of L. monocytogenes to the mixed species biofilm declined especially at higher temperature in glucose-rich medium in the absence and presence of manganese, due to lactic acid formation with concomitant decrease in culture pH below the pHmin of L. monocytogenes. Using an in-frame sigB deletion mutant and a complementation mutant we showed that sigB contributed to survival under these acid stress conditions. Notably, the additional presence of salt protected L. monocytogenes in the acidic mixed species biofilms resulting in an increase of around 2–3 log10 cfu/ml and this phenomenon showed to be sigB-dependent.

Sarcocornia fruticosa (L.) A.J. Scott is a dicotyledonous halophyte that grows in areas with an arid climate such as the marshes of southern Spain. The species has potential uses for saline agriculture and biofuel production, but the effects of salt stress on its nutrition and physiology remain unclear. Plants of S. fruticosa were grown in pots with a mixture of sphagnum peat-moss and Perlite. In order to evaluate the effects of different levels of salinity, five treatments using different NaCl concentrations (10 (control), 60, 100, 200 and 300 mM NaCl) were applied over a period of 60 days. At the end of the experiment, the dry weight, the biomass allocation and the tissue water content were measured for each salinity treatment. The net uptake of various nutrients and their translocation rates were calculated for each salt treatment. Salt loss, shedding of plant parts and succulence in shoots were evaluated together with the K+/Na+ ratio, K-Na selectivity, concentrations of osmolytes and their estimated contributions to the osmotic potential. Our results showed that S. fruticosa can maintain its major physiological processes at 60 mM NaCl without significant dry weight reduction. Higher salinity resulted in negative values for net uptake and translocation rates from roots to shoots of N and P. As might be predicted from other dicotyledonous halophytes, S. fruticosa plants increased Cl– and Na+ uptake using both as osmotica instead of organic osmolytes. However, to survive salinity, this species has also evolved others mechanisms such as shedding old shoots, increased succulence in shoots at higher salt concentrations and the ability to maintain a lower K+/Na+ ratio and higher K-Na selectivity in all organs.

We investigate the effect of salt on the expansion of starchy snacks during frying by means of a multiscale simulation model. This model has been developed earlier for starchy snacks without salt. The simulation results are analysed by means of the supplemented state diagram. We have found that the optimal expansion for salty snacks occurs under the same conditions as for snacks without salt. This occurs at the moisture content where the 4 bar boiling line intersects the critical isoviscosity line of 1 MPa s. Salt is shown to influence both the boiling line and the critical isoviscosity line, via a change of the glass transition. The optimal moisture content for salty snacks is lower than that of unsalted snacks. We view our findings as important for reformulations of starchy snacks with lower salt levels. Furthermore, the presented tools of the multiscale simulations and supplemented state diagram can generally be used for reformulation problems in structured foods.

The adoption of closed soilless systems is useful in minimizing the environmental impact of the greenhouse crops. Instead, a significant problem in closed soilless systems is represented by the accumulation of ions in the recycled nutrient solution, in particular the unabsorbed or poorly absorbed ones. To overcome such problem, we: 1) studied the effect of several values of the electrical conductivity (EC) of nutrient solution in a NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) system on a cherry type tomato crop, and 2) define a NS (called recovery solution), based on the concept of uptake concentration and transpiration-biomass ratio, that fits the real needs of the plant with respect to water and nutrients. Three levels of EC set point (SP), above which the NS was completely replaced (SP5, SP7.5, and SP10 for the EC limit of 5, 7.5 and 10 dS m-1, respectively), were established. The SP10 treatment yield was not different from other treatments, and it allowed a better quality of the berries (for dry matter and total soluble solids) and higher environmental sustainability due to a lower discharge of total nutrients into the environment (37 and 59% with respect to SP7.5 and SP5, respectively).The recovery solution used in the second trial allowed a more punctual NS management, by adapting to the real needs of the crop. Moreover, it allowed a lesser amount of water and nutrients to be discharged into the environment and a better use of brackish water, due to a more accurate management of the EC of the NS. The targeted management, based on transpiration-biomass ratio, indicates that, in some stages of the plant cycle, the nutrient solution used can be diluted, in order to save water and nutrients. With such management a closed cycle can be realized without affecting the yield, but improving the quality of the tomato berries.

International audience; Relative air humidity fluctuations could potentially affect the development and persistence of pathogenic microorganisms in their environments. This study aimed to characterize the impact of relative air humidity (RH) variations on the survival of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium persisting on food processing plant surfaces. To assess conditions leading to the lowest survival rate, four strains of L. monocytogenes (EGDe, CCL500, CCL128, and LO28) were exposed to different RH conditions (75%, 68%, 43% and 11%) with different drying kinetics and then rehydrated either progressively or instantaneously. The main factors that affected the survival of L. monocytogenes were RH level and rehydration kinetics. Lowest survival rates between 1% and 0.001% were obtained after 3 hours of treatment under optimal conditions (68% RH and instantaneous rehydration). The survival rate was decreased under 0.001% after prolonged exposure (16h) of cells under optimal conditions. Application of two successive dehydration and rehydration cycles led to an additional decrease in survival rate. This preliminary study, performed in model conditions with L. monocytogenes, showed that controlled ambient RH fluctuations could offer new possibilities to control foodborne pathogens in food processing environments and improve food safety.

In this work the influence of stripping/cooling atmospheres used after withdrawal of steel sheet from Zn or Zn-alloy melt on surface properties of Zn (Z) and Zn-Al-Mg (ZM) hot-dip galvanizing coatings has been studied. The aim was to understand how the atmosphere (composed by nitrogen (N-2) or air) affects adhesion strength to model adhesive and corrosive behaviour of the galvanized substrates. It was shown that the surface chemical composition and Volta potential of the galvanizing coatings prepared under the air or nitrogen atmosphere are strongly influenced by the atmosphere. The surface chemistry Z and ZM surfaces prepared under N-2 contained a higher content of metal atoms and a richer hydroxide density than the specimens prepared under air atmosphere as assessed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The induced differences on the microstructure of the galvanized coatings played a key role on the local corrosion induced defects as observed by means of in situ Atomic force microscopy (AFM). Peel force tests performed on the substrates coated by model adhesive films indicate a higher adhesive strength to the surfaces prepared under nitrogen atmosphere. The obtained results have been discussed in terms of the microstructure and surface chemical composition of the galvanizing coatings. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Despite the vast amount of experimental and theoretical studies on the binding affinity of cations - especially the biologically relevant Na(+) and Ca(2+) - for phospholipid bilayers, there is no consensus in the literature. Here we show that by interpreting changes in the choline headgroup order parameters according to the 'molecular electrometer' concept [Seelig et al., Biochemistry, 1987, 26, 7535], one can directly compare the ion binding affinities between simulations and experiments. Our findings strongly support the view that in contrast to Ca(2+) and other multivalent ions, Na(+) and other monovalent ions (except Li(+)) do not specifically bind to phosphatidylcholine lipid bilayers at sub-molar concentrations. However, the Na(+) binding affinity was overestimated by several molecular dynamics simulation models, resulting in artificially positively charged bilayers and exaggerated structural effects in the lipid headgroups. While qualitatively correct headgroup order parameter response was observed with Ca(2+) binding in all the tested models, no model had sufficient quantitative accuracy to interpret the Ca(2+):lipid stoichiometry or the induced atomistic resolution structural changes. All scientific contributions to this open collaboration work were made publicly, using nmrlipids.blogspot.fi as the main communication platform. acceptedVersion

The aim of this research was to assess the possibility of shortening the length of the debittering process for green table olive 'Domat' cultivar by vacuum impregnation (VI). For this purpose, debittering was carried out with NaCl (3 %), NaOH (1.5 %) and NaOH (1.5 %) + NaCl (3 %) solutions at atmospheric conditions and under vacuum (68 kPa). The effects of these applications on some physicochemical properties (total dry matter, total ash, titratable acidity, salt, protein, oil, oleuropein, total phenolics, antioxidant activity and colour) of the processed samples were determined. Total dry matter, titratable acidity, salt, protein and oil contents of the samples changed between 24.23 and 27.90, 0.22 and 0.45, 2.27 and 2.58, 0.50 and 1.26 and 6.79 and 9.42 % (w/w), respectively. Colour parameters (lightness (L*); redness (a*); yellowness (b*)) of the processed olives were measured as between 41.72 and 51.29, 15.09 and 13.30 and 22.79 and 34.84, respectively. Hue angles of the processed samples were changed between 59.78 and 68.52. VI was a useful tool for the shortening of the period of debittering process. Use of NaOH combined with NaCl in VI process caused the debittering period to decrease to 6 h. However, reduction of the amount of total phenolic compounds was the highest (21.43 %) in this condition. Use of alkali for debittering caused more dry matter diffusion from olive to the solution. There was no statistically significant difference between the oleuropein and total ash contents of the processed samples (p < 0.01). Alkali treatment also caused more oil loss from the olives. Antioxidant activity of the samples reduced up to 59.89 %. This research was the first using VI for debittering of olives; further studies are necessary to optimise process conditions of debittering for limiting loss of natural antioxidants and other components and to ensure maximum benefits to the consumer.

SUMMARYMilk urea nitrogen (MUN) concentration in dairy cows may serve as an on-farm indicator to guide nutritional strategies and to help reduce emissions of nitrogen (N) to the environment. Excretion of urinary urea nitrogen (UUN) is positively related to MUN, but the relationship is highly variable. The accuracy of MUN as a predictor of UUN may improve when various factors that affect this relationship can be taken into account. The current review discusses the impact of a number of UUN : MUN ratio influencing factors related to: physiological mechanisms in the dairy cow, farm management, differences between individual cows, nutrition and analysis methods for MUN. Factors related to variation in water intake, urine production, dietary protein level, body weight (BW) and time and frequency of feeding and milking are shown to affect MUN and its relationship with UUN. In addition, a number of factors are discussed that are likely to affect this relationship such as biological rhythm, renal reabsorption of urea during periods of protein deficiency and breeding value for MUN. Accounting for these above-mentioned factors in the relationship between MUN and UUN might substantially improve the applicability and accuracy of MUN as a predictor of protein utilization efficiency and UUN.

Background: Channelopathies, defined as diseases that are caused by mutations in genes encoding ion channels, are associated with a wide variety of symptoms and have been documented extensively over the past decade. In contrast, despite the important role of chloride in serum, textbooks in general do not allocate chapters exclusively on hypochloremia or hyperchloremia and information on chloride other than channelopathies is scattered in the literature. Study design: To systematically review the function of chloride in man, data for this review include searches of MEDLINE, PubMed, and references from relevant articles including the search terms "chloride," "HCl," "chloride channel" "acid-base," "acidosis," "alkalosis," "anion gap" "strong anion gap" "Stewart," "base excess" and "lactate." In addition, internal medicine, critical care, nephrology and gastroenterology textbooks were evaluated on topics pertaining the assessment and management of acid-base disorders, including reference lists from journals or textbooks. Conclusion: Chloride is, after sodium, the most abundant electrolyte in serum, with a key role in the regulation of body fluids, electrolyte balance, the preservation of electrical neutrality, acid-base status and it is an essential component for the assessment of many pathological conditions. When assessing serum electrolytes, abnormal chloride levels alone usually signify a more serious underlying metabolic disorder, such as metabolic acidosis or alkalosis. Chloride is an important component of diagnostic tests in a wide array of clinical situations. In these cases, chloride can be tested in sweat, serum, urine and feces. Abnormalities in chloride channel expression and function in many organs can cause a range of disorders. (C) 2011 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Background: Channelopathies, defined as diseases that are caused by mutations in genes encoding ion channels, are associated with a wide variety of symptoms and have been documented extensively over the past decade. In contrast, despite the important role of chloride in serum, textbooks in general do not allocate chapters exclusively on hypochloremia or hyperchloremia and information on chloride other than channelopathies is scattered in the literature.Study design: To systematically review the function of chloride in man, data for this review include searches of MEDLINE, PubMed, and references from relevant articles including the search terms "chloride," "HCl," "chloride channel" "acid-base," "acidosis," "alkalosis," "anion gap" "strong anion gap" "Stewart," "base excess" and "lactate." In addition, internal medicine, critical care, nephrology and gastroenterology textbooks were evaluated on topics pertaining the assessment and management of acid-base disorders, including reference lists from journals or textbooks.Conclusion: Chloride is, after sodium, the most abundant electrolyte in serum, with a key role in the regulation of body fluids, electrolyte balance, the preservation of electrical neutrality, acid-base status and it is an essential component for the assessment of many pathological conditions. When assessing serum electrolytes, abnormal chloride levels alone usually signify a more serious underlying metabolic disorder, such as metabolic acidosis or alkalosis. Chloride is an important component of diagnostic tests in a wide array of clinical situations. In these cases, chloride can be tested in sweat, serum, urine and feces. Abnormalities in chloride channel expression and function in many organs can cause a range of disorders. (C) 2011 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In this study, we investigate a technological approach to reduce the sodium content of bread whilst retaining its sensory profile by creating taste contrast using encapsulated salt. We demonstrate that sensory contrast in bread induced by encapsulated salt can enhance saltiness and allows for a salt reduction of up to 50% while maintaining saltiness intensity. The magnitude of the saltiness enhancement depends on the size of the salt encapsulates. Small encapsulates lead to small concentration gradients of salt which do not affect saltiness intensity and consumer liking. Large encapsulates lead to large concentration gradients which enhance saltiness intensity significantly and reduce consumer liking. To achieve maximum salt reduction while maintaining saltiness and liking of the bread, the dimensions of the encapsulated salt particles need to be optimized. Taste contrast is a technology to modulate taste perception and to create sodium reduced products while retaining their saltiness intensity and consumer liking. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Applications using supercritical water often encounter the presence of inorganic compounds in feed streams, most often with a minor concentration. These compounds can lead to damage of the equipment via erosion, scaling and corrosion or can influence and disturb the main reaction and processes inside the systems. In order to avoid these problems and to predict the influence of these compounds, it is vital to posses knowledge of the properties of the most common inorganic compounds in supercritical water.In continuation of earlier works of the authors, the solubilities of MgCl(2) and CaCl(2) are investigated via a continuous flow method in the range of 660-690K and 18.5-23.5 MPa. Contrary to earlier experiments with single-valent salts, precipitates were found during the experiments with MgCl(2) after cleaning the setup. These precipitates were analyzed via EDX and ATF-IR. In the course of the experiments, a decrease in pH of the samples was investigated what was caused by a parallel hydrolysis reaction. The solubilities of both investigated salts were corrected for the hydrolysis reaction and correlated via a semi-empirical approach based on the phase equilibrium between the present phases. (C) 2010 Elsevier BM. All rights reserved.

To increase the available data oil systems containing supercritical water and inorganic compounds, all experimental setup was designed to investigate the solubilities of inorganic compounds Ill supercritical water, In this work, three alkali chloride salts (LiCl, NaCl, KCl) and three alkali nitrate salts (LiNO(3), NaNO(3), KNO(3)) were investigated in the range from (653 to 693) K and from (18 to 23.5) MPa. The experimental results were correlated with a model based on the phase equilibrium between the inorganic compound and supercritical water. When available, the experimental data were extended with data available ill the open literature. The experimental results and parameters obtained by this model were compared with each other and evaluated under consideration of the physical aspects of the inorganic compounds. In addition to the Main purpose of the experiments, side reactions like decomposition of nitrate and changes in pH were observed and discussed in this work. The presented data are the first coherent Study of the Solubility of six common inorganic compounds in one setup and with one method.

The potentials of mean force (PMFs) for the ion pairs, Li+-Cl, Li+-Br and Li+-I have been calculated in five methanol-water compositions. The results obtained are verified by trailing the trajectories and calculating the ion pair distance residence times. Local structures around the ions are studied using the radial distribution functions, density profiles, orientational correlation functions, running coordination numbers and excess coordination numbers. The major change in PMF is observed as the methanol mole fraction (chi(methanol)) is changed from 1.0 to 0.75. The stable contact ion pair occurring for chi(methanol) = 1.0 becomes unstable at and below chi(methanol) = 0.75. The preferential solvation data show that the halide ions are always preferentially solvated by water molecules. Although the lithium ion is preferentially solvated by methanol molecules, there is significant affinity towards water molecules as well. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

International audience; The formation of frost in presence of salt (NaCl) crystal is experimentally investigated on a hydrophobic surface. It presents several remarkable features due to the interplay of salty-water saturation pressure evolution, initially lower than the saturation pressure of ice and water, and the percolating propagation of ice dendrites from defects throughout the supercooled water droplet pattern. In particular, it is remarkable that nucleation of supercooled water and/or ice is prevented around the salty drop in a region of inhibited condensation where the substrate remains dry. As condensation proceeds, salt concentration decreases to eventually become lower than ice's, allowing ice dendrites to hit the salty drop. Salty water then melts ice but eventually freezes as an effect of dilution. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2015

ACL; International audience; The drying of porous media is of major importance for civil engineering, geophysics, petrophysics, and the conservation of stone artworks and buildings. More often than not, stones contain salts that can be mobilized by water (e.g., rain) and crystallize during drying. The drying speed is strongly influenced by the crystallization of the salts, but its dynamics remains incompletely understood. Here, we report that the mechanisms of salt precipitation, specifically the primary or secondary nucleation, and the crystal growth are the key factors that determine the drying behaviour of salt contaminated porous materials and the physical weathering generated by salt crystallization. When the same amount of water is used to dissolve the salt present in a stone, depending on whether this is done by a rapid saturation with liquid water or by a slow saturation using water vapor, different evaporation kinetics and salt weathering due to different crystallization pathways are observed. © 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

WOS: 000233178700022 PubMed: 22061388 The incidence of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 was determined in 100 Turkish sausage (soudjouck) samples collected from shops and markets in the Afyon province, Turkey. Salmonella spp. were detected in 7% of the samples. All of the isolates were S. enterica Paratyphi B. In addition, Listeria spp. were detected in 9% of the samples. Its distribution was 7% L. monocytogenes and 1% each of L. ivanovii and L. innocua. Serological study of the seven L. monocytogenes isolates showed that three of these were 1/2 ab, three were 5/6 ab and one was I ab. E coli 0 1 57:H7 was not detected in any of the samples. The pH values of the samples ranged from 4.8 to 6.5. In conclusion, increasing number of listeriosis and salmonellosis cases in Turkey and the contamination levels found indicate that risk assessment and improved preventive measures are required for these sausages. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The micellization properties of carboxy-modified Pluronics P85 (poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) triblock copolymers) are investigated by means of a molecularly realistic self-consistent-field theory. We consider the, so-called, carboxylic acid end-standing P85 (CAE-85) case where the carboxylic group is located at the end of both PEO parts and the carboxylic acid center-standing P85 (CAC-85) case where each of the carboxylic group presents between the PEO and PPO blocks. The micellization of these copolymers depends on the pH, the added electrolyte concentration phis, and the temperature. It is shown that the aggregation number (Nagg) decreases, whereas the critical micellization concentration (CMC) increases with pH. For the case of increasing phis, the Nagg increases and the CMC decreases. The critical micellization temperature (CMT) and cloud point temperature (CPT) increase with pH at low phis and decrease at increasing phis. The changing from CAE-85 to CAC-85 leads to increasing CMC and CMT, but lower CPT.

In this paper we predict the water activity and initial freezing point of food products (meat and fish) based on their composition. The prediction is based on thermodynamics (the Clausius–Clapeyron equation, the Ross equation and an approximation of the Pitzer equation). Furthermore, we have taken the effect of bound water into account, by using a linear relation between mass fractions of bound water and the mass fractions of soluble biopolymers. Model parameters are estimated using data of meat. The validity of the model is checked against data of fish. Good agreement with experimental data are obtained in the range of aw > 0:70. Furthermore, our results remove the inconclusiveness on the prediction of bound water that exists in literature. 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

WOS:000344021900006; International audience; Subflorescence refers to crystallized salt structures that form inside a porous medium. We report a drying experiment revealing major development of subflorescence in the dry region of the porous medium away from the liquid zone. Using a combination of image analyses and numerical computations, we show that the growth is directly correlated to the evaporation flux distribution along the boundary of the growing salt structure. This indicates that the salt is transported into the domain occupied by the salt structure in the porous medium up to the structure periphery, where salt deposition takes place. This is confirmed when a growing salt structure encounters dry subflorescence formed earlier during the drying process. The dry subflorescence is reimbibed and resumes its growth. The analysis also suggests that the solution within the growing subflorescence is in equilibrium with the crystallized salt wall. These results shed light on the growth mechanisms of subflorescence, a phenomenon that can play a fundamental role in several important issues such as carbon dioxide sequestration or salt weathering.

The effects of nutrient or sodium chloride (NaCl) salinity on pepper grown in closed soilless culture systems were studied. A control (2 dS m-1) and two saline nutrient solutions (4 dS m-1) differing in the salt sources (fertilizers or NaCl) were studied. Shoot biomass production as well as total and marketable yield were more affected by NaCl than nutrient salinity. Fruit dry matter and total soluble solids increased in both salinity treatments compared to the control. Total phenol content rose slightly (10%) with NaCl salinity, while the concentration of carotenoids was enhanced by 40% with NaCl compared to the control and nutrient salinity. The results showed that the response of pepper to salinity is both osmotic and ion specific, but a more negative effect was recorded under NaCl stress. Moreover, the highest content of antioxidant compounds in NaCl treated fruits may indicate that NaCl caused more stressful conditions than nutrient salinity.

It is generally known that accurate model building, i.e., proper model structure selection and reliable parameter estimation, constitutes an essential matter in the field of predictive microbiology, in particular, when integrating these predictive models in food safety systems. In this context, Versyck et al. (1999) have introduced the methodology of optimal experimental design techniques for parameter estimation within the field. Optimal experimental design focuses on the development of optimal input profiles such that the resulting rich (i.e., highly informative) experimental data enable unique model parameter estimation. As a case study, Versyck ct al. (1999) [Versyck, K., Bernaerts, K., Geeraerd, A.H., Van Impe, J.F., 1999. Introducing optimal experimental design in predictive modeling. a motivating example. Int. J. Food Microbiol., 51(1), 39-51] have elaborated the estimation of Bigelow inactivation kinetics parameters tin a numerical way). Opposed to the classic (static) experimental approach in predictive modelling. an optimal dynamic experimental setup is presented. In this paper, the methodology of optimal experimental design for parameter estimation is applied to obtain uncorrelated estimates of the square roof model parameters [Ratkowshy, D.A., Olley, J., McMeckin, T.A., Ball, A., 1982, Relationship between temperature and growth rate: of bacterial cultures. J. Bacteriol. 149, 1-5] describing the effect of suboptimal growth temperatures on the maximum specific growth rate of microorganisms. These estimates are the direct result of fitting a primary growth model to cell density measurements as a function of time. Apart from the design of an optimal time-varying temperature profile based on a sensitivity study of the model output, an important contribution of this publication is a first experimental, validation of this innovative dynamic experimental approach for uncorrelated parameter identification. An optimal step temperature profile, within the range of model validity and practical feasibility, is developed for Escherichia coli K12 and successfully applied in practice. The presented experimental validation result illustrates the large potential of the dynamic experimental approach in the context of uncorrelated parameter estimation. Based on the experimental validation result, additional remarks are formulated related to future research in the field of optimal experimental design. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. ispartof: International journal of food microbiology vol:54 issue:1 pages:27-38 ispartof: location:Netherlands status: published