Dry Rate Research Articles

Isolation of Cellulase from Selected Fungal Strains and Its Use for Manufacture Microcrystal Cellulose from Kapuk Cortex (Ceiba Pentandra (L.) Gaertn)

This study aims to obtain cellulase enzymes from selected molds for microcrystalline cellulose preparation from ????-cellulose of kapok cortex. Alpha-cellulose was obtained by biodelignification, and the purified cellulase was obtained from the selected mold. The Microcrystalline cellulose obtained from enzymatic hydrolysis was then identified FTIR and DSC, followed by characterization of microcrystalline cellulose, Particle Size and Distribution Analysis (PSA), and Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), Loss on drying, pH, bulk density, tapped density, and flow rate. Biodelignification produced 14.88% ????-cellulose, Penicillium sp. the selected mold had the highest cellulase activity, with a cellulolytic index of 4.83. FTIR identification was similar to Avicel PH 101 with a melting point of 244.580°C. Loss on drying was 3.74%, pH was 7.0, particle size ranged from 13.06 to 196.79 ????m, bulk density and tapped density were 0.11 g/cm3 and 0.23 g/cm3, respectively flow rate character is quite good. SEM-EDX was showed that the morphological shape of the microcrystalline cellulose of the kapok cortex is elongated. Microcrystalline cellulose has shown a quite similar in character and can be furthered.

Update on Adjustable Trans-Obturator Male System (ATOMS) for Male Incontinence after Prostate Cancer Surgery.

(1) Background: The adjustable trans-obturator male system (ATOMS) is a surgical device developed to treat post-prostatectomy incontinence (PPI) after prostate cancer treatment. We review the current literature on this anti-incontinence device with the intention of assessing the effectiveness, safety and duration of the silicone-covered scrotal port (SSP) ATOMS, the only generation of the device that is currently available. (2) Material and Methods: Non-systematic literature review is performed. Forty-eight full-text articles are assessed for eligibility. Case reports, expert opinions or commentaries without specific data reported (n = 6), studies with patients who underwent intervention before 2014 (IP or SP ATOMS; n = 10), and studies with incontinence after transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR-P; n = 2) are excluded for analysis. Thirty studies with SSP ATOMS are included in a qualitative synthesis that incorporates systematic reviews (n = 3), articles partially overlapping with other previously published studies (e.g., follow-up or series updates; n = 9), and studies focusing on specific populations (n = 8). Only articles revealing outcomes of SSP ATOMS were included in the quantitative synthesis of results (n = 10). (3) Results: the pooled data of 1515 patients from the 10 studies with SSP ATOMS confirmed very satisfactory results with this device after adjustment: dry rate: 63-82%, improved rate: 85-100%, complication rate: 7-33%, device infection rate: 2.7-6.2% and explant rate: 0-19%. The durability of the device is reassuring, with 89% of devices in place 5 years after implantation. (4) Conclusion: Despite the absence of randomized controlled studies, the literature findings confirm results of SSP ATOMS appear equivalent to those of artificial urinary sphincters (AUSs) in terms of continence, satisfaction and complications, but with a lower rate of revision in the long-term. A prospective study identified that patients with daily pad test results <900 mL and a Male Stress Incontinence Grading Scale (MSIGS) of not 4 (i.e., early and persistent stream or urine loss) are the best candidates. Future studies centered on the elder population at higher risk of impaired cognitive ability and in patients including radiation as prostate cancer treatment are needed.

A CFD-based porous medium model for simulating municipal solid waste incineration grates: A sensitivity analysis

This study starts from a generalized CFD-based porous medium model developed in previous work simulating the combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) on incineration grates. In this paper, three specific bed models are compared: a newly developed whole moving bed model, a newly developed multi-zone model, and a fixed bed model. Although the whole moving bed model covers the entire gas flow field, this advantage is offset by a high computational cost. In the multi-zone model, different zones of the waste bed are computed consecutively. This helps to reduce the computational time by about 75% but causes a loss of accuracy in predicting the gas flow field at the transition between the zones. For the fixed bed model, the walking column approach is needed. Additional accuracy loss is introduced but the computational time is significantly reduced even further compared to the multi-zone model. Because of the trade-off between computational cost and accuracy and the great uncertainty of the model parameters in industrial practice, the fixed bed model is suggested for simulating industrial grate-firing systems. In addition to these moving bed modeling strategies, this study also investigates how sensitive model results are to the assumed minimum and maximum solid fractions, which determine the evolution of porosity along the grate. The results show that the conversion rates are relatively insensitive to these criteria within the investigated range. Conversely, the effective surface area greatly influences the combustion characteristics as it affects the drying and char conversion rate and governs the temperature difference between the solid and gas phases. This finding calls for a better understanding of the evolution of the effective surface area and equivalent particle diameter during the combustion of MSW.

The Influence of Salinity Levels of Irrigation Water and Spraying with Alphatocopherol on some Vegetative Qualities of Citrus Rangpur Origin (Citrus Limonia)

On Dhi-Qar University’s Department of Horticulture and Garden Engineering used their Saran-covered plastic greenhouse during the 2022 growing season for an experiment. The experiment started on 15 \\ 1\\ 2022. The experiment was designed as a working experiment according to the design of complete randomized block Design (R.C.B.D, the experiment included two factors, the main factor was the stages of salinity of irrigation water (1, 2, 4) decimens. M-1 and the second agent is Tocopherol (0 a–, 150, 300 ) mg. L-1 is produced by the Indian company HIMEDIA with three repeaters. Important findings from the study included the fact that as saline levels in irrigation water increased, most of the attributes under investigation suffered considerable declines, especially the Level (4 decimens M-1), which gave the lowest rates in the qualities (plant height rate, stem diameter rate, branch number rate, leaf number rate, leaf area rate, soft weight rate of the vegetative total, dry weight rate of the vegetative total), as the measurements reached (60.24 CM. Plant-1, 5.51 mm Plant-1, 4.46 branches. Plant -1, 75.11 leaves. Plant -1, 965.00 cm2. Plant-1, 45.09 G. Plant-1, 15.45 G. Plant-1) respectively, as to add a – Tocopherol sprayed on the vegetative total has a positive moral effect and the treatment exceeded (300) mg. L-1 gave the highest measurements in the following characteristics (plant height rate, stem diameter rate, branch number rate, leaf number rate, leaf area rate, soft weight rate of the vegetative total, dry weight rate of the vegetative total), reaching (78.17 CM. Plant-1, 7.74 mm Plant-1, 7.58 branches. Plant -1, 88.04 leaves. Plant -1, 1661.33 cm2. Plant-1, 55.06 G. Plant-1, 19.44 G. Plant-1) respectively.

Multi-year monitoring of atmospheric dust fall as a sink for lead in an agro-industrial and petrochemical city of Argentina. Geo-accumulation and ecological risk assessment.

A multi-year monitoring data set of potentially harmful elements (PHEs), which are present in the chemical composition of atmospheric settleable particulate matter (SPM) in the urban, industrial and port areas in Bahía Blanca, was studied in order to assess potential ecological risk. The selected PHEs were metal elements of local and regional environmental importance (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn). Seventeen sampling campaigns were carried out between April 2013 and September 2019. After the microwave-assisted acid digestion of samples, the total contents of the PHEs were determined by ICP-OES. The annual dry deposition rate, the indexes associated with the potential ecological risk (RI) and the degree of geo-accumulation (Igeo) of each PHE were calculated. The results indicated that: (a) there are 3 groups (I, II, III) of PHEs with differentiated concentration levels, ranked I (Pb > Zn > Cu) > II (Cr ≈ Ni) > III (Cd) (p < 0.01) in all the studied areas; (b) the median of the total deposition rate was 1mgcm-2. month-1 with a significant relative contribution of Pb; (c) a considerable increase in geo-accumulation of Pb indicated that SPM was functioning as a sink for Pb, and also reflected a significant progressive increase in the potential ecological risk in all sites (p < 0.01); and (d) there were chemometrically identified potential sources of Pb, Cu and Zn emissions that would be associated mainly to the resuspension of dust from geogenic, industrial and urban origin, and to a lesser extent, to other gaseous emissions of the industrial sector. This work highlights three major aspects of environmental assessment: (a) the value of continuous monitoring as an important tool to detect long-term trends; (b) the importance of the role of dust fall as a useful environmental indicator of lead geo-accumulation; and (c) the great utility of geo-accumulation and potential ecological risk indices as rapid quantitative assessment tools of environmental pollution.

Enhanced plant growth in the presence of earthworms correlates with changes in soil microbiota but not nutrient availability

Earthworms enhance plant growth but the precise mechanism by which this occurs is not known. An understanding of the mechanism could potentially support changes in agricultural management reducing fertiliser usage and therefore costs and the carbon footprint of agriculture. We conducted a factorial experiment in which 5 strains of wheat were grown in the presence and absence of earthworms under regular watering and droughted conditions. The different wheat strains all responded in a similar fashion. Plant biomass was greater in the presence of earthworms and under regular watering. The presence of earthworms reduced the impact of drought on plant biomass and also slowed down the rate of drying of the droughted soils. Plant nutrient content (N, P, Si) showed no consistent pattern with treatments but plant total N, P and Si mirrored plant biomass and decreased in the order earthworm-present watered > earthworm-present droughted > earthworm-absent watered > earthworm-absent droughted. Nutrient availability in the soil, as assessed by chemical extractions showed no consistent pattern with treatments. Differential gene expression of plants was greater between watering treatments than between earthworm treatments. Genes that were differentially expressed between the earthworm treatments predominantly related to plant defences, abiotic stress and control of plant growth though a couple were linked to both nitrogen cycling and stress responses. The soil microbiome of the earthworm-present treatments was more associated with nutrient-rich environments, the promotion of plant growth and the suppression of plant pathogens whilst that of the earthworm-absent treatments included a variety of plant pathogens. Our data are consistent with enhanced plant growth being due to changes in the microbiome brought about by earthworm processing of the soil rather than changes in nutrient availability directly due to earthworm activity.

Spindly growth of watercress observed under the monochromatic light of a red light-emitting diode improved with slight changes in light quality using white light-emitting diode

The suppression effect of white light-emitting diode (LED) on spindly growth observed under monochromatic light of the red LED in watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.) was investigated for production in plant factory. Watercress was cultured in a growth chamber under total photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of 100 ?mol?m?2?s?1 using three differential treatments; the ratio of red LED to white LED based on PPFD was 100:0 (R100W0), 90:10 (R90W10), and 75:25 (R75W25). Watercress was harvested 33 days after sowing. The longest internode length was observed with R100W0. Watercress in R100W0 was observed lowest value for node number, maximum leaf length, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, dry matter rate, and SPAD. R90W10 recorded higher values for maximum leaf length, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, dry matter rate, and SPAD than R100W0. Therefore, in watercress cultivation, replacing the red LED with a white LED by 10% was effective for morphological changes and dry matter production.

Effect of drying rate on the physicochemical properties of soy protein isolate-soy oil emulsion films

The effect of drying rate on physicochemical properties of emulsion films prepared from soy protein isolate (SPI) and soy oil was investigated. No changes were observed in emulsion micromorphology during 60 min of drying at a rate of 0.05 g s−1 m−2, whereas the emulsion droplet size increased with the drying rate. Phase separation was formed in emulsion films prepared at drying rate of 0.05 g s−1 m−2, but it vanished with increased drying rate. Tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (EAB) of films prepared at drying rate of 0.05 g s−1 m−2 were 7.95 MPa and 47.58%, respectively. No change was observed in TS with increased drying rate, whereas EAB increased first and then decreased. When the drying rate increased, the water vapor permeability, contact angle, and thermal stability of films increased, whereas the opacity value and infrared peak intensities that represent oil on film’s upper surfaces decreased.

Kinetic Modeling of Convective and Microwave Drying of Potato Peels and Their Effects on Antioxidant Content and Capacity.

This study deals with drying properties and focuses on the drying kinetics of potato peels (PP) by two processes, namely convection drying (CD) at various temperatures (40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 °C) and microwave drying (MD) at different powers (200, 400, 600, and 800 W). In addition, the effectiveness of the adopted processes was evaluated in terms of antioxidant contents and antioxidant capacity. A total of 22 mathematical models were undertaken to predict the drying kinetics, and the best model was selected based on the highest R2 values and the lowest χ2 and RMSE values. The Sledz model was the more appropriate for both methods with values of 0.9995 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.9999, χ2 = 0.0000, and 0.0054 ≤ RMSE ≤ 0.0030 for CD, and the results of MD were 0.9829 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.9997, 0.0000 ≤ χ2 ≤ 0.0010, and 0.0304 ≤ RMSE ≤ 0.0053. The best drying rates (DR) of PP were assigned to a temperature of 120 °C and a power of 600 W with values of 0.05 and 0.20 kg water/kg dw min, respectively. A potential explanation is that as PP's moisture content decreased during the drying process, there was a drop in absorption, which led to a reduction in the DR. The energy consumption of both processes was assessed, and it rose with increasing temperature or power. The microwave process reduced the drying time, consumed lower energy, and presented a higher drying efficiency at a moderate power level compared to the convection process. Furthermore, MD preserved antioxidants better compared to CD and improved the antioxidant capacity. Therefore, the proposed microwave process for drying PP is suggested for its expected use in various fields, including the food processing industries.

The Impacts of Interannual Climate Variability on the Declining Trend in Terrestrial Water Storage over the Tigris–Euphrates River Basin

Abstract The Tigris–Euphrates dryland river basin has experienced a declining trend in terrestrial water storage (TWS) from April 2002 to June 2017. Using satellite observations and a process-based land surface model, we find that climate variations and direct human interventions explain ∼61% (−0.57 mm month−1) and ∼39% (−0.36 mm month−1) of the negative trend, respectively. We further disaggregate the effects of climate variations and find that interannual climate variability contributes substantially (−0.27 mm month−1) to the negative TWS trend, slightly greater than the decadal climate change (−0.25 mm month−1). Interannual climate variability affects TWS mainly through the nonlinear relationship between monthly TWS dynamics and aridity. Slow recovery of TWS during short wetting periods does not compensate for rapid depletion of TWS through transpiration during prolonged drying periods. Despite enhanced water stress, the dryland ecosystems show slightly enhanced resilience to water stress through greater partitioning of evapotranspiration into transpiration and weak surface “greening” effects. However, the dryland ecosystems are vulnerable to drought impacts. The basin shows straining ecosystem functioning after experiencing a severe drought event. In addition, after the onset of the drought, the dryland ecosystem becomes more sensitive to variations in climate conditions. Significance Statement The purpose of the research is to better understand climate impacts on terrestrial water storage over dryland regions with declining water storage. In our study, we disaggregate three components of climate impacts, namely, decadal climate change, interannual variability, and intra-annual variability. We then use observational datasets and a process-based model to quantify their individual effects on water storage. We find that interannual variability is the most significant climatic contributor to the declining water storage, mainly caused by prolonged drought periods and corresponding quick drying rates due to plant transpiration. We also find that the dryland ecosystem is sensitive and vulnerable to severe drought events. This study is important because 1) it provides a framework to investigate climate impacts on water fluxes and storages, 2) it highlights the importance of vegetation dynamics on dryland hydrology, and 3) it emphasizes the negative impacts of extreme hydroclimatological events on ecosystem functioning.

Impact of the Evaporation Temperature on the Air Drying Rate for a Finned Heat Exchanger

This paper presents the thermal calculations of an air-finned heat exchanger working at temperatures above zero degrees and their verification through testing on a real device. Then, on the basis of the calculations, the influence of evaporation temperature on the drying rate of the constant speed of air flowing through the exchanger was analysed. A quantitative analysis of the effect of the temperature difference between the air being dried and the evaporator on the acceleration of the process was performed. For the analysed case, the same water mass (condensate) can be obtained for an evaporation temperature of 0 °C almost four times faster than for 10 °C. To compare temperature cases, the SMER (specific moisture evaporation ratio) was calculated, which allowed the systems to be compared in terms of energy consumption. The theoretical analysis showed that by reducing the boiling point by 10 degrees, we could increase the SMER from 0.51 kgh20/kWh to 2.18 kgh20/kWh. After receiving the experimental results and including the efficiency of the system, these values were, respectively, 0.44 ± 0.01 kgh20/kWh and 1.91 ± 0.06 kgh20/kWh.

Experimental study and mathematical modelling of convective thin-layer drying of noni (Morinda citrifolia L.)

In this study, the drying kinetics of noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) was investigated in a laboratory tunnel dryer at air temperatures of 50, 60, and 70 °C and velocities of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 m/s. Noni showed only a falling drying rate period. Further, a non-linear regression procedure was used to determine the characteristic drying curve. The experimental drying data of noni were employed to fit thin-layer models. Under the evaluated experimental conditions, the Page model provided the best representation of thin-layer drying characteristics of noni. The effective moisture diffusivity ranged from 1.77 × 10-7 to 3.33 × 10-7 m2/s. The activation energy was found to be 3.34 kJ/mol.

Effect of heating bovine colostrum at 60°C for 90' on colostrum quality and, the health and growth characteristics of Holstein dairy calves.

The major objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of heat-treating colostrum on the subsequent growth characteristics (weight gain, body size, dry matter intake and feed efficiency rate) and health of Holstein calves. A total of 1200 neonatal Holstein calves on one commercial dairy farm were enrolled. The calves were divided into heat-treated (60°C for 90 min) and unheated (raw) colostrum groups. Calf serum IgG and total protein concentrations were measured before and after colostrum consumption. Health characteristics and disease prevalence were recorded during the suckling period. Consumption of heat-treated colostrum led to increased serum IgG (P < 0.0001) and total protein (P < 0.0001) concentrations, increased apparent efficacy of IgG absorption (P < 0.0001) and increased general health condition, weight gain (P < 0.0001) and clinical performance. Heat-treatment of colostrum is an effective method to improve health and increase growth characteristics (weight gain, body size, dry matter intake and feed efficiency rate) of neonatal dairy calves, most likely by decreasing microbial load and facilitating IgG absorption.

Study on performance and fractal characteristics of high-strength manufactured sand concrete with different MB values

The mud powder in the manufactured sand will have an influence on the indicators of the manufactured sand concrete (MSC), and the methylene blue value can quantitatively indicate the mud powder content. To demonstrate the impact of MB values on the performance and microstructural characteristics of the manufactured sand concrete, the paper designed five high-strength MSC proportions at five MB values by controlling the clay powder content. On this basis, the workability, chloride migration coefficient, relative dynamic modulus of elasticity (P), mass loss rate (η), and dry shrinkage rate of MSC concrete were tested under five mix ratios, and the relationship between concrete microstructure, fractal characteristics, and compressive strength (fcc) was analyzed by combining SEM technology and fractal theory. The experiment showed that: the higher the MB, the lower the fluidity of the MSC, and the cohesiveness gradually increases, while the water retention remains basically unchanged. In addition, the chloride migration coefficient gradually increases, the P after 300 freeze-thaw cycles first increases and then gradually decreases, while the η and drying shrinkage first decreases and then gradually increases, and the MB value corresponding to the turning point of these three changes are all 1.10. With MB values of 0.85 and 1.10, the degree of hydration of MSC is higher and the overall structural compactness is better. The higher the MB value, the more inadequate the hydration of concrete, and the mineral components such as fly ash that have not been hydrated inside gradually increase, which leads to the gradual decrease of the overall structure compactness. In addition, when the MB value is small, the SEM image texture of concrete is relatively simple, the fractal dimension value is small, and the corresponding fcc is large. When the MB value is large, the texture of the SEM image is complex, the fractal dimension is large, and the corresponding fcc is small.

Forage type affects the temporal methane emission profiles in dairy cows fed fresh forages

Methane (CH4) emission rates increase after feeding till a peak and then decrease until the next feeding. Understanding the CH4 emission patterns when animals are fed different forages and the drivers for variation in temporal CH4 emission may be a tool for using short-lived CH4 inhibitors efficiently in grazing systems when fed during milking only. The objectives of this study were: a) to compare the temporal CH4 emission profile of non-lactating cows fed plantain or ryegrass and, b) evaluate the relationship between feed nutrient intake and dry matter intake rate, with CH4 emissions accumulated during the first 3 h after feeding as a percentage of 24 h CH4 emissions. After the CH4 emissions peaked, they decreased more rapidly in PLT compared to RG fed cows. The cumulative CH4 emissions during the first 3 h after feeding as a percentage of 24 h emissions was 18 % greater in PLT than in RG fed cows, and 13 % greater in the afternoon compared to the morning. The soluble sugars concentration in the forage was the only feed feature with significant effect on the cumulative CH4 emissions during the first 3 h after feed delivery, whereas there was no relationship with dry matter intake during the first 3 h after feeding. In grazing systems forages resulting in greater CH4 emissions during the first 3 h after feeding as a percentage of 24 h emissions would be more suitable to be combined with short lifespan CH4 inhibitors.

Low ozone dry deposition rates to sea ice during the MOSAiC field campaign: Implications for the Arctic boundary layer ozone budget

Dry deposition to the surface is one of the main removal pathways of tropospheric ozone (O3). We quantified for the first time the impact of O3 deposition to the Arctic sea ice on the planetary boundary layer (PBL) O3 concentration and budget using year-round flux and concentration observations from the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) campaign and simulations with a single-column atmospheric chemistry and meteorological model (SCM). Based on eddy-covariance O3 surface flux observations, we find a median surface resistance on the order of 20,000 s m−1, resulting in a dry deposition velocity of approximately 0.005 cm s−1. This surface resistance is up to an order of magnitude larger than traditionally used values in many atmospheric chemistry and transport models. The SCM is able to accurately represent the yearly cycle, with maxima above 40 ppb in the winter and minima around 15 ppb at the end of summer. However, the observed springtime ozone depletion events are not captured by the SCM. In winter, the modelled PBL O3 budget is governed by dry deposition at the surface mostly compensated by downward turbulent transport of O3 towards the surface. Advection, which is accounted for implicitly by nudging to reanalysis data, poses a substantial, mostly negative, contribution to the simulated PBL O3 budget in summer. During episodes with low wind speed (&amp;lt;5 m s−1) and shallow PBL (&amp;lt;50 m), the 7-day mean dry deposition removal rate can reach up to 1.0 ppb h−1. Our study highlights the importance of an accurate description of dry deposition to Arctic sea ice in models to quantify the current and future O3 sink in the Arctic, impacting the tropospheric O3 budget, which has been modified in the last century largely due to anthropogenic activities.

Antagonistic Strain Bacillus halotolerans Jk-25 Mediates the Biocontrol of Wheat Common Root Rot Caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana

Common root rot caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana infestation in wheat is one of the main reasons for yield reduction in wheat crops worldwide. The bacterium strain JK-25 used in the current investigation was isolated from wheat rhizosphere soil and was later identified as Bacillus halotolerans based on its morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular properties. The strain showed significant antagonism to B. sorokiniana, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium graminearum, and Rhizoctonia zeae. Inhibition of B. sorokiniana mycelial dry weight and spore germination rate by JK-25 fermentation supernatant reached 60% and 88%, respectively. The crude extract of JK-25 was found, by Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), to contain the surfactin that exerted an inhibitory effect on B. sorokiniana. The disruption of mycelial cell membranes was observed under laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) after treatment of B. sorokiniana mycelium with the crude extract. The antioxidant enzyme activity of B. sorokiniana was significantly reduced and the oxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased after treatment with the crude extract. The incidence of root rot was significantly reduced in pot experiments with the addition of JK-25 culture fermentation supernatant, which had a significant biological control effect of 72.06%. Its ability to produce siderophores may help to promote wheat growth and the production of proteases and pectinases may also be part of the strain's role in suppressing pathogens. These results demonstrate the excellent antagonistic effect of JK-25 against B. sorokiniana and suggest that this strain has great potential as a resource for biological control of wheat root rot strains.

The Study on the Performance of Regeneration Aggregate Pavement Base Material Under Standard Grading Median

In recent decades, with social and economic development, many new buildings and buildings have been built, while many old buildings have been demolished. Therefore, the world should consider how to reuse construction waste. Reuse of construction waste as aggregate to new buildings or road construction is an effective way. The effect of median aggregate regeneration aggregate on the performance of pavement base material was studied in this paper. Recycled concrete aggregate was used to replace 25 %, 50 % and 75 % of natural aggregate by volume, respectively. While the recycled clay brick was used to replace 5 %, 10 %, 15 % and 30 % of natural aggregate by volume. In addition, recycled aggregate composed of recycled concrete and recycled clay bricks in different proportions was used to replace aggregate of road base materials. The maximum dry density, optimum moisture content, unconfined compressive strength and drying shrinkage of road base materials were studied. The results show that the optimum moisture content increases with the increase of recycled aggregate replacement, and the biggest dry density decreases with the increase of recycled aggregate replacement. Recycled aggregate can improve the 7 d unconfined compressive strength of pavement base material and reduce the dry shrinkage rate in a certain range of replacement rate. When the aggregate was 100 % recycled aggregate, with the increase of recycled clay brick content, the 7d unconfined compressive strength of the material decreases and the drying shrinkage would increase.

Drying of peaches by a combination of convective and microwave methods

AbstractThe aim of this work is to study a method to extend the storage life of peaches reducing energy and time consumption and ensuring food quality. The conventional method of hot air dying presents many drawbacks, whereas the microwave drying usually leads to overheating and textural damage. Thus, in this work, a combination of convective and microwave methods, more specifically a two‐stage drying process with an initial convective air drying followed by a microwave drying (microwave finishing), was studied for the drying of peaches. Peaches dried at 70°C for various times, 200, 278, 355, 433, and 510 min, were then dried in a microwave oven at powers of 300, 500, and 800 W. Drying rates were examined, whereas dry peaches were characterized for their color, antioxidant capacity, shrinkage, and rehydration ability under optimized conditions for the situations with and without pretreatment with ascorbic acid. Mass transfer of water was described by nine empirical models and by the diffusional approach. The shrinkage of peach tissue during microwave finishing was evaluated and diffusion coefficients were assessed with shrinkage considered. The microwave finishing reduced the drying time by 89 ± 40%, while a smaller shrinkage was observed, with better rehydration characteristics.Practical applicationsPeaches are important commodities in terms of global agricultural production. As peach is a perishable product with a short shelf‐life, the food industry has been forced to find methods, such as drying, that extend its storage life by months. The conventional method of hot air dying presents many disadvantages. Last decades, microwave drying proposed an alternative way to improve the quality of dehydrated products. However, microwave is rarely used alone as a drying method and is usually combined with other drying techniques. The main goal of this work is to study an innovative method to extend the storage life of peaches reducing energy and time consumption and ensuring food quality.

Drying Characteristics, Kinetic Modeling, Energy and Exergy Analyses of Water Yam (Dioscorea alata) in a Hot Air Dryer

In this study, drying characteristics, kinetic modelling, energy and exergy analyses of a convective hot air dryer are presented for water yam. The drying experiments were carried out at temperature levels of 50, 60, and 70°C and slice thicknesses of 3, 6, and 9 mm. The effects of drying variables on the drying rate (DR), moisture diffusivity (Deff), activation energy (Ea), energy utilization (EU), energy utilization ratio (EUR), exergy loss (EXL), exergy efficiency (EXeff), improvement potential (IP), and exergetic sustainability index (ESI) were investigated. The results showed that increasing air temperature increased the DR, Deff, EU, EUR, EXL, EXeff, IP, and ESI, while increasing the slice thickness increased Deff and Ea, but decreased the DR. The highest Deff and Ea values were 4.2 × 10−8 m2/s, and 53 KJ/mol, respectively. EU and EUR varied from 10 to 150 J/s and 0.39 to 0.79, respectively. EXL and EXeff varied between 2 and 12.5 J/s and 58 to 75 %, respectively. Midilli’s model had the best performance in predicting the moisture ratio of water yam with coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.9998), root mean square error (RMSE = 0.0049), and sum of square error (SSE = 0.0023).