Study of the main constituents of some authentic hazelnut oils

This paper describes the composition of authentic hazelnut oils obtained from nuts collected from five countries that are major suppliers of hazelnut oil. Oils were analyzed using standard methods for fatty acids, fatty acids in the triacylglycerol 2-position, tocopherols and tocotrienols, triacylglycerols, sterols, steradienes, and iodine value. The results were generally in good agreement with those of other publications. Tocotrienols, previously unreported in hazelnut oil, were detected in one sample. There were no major differences in the composition of oils from different countries. Roasting the nuts prior to pressing had little effect on oil composition.     

Modelling the efficacy of proposed mitigation areas for shorebirds: a case study on the Seine estuary, France

A behaviour-based model was used to explore the effect of an extension of the port at Le Havre (Port 2000), and the effect of proposed mitigation measures, on the mortality and body condition of the three main shorebird species that overwinter in the estuary of the river Seine, France. In the model, a 20% reduction in the area of mudflats on the north side of the estuary had little effect on curlew Numenius arquata mortality and body condition but significantly increased mortality and decreased body condition in dunlin Calidris alpina and oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus. Disturbance of feeding birds both day and night had a significant effect on the mortality and body condition of all three shorebird species, as did disturbance of roosting birds. Disturbance of feeding birds in the daytime only had a significant effect on dunlin mortality and body condition, but not that of curlew and oystercatchers. In the model, the creation of a buffer zone to reduce disturbance of feeding birds restored shorebird mortality and body condition to pre-disturbance levels. A new mudflat area was also effective in mitigating the effect of habitat loss on all three shorebirds and in mitigating the effect of roost disturbance on dunlin and curlew. However, a new mudflat area was not effective in mitigating the effect of roost disturbance on oystercatcher mortality and body condition. The effectiveness of the mitigating mudflat depended as much on its size as its quality. We believe that this is the first time that anyone has been able to forecast the efficacy of proposed mitigation measures.     

Interval analysis on non-linear monotonic systems as an efficient tool to optimise fresh food packaging

When few data or information are available, the validity of studies performing uncertainty analysis or robust design optimisation (i.e., parameter optimisation under uncertainty) with a probabilistic approach is questionable. This is particularly true in some agronomical fields, where parameter and variable uncertainties are often quantified by a handful of measurements or by expert opinions. In this paper, we propose a simple alternative approach based on interval analysis, which avoids the pitfalls of a classical probabilistic approach. We propose simple methods to achieve uncertainty propagation, parameter optimisation and sensitivity analysis in cases where the model satisfies some monotonic properties. As a real-world case study, we interest ourselves to the application developed in our laboratory that has motivated the present work, that is the design of sustainable food packaging preserving fresh fruits and vegetables as long as possible.     

Indoor airborne asbestos pollution: from the ceiling and the floor

Electron microscopic measurements of the concentrations of airborne asbestos were carried out inside and outside an office building having ceilings sprayed with a crocidolite-containing material and floors covered with vinyl-chrysotile tiles. Under normal conditions in this building, constructed 10 years ago, the two asbestos-containing materials released fibers into the air. This is the first measurement of elevated (up to 170 nanograms per cubic meter) concentrations of indoor airborne asbestos associated with the weathering of asbestos floor tiles during their service life. Asbestos flooring is used in a large number of buildings and represents the third largest use of asbestos fibers in the United States and in Europe, ranking after roofing and asbestos-cement pipe.     

Effect of Exogenous Lipase on Dough Lipids During Mixing of Wheat Flours

In control dough, endogenous wheat lipase was inactive, because the triacylglycerol (TAG), 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG_1,2), and 1,3-diacylglycerol (DAG_1,3) fractions of nonpolar lipids were not affected by mixing. Conversely, the free fatty acid (FFA) and monoacylglycerol (MAG) fractions decreased, mainly due to the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) catalyzed by wheat lipoxygenase. Addition of exogenous lipase to flour (15 lipase units [LU] per gram of dry matter) resulted in substantial modification of nonpolar lipids during dough mixing. Due to the 1,3 specificity of the lipase used in this experiment, the TAG and DAG_1,3 fractions decreased, whereas the MAG and FFA fractions increased. The DAG_1,2 fraction increased at the beginning of mixing and decreased after 40 min of mixing. Moreover, part of the PUFA released by lipase activity was oxidized by wheat lipoxygenase, resulting in major losses of PUFA. Conversely, the net content of the saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (SMUFA) remained constant, because the free SMUFA content increased primarily at the expense of the esterified forms. For a constant mixing time of 20 min, increasing the amount of lipase added to dough (from 2.5 to 25 LU/g of dry matter) resulted in a linear decrease in the TAG fraction and a linear increase in the SMUFA content in the FFA fraction. At the same time, the PUFA content of the FFA fraction increased only for additions of lipase to flour of >5 LU/g of dry matter, due to partial oxidation by wheat lipoxygenase.