Symmetries and synchronization from whole-neural activity in {\it C. elegans} connectome: Integration of functional and structural networks.

Understanding the dynamical behavior of complex systems from their underlying network architectures is a long-standing question in complexity theory. Therefore, many metrics have been devised to extract network features like motifs, centrality, and modularity measures. It has previously been proposed that network symmetries are of particular importance since they are expected to underly the synchronization of a system's units, which is ubiquitously observed in nervous system activity patterns. However, perfectly symmetrical structures are difficult to assess in noisy measurements of biological systems, like neuronal connectomes. Here, we devise a principled method to infer network symmetries from combined connectome and neuronal activity data. Using nervous system-wide population activity recordings of the \textit{C.elegans} backward locomotor system, we infer structures in the connectome called fibration symmetries, which can explain which group of neurons synchronize their activity. Our analysis suggests functional building blocks in the animal's motor periphery, providing new testable hypotheses on how descending interneuron circuits communicate with the motor periphery to control behavior. Our approach opens a new door to exploring the structure-function relations in other complex systems, like the nervous systems of larger animals.

Effect of ohmic heating on the structure and properties of flexible multilayer packaging.

Food-packaging-processing interactions define packaging materials' performance properties and product quality. This study evaluated the effect of ohmic heating (OH) processing and different food simulants on the properties of four multilayer flexible packaging materials (PETmet/PE, PETmet/PP, PET/Al/PE, and PET/Al/PA/PP). OH treatment was applied to the sealed packages containing the food simulants using a voltage gradient of 3.7 V/cm at a frequency of 20 kHz, resulting in a thermal process of at 80 °C for 1 min. The structure and performance of the different packages were then evaluated. The materials did not show changes in chemical groups nor thermal properties. However, the simulant-packaging-processing interaction resulted in changes in crystallinity, morphology, mechanical and barrier properties (water and oxygen), especially for metallized films in contact with acidic food simulants. The results indicate that although OH resulted in changes in packaging materials, these materials can be used under the conditions applied in this study.

Fibration symmetries and cluster synchronization in the Caenorhabditis elegans connectome.

Capturing how the Caenorhabditis elegans connectome structure gives rise to its neuron functionality remains unclear. It is through fiber symmetries found in its neuronal connectivity that synchronization of a group of neurons can be determined. To understand these we investigate graph symmetries and search for such in the symmetrized versions of the forward and backward locomotive sub-networks of the Caenorhabditi elegans worm neuron network. The use of ordinarily differential equations simulations admissible to these graphs are used to validate the predictions of these fiber symmetries and are compared to the more restrictive orbit symmetries. Additionally fibration symmetries are used to decompose these graphs into their fundamental building blocks which reveal units formed by nested loops or multilayered fibers. It is found that fiber symmetries of the connectome can accurately predict neuronal synchronization even under not idealized connectivity as long as the dynamics are within stable regimes of simulations.

Determinantes sociais de saúde de crianças em consulta de puericultura: das condições socioeconômicas aos aspectos relacionados à saúde bucal / Social determinants of health of children in child care consultation: from socioeconomic conditions to aspects related to oral health / Determinantes sociales de la salud de los niños en la consulta infantil: de las condiciones socioeconómicas a los aspectos relacionados con la salud bucal

A imaturidade do sistema imunológico, associado a Determinantes Sociais de Saúde (DSS), promove doenças na infância. Especificamente, na cavidade oral, os DSS, representados pelo consumo elevado de açúcar, limitado acesso aos serviços de saúde e deficiência na higiene bucal, favorecem transtornos locais e sistêmicos. Assim, o estudo objetivou associar os DSS, no contexto das condições socioeconômicas, do acompanhamento pelo serviço de saúde e dos aspectos relacionados à saúde bucal de crianças atendidas em Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) de um município cearense. Trata-se de estudo observacional, analítico, transversal e de abordagem quantitativa, conduzido com crianças e suas mães em Acarape - CE. Após consentimento, essas preencheram um questionário. Os dados foram analisados. Das 70 mães, 87,14% e 90,00% tinham idade inferior ou igual a 30 anos e renda de até um salário mínimo, respectivamente. Das 70 crianças, 87,14% tinham seus dentes/gengiva higienizados por seus pais ou responsável. Do total, 94,29% nunca se submeteram a atendimento odontológico. Observou-se associação significativa entre a mãe ter escolaridade superior ao ensino fundamental incompleto e higienizar os dentes/gengiva do filho com escova dental e dentifrício. Constatou-se associação significativa entre a criança ingerir bolacha doce/recheada, não consumir refrigerante e usar escova dental e dentifrício na higienização oral. Conclui-se que as crianças eram acompanhadas nas UBS regularmente; no entanto, esse serviço não esteve relacionado ao atendimento odontológico. Apesar da ausência desse tipo de acompanhamento e do consumo de alimentos cariogênicos, as mães se preocupavam com a saúde bucal das crianças, higienizando a cavidade oral diariamente, com meios adequados.

The immaturity of the immune system, associated with Social Determi- nants of Health (SDH), promotes diseases in childhood. Specifically, in the oral cavity, SDH, represented by high sugar consumption, limited access to health services, and poor oral hygiene, favors local and systemic disorders. Thus, the study aimed to associate the SDH, in the context of socioeconomic conditions, monitoring by the health service and aspects related to children's oral health assisted in Basic Health Units (BHU) of a muni- cipality in Ceará. This is an observational, analytical, cross-sectional study with a quan- titative approach conducted with children and their mothers in Acarape - CE. After con- sent, they filled out a questionnaire. Data were analyzed. Of the 70 mothers, 87.14% and 90.00% were aged less than or equal to 30 years and had income up to one minimum wage, respectively. Of the 70 children, 87.14% had their teeth/gums cleaned by their pa- rents or guardian. Of the total, 94.29% never underwent dental care. There was a signifi- cant association between the mother having higher education than incomplete elementary school and cleaning the child's teeth/gums with a toothbrush and toothpaste. A significant association was found between the child eating sweet/stuffed biscuits, not consuming soft drink, and using a toothbrush and dentifrice for oral hygiene. It is concluded that the chil- dren were regularly monitored at the BHU; however, this service was not related to dental care. Despite the absence of this type of follow-up and the consumption of cariogenic foods, the mothers were concerned about their children's oral health, cleaning the oral cavity daily with adequate means.

La inmadurez del sistema inmunológico, asociada a los Determinantes So- ciales de la Salud (DSS), promueve enfermedades en la infancia. Específicamente, en la cavidad bucal, los DSS, representados por el alto consumo de azúcar, el acceso limitado a los servicios de salud y la mala higiene bucal, favorecen los trastornos locales y sisté- micos. Así, el estudio tuvo como objetivo asociar el DSS, en el contexto de las condicio- nes socioeconómicas, el seguimiento por el servicio de salud y los aspectos relacionados con la salud bucal de los niños atendidos en las Unidades Básicas de Salud (UBS) de un municipio de Ceará. Se trata de un estudio observacional, analítico, transversal con enfo- que cuantitativo, realizado con niños y sus madres en Acarape ­ CE. Después del consen- timiento, completaron un cuestionario. Los datos fueron analizados. De las 70 madres, 87,14% y 90,00% tenían edad menor o igual a 30 años e ingresos hasta un salario mínimo, respectivamente. De los 70 niños, al 87,14% se les limpió los dientes/encías por sus pa- dres o tutores. Del total, el 94,29% nunca realizó atención odontológica. Hubo una aso- ciación significativa entre la madre con educación superior a la primaria incompleta y la limpieza de los dientes/encías del niño con cepillo y pasta dental. Se encontró una asoci- ación significativa entre el niño que come galletas dulces/rellenas, no consume gaseosas y usa cepillo de dientes y dentífrico para la higiene bucal. Se concluyó que los niños eran monitoreados periódicamente en la UBS; sin embargo, este servicio no estaba relacionado con el cuidado dental. A pesar de la ausencia de este tipo de seguimiento y del consumo de alimentos cariogénicos, las madres se preocupan por la salud bucal de sus hijos, reali- zando la limpieza de la cavidad bucal diariamente, con medios adecuados.

Fibration symmetries and cluster synchronization in the Caenorhabditis elegans connectome.

Capturing how the Caenorhabditis elegans connectome structure gives rise to its neuron functionality remains unclear. It is through fiber symmetries found in its neuronal connectivity that synchronization of a group of neurons can be determined. To understand these we investigate graph symmetries and search for such in the symmetrized versions of the forward and backward locomotive sub-networks of the Caenorhabditi elegans worm neuron network. The use of ordinarily differential equations simulations admissible to these graphs are used to validate the predictions of these fiber symmetries and are compared to the more restrictive orbit symmetries. Additionally fibration symmetries are used to decompose these graphs into their fundamental building blocks which reveal units formed by nested loops or multilayered fibers. It is found that fiber symmetries of the connectome can accurately predict neuronal synchronization even under not idealized connectivity as long as the dynamics are within stable regimes of simulations.

The influence of conching time on the sensory profile and consumer acceptance of milk chocolates enriched with freeze-dried blueberry (Vaccinium spp.).

Conching is a processing stage of industrial chocolate manufacture that is essential to the development of the sensory and rheological properties of the finished product. It promotes the physicochemical changes leading to flavor, aroma, and flowability refinement by continuously heating, aerating, shearing, and homogenizing chocolate mass during an extended time length. Conching duration is a key processing parameter that depends on the type of chocolate, the quality of primary ingredients, the conche's configuration, and the desired sensory outcome in the chocolate. Shorter cycles are often beneficial to manufacturers, due to increased productivity and reduced energy consumption, but they may be insufficient to fully develop chocolate's desired sensory properties. The present study aimed to shed light on the trade-off between product quality and process efficiency by assessing if varying conching durations were associated with statistically significant differences in the sensory profile and consumer acceptance of milk chocolates with freeze-dried blueberry. Samples were produced under an alternative method of conching prior to ball mill refining, with times investigated being 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 h, and were subsequently submitted to Quantitative Descriptive Analysis and consumer acceptance test. No statistically significant differences in either sensory profiles or consumer acceptance ratings of samples were observed, with the exception of hedonic values for aroma, indicating that a 6-h conching cycle was already enough to develop the sensory properties of the milk chocolate with freeze-dried blueberry. The feasibility of shorter conching times suggests a potential for energy saving and increased productivity in the production of milk chocolates following the conching prior to ball mill refining concept.

Food-Package-Processing relationships in emerging technologies: Ultrasound effects on polyamide multilayer packaging in contact with different food simulants.

In this study, the effect of ultrasound processing on the properties of two packages widely used in food products was evaluated: polyamide (PA) and polyethylene (PE) multilayer packaging. Packages composed of PE/PA/PE (Film A) and PE/PA/PE/PA/PE (Film B) were filled with aqueous and fatty food simulants and treated in an ultrasound water bath (frequency 25 kHz, volumetric power of 9.74 W/L, temperature of 25 °C, and time of 30 and 60 min). Materials were evaluated in term of structure and performance properties. Ultrasound did not or induced small changes in chemical groups, crystallinity, melting temperature, and tensile strength of the films. Film A showed a reduction in heat sealing tensile strength of 25% in the machine direction and 22% in the transverse direction. Film B showed a 20% increase of water vapor transmission rate after ultrasound processing. Although ultrasound had little impact on the properties of the evaluated materials, these modifications do not compromise the use of these packages for applications in ultrasound-processed foods. Therefore, the results indicate that ultrasound can be used as a food processing technology in multilayer PA and PE packaging.

Avaliação do crescimento e desenvolvimento infantil e fatores de risco de um município que integra uma universidade brasileira de cunho internacional / Evaluation of childhood growth and development and risk factors of a municipality that is part of an international brazilian university / Evaluación de los factores de crecimiento y desarrollo infantil y de riesgo de un municipio que forma parte de una universidad brasileña internacional

Fatores de risco, incluindo os de cunho materno, interferem no crescimento e desenvolvimento infantil. Nesse sentido, o conhecimento desses fatores e avaliação ade- quada desses processos são necessários para articulação de estratégias preventivas de transtornos futuros. Assim, o estudo visou investigar o crescimento e desenvolvimento de crianças atendidas em consulta de puericultura em unidades básicas de saúde de um mu- nicípio cearense, que integra uma universidade brasileira de cunho internacional, e seus fatores de risco. Trata-se de estudo observacional, analítico, transversal e de abordagem quantitativa, conduzido com crianças e suas mães no Centro de Saúde de Acarape e Posto de Saúde São Benedito (Acarape ­ CE), no período de fevereiro a julho de 2021. Após consentimento, as mães preencheram um questionário, seguido de avaliação do cresci- mento e desenvolvimento das crianças. Os dados obtidos foram analisados. Das 70 crian- ças, 50,00% (n = 17) e 51,43% (n = 18) dos meninos e meninas tinham baixa estatura para idade, respectivamente. Para o desenvolvimento psicossocial, dos 284 testes condu- zidos, 86,27% (n = 245) foram realizados em plenitude pelas crianças. Observou-se as- sociação significativa entre a gestante ter concebido o filho com, no mínimo, 9 meses de período gestacional e esse apresentar relação Peso/Idade adequada e Estatura/Idade ina- dequada. Houve associação significativa entre a criança não ingerir refresco em pó e apre- sentar relação Peso/Idade adequada. Conclui-se que as crianças tinham idade gestacional adequada e apresentavam estado nutricional apropriado, apesar da baixa estatura para idade. Manifestavam desenvolvimento psicossocial, de linguagem e físico normais. Sobre os fatores de risco, esses envolveram os de cunho materno e o consumo de alimentos cariogênicos.

Risk factors, including maternal ones, interfere with child growth and de- velopment. In this sense, knowledge of these factors and adequate evaluation of these processes are necessary to articulate preventive strategies for future disorders. Thus, the study aimed to investigate the growth and development of children seen in childcare con- sultations in primary health units in Ceará, part of a Brazilian university of international character, and their risk factors. This is an observational, analytical, cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, conducted with children and their mothers at the Acarape Health Center and São Benedito Health Center (Acarape ­ CE), from February to July 2021. After consent, the mothers completed a questionnaire, followed by an assessment of the children's growth and development. The data obtained were analyzed. Of the 70 children, 50.00% (n = 17) and 51.43% (n = 18) of the boys and girls were short for their age, respectively. Of the 284 tests conducted for psychosocial development, 86.27% (n = 245) were entirely performed by the children. A significant association was observed between the pregnant woman having conceived her child at least nine months of gestation and having an adequate Weight/Age and Height/Age ratio. There was a significant asso- ciation between the child not ingesting powdered soft drinks and having an appropriate Weight/Age ratio. It was concluded that the children had an adequate gestational age and had an appropriate nutritional status, despite their low height for their age. They showed normal psychosocial, language, and physical development. The risk factors involved those of mother nature and the consumption of cariogenic foods.

Los factores de riesgo, incluidos los maternos, interfieren en el crecimiento y desarrollo infantil. En este sentido, el conocimiento de estos factores y la evaluación adecuada de estos procesos son necesarios para articular estrategias preventivas de futu- ros trastornos. Así, el estudio tuvo como objetivo investigar el crecimiento y desarrollo de niños atendidos en consultas de puericultura en unidades básicas de salud de un muni- cipio de Ceará, que forma parte de una universidad brasileña de carácter internacional, y sus factores de riesgo. Se trata de un estudio observacional, analítico, transversal, con enfoque cuantitativo, realizado con niños y sus madres en el Centro de Salud de Acarape y el Centro de Salud São Benedito (Acarape ­ CE), de febrero a julio de 2021. Después del consentimiento, las madres completaron un cuestionario, seguido de una evaluación del crecimiento y desarrollo de los niños. Los datos obtenidos fueron analizados. De los 70 niños, el 50,00% (n = 17) y el 51,43% (n = 18) de los niños y niñas eran bajos para su edad, respectivamente. Para el desarrollo psicosocial, de las 284 pruebas realizadas, el 86,27% (n = 245) fueron realizadas íntegramente por los niños. Se observó una asociación significativa entre la gestante haber concebido a su hijo con al menos 9 meses de gesta- ción y tener una adecuada relación Peso/Edad y Talla/Edad. Hubo asociación significativa entre el niño que no ingiere gaseosas en polvo y presentar una adecuada relación Peso/Edad. Se concluyó que los niños tenían una edad gestacional adecuada y un estado nutricional adecuado, a pesar de su baja talla para su edad. Presentaron un desarrollo psi- cosocial, lingüístico y físico normal. En cuanto a los factores de riesgo, estos involucraron los de naturaleza materna y el consumo de alimentos cariogénicos.

Bio-based multilayer films: A review of the principal methods of production and challenges.

The development of biodegradable packaging materials has been drawing attention worldwide to minimize the environmental impact of traditional petroleum-based plastics. Nevertheless, it is challenging to obtain bio-based materials with suitable properties for packaging applications. Films produced from a single biopolymer often lack some important properties. An alternative to overcome this limitation is the multilayer assembly. Under this technology, two or more materials with specific and complementary properties are combined into a single-layered structure, thus improving the performance of bio-polymer plastics. This review presents the main aspects of bio-based multilayer film production technologies, discussing their advantages and disadvantages, which have to be considered to produce the most suitable film for each specific application. Most of the studies reported that such films resulted in increased mechanical performance and decreased water, oxygen, and dioxide carbon permeability. This approach allows the addition of compounds leading to antioxidant or antibacterial activity. Finally, a discussion about the future challenges is also presented.

Consumer Acceptance Studies of Margarine to Guide Product Development in the Food Industry.

Margarine exhibits significant variations in composition, allowing it to cater to diverse consumer segments. This study aimed to characterize the physical and sensory attributes of margarine samples available in the Brazilian market. Twelve commercial samples from six different brands, encompassing 30% to 80% of lipid contents, were subjected to instrumental texture analysis and affective assessment. A total of 112 consumers participated in acceptance tests and Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) evaluations, while another group of 62 subjects performed Projective Mapping. Samples with lipid percentages exceeding 70% achieved the highest average acceptance scores for taste and overall impression. The brand with the lowest lipid content (30%) exhibited a stronger association with negative attributes, including rancid flavor and aroma, bitterness, and metallic flavor, resulting in lower average scores for aroma, flavor, texture, and overall impression. However, these scores were not statistically different from samples with 50% and 60% lipid content. Reducing lipid levels in fat-based products such as margarine poses a challenge to food manufacturers, as consumers generally perceive higher lipid percentages as indicative of superior flavor quality.

Use of physical processes to maximize goat milk cream hydrolysis: Impact on structure and enzymatic hydrolysis.

This study evaluated the use of ultrasound (US), high-shear dispersion (HSD), stirring (ST), and low or high pressure homogenization (LPH or HPH) technologies to modify the goat milk cream (GMC) structure, focusing on improving the enzymatic hydrolysis of its lipids. The GMC structure was evaluated, as well as its creaming and emulsion stability index (ESI). The processed GMC was hydrolyzed by lipase at 50 °C for 300 min, and the fatty acids concentration (FAC) was evaluated over the reaction. ST, HPH, and HSD showed âˆ¼ 90% lower emulsion destabilization, 10 times higher ESI, and smaller fat globule size than unprocessed GMC. The pretreatments increased the hydrolysis rate up to 2.4 times and the final FAC up to 8.7 times. ST (4 min), HPH (40 MPa) and HSD (5 min/ 25,000 rpm) showed the best results, which were correlated with the changes in the GMC structure. The results suggest that the physical treatments impacted the substrate structure, favoring enzyme activity and accelerating the hydrolysis degree. Therefore, the application of physical processes can be an interesting strategy to enhance the hydrolysis of GMC, aiming to produce compounds of industrial interest.

The role of conching in chocolate flavor development: A review.

Chocolate is an indulgent product whose consumption is mostly motivated by its alluring sensory properties. Among them, flavor stands as the key driver for consumer preference and purchase intention. Flavor is a complex multimodal perception whose discrimination depends mostly on the retronasal aromas associated with the presence of odor-active compounds in the matrix. The development of chocolate flavor relies on several factors, ranging from intrinsic properties of raw materials to formulation and processing conditions. As the last step of liquid chocolate manufacture, conching develops proper fluidity/texture and finetunes flavor, by means of intensive mixing and continuous heating of chocolate mass for several hours. Time and temperature are the main parameters determining the extent of conching effects upon flavor, despite factors such as ventilation, energy input onto chocolate mass, and configuration of conching machine being also relevant to some of the physicochemical mechanisms involved in flavor modification. Overall, conching impacts chocolate flavor by either changing the concentration of key odor-active compounds or modifying their distribution throughout the matrix, affecting their binding to other components and, ultimately, their rate of release during ingestion. The present review aims to gather evidence on the physicochemical transformations promoted by conching responsible for flavor enhancement and overall sensory quality of chocolates.

Knowledge and perception of different plastic bags and packages: A case study in Brazil.

The growing demand for plastics, for packaging and consumption, is a current environmental issue. Although there are many scientific developments concerning material science, knowledge about the public's perception is low, which can delay society's efforts to face this challenge. This study aimed to understand if Brazilians who practice different sustainable actions perceive differently biodegradable, recycled, and common plastics and have different purchase intentions for each specific type of packaging. A total of 1080 Brazilian adults were first classified by their day-to-day attitudes regarding sustainability efforts. Then, their purchase intention and perception about different plastics were assessed. Regardless of sustainability practices, people associate common plastic bags with negative attributes and biodegradable plastic bags with positive attributes. This shows that there is a well-established concept about these types of bags, even if there are some misconceptions (e.g. recyclable) or controversies (e.g. non-polluting). On the other hand, results showed that consumers who adopted more sustainable practices were 3.5 times more willing to pay for biodegradable packages, even though no differences were observed in the accepted price for biodegradable bags between consumer's groups. Finally, the purchase intention comparisons for products packaged in recycled and biodegradable plastics showed the consumers were more interested in those biodegradable plastics and the purchase intention was lower for perishable food (e.g. products that can have higher safety risks). The results are important for understanding environmental policy management in Brazil, highlighting the importance to improve the population's knowledge about different types of plastic, leading to more conscious choices.

Combining ultrasound, vacuum and/or ethanol as pretreatments to the convective drying of celery slices.

This work studied three emerging approaches to improve the convective drying (50 °C, 0.8 m/s) of celery. Celery slices of 2 mm thick were pretreated for 5 min using ultrasound (32 W/L, 40 kHz), vacuum (75 kPa vacuum pressure) and ethanol (99.8% v/v, as drying accelerator) applied individually or in combination. To evaluate individual effects of ultrasound and vacuum, the treatments were also performed with distilled water or air medium, respectively. Moreover, the cavitational level was characterized in each condition. Drying kinetics was evaluated tending into account the drying time required by each treatment and the Page's model parameters. In addition, microstructural effects and shrinkage were evaluated. As results, ethanol combined with ultrasound significantly improved drying kinetics reducing drying time by around 38%. However, vacuum pretreatment did not affect drying kinetics even in combination with ethanol and/or ultrasound. Microstructural evaluation did not evidence cell disruption, suggesting changes in intercellular spaces, pores and/or cell wall permeability. The use of ethanol and vacuum showed a greater effect on shrinkage after pretreatment and after drying, respectively. In conclusion, at the studied conditions, the drying acceleration by vacuum and ultrasound is lower compared to the effect produced using ethanol.

Starch modification through environmentally friendly alternatives: a review.

Starch is a versatile and a widely used ingredient, with applications in many industries including adhesive and binding, paper making, corrugating, construction, paints and coatings, chemical, pharmaceutical, textiles, oilfield, food and feed. However, native starches present limited applications, which impairs their industrial use. Consequently, starch is commonly modified to achieve desired properties. Chemical treatments are the most exploited to bring new functionalities to starch. However, those treatments can be harmful to the environment and can also bring risks to the human health, limiting their applications. In this scenario, there is a search for techniques that are both environmentally friendly and efficient, bringing new desired functionalities to starches. Therefore, this review presents an up-to-date overview of the available literature data regarding the use of environmentally friendly treatments for starch modification. Among them, we highlighted an innovative chemical treatment (ozone) and different physical treatments, as the modern pulsed electric field (PEF), the emerging ultrasound (US) technology, and two other treatments based on heating (dry heating treatment - DHT, and heat moisture treatment - HMT). It was observed that these environmentally friendly technologies have potential to be used for starch modification, since they create materials with desirable functionalities with the advantage of being categorized as clean label ingredients.

Ozonation of agri-food products for reducing mycotoxin contamination: challenges in grains and particulates processing.

This study evaluated differences in the efficiency of ozonation process to reduce the natural contamination of two mycotoxins, deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN), in wheat grains and particulate products. Three different products were used, each one representing a different structure and mycotoxin distribution: (1) wheat grains, with natural mycotoxin distribution inside and among the grains; (2) homemade pellets, with homogenous mycotoxin distribution; (3) ground homemade pellets, with homogeneous mycotoxin distribution, and smaller particles. The ozonation of naturally contaminated wheat grains did not reduce the concentrations of DON and ZEN. When the variability of contamination among replicates was reduced by the production of homemade pellets showed, the ozonation provides a reduction of 14% of ZEN concentration. Reducing the size of particles by grinding the homemade pellets, a reduction of DON (11%) and ZEN (31%) was observed, which was evidenced by the higher ozone consumption during the process. Therefore, some limitations of ozonation of grains and particulate products, such as particle dimensions and distribution of natural contamination of mycotoxins affect the degradation of DON and ZEN under real conditions. Because of this, further studies to evaluate the effectiveness of ozonation should also be performed in samples naturally contaminated to produce robustness results.

Evaluation of ozone technology as an alternative for degradation of free gossypol in cottonseed meal: a prospective study.

Free gossypol is a toxic compound which naturally occurs in cottonseed and its derivates, affecting animal and possibly human health. Consequently, alternatives for gossypol destruction must be evaluated. This work evaluated the emerging technology of ozone processing for free gossypol destruction in cottonseed meal. Ozonation was carried out in the actual cottonseed meal and also a model system, designed to describe the involved mode of action. The model system consisted of glass pearls beads covered with free gossypol. Ozonation was performed in two ways: as a static process, i.e., without homogenising the sample after placing them in the reactor, and also homogenising it. Ozone degraded free gossypol in all the systems, but reaching different levels. Free gossypol reduction was higher in the model system than the cottonseed meal, and higher in the homogenised processing than the static one: cottonseed meal in homogenised (56%) and static (25%); model system homogenised (98%) and static (80%). The obtained differences suggest a problem of gas penetration in the solid particles, the effect of unexposed surfaces due to contact areas, and the reaction with other organic molecules further than the target. Ozonation is a promising technique for gossypol degradation in cottonseed meal, but additional strategies are needed to optimise the ozonation process and evaluate toxicological aspects.

Enhancing carrot convective drying by combining ethanol and ultrasound as pre-treatments: Effect on product structure, quality, energy consumption, drying and rehydration kinetics.

Ultrasound was combined with ethanol to improve different aspects of carrot convective drying, evaluating both processing and product quality. The ultrasound in water treatment resulted in cellular swelling and small impact on texture. Differently, the ultrasound in ethanol and ethanol treatments modified both carrot microstructure (cell wall modifications of parenchymatic tissue) and macrostructure (shrinkage and resistance to perforation). Pre-treatments with ultrasound in ethanol and ethanol improved the drying kinetics, reducing the processing time (~50%) and the energy consumption (42-62%). These pre-treatments also enhanced rehydration, whose initial rate and water retention were higher than the control. In addition, the carotenoid content was preserved after drying, for all the treatments. Any impact on shrinkage was observed. A mechanistic discussion, based on structural modification (microstructure and macrostructure) and physical properties of water and ethanol, was provided. As conclusion, this work not only described positive aspects of combining the technologies of ultrasound and ethanol as pre-treatments to convective drying, but also proposed mechanisms to explain the phenomena.

Combining ethanol pre-treatment and ultrasound-assisted drying to enhance apple chips by fortification with black carrot anthocyanin.

BACKGROUND: An interesting approach to improve dried foods nutritional properties, functionality, and sensorial attributes, is by taking advantage of pre-treatments for incorporating components into the food matrix. Based on this, this work studied the incorporation of black carrot anthocyanins in apple tissue by using ethanol (concentrations 0-300 mL L-1 ) as a pre-treatment to ultrasound-assisted convective drying. Samples were pre-treated in acidified ethanol solutions, with and without anthocyanins, and then dried (50 °C, 1 m s-1 ) by convective and ultrasound-assisted convective (21.77 kHz, 20.5 kW m-3 ) drying. Both the drying process improvement and the obtained product properties were studied. RESULTS: The anthocyanins did not influence the drying kinetics. In contrast, time reduction was > 50% by using both ethanol pre-treatments and ultrasound. Ethanol pre-treatments decreased the external resistance to mass transfer, while ultrasound decreased both internal and external resistances. The impregnation increased the anthocyanins (above 947%), which were retained after drying. Colour modifications after pre-treatments and after drying (L*, b*, h° decrease, and a* increase), and antioxidant capacity retention were observed in samples with anthocyanin addition. CONCLUSION: The results point that ethanol pre-treatments and ultrasound application can accelerate drying, and through the natural colouring incorporation during pre-treatments, the nutritional properties of dried samples were better retained. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Dual-process of starch modification: Combining ozone and dry heating treatments to modify cassava starch structure and functionality.

This work evaluated for the first time the effect of dual modification of cassava starch by using ozone (O3) and dry heating treatment (DHT). The dual modification was capable to promote fissures on the surface of the starch granule (DHT + O3), affected the starch amorphous domains, presented greater degree of starch oxidation (DHT + O3) and different profiles of starch molecular size distribution. These modifications resulted in starches with different properties. Moreover, the sequence of treatments was decisive for the hydrogel properties: while DHT + O3 resulted in formation of stronger gels, O3 + DHT resulted in weaker gels. In conclusion, this proposed dual modification was capable to produce specific modified starch when compared with the isolated treatments, also expanding the potential of cassava starch applications.