The effect of soy as a natural antioxidant against flaxseed rancidity in yeast breads was tested. Variables included: control (100% bread flour); yeast bread with 15% flax meal in place of part of the total bread flour; yeast bread with 15% flax meal and 5% soy; and yeast bread with 15% flax meal and 10% soy. Objective and sensory tests were used to evaluate breads. Peroxide values indicated that the hydroperoxides in breads increased during the first four weeks of the study, and then decreased, as would be expected as breads are exposed to more elements with time. Moisture content was not significantly different between the breads. Breads containing flax were significantly firmer (p < 0.02) in texture. Breads containing flax were also significantly lower in volume (p < 0.005) and significantly darker in crumb color (p < 0.01). The level of 10% soy contributed to a significantly darker crust color (p < 0.04). Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) found the level of 10% soy also contributed to an increased stale taste and aftertaste, firmer texture, coarser crumb, and drier loaf (p < 0.05). Musty aroma was not significantly different among breads and all breads containing flax had an increased grainy taste (p < 0.0001). Soy was found to have no significant antioxidant effect on the prevention of flaxseed rancidity in yeast breads. / Master of Science

With the approval of menhaden oil pending, the food industry is trying to incorporate marine oils high in omega-3 fatty acids into food systems. The main problem obstructing its use as a food ingredient is fishy/painty flavors which occur with low levels of oxidation. The purpose of this study was to follow the formation of volatile compounds in menhaden/soybean oil blends and to correlate total volatiles with sensory odor scores. Specially Processed Menhaden Oil (SPMO) was supplied by Zapata Haynie Corporation (Reedville, VA). Blends of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 100% menhaden oil were stored for 15 weeks at 22 C, in the dark, with air in the headspace. Peroxide Value (PV) was measured. The amounts of pentane and total volatiles produced were measured using the Shimadzu static headspace attachment for the Shimadzu GC-9A capillary gas chromatograph. Total volatiles also were followed using direct injection volatile analysis. Retention times for selected volatiles were compared with those of known standards. Sensory analysis was completed using a modified version of the AOCS oil odor/flavor scorecard, with a panel of 12 trained judges. There was a significant increase in PY for each blend over the 15 week period (p<0.05). Pentane and total volatiles for the 0%, 10%, and 20% oils increased toward the end of the study but not significantly. Odor intensity scores did not increase over the 15 week period for any of the oils. The fifteen-week study period may not have been long enough for sufficient development of volatiles in the 0%, 10%, and 20% oils. The inclusion of the 100% menhaden oil altered the perceptions of the sensory panel since it had a much stronger fishy/painty odor. This caused the differences in the other oils to be overshadowed and poor correlations between sensory evaluation scores and PV and volatiles were obtained. Conditions responsible for the development of off-flavors in menhaden/soybean oil blends need further study before the commercial use of marine oils in food products is feasible. / Master of Science

When two or more individual materials combine to form a new material with improved characteristics, a composite is created. The two major components in a thermoplastic composite are the polymer, such as polypropylene (PP), and the filler, such as minerals like calcium carbonate and talc, or agricultural crop by-products like wheat straw, soy hull and soy stems. The main advantages of using agricultural fillers (AgFillers) in polypropylene are cost reduction and modulus improvement, without drastically increasing the specific gravity of the composite. These properties can be further enhanced by subjecting the composite to the bulk orientation process, in which the polymer chains align to give superior strength to the material, while the presence of polar AgFillers contributes to a reduction in material density. The objective of this research was to systematically study the relationships between the components and properties of AgFiller-PP composites, and their contributions to property modifications. Three types of AgFillers, wheat straw (WS), soy hulls (SH) and soy stems (SS) were studied, along with two PP types, virgin PP (vPP) and recycled PP (rPP), and mixtures of the two PP types. Non-oriented composites with a composition ratio of 40 wt% AgFiller to 60 wt% PP were tested for their morphology, chemical, thermal, rheological and mechanical properties. Similar properties of oriented composites with 20 wt% wheat straw filler and 80 wt% PP were also examined. The type of AgFiller was found to play a significant role in determining the rheological and mechanical properties of non-oriented AgFiller-PP composites. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that AgFillers had the tendancy to align lengthwise when subjected to the extrusion process. Depending on the fiber alignment within the filler with respect to the lengthwise direction of the filler, each AgFiller contributed differently to the composites’ properties. Stem-based AgFillers like WS and SS had fiber alignment parallel to the lengthwise direction, and the composites created had higher viscosity and higher flexural modulus. On the other hand, shell-based AgFillers like SH had fiber alignment perpendicular to the filler’s length, and were found to have less contribution to viscosity increase. Fourier transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy using attenuated total reflectance (ATR) technique showed that a skin layer of PP congregated on the surface of all the non-oriented AgFiller-PP composites, regardless of the AgFiller used. The main contribution of PP polymer type was to the rheological properties of non oriented AgFiller-PP composites. The presence of rPP also appeared to slightly improve the immiscibility between polar AgFillers and nonpolar PP polymer, according to SEM image analysis. The viscosity of the composites decreased linearly with increasing amount of rPP, because the rPP tested had significantly lower viscosity than the vPP chosen. No statistically significant conclusions could be drawn on the mechanical property changes due to large experimental variance that existed in the data. Bulk orientation of AgFiller-PP composites was shown to provide significant reduction in the material’s density as well as improvement in physical properties. Experimental results of oriented wheat straw-PP composites showed that wheat straw was highly comparable, perhaps even more superior, to wood fibers as filler for oriented PP composites. The ability to produce oriented wheat straw-PP composites using the same technology and conditions as producing oriented wood-plastic composites affirmed the feasibility for commercialization of oriented wheat straw-PP composites, and by means contributing to setting a milestone in the scientific research of AgFiller-thermoplastic biocomposites.

When two or more individual materials combine to form a new material with improved characteristics, a composite is created. The two major components in a thermoplastic composite are the polymer, such as polypropylene (PP), and the filler, such as minerals like calcium carbonate and talc, or agricultural crop by-products like wheat straw, soy hull and soy stems. The main advantages of using agricultural fillers (AgFillers) in polypropylene are cost reduction and modulus improvement, without drastically increasing the specific gravity of the composite. These properties can be further enhanced by subjecting the composite to the bulk orientation process, in which the polymer chains align to give superior strength to the material, while the presence of polar AgFillers contributes to a reduction in material density. The objective of this research was to systematically study the relationships between the components and properties of AgFiller-PP composites, and their contributions to property modifications. Three types of AgFillers, wheat straw (WS), soy hulls (SH) and soy stems (SS) were studied, along with two PP types, virgin PP (vPP) and recycled PP (rPP), and mixtures of the two PP types. Non-oriented composites with a composition ratio of 40 wt% AgFiller to 60 wt% PP were tested for their morphology, chemical, thermal, rheological and mechanical properties. Similar properties of oriented composites with 20 wt% wheat straw filler and 80 wt% PP were also examined. The type of AgFiller was found to play a significant role in determining the rheological and mechanical properties of non-oriented AgFiller-PP composites. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that AgFillers had the tendancy to align lengthwise when subjected to the extrusion process. Depending on the fiber alignment within the filler with respect to the lengthwise direction of the filler, each AgFiller contributed differently to the composites’ properties. Stem-based AgFillers like WS and SS had fiber alignment parallel to the lengthwise direction, and the composites created had higher viscosity and higher flexural modulus. On the other hand, shell-based AgFillers like SH had fiber alignment perpendicular to the filler’s length, and were found to have less contribution to viscosity increase. Fourier transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy using attenuated total reflectance (ATR) technique showed that a skin layer of PP congregated on the surface of all the non-oriented AgFiller-PP composites, regardless of the AgFiller used. The main contribution of PP polymer type was to the rheological properties of non oriented AgFiller-PP composites. The presence of rPP also appeared to slightly improve the immiscibility between polar AgFillers and nonpolar PP polymer, according to SEM image analysis. The viscosity of the composites decreased linearly with increasing amount of rPP, because the rPP tested had significantly lower viscosity than the vPP chosen. No statistically significant conclusions could be drawn on the mechanical property changes due to large experimental variance that existed in the data. Bulk orientation of AgFiller-PP composites was shown to provide significant reduction in the material’s density as well as improvement in physical properties. Experimental results of oriented wheat straw-PP composites showed that wheat straw was highly comparable, perhaps even more superior, to wood fibers as filler for oriented PP composites. The ability to produce oriented wheat straw-PP composites using the same technology and conditions as producing oriented wood-plastic composites affirmed the feasibility for commercialization of oriented wheat straw-PP composites, and by means contributing to setting a milestone in the scientific research of AgFiller-thermoplastic biocomposites.

This paper examines the impact of a new Central Bank mandate on agricultural competitiveness and on the ability of the agricultural sector to articulate its policy interests within Argentina’s policymaking process. Reforms to Argentina’s Central Bank charter, passed into law in April 2012, loosened restrictions on Central Bank lending to Argentina’s Treasury and authorized the Central Bank to act to reduce unemployment and spur economic development. The Central Bank carries out its new mandate within a policymaking process characterized by strong presidential authority, weak political institutions, powerful provincial governments, and a budget system that politicizes the transfer of fiscal resources from the federal government to the provinces. Within these policymaking dynamics, this paper analyzes the actions of the Mesa de Enlace, an interest group coalition comprised of Argentina’s four largest agricultural producer associations, and its response to changes in Central Bank governance. My argument is twofold. First, I argue that the new mandate in the long run will exert inflationary pressure on Argentina’s real exchange rate, a key determinant of competitiveness for primary commodity exports, particularly soy. Public statements made by various representatives of the Mesa de Enlace indicate strong opposition to the nominal overvaluation (atraso cambiario) of the peso. Second, I argue that the new mandate politicizes an already-politicized Central Bank. Given the agricultural sector’s waning influence in institutionalized policymaking channels, executive intrusion in Central Bank operations is economically harmful. Such government interference serves to diminish agricultural considerations in monetary policymaking and to encourage the Mesa de Enlace’s exploitation of informal channels for interest articulation, creating disincentives for robust investment and causing undesired work stoppages, hoarding, and social protest. / text

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on August 29, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

Many sources of protein have been investigated to reduce the use of fish meal (FM) in aquaculture feeds, including soybean meal (SBM). However, FM replacement in feeds for carnivorous species is limited by problems with feed intake, growth rate, and overall health associated with reduced digestibility and anti-nutritional factors found in SBM. However, soy processing strategies can reduce the effects of anti-nutritional factors and improve utilization. Therefore, we examined the possibility of further FM replacement in SBM maximized feeds for hybrid striped bass using refined soy products, soy protein concentrate (SPC) and soy protein isolate (SPI). Results indicate that further FM sparing is possible, beyond what can be achieved with SBM. For example, it is possible to reduce dietary FM content as low as 5% using SPC, and though this negatively affects growth rate, this effect may be reversed by the addition of a betaine-based attractant. Replacement with SPI resulted in such a degree of feeding reluctance that starvation and cannibalization became issues during the trial. Reducing FM content below 5-10% resulted in more variable production performance and, when using SPI, increased incidence of cannibalism. No differences in stress tolerance were observed during the trials; however, there was a trend of increasing handling mortality in fish fed the SPC diets. Refined soy proteins can be used in conjunction with SBM to spare FM, but the cost of these products, along with their acceptability to aquatic livestock, will determine the extent of their utilization in aquafeeds.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:23:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-02-06Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:50:17Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 silveira_ndp_me_arafcf.pdf: 632968 bytes, checksum: 566fea3e37e0a1dbca16d6a35e7a7aa1 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O desenvolvimento de alimentos funcionais tem aumentado mundialmente devido a seus compostos bioativos que diminuem o risco de doenças e promovem a saúde. Baseado nisso, a indústria e a comunidade científica estão, cada vez mais, buscando ingredientes que possam conferir tais características aos alimentos. A soja, além de ser importante fonte protéica, possui fibras, isoflavonas, oligossacarídeos com potencial prebiótico (rafinose e estaquinose), vitaminas e minerais. As raízes tuberosas de yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) possuem grande quantidade de frutooligossacarídeos do tipo inulina, um componente não digerível pelo nosso organismo, com função de auxiliar na seleção de determinadas bactérias da microbiota intestinal, principalmente as bifidobactérias, possuindo, portanto, efeito prebiótico. O objetivo do presente estudo foi o de verificar, através da metodologia da superfície de resposta, as melhores condições para a utilização simultânea de extratos aquosos de soja e de yacon no desenvolvimento de um novo produto fermentado por um cultivo probiótico constituído por Enterococcus faecium CRL 183 e Lactobacillus helveticus ssp jugurti 416. Para tanto, as variáveis independentes foram representadas pelo teor protéico fornecido pelo extrato hidrossolúvel de soja (g/L) e pelo extrato aquoso de yacon (%). As variáveis dependentes (respostas) foram obtidas através do teste de aceitação sensorial (“sabor” e “impressão global”). A otimização conjunta das variáveis apontou a formulação 7 (1,74 g/L de teor protéico fornecido pelo extrato de soja e 25,86% de extrato de yacon) do planejamento experimental como sendo a mais adequada. No entanto, as formulações 9 e 10 (ambas contendo 1,74 g/L de teor protéico fornecido pelo extrato de soja e 40% de extrato de yacon) apresentaram valores de aceitação que não diferiram significativamente... / World-wide the development of functional food has been increased, due to its bioactive components which decrease the risk of getting some illnesses and promote health. Based on that, the industry and the scientific population are more and more searching for ingredients that may confer such characteristics to food. The soy, besides being an important proteic source, has fibers and isoflavones, oligosaccharides with potential prebiotic (raffinose and stachyose), vitamins and minerals. The yacon tuber (Smallanthus sonchifolius) is a source of fructooligosaccharides, type inulin, undigestible components by our organism that helps in the selection and development of some bacteria of intestinal microbiota, mainly the bifidobacteria, which means that yacon has prebiotic effect. The aim of this study was to check, through Response Surface Methodology, the optimum conditions to use, simultaneously, the soy and yacon watery extracts in the development of a new fermented product with the probiotic cultive constituted by Enterococcus faecium CRL 183 and Lactobacillus helveticus ssp jugurti 416. Therefore, the independent variables were represented by the protein of soymilk (g/L) and the yacon extract (%). The dependent variables (responses) were obtained through the acceptance test (“taste” and “overall acceptability”). The joint optimization of the variables pointed out the 7th formulation (1.74 g/L of soymilk protein and 25.86% of yacon extract) of the factorial design as the most adequate. However, the 9th and 10th formulations (both containing 1.74 g/L of soymilk protein and 40% of yacon extract) presented acceptance scores significantly equal to the 7th treatment. The optimized product was submitted to the shelf-life determination, and it was presented in conditions of consuming in the course of 21 days at 5 ºC and with viability of the probiotic cultive among... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Orientador: Raimundo Leite Cruz / Resumo: O presente trabalho teve por objetivo estudar os efeitos, de seis níveis de água no solo, na nodulação da soja (Glycine max (L.) Merril). Foi instalado um experimento em casa de vegetação localizada junto à Área experimental do Departamento de Engenharia Rural, da Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA) - Campus Botucatu - SP, UNESP, durante os meses de novembro a dezembro/2001, em solo Latossolo Vermelho Escuro, textura média. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos casualizados com tratamentos em esquema fatorial 2 X 6 (dois níveis de inoculação - com e sem inoculação e seis níveis de irrigação - 30 %, 40 %, 50 %, 60 %, 70 % e 80 % da capacidade de campo), com seis repetições e uma variedade (IAC -18) um tipo de solo. As diferentes unidades experimentais, foram formadas por vasos plásticos impermeáveis contendo uma planta em cada vaso, onde foram avaliados, na floração, quando o processo de fixação de N2 atinge o ponto máximo, número e massa seca dos nódulos. Na planta, foram avaliados, massa seca da parte aérea e das raízes e nitrogênio na planta, pode-se concluir que as plantas responderam positivamente ao aumento do nível de água no solo em relação ao desenvolvimento da parte aérea e radicular . Quando inoculadas apresentaram maior teor de nitrogênio da parte aérea. / Abstract: The aiming of the work was study the efects of six soil moisture levels on soy nodulation (Glycine max (L.) Merril). A greenhouse experiment was installed at Department of Field Engineering of Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA) in campus Botucatu-SP, UNESP, during november/2001 until december/2001, in na Oxisol medium texture. The experimental design was randomized blocks with 2 X 6 outlined treatments ( 2 inoculation levels- with and without inoculation and 6 irrigation levels: 30%, 40%, 50% 60%, 70% and 80% of field capacity), it was used 6 repetitions with IAC-18 variety. The different experimental units were formed by impermeable vases with one plant each. These vases were used for avaliation of, during flowering, N fixation (maximum rate) levels, number and dry mass of the nodules. It was analyzed as well, the dry matter and N levels of the aerial part of the plant and the root system. It could be concluded that there were, in all treatments, a plant positive response with the increment of water available in soil and a better development in inoculated plants. / Mestre

Over the past few decades Brazil has become a huge player in the international trading scene. Historically being a main exporter of sugar and coffee, the nation has recently exploded in the production of soy as well, making it the second largest exporter of soy in the world. This case study will exemplify how the Brazilian soy industry has caused the exploitation of indigenous and local communities, and of the natural environment in the nation. It will explore the historic political and economic development of Brazil as a nation, the development of its soy industry, the aforementioned negative externalities of its soy industry, and both the historic and contemporary significance of state and nonstate actors on those negative externalities. Through the lens of three competing theoretical frameworks - Mercantilism, Liberalism, and Marxism - the significance of state and non-state actors will be analyzed in terms of how they historically have and continue to affect the negative externalities of the Brazilian soy industry. Depending on the theoretical perspective, these international political entities - the independent variables in study - impact the negative externalities of the Brazilian soy industry, or dependent variables in the study, which are the exploitation of the indigenous peoples and local communities of Brazil, and the destruction of its natural environment.