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Tuesday 8 March 2016

STRAW

Straw is an agricultural by-product, the dry stalks of cereal plants, after the grain and chaff have been removed. Straw makes up about half of the yield of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, rye and wheat. It has many uses, including fuel, livestock bedding and fodder, thatching and basket-making. 


Large round bales

It is usually gathered and stored in a straw bale, which is a bundle of straw tightly bound with twine or wire. Bales may be square, rectangular, or round, depending on the type of baler used.


Bundles of rice straw

Uses

Pile of "small square" straw bales, sheltered under a tarpaulin.
Current and historic uses of straw include:
Straw or hay briquettes are a biofuel substitute to coal
  • Animal feed
    • Straw may be fed as part of the roughage component of the diet to cattle or horses that are on a near maintenance level of energy requirement. It has a low digestible energy and nutrient content. The heat generated when microorganisms in a herbivore's gut digest straw can be useful in maintaining body temperature in cold climates. Due to the risk of impaction and its poor nutrient profile, it should always be restricted to part of the diet. It may be fed as it is, or chopped into short lengths, known as chaff
  • Basketry
    • Bee skeps and linen baskets are made from coiled and bound together continuous lengths of straw. The technique is known as lip work.
  • Bedding: humans or livestock;
    • The straw-filled mattress, also known as a palliasse, is still used in many parts of the world.
    • It is commonly used as bedding for ruminants and horses. It may be used as bedding and food for small animals, but this often leads to injuries to mouth, nose and eyes as straw is quite sharp.
  • Biofuels
    • The use of straw as a carbon-neutral energy source is increasing rapidly, especially for biobutanol. Straw or hay briquettes are a biofuel substitute to coal.
  • Biogas
    • Straw has been tested for use in a biogas plant in Aarhus University, Denmark. Straw has been processed as briquettes and feed into a biogas plant to see if higher gas yields were attainable.
  • Biomass
    • The use of straw in large-scale biomass power plants is becoming mainstream in the EU, with several facilities already online. The straw is either used directly in the form of bales, or densified into pellets which allows for the feedstock to be transported over longer distances. Finally, torrefaction of straw with pelletisation is gaining attention, because it increases the energy density of the resource, making it possible to transport it still further. This processing step also makes storage much easier, because torrefied straw pellets are hydrophobic. Torrefied straw in the form of pellets can be directly co-fired with coal or natural gas at very high rates and make use of the processing infrastructures at existing coal and gas plants. Because the torrefied straw pellets have superior structural, chemical and combustion properties to coal, they can replace all coal and turn a coal plant into an entirely biomass-fed power station. First generation pellets are limited to a co-firing rate of 15% in modern IGCC plants.
  • Construction material:
  • In many parts of the world, straw is used to bind clay and concrete. A mixture of clay and straw, known as cob, can be used as a building material. There are many recipes for making cob.
  • When baled, straw has moderate insulation characteristics (about R-1.5/inch according to Oak Ridge National Lab and Forest Product Lab testing). It can be used, alone or in a post-and-beam construction, to build straw bale houses. When bales are used to build or insulate buildings, the straw bales are commonly finished with earthen plaster. The plastered walls provide some thermal mass, compressive and ductile structural strength, and acceptable fire resistance as well as thermal resistance (insulation), somewhat in excess of North American building code. Straw is an abundant agricultural waste product, and requires little energy to bale and transport for construction. For these reasons, strawbale construction is gaining popularity as part of passive solar and other renewable energy projects.
Belarusian Straw Dolls

  • Composite lumber, Wheat straw can be used as a polymer filler combined with polymers to produce composite lumber.
  • Enviro Board can be made from straw.

  • Erosion control
    • Straw bales are sometimes used for sediment control at construction sites. However, bales are often ineffective in protecting water quality and are maintenance-intensive. For these reasons the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and various state agencies recommend use of alternative sediment control practices where possible, such as silt fences, fiber rolls and geotextiles 
    • Burned area emergency response
    • Ground cover
    • In-stream check dams
  • Hats
    • There are several styles of straw hats that are made of woven straw.
    • Many thousands of women and children in England (primarily in the Luton district of Bedfordshire), and large numbers in the United States (mostly Massachusetts), were employed in plaiting straw for making hats. By the late 19th century, vast quantities of plaits were being imported to England from Canton in China, and in the United States most of the straw plait was imported.
    • A fiber analogous to straw is obtained from the plant Carludovica palmata, and is used to make Panama hats.
  • Horticulture
    • Straw is used in cucumber houses and for mushroom growing.
    • In Japan, certain trees are wrapped with straw to protect them from the effects of a hard winter as well as to use them as a trap for parasite insects.
    • It is also used in ponds to reduce algae by changing the nutrient ratios in the water.
    • The soil under strawberries is covered with straw to protect the ripe berries from dirt, and straw is also used to cover the plants during winter to prevent the cold from killing them.
    • Straw also makes an excellent mulch.
  • Packaging
    • Straw is resistant to being crushed and therefore makes a good packing material. A company in France makes a straw mat sealed in thin plastic sheets.
    • Straw envelopes for wine bottles have become rarer, but are still to be found at some wine merchants.
    • Wheat straw is also used in compostable food packaging such as compostable plates. Packaging made from wheat straw can be certified compostable and will biodegrade in a commercial composting environment.
  • Paper
    • Straw can be pulped to make paper.

  • Rope
    • Rope made from straw was used by thatchers, in the packaging industry and even in iron foundries.
  • Shoes
    • Koreans wear Jipsin, sandals made of straw.
    • In some parts of Germany like Black Forest and Hunsrück people wear straw shoes at home or at carnival.
  • Targets
    • Heavy gauge straw rope is coiled and sewn tightly together to make archery targets. This is no longer done entirely by hand, but is partially mechanised. Sometimes a paper or plastic target is set up in front of straw bales, which serve to support the target and provide a safe backdrop.
  • Thatching
    • Thatching uses straw, reed or similar materials to make a waterproof, lightweight roof with good insulation properties. Straw for this purpose (often wheat straw) is grown specially and harvested using a reaper-binder.

References

  1. ^ http://dca.au.dk/en/current-news/news/show/artikel/vejen-fra-toert-halm-til-brugbar-energi-forkortes-markant.
  2. ^ *The Straw Bale House: Suitability for the Eastern U.S.
  3. ^ Adding Value to Wheat Straw By Anduin Kirkbride-McElroy. Biomass Magazine, 2007 
  4. ^ California Stormwater Quality Association. Menlo Park, CA. “California Stormwater BMP Handbook: Straw Bale Barrier.” Best Management Practice (BMP) No. SE-9. January 2003.
  5. ^ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Washington, DC. "National Menu of Stormwater Best Management Practices: Straw or Hay Bales."June 1, 2006.
  6. a b Wikisource-logo.svg Baynes, T.S.; Smith, W.R., eds. (1887). "Straw Manufactures", Encyclopædia Britannica 22 (9th ed.).
  7. a b Wikisource-logo.svg Riple, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). "Straw", The American Cyclopædia.
  8. ^ Viv Biz Club: Compostable Plates.
  9. ^ Schnitzer M, Monreal CM, Powell EE (2014). "Wheat straw biomass: A resource for high-value chemicals". Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B: Pesticides, Food Contaminants, and Agricultural Wastes 49 (1): 51–67. doi:10.1080/03601234.2013.836924, PMID 24138469.

- Wikipedia 

SODA PULPING

Soda pulping is a chemical process for making wood pulp, with sodium hydroxide as the cooking chemical. In the Soda-AQ process, anthraquinone (AQ) may be used as a pulping additive to decrease the carbohydrate degradation. The soda process gives pulp with lower tear strength than other chemical pulping processes (sulfite process and kraft process), but has still limited use for easy pulped materials like straw and some hardwoods.

History

Soda pulping was one of the first chemical pulping methods and was invented in 1851 by Burgess (USA) and Watts (England). The first mill was started in 1860 in the USA. In 1865 they patented a method for recovery of the cooking liquors by incineration of the spent liquor. Many of the early soda mills converted to kraft mills once it was discovered.

Production
Around 5%-10% of paper production worldwide is produced from agricultural crops, valuing agricultural paper production at between $5 billion and $10 billion. The most notable of these agricultural crops are wheat straw and bagasse. Using agricultural crops rather than wood has the added advantage of reducing deforestation.
Due to the ease with which bagasse can be chemically pulped, bagasse requires less bleaching chemicals than wood pulp to achieve a bright, white sheet of paper.
Most chemical bagasse pulp mills concentrate the spent reaction chemicals and combust them to power the paper-mills and to recover the reaction chemicals.
Soda Pulping as Solution for Silicate Scaling

Many grasses, bagasse, bamboo and some tropical hardwoods contain much silicates that may cause sodium aluminum silicate scales. Moderate amounts of silicates can be controlled with purging lime mud or lime kiln ash. Silicate removal from green liquor in a soda mill can be achieved by lowering the pH of the liquor with CO2-containing flue gases from the lime kiln or other sources. No commercial silicate removal system is available for the kraft process, but it can handle the small amounts of silicates from northern woods.

References

  1. Ali, Mona; Byrd, Medwick; Jameel, Hasan (2001). "Soda-AQ pulping of Cotton Stalks, (PDF). Retrieved 2009-01-20.
  2. ^ Biermann, Christpher J. (1996). "3". Handbook of Pulping and Papermaking (2nd ed.). p. 86. ISBN 0-12-097362-6.
  3. ^ Gullichsen, Johan; Paulapuro, Hannu (2000). "12". Chemical Pulping. Papermaing Science and Technology 6B. Finland. pp. B91–B92. ISBN 952-5216-06-3

- Wikipedia 

Calories in Nachos & Cheese

Nachos consist of corn tortilla chips topped with cheese, then broiled until the cheese melts. This simple Mexican-style snack food tickles your taste buds with both the creaminess of the warm, melted cheese and the crunch of the crispy chips. You can also add jalapeños to kick up the spiciness. This basic nacho snack can be relatively high in calories, fat and sodium, but by choosing ingredients carefully, you can make healthier versions.
Calories in Nachos & Cheese
Nachos consist of chips and cheese, but can contain other optional ingredients.Photo Credit Nikolay Trubnikov/iStock/Getty Images

Calories

Total calories in nachos with cheese depends on both the type of cheese and the type of chip used. Typical corn tortilla chips have about 146 calories for 10 chips, or about 15 calories per chip. Baked, instead of fried chips, contain about 110 calories for 18 chips, or 6 calories per chip. Mexican-style cheddar and Monterey jack cheese contains about 110 calories per ounce. Together, a single serving of nachos could contain about 220 to 256 calories. Typically, however, a single serving of nachos contains more 10 chips and more than 1 oz. of cheese, resulting in a total calorie count ranging from about 346 to 554 calories per serving.

Fat

Chips and cheese contain a significant amount of fat. Corn tortilla chips contain about 7 g of fat for 10 chips, almost 1 g per chip. Cheese contains 9 g of fat per ounce. A single serving of nachos could contain 16 g of fat. Typically, however, people load their chips with more than 1 oz. of cheese, resulting in nachos containing about 19 g to 30 g of fat. Lower fat versions made with baked chips and low-fat cheese could contain a total of 8 g of fat per serving. This version contains half the fat and almost twice the chips as regular nachos.

Sodium

Nachos contain high levels of sodium, about 816 mg per serving, about half your recommended daily limit for sodium intake. High levels of sodium can raise your blood pressure, increase your risk of heart disease and stroke, and decrease your overall bone density. A virtually sodium-free version of nachos can be made using salt-free chips and low-sodium cheese. In this case, the overall sodium content totals less than 5 mg per serving.

Calcium

Cheese contributes to the overall calcium content of nachos. Depending on how much cheese you add to your chips, the total calcium content of your nachos could range from 20 to 30 percent of your daily recommended requirement. Calcium not only helps maintain bone density, but helps ensure proper muscle and nerve function and helps your blood to clot. Low blood calcium levels make your body borrow the calcium from your bones, and if not replenished can cause your bones to become weak and brittle. Eating low fat, low-sodium dairy foods, such as nachos made with low-fat, low-sodium cheese can help you maintain adequate blood calcium levels.

Jalapeños

Jalapeño peppers added to nachos increases their overall spicy flavor without adding significant fat, calories or sodium. One whole jalapeño pepper contains only 4 calories, less than 1/10 g of fat, and no sodium, and provides 10 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C. Jalapeños contain only 1 g of carbohydrate and provide 30 mg of potassium. They rank moderately hot on the chili pepper hotness scale, a level five out of 10, indicating they add significant heat to your food, but not to an intolerable level.
www.livestrong.com

Is Fresh Pineapple Good for the Sinuses?

Fresh pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain. In Central and South America, pineapple has been used as medicine for many years. Traditionally, pineapple has treated a number of medical conditions including congestion of the sinuses, although research on the effectiveness of pineapple for most conditions is limited. Consult your physician before changing your diet or taking any supplements.
Is Fresh Pineapple Good for the Sinuses?
A young man slicing pineapple on a cutting board. Photo Credit Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Benefits of Pineapple

The bromelain found in pineapple may help to treat different ailments. Bromelain is an ingredient in Phlogenzym, a prescription medication to treat arthritis. According to the National Institutes of Health, bromelain is possibly effective for the treatment of joint pain. It is also used to treat muscle soreness after exercise, knee pain, severe burns and inflammation. Bromelain may help to reduce swelling following surgery or injury and may help to treat hay fever; however, more research is needed before the effectiveness of bromelain for these other uses can be rated.

Pineapple and Sinuses

Fresh pineapple has been used to treat some conditions of the sinuses. The German Commission E, an expert panel that reviews herbal remedies in Germany, approved bromelain, found in stems and juice of pineapple, as a treatment to reduce swelling or inflammation of the nose or sinuses after ear, nose or throat surgery. Because bromelain may also be useful in reducing inflammation in conditions such as arthritis, it can be concluded that bromelain may also help reduce inflammation of the sinuses.

Research

Preliminary research suggests that bromelain from pineapples may be effective in treating specific sinus disorders. A 2006 review published in “Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery” examined three studies that tested bromelain as a treatment for acute or chronic sinusitis. The study found that bromelain may be effective adjunctive treatments in acute rhinosinusitis. Another study conducted in 2005 and published in "In Vivo" investigated the use of bromelain in children with acute sinusitis. Researchers also found that bromelain was useful in the treatment of sinusitis in young children. However, more research needs to be done.
Precautions
Although bromelain has very low toxicity, consult your physician before eating fresh pineapple for the sinuses. The bromelain in pineapple may interact with certain medications if you eat large quantities of pineapple. Some people experience swelling related to large doses of the pineapple. Other potential side effects include nausea, diarrhea, skin rash, vomiting and excess menstrual flow, according to Drugs.com. The juice from unripe pineapple can cause severe vomiting. Information about eating fresh pineapple while pregnant or breast-feeding is limited.
www.livestrong.com

Is Pineapple Juice Good for Arthritis Pain?

In addition to packing vitamins and minerals that your body needs daily, pineapples are a storehouse for bromelain. This plant enzyme or phytochemical appears to ease joint inflammation and might help decrease the amount of pain that you experience from arthritis. Along with its sweet goodness, the pineapple is a go-to fruit that may help you maintain your mobility in spite of arthritis. Consult your doctor before using pineapple in any form to treat a health condition.

Is Pineapple Juice Good for Arthritis Pain?
Pineapple juice sits on a cutting board surrounded by sliced pineapples. Photo Credit utah778/iStock/Getty Images

Arthritis and Joint Pain

Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most prevalent causes of arthritis joint pain. Osteoarthritis affects the majority of sufferers. Common symptoms include inflammation, swelling and stiffness in joints. Over time, both forms of arthritis commonly cause degradation of the affected joints. Sufferers may experience erosion of the synovial membrane in joints and loss of cartilage.

Bromelain Facts

Bromelain is not exclusively found in pineapples, but fresh pineapple juice is a source that you should not overlook when you have concerns about arthritis pain. Bromelain is an enzyme that occurs naturally in fresh pineapples. Cooked pineapple has one-half to two-thirds less. The stem is the main source of bromelain in pineapples. The flesh also contains this enzyme.

Bromelain Benefits

Bromelain in pineapple juice might provide a dietary alternative or complementary treatment for arthritis pain relief, according to Arthritis Today. However, the evidence for this use of pineapple juice is largely anecdotal. Scientific research has focused on bromelain supplements, instead of naturally occurring bromelain from pineapple juice. Bromelain may reduce both inflammation and swelling in joints. These are the main causes of joint pain. Once the swelling and inflammation subside, your mobility may improve and your joints may be better able to withstand the weight of your body and the stress of movement and flexion.

Pineapple Juice Vitamin Bonus

The antioxidant vitamin C in pineapple juice can play an important role in the repair of collagen, or the protein in connective tissues that keep joints functioning properly, according to WholeHealthMD.com. Drinking pineapple juice also helps you increase your intake of the antioxidant vitamin A, which may help with arthritis pain. Antioxidants help your body to repair cell and joint damage caused by free radicals. These unbounded molecules that result from normal cell processes can cause deterioration of your tissues.

A 1-cup serving of pineapple juice contains 25 mg of vitamin C, or 42 percent of the daily value. Although this serving of pineapple juice contributes less than 10 percent of the daily value for vitamin A, it contains 12 international units, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
www.livestrong.com

Potato Chips Nutrition

Let’s face it, people like potato chips. No wonder grocery stores dedicate a whole aisle for all variations of chips. A popular snack, a sandwich side dish and a main component of parties, potato chips nutrition should not be overlooked. How many potato chips should you eat? Are there types that are better for health than others? What about their salt content?
Potato Chips Nutrition
A bowl of potato chips on a table. Photo Credit myibean/iStock/Getty Images

Portions Reality

The standard serving size for potato chips on nutrition labels is 1 oz.--that is 13 to 16 chips.

If you’re wondering who eats that and stops, let alone who counts, then the message hit home. There is a huge discrepancy between what people read on labels and what they eat. Family-size potato chips bags, while cost-effective, can be a nutrition disaster. People who eat potato chips around friends or while watching TV are vulnerable to overconsumption and mindless eating.

Habit or Treat

Whether you can eat potato chips depends on your eating habits and health goals. Potato chips often take over as snacks for fruits and vegetables--which people don’t get enough of as is. For weight loss, skipping the daily individual-size potato chip bag can shed more than a pound a month. Imagine how much weight you can lose if you tend to eat more than a single serving. If potato chips are a once-in-a-while food that doesn’t hinder your fruit and vegetable intake or weight loss effort, then a sensible portion can fit into your diet

Salt

It all boils down to portions, the sodium content of the specific potato chips and the amount of other high-salt foods in your diet. Lay’s brand Salt and Vinegar chips contain 380 mg of sodium per ounce, while the Classic variety has 180 mg. Eat three or four times the serving size, and your sodium intake will pile up.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends healthy people to take in no more than 2,400 mg of sodium a day. Add processed and canned foods in addition to potato chips to your daily diet, and you’ve already passed your limit.

Baked and Reduced-Fat

Baked and reduced-fat versions of potato chips contain fewer calories and fat--but they still contain them, and they don’t always provide a healthy snack. A 1 oz. serving of Lay’s brand baked potato chips has 120 calories and 2 g of fat, compared to 150 calories and 10 g for the Classic variety. Reduced-fat Pringles contain 130 calories and 7 g of fat compared to 150 calories and 9 g in the Original variety. Read labels, compare products, make a smart decision and watch your portions.

Fat-Free

Olestra is a fat substitute used in fat-free potato chips, which contain half the calories of regular chips and no fat grams per ounce. If you want more volume for the same calories, fat-free chips are an option.

Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Baton Rouge found that substituting regular-fat snacks with fat-free ones made with olestra for nine months, as part of a low-fat diet, significantly reduced weight. However, eating olestra-based products on a regular basis interferes with the body's absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K. The Pennington researchers found that a multivitamin restored vitamin A and E levels but not beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein, anti-oxidants your body needs to fight disease and inflammation.
www.livestrong.com

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