Search Results (3)

The need for sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastic packaging has prompted interest in biodegradable biopolymer films. This study developed edible composite films using minimally refined chitosan from American lobster (Homarus americanus) shell waste combined with fish gelatin, glycerol, and sunflower oil. A Box–Behnken design within a response surface methodology (RSM) framework was used to investigate the effects of these formulation variables on ten key film properties, including mechanical strength, water sensitivity, barrier performance, and optical characteristics. High-quality empirical models (R² ≥ 0.88) captured nonlinear, synergistic, and antagonistic interactions among the components, revealing trade-offs between competing attributes. Simultaneous multi-response optimization identified balanced formulations suited to various food packaging needs, including perishable, fresh, and dry products. Experimental validation of selected formulations confirmed model predictions within 5% error under laboratory conditions. Up to 68% of the inhibition activity against Escherichia coli was retained in a few composite formulations when compared with neat chitosan films, thus supporting their potential for active packaging. The key highlight of the present work is the use of crude chitosan derived from lobster shell waste, a low-cost, sustainable alternative to highly purified commercial sources, demonstrating the practical viability of marine byproduct valorization. Overall, this study advances the development of high-performance, application-specific biopolymer films and highlights RSM as an effective tool for optimizing multifunctional edible packaging materials. Future work should focus on enhancing antimicrobial functionality, evaluating real-world performance, and assessing consumer acceptance to support industrial adoption. Full article

Vineyard exposure to wildfire smoke can taint grapes and wine. To understand the impact of this taint, it is imperative that the analytical methods used are accurate and precise. This study compared the variance across nine commercial and research laboratories following quantitative analysis of the same set of smoke-tainted wines. In parallel, correlations between the interlaboratory consensus values for smoke-taint markers and sensory analyses of the same smoke-tainted wines were evaluated. For free guaiacol, the mean accuracy was 94 ± 11% in model wine, while the free cresols and 4-methylguaiacol showed a negative bias and/or decreased precision relative to guaiacol. Similar trends were observed in smoke-tainted wines, with the cresols and glycosidically bound markers demonstrating high variance. Collectively, the interlaboratory results show that data from a single laboratory can be used quantitatively to understand smoke-taint. Results from different laboratories, however, should not be directly compared due to the high variance between study participants. Correlations between consensus compositional data and sensory evaluations suggest the risk of perceivable smoke-taint can be predicted from free cresol concentrations, overcoming limitations associated with the occurrence of some volatile phenols, guaiacol in particular, as natural constituents of some grape cultivars and of the oak used for barrel maturation. Full article

Although forgotten in both Religionswissenschaft (the Science of Religion) and psychology, Marianne Beth (1880-1984), initially trained as a lawyer and already in 1928 called a “leading European woman”, must be considered as one of the female pioneers of these fields. She has been active especially in the psychology of religion, a field in which she, together with her husband Karl Beth, founded a research institute, an international organization and a journal. In 1932, the Beths organized in Vienna (where Karl was a professor) the largest conference ever in the history of the psychology of religion. Because of her Jewish descent, Marianne Beth fled to the USA when Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938. This brought an abrupt end to her career as researcher and writer. The article reconstructs Marianne Beth’s path into psychology, analyzes some of her work and puts her achievements in an international perspective. Full article