Effects of Surface Concentration on Drying Behavior of Carbohydrate Solutions

As the surface properties of the drying materials are very important not only for the drying rate but also for the quality change during drying, the effects of surface concentration on the drying behavior of liquid foods (sugar solutions) were investigated by isothermal drying experiments and by numerical calculation experiments. The isothermal drying experiments with gelled sugar solution systems (sucrose and maltodextrin) were carried out at various relative humidity (RH) values (RH = 0 to 84%). Separate experiments were carried out for determination of the desorption isotherms.

The isothermal drying curves of sugar solutions at RH = 0 to 51% were very similar. Numerical simulations also showed that the drying curves of these sugars at the surface concentration = 0 and 0.1 are almost the same, although the concentration distributions are different.

When a small amount of gelatin was added to sugar solutions, the drying rate decreased remarkably as the gelatin might form a thin film (skin) near the surface, and consequently the retention of ethanol increased.     

破伤风毒素及其片段的纯化

本文报道了破伤风毒素及其片段AB、BC、A和C的纯化方法。应用硫酸铵沉淀和Ultrogel AcA_(34)凝胶过滤制备的纯化毒素,于SDS-PAGE和PAGE中均形成单一的蛋白带,分子量为15万,pI为5.95,毒力为1～3×10~4MLD/μg。毒素经DTT还原、尿素处理、再用Ultrogel AcA_(44)凝胶过滤制备A和BC片段。A片段的分子量为54000,pI为4.8。BC片段的分子量为98 000,pI为7.2。木瓜酶处理毒素后用高压液相层析制备AB和C片段。纯化的AB片段分子量为98 000,于等电聚焦中为2条主要区带,pI为5.3和5.5,另有数条小区带;纯化的C片段分子量为51000,于PAGE中形成5条蛋白带,于等电聚焦中主要区带的等电点为7.3,另有几条小区带。     

An Interactive Design System of Free‐Formed Bamboo‐Copters

We present an interactive design system for designing free‐formed bamboo‐copters, where novices can easily design free‐formed, even asymmetric bamboo‐copters that successfully fly. The designed bamboo‐copters can be fabricated using digital fabrication equipment, such as a laser cutter. Our system provides two useful functions for facilitating this design activity. First, it visualizes a simulated flight trajectory of the current bamboo‐copter design, which is updated in real time during the user's editing. Second, it provides an optimization function that automatically tweaks the current bamboo‐copter design such that the spin quality—how stably it spins—and the flight quality—how high and long it flies—are enhanced. To enable these functions, we present non‐trivial extensions over existing techniques for designing free‐formed model airplanes [ UKSI14 ], including a wing discretization method tailored to free‐formed bamboo‐copters and an optimization scheme for achieving stable bamboo‐copters considering both spin and flight qualities.     

Proteomics integrated with Escherichia coli vector-based vaccines and antigen microarrays reveals the immunogenicity of a surface sialidase-like protein of Propionibacterium acnes

Proteomics is a powerful tool for the identification of proteins, which provides a basis for rational vaccine design. However, it is still a highly technical and time‐consuming task to examine a protein's immunogenicity utilizing traditional approaches. Here, we present a platform for effectively evaluating protein immunogenicity and antibody detection. A tetanus toxin C fragment (Tet‐c) was used as a representative antigen to establish this platform. A cell wall‐anchoring sialidase‐like protein (SLP) of Propionibacterium acnes was utilized to assess the efficacy of this platform. We constructed an Escherichia coli vector‐based vaccine by overexpressing Tet‐c or SLP in E. coli and utilized an intact particle of E. coli itself as a vaccine (E. coli Tet‐c or SLP vector). After ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, the E. coli vector‐based vaccines were administered intranasally into imprinting control region mice without adding exogenous adjuvants. For antibody detection, we fabricated antigen microarrays by printing with purified recombinant proteins including Tet‐c and SLP. Our results demonstrated that detectable antibodies were elicited in mice 6 weeks after intranasal administration of UV‐irradiated E. coli vector‐based vaccines. The antibody production of Tet‐c and SLP was significantly elevated after boosting. Notably, the platform with main benefits of using E. coli itself as a vaccine carrier provides a critical template for applied proteomics aimed at screening novel vaccine targets. In addition, the novel immunogenic SLP potentially serves as an antigen candidate for the development of vaccines targeting P. acnes‐associated diseases.     

Ionic liquid enables simple and rapid sample preparation of human culturing cells for scanning electron microscope analysis

Ionic liquid is a kind of salt that stays in a molten state even at room temperature. It does not vaporize at all in vacuum and facilitates electrical conductivity to the sample surfaces for observations with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In this study, we used an ionic liquid in SEM for the first time to observe fixed human culture cells. The condition for the cell culture using wrapping sheets and SEM settings were varied to elucidate the optimized protocol. Compared to samples prepared by the conventional way, the ionic liquid‐treatment of samples gave SEM images of the cellular ultra structures in more detail, enabling observation of microvilli that made bridges between separated cells. In addition, the ionic liquid treatment is less time consuming as well as less laborious compared with the conventional way that includes dehydration, drying, and conductivity treatments. Totally, we concluded the ionic liquid is a useful reagent for SEM sample preparation. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Fast template matching algorithm for contour images based on its chain coded description applied for human face identification

A new matching algorithm for contour images described by chain coded expression is presented. In our face authentication system, the isodensity contours has been introduced to differentiate between the facial features. These isodensity contours can be transformed into chain codes. By using these coded isodensity contours, remarkable improvement in the processing performance can be expected in terms of the processing time and memory requirements.From the computer simulation performed using images of 50 people, it turned out clear that the processing time was decreased to approximately one-seventh compared to the conventional method. With respect to memory requirement, it was reduced to a quarter.     

Determination of the Temperature Coefficient Distribution of Dielectric Ceramics Using Scanning Photothermal Dielectric Microscopy

Two-dimensional images of the distribution showing the temperature coefficient of the dielectric constant for two types of two-phase composite ceramics composed of TiO₂-Bi₂Ti₄O₁₁ and BaTi₄O₉-BaPr₂Ti₄O₁₂ were obtained using scanning photothermal dielectric microscopy. The images of the TiO₂-Bi₂Ti₄O₁₁ ceramic showed that the TiO₂ and Bi₂Ti₄O₁₁ grains had negative and positive temperature coefficients, respectively, and that the macroscopic averaged temperature coefficient of the ceramic was relatively low because of the cancellation of the opposite signs of the coefficients. On the other hand, the images of the BaTi₄O₉-BaPr₂Ti₄O₁₂ ceramic showed that the temperature coefficient of both grains had the same sign (negative), although their absolute values were quite different.     

An advanced laser application for controlling of electric resistivity of thick film resistors

When electric resistivity of Thick Film Resistor (TFR) is adjusted to the desired value, laser beam is irradiated onto the resistor material so that a part of the resistor material is instantaneously vaporized and cut away. This conventional laser trimming method to adjust the resistivity of TFRs is an indispensable technique for manufacturing elec-tronic devices such as hybrid ICs. A peculiar phenomena was revealed by us, that is, when specially selected pulse laser beams were irradiated to TFR, the TFR was surface modified without cutting grooves, and then resistivity of the TFR was decreased. We completed the advanced laser process to apply this peculiar phenomena. 8 By comparing with conventional trimming processes, we can show prominent features of the advanced process, for example, resistivity of fine size TFR (300 micrometers-width and under) can be easily controlled. The decrease in resistivity of the TFR is considered to result from the decrease in specific resistivity of glass in the TFR. Because it is considered that the glass in the TFR is heavily doped with ruthenium impurities during the surface modification due to results of morphology observations and x-ray diffraction analysis. We have applied this advanced laser process to fine size TFR (300 micrometers-width), and developed high density hybrid ICs.     

Performances of metal fluoride added carbon anodes with pre-electrolysis for electrolytic synthesis of NF3

Metal fluoride added carbon anodes treated by pre-electrolysis were investigated for electrolytic production of nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) in molten NH₄F·KF·4HF at 100 °C. The conditions for pre-electrolysis were first optimized using a graphite sheet anode as a model anode. The formation of fluorine-graphite intercalation compounds (fluorine-GICs) with semi-covalent C–F bonds, (C_xF)_n, on the MgF₂ and CaF₂ added carbon anode surface was accelerated by pre-electrolysis at potentials less than 4.0 V. Critical current densities (CCD) on the MgF₂ added carbon anodes pre-electrolyzed under various conditions were determined, and the highest CCD was 290 mA cm⁻² obtained for that pre-electrolyzed at 3.5 V for 500 C cm⁻². This anode was successfully used in the electrolysis at 100 mA cm⁻² for 290 h and the maximum NF₃ current efficiency was 55%. From these results, it was concluded that the metal fluoride added carbon anode treated by pre-electrolysis has a high potential for electrolytic production of NF₃ at higher current density.     

Continuous reactor system of monosized colloidal particles

A reactor system, which continuously hydrolysed the metal alkoxide in an alcohol solution, was designed using an electromagnetic stirrer and an ageing tube. Several monosized colloidal particles were produced by this reactor system, which had high reproducibility and reliability for long-term production. The relation between powder characteristics and experimental parameters such as reagent concentration, mixing rate, ageing time, temperature, was investigated. These parameters had an effect on the particle size, size distribution, morphology and state of agglomeration. It is possible to control the particle size to between 0.1 and 1.0 μm by varying the experimental conditions. A narrower size distribution of powders was obtained by using an electromagnetic stirrer with greater flow rate. Physical and chemical properties of monosized colloidal particles obtained by this reactor were comparable to those of monosized colloidal particles obtained by the batch process.