Optimizing Thermal Process for Canned White Beans in Water Cascading Retorts

Based on thermal degradation kinetics and heat transfer expressed as the Ball formula method, a simplified approach was used to optimize sterilization processes for thermal softening of white beans (Phaseolus vulgaris, subsp. nanus Metz., variety Manteca de Leon) Constant retort profiles in a still and end-over-end rotary water cascading retort (Barriquand Steriflow) were used. Quality attributes of beans processed at the optimum were evaluated by a trained taste panel and by a tenderometer. Both approaches could distinguish (P<0.01) between attributes of products from optimal rotary and still processes. End-over-end rotation resulted in faster heat penetration and better quality retention of beans. Texture of white beans processed at 4° or 8°C from the optimal temperature could be distinguished (P<0.01) by the sensory panel and by the tenderometer.     

Immobilized α-amylase from Bacillus licheniformis: a potential enzymic time—temperature integrator for thermal processing

Biphasic and nth-order models were tested as to their usefulness to fit experimental inactivation data of Bacillus licheniformis α-amylase, immobilized on glass beads, and were discussed with respect to their suitability to characterize the considered enzymic system as a time—temperature integrator (TTI) to evaluate heat processes. Both isothermal and non-isothermal inactivation experiments were carried out. Model (kinetic) parameters (rate constant k, activation energy E_A and reaction order n) were estimated using a non-linear regression procedure. The results obtained, especially the activation energy of about 293 kJ mole^–1, indicated a potential use of this system as a TTI for heating processes in the temperature range of 96–108°C.     

Reconsideration of the Shed: Garage + Workshop

Garage + Workshop explores issues of tectonics and transparency through the inventive juxtaposition of common building materials. Translucent polycarbonate panels reveal the physicality of light, construction, and imagery in what appears to be an otherwise straightforward utilitarian structure.     

重建童话

他的作品是低调的,又是具有前瞻性的。玩具的造型很单纯,会让你对一些不为人知的可能性差异产生深刻的思考。——丹尼斯?库珀用童话般的绘画语言揭示超现实幻想的米罗已经作为艺术大师写进了西方美术史,但他那变化多端,富有诗性的线条,充满幻想,烂漫童真的画面已经成为了一种符号超越了时代与媒介。     

THE THERMAL STABILITY OF ASPERGILLUS ORYZAE ALPHA-AMYLASE IN PRESENCE OF SUGARS AND POLYOLS

The aim of this study was to test whether it is possible to estimate the heat stability of Aspergillus oryzae alpha‐amylase (α‐amylase) based on the amount of hydroxyl (OH) groups provided in a buffer solution. The thermal stability of the enzyme in a presence of different sugars (sucrose and trehalose) and polyols (mannitol, sorbitol, lactitol and glycerol) was investigated in the temperature range of 62–68C on a kinetic basis. It was investigated if the protective effect of additional substances was correlated to the number of hydroxyl groups (nOH) provided by each of them (per volume unit of the enzyme solution nOH). All additives showed a protective effect on the enzyme's heat stability, which was strongly dependent on the added compound concentration. Among all stabilizing compounds investigated, sucrose exhibited the largest protective effect. The decimal reduction time of α‐amylase activity increased by 33.9 times when 420 mg/mL of sucrose was added to the environment. When the same concentration of trehalose was used, the D‐value increased by 6.4 times compared to the value in the buffer system. The nOH provided in the enzyme solution could not be related to the D‐values for the enzyme thermal inactivation, meaning that the enzyme heat stability was not dependent on the nOH.     

A New Concept for Using Ferroelectric Transistors in Nonvolatile Memories

A new concept for using a ferroelectric field effect transistor in a memory configuration is presented without the requirement of a negative voltage or an erase operation. The transistor is designed so that the accumulation sets in at a lower gate source voltage making it possible to reverse the polarization without applying a negative pulse to the gate.     

Obstruction Effect of Carrageenan and Gelatin on the Diffusion of Glucose

From an experimental set-up with boundary conditions of an extended initial distribution the diffusion coefficients for glucose in high K-content carrageenan gels and gelatin gels were determined as a function of polymer concentration. The data are evaluated according to the well-known equations on the conduction in heterogeneous systems. It is concluded that both hydrocolloids affect diffusion mainly because of an obstruction effect. In this phenomenon the contribution of the hydration sphere seems to be more important than the polymer itself. Hydrations are calculated to be about 5.0 and 1.90 grams of water per gram of dry polymer respectively for carrageenan and gelatin.     

DESIGN AND TUNING OF A FUZZY CONTROLLER FOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND THERMAL COMFORT MANAGEMENT

This paper presents the development and testing of a multi objective fuzzy controller. It is dedicated to the control of thermal comfort and indoor air quality while minimising energy consumption and reducing instabilities are other constraints for this controller. After a brief introduction on the difficult task of indoor climate control, the test cell and its corresponding model is described in the second section. The model has been developed within TRNSYS. Section 3 describes the architecture of the fuzzy controller applied to these control objectives in the test cell. A hierarchical architecture has finally been selected since it is a very flexible architecture and it results in reducing the total number of fuzzy rules. The rule optimisation technique, based on genetic algorithms is also presented in the third section. Simulation results are finally presented. They prove that, after optimisation, the fuzzy controller greatly outperforms a typical ON-OFF controller on all control criteria. Energy consumption is in particular reduced by more than 10%. The fourth section of this chapter presents field experiments among 20 subjects of both ON-OFF control and fuzzy control. If major differences are not observed on the thermal comfort and indoor air quality point of view, these experiments however illustrate the importance of on-line tuning of specific fuzzy rules.     

Temperature Sensitivity and Pressure Resistance of Mushroom Polyphenoloxidase

Measurements of residual enzyme activity and FTIR-spectroscopy revealed that mushroom polyphenoloxidase is a thermosensitive enzyme readily inactivated by temperatures exceeding 50°C. The enzyme is, however, very pressure stable. At room temperature no enzyme inactivation occurred at pressures up to 6 kbar. FTIR-spectroscopy revealed that a modification in enzyme conformation occurred below 9 kbar. Kinetic studies showed that pressure and temperature did not always act synergistically with respect to enzyme inactivation. FTIR-spectroscopy showed that pressure- or temperature-induced changes were considerably different. Both temperature and pressure-temperature inactivation were only slightly influenced by pH (in the pH-range 5.5–7.5).