Gelation Properties of Ovalbumin as Affected by Fatty Acid Salts

The physicochemical properties of heat-induced ovalbumin (OVA) gels containing fatty acid salts (FAS) were investigated. Water-holding ability and transparency markedly increased in the presence of sodium caprate or sodium laurate. At 9% of the protein concentration transparent and hard gels formed; at 7%, transparent and soft gels formed. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the transparent gels had a more homogeneous structure than turbid gels without FAS. Differential scanning calorimetry indicated that denaturation temperature of OVA was decreased and the peaks became broader after addition of FAS.     

Genetic algorithm approach to a production ordering problem in an assembly process with constant use of parts

An optimal production scheduling problem for an assembly process with buffers at the input and output sides of a machine is dealt with. The problem has two kinds of constraints. One constraint is that the buffers' capacity is limited. The other constraint is that the cycle time of the worker is constant without waiting time. An optimal production ordering is determined, subject to these constraints, in such a way that the rate of use of parts to produce each product should be as constant as possible. A procedure to apply the genetic algorithm to this problem is shown. The operations of reproduction, crossover and mutation are presented. It is observed from numerical results that the genetic algorithm gives a better suboptimal solution than the greedy method.     

Heat-induced Gels of Rice Globulin: Comparison of Gel Properties with Soybean and Sesame Globulins

The hardness and water-holding ability of rice globulin gels were intermediate between those of gels of soybean and sesame globulins. Scanning electron micrographs showed that rice globulin gel had a rough network structure composed of small globular particles of protein aggregates. Effects of various reagents on solubilization of proteins from the three gel types were compared. Disulfide bonds and hydrophobic interactions contributed mainly to the stability of rice globulin gels. The contributions of disulfide bonds to both the formation and stability of rice globulin gels were greater than for sesame globulin gels.     

LIPID CLASSES, FATTY ACID COMPOSITIONS AND TRIACYLGLYCEROL MOLECULAR SPECIES FROM ADZUKI BEANS (VIGNA ANGULARIS)

The lipids extracted from adzuki beans grown in Japan were classified by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) into eight fractions. Molecular species and fatty acid distributions of triacylglycerols (TAGs) isolated from the total lipids in the beans were determined from a combination of argentation-TLC and gas chromatography. The major lipid components were phospholipids (PL; 63.5%) and TAG (21.2%), while hydrocarbons (5.1%), steryl esters (7.5%), free fatty acids (0.9%), diacylglycerols (1.3%) and monoacylglycerols (0.5%) were also present in minor proportions. Both major samples had high amounts of total unsaturated fatty acids, representing 62.1% for TAG and 65.9% for PL. Seventeen different molecular species were detected. The major TAG components were SMD (5.0%), S₂T (19.3%), SD₂ (13.8%), SMT (9.3%), MD₂ (4.5%), SDT (7.0%), D₃ (8.8%) and ST₂ (15.9%), where S, M, D and T denote a saturated fatty acid, a monoene, a diene and a triene, respectively.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This article describes the characteristics of lipid components, fatty acid compositions as well as the profiles of triacylglycerol (TAG) molecular species of adzuki beans. α-Linolenic (18:3 n -3) acid was detected as 24.8, 21.2 and 15.2% in the TAG, total lipids and phospholipids, respectively. The oil from legumes, except the profitable fatty acid content, could be a potential source of tocopherols. The data obtained in this study would be useful to both consumers and producers for manufacturing traditional adzuki confectionaries ( wagashi ) in Japan and elsewhere.     

Microstrip Band Pass Filter of GHz Region Employing Aerosol-Deposited Alumina Thick Films

The miniaturized 10 GHz microstrip band-pass filter was successfully fabricated on the alumina thick films grown on Cu substrates at room temperature by aerosol deposition method and using the newly developed pattern electroplating procedure and electromagnetic analysis. The relative dielectric permittivity and loss tangent of the aerosol-deposited alumina thick films on Cu were 9.9 and 0.089, respectively. The resistivity of the electroplated Cu line was determined to be 2 × 10^{? 8} Ω m. The very good agreement was shown between results simulated using a 3-dimensional electromagnetic analysis and the actual measured data.     

Formation of Transparent Gels of Sesame 13S Globulin: Effects of Fatty Acid Salts

The physicochemical properties of sesame 13S globulin gels containing fatty acid salts (FAS) were investigated. The softness, water-holding ability and transparency of the gels markedly increased in the presence of sodium oleate (NaCl_18:1) or sodium linoleate (NaC_18:2) at a 75 molar ratio to a molecule of the 13S globulin. The effect was not observed by the addition of sodium caprylate (NaC_8:0). Scanning electron microscopy showed that a very fine network structure was formed in the gel with 75 molar ratio of NaC_18:2. The addition of a suitable amount of FAS having a moderate length and an unsaturated carbon chain could improve the water-holding ability and transparency of the 13S globulin gel.     

Solution behaviour of new cationic surfactants derived from Guerbet alcohols and their use in hair conditioners

The solution behaviour of new cationic surfactants, synthesized by using long-chain Guerbet alcohols, in water was investigated by a polarizing microscopic technique, differential scanning calorimetry, and electric conductivity measurements. These surfactants show the gel–liquid crystalline phase transition to be lower than 0°C and form lamellar liquid crystals even in cold water and at low concentrations of surfactants. The sorption of cationic surfactants from aqueous solutions onto hair was determined as a function of temperature. The effect of adsorbed cationic surfactants on the critical surface tension and kinetic frictional coefficients of hair surface have been investigated. These surface characteristics of hair treated with quaternary ammonium compounds derived from Guerbet alcohols were found to be significantly improved. These results can be explained by the high ability of sorption onto hair. Hair rinses and conditioners having excellent ease of combing or brushing for wet and dry hair can be formulated by the application of these cationic surfactants.