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.     

Impulse breakdown voltages of triggered multistage vacuum gap

Several sealed-off triggered vacuum gaps are connected in series to improve hold-off voltage. The characteristics of impulse breakdown voltage of these series-connected gaps are investigated experimentally. The sum hold-off voltage of series-connected gaps decreases to a unit hold-off voltage when the maximum value of voltage division ratio across the gaps increases to unity. Self-breakdown probability of the series-connected gaps is always higher than that of a single gap under the same conditions. Hence, stage efficiency of the multistage gap decreases with increasing number of stages. Its value is 90 percent with 2-stage gap and 75 percent with 5-stage gap, respectively, under the same voltage division ratio and the same gap length (2.0 mm) in each stage. Triggered breakdown voltage of 2- or 3- stage gap is several hundred volts when all gaps are triggered simultaneously at the peak of the main impulse wave and a working voltage range is nearly 100 percent in this case. The working voltage range decreases with number of stages. Its value is 45 percent with 3-stage gap and 15 percent with 5-stage gap, respectively, when one triggered gap is fired for switching.     

Studies on chitin 3—effect of coagulants and annealing on the preparation and the properties of chitin membrane

Chitin membrane was prepared by casting a N,N-dimethyl acetamide, N-methyl 2-pyrrolidone and lithium chloride (DMA-NMP-LiCl)solution of chitin and coagulating with several media. The effect of the coagulants on membrane formation was studied. 2-Propanol was found to be more favourable than methanol, ethanol, acetone and mixtures of 2-propanol and water. The membrane obtained in 2-propanol was subjected to annealing. Annealing made the membrane dense and strong. The tensile strength of the membrane annealed at 145°C for 2hr was about twice that of an unannealed membrane. The solute permeability of the annealed membranes was lower than that of the original one. These phenomena could be clearly interpreted in terms of crystallinity.     

Change of characteristics of desulfurization and denitrification by combustion flue gas composition and electrode configuration under pulsed corona discharge

Laboratory-scale and parametric experiments of SO₂ and NO_x removal from the simulated combustion gas by pulsed corona discharge have been performed by changing the combustion gas composition and temperature, the electrode configuration of plasma reactor, and the polarity of high-voltage electrode. The following results are obtained: 1) the higher the concentration of H₂O and O₂, the higher the efficiency of desulfurization and denitrification at the same specific input; 2) the pulsed corona discharge with a voltage pulsewidth as short as 200 ns of negative polarity shows the possibility to attain almost 90 percent deSO_x and deNO_x efficiency at the specific discharge input of 20 J/g, which is almost the same as the specific input in the electron-beam process; 3) the deNO_x characteristics show a little temperature dependence in the range of 70 to 130°C, but the deSO_x efficiency increases rapidly in the temperature region below 100°C suggesting the thermochemical dependence of deSO_x reaction; 4) when desulfurization and denitrification proceed, the white dendritic powder deposits on the plasma reactor whose composition is identified to be 49 mol% (NH₄)₂SO₄ and 47 mol% of 2NH₄NO₃ · (NH₄)₂SO₄, and the ratio of SO₂, NO and NH₃ of the deposit is almost equal to that of supplied gas.     

Development of a current detection type cable fault locator

A cable fault location instrument based on the detection of traveling wave currents was developed. It is different from the conventional pulse radar method based on voltage detection. Measurement is automated, and the distance to the fault point is displayed by merely pushing a switch. In a branched or crossbonded line, the fault point can be located without interference from the branched or the crossbonded point. Tests performed in both real and simulated lines confirmed the practical utility of this instrument     

Far-Infrared Reflection Spectra of Dielectric Ceramics for Microwave Applications

Far-infrared reflection spectra of dielectric ceramics, BaSm₂Ti₅O₁₄, BaTi₄O₉, and some pcrovskites such as Ba(Zn_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃, have been measured at room temperature using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer in order to investigate the effect of the crystal structure on the dielectric properties. As for perovskites, Sr(Zn_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ and Sr(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃, in which B site ions are ordered, were also measured. Reflectance data were analyzed by means of a factorized form of dielectric functions instead of the classical dispersion theory, and all of the spectra were well fitted. The values of dielectric constants and tan δ calculated from the reflectance data were in good agreement with resonant cavity measurements at 5 GHz. Furthermore, results of this study have shown that the main contribution to the microwave dielectric properties is caused by low-frequency optically active modes located at 50 to about 300 cm⁻¹, and for perovskite structures it is suggested that the ordering of B site ions is significant in obtaining low dielectric losses.     

Guinea pig bone marrow cells treated with platelet-activating factor generate factor(s) which affects their DNA synthesis and microbicidal activity

We have previously reported that platelet-activating factor (PAF) induces proliferation and microbicidal activity of guinea pig bone marrow cells. In the present study, we have found that the conditioned medium of PAF- or nonmetabolizable PAF agonist-treated guinea pig bone marrow cells augmented DNA synthesis and induced microbicial activity of bone marrow cells. A PAF specific antagonist, CV-6209, inhibited generation of the active conditioned medium by PAF. Addition of the PAF antagonist only partially suppressed the augmentative effect of the active conditioned medium on DNA synthesis; this is consistent with the fact that, because of the rapid breakdown, no appreciable amount of PAF remained in the conditioned medium of PAF-treated cells. Although mouse bone marrow cells did not respond to PAF unlike guinea pig cells, their DNA synthesis was significantly enhanced by the conditioned medium of PAF-treated guinea pig bone marrow cells. Thus, some newly generated factor(s) distinct from the originally inoculated PAF seemed to modulate the bioactions of PAF on bone marrow cells. An appreciable amount of PAF was produced by calcium ionophore-treated guinea pig bone marrow cells. These findings indicate that PAF synthesized in guinea pig bone marrow cells induces generation in the cells of some factor(s) which affects proliferation or microbicidal activity. Presented at The Third International Conference on Platelet-Activating Factor and Structurally Related Ether Lipids, Tokyo, Japan, May 1989.     

New coprimeness over multivariable polynomial matrices and its application to control delay systems

This paper presents a new notion of coprimeness over multivariable polynomial matrices, where a single variable is given priority over the remaining variables. From a characterization through a set of common zeros of the minors, it is clarified that the presented coprimeness is equivalent to weakly zero coprimeness in the particular variable. An application of the presented coprimeness to control systems with non-commensurate delays and finite spectrum assignment is also presented. Because the presented coprimeness is stronger than minor coprimeness, non-commensurate delays are difficult to deal with in algebraic control theory. The “rational ratio condition” between delays, which can reduce non-commensurate delays to commensurate delays, proves to be both powerful and practical concept in algebraic control theory for delay systems.     

Colorimetric microdetermination of sulphites in foods by use of the modified rankine apparatus. IV.

Summary Detection and determination of traces of sulphites in foods was attempted by use of the modified Rankine apparatus and pararosaniline colorimetry. Replacement of alkaline titration reported previously by pararosaniline colorimetry lowered the absolute detection limit from 30 g (titration method) to 2 g. In view of clean analysis, in the color developing system, 0.1 N-sodium hydroxide was used in place of mercuric chloride solution commonly used as an absorbant of sulphites. In order to prevent oxidative decomposition of sulphites during operation, nitrogen gas was used as carrier instead of air. Dimedone and sodium azide were used for the elimination of aldehydes and nitrites, respecitvely, in the sample, which will disturb the color development of sulphites with pararosaniline-formaldehyde reagents. With this improved method, it was possible to determine the residual sulphites in frozen peeled shrimps, sugared beans and other foods with low sulphite contents accurately.

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Colorimetrische Mikrobestimmung von Sulfiten in Lebensmitteln bei Anwendung der modifizierten IV. Rankine Apparatur

Zusammenfassung Geringe Sulfitmengen in Lebensmitteln (geschälte Garnelen, gezuckerte Bohnen) können colorimetrisch bestimmt werden. Die neuentwickelte Methode beruht auf einer Kombination von colorimetrischer Bestimmung mittels p-Rosanilin und der Bestimmungsmethode nach Rankine. Auf diese Weise lassen sich Gehalte von 2 g noch genau bestimmen. Bei der Farbentwicklung wurde das giftige Quecksilbertetrachlorid durch 0.1 n-NaOH ersetzt, anstelle von Luft Stickstoff als Trägergas verwendet und somit eine Oxydation des Sulfits während der Bestimmung vermieden. Da Nitrit und Aldehyde die Farbentwicklung stören, wurde ihr Einfluß durch Dimedon und Natriumazid ausgeschaltet.

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Studies on the Analyses of Sulphites in Foods (IV)     

Martensitic stabilization and defects induced by deformation in TiNi shape memory alloys

Martensitic stabilization caused by deformation in a TiNi shape memory alloy was studied.Special attention was paid to the deformed microstructures to identify the cause of martensitic stabilization.Martensitic stabilization was demonstrated by differential scanning calorimetry for the tensioned TiNi shape memory alloy.Transmission electron microscopy revealed that antiphase boundaries were formed because of the fourfold dissociation of[110]B19'super lattice dislocations and were preserved after reverse transformation due to the lattice correspondence.Martensitic stabilization was attributed to dislocations induced by deformation,which reduced the ordering degree of the microstructure,spoiled the reverse path from martensite to parent phase compared with thermoelastic transformation,and imposed resistance on phase transformation through the stress field.