Improvement of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase as an antistaling enzyme by error-prone PCR

In an effort to improve the properties of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) as an antistaling enzyme, error-prone PCR was used to introduce random mutations into a CGTase cloned from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. I-5 (CGTase I-5). A mutant CGTase[3-18] with the three mutations M234T, F259I and V591A was selected by agar plate assay. Sequence alignment of various CGTases indicated that M234 and F259 are located in the vicinity of the catalytic sites of the enzyme and V591 in the starch binding domain E. The cyclization activity of CGTase[3-18] was dramatically decreased by 10-fold, while the hydrolyzing activity was increased by up to 15-fold. These mutations near subsite +1 (M234T) and at subsite +2 (F259I) are likely to alter the enzyme activity in a concerted manner, promoting hydrolysis of substrate while retarding cyclization. The addition of CGTase[3-18] reduced the retrogradation rate of bread by as much as did the commercial antistaling enzyme Novamyl during 7-day storage at 4 degrees C. No cyclodextrin (CD) was detected in bread treated with CGTase[3-18], whereas 21 mg of CD per 10 g of bread was produced in bread treated with wild-type CGTase.     

Capture of gypsy moth,Lymantria dispar (L.), andLymantria mathura (L.) males in traps baited with disparlure enantiomers and olefin precursor in the People's Republic of China

Pheromone traps baited with (+)-disparlure,cis-7,8-epoxy-2methyocta-decane, captured males ofLymantria dispar, L. monacha, andL. mathura in northeastern People's Republic of China.L. dispar responded to the addition of olefin to (+)-disparlure-baited traps in a negative doseresponse manner. Observations on site and seasonal capture ofL. dispar andL. mathura are discussed.Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae.     

Methane generation from Miocene lacustrine coals and organic-rich sedimentary rocks containing different types of organic matter

Ten selected samples with varying types and amounts of organic matter from two Miocene lacustrine basins in northwestern Turkey were analyzed by programmed-temperature open-system pyrolysis to determine methane generation potential and reaction kinetics. Open-system pyrolysis was performed at heating rates 0.1, 0.7 and 5.0 K/min, where generated gases were measured using an on-line gas chromatograph. Frequency factors and activation energy distributions of reaction kinetics for methane generation from the investigated lacustrine coals and sedimentary rocks indicated that type of kerogen controls the sequential order of methane generation. Methane from Type-III kerogen is generated at lower temperatures, which will be followed by methane from Type-II and Type-I kerogen. Methane generation potentials in the range 14-35 mg CH₄/g TOC correlates also with type of organic matter. For Type-III kerogen up to 28% of the total hydrocarbon generation potential belongs to methane. The respective value is only 2% for a Type-I kerogen.     

Synergistic Sex Pheromone Components of White-Spotted Tussock Moth, Orgyia thyellina

In 1996, the exotic white-spotted tussock moth (WSTM), Orgyia thyellina (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), was discovered in Auckland, New Zealand. Because establishment of WSTM would threaten New Zealand's orchard industry and international trade, eradication of WSTM with microbial insecticide was initiated. To monitor and complement eradication of WSTM by capture of male moths in pheromone-baited traps, pheromone components of female WSTM needed to be identified. Coupled gas chromatographic–electroantennographic detection analysis of pheromone gland extract revealed several compounds that elicited responses from male moth antennae. Mass spectra of the two most EAD-active compounds suggested, and comparative GC-MS of authentic standards confirmed, that they were (Z)-6-heneicosen-11-one (Z6–11-one) and (Z)-6-heneicosen-9-one, the latter termed here thyellinone. In field experiments in Japan, Z6–11-one plus thyellinone at a 100:5 ratio attracted WSTM males, whereas either ketone alone failed to attract a single male moth. Addition of further candidate pheromone components did not enhance attractiveness of the binary blend. Through the 1997–1998 summer, 45,000 commercial trap lures baited with 2000 g of Z6–11-one and 100 g of thyellinone were deployed in Auckland towards eradication of the residual WSTM population.Dedicated to my dear mother in honor of her 75th birthday     

(<Emphasis Type="Italic">Z,Z</Emphasis>)-6,9-Heneicosadien-11-One: Major Sex Pheromone Component Of Painted Apple Moth, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Teia anartoides</Emphasis>

(Z, Z)-6,9-Heneicosadien-11-one (Z6Z9-11-one-21Hy) was identified as the major sex pheromone component of the painted apple moth (PAM), Teia anartoides (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), on the basis of (1) comparative gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) analyses, GC-mass spectrometry (MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-MS, and HPLC-UV/visible spectroscopy of pheromone gland extracts and authentic standards; (2) GC-EAD analyses of effluvia of calling females; and (3) wind tunnel and field trapping experiments with a synthetic standard. In field experiments in Australia, synthetic Z6Z9-11-one-21Hy as a single component attracted male moths. Wind tunnel experiments suggested that a 4-component blend consisting of Z6Z9-11-one-21Hy, (6Z,9R,10S)-cis-9,10-epoxy-heneicosene (Z6-9R10S-epo-21Hy), (E, E)-7,9-heneicosadien-6,11-dione (E7E9-6,11-dione-21Hy), and 6-hydroxy-(E, E)-7,9-heneicosadien-11-one (E7E9-6-ol-11-one-21Hy) (all present in pheromone gland extracts) might induce more males to orient toward, approach, and contact the source than did Z6Z9-11-one-21Hy as a single component. Additional experiments are needed to determine conclusively whether or not Z6-9R10S-epo-21Hy, E7E9-6,11-dione-21Hy, and E7E9-6-ol-11-one-21Hy might be minor sex pheromone components of PAM. Moreover, attractiveness of synthetic pheromone and virgin PAM females needs to be compared to determine whether synthetic pheromone could replace PAM females as trap baits in the program to monitor eradication of exotic PAM in New Zealand.     

Polymerization Catalysis in Liquid Propylene: High Activities and Molecular Weights in Propylene/CO Copolymerization Reactions

Summary: The dicationic [(dppp)Pd(NCCH₃)₂](BF₄)₂ catalyst (dppp = 1,3‐bis(diphenylphosphino)propane) was applied in a liquid monomer, two phase process for the CO/propene copolymerization reaction. For the first time it was possible to synthesize propene/CO copolymers with an activity up to 7 500 g/(mol · h) and molecular weights of 500 000 g/mol. Activities up to 40 000 g/(mol · h) could be obtained with the use of the unsymmetric catalyst [(CF₃‐dppp)Pd(NCCH₃)](BF₄)₂ (CF₃‐dppp = 1‐diphenylphosphino‐3‐bis[3,5‐di(trifluormethyl)phenyl]phosphinopropane) in homogeneous liquid propene solution.

Granules found after copolymerization.     

Surface-state electrons on a hydrogen film. 1. Annealing of the film

We have investigated the surface of thin films (thickness 2 µm) of solid H₂ between 1.5 and 4.2 K by measuring the ac conductivity of surface-state electrons (SSE). The films were prepared on a glass substrate by quench condensation at 1.5 K and were therefore initially strongly disordered. In fact the surface of the virgin films before any heat treatment was so rough that no current due to SSE could be observed. Annealing the films decreased the surface roughness and gave rise to a thermal-activation-type temperature dependence of the SSE conductivity. By proper heat treatment up to 8 K the activation energy could be reduced to 10k _B.On leave from the Hyogo University of Teacher Education, Shimokume 942-1, Yashiro, 673-14, Japan.     

A New Research Infrastructure for Investigating Flow Hydraulics and Process Equipment at Critical Fluid Properties

An optimized equipment design for natural gas processing and liquefaction plants becomes increasingly difficult with changing process conditions: Particularly low values of surface tension create rising challenges on the design of phase separators and column internals. The TERESA test rig at HZDR was designed to allow the investigation of multiphase thermohydraulics and phase separator performance under critical fluid properties in industrial dimensions. A versatile pipe test section is available in DN200 and equipment internals may be tested in a sectional DN300/DN500 test separator. The applied test fluid shows a high vapor-liquid density difference between 1470 and 940 kg m⁻³, viscosity as low as 0.12 mm²s⁻¹, and surface tension down to 1.3 mN m⁻¹. Volumetric liquid and vapor flow rates may be varied up to 9 and 530 m³h⁻¹ in the test rig, respectively.     

A Hybrid Color Quantization Algorithm Incorporating a Human Visual Perception Model

Color quantization is a common image processing technique where full color images are to be displayed using a limited palette of colors. The choice of a good palette is crucial as it directly determines the quality of the resulting image. Standard quantization approaches aim to minimize the mean squared error (MSE) between the original and the quantized image, which does not correspond well to how humans perceive the image differences. In this article, we introduce a color quantization algorithm that hybridizes an optimization scheme based with an image quality metric that mimics the human visual system. Rather than minimizing the MSE, its objective is to maximize the image fidelity as evaluated by S‐CIELAB, an image quality metric that has been shown to work well for various image processing tasks. In particular, we employ a variant of simulated annealing with the objective function describing the S‐CIELAB image quality of the quantized image compared with its original. Experimental results based on a set of standard images demonstrate the superiority of our approach in terms of achieved image quality.