Quantifying unfrozen water in frozen soil by high-field 2H NMR

To understand wintertime controls of biogeochemical processes in high latitude soils it is essential to distinguish between direct temperature effects and the effects of changes in water availability mediated by freezing. Efforts to separate these controls are hampered by a lack of adequate methods to determine the proportion of unfrozen water. In this study we present a high-field 2H2O NMR method for quantifying unfrozen water content in frozen soil. The experimental material consisted of the humic layer of a boreal spruce forest soil mixed with varying proportions of quartz sand and humidified with deuterium-enriched water. The relative standard deviation of unfrozen water content (measured as NMR signal integral) was less than 2% for repeated measurements on a given sample and 3.5% among all samples, based on a total of 16 measurements. As compared to 1H NMR, this 2H NMR method was found to be superior for several reasons: it is less sensitive to field inhomogeneity and paramagnetic impurities, it gives a bigger line shape difference between the ice and liquid signal, it shows a sharper response to water fusion, and it excludes the possibility of hydrogen in the organic material interfering with the measurement.     

Rapid Food Product Analysis by Surface Acoustic Wave Nebulization Coupled Mass Spectrometry

Rapid food product analysis is of great interest for quality control and assurance during the production process. Conventional quality control protocols require time and labor-intensive sample preparation for analysis by state-of-the-art analytical methods. To reduce overall cost and facilitate rapid qualitative assessments, food products need to be tested with minimal sample preparation. We present a novel and simple method for assessing food product compositions by mass spectrometry using a novel surface acoustic wave nebulization method. This method provides significant advantages over conventional methods requiring no pumps, capillaries, or additional chemicals to enhance ionization for mass spectrometric analysis. In addition, the surface acoustic wave nebulization–mass spectrometry method is ideal for rapid analysis and to investigate certain compounds by using the mass spectra as a type of species-specific fingerprint analysis. We present for the first time surface acoustic wave nebulization-generated mass spectra of a variety of fermented food products from a small selection of vinegars, wines, and beers.     

Studies of arginine-arene interactions through synthesis and evaluation of a series of galectin-binding aromatic lactose esters

Aromatic lactose 2-O-esters were synthesized and used to probe arene-arginine interactions with the galectin family of proteins. They were found to be low microM inhibitors of galectin-1, -3, and -9N-terminal domain and moderate inhibitors of galectin-7, but not inhibitors of galectin-8N-terminal, which lacks an arginine residue close to the critical, esterified lactose 2-O-position. Molecular modeling of galectins in complex with aromatic lactose 2-O-esters, as well as binding studies with a galectin-3 R186S mutant, confirmed that the inhibitory efficiency of the lactose 2-O-esters was due to the formation of strong interactions between the aromatic ester moieties and the arginine guanidinium groups of galectin-1 and -3. An important common feature shared by galectin-1 and -3 was that the arginines formed in-plane ion pairs with two side-chain carboxylates, which resulted in extended planar pi-electron surfaces that did not require solvation by water; these surfaces were ideal for stacking with aromatic moieties of the ligands. The results provide a basis for the design of lectin inhibitors and drugs that exploit interactions with arginine side-chains via aromatic moieties, which are involved in intramolecular protein salt bridges.     

Cell interaction study of amyloid by using luminescent conjugated polythiophene: implication that amyloid cytotoxicity is correlated with prolonged cellular binding

Needles and noodles: Studying amyloid toxicity is important for understanding protein misfolding diseases. Using a luminescent conjugated polythiophene, we found that cell binding of nontoxic filamentous amyloids of insulin and β2-microglobulin was less efficient than that of toxic fibrillar amyloids; this suggests a correlation between amyloid toxicity and cell binding.     

Effect of acid deposition on quantity and quality of dissolved organic matter in soil-water

The aim of this study was to explore how acid deposition may affect the concentration and quality of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in soil-water. This was done by a small-scale acidification experiment during two years where 0.5 × 0.5 m(2) plots were artificially irrigated with water with different sulfuric acid content, and soil-water was sampled using zero-tension lysimeters under the O-horizon. The DOM was characterized using absorbance, fluorescence, and size exclusion chromatography analyses. Our results showed lower mobility of DOM in the high acid treatment. At the same time, there was a significant change in the DOM quality. Soil-water in the high acid treatment exhibited DOM that was less colored, less hydrophobic, less aromatic, and of lower molecular weight, compared to the low acid treatment. This supports the hypothesis that reduction in sulfur deposition is an important driver behind the ongoing brownification of surface waters in many regions.     

Devolatilization of wood and wastes in fluidized bed

Experiments were carried out in a laboratory fluidized bed (FB) to characterize the devolatilization behavior of wood and various wastes at temperatures applicable to FB gasification and combustion, i.e. 750-900 °C. The fuels tested were pellets made of wood, meat and bone meal, and compost (from municipal solid wastes), as well as dried granulates of sewage sludge (DSS). Determination of yields of char, condensate and light gas, as well as the composition of the gas and the time of devolatilization during the pyrolysis of single fuel batches was made. A simple model was developed to analyze the mode of conversion of a single wood pellet and DSS granulate, giving insight on the controlling mechanisms during devolatilization. The devolatilization kinetics of DSS was determined by tests using fine granulates. The model was successfully applied to simulate the conversion of large DSS granulates and wood pellets under the whole range of temperatures analyzed.     

Prediction of fracture in a dual-phase steel subjected to non-linear straining

In this work, selected fracture criteria are applied to predict the fracture of dual-phase steel subjected to non-linear strain paths. Furthermore, the effects of manufacturing history are studied. Four fracture criteria were calibrated in three tests using standard specimens. The fracture criteria were first validated in the circular Nakajima test. A second validation test case was included in order to validate fracture prediction for non-linear strain paths. In this test a sheet metal component was manufactured and subsequently stretched until it fractured. All fracture criteria included in this study predict fracture during the Nakajima test with reasonable accuracy. In the second validation test however, the different fracture criteria show considerable diversity in accumulated damage during manufacturing which caused substantial scatter of the fracture prediction in the subsequent stretching. This shows that manufacturing history influences the prediction of fracture.     

Separation and characterization of food macromolecules using field-flow fractionation: A review

Recent years have seen an increasing interest in asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) as a method for the fractionation and characterization of macromolecules and colloidal particles. In this paper utilization of AF4 in food applications is reviewed. Instrumental considerations are discussed as well as which properties can be assessed by AF4 and adequate detection systems. Furthermore, published literature on analysis of food macromolecules with AF4 is critically reviewed.     

Social influence during the initial phase of a fire evacuation—Analysis of evacuation experiments in a cinema theatre

Unannounced evacuation experiments in a cinema theatre were analysed. The analysis focused on investigating if people are influenced by others during the initial phase of a fire evacuation. This type of influence is called social influence. Three separate behaviour types were identified and studied and the recognition and pre-movement time was measured. The results suggest that social influence is an important factor and that it becomes more important when the fire cue, e.g., the alarm, is unclear or uninformative. Results also indicate that social influence increases with decreasing distance between visitors. This result implies that individuals are influenced more by people who are close than by people who are further away.