Apparent chemical composition of nine commercial or semi-commercial whey protein concentrates, isolates and fractions

Summary Analytical results are given for whey powders prepared on a commercial or semi-commercial scale by three companies. Altogether, five preparations enriched in β-lactoglobulin, four whey protein isolates and a fraction enriched in α-lactalbumin were analyzed for protein composition, including %β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin, bovine serum albumin, casein (glyco) macropeptide and the main triglycerides. Protein composition was determined by high pressure gel permeation and reversed phase liquid chromatography and by capillary zone electrophoresis. The extent of modification of the native β-lactoglobulin structure was also measured through the degree of lactosylation and the fraction of accessible free sulphydryl groups. One significant finding was that the calculated recovery of protein following quantitation of the chromatogram or electropherogram was seldom above 90% and occasionally below 60% of that loaded onto the column or capillary, raising doubts as to the reliability of the analytical results. Extrapolation by linear regression to 100% recovery allowed estimates to be made of the true β-lactoglobulin composition of the samples. The nine samples could be placed into three distinct groups with estimated true β-lactoglobulin weight % of 70.9 ± 1.1, 62.0 ± 3.4 and 39.5 ± 4.9. Physico-chemical properties of the group of samples are reported elsewhere (Holt et al ., 1999).     

Curing kinetics of epoxy‐urethane copolymers

The cure of the epoxy resin diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (Araldyt GY9527) with a mixture of cycloaliphatic amines (Distraltec) was studied, and the focus was on the effect of the copolymerization with a commercial polyurethane (PU) elastomer (Desmocap 12). A simplified phenomenological model was proposed to represent the copolymerization reaction. It considered the effect of the temperature and the concentration of the elastomer on the reaction rate, and it was simple enough to be included in models of processing conditions. A nonlinear regression analysis of the experimental conversion data obtained from differential scanning calorimetry was utilized to find the best fitting parameters to Kamal's equation for the chemically controlled part of the reaction (short times) under isothermal and constant heating‐rate conditions. The Rabinowitch approach together with the Addam–Gibbs theory was utilized to introduce the effect of diffusion control at the end of the reaction on the overall constant for the reaction rate. The Di Benedetto equation was used to predict the conversion at which vitrification takes place for each run. Experimental results for conversions higher than this critical conversion were utilized to obtain information about the diffusion kinetic constant using a nonlinear regression analysis as previously. The overall model obtained was used to calculate a calorimetric conversion and reaction rate as functions of time, which was in excellent agreement with the experimental results. The addition of PU elastomers affected the values of the activation energies of the chemically and diffusion controlled parts of the reaction, as well as the final conversion reached by the epoxy–amine system. The proposed model allowed prediction of all the observed features using parameters that were independent of the temperature of the curing reaction. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 1771–1779, 2001     

Heat transfer for pultrusion of a modified acrylic/glass reinforced composite

Experimental values of the temperature on the wall and into the die were obtained for the pultrusion of a modified acrylic resin. The equation of continuity, and energy balance, coupled with a kinetic expression for the curing system, are solved using difference method to calculate the temperature and the conversion profiles in the thickness direction in a rectangular pultrusion die. The effects of the process variables (e.g. pulling rate, die temperature, die thickness and content of fibers) on the performance of the pultrusion are evaluated.     

Influence of road markings,lane widths and driver behaviour on proximity and speed of vehicles overtaking cyclists

The proximity and speed of motor traffic passing cyclists in non-separated conditions may be so close and so great as to cause discomfort. A variety of road design and driver behaviour factors may affect overtaking speeds and distances. The investigation presented in this paper builds on previous research and fills gaps in that research by considering the presence of cycle lanes on 20 mph and 30 mph roads, different lane widths, different lane markings, vehicle type, vehicle platooning and oncoming traffic. Data were collected from a bicycle ridden a distance of one metre from the kerb fitted with an ultrasonic distance detector and forward and sideways facing cameras.     

Engineering DNA-Grafted Quatsomes as Stable Nucleic Acid-Responsive Fluorescent Nanovesicles

The development of artificial vesicles into responsive architectures capable of sensing the biological environment and simultaneously signaling the presence of a specific target molecule is a key challenge in a range of biomedical applications from drug delivery to diagnostic tools. Herein, the rational design of biomimetic DNA-grafted quatsome (QS) nanovesicles capable of translating the binding of a target molecule to amphiphilic DNA probes into an optical output is presented. QSs are synthetic lipid-based nanovesicles able to confine multiple organic dyes at the nanoscale, resulting in ultra-bright soft materials with attractiveness for sensing applications. Dye-loaded QS nanovesicles of different composition and surface charge are grafted with fluorescent amphiphilic nucleic acid-based probes to produce programmable FRET-active nanovesicles that operate as highly sensitive signal transducers. The photophysical properties of the DNA-grafted nanovesicles are characterized and the highly selective, ratiometric detection of clinically relevant microRNAs with sensitivity in the low nanomolar range are demonstrated. The potential applications of responsive QS nanovesicles for biosensing applications but also as functional nanodevices for targeted biomedical applications is envisaged.     

Predictive Validity of an Empirical Approach for Selecting Promising Message Topics: A Randomized‐Controlled Study

Several message topic selection approaches propose that messages based on beliefs pretested and found to be more strongly associated with intentions will be more effective in changing population intentions and behaviors when used in a campaign. This study aimed to validate the underlying causal assumption of these approaches which rely on cross‐sectional belief–intention associations. We experimentally tested whether messages addressing promising themes as identified by the above criterion were more persuasive than messages addressing less promising themes. Contrary to expectations, all messages increased intentions. Interestingly, mediation analyses showed that while messages deemed promising affected intentions through changes in targeted promising beliefs, messages deemed less promising also achieved persuasion by influencing nontargeted promising beliefs. Implications for message topic selection are discussed.     

Postharvest Quality of Strawberry Fruit (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fragaria x Ananassa</Emphasis> Duch cv. Albion) as Affected by Ozone Washing: Fungal Spoilage,Mechanical Properties,and Structure

Storage life of strawberry fruit is limited due to its high softening rate and susceptibility to fungal attack. Thus, it is of interest to develop and improve preservation techniques to reduce postharvest losses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ozonized water washing (maximum concentration of 3.5 mg L^?1; 5–15 min) on fungal spoilage, water loss, mechanical properties, and structure of strawberries (cv. Albion) harvested in different years and stored at 5 °C. The effect of ozone treatment on decontamination and weight loss was dose-dependent. Ozonization for 5 min significantly reduced fungal incidence (~?22–25% lesser than control) and weight loss of strawberries throughout storage. High doses (10 or 15 min) did not reduce significantly fungal growth in relation to control, although weight loss in fruit treated for 15 min was higher than control. In both harvest years studied, cold storage provoked a diminution in deformability modulus and an increase in deformation but a significant effect of treatment was not observed. These changes were correlated with alteration of cell walls and turgor loss. Otherwise, cuticular membrane of strawberries treated for 5 min was observed thicker and more electron dense than in fruit ozonized for 15 min or control. It could partially explain the lower moisture loss observed in 5-min treated fruit. Results showed that ozonized water washing for 5 min can be an alternative strategy for extending postharvest strawberry shelf-life by decreasing fungal decay and water loss along cold storage, without affecting mechanical parameters.