Evaluation of Soybean Seedcoat Cracking During Drying:PART II. Using MRI

MRI techniques were developed and employed for non-destructive and noninvasive study of seedcoat cracking in low moisture soybean kernels during heated air drying. Proton density image and transient moisture distribution profile of a single soybean kernel can be obtained using MRI. These MRI techniques proved to be particularly useful for the continuous observation of initiation and propagation of seedcoat cracking during the entire period of drying process without interruption.

The proton density images of soybean kernels showed that seedcoat cracking was initiated perpendicular to the long axis of the kernel near the hilum. The transient moisture distribution profiles in soybean kernels during drying indicate that moisture gradient developed during drying was higher in the seedcoat than in the cotyledon. Drying temperature and initial average moisture content were positively correlated with the soyhean seedcoat crackig. The location of the     

An interactive multiple-response simulation optimization method

This study proposes a new interactive multicriteria method for determining the best levels of the decision variables needed to optimize a stochastic computer simulation with multiple response variables. The method, called the Pairwise Comparison Stochastic Cutting Plane (PCSCP) method, combines good features from interactive multiple objective mathematical programming and response surface methodology. The major characteristics of the PCSCP method are: (1) it interacts progressively with the decision-maker (DM) to obtain her preferences, (2) it uses experimental design to explore the decision space adequately while reducing the burden on the DM, and (3) it uses the preference information provided by the DM and the sampling error in the responses to reduce the decision space. The mechanics of the method are illustrated with a numerical example. Some computational studies evaluating the method are also reported.     

Characterization of proton-exchanged optical waveguides in ZnO:LiNbO3

We report the first demonstration of proton-exchanged optical planar waveguides in x-cut and z-cut LiNbO₃ doped with 6 mol% ZnO using adipic acid as proton source. These waveguides exhibit a graded index profile which can be modeled by a linear step function with a surface index increase of 0.135 and 0.14 for x-cut and z-cut waveguides, respectively. The diffusion constant D_o and the activation energy Q are characterized optically to be 1.64×10⁹ μm²/h and 88.8 KJ/mol for x-cut waveguides, and 1.478×10⁹ μm²/h and 91.25 KJ/mol for z-cut waveguides, respectively. The diffusion rate along the z-axis is slower than that along the x-axis, whereas the surface index increase on z-cut waveguides is larger than that on x-cut waveguides.     

Surgical treatment of unilateral alveolar cleft

In this study, 16 cases of unilateral alveolar cleft with cleft lip and palate were repaired with autografts of cancellous bone (13 cases) or hydroxyapatite (3 cases). The grafts were covered by reflected mucoperiosteal flaps and a mucosal flap from the upper lip. Twelve of the thirteen cases were followed up for 1-5 years. Nine of whom using cancellous bone had bony continuity of the maxilla and 7 cases erupted permanent maxillary canines within the area of autografts. None of the 3 cases using hydroxyapatite erupted a canine tooth. The results showed that autograft was better than hydroxyapatite in terms of maxillary canine eruption.     

Nonlinear distortion prediction of active filters

The represention of circuit variables in frequency-domain complex matrix and nonlinearities by power series gives rise to a nonlinear distortion prediction technique, the intermodulation-balance method. This operates entirely in the frequency domain. The technique is verified by a single-amplifier filter with a two-tone input signal     

Bcl-2 deregulation leads to inhibition of sodium butyrate-induced apoptosis in human colorectal carcinoma cells

Epidemiological studies have linked dietary fiber to the prevention of human colorectal cancer and suggest that short chain fatty acids such as butyric acid, which is produced by fermentation of dietary fiber in the large intestine, may be an important mediator of the protective effects of fiber. We investigated the role of Bcl-2 deregulation on the sensitivity of colorectal carcinoma cells to undergo butyrate-induced apoptosis. Here we report an inverse relationship between the levels of Bcl-2 and the sensitivity of colorectal carcinoma cell lines to undergo apoptosis in response to butyrate. Overexpression of Bcl-2 in colorectal carcinoma DiFi cells resulted in suppression of butyrate-induced apoptosis and enhanced cell survival in response to butyrate. Butyrate-induced apoptosis was accompanied by inhibition of expression of a 30 kDa protein (p30, immunorecognized by anti-Bcl-2 mAb) and this cellular effect of butyrate was inhibited by Bcl-2 overexpression. These findings suggest that deregulation of Bcl-2 in human colorectal carcinoma cells confers resistance to induction of apoptosis by butyrate, a dietary micronutrient.     

High-breakdown-voltage AlSbAs/InAs n-channel field-effecttransistors

InAs channel field-effect transistors of 1-μm gate length were grown by molecular beam epitaxy and observed to operate at channel electric fields (20 kV/cm) higher than previously demonstrated and several times greater than the threshold for impact ionization in bulk InAs. Voltage gains on the order of 10 were observed with transconductances as high as 414 mS/mm and output conductances as low as 33 mS/mm. These voltage gains are comparable to those of GaAs-based devices and are the highest observed for InAs channel devices. The results demonstrate the potential for practical room-temperature operation of InAs FETs     

Drug release from heat-treated polyvinyl alcohol films

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films containing 10% w/w of a model drug, sulphathiazole, were cast from aqueous solutions and subjected to heat treatment at specific temperatures for known periods of time. Heat treatment at temperatures above the T_g of the PVA films slowed down the rate of drug release from the films. Increasing the temperature of heat treatment from 120°C to 160°C further decreased the rate of drug release. On the other hand, if the heat treatment were conducted at a temperature below the T_g e.g. at 80°C, there were insignificant differences between the release profile of sulphathiazole from heat-treated films and that from untreated films. The duration of heat treatment affected the rate of drug release to a smaller extent compared to the temperature of heat treatment. These results correlated with the heat induced changes in the morphology of, and in the extent of water uptake by the PVA films.