Combined Effect of High Hydrostatic Pressure and Lysine or Cystine Addition in Low-Grade Surimi Gelation with Low Salt Content

The aim of this study was to reduce the sodium chloride (NaCl) level in surimi-based products by adding lysine or cystine in combination with high hydrostatic pressure (HHP). For experiments, Alaska pollock surimi was used to prepare gels in a factorial design (3?×?3?×?2) using three additive levels (no additive, lysine, and cystine), three NaCl levels (0, 0.3, and 3 %), and two HHP levels (0 and 300 MPa/10 min/10 °C). After blending, the pastes, consisting of surimi, additives, and different levels of salt, were stuffed into casings, high pressure treated, and stored at 5 °C for 24 h (suwari gel). Subsequently, samples were heated at 90 °C for 30 min (kamaboko-type gel). To assess the degree of protein denaturation prior to gelation at 90 °C, suwari gels were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry to determine myosin denaturation enthalpy. Kamaboko-type gels were characterized by lightness properties, water binding capacity, and mechanical properties (by puncture test). Results showed that the pressure treatment at 300 MPa and/or the addition of lysine or cystine (0 and 0.1 %) to low-sodium-chloride samples (0 and 0.3 %) resulted in gels with similar quality characteristics to those with the regular 3 % sodium chloride addition, most likely due to the protein unfolding induced by both HHP treatment and the additives used.     

Quantitative MRI in outpatient childhood epilepsy

PURPOSE: In adult studies, MRI volumetrics is a proven technique in presurgical assessment of epilepsy. Hippocampal volume loss is maximal in the syndrome of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. We aimed (a) to validate this methodology in a pediatric outpatient epilepsy population (b) to determine the relationship of hippocampal asymmetry (HA) to epileptic syndromes and risk factors. METHODS: Two neurologists classified the epileptic syndrome in 79 pediatric outpatients, according to the International Classification of Epilepsies and Epileptic Syndromes (ILAE). Hippocampal volumetrics were performed in all patients. HA was defined according to adult control values. RESULTS: Inter-rater variability on measurement of HA was very small (Correlation of test retest of 0.97 on 17 children <3 years old). The rate of HA was 44/79 (57%). In 21 patients, (27%) potentially epileptogenic lesions (other than HA) were identified (cerebral dysgenesis n = 11). HA was present in 9/15 (60%) of temporal lobe epilepsy and in 15/28 (54%) extratemporal onset epilepsy and 5/11 (46%) of generalized symptomatic epilepsy. Analysis confined to <13 years also showed HA was not specific for epileptic syndrome. There was no significant association of febrile convulsions (13%) with HA or temporal lobe epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high incidence of HA in childhood epilepsy. HA was not confined to clinically defined temporal lobe epilepsy. The poor correlation of epileptic syndrome to quantitative MRI findings may be due to the inadequacies of epilepsy classification in the younger child, with the clinical semiology providing misleading localizing information. Normative childhood data for hippocampal volumes and symmetry is needed.     

Kairomone response inThanasimus predators to pheromone components ofIps typographus

Thanasimus formicarius (L.) responds to racemic ipsdienol and ipsenol and less to (S)-cis-verbenol. All three are pheromone components in several bark beetles of the genusIps. Synergistic effects appeared when the components were combined. Methylbutenol alone, the specific pheromone component ofIps typographus, elicited no response, but synergestic effects appeared when methylbutenol was combined withcis-verbenol and ipsdienol. The sympatric speciesThanasimus femoralis (Zett.) responds to (S)-cis-verbenol, while ipsdienol and ipsenol synergize the response.     

The preparation and properties of some lithium borate based glasses

The preparation and properties of lithium borate based glasses are described. The properties which were monitored included the glass-forming ability, the thermal stability, the chemical durability and the mechanical behaviour. Methods which were used in an attempt to improve the mechanical properties of these glasses are also discussed, including controlled crystallization, chemical ion-exchange and fibre reinforcement. The strongest glass, which had a mean strength of ~ 280 MPa in biaxial flexure, was produced by ion-exchange in molten sodium nitrate.     

An X-ray topographic assessment of cadmium mercury telluride

This paper describes an X-ray topographic (Berg-Barrett) assessment of cadmium mercury telluride grown by the Bridgman and cast-recrystallize-anneal (CRA) methods. Reflection topographs reveal that the Bridgman material studied consists of large numbers of small grains (0.05 to 0.6 mm) with misorientations from 1 to 9 minutes per grain. In contrast, the CRA material studied had only a few grain boundaries and features consistent with a strained lattice, possibly caused by compositional variations.     

The synthesis of barium hexaferrite from iron oxide and barium carbonate: 1. General features of the reaction

The reaction between BaCO₃ and Fe₂O₃ in the proportions necessary for the formation of the hexaferrite has been studied in air. The decarbonation reaction was followed by measuring weight loss isothermally, the formation of hexaferrite by measurement of saturation magnetisation and by X-ray diffractometry. The only kinetically important intermediate found was the monoferrite and its rate of formation could be correlated with the rate of decarbonation. An unexpected feature of this process was the rapid apparent disintegration of the barium carbonate lattice: this was far more rapid than the weight loss suggested. An examination of the pseudobinary system BaO-Fe₂O₃ in air at 1000°C using the electron micro-probe analyser on reaction products at an interface between partly reacted Fe₂O₃ and BaCO₃ revealed the high barium ferrites 2BaO.Fe₂O₃; 3BaO.Fe₂O₃; 5BaO.Fe₂O₃ but no compound intermediate in composition between mono- and hexaferrite, nor any solid solution of Fe₂O₃ in monoferrite. With powdered reactants the high barium phases were not formed in sufficient concentration and or crystallinity to be revealed by X-ray diffraction. But their presence could be inferred, because of their reaction with water vapour and/or carbon dioxide, from infrared (i.r.) absorption in the range 700–900 cm^?1. An absorption peak at 880 cm^?1 appeared to be associated with a very small amount of incompletely reacted material as saturation magnetisation approached the maximum achievable. In the presence of only 0.5% lithium fluoride both decarbonation and the conversion of mono- to hexaferrite were greatly accelerated; scanning electron microscopy revealed a big change in crystal size and the form suggested a mechanism involving a liquid phase.     

Welfare effects of emission taxes in Norway

The welfare effects of introducing taxes on emissions of carbon dioxide is analysed within an empirical general equilibrium model of the Norwegian economy. A CO₂ tax regime where we aim at stabilizing the CO₂ emissions at the 1990 emission level in 2020 is compared to a reference scenario without such taxes. In the simulations introduction of CO₂ taxes reduces gross domestic product, but increases net national real disposable income, private consumption and money metric utility. This difference in sign is due to a positive terms of trade effect; some of the CO₂ taxes will be paid by foreigners through exports. The welfare effects differ from household to household depending on the composition of their total consumption. Poor households are less favourably affected than rich households, due to smaller budget shares for the rich households on consumer goods which imply relatively much CO₂ emissions.