Emulsifying and Bactericidal Properties of a Protamine-Galactomannan Conjugate Prepared by Dry Heating

Protamine was conjugated with galactomannan (GM) in a controlled dry state at 60° and 79% relative humidity. The covalent attachment of GM to protamine was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and gel chromatography. The resulting protamine-GM conjugate had excellent emulsifying properties without significant loss in bactericidal activity. The emulsifying activity was six times and the emulsion stability of the conjugate more than 10 times higher than those of protamine. In acidic (pH 3) and salt (0.2M NaCl) systems the conjugate showed much more effective emulsifying properties than commercial emuJsifiers. In addition, the emulsifying properties of the conjugate were retained after preheating at 90°. Protamine-GM conjugate could be used for processed foods as a bifunctional food additive, emulsifier and antibacterial reagent.     

High-Pressure-Freezing Effects on Textural Quality of Carrots

Raw or 3 min blanched carrots were pressurized for 45 min at ?18°C ～–20°C and then thawed at 20°C. When carrots were frozen at 100Mpa (ice I), firmness decreased and strain increased. Textural values of carrots pressurized at 200MPa (liquid), 340MPa (ice III), 400MPa (ice V) at ca. –20°C were acceptable. When pressure was increased above 500MPa, the strain increased. Release of pectin and histological damage in carrots pressurized at 200, 340 and 400MPa were less than carrots frozen at 100 and 700MPa (ice VI). After pressurization at 200 and 340MPa at —20°C, carrots were stored in a freezer (–30°C). Firmness decreased and strain increased, but textural values were higher and histological structure were more intact than those frozen at –30°C (0.1MPa) then stored. Thus, high-pressure-freezing at 200, 340 and 400MPa appeared to be effective in improving both the texture and histological structure of frozen carrots.     

Pectic Substance Degradation and Texture of Carrots as Affected by Pressurization

Heated pectin was degraded by transelimination (β-elimination) above pH 5 and by hydrolysis below pH 2, but pressurized pectin did not degrade. Thus cooked carrots decreased in firmness, but pressurized carrots did not. Pressurizing above 200 MPa slightly increased rupture strain. Galacturonic acid levels decreased in carrots cooked for 30 min. Total pectin in pressurized carrots was the same as in cooked for 3 min. However, with increased pressure, the amount of high methoxyl pectin in carrots decreased while low methoxyl pectin increased. Thus, the effects of pressurization on pectin degradation (transelimination) and texture of carrots were different from those of heating.     

DESIGN OF A NONIMAGING FRESNEL LENS FOR SOLAR CONCENTRATORS

An optimum convex shaped nonimaging Fresnel lens is designed following the edge ray principle. The lens is evaluated by tracing rays and calculating a projective optical concentration ratio. This Fresnel lens is intended for use in evacuated tube type solar concentrators, generating mid-temperature heat to drive sorption cycles, or provide industrial process heat. It can also be used along with a secondary concentrator in photovoltaic applications.     

Comparison of serum albumin,C‐reactive protein and carotid atherosclerosis as predictors of 10‐year mortality in hemodialysis patients

Serum albumin, C‐reactive protein (CRP), and the intima‐medial thickness of the common carotid artery (CA‐IMT) are associated with clinical outcomes in hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, it remains unclear which parameters are more reliable as predictors of long‐term mortality. We measured serum albumin, CRP, and CA‐IMT in 206 HD patients younger than 80 years old, and followed them for the next 10 years. One hundred sixty‐eight patients (age: 57 ± 11 years, time on HD: 11 ± 7 years) were enrolled in the analyses. We divided all patients into three tertiles according to their albumin levels, and conducted multivariate analyses to examine the impact on 10‐year mortality. Seventy‐three (43.5%) patients had expired during the follow‐up. Serum albumin was significantly lower in the expired patients than in the surviving patients (3.8 ± 0.3 vs. 4.0 ± 0.3, P<0.01), while CRP (4.7 ± 5.0 vs. 2.8 ± 3.5 g/L, P=0.01) and CA‐IMT (0.70 ± 0.15 vs. 0.59 ± 0.11 mm, P<0.01) were significantly higher in the expired group. The multivariate analysis revealed that there was a significantly higher risk for total mortality in HD patients with serum albumin <3.8 g/dL (odds ratio 5.04 [95% CI: 1.30–19.60], P=0.02) when compared with those with albumin >4.1 g/dL. In contrast, CRP and CA‐IMT did not associate with total death. It follows from these findings that serum albumin is more superior as a mortality predictor compared with CRP and CA‐IMT in HD patients.     

耐热型碱显影感光树脂的合成及性能研究

选用羟基封端的聚酰亚胺为耐热链段,将其与双羟甲基丙酸(DMPA)和异氟尔酮二异氰酸酯(IPDI)反应,制备了异氰基团封端的聚酰亚胺。进一步使用得到的产物与甲基丙烯酸羟乙酯(HEMA)反应,制备了含氨酯-丙烯酸酯的聚酰亚胺树脂。通过对聚酰亚胺的羟基封端的方式的改变,研究了对最终树脂热稳定性的影响。实验结果表明聚酰亚胺结构的引入能够改善树脂的热稳定性,尤其是芳基取代时对热稳定性的提高最为明显。