Moisture profiles of wheat noodles containing hydroxypropylated tapioca starch

Wheat noodles were prepared using flour to which hydroxypropylated tapioca starch was added, and the effect of this addition on the moisture distribution within the noodles during cooking was examined using a digital image processing technique. The addition of the modified starch slightly increased the moisture content and narrowed the flat distribution near the noodle surface. The distribution features reflected the changes in the water absorption behaviour caused by the properties of the modified starch and the reduction in the gluten content. Addition of the modified starch lowered Young's modulus and the energy for 99% strain of the noodles in the texture analysis to, at maximum 35% and 65%, and decreased the breakability of the noodles. These changes in the moisture distribution and textural properties have been ascribed to changes in both the state of the starch granules near the surface and the structure of the gluten network.     

Possibility of Japanese Cedar Pollen Causing False Positives in the Deep Mycosis Test

Because Japanese cedar pollen (JCP) contains beta-1,3-d-glucan (BG), there is concern that its lingering presence in the atmosphere, especially during its scattering period, may cause false positives in the factor-G-based Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay used to test for deep mycosis (i.e., G-test). Hence, we examined whether the LAL assay would react positively with substances contained in JCP by using the G-test to measure JCP particles and extracts. BG was purified from the JCP extract on a BG-specific affinity column, and the percentage extractability was measured using three different BG-specific quantitative methods. The G-test detected 0.4 pg BG in a single JCP particle and 10 fg from a single particle in the extract. The percentage extractability of JCP-derived BG was not significantly different among the three quantitative methods. As the JCP particles should technically have been removed during serum separation, they should be less likely to be a direct false-positive factor. However, given that the LAL-assay-positive substances in the JCP extract were not distinguishable by the three BG-specific quantitative methods, we conclude that they may cause the background to rise. Therefore, in Japan false positives arising from JCP contamination should be considered when testing patients for deep mycosis.     

A comparison of approaches for finding minimum identifying codes on graphs

In order to formulate mathematical conjectures likely to be true, a number of base cases must be determined. However, many combinatorial problems are NP-hard and the computational complexity makes this research approach difficult using a standard brute force approach on a typical computer. One sample problem explored is that of finding a minimum identifying code. To work around the computational issues, a variety of methods are explored and consist of a parallel computing approach using MATLAB, an adiabatic quantum optimization approach using a D-Wave quantum annealing processor, and lastly using satisfiability modulo theory (SMT) and corresponding SMT solvers. Each of these methods requires the problem to be formulated in a unique manner. In this paper, we address the challenges of computing solutions to this NP-hard problem with respect to each of these methods.     

Selection of injection conditions for aluminum particles as a raw material by numerical analysis in the synthesis of ultrafine particles with transferred type arc plasma

We investigated by numerical analysis the dependence of vaporization behavior of aluminum particles injected into transferred type arc plasma on injection conditions in synthesis of aluminum nitride ultra fine particles. On the basis of calculation results, we chose one proper injection condition where aluminum particles vaporized more. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 170(2): 46–52, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20852     

Stable and super‐low friction of amorphous carbon nitride coatings in nitrogen gas by using two‐step ball‐on‐disk friction test

Effect of running‐in process on friction behaviour of carbon nitride (CNx) coating in N₂ gas stream was investigated with a newly introduced two‐step ball‐on‐disk friction test, where the rubbed Si₃N₄ ball in the pre‐sliding (step 1) was replaced by a new CNx‐coated Si₃N₄ ball in the subsequent sliding stage under N₂ gas (step 2). The two‐step friction test is clarified to be a simple but effective technique for obtaining contact material combination of self‐mated CNx coatings and for achieving stable and low frictions of CNx coatings. Friction coefficients of CNx/CNx in N₂ gas stream decrease greatly from 0.07 without pre‐sliding to less than 0.025 in two‐step friction tests. The minimum friction coefficient of 0.004 was obtained by introducing 500 cycles of pre‐sliding in ambient air. These stable and low frictions are attributed to the generation of self‐mated CNx coatings and the formation of a lubricious layer on the disk surface. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sparse LMS/F algorithms with application to adaptive system identification

Standard least mean square/fourth (LMS/F) is a classical adaptive algorithm that combined the advantages of both least mean square (LMS) and least mean fourth (LMF). The advantage of LMS is fast convergence speed while its shortcoming is suboptimal solution in low signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) environment. On the contrary, the advantage of LMF algorithm is robust in low SNR while its drawback is slow convergence speed in high SNR case. Many finite impulse response systems are modeled as sparse rather than traditionally dense. To take advantage of system sparsity, different sparse LMS algorithms with l_p‐LMS and l₀‐LMS have been proposed to improve adaptive identification performance. However, sparse LMS algorithms have the same drawback as standard LMS. Different from LMS filter, standard LMS/F filter can achieve better performance. Hence, the aim of this paper is to introduce sparse penalties to the LMS/F algorithm so that it can further improve identification performance. We propose two sparse LMS/F algorithms using two sparse constraints to improve adaptive identification performance. Two experiments are performed to show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms by computer simulation. In the first experiment, the number of nonzero coefficients is changing, and the proposed algorithms can achieve better mean square deviation performance than sparse LMS algorithms. In the second experiment, the number of nonzero coefficient is fixed, and mean square deviation performance of sparse LMS/F algorithms is still better than that of sparse LMS algorithms. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and Unique Photoluminescence Properties of Eu2Ti2O7 and Eu2TiO5

The europium titania materials, pyrochlore Eu₂Ti₂O₇ and orthorhombic Eu₂TiO₅, were synthesized from a mixture of Eu₂O₃ and TiO₂ using the solid‐state reaction method. The structural and optical properties of these titania materials were investigated using X‐ray diffraction analysis, photoluminescence (PL) analysis, PL excitation (PLE) spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Temperature dependence of the PL intensity was measured between T = 20 and 450 K and analyzed on the basis of various theoretical models. A remarkable increase in the PL intensity with increasing T was observed in these titania materials at higher temperatures, above ~140 K, and well explained by a trap/reservoir model. Interestingly, a dramatic decrease in the electric‐dipole emission component relative to the magnetic‐dipole one was observed in Eu₂Ti₂O₇ above T ~ 140 K. The schematic energy‐level diagram for Eu³⁺ in the Eu₂Ti₂O₇ host was proposed for the sake of a better understanding of the PL and PLE processes in this type of phosphorescent material.     

Cancer chemoprevention with green tea catechins by targeting receptor tyrosine kinases

Recent studies indicate that receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), which play important roles in cell proliferation, are one of the possible targets of green tea catechins (GTCs) in cancer cell growth inhibition. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major catechin in green tea, inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in various types of cancer cells, including colorectal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma cells, by blocking the activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family of RTKs. EGCG inhibits the activation of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) and VEGFR2, the other members of the RTK family, and this effect is also associated with the anticancer and chemopreventive properties of this agent. EGCG suppresses the activation of EGFR in part by altering membrane lipid organization and causing the subsequent inhibition of the dimerization and activation of this receptor. Preliminary trials have shown that GTCs successfully prevent the development and progression of precancerous lesions, such as colorectal adenomas, without causing severe adverse effects. The present report reviews evidence indicating that GTCs exert anticancer and chemopreventive effects by inhibiting the activation of specific RTKs, especially EGFR, IGF-1R, and VEGFR2, and concludes that targeting RTKs and their related signaling pathways by using tea catechins could be a promising strategy for the prevention of human cancers.