Effects of process variables and addition of polydextrose and whey protein isolate on the properties of barley extrudates

Extrusion cooking is commonly used in the production of snacks. In the present study, extrudates were prepared using barley flour alone and with the addition of either polydextrose (PD) or whey protein isolate (WPI) and both PD and WPI. Independent process variables were water content of the mass (17%, 20% and 23%), screw speed (200, 350 and 500 rpm) and temperature of section 6 and die (110, 130 and 150 °C). Expansion, hardness, water content, porosity and chemical composition of the extrudates were analysed. Highly porous and expanded snack products with high dietary fibre and protein contents were obtained from barley flour and WPI when water content of mass was 17%, screw speed 500 rpm and temperature of section 6 and die 130 °C. Barley flour alone or with PD resulted in hard and non‐expanded extrudates. Expansion of extrudates was statistically significantly increased with decreasing water content of the mass and increasing screw speed in all trials.     

Human Neurons Form Axon-Mediated Functional Connections with Human Cardiomyocytes in Compartmentalized Microfluidic Chip

The cardiac autonomic nervous system (cANS) regulates cardiac function by innervating cardiac tissue with axons, and cardiomyocytes (CMs) and neurons undergo comaturation during the heart innervation in embryogenesis. As cANS is essential for cardiac function, its dysfunctions might be fatal; therefore, cardiac innervation models for studying embryogenesis, cardiac diseases, and drug screening are needed. However, previously reported neuron-cardiomyocyte (CM) coculture chips lack studies of functional neuron–CM interactions with completely human-based cell models. Here, we present a novel completely human cell-based and electrophysiologically functional cardiac innervation on a chip in which a compartmentalized microfluidic device, a 3D3C chip, was used to coculture human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neurons and CMs. The 3D3C chip enabled the coculture of both cell types with their respective culture media in their own compartments while allowing the neuronal axons to traverse between the compartments via microtunnels connecting the compartments. Furthermore, the 3D3C chip allowed the use of diverse analysis methods, including immunocytochemistry, RT-qPCR and video microscopy. This system resembled the in vivo axon-mediated neuron–CM interaction. In this study, the evaluation of the CM beating response during chemical stimulation of neurons showed that hiPSC-neurons and hiPSC-CMs formed electrophysiologically functional axon-mediated interactions.     

Adsorption of metal cations from aqueous solutions onto the pH responsive poly(vinylidene fluoride grafted poly(acrylic acid) (PVDF-PAA) membrane

This study investigated the influence of pH of adsorption medium and co-adsorptive metal cations for the adsorption of potassium (K⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) ions onto poly (vinylidene fluoride) grafted poly(acrylic acid) (PAA-PVDF) membrane. At pH 4.8, the adsorption of potassium and magnesium was minimal, because of nearly non-dissociated carboxylic acid groups of PAA-chains, but adsorption increased with increasing ion concentration. The interaction of the studied cations between PVDF-PAA membranes increased considerably at pH 7.0 the dissociation of carboxylic acid groups of PAA. The addition of ionic substances (calcium (Ca²⁺) and sodium (Na⁺) to the adsorption medium reduced the adsorption of potassium and magnesium onto the membrane, because of co-adsorption. Divalent calcium reduced more effectively than univalent sodium the adsorption of potassium and magnesium onto the membrane. In conclusion, co-adsorbing ions reduced the adsorbed amount of potassium and magnesium ions due to binding competition. The percentual adsorbed values suggest that adsorption affinity of studied ions onto the PVDF-PAA membrane followed the order Na⁺ < K⁺ < Mg²⁺ < Ca²⁺. The effect of metal cations on drug adsorption from biological fluids needs research in the future, because e.g. PVDF-PAA membrane has been used in drug separation processes.     

Self-assembling of star-like amphiphilic block copolymers with polyelectrolyte blocks. Effect of pH

The self-assembling behaviour of a four-arm amphiphilic star block copolymer, (PMMA₇₃-b-PAA₁₄₃)₄, with poly(methyl methacrylate) inner blocks and poly(acrylic acid) outer blocks in ratio 1:2 (PMMA:PAA) has been investigated in aqueous solutions as a function of pH by dynamic light scattering and cryo-transmission electron microscopy. At low pH (pH ≤ 5) the amphiphile forms in the presence of salt both spherical and worm-like micellar aggregates that coexist in solution. At high pH (pH > 12) the solution contains mainly spherical micelles and a small number of larger aggregates that have ‘pearl-necklace’ structure, indicating the disintegration of the worm-like species. In addition to the experiments, computer simulations of the four-arm amphiphilic star block copolymer with the same ratio of the blocks as above were conducted using a coarse-grained model. The simulations predict the formation of the worm-like micellar aggregates at low pH and the spherical ones at high pH. The changes in the morphology of the aggregates are related to the higher degree of ionization of poly(acrylic acid) blocks at high pH and to the swelling of the corona of the micelles by the higher osmotic pressure due to trapped counterions.     

A Hybrid Method for Quality Evaluation in the Context of Use for Mobile (3D) Television

Controlled psychoperceptual quality evaluation experiments are used to assess the excellence of produced audiovisual quality from fundamental signal processing algorithms to consumer services. When compromising produced quality for consumer services, used in dynamic and heterogeneous mobile contexts, the ecological validity of conventional quality evaluation methods can be questioned. The goal of this paper is to develop a method for evaluating the experienced multimedia quality in the context of use. We conducted three studies where the quality of mobile 2D and 3D television was assessed in three different field contexts, one simulated context and one controlled laboratory situation when audio-video compression and transmission parameters were varied. We propose a hybrid method for the design, data-collection and analysis of the experiments in the contexts of use. Its novelty is to complement conventional quantitative quality evaluation with concrete tools to identify factors that surround the assessment in the context. The methodological framework is part of our long-term aim to measure and understand the user-centered quality of experience.     

Statistical and geographical study on demolished buildings

Demolition of buildings is one fundamental, but little studied, factor in the dynamics of building stocks. This research study examines the characteristics and location of demolished buildings in Finland as well as motives behind the demolition decisions. A statistical and geographical analysis was performed on a dataset of all 50 818 buildings demolished in Finland between 2000 and 2012. In the Finnish context, the study shows that the amount of demolition, the size of the community, demographic development and construction activity are all interconnected. In general, the larger the community, the more it gains inhabitants and the more is built as well as demolished. The data confirm that removals from the building stock are a result of conscious deliberation. Non-residential buildings dominate the amount of demolished floor area. In addition, they are much larger and younger at the time of demolition than residential buildings, which consist primarily of detached houses. Demolitions are geographically concentrated: cities account for 76% of demolished floor area; and city cores for as much as 44%. Public policy needs to include demolition to reduce environmental impacts and improve resource efficiency.     

Blood levels of organotin compounds and their relation to fish consumption in Finland

The objective of this study was to measure the concentrations of organotin compounds in the whole blood of Finnish male fishermen (n=133), their wives (n=94), and other family members (n=73), and to investigate their associations with background variables. The concentrations were generally low, less than the limit of quantification (LOQ) for the vast majority of compounds and samples. Of the organotin compounds (mono-, di-, and tributyltin, mono-, di-, and triphenyltin, and dioctyltin), only triphenyltin was detected in more than just a few samples (in 37 of 300 samples, LOQ=0.04 ng/ml). These were mainly the samples of fishermen (26/37) and their wives (10/37). For statistical analysis, concentrations of triphenyltin were divided into two categories, LOQ. Of the different background variables, age and fish consumption contributed the most to the triphenyltin concentrations. When age and fish consumption (g/day) were divided into three categories, odds ratios comparing the highest with the lowest category were 3.88 for age (95% CI 1.36-11.09) and 3.48 for fish consumption (1.36-8.94), respectively. Compared with females, males had an odds ratio of 1.51 of having the concentration of triphenyltin >LOQ (0.72-3.14). To the best of our knowledge, this study confirmed for the first time with human samples that fish consumption can be associated with triphenyltin concentration in whole blood.