Inhibition of Bacterial and Filamentous Fungal Growth in High Moisture,Nonsterile Corn with Intermittent Pumping of Trans‐2‐Hexenal Vapor

Trans‐2‐hexenal (T2H), a plant‐produced aldehyde, was intermittently pumped over a 7 d period into a small, bench top model of stored corn (nonsterile, moisture content about 23%). Naturally occurring bacteria and fungi, including added Aspergillus flavus, grew rapidly on corn not treated with T2H vapor. However, intermittently pumped T2H (30 min per 2 h or 30 min per 12 h) significantly reduced bacterial and fungal viable populations, with nearly 100% fungal viability loss observed after either (1) one day of pumping at the 30 min per 2 h rate or (2) pumping cycles of 30 min per 12 h period over the initial 48 to 72 h of incubation. Data suggest that short‐term intermittent fumigation of stored corn with T2H could prevent growth of bacteria and mycotoxigenic fungi such as A. flavus.     

Influence of milk proteins on the pasting behaviour and microstructural characteristics of waxy maize starch

Gelatinisation of 5 wt% waxy maize starch (WMS) under shear (16.8 s⁻¹), alone and in mixtures with 5 wt% α-lactalbumin (α-lac), β-lactoglobulin (β-lg), α-caseinate or β-caseinate, showed reinforcement of the starch granule structure by both caseinates, but not by the whey proteins (α-lac and β-lg). Reinforcement was evident from (i) later onset of increase in viscosity on heating; (ii) higher gelatinisation temperature by differential scanning calorimetry; (iii) micrographs showing reduced swelling during heating and in the final pastes obtained on cooling; and (iv) elimination of a characteristic “secondary swelling peak” observed for WMS immediately after completion of heating to 95 °C and attributed to fracture of a restricting layer of lipid and protein at the surface of the granules. A likely mechanism of reinforcement is binding of caseinate to the lipid–protein layer. Images from confocal laser scanning microscopy with fluorescent labelling of protein showed attachment of aggregated β-caseinate to the surface of WMS granules in mixtures that had been heated (under shear) to 70 °C. Corresponding images for mixtures with α-caseinate (which is less aggregated) showed penetration of protein to the interior of the granules, which would allow binding to occur on the inside of the surface layer as well as the outside. The inability of the more hydrophilic whey proteins to reinforce the WMS granules suggests that binding of caseinates to the lipid–protein layer occurs predominantly by hydrophobic association. The understanding that caseinates make gelatinised WMS granules smaller and tougher could be useful in product formulation.     

Adaptive dual‐radio spectrum‐sensing scheme in cognitive radio networks

In this paper, a novel spectrum‐sensing scheme, called adaptive dual‐radio spectrum‐sensing scheme (ADRSS), is proposed for cognitive radio networks. In ADRSS, each secondary user (SU) is equipped with a dual radio. During the data transmission, with the received signal‐to‐noise ratio of primary user (PU) signal, the SU transmitter (SUT) and the SU receiver (SUR) are selected adaptively to sense one channel by one radio while communicating with each other by the other one. The sensing results of the SUR are sent to the SUT through feedback channels (e.g., ACK). After that, with the sensing results from the SUT or the SUR, the SUT can decide whether the channel switching should be carried out. The theoretical analysis and simulation results indicate that the normalized channel efficiency, defined as the expected ratio of time duration without interference to PUs in data transmission to the whole frame length, can be improved while satisfying the interference constraint to PUs. After that, an enhanced ADRSS is designed by integrating ADRSS with cooperative spectrum sensing, and the performance of ADRSS under imperfect feedback channel is also discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Feedback,Crosstalk and Competition: Ingredients for Emergent Non-Linear Behaviour in the PI3K/mTOR Signalling Network

The PI3K/mTOR signalling pathway plays a central role in the governing of cell growth, survival and metabolism. As such, it must integrate and decode information from both external and internal sources to guide efficient decision-making by the cell. To facilitate this, the pathway has evolved an intricate web of complex regulatory mechanisms and elaborate crosstalk with neighbouring signalling pathways, making it a highly non-linear system. Here, we describe the mechanistic biological details that underpin these regulatory mechanisms, covering a multitude of negative and positive feedback loops, feed-forward loops, competing protein interactions, and crosstalk with major signalling pathways. Further, we highlight the non-linear and dynamic network behaviours that arise from these regulations, uncovered through computational and experimental studies. Given the pivotal role of the PI3K/mTOR network in cellular homeostasis and its frequent dysregulation in pathologies including cancer and diabetes, a coherent and systems-level understanding of the complex regulation and consequential dynamic signalling behaviours within this network is imperative for advancing biology and development of new therapeutic approaches.     

Highly efficient and versatile one-pot synthesis of substituted thienylidene compounds

A novel, efficient, and very mild one-pot synthesis of methyl 2-[(Z)-4-aryl-5-morpholino-3-oxo-2,3-dihydrothiophen-2-ylidene]acetate derivatives under kinetic control has been developed. The title compounds were prepared by the reaction of thioacetomorpholides with dimethyl acetylene-dicarboxylate (DMAD) in the presence of K₂CO₃ in a non-polar solvent with excellent yields.     

Particle Deposition in Parallel-Plate Reactors: Simultaneous Diffusion and External Forces

Particle deposition resulting from uniform external forces and Brownian motion is modeled in a parallel-plate reactor geometry characteristic of a wide range of semiconductor process tools: uniform, isothermal, downward flow exiting a perforated-plate showerhead separated by a small gap from a parallel, circular wafer. Particle transport is modeled using a Eulerian approach neglecting particle inertia and interception. Particles are assumed to originate in a planar trap located between the plates, such as would result for particles released from a plasma-induced particle trap after plasma extinction. Flow between infinite parallel plates is described by an analytic quasi-one-dimensional creeping flow approximation, where the showerhead is treated as a porous plate. An analytic, integral expression for particle collection efficiency (fraction of particles that end up on the wafer) is derived as a function of four dimensionless parameters: the flow Reynolds number, a dimensionless trap height, a dimensionless particle drift velocity, and the particle Peclet number. Numerical quadrature is used to calculate particle collection efficiency in terms of the controlling dimensionless parameters for external forces, which either enhance or inhibit particle deposition. Example calculations of collection efficiency are also presented in dimensional terms for a representative set of process conditions. Strategies to reduce particle deposition include the use of a protective external force and manipulation of the trap to keep it as far from the wafer as possible.     

Tests in the fan plot for robust, diagnostic transformations in regression

The fan plot of the score statistic for transformation during the forward search is a powerful tool for detecting masked outliers that indicate an incorrect transformation. We use simulation to investigate the distribution of this statistic during the search. Data structures where the normal approximation is, and is not, satisfactory are characterised.     

High temperature processing of ferroelectric thin films using interconnect wafer technology

Abstract

There is interest in ferroelectric thin films for uncooled IR detector applications. Currently the processing of these devices takes a fully integrated approach where the thin films are deposited directly onto underlying CMOS readout circuitry, thereby imposing severe limits on the thermal budget available for the crystallisation of the ferroelectric material. This is incommensurate with obtaining the best ferroelectric properties from materials such as lead scandium tantalate (PST) which requires elevated temperature processing to attain the highest merit figures for IR detection. In this paper thin film PST processed within the CMOS survivability envelope will be compared to that processed at temperatures up to 850°C. A novel interconnect wafer technology will be outlined which enables processing to be extended to such temperatures. It will be shown that elevated temperature processing of the PST film can result in dramatic improvement of the materials merit figure for IR detection