Effect of dry‐salt processing on the textural properties and cell wall polysaccharides of cv. Thasos black olives

BACKGROUND: Thasos is an olive variety cultivated mainly in Greece used to produce ‘naturally black dry‐salted olives’. This process consists in placing the olives in disposed layers with coarse sodium chloride. The loss of water and other solutes gradually debitters and wrinkles the fruits. In this study, the effect of dry‐salt processing on the texture and cell wall polysaccharide composition was investigated. RESULTS: This type of processing affected primarily the mechanical properties of the olive flesh. In processed olives, this tissue was approximately 4.5 times stronger and also more deformable up to failure and stiffer than that from the raw olives. The dry‐salt processing had its strongest effect on pectic polysaccharides. This included the increment of solubilization of arabinose‐rich polymers in aqueous solutions, and thus their partial loss to the soak medium during dry‐salting. Contrarily, galacturonic acid‐rich polymers were further retained in the processed olives, probably by their stabilization within the cell walls by reduction of the electrostatic repulsion between the acidic groups of these polysaccharides due to sodium ions. CONCLUSION: The texture improvement of olive flesh by dry‐salt processing seems to be correlated with the reorganization of the galacturonic acid‐rich pectic polysaccharides into the cell wall of the fruit. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

A signal-detection theory based perspective on design of warning

The effects of warnings are analyzed using a distributed signal-detection theory model. It is established that selectivity always increases effectiveness. The implications to optimal warning design for intermittent versus continuous hazards are discussed. The changes in the behavior of the 6 human subjects in response to changes in the warning levels are consistent with the predictions of the model.     

Prostaglandins suppress an outward potassium current in embryonic rat sensory neurons

One of the challenges in understanding ciliary and flagellar motility is determining the mechanisms that locally regulate dynein-driven microtubule sliding. Our recent studies demonstrated that microtubule sliding, in Chlamydomonas flagella, is regulated by phosphorylation. However, the regulatory proteins remain unknown. Here we identify the 138-kD intermediate chain of inner arm dynein I1 as the critical phosphoprotein required for regulation of motility. This conclusion is founded on the results of three different experimental approaches. First, genetic analysis and functional assays revealed that regulation of microtubule sliding, by phosphorylation, requires inner arm dynein I1. Second, in vitro phosphorylation indicated the 138-kD intermediate chain of I1 is the only phosphorylated subunit. Third, in vitro reconstitution demonstrated that phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of the 138-kD intermediate chain inhibits and restores wild-type microtubule sliding, respectively. We conclude that change in phosphorylation of the 138-kD intermediate chain of I1 regulates dynein-driven microtubule sliding. Moreover, based on these and other data, we predict that regulation of I1 activity is involved in modulation of flagellar waveform.     

Study of the vertical transport in <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-doped superlattices based on group III-V semiconductors

The electrical conductivity σ has been calculated for p-doped GaAs/Al_0.3Ga_0.7As and cubic GaN/Al_0.3Ga_0.7N thin superlattices (SLs). The calculations are done within a self-consistent approach to the theory by means of a full six-band Luttinger-Kohn Hamiltonian, together with the Poisson equation in a plane wave representation, including exchange correlation effects within the local density approximation. It was also assumed that transport in the SL occurs through extended minibands states for each carrier, and the conductivity is calculated at zero temperature and in low-field ohmic limits by the quasi-chemical Boltzmann kinetic equation. It was shown that the particular minibands structure of the p-doped SLs leads to a plateau-like behavior in the conductivity as a function of the donor concentration and/or the Fermi level energy. In addition, it is shown that the Coulomb and exchange-correlation effects play an important role in these systems, since they determine the bending potential.     

A new class of organosilane-modified polycarboxylate superplasticizers with low sulfate sensitivity

It is well-established that a competitive adsorption exists between polycarboxylate superplasticizers (SP) and sulfate ions solubilized in the interstitial solution of cement paste, which may cause a loss of the dispersing properties. This has been explained by competitive weak ionic interactions between functional carboxyl groups and sulfate ions with cement grains. In this study, SPs including trialkoxysilane functional groups have been synthesized. Adsorption and dispersing properties of these SPs were evaluated in the presence of different concentrations of Na₂SO₄ added in aqueous solution. It appeared that a partial substitution of carboxyl groups by trialkoxysilane in the polymer makes them more resistant to sulfate ions. We suggested that the high adsorption capacity of these SPs results from the formation of strong bonds between hydroxysilane groups and calcium silicate hydrate phases. The improved compatibility of these new silylated SPs has been demonstrated through the formulation of two different concrete equivalent mortars.     

Polymerization Catalysis in Liquid Propylene: High Activities and Molecular Weights in Propylene/CO Copolymerization Reactions

Summary: The dicationic [(dppp)Pd(NCCH₃)₂](BF₄)₂ catalyst (dppp = 1,3‐bis(diphenylphosphino)propane) was applied in a liquid monomer, two phase process for the CO/propene copolymerization reaction. For the first time it was possible to synthesize propene/CO copolymers with an activity up to 7 500 g/(mol · h) and molecular weights of 500 000 g/mol. Activities up to 40 000 g/(mol · h) could be obtained with the use of the unsymmetric catalyst [(CF₃‐dppp)Pd(NCCH₃)](BF₄)₂ (CF₃‐dppp = 1‐diphenylphosphino‐3‐bis[3,5‐di(trifluormethyl)phenyl]phosphinopropane) in homogeneous liquid propene solution.

Granules found after copolymerization.     

Effect of processing parameters on the morphology development during extrusion of polyethylene tape: An in-line small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) study

The in-line development of crystalline morphology and orientation during melt extrusion of low density polyethylene (LDPE) tape at nil and low haul-off speeds has been investigated using Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS). The processing parameters, namely haul-off speed and distance down the tape-line have been varied and the resulting crystalline morphology is described from detailed analysis of the SAXS data. Increasing haul-off speed increased orientation in the polymer tape and the resulting morphology could be described in terms of regular lamellar stacking perpendicular to the elongation direction. In contrast, under nil haul-off conditions the tape still showed some orientation down the tape-line, but a shish-kebab structure prevails. The final lamellae thickness ( ∼50 Å) and bulk crystallinity (∼20%), were low at, for all processing conditions investigated, which is attributed to the significant short-chain branching in the polymer acting as point defects limiting lamellae crystal growth.