The influence of the ion content of whey on the pH-activity profile of the β-galactosidase from Aspergillus oryzae

The pH-dependence of the reaction kinetics of lactase (β-galactosidase) from Aspergillus oryzae in different reaction media is presented in terms of a two-parameter model. The lactase from A. oryzae seems to have replaced the A. niger lactase on the market owing to a better activity/price ratio and may be utilised for lactose hydrolysis in acid as well as in neutral milk products. Its pH optimum is around pH 4.5. However, in the neutral pH-range its activity depended strongly on the salt content of the substrate solution. For example, its activity in whey (pH 6.5) fell to only 30% of its expected activity in a pure lactose solution at the same pH. The whey effect was the same for both soluble and immobilised lactase. The two parameter kinetic model, which included a term for competitive product inhibition gave excellent agreement with experimental data, and may thus be useful for the prediction of reactor performance with this enzyme.     

Algorithm for finding all k nearest neighbors

A very simple algorithm for computing all k nearest neighbors in 2-D is presented. The method does not rely on complicated forms of tessellation, it only requires simple data binning for fast range searching. Its applications range from scattered data interpolation to reverse engineering.     

Use of pooled time series in the study of naturally occurring clinical events and problem behavior in a foster care setting.

Pooled time series is an underused analytic technique with the potential to increase researchers' ability to exploit clinical data. This article demonstrates the value of pooled time series by analyzing the behavior of youths in a specialized foster care treatment setting in response to a naturally occurring clinical event: changes in the number of youths living together in a treatment foster care setting. Pooled time series moves beyond typical clinical analyses with an increased capability of controlling statistically for complex within-S effects and with a clinically useful measure of effect size. The complexity of the intra-S data made it virtually impossible to determine the relevant significance (i.e., clinical meaning) of the clinical event by the use of standard n?=?1 visual analysis procedures or standard statistical methods (e.g., chi square). After things such as autocorrelation and individual time trends were statistically controlled, each additional youth increased the number of problematic behaviors by one behavior per youth per day on the Parent Daily Report. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Executive and managerial assessment: Value for the money?

Highlights key considerations that should be addressed by consulting psychologists to demonstrate the value of assessment services that they provide to clients. Executive and managerial assessment (EMA) is done in a variety of contexts, at multiple levels, and for multiple purposes. In order to demonstrate the value of EMA, it is suggested that consultants present a 2-part framework of evidence to decision makers. First, they should present the results of utility analysis, using the very best parameter estimates available. Second, they should present a detailed linkage of essential job tasks to required knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs). Then, KSAOs should be linked to instruments of prediction back to essential job tasks. Value is therefore demonstrated in 2 ways: in financial terms as well as by presenting construct-oriented evidence of validity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An unjustified, sweeping indictment by Motta et al. of human figure drawings for assessing psychological functioning.

Comments on R. W. Motta et al's (see record 1994-04005-001) conclusion that the use of human figure drawings (HFDs) in psychological testing is invalid. Motta et al completely ignore strong positive evidence that narrowly prescribed uses of HFD are valid for assessing certain aspects of personality and intellectual functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integrity tests: Facts and unresolved issues.

Describes 2 independent reports, recently completed by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the US Congress Office of Technology Assessment, that examined many scientific and measurement issues concerning integrity testing (e.g., validity, criterion relevance). Background data are offered on a variety of tests collected by a survey of test publishers, providing a view of the industry's scope (e.g., test audience, user screening, score reporting) not available elsewhere. In the light of APA's Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct (APA, 1992), unresolved concerns are addressed that have a wide range of implications for the profession of psychology, the testing industry, and public policy (e.g., cutting scores, user screening and training, and test marketing practices). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on Finley's "Critique of rational-emotive philosophy."

Reply to Finley's (1987; see record 1988-00015-001) critique of rational-emotive philosophy, which claims that Ellis's (1981) response to Sharkey's (1981) criticisms of rational-emotive psychology reveals logical and philosophical confusion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prediction of foam growth and its nucleation in free and limited expansion

The influence volume approach (IVA) is often utilized for modeling the mass transfer process dictating bubble growth dynamics in physical foaming. However, the assumed concentration profile in the IVA method is only valid when the changes in dissolved gas concentration are small (less than 5%). In addition, the validity of the IVA method is difficult to justify in chemical foaming applications because of the difficulties involved in defining the dissolved gas concentration profile.In the present work, we define two distinct stages of bubble growth for physical foaming. These two stages are termed as free and limited expansion and are controlled by the bubble nucleation rate. Bubble nucleation is assumed to occur only in the free expansion stage. In this stage, the bubble pressure drops substantially from an initially high pressure in the supersaturated state while the dissolved gas concentration changes very little. The second stage of our two-stage mass transfer model is termed the limited expansion stage and accounts for bubble growth in the late stages of foam evolution, when the pressure changes become small. However, in the limited stage of bubble growth the dissolved gas concentration drops significantly, as the available dissolved gas is depleted. To summarize our two-stage mass transfer model of foam expansion, the pressure difference between the bubble phase and the liquid phase is the primary mechanism for driving mass transfer in the early (free) stages of foam growth and the concentration difference is the driver for bubble growth in the late (limited) stages of growth. The first stage can be regarded as the nucleation stage and it is relatively short; while the second stage can be regarded as the bubble growth stage and is much longer. Most of the bubble volume expansion takes place in the second stage.The concentration gradient at the bubble edge, which is often ignored in other models, is analyzed in detail in this paper. The details of our novel mass transfer model are also presented.     

The emulsifying properties of a polysaccharide isolated from the fruit of Cordia abyssinica

Polysaccharide was isolated from Cordia abyssinica and its effect, at differing concentrations, on its emulsifying ability was determined. Emulsions of vegetable oil containing up to 1% of the polysaccharide in phosphate pH 7.4 buffer, were prepared by using a hand piston homogenizer. Emulsification was assessed by diluting samples of the emulsions in sodium dodecyl sulphate and measuring absorbance at 500 nm. Addition of increasing concentrations of the polysaccharide up to 1% enhanced emulsification and emulsion stability. Above 1% concentration the polysaccharide solutions were too viscous for making emulsions conveniently. At a constant concentration of the polysaccharide, addition of up to a 1% concentration of salt enhanced emulsion formation. Further addition of salt above 1% resulted in no further changes in emulsifying ability, but the stability of the emulsions formed decreased on increasing the concentration of salt above 1%. The effect of pH on emulsifying ability was investigated by preparing emulsions using buffers of different pH, from pH 3 to pH 13. The polysaccharide had poor emulsifying ability below pH 7. Emulsifying ability increased with pH between pH 7 and 11. At pH above 11 there was a decrease in emulsifying ability.