A Hybrid Dry and Aqueous Fractionation Method to Obtain Protein-Rich Fractions from Quinoa (<Emphasis Type=Italic>Chenopodium quinoa</Emphasis> Willd)

Combination of dry and aqueous fractionation is investigated to obtain protein-rich fractions from quinoa in a milder and more sustainable way compared to conventional wet fractionation. Dry fractionation of quinoa involved milling and subsequent air classification, generating a protein-enriched embryo fraction. Subsequently, this fraction was milled, suspended, and further fractionated by aqueous phase separation. The efficiency of aqueous phase separation could be improved by addition of NaCl (0.5 M). Finally, the top aqueous phase was decanted and ultrafiltered, resulting in a protein purity of 59.4 w/dw% for the 0.5 M NaCl-protein solution and a protein yield (gram protein obtained/gram protein in seed) of 62.0 %. Having used 98 % less water compared to conventional wet extraction, the hybrid dry and aqueous fractionation is a promising method for industry to create value from quinoa in a more economic and sustainable friendly way while minimizing the impact on quinoa’s native protein functionality.     

Source truncation and exhaustion: insights from quantitative in situ TEM tensile testing

A unique method for quantitative in situ nanotensile testing in a transmission electron microscope employing focused ion beam fabricated specimens was developed. Experiments were performed on copper samples with minimum dimensions in the 100-200 nm regime oriented for either single slip or multiple slip, respectively. We observe that both frequently discussed mechanisms, truncation of spiral dislocation sources and exhaustion of defects available within the specimen, contribute to high strengths and related size-effects in small volumes. This suggests that in the submicrometer range these mechanisms should be considered simultaneously rather than exclusively.     

Biofeedback/relaxation training and exercise interventions for fibromyalgia: a prospective trial

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of biofeedback/relaxation, exercise, and a combined program for the treatment of fibromyalgia. METHODS: Subjects (n = 119) were randomly assigned to one of 4 groups: 1) biofeedback/relaxation training, 2) exercise training, 3) a combination treatment, or 4) an educational/attention control program. RESULTS: All 3 treatment groups produced improvements in self-efficacy for function relative to the control condition. In addition, all treatment groups were significantly different from the control group on tender point index scores, reflecting a modest deterioration by the attention control group rather than improvements by the treatment groups. The exercise and combination groups also resulted in modest improvements on a physical activity measure. The combination group best maintained benefits across the 2-year period. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that these 3 treatment interventions result in improved self-efficacy for physical function which was best maintained by the combination group.     

Uncovering a calcium-regulated membrane-binding mechanism for soybean lipoxygenase-1

Lipoxygenases catalyze the biosynthesis of leukotrienes, lipoxins, and other lipid-derived mediators that are involved in a wide variety of pathophysiological processes, including inflammation, allergy, and tumorigenesis. Mammalian lipoxygenases are activated by a calcium-mediated translocation to intracellular membranes upon cell stimulation, and cooperate with cytosolic phospholipase A2 at the membrane surface to generate eicosanoids. Although it has been documented that plant cell stimulation increases intracellular Ca2+ concentration and activates cytosolic phospholipase A2, followed by lipoxygenase-catalyzed conversion of the liberated linolenic acid to jasmonic acid, no evidence is available for Ca2+-regulated membrane binding and activity of plant lipoxygenases. Plant lipoxygenases, unlike their mammalian counterparts, are believed to function independently of calcium or membranes. Here we present spectroscopic evidence for a calcium-regulated membrane-binding mechanism of soybean lipoxygenase-1 (L-1). Both calcium and membrane binding affect the structure and the mode of action of L-1. Free L-1 in solution is less accessible to the polar solvent and converts linoleic acid to conjugated dienes, whereas surface binding increases solvent accessibility and stimulates conjugated ketodiene production. Calcium exerts a biphasic effect on the structure and activity of L-1. Our results uncover a new regulatory mechanism for plant lipoxygenases and delineate common features in animal and plant cell signaling pathways.     

Binder distribution in Si3N4 ceramic green bodies studied by stray-field NMR imaging

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging is an emerging technology which provides a unique material-diagnostic technique by in situ internal mapping. It can provide information not only on material distribution, but also on the chemical and physical characteristics of materials. However, due to the nuclear dipole dipole interaction in solid state materials, NMR spectroscopic signals are normally very broad. NMR imaging based on these unresolved broad lines is extremely difficult, and resolution is poor. The binder distribution was studied in ceramic green bodies with a stray-field NMR imaging facility at a proton frequency of 163 MHz near the edge of a 9.394 T superconducting magnet. The ¹H nuclear spin echo signal from silicon nitride green bodies containing 10 wt% of either polyethylene glycol or polyvinyl alcohol as a binder was detected at 163 MHz. NMR images show a good homogeneity of the binder distribution in the cross-sections of the samples. Overall results show that the distribution of polyethylene glycol in Si₃N₄ green bodies is more homogeneous than that of polyvinyl alcohol under similar processing parameters. NMR spectroscopic results also indicate a higher moisture content in the green bodies containing a polyvinyl alcohol binder.     

Lessons Learned from Failures of the Building Envelope in Windstorms

Lessons learned from failures of the building envelope in windstorms are encapsulated in three principal findings. The building envelope is crucial to the performance of buildings in windstorms. Windborne debris is decisive in shaping the performance of the building envelope. Design attention should be given to postimpact behavior of building-envelope systems. Reviews of damage documentation, insurance records, and computer simulations of building failures establish the importance of the building envelope to satisfactory building performance. These reviews also establish the decisive role of windborne debris in causing damage. The imperative for considering the postimpact behavior of building envelope systems is discussed, and innovative glazing products that meet new design criteria are presented. It is concluded that the building envelope should be given status equal to the principal structural frame in terms of design attention.     

Coordinated Kinematic Control of Compliantly Coupled Multirobot Systems in an Array Format

This paper presents coordinated kinematic control of compliantly coupled multirobot systems for payload transportation. In the robot, unicycle-type axles are connected to a moving platform in an array format using compliant frames. A coordinate system is attached to an ideal center point on the platform to establish robot kinematics. In order to drive the system along a reference trajectory, we coordinate axle velocity commands, while considering frame compliance, nonholonomic constraints, and rigid body kinematics, respectively. These commands are further coordinated to consider configuration stability and physical limitations. Simulation and experimental results evaluate the coordination algorithms for various trajectories.      

Escape deficits following inescapable shock: The role of contextual odor.

Three experiments, with 192 male albino rats, examined the role of contextual odor in mediating deficits in escape performance produced by pretreatment with inescapable shock. Impaired leverpress performance (Exp I) and shuttle-escape performance (Exp II) were observed when the pretreatment and test chambers were odorized by previously shocked conspecifics. These deficits were eliminated in both experiments when the test chambers were thoroughly cleaned. Exp III determined whether the same odor must be present during pretreatment and testing, or whether mere exposure to a fear pheromone is sufficient to impair test performance. Shuttle escape was impaired only when the same odor was present in the pretreatment and test chambers. Results indicate that an odor common to the pretreatment and test chambers mediates impaired escape performance and suggests that other types of deficits observed following inescapable shock may also be mediated by such contextual cues. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Smell Identification Test as a Measure of Olfactory Identification Ability in Schizophrenia and Healthy Populations: A Rasch Psychometric Study.

This study examines University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT; R. L. Doty, 1995) performance in 133 controls and 54 chronic, medicated outpatients with schizophrenia (SZ) using item-response theory modeling. Results show that UPSIT items contribute to 1 factor, cover a range of 8 standard errors of measurement, and articulate 3 ability levels. Although it is not difficult enough to discriminate among persons of above-average ability, the test has diagnostic utility in detecting moderate impairment. Independent of item difficulty, 13 items differentiate patients from controls. When 45 patients and 45 controls were matched on gender and age, patient accuracy remained significantly reduced. The findings support the test's utility and demonstrate how traditional data analysis is insensitive to complexities in test performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Experimental evaluation of binary codes for console display.

"Three binary code schemas were evaluated experimentally in terms of operator coding performance. One of the three code schemas was to be selected for use on a data processing system console display. The criterion for the code evaluation was the operator efficiency measured in terms of speed and accuracy of coding console problems. An independent group of subjects was assigned to each of the three code conditions. One of the three code schemas facilitated a significant time saving of 20-25% as compared to the remaining two code schemas. There were no differences in rate of error between the three code conditions." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)