Application of two immunochromatographic test kits to screening of four kinds of allergic substances in imported foods

We tested for four kinds of allergic substances (egg, milk, wheat and peanuts) in 52 imported processed foods using immunochromatographic test kits (ITK). ELISA was also employed to confirm the effectiveness of the ITK. Among 92 data from 23 samples, allergic substances were detected in 9 cases with one kind of ITK, but not with the ELISA test. Among 116 data from 29 samples, 6 were negative with one kind of ITK and but positive with the other ITK. These results suggested that these 4 kinds of allergic substances in imported foods can be detected by using a double-check method with two kinds of ITK.     

Relationship between Pectic Substances and Strand Separation of Cooked Spaghetti Squash--Part 2. Changes in Firmness,Histological Structure and Pectic Substances during Soaking in Pectin Extractants

The flesh of spaghetti squash separates into strands when cooked. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the cause of strand separation （during cooking） by soaking for 24 h at 35 ℃ in solutions with three kinds of pectin extractant. The changes in strand separation, firmness, histological structure and the pectin of flesh during soaking in 0.01 N HCI solution （pH 2.0）, 0.035 M ammonium oxalate solution （pH 4.0） or 2% sodium hexametaphosphate solution （pH 4.0） were investigated. When flesh was soaked in the HCI solution, the separation into strands and removal of calcium and magnesium were greater than that soaked in other pectin extractants. High methoxyl pectin was extracted by soaking in HC1 solution （pH 2.0） due to removal of polyvalent cations. This result shows that high methoxyl pectin glues strands together in the flesh of spaghetti squash. The shape of the cells which constituted strands was round; on the other hand, that of cells surrounded strands was elongated. When cooked in boiling water or soaked at pH 2.0, the shape of the former cells was maintained, but the latter cells, which contributed to adhesion between strands, broke down. Thus, the flesh separated into strands. When flesh was boiled for 15-30 min, pectin degraded and dissolved in the cooking solution; consequently, the flesh separated into strands and also the middle lamella of cell walls of strands separated. However, pectin remaining in strands maintained their crispness.     

基于应变局部化的双裂纹岩样贯通模式及强度试验研究

含裂隙岩体在外力作用下,内部裂纹会发生扩展,这会显著影响强度以及损伤特性。基于前期验证可靠的DIC系统,对含双裂纹的类岩石材料进行单轴压缩试验,捕获全过程的应变场演化云图以及岩桥区域应变局部化过程,研究发现:岩样呈现出显著的变形局部化渐进破坏特性;试验初期形成的应变局部化带基本确定了加载全程全局应变场的变化范围与变化趋势;基于试验研究,双裂纹岩样的贯通破坏模式可归总为4类:岩桥不贯通模式、裂纹内尖端贯通模式、裂纹内外尖端贯通模式以及裂纹外尖端贯通模式;岩桥角度及其空间排布在细观上影响了应变场局部化带的演化过程,宏观上决定了裂纹的扩展路径及岩样的破坏模式;岩桥贯通时应变局部化带的融合造成了应力–应变曲线的"峰前波动",使得岩样强度降低,并且融合越慢岩样强度越高。     

EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND ORAL PERCEPTION ON TRANSIT SPEED AND PASSING TIME OF SEMILIQUID FOODS FROM THE MID-PHARYNX TO THE HYPOPHARYNX

The results of two sensory analyses, using healthy young individuals as assessors and semiliquid foods with markedly different physical properties as samples, were compared. One analysis required the assessors to perceive the food texture by oral perception alone and to use it as a basis for predicting the ease of swallowing of the bolus samples (i. e., the mobility of the samples through the pharynx) without actually swallowing the samples. The other analysis required the assessors to evaluate the mobility of the bolus samples through the pharynx, by actually swallowing them. Comparison of the results implied that human beings predict how easy it is to swallow a bolus (i. e., the mobility of the bolus through the pharynx) by perceiving in the oral cavity the texture of the food. Examinations were also made on the relationship between the evaluation of mobility of the bolus through the pharynx obtained by sensory analyses, and the transit speed and passing time of the bolus samples obtained by videomanofluorography. It was recognized that the front end speed was fast for semiliquid food samples that were soft and easy to swallow (and therefore easy to move through the pharynx), whereas the front end speed was slow for semiliquid food samples that were hard and difficult to swallow (and therefore perceived as being difficult to move through the pharynx.) These findings suggest that human beings' perception of the ease of swallowing of semiliquid food is closely related to the front end speed of the bolus. No significant difference was found among samples, either in the tail end speed of the bolus samples, or in the passing time from the front end to the tail end of the bolus samples. These results imply that, through some kind of swallowing efforts, healthy individuals are controlling the passing time through the pharynx of boluses with markedly diflerent physical properties, so that the time remains constant.     

Effects of nicotine on brain responses to emotional pictures.

Given that nicotine reduces negative affect, one would expect nicotine to have different effects on brain responses to emotionally negative stimuli than it does on responses to emotionally neutral or positive stimuli. However, no studies have assessed this possibility. The present study assessed the effects of nicotine patch versus placebo patch on brain event-related potential (ERP) responses to emotion-inducing negative, positive, and neutral color pictures in 16 smokers in a double-blind, counterbalanced, within-subjects design. The study included four experimental sessions. After overnight smoking deprivation (12 hr or more), active nicotine patches were applied to participants during one of the first two sessions and during one of the last two sessions. Placebo patches were applied during the other two sessions. Nicotine reduced frontal ERP processing voltage negativity (from 144-488 ms poststimulus onset) evoked by viewing emotionally negative pictures to a greater extent than it did when emotionally neutral pictures were viewed, whereas it had no effect on processing negativity evoked by positive pictures. Nicotine also enhanced P390 amplitudes evoked by emotionally negative pictures more than it did when emotionally neutral and positive pictures were viewed. Across picture types, nicotine (relative to placebo) reduced N300 amplitude (more at anterior and dorsal sites) and increased P390 amplitude. Overall, nicotine influenced ERPs to emotionally neutral and positive pictures less than it did to negative pictures.     

Self-Assembling Properties and Recovery Effects on Damaged Skin Cells of Chemically Synthesized Mannosylerythritol Lipids

Mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs), which are one of the representative sugar-based biosurfactants (BSs) produced by microorganisms, have attracted much attention in various fields in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) era. However, they are inseparable mixtures with respect to the chain length of the fatty acids. In this study, self-assembling properties and structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of recovery effects on damaged skin cells using chemically synthesized MELs were investigated. It was revealed, for the first time, that synthetic and homogeneous MELs exhibited significant self-assembling properties to form droplets or giant vesicles. In addition, a small difference in the length of the fatty acid chains of the MELs significantly affected their recovery effects on the damaged skin cells. MELs with medium or longer length alkyl chains exhibited much higher recovery effects than that of C18-ceramide NP.