Fermentation optimization for a probiotic local northeastern Indian rice beer and application to local cassava and plantain beer production

Response surface methodology was employed to determine the optimal conditions of time and temperature for the fermentation of a local North East Indian rice beer. The same conditions were then applied to prepare local beers from cassava (Manihot esculanta) and plantain (Musa ABB). Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus oryzae and Lactobacillus plantarum were used to carry out the fermentation process. Thirteen experimental runs, based on a two‐factor five‐level design were carried out according to a central composite rotatable design. The independent variables were fermentation time (24–216 h) and temperature (25–40°C). The responses studied were content of protein, alcohol, total polyphenols, reducing sugars as well as titratable acidity and L. plantarum count. Numerical optimization predicted that a fermentation period of 143 h at a temperature of 33°C would result in a desirable rice beer, with response values of protein content OF 0.77%, alcohol content OF 6.99%, L. plantarum count of 7.08 log CFU mL^?1, polyphenol content of 34.46 mg/100 g, reducing sugars of 2.39% and a titratable acidity of 0.34%. Cassava and plantain beers were prepared using the optimized parameters of the rice beer experiments and the resultant beers exhibited the desired chemical parameters, suggesting applicability of the conditions to preparing these types of local beers from a wider range of substrates. Copyright © 2015 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

Preparation of poly[dl-lactide-co-glycolide]-based microspheres containing protein by use of amphiphilic diblock copolymers of depsipeptide and lactide having ionic pendant groups as biodegradable surfactants by W/O/W emulsion method

To develop the preparative method for poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide)-based microspheres containing proteins, we prepared microspheres from mixture of poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide) and polydepsipeptide-block-poly(dl-lactide) having cationic or anionic pendant groups. Since the latter amphiphilic copolymers consisting of hydrophobic poly(dl-lactide) segment and hydrophilic polydepsipeptide segment with amino or carboxyl groups could be converted to cationic or anionic block copolymers, they could act as biodegradable surfactants on the preparation of poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide)-based microspheres by water-in-oil-in-water emulsion method. The amphiphilic block copolymers were established to stabilize primary emulsions on the preparation of microspheres by scanning electron microscopy. We investigated the effects of the addition of the block copolymers on the entrapment efficiency of protein, the release behavior of protein from microspheres and the stability of protein.     

Study of reactivity control method by the application of gadolinium hydride to accelerator-driven system

A reactivity control method for accelerator-driven system (ADS) is studied for its ability to reduce both the maximum beam current and the load on the beam window. A burnable position (BP) assembly (with gadolinium and zirconium hydride pins) is applied to the ADS core for reactivity control, and various BP assembly optimizations (such as pin arrangement, BP assembly loading position, and BP composition) are performed to minimize the burnup reactivity swing. These optimizations lead to a decreased burnup reactivity swing that is as much as 82.5% less than the swing of non-BP-loaded core; furthermore, the maximum beam current is 12.5 mA. The reactor characteristics of the optimized BP-loaded ADS core are also analyzed to investigate how the introduction of BP assembly influences the system. Safety parameters (such as the Doppler coefficient and the coolant void reactivity) worsen with the introduction of BP assembly, and the total minor actinide transmutation amount decreases 30–40 kg because of the moderated neutrons and changed fuel composition.     

Development of SF6 Gas‐Insulated Disconnecting Switch with Spiral Electrodes Using Motor Operating Mechanism

Gas‐insulated switchgear (GIS) requires reliability and economic efficiency. Circuit breakers, disconnecting switches (DS), and earthing switches have been designed to be more compact. DS requires performance in terms of insulation and current interruption. The bus‐transfer current is the highest among all current interruption requirements for the DS. To develop an alternating current DS driven at a lower speed, it is necessary to reduce the electrode damage. This paper describes the fundamental characteristics of current interruption in a magnetically driven arc using a spiral electrode. Since the arc is rotated by magnetically driven force, the arcing time in the spiral electrode is shortened to about one‐third compared with that of a plain breaker electrode. The DS using a magnetically driven arc was confirmed to comply with the bus‐transfer current switching requirements in the JEC standard. Moreover, a physical model of the magnetic driven arc was constructed, and the behavior of the arc was evaluated quantitatively. As a result, performance of current interruption could be predicted. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 179(3): 31–39, 2012; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.21147     

On the sliding and profile of a liquid droplet on a rotating disk

This theoretical and experimental study was conducted to investigate the critical condition at which a liquid droplet starts to move on a rotating disk. The critical rotational speed ω was theoretically calculated based on the force balance between the surface tension and the centrifugal force, where ω was experimentally measured for each combination between three kinds of test plates and test liquids. The movements of droplets were judged from the careful observation of infinitesimal motion of the three‐phase contact line. The calculated rotational speeds agreed well with measured ones for arbitrary contact angle when the droplets were set on the plate. The three‐dimensional surface profiles of droplets were calculated from the approximate Laplace equation in which the contact line was assumed as the combination of two ellipses with different ratio of measure to minor axis. The measured profiles on the rotating disk were approximated well by the method proposed in this study. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/htj.20276     

O-Glycan-Dependent Interaction between MUC1 Glycopeptide and MY.1E12 Antibody by NMR,Molecular Dynamics and Docking Simulations

Anti-mucin1 (MUC1) antibodies have been widely used for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. This is based on the fact that MUC1 undergoes aberrant glycosylation upon cancer progression, and anti-MUC1 antibodies differentiate changes in glycan structure. MY.1E12 is a promising anti-MUC1 antibody with a distinct specificity toward MUC1 modified with an immature O-glycan (NeuAcα(2-3)Galβ(1-3)GalNAc) on a specific Thr. However, the structural basis for the interaction between MY.1E12 and MUC1 remains unclear. The aim of this study is to elucidate the mode of interaction between MY.1E12 and MUC1 O-glycopeptide by NMR, molecular dynamics (MD) and docking simulations. NMR titration using MUC1 O-glycopeptides suggests that the epitope is located within the O-linked glycan and near the O-glycosylation site. MD simulations of MUC1 glycopeptide showed that the O-glycosylation significantly limits the flexibility of the peptide backbone and side chain of the O-glycosylated Thr. Docking simulations using modeled MY.1E12 Fv and MUC1 O-glycopeptide, suggest that V_H mainly contributes to the recognition of the MUC1 peptide portion while V_L mainly binds to the O-glycan part. The V_H/V_L-shared recognition mode of this antibody may be used as a template for the rational design and development of anti-glycopeptide antibodies.