Thin layer and anion exchange chromatography of soybean saponins

Twenty-two solvent systems were evaluated for TLC of soybean saponins on silica gel. A maximum of four fractions separated by single development with the different solvents. Six successive developments with chloroformmethanol-water (65:25:4) separated soybean saponins into 10 or more fractions. Column chromatography of soybean saponins on an anion exchange resin with a linear gradient of acetic acid yielded seven fractions. Multiple development TLC of the saponins separated by column chromatography showed that a definite fractionation occurred. Several column chromatographic fractions contained components with identical TLC R_f values, but the components were clearly different on the basis of colors detected with sulfuric acid and on the basis of their elution positions from the ion exchange resin. Soybean saponins are more complex mixtures than previously recognized but can be fractionated by chromatography on thin layer plates and anion exchange resins. No. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Effective dissemination of energy-related information: Applying social psychology and evaluation research.

Reviews deficiencies in energy information programs that are based on the rational–economic model to change individual-level behaviors. Literature from social psychology, environmental psychology, evaluation research, and innovation diffusion is used to address 2 needs. The 1st is the need to supplement the rational–economic model with social and behavioral theories to understand the problem. The 2nd is the need to use some of the tools from these fields to make energy information-dissemination programs more effective at the individual level. Government agencies commonly seek to change public behavior using informational energy programs; however, program designs rarely take into account psychological theories about how people perceive or use the information. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Path-Based Multicast Communication in Wormhole-Routed Unidirectional Torus Networks

This paper addresses the problem of one-to-many, or multicast, communication in wormhole-routed,n-dimensional torus networks. The proposed methods are designed for systems that support intermediate reception, which permits multidestination messages to be pipelined through several nodes, depositing a copy at each node. A key issue in the design of such systems is the routing function, which must support both unicast and multicast traffic while preventing deadlock among messages. An efficient, deadlock-free routing function is developed and used as a basis for a family of multicast algorithms. TheS-torusmulticast algorithm uses a single multidestination message to perform an arbitrary multicast operation. TheM-torusalgorithm is a generalized multiphase multicast algorithm, in which a combination of multidestination messages is used to perform a multicast in one or more communication steps. Two specific instances of the M-torus algorithm, theM_d-torusandM_u-torusmulticast algorithms, are presented. These algorithms produce contention-free multicast operations and are deadlock-free under all combinations of network traffic. A simulation study compares the performance of the different multicast algorithms, and implementation issues are discussed. The results of this research are applicable to the design of architectures for both wormhole-routed massively parallel computers and high-speed local area networks with wormhole-routed switch fabrics.     

Minerals,phytic acid,tannin and rutin in buckwheat seed milling fractions

The composition of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) seed milling fractions depends upon the relative abundance of various seed tissues in each. Fancy (light) flour contains mainly central endosperm, while the bran milling fraction has seed coat and some embryo tissues. Phytate, found in protein bodies of embryo and aleurone cells, is the major storage form of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and some microelements in seeds. Phytic acid (35–38 g kg^?1) and minerals are concentrated in bran, a milling fraction with high concentrations of phytate‐rich tissues. Polyphenolics, including condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins), are also concentrated in bran (11–15 g kg^?1). Rutin is concentrated in the hull of common buckwheat (0.8–4.4 g kg^?1). Rutin concentration is low (0.2–0.3 g kg^?1) in groats of common buckwheat but higher (0.7–0.8 g kg^?1) in bran containing hull fragments. Rutin is 300‐fold more concentrated (81 g kg^?1) in groats of tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L) Gaertn) than in groats of common buckwheat. Only small amounts of quercetin were detected. Bran is a concentrated source of phytic acid and tannins, a consideration in consumption of large amounts of buckwheat bran for nutritional or medicinal purposes. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Visual tracking: IV. Interrelations of target speed and aided-tracking ratio in defining tracing accuracy.

To investigate the effect of variation in tracking speed and aided-tracking time constant on accuracy of visual pursuit, S operated an aided-pursuit tracking device by keeping a cursor aligned with a moving target by adjusting a handwheel control. Each of three Ss performed on one of nine combinations of target speed (23, 30, and 37 r.p.m.) and aided-tracking time constants (0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 sec.). Time scores which integrated time on target and magnitude of error provided the measure of tracking accuracy. "The time constant of 0.5 sec. remained optimum over the range of target speeds used… . The 1.0-sec. time constant was significantly inferior at all… speeds. The main finding… was the significant interaction between… time constant and target speed… . A motion resonance theory of tracking was proposed to account for the main phenomena of aided tracking." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The development of a brief version of the Nurse's Observation Scale For Inpatient Evaluation (NOSIE-30).

Psychiatric hospitals typically do not use reliable and valid clinical instruments when recording behavioral observations. This could be attributable to these instruments being perceived as too complicated and time consuming to routinely administer. The goal of the present study was to examine if a briefer version of the 30 item Nurses' Observation for Inpatient Evaluation (NOSIE); could be developed without compromising the reliability and the factorial validity of the scale. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed with a combined sample of 67 persons (with 4,973 total numbers of observations) from two settings, by randomly assigning participant observations to either phase one (full-scale model, 30-item NOSIE) or to phase two (reduced-scale model, 12-item NOSIE). The results indicated that the reduced 12-item model with the correlated latent structures appears to be the best representation of the observed data. The potential clinical usefulness of a reduced item model of the NOSIE is discussed in light of these results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heart Ferroportin Protein Content Is Regulated by Heart Iron Concentration and Systemic Hepcidin Expression

The purpose of the study was to investigate the expression of ferroportin protein following treatments that affect systemic hepcidin. Administration of erythropoietin to C57BL/6J mice decreased systemic hepcidin expression; it also increased heart ferroportin protein content, determined by immunoblot in the membrane fraction, to approximately 200% of control values. This increase in heart ferroportin protein is very probably caused by a decrease in systemic hepcidin expression, in accordance with the classical regulation of ferroportin by hepcidin. However, the control of heart ferroportin protein by systemic hepcidin could apparently be overridden by changes in heart non-heme iron content since injection of ferric carboxymaltose to mice at 300 mg Fe/kg resulted in an increase in liver hepcidin expression, heart non-heme iron content, and also a threefold increase in heart ferroportin protein content. In a separate experiment, feeding an iron-deficient diet to young Wistar rats dramatically decreased liver hepcidin expression, while heart non-heme iron content and heart ferroportin protein content decreased to 50% of controls. It is, therefore, suggested that heart ferroportin protein is regulated primarily by the iron regulatory protein/iron-responsive element system and that the regulation of heart ferroportin by the hepcidin-ferroportin axis plays a secondary role.     

Duration of movements in a dial setting task as a function of the precision of manipulation.

Pertaining to the art of industrial time study practices and a more complete understanding of human manual movements, the effects of precision as a variable on movement duration was studied. "Ss were required to adjust alternately each of two dials on a control panel." 24 right handed naval enlisted men served as Ss. "The precision required to adjust each dial was systematically varied and the effects of this variation on the durations of four parts of the control movement were determined… . Results clearly demonstrated that the time taken by operators to move between adjustments depended on the precision requirements of those adjustments… . Results provide additional evidence to refute the concept that a work cycle consists of an additive combination of independent elements." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Seriation: An implementation and case study

This article describes an algorithm for the automation of the seriation (visual reordering) of two-dimensional binary tables relating geographical entities and their associated categorical data. The paper discusses how to set up the seriation criterion, and it is shown how a heuristic method, segmentation and user interaction can be applied to find an approximation to the combinatorial dilemma of seriation. In order to demonstrate the usefulness of the method, an analysis of categorical census housing data is presented.     

Towards chemical characterization of waterborne pheromone of amphipod crustaceanMicrodeutopus gryllotalpa

Previous studies demonstrated the existence of a waterborne pheromone secreted by receptive females of the amphipod crustaceanMicrodeutopus gryllotalpa which attracts males. The data were obtained by using a bioassay apparatus based on a two-choice test paradigm. The present study reports the results of additional tests employing this apparatus which have shed some light on the chemical nature of the pheromone. The bioactive substance was isolated from receptive female waters with anion exchange resin columns, but not with C-18 reverse-phase columns. This suggests that the substance is polar. Another finding of the present study was that effluents from the green algaUlva lactuca inhibit males' responses to the pheromone.