INFLUENCE OF DRYING/CONDITIONING SCHEDULES ON STRESS DEVELOPMENT,RELIEF AND PRONG TEST

ABSTRACT

The prong test often displays ambiguous responses as shown in recent research. The objective of this paper was to learn how different drying/conditioning schedules influence the stress development/relief of lumber and therefore the prong response. During each drying/conditioning schedule, residual stress analysis was used to obtain stress levels, moisture content gradients and prong responses. The analysis of the data revealed the following: stress levels are strongly influenced by different schedules; in contrast, prong responses are only slightly influenced by different schedules. Stress levels are more effectively relieved by using a multiple- step increase of the equilibrium moisture content than a single-step increase. It is concluded that the schedule governs the final stress level. Even though differences in stress level are measurable by the slice test, the prong test does not reliably display these differences.     

Anticoagulant, Antioxidant and Antitumor Activities of Heterofucans from the Seaweed Dictyopteris delicatula

In the present study, six families of sulfated polysaccharides were obtained from seaweed Dictyopteris delicatula by proteolytic digestion, followed by acetone fractionation and molecular sieving on Sephadex G-100. Chemical analyses demonstrated that all polysaccharides contain heterofucans composed mainly of fucose, xylose, glucose, galactose, uronic acid, and sulfate. The fucans F0.5v and F0.7v at 1.0 mg/mL showed high ferric chelating activity (～45%), whereas fucans F1.3v (0.5 mg/mL) showed considerable reducing power, about 53.2% of the activity of vitamin C. The fucan F1.5v presented the most prominent anticoagulant activity. The best antiproliferative activity was found with fucans F1.3v and F0.7v. However, F1.3v activity was much higher than F0.7v inhibiting almost 100% of HeLa cell proliferation. These fucans have been selected for further studies on structural characterization as well as in vivo experiments, which are already in progress.     

Enhancement of the Performance of Low-Efficiency HVAC Filters Due to Continuous Unipolar Ion Emission

Our novel concept utilizing continuous emission of unipolar ions, which has been recently proven to enhance the efficiency of facepiece respirators, was applied to conventional HVAC filters. Laboratory study demonstrated that the air ion emission in the vicinity of a low-efficiency HVAC filter significantly improves its performance. For example, the collection efficiency of two commercial HVAC filters challenged with 1μm PSL particles jumped from 5–15% (measured with no ion emission) to 40–90% (when the ion output rate was ～ 10¹² e^?/sec). The enhancement effect depends on the filter type and, generally, on the distance from the ion emitter to the filter surface. The results were explained as follows. The air ions with high mobility are deposited on the fibers forming a macroscopic electric field, which shield out some incoming unipolarly charged particles due to repelling forces. The field estimate has shown that this explanation is feasible. The enhancement effect seems to have a good potential to be employed in industrial and residential ventilation systems as it enhances the aerosol collection efficiency of a low-efficiency HVAC filter while not affecting its pressure drop.     

DETERMINING THE SOURCE OF CHANGING SHRINKAGE RATES DURING KILN DRYING

The conclusions drawn by researchers on the source of changing shrinkage rates are discussed. The objective of this study was to determine the source of changing shrinkage rates early in drying and whether shrinkage would make a useful parameter for an automated kiln control system. In this study, four loads of red oak and one of maple were kiln dried using established schedules Shrinkage of the lumber was continuously recorded, and moisture content and released elastic strain were periodically recorded. The moisture content and strain data showed that the changing shrinkage rates early in drying boards were caused by reduced internal stress levels, not the occurrence of fiber saturation point or temperature as reported by some. Results of this study indicate it may be possible to develop an automated kiln system using shrinkage as the controlling parameter. This would reduce the drying time while avoiding additional drying defects.     

MATERIAL RESPONSE-BASED KILN CONTROL SYSTEM

The origin of material response (changing shrinkage rates) during drying is changing stress levels within the lumber as was determined in a previous paper. The object of this research was to demonstrate that a kiln control system based on material response parameters can reduce the drying time while incurring no additional drying defects. One control run and two pilot runs were performed. The results showed that it is possible to advance the kiln schedule using only material response as the controlling parameter and maintain or improve the quality of the lumber. Accelerating the drying substantially reduced the residual stress levels in the final product.     

Design,Synthesis, and Characterization of Macrocyclic Inhibitors of the Proprotein Convertase Furin

The activation of viral glycoproteins by the host protease furin is an essential step in the replication of numerous pathogenic viruses. Thus, effective inhibitors of furin could serve as broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. A crystal structure of an inhibitory hexapeptide derivative in complex with furin served as template for the rational design of various types of new cyclic inhibitors. Most of the prepared derivatives are relatively potent furin inhibitors with inhibition constants in the low nanomolar or even sub-nanomolar range. For seven derivatives the crystal structures in complex with furin could be determined. In three complexes, electron density was found for the entire inhibitor. In the other cases the structures could be determined only for the P6/P5-P1 segments, which directly interact with furin. The cyclic derivatives together with two non-cyclic reference compounds were tested as inhibitors of the proteolytic activation and replication of respiratory syncytial virus in cells. Significant antiviral activity was found for both linear reference inhibitors, whereas a negligible efficacy was determined for the cyclic derivatives.     

Acid-activated organoclays: preparation, characterisation and catalytic activity of polycation-treated bentonites

Samples of SWy-2 and SAz-1 loaded with increasing amounts of the polycation magnafloc 206, [(Me₂NCH₂CHOHCH₂)_n]ⁿ⁺Cl_n, were acid-treated using 6 M HCl at 95°C for 30, 90 and 180 min. The activity of these acid-activated polycation-exchanged clays for the conversion of α-pinene to camphene and limonene was determined and compared with that from clay samples (without polycation) acid-treated in the same manner. Acid treatment of polycation-exchanged bentonites produced hybrid catalysts which enhanced the activity of the clays for the isomerisation of α-pinene to camphene and limonene. The presence of the polycation had a more marked influence on the activity of samples derived from SAz-1 increasing the yield from 25% for acid-activated SAz-1 with no added polycation to 50% camphene for acid-activated polycation-exchanged SAz-1. The increase in yield for corresponding samples derived from SWy-2 was only from 42 to 52%. This enhancement in yield for samples derived from SAz-1 was attributed to the increased hydrophobicity of the polycation loaded clay whilst the comparable yields for SWy-2 in the absence and presence of polycation may suggest that SWy-2 disperses well in the non-polar α-pinene. The total yields (based on α-pinene) for the most active catalysts was between 80 and 90%. These yields are directly comparable with those obtained by others using zeolites and pillared clays although the acid-activated polycation-treated clays were marginally less selective towards camphene.     

Decolouration and lipid oxidation changes of vacuum-packed Iberian dry-cured loin treated with E-beam irradiation (5 kGy and 10 kGy) during refrigerated storage

The effect of irradiation (0, 5 and 10 kGy) on the oxidative and colour stability of vacuum-packed Iberian dry-cured loin slices from pigs fed on concentrate feed (CON) or free-range reared (FRG) stored under refrigerated storage was studied. Irradiation treatment increased lipid oxidation, measured as TBA-RS values and hexanal content of dry-cured loins. It also increased redness (CIE a) and lightness (CIE L) of dry-cured loins. Refrigerated storage reduced the differences due to irradiation treatment of instrumental colour values like lightness. However, the decrease of redness during storage was more marked in irradiated than in non-irradiated dry-cured loin. Storage increased differences in TBA-RS values between irradiated and non-irradiated FRG dry-cured loin, while the opposite trend was found for CON dry-cured loins. In addition, no differences in the hexanal content were found after 30 days of refrigerated storage. Therefore, the storage of Iberian dry-cured loin in absence of oxygen by using a vacuum packaging could be an adequate method to reduce changes associated to irradiation treatment in Iberian dry-cured loin.

Industrial relevance

Iberian dry-cured loin is a high sensory quality meat product with increasing projection in external markets Irradiation has shown to be an effective method to control pathogen and spoilage microorganisms in meat and meat products. However, e-beam irradiation can promote colour and oxidation changes that could modify their sensory characteristics. The study aimed the evaluation of e-beam irradiation at two levels (5 and 10 kGy) — higher doses than those that could be necessary to control pathogen microorganisms in this kind of product — on colour changes and lipid oxidation at vacuum-packed slices of Iberian dry-cured loin during subsequent extended chilled storage. E-beam treatment induced changes in colour and lipid oxidation in sliced Iberian dry-cured loin immediately after treatment and subsequent refrigerated storage.     

The use of X‐ray absorption spectroscopy for monitoring the thickness of antiwear films from ZDDP

X‐ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy at the P K‐edge was used to monitor ZDDP antiwear film thickness with rubbing time. Thermal immersion films of varying thickness were generated from the ZDDP and analysed using XANES spectroscopy and the particle induced X‐ray emission (PIXE) technique. P K‐edge XANES edge jumps and (1s → np) peak heights of the spectra were plotted against PIXE mass thickness values in order to establish calibration curves. Antiwear films were analysed using XANES spectroscopy, and average mass thicknesses were extrapolated from the calibration curves. A set of antiwear films formed in the presence of ZDDP and then further rubbed in base oil (no ZDDP) showed no significant decrease in film thickness. A set of antiwear films rubbed in the presence of ZDDP for various lengths of time showed an increase in film thickness, followed by thinning of the film. The decrease in film thickness is believed to be due to wear caused by the ZDDP solution decomposition products acting as an abrasive in the contact region. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.