Effect of different blanching times on antioxidant properties in selected cruciferous vegetables

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different blanching times on the antioxidant properties (antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities) and phenolic content of selected cruciferous vegetables. The study revealed that a 10‐min blanching time had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on the antioxidant properties and phenolic content of all the vegetables except for cabbage and mustard cabbage. The loss of antioxidant activity was highest in Chinese cabbage (40%) after 15 min of blanching, followed by cabbage (27%), Chinese white cabbage (19%), mustard cabbage (9%) and red cabbage (4%). Red cabbage had lost a total of 40% scavenging activity after 15 min of blanching followed by Chinese cabbage (38%), cabbage (36%), mustard cabbage (23%) and Chinese white cabbage (11%). Only Chinese cabbage showed an increase (p < 0.05) in total phenolic content after 15 min of blanching compared with other vegetables. Minimal heat treatment through blanching process is recommended to prevent the major loss of antioxidant properties and phenolic content in selected cruciferous vegetables. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Development of a direct sampling method for verifying the cleanliness of equipment shared with peanut products

A direct sampling method was developed to verify the cleanliness of stainless steel equipment used to produce peanut products. The protocol consisted of sampling the product-contact area with two Critical Swab^® flat zapped-head foam swabs pre-moistened with 20 mM phosphate, pH 7.2 (PBS), mixing each swab in PBS for 1 h, and analyzing the extract for peanut residues. Quantitation of peanut residues was accomplished with a non-specific assay while SDS–PAGE was used to ensure the recovery of the allergen, Ara h 1. This sampling approach was able to recover 90–95% of the peanut proteins at sub-microgram levels and Ara h 1 at low nanogram levels directly from a stainless steel surface.     

Internet-based monitoring of distributed control systems-Anundergraduate experiment

This paper presents the development of an Internet-based system to allow monitoring of important process variables from a distributed control system (DCS). The system is formulated as an add-on to an undergraduate experiment on the development of a desktop DCS. This paper describes the hardware and software design considerations which enable the users to access the process variables on the DCS, remotely and effectively, using only a commonly available Web browser     

Associative and strategic components of episodic memory: A life-span dissociation.

The authors investigated the strategic component (i.e., elaboration and organization of episodic features) and the associative component (i.e., binding processes) of episodic memory and their interactions in 4 age groups (10-12, 13-15, 20-25, and 70-75 years of age). On the basis of behavioral and neural evidence, the authors hypothesized that the two components are functionally related but follow different life-span gradients. In a fully crossed design, age differences in recognition memory for single words versus word pairs (associative demand manipulation) were examined under instructions that emphasized item, pair, or elaborative-pair encoding (strategy manipulation). As predicted, the results showed that the strategic and associative components follow different life-span trajectories. Relative to younger adults, children's difficulties in episodic memory primarily reflected lower levels of strategic functioning. In contrast, older adults showed impairments in both strategic and associative components. The authors conclude that the comparison of strategic and associative components of episodic memory across the life span helps to delineate the two components' unique and interactive contributions to episodic memory performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Age-dependent phenotypic characteristics of a triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer disease.

The triple-transgenic mouse line (3×Tg-AD) harboring PS1M146V, APPSwe, and taup301L transgenes represents the only transgenic model for Alzheimer's disease (AD) to date capturing both β-amyloid and tau neuropathology. The present study provides an extensive behavioral characterization of the 3×Tg-AD mouse line, evaluating the emergence of noncognitive and cognitive AD-like symptoms at two ages corresponding to the early (6-7 months) and advanced (12-13 months) stages of AD-pathology. Enhanced responsiveness to aversive stimulation was detected in mutant mice at both ages: the 3×Tg-AD genotype enhanced acoustic startle response and facilitated performance in the cued-version of the water maze. These noncognitive phenotypes were accompanied by hyperactivity and reduced locomotor habituation in the open field at the older age. Signs of cognitive aberrations were also detected at both ages, but they were limited to associative learning. The present study suggests that this popular transgenic mouse model of AD has clear phenotypes beyond the cognitive domain, and their potential relationship to the cognitive phenotypes should be further explored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of finite lower level lifetime on Q-switched lasers

Modeling of Q-switched laser operation for four-level lasers with finite lower-laser-level lifetime is presented. Extraction efficiency is reduced and pulse shape altered in comparison to the case of infinitely fast lower-level relaxation. This reduction in efficiency is dependent on the ratio of the lower state lifetime to the cavity lifetime, the number of times above threshold, and occupancy factors of the upper and lower laser manifolds. The model is applied to the case of a Nd:YAG laser operating at 1.064 μm. At worst, the extraction efficiency is 68% of that expected for infinitely fast relaxation     

Some problems associated with the puncture testing of plastics

Glassy polycarbonate specimens with different degrees of aging were tested in puncture for the purpose of determining the ductile/brittle transition temperature in biaxial tension. The results show that increasing amounts of aging increase the transition temperature from ?95 to ?70°C. All transitions appear too low In temperature. This was confirmed by using strip-biaxial specimens that become brittle at a significantly higher temperature. In addition to this problem, the load deflection curve also can lead to an overestimation of the load and energy to initiate cracking. A finite element model of the puncture test suggests that the compressive stress under the dart may have shifted the onset of brittleness to much lower temperatures.     

An improved technique for the measurement of dynamic mechanical properties of viscoelastic materials

An improved technique for the precision measurement of dynamic mechanical properties of viscoelastic materials is described. The instrumentation has been adapted for use with commercial device Rheovibron, but can be used with any other similar device. An analysis of the technique, together with typical results, are presented. Analyses of error are included in the appendices.