Enhancing compatibility between poly(lactic acid) and thermoplastic starch using admicellar polymerization

An alternative method to improve the compatibility between poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and cassava starch (CS) is proposed and investigated. Admicellar polymerization is used to modify the surface of CS with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in order to make it more hydrophobic and hence more compatible with PLA. The increased hydrophobicity of PMMA modified cassava starch (MS) is validated by contact angle measurement. Results from iodine test, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirm the formation of PMMA film on MS surface. Mechanical properties of PLA‐CS and PLA‐MS blends are investigated to compare their compatibility. Noticeable improvements in blend tensile strength and elongation at break evidently show that MS is more hydrophobic as well as more compatible with PLA than CS. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43755.     

Cost-sensitive probability for weighted voting in an ensemble model for multi-class classification problems

Applied Intelligence - Ensemble learning is an algorithm that utilizes various types of classification models. This algorithm can enhance the prediction efficiency of component models. However, the...     

Luseogliflozin,a SGLT2 Inhibitor,Does Not Affect Glucose Uptake Kinetics in Renal Proximal Tubules of Live Mice

Proximal tubules (PTs) take up most of the glucose in the glomerular filtrate and return it to peritubular capillary blood. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) at the apical membrane takes up glucose into the cell. Glucose then flows across the cells and is transported to the interstitium via glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) at the basolateral membrane. However, glucose transport under SGLT2 inhibition remains poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated the dynamics of a fluorescent glucose analog, 2-NBDG, in the PTs of live mice treated with or without the SGLT2 inhibitor, luseogliflozin. We employed real-time multiphoton microscopy, in which insulin enhanced 2-NBDG uptake in skeletal muscle. Influx and efflux of 2-NBDG in PT cells were compared under hypo-, normo-, and hyperglycemic conditions. Luseogliflozin did not exert significant effects on glucose influx parameters under any level of blood glucose. Our results suggest that blood glucose level per se does not alter glucose influx or efflux kinetics in PTs. In conclusion, neither SGLT2 inhibition nor blood glucose level affect glucose uptake kinetics in PTs. The former was because of glucose influx through basolateral GLUT2, which is an established bidirectional transporter.     

Structural and chemical analysis of resistant starch effected by pre-treatments,cooking methods,reheating and storage condition in parboiled germinated brown rice (Oryza sativa)

Resistant starch (RS) content could be altered by the processing method, including pre-treatment, cooking method and storage conditions. This study determined the influence of RS formation in white rice (WR), brown rice (BR) and parboiled germinated brown rice (PGBR) as affected by various pre-treatment and processing conditions. This is the first report to chemically and structurally analyse WR, BR and PGBR of the same rice variety using X-ray diffraction, DSC and SEM. The results showed that the PGBR prepared by a non-soaking process cooked with steaming and stored cold contained RS content (92.1 mg/g, wet basis) followed by BR processed by soaking, steamed and then stored cold (91.8 mg/g, wet basis). The formation of RS3 as not affected by the parboiling and germination process compared to WR and BR. Reheating reduced resistant starch content by changing the RS structure conformation from crystalline to amorphous under higher temperatures. Moreover, the scanning electron microscope revealed that WR, BR and PGBR of the same rice variety show similar starch granule and microstructure patterns but slightly different in thermal conductivity value.