AUTOMATIC EXTRACTING AS AN INTERACTIVE PROCESS

In our study we have tried to evaluate most of the existing methods of automatic extracting and to combine them into one single system for text reduction. Hitherto, all existing automatic extracting systems have produced only extracts of documents: they select certain sentences from the full text and list them in text order.

Despite the result that statistical methods can be used for extracting German language texts (and that similar methods show best results for German and English texts) the main outcome of this study was that computer-based methods for text extracting can alter the whole extracting and abstracting process as such and lead to completely new and as yet unknown aspects of text reduction: the tailormade extract and extracting as an interactive process.     

THYROTROPIC FEEDBACK CONTROL: EVIDENCE FOR AN ADDITIONAL ULTRASHORT FEEDBACK LOOP FROM FRACTAL ANALYSIS

More than 70 years after the discovery of the pituitary–thyroid feedback control mechanism, a classical endocrine regulation system, most of its parameters have been identified. However, the regulation of its central component in the pituitary gland, probably responsible for pulsatile release of thyrotropin (TSH), remains obscure. In order to infer its structure from the system's behavior, four different pituitary models were created and compared regarding their fractal properties. Based on the simplest model showing noncompetitive inhibition of TSH release by thyroid hormones—a physiologically plausible correlation—one alternative model added stochastic stimulation by central signals and another added an additional intrapituitary feedback loop, whereas the fourth model combined both effects. This latter model combining noncompetitive inhibition with the two additional effects showed the same fractal dimensions as in vivo time series, whereas the simpler models yielded significantly lower time-series complexity. These results suggest that both stochastic stimulation and ultrashort loop feedback are involved in the generation of TSH pulses in the human pituitary.     

Pressure Induced Inactivation of Selected Food Enzymes

Pectinesterase, lipase, polyphenol oxidase, lipoxygenase, peroxidase, lactoperoxidase, phosphatase and catalase have been examined at distinct conditions within a pressure range of 0.1 to 900 MPa, temperatures from 25°C to 60°C, pH 3 to 7, and time of treatment of 2 min to 45 min. Results in model buffers made it possible to rank the enzymes according to their pressure induced inactivation in the following order: lipoxygenase, lactoperoxidase, pectinesterase, lipase, phosphatase, catalase, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase. A combination of pressure with moderate temperature increased the degree of enzyme inactivation. Pressure treatment of real food systems showed a protective effect of food ingredients on the pressure inactivation of most enzymes evaluated. For example sucrose protected pectinesterase from inactivation by pressure while lactoperoxidase and lipoxigenase were as stable in milk as in buffer.     

Preservation of protein fluorescence in embedded human dendritic cells for targeted 3D light and electron microscopy

In this study, we present a correlative microscopy workflow to combine detailed 3D fluorescence light microscopy data with ultrastructural information gained by 3D focused ion beam assisted scanning electron microscopy. The workflow is based on an optimized high pressure freezing/freeze substitution protocol that preserves good ultrastructural detail along with retaining the fluorescence signal in the resin embedded specimens. Consequently, cellular structures of interest can readily be identified and imaged by state of the art 3D confocal fluorescence microscopy and are precisely referenced with respect to an imprinted coordinate system on the surface of the resin block. This allows precise guidance of the focused ion beam assisted scanning electron microscopy and limits the volume to be imaged to the structure of interest. This, in turn, minimizes the total acquisition time necessary to conduct the time consuming ultrastructural scanning electron microscope imaging while eliminating the risk to miss parts of the target structure. We illustrate the value of this workflow for targeting virus compartments, which are formed in HIV‐pulsed mature human dendritic cells.     

THE USE OF PULSED ELECTRIC FIELDS IN PRODUCING JUICE FROM PAPRIKA (CAPSICUM ANNUUM L.)

Investigations were conducted on the impact of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment on yield and some quality parameters of juice from paprika and results were compared to the results of juice obtained from enzymatically treated or untreated paprika mash. Paprika was comminuted mechanically after which the mash was subjected to either PEF (electric field strength = 1.7 kV/cm, pulse number = 30 and specific energy input per pulse = 0.5 kJ/kg) or a pectolytic enzyme preparation treatment. The extent of cell disintegration after the different pretreatments was monitored through cell disintegration index (Z_p) measurement prior to juice extraction through pressure (10 MPa for 4 min). Some quality parameters (pH, soluble solids (°Brix), total dry matter, color, total carotenoids as β-carotene and vitamin C) of the resultant juice samples were determined. PEF and enzyme treatments resulted in about 10% and 9% increase in juice yield, respectively. Juice from PEF treated paprika compared well in quality with enzyme treated or the untreated. And in some cases such as in color (redness, a value) of the juice, PEF treated had values (+ 18) higher than enzyme treated having + 15.5 and also in the amount of β-carotene extracted into the juice PEF treated juice had more than 60% as compared to about 44% from enzyme treated juice. The pH value for enzyme treated juice was lower than the others.