Isolation and Characterization of Native Starch from Cocoa Beans

This paper describes the isolation and characterization of native starch from fermented cocoa beans. The isolation procedure is based mainly on the mild extraction of compounds soluble in different extractants and flocculation of non-starch polymeric material at a pH of 2.7. The isolated, egg-shaped starch granules have a mean size of 4.4 μm, ranging from 1.5 to 8 μm, an amylose content of 30.4%, a gelatinization temperature from 52.5 to 68°C, and a limiting viscosity number of 166.2 ml/g in 1-N potassium hydroxide solution.     

Untersuchungen über die Retrogradation der Stärke in konzentrierten Weizenstärkegelen. Teil 1. Herstellung konzentrierter Gele,Einfluß der Stärkekonzentration und Herstellungsbedingungen auf die Retrogradation der Stärke

Investigations on the Retrogradation in Concentrated Wheat Starch Gels. Part 1. Preparation of Concentrated Gels, Influence of the Starch Concentration and Conditions of Preparation on the Starch Retrogradation . A method for the preparation of homogenous, concentrated wheat starch gels is described. The influence of the starch concentration and conditions of gel preparation has been investigated by determination of gel strength (Avrami-analysis) and solubilized starch. An increase in starch concentration from 40 to 55% caused a corresponding increase in gel strength of the fresh gels, an enhanced increase in gel strength during storage and a reduction of soluble starch. The time of heating during gel preparation had little influence on retrogradation. The influence of the temperature of heating (130° and 100°C) was dependent on the starch concentration: with 40 and 50% gels a strong increase in water soluble starch is observed with the higher temperature, whereas the gel strength is increased with the 50% gels only. The amylose content in the gel extracts shows that both starch fractions take place in retrogradation. The water binding capacity of the insoluble starch is decreased during storage demonstrating that the retrogradation also occurs in the insoluble starch and significantly contributes to the increase in gel strength. Retrogradation in concentrated starch gels therefore proceeds inside and on the surface of the swollen starch granules as well as in the solubilized starch leached out during the heating process.     

Ubisco and CDC: Analysis of a Failure

The Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) and Control Data Corporation (CDC) started the Ubisco project in the early 1970s. The project should have automated all the bank's operations with a single CDC computer system, but Ubisco failed four years later. Unraveling the reasons behind the project's failure might help researchers and historians learn why such large computer projects are so often unsuccessful.     

Electron-beam-induced deposition and post-treatment processes to locally generate clean titanium oxide nanostructures on Si(100)

We have investigated the lithographic generation of TiO(x) nanostructures on Si(100) via electron-beam-induced deposition (EBID) of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and local Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). In addition, the fabricated nanostructures were also characterized ex situ via atomic force microscopy (AFM) under ambient conditions. In EBID, a highly focused electron beam is used to locally decompose precursor molecules and thereby to generate a deposit. A drawback of this nanofabrication technique is the unintended deposition of material in the vicinity of the impact position of the primary electron beam due to so-called proximity effects. Herein, we present a post-treatment procedure to deplete the unintended deposits by moderate sputtering after the deposition process. Moreover, we were able to observe the formation of pure titanium oxide nanocrystals (<100 nm) in situ upon heating the sample in a well-defined oxygen atmosphere. While the nanocrystal growth for the as-deposited structures also occurs in the surroundings of the irradiated area due to proximity effects, it is limited to the pre-defined regions, if the sample was sputtered before heating the sample under oxygen atmosphere. The described two-step post-treatment procedure after EBID presents a new pathway for the fabrication of clean localized nanostructures.     

Fabrication of layered nanostructures by successive electron beam induced deposition with two precursors: protective capping of metallic iron structures

We report on the stepwise generation of layered nanostructures via electron beam induced deposition (EBID) using organometallic precursor molecules in ultra-high vacuum (UHV). In a first step a metallic iron line structure was produced using iron pentacarbonyl; in a second step this nanostructure was then locally capped with a 2-3 nm thin titanium oxide-containing film fabricated from titanium tetraisopropoxide. The chemical composition of the deposited layers was analyzed by spatially resolved Auger electron spectroscopy. With spatially resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Fe L? edge, it was demonstrated that the thin capping layer prevents the iron structure from oxidation upon exposure to air.     

An in situ approach to study trace element partitioning in the laser heated diamond anvil cell

Data on partitioning behavior of elements between different phases at in situ conditions are crucial for the understanding of element mobility especially for geochemical studies. Here, we present results of in situ partitioning of trace elements (Zr, Pd, and Ru) between silicate and iron melts, up to 50 GPa and 4200 K, using a modified laser heated diamond anvil cell (DAC). This new experimental set up allows simultaneous collection of x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) data as a function of time using the high pressure beamline ID27 (ESRF, France). The technique enables the simultaneous detection of sample melting based to the appearance of diffuse scattering in the XRD pattern, characteristic of the structure factor of liquids, and measurements of elemental partitioning of the sample using XRF, before, during and after laser heating in the DAC. We were able to detect elements concentrations as low as a few ppm level (2-5 ppm) on standard solutions. In situ measurements are complimented by mapping of the chemical partitions of the trace elements after laser heating on the quenched samples to constrain the partitioning data. Our first results indicate a strong partitioning of Pd and Ru into the metallic phase, while Zr remains clearly incompatible with iron. This novel approach extends the pressure and temperature range of partitioning experiments derived from quenched samples from the large volume presses and could bring new insight to the early history of Earth.     

采用奥钢联DYNAGAP轻压下技术的六流大方坯连铸机

1前言 2001年9月奥钢联得到了为攀枝花钢铁公司6流大方坯连铸机供货的合同.该连铸机设计年生产能力为120万t,将生产280mm×325mm和280mm×380mm两种规格的大方坯,为现有的轧机供应坯料,如图1所示.铸机的特点是配备有DynaGap轻压下技术包.     

Multicentre comparison of skin hydration in terms of physical-, physiological- and product-dependent parameters by the capacitive method (Corneometer CM 825)

A multicentre study for measuring skin hydration with 349 volunteers was carried out in six different laboratories. The purpose of the study was to investigate physical-, physiological- and product-dependent parameters of three test emulsions (base, base + moisturizer and base + moisturizer + lipids) in a double-blind study. A comparison between analogous and digital sensor technology of the Corneometer CM825 was examined. Here, a clear relationship between both sensor types could be highlighted. A vital point of the study was the division of the test subjects according to their skin type. To get more objective limits for three different skin types - very dry, dry and normal skin - visual expert evaluation, self-assessment and hydration measurements were analysed by means of statistical methods. The moisture-related skin types were determined as follows: very dry skin was characterized with corneometer units below 30, dry skin between 30 and 40 and normal skin higher than 40 a.u. (arbitrary units). The efficacy of the three test emulsions was examined in relation to the mentioned skin types. Analysing the measured data of all test centres, a clear dependency of skin physiology (skin type) and product efficacy became evident. The drier the skin, the higher the increase of hydration. The product performance of the three test emulsions compared to the untreated control resulted in a significant increase of skin hydration in all measuring centres. The evaluation of a product ranking showed a good differentiation between the basic emulsion and the two other products. An increase of efficacy by adding lipids could be observed in four of six centres. The important influence of the skin type of the volunteers on the degree of product performance, as demonstrated in this study, should be especially considered when drawing up guidelines for efficacy testing.     

Occurrence of C15-C45 mineral paraffins in olives and olive oils.

Different classes of olive oils and other olive samples (olives, olive paste and olive pomace) collected during their production were analysed for mineral paraffins in the range of C(15)-C(45). None of the 22 extra virgin olive oils contained mineral paraffins above the detection limit of 1 mg kg(-1). Also, lampante virgin olive oil from the olive mill showed no detectable amounts, but olive oil from the market contained 6-30 mg kg(-1). This contamination cannot be attributed to the refining step, which, on the contrary, partially removes the more volatile hydrocarbons, but could result from transport. Olive-pomace oils obtained by second centrifugation contained 16-145 mg kg(-1) mineral paraffins, presumably because of contamination during storage of the pomace. All olive-pomace oils from solvent extraction contained more than 100 mg kg(-1) mineral paraffins, also mainly from storage. Deposition of particulate matter from the air, vehicle exhaust emissions and direct contamination from the bulldozers used to move the pomace were identified as potential sources.     

Triglyceride analysis with glass capillary gas chromatography

The analyses of triglycerides on capillary columns is reported. Applications in which this technique can be used include: rapid identification of fats and oils, measurement of butter fat or coconut oil content in margarine or chocolate, monitoring of processes such as fractionation, transesterification or heat treatment. Although separation of all isomers within a group of triglycerides with identical carbon numbers is not usually feasible by gas chromatography (GC) alone, the resolution obtained with capillary columns gives more information than that obtained with packed column GC. The conditions used in this work are described. Persilylated columns coated with nonpolar gum phases could be used for ca. 1 yr with hundreds of injections.