Computational origami environment on the web

We present a computing environment for origami on the web. The environment consists of the computational origami engine Eos for origami construction, visualization, and geometrical reasoning, WebEos for providing web interface to the functionalities of Eos, and web service system Scorum for symbolic computing web services. WebEos is developed using Web2.0 technologies, and provides a graphical interactive web interface for origami construction and proving. In Scorum, we are preparing web services for a wide range of symbolic computing systems, and are using these services in our origami environment. We explain the functionalities of this environment, and discuss its architectural and technological features.     

PURIFICATION AND PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF TWO PROTEINACEOUS α-AMYLASE INHIBITORS FROM TRITICALE

A total of six α-amylase inhibitory proteins (isoinhibitors) were extracted from triticale (Triticum X Secale) seeds and two of them were purified to homogeneity. The isoinhibitors were extracted by 70% ethanol and produced, by Sephadex G-100 chromatography, two peaks that exhibited α-amylase inhibitory activity. Further purification of the most active peak by DEAE-cellulose chromatography resulted in six active fractions. Two of them designated as TAI-5 and TAI-6, considered to be homogeneous by both acidic and alkaline electrophoresis, were partially characterized. The isoelectric points were 4.80 and 4.70, and the molecular weights 39, 200 and 29, 200, respectively. Under dissociating conditions the molecular weights were 13, 500 and 13, 000, suggesting that the isoinhibitors are composed of three and two subunits, respectively. Both isoinhibitors were stable at different pHs, relatively stable at 98C, and resistant to proteolysis by trypsin, chymotrypsin and pepsin. The optimum interaction pH for both isoinhibitors with human salivary amylase was 7.9. They exhibited specificity to human salivary and porcine pancreatic α-amylases, but had no inhibitory activity on Bacillus subtillis, Aspergillus oryzae and endogenous triticale α-amylases.     

Improvement of Plasma Performance Using Carbon Pellet Injection in Large Helical Device

A cylindrical carbon pellet with a size of 1.2L?1.2? to 1.8L?1.8?mm and a velocity of 100 to 300 m/s was injected into Large Helical Device (LHD) for an efficient fueling based on its deeper deposition instead of hydrogen gas puffing and ice pellet injection. Electron density increment of ?ne=1014cm-3 is successfully obtained by single carbon pellet injection without plasma collapse. Typical density and temperature of the ablation plasma of the carbon pellet, e.g., 6.5x1016cm-3 and 2.5eV for CII, are examined respectively by spectroscopic method. A confinement improvement up to 50% compared to ISS-95 stellarator scaling is clearly observed in a relatively low-density regime of ne=2 to 4?1013cm-3, and high ion temperature Ti(0) of about 6keV is also observed with an internal transport barrier at ne=1.2?1013cm-3. In particular, the improvement in the ion temperature largely exceeds that observed in hydrogen gas- puffed discharges, which typically ranges below 3 keV.     

Lowering Phytic Phosphorus by Hydration of Soybeans

Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to study the effects of three independent variables at three levels of variation (ratio of liquid/solid, temperature and time of hydration) on the phytic and inorganic phosphorus concentration of hydrated soybeans; Temperature of hydration was the most important factor in lowering phytic phosphorus. Average reduced amount of phytic phosphorus was 26% and maximum reduction was 36.1% for cotvledons soaked at 50°C. Inorganic phosphorus, both in cotyledons and soak water, increased up to 225.8% at 50°C.     

ANALYSIS OF COFFEE, TEA AND ARTIFICIALLY FLAVORED DRINKS PREPARED FROM MINERALIZED WATERS

ABSTRACT— Coffee, black tea and artificially flavored and artificially sweetened orange and grape soft drinks were prepared from solutions of 8 minerals each at 750 ppm. Additionally, coffee and tea were brewed, using 6 natural drinking waters which ranged from 42–1,725 ppm of total dissolved solids. Beverages made from solutions containing carbonates were the least desirable, having flat, insipid characteristics. Although distilled water resulted in an acceptable soft drink, coffee and tea prepared from it were excessively sour and astringent, respectively. The recommended formula of 53.3 g of coffee per liter of water was considered too strong and "burnt' for the panel of trained judges, so that the experiments were repeated at a lower concentration of 47 g coffee/liter water. Large differences in the direction and magnitude of the visual characteristics of the coffee and tea brewed from the various waters also were observed in the marked changes in luminous transreflectance, purity and shifts in dominant wavelengths measured by thin-layer reflectometry.     

β-GLUCOSIDASE ACTIVITY AND ISOFLAVONE CONTENT IN GERMINATED SOYBEAN RADICLES AND COTYLEDONS

Seeds of BRS 213 soybean cultivar were germinated for 72 h at 25c. Samples were collected and analyzed every 6 h during germination. β‐glucosidase activity increased 3.3‐fold in radicles and 2.3‐fold in cotyledons. In the radicles, there was a significant decrease in total isoflavone content (6.3‐fold), while for malonyl forms, daidzin and glycitin, there was a decrease of 5.0‐ to 10.0‐fold. Daidzein did not vary significantly during germination, while genistein and glycitein were detected at some germination times. In the cotyledons, there was an increase in total isoflavone content (2.4‐fold), malonylgenistin (2.6‐fold) and 3.3‐fold increases for malonyldaidzin. Genistin and daidzin did not vary significantly during germination and genistein was only detected 0 and 6 h after incubation.     

DIETARY VITAMIN E INHIBITS POULTRY PSE AND IMPROVES MEAT FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES

The objective of this work was to investigate the occurrence of pale, soft, exudative meat (PSE) in chicken by submitting birds to physical stress. Dietary supplementation of vitamin E was undertaken to overcome this syndrome. Postmortem muscle biochemical events and their consequence on meat properties were evaluated in samples with and without supplemented vitamin E. Our studies showed chickens were susceptible to heat stress which promoted changes in the glycolytic parameters causing the development of chicken PSE. Dietary vitamin E was capable of inhibiting the development of the syndrome hence improving meat functional properties.