Solubility of amaranth seed proteins in sodium sulphate and sodium chloride: the main factor in quantitative extraction for analysis

Nitrogen was extracted more efficiently from amaranth seed with 0.04 M Na₂SO₄ (5% w/v) than with either 0.09 M or 0.17 M NaCl (5% or 10% w/v), despite both solutions having the same ionic strength (μ= 1). Solubility of saline soluble proteins (albumin ± globulin) was very poor in either water or 1M NaCl, but increased in 0.4M NaCl at alkaline pH between 7 and 10. Globulins were very soluble in 0.4M NaCl at a pH 9. Albumin was the main storage protein. Saline soluble proteins formed very weak gels.     

Plasma developable photoresist containing electronic excitation energy quenching system

A dry developable negative working resist composition comprised of poly(methyl isopropenyl ketone) (PMIPK) and 4-methyl-2,6-di(4′-azido-benzylidene) cyclohexanone-1 was examined. The main photochemical product formed in the resist pattern was found to be a secondary amine which crosslinks PMIPK. Post-annealing forms a hydrogen-bonded product which shows a powerful electronic excitation energy quenching effect. The quencher is more powerful than the aromatic compound arising from the azide by post-annealing only. The residual resist thickness of the negative pattern is about 80 percent of the initial thickness of the coating in spite of all the azide compound remaining in the resist coating. The obtained dry developed resist pattern has a high dry etch resistance. Etchings of Si and SiO₂ were performed by plasma and reactive ion etching, respectively.     

Characterization on the Conformation of Glucoamylase from Rhizopus niveus and Rhizopus delemar

Using the pH-jump (neutral to above 11) for Tyr-OH ionization as a probe, two glucoamylases from Rhizopus niveus and Rhizopus delemar were found to be caused the change in conformation, which is in a kinetically single step. The pH titration at pHs below 12 was carried out on a multidimensional correlation spectrophotometer. Correlations among the spectrophotometric properties: fluorescence, absorption and circular dichroism are almost identical for the two enzymes. These results suggest that conformational characteristics of the niveus enzyme is almost the same as that of the delemar one.     

Effects of fatty acid and emulsifier on the complex formation and in vitro digestibility of gelatinized potato starch

The effects of fatty acid, monoacylglycerol, and polyglycerol fatty acid ester with varying chain length in their acyl chains on the extent of complex formation (complex index) and in vitro enzymatic digestibility of gelatinized potato starch were investigated. The complex index increased with increase in the concentration of the ligands (fatty acid, monoacylglycerol, and polyglycerol fatty acid ester), with the plateau in the complex index value depending on the type of ligands. In comparison of complex index among fatty acid-samples, the complex index maximum increased as the chain length increased up to octanoic acid and then decreased. In comparison of complex index among fatty acid-, monoacylglycerol-, and polyglycerol fatty acid ester-samples at each acyl chain, the complex index maximum followed the order polyglycerol fatty acid ester > monoacylglycerol > fatty acid. Fatty acid, monoacylglycerol, and polyglycerol fatty acid ester with long acyl chains greatly reduced the enzymatic hydrolysis of starch. Polyglycerol fatty acid ester with palmitic acid chains was the strongest inhibitor of starch hydrolysis, suggesting that further complex formation may occur during the hydrolysis of gelatinized starch (enzyme-annealing).     

Dependence of ion selectivity on ordered orientation of neutral carriers in ion-sensing membranes based on thermotropic liquid crystals

Thermotropic liquid-crystalline compounds were applied as membrane materials (membrane solvent and neutral carrier) for neutral carrier-type ion sensors to investigate how the ordered arrangement of neutral carriers affects the property of the resulting ion sensors. Nematic, smectic, and cholesteric liquid-crystalline compounds were used as the membrane solvents and crown ether derivatives with a molecular structure similar to the liquid-crystalline solvent as the K+ neutral carriers. Polarized IR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction experiments confirmed that the highly ordered arrangement of membrane components was retained in the liquid-crystal-based ion-sensing membranes containing a neutral carrier and a lipophilic salt. The ordered arrangement of neutral carriers in the liquid-crystalline membranes enhanced the ion selectivity significantly, probably due to the efficient cooperation of two adjacent crown ether moieties in the highly ordered and aggregated state.     

Observation of New Longitudinal and Transverse Josephson Plasma Modes in the Parallel Magnetic Fields: Underdoped YBCO

Josephson plasma reflectivity edge in YBa₂Cu₃O_6.6 (T _c=59 K) was measured in parallel magnetic fields HCuO₂ up to 7 T. Upon application of the field, the Josephson plasma edge splits to two reflectivity edges, forming a new peak at finite frequency. Optical conductivity obtained by Kramers–Kronig analysis indicates that a new transverse Josephson plasma mode appears under parallel fields. We propose that the new mode originates from the modulation of the insulating layers with and without Josephson vortices, as has been suggested by free-energy calculations of Josephson vortices with moderate densities.     

Transient and turbulent mass transfer in rotating shallow electrochemical cells

Turbulent mass transfer in a rotating shallow electrochemical cell was investigated experimentally. Six local miniprobes embedded in the cathode were used to measure the local mass transfer rate and to detect unsteady turbulent convection. The mass transfer rates were nondimensionalized and correlated. A critical parameter was obtained to describe the onset of transient and turbulent conditions in the rotating electrochemical cells. The transient and turbulent phenomena in the rotating system are more complex than natural convection in vertical enclosures because of gravity-gradient effects.     

Enzymatic preparation of structured oils containing short-chain fatty acids

Structured oils prepared by enzymatic transacylation with triacylglycerols (TAGs) and various fatty acids (FAs) were characterized. Transacylation with trilaurin and saturated FAs (C4:0-C16:0) was performed using Lipozyme RM-IM under standard reaction conditions. The structured oils thus produced had transacylation ratios of 25-37%, as medium-chain FAs > long-chain FAs > short-chain FAs. This result confirmed that short-chain FAs have little reactivity in enzymatic transacylation. All prepared oils shared the same composition of TAG molecular species, as demonstrated by HPLC analysis, and contained a mixture of mono-substituted, di-substituted, and non-substituted TAGs. The reaction conditions for transacylation with TAGs and short-chain FAs were optimized to improve transacylation ratios. The introduction ratios of C4:0, C5:0, and C6:0 into trilaurin were increased to 52.4, 42.5, and 34.1%, respectively, by extending the reaction time. Transacylation between TAGs and short-chain FAs was further examined by using Lipase PL. C4:0 was introduced at 51.1%, the same ratio as for Lipozyme RM-IM. When C5:0 and C6:0 were used as the FA substrate, the transacylation ratios obtained were 47.7 and 43.4%, respectively, higher than those for Lipase RM-IM. Lipase PL is therefore useful for introducing short-chain FAs into TAGs.     

Effect of heating orientation on oscillatory thermocapillary flow in liquid bridges

Oscillatory thermocapillary flow in liquid bridges of high Prandtl number fluids is investigated experimentally as well as numerically. Heat loss from the free surface is shown to have significant influence on the onset of oscillations. In the present work the surrounding air flow pattern is changed by heating the liquid bridge from the top or from the bottom. The results show that the local free surface heat transfer rate, especially near the hot wall, has strong effects on the oscillations.     

Theoretical considerations on the sensitivities of electron beam resists

A theoretical study has been carried out in order to explain the sensitivities of electron beam and X-ray resists. A preliminary investigation reveals that the behavior of these resists, on irradiation by high energy radiation, may be considered to be the electronically-excited species in the polymer. To elucidate the chemical reactions in the excited states the adiabatic potential curves are calculated by the INDO/S procedure, which considers all the valence electrons and all the singly excited electronic configurations. Polyethylene and polyisobutylene were chosen as representative of crosslinkable and degradable polymers, respectively, since there is a parallelism between the beam sensitivity of resists and the effects of high energy radiation on polymers. Polyisobutylene has many antibonding curves favorable for the main chain scission in the excited states and polyethylene does not except for one improbable state. It was concluded that degradability is explainable by the ease of bond fission in the excited states; the crosslinkability is considered to be nondegradable property.