Influence of molecular character of chitosan on the adsorption of chitosan to oil droplet interfaces in an in vitro digestion model

The relationship between the adsorption of chitosan to oil droplet interfaces (surface adsorption) and the molecular characteristics of the chitosan (molecular weight and charge density) was examined using an in vitro digestion model. This model involved adding different concentrations (3–10 wt%) of oil droplets to a 0.1 wt% chitosan solution at pH 3 to simulate consumption of an oil-containing meal after ingestion of chitosan. The pH was then incrementally raised to investigate pH variations that occur when a food material passes through the human digestive tract at an oil concentration of 3%. The amount of chitosan adsorbed to the oil droplet interface decreased with decreasing molecular weight (MW) and with increasing degree of deacetylation (DDA): ≈132, 85, and 78 g of oil per g of chitosan for MWs of 200, 500 and 750 kDa (all 90% DDA), respectively; and, 47, 65, and 78 g of oil per g of chitosan for DDAs of 40%, 70% and 90% (all 750 kDa), respectively at pH 3. In addition, the extent of droplet aggregation and the nature of the aggregates formed (strong versus weak; large versus small) also depended on chitosan characteristics. The pH dependence of the interaction between anionic oil droplets and cationic chitosan molecules depended on both MW and DDA. Microscope images showed formation of large flocculated structures at pH > 7 except for low DDA chitosan which remained soluble at all pH levels. Our results may have important consequences for understanding the bioactivity of chitosan, and for designing functional food ingredients to reduce lipid digestion and absorption.     

Studies of the spatial distribution of firearms discharge residues

Fingerprint lifting tape has been applied to the lifting of firearms discharge residue from various surfaces. Lifting efficiencies from coarse fabric ranged from 30 to 70%. Use of the technique has been demonstrated in identifying a bullet hole and in measuring residue patterns on floor and firing hand surfaces. In hand lifts it has been shown that autoradiography alone does not uniquely distinguish the hand of someone who has fired a revolver from the hand of someone who has not. Neutron activation analysis of lifts from selected hand areas may, however, provide such a distinction.     

Effects of cobalt doping on the electrical properties of MBE-grown ZnO

We investigated n-conducting Co-doped ZnO epilayers grown by MBE with a cobalt content of nominal 4, 12, and 18 at.% by means of deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and resistivity measurements. We found that in materials grown at the same substrate temperature, 500 °C, the resistivity decreases with the cobalt mole fraction. The free electron concentration accounts for most of the change in the resistivity. The DLTS measurements reveal the presence of a defect center located at E_c−0.5 eV, which is (1) metastable; (2) sensitive to annealing in oxygen-free ambient, and (3) decreasing in density in the samples with higher cobalt content. We therefore assign the center to the isolated oxygen vacancy. Furthermore, our results support the hypothesis that ferromagnetism in ZnO:Co is mediated by Co-oxygen vacancy pairs.     

Three different criteria for the design of two-dimensional zerophase FIR digital filters

An error criterion for the design of FIR filters is proposed. Filters with relatively many free filter coefficients are designed using the Chebyshev, the weighted-least-squares (WLS), and a new partitioned minimax error criterion, and the performance of the filters is compared. A general and fast technique for the WLS design is also presented