Microwave time domain reflectometry

A new time domain reflectometry algorithm is presented. It is intended for identification of the impedance profile of the non-uniform lossless transmission line. Experimental results are presented to illustrate the validity of this new technique.     

Gelatinisation Characteristics and Enzyme Susceptibility of Different Types of Barley Starch in the Temperature Range 48–72°C1

The gelatinisation temperatures, pasting characteristics and enzymic susceptibilities in the temperature range 48–72°C of normal, high amylose, low amylose and zero amylose barley starches were determined. Normal starches had the lowest gelatinisation temperatures, but low and zero amylose starches had the lowest pasting temperatures. Normal starches were the most readily soluble in water at 48–60°C in the presence of a mixture of α‐amylase, β‐amylase and limit dextrinase and were most readily broken down to reducing sugars by these enzymes. High amylose starch was the most resistant to enzymic hydrolysis in the temperature range 48–72°C and, hence, produced the lowest level of reducing sugars.     

A new method of determination of the permeability of vapors of volatile liquid substances through polymer membranes

A new apparatus for the determination of vapor permeability of volatile liquid substances through polymer membranes has been described. The permeability of the vapor is calculated from the measurements of the depression rate of the liquid meniscus in a calibrated capillary tube. The conditions of the measurements by means of the described method are very close to those of the average and practical application of foils. The method is characterized by a simple design of the apparatus, easy handling, and simplicity of the determinations, so it may constitute the basis of vapor permeability determination standards. The results obtained by means of the described method were compared with those derived from the partition cell method.     

Genetic and environmental impact on protein profiles in barley and malt

Canadian barleys have higher protein content and better protein modification than Australian barleys. Protein and protein modification was investigated in two Australian and two Canadian barley varieties under different levels of nitrogen fertilisation. Mass spectrometry was used to analyse protein profiles in grain and malt to assess how genetic and environmental factors modified the proteins in grain and malt. The differences in grain protein between the Australian and Canadian varieties were mainly in the high molecular weight proteins, less in water soluble proteins and rarely in salt‐soluble proteins, while malt protein variations were observed in all three groups. Generally, Canadian varieties contained more proteins in grain, but less water soluble and salt soluble proteins in malt. Monitoring the protein modification during the malting indicated that more proteins were digested in Canadian varieties. Genetic factors were dominant for protein variation, although environment also affected the protein composition. Barley varieties growing in Canada generally contained slightly higher protein content, and nitrogen fertiliser influenced proteins in grain that ranged from 43,000 to 47,000 Da. The protein pattern of high fermentability and lower fermentability varieties mainly varied from 30,000 to 40,000 Da. © 2018 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

Elimination of microcystins by water treatment processes-examples from Sulejow Reservoir, Poland

Eutrophication is a serious problem in Polish freshwaters. Mass occurrences of toxic cyanobacteria in reservoirs cause problems in the production of safe drinking water and the diversity of produced toxins complicates monitoring of freshwaters. The aim of this study was to estimate the efficiency of water treatment processes in the removal of microcystins (MCs), cyanobacterial hepatotoxins. Elimination of microcystins was studied at two waterworks, which supply drinking water to the city of Lodz from Sulejow Reservoir. The consecutive steps of pre-oxidation, coagulation, sand filtration, ozonation and chlorination used in the water treatment showed effective elimination of microcystins in water from Sulejow Reservoir in 2002 and 2003. The highest total concentration of microcystin (variants MC-RR, MC-YR, MC-LR) amounted to 6.7 microgl(-1) in raw water and was detected on the 13th of August 2002. In 2003 the water utility decided to increase the contribution of ground water in the production of drinking water. This resulted in a decrease of microcystin in water during and after the treatment process. The current management strategy of the waterworks company includes mixing of surface water and ground water, which reduces the hazards caused by toxic cyanobacterial blooms in the reservoir.     

Evaluation of results of simplified determination methods of polymer membrane permeability to vapors

The permeability coefficients for some selected systems comprising a polymer membrane and organic vapors were measured by means of simplified methods. The aim was to evaluate the suitability of these methods for permeability determination of polymer membranes under average conditions of use. The results obtained by various methods were compared and analyzed taking into account permeation models associated with different apparatus and operation principles as well as different measuring conditions. For similar mass transfer models, permeability coefficient values of the same order and close accuracy of the measurement were obtained.     

High‐order sensitivity invariants

The aim of the research reported in this paper is to extend the notion of invariant sensitivity sum, widely known for electrical networks, from first‐order sensitivities to high‐order sensitivities. The results are high‐order invariant sums of sensitivities of the first and the second kind, formulated for nonlinear lumped circuit, which consists of one‐port and two‐ports only. One‐ports are generalized resistances, capacitances, inductances, voltages, and current sources, whereas two‐ports are nonlinear generalizations of four types of controlled sources. It is observed that the invariant sums actually found for nonlinear lumped networks are generalizations of sums given earlier by authors for linear lumped networks. The article is illustrated by numerical sensitivity analysis of simple linear and nonlinear circuits. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isolation,structural features and rheological properties of water‐extractable β‐glucans from different Greek barley cultivars

β‐Glucans were isolated from six Greek barley cultivars (Persefoni, Kos, Thessaloniki, Athinaida, Dimitra and Triptolemos) by water extraction at 47 °C, enzymatic removal of starch and protein and subsequent precipitation of the water‐soluble β‐glucans with 37% (w/v) ammonium sulfate saturation. The purity of barley β‐glucans was high (>93% dry basis) with some small contamination by protein (<3.84%). The molecular size of the β‐glucan isolates was determined by high‐performance size‐exclusion chromatography (HPSEC); the weight‐average molecular weights and the intrinsic viscosities ranged between 0.45 × 10⁶ and 1.32 × 10⁶ and 2.77 and 4.11 dl g^?1, respectively. Structural features of barley β‐glucans were revealed by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography (HPAEC) of the oligomers released by the hydrolytic action of lichenase. Lichenase degradation showed that β‐glucans from all barley cultivars consisted of blocks of cellotriosyl and cellotetraosyl units, accounting for 90.6–92.3% of the total oligomers released, with a molar proportion of these units between 2.31 and 2.77. Rheological measurements of aqueous solutions/dispersions of β‐glucans showed the behaviour of non‐interacting polysaccharides and a transition from the typical viscoelastic response to gel‐like properties after a time period that depended on the molecular size of the polysaccharide. The lowest molecular size β‐glucans from the Triptolemos cultivar showed shorter gelation times than their higher molecular weight counterparts. The effect of sugar incorporation (glucose, fructose, sucrose, xylose and ribose), at a concentration of 30% (w/v), to the β‐glucans gels (6% w/v) on compression parameters seemed to be related to the type of sugar used; the pentose sugars substantially reduced gel firming. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Structural characteristics and rheological properties of locust bean galactomannans: a comparison of samples from different carob tree populations

Water‐soluble galactomannans were isolated from the seeds of 12 carob tree populations grown in different regions of southern Greece. Their structures, molecular weight distributions and rheological properties were examined. The intrinsic viscosity values and estimated average molecular weights varied in the ranges 8.15–13.02 dl g⁻¹ and (2.3–3.9) × 10⁶ respectively. Molecular sieve chromatography showed large variations in the molecular size distributions. The Manp/Galp ratio varied between 3.08 and 3.82, as determined by GC analysis of the alditol acetate derivatives of the monomeric constituents. There were also differences in the relative distribution of the free (Manp‐Manp), monosubstituted (Manp‐Manp(Galp)) and disubstituted (Manp(Galp)‐Manp(Galp)) dyads of β‐(1→4)‐mannose, as revealed by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy of the native polysaccharides. The pseudoplastic behaviour of galactomannan solutions (10–20 g l⁻¹) was confirmed by steady shear and dynamic rheological tests. Aqueous galactomannan (5 g l⁻¹)–xanthan gum (5 g l⁻¹) mixed systems gave gels on cooling (G′ ≫ G″). Galactomannans with high limiting viscosities, high Manp/Galp ratios and a low proportion of the Manp(Galp)‐Manp(Galp) dyad yielded the strongest mixed gel network structures with xanthan, implying that interchain associations between the two polymers occur via the unsubstituted segments (‘smooth regions’) of the carob galactomannan chains. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry