Mathematical Modeling of Drying Processes of Selected Fruits and Vegetables

This study investigates the behavior of fruit and vegetable samples during drying. The experimental data are fitted to several different thin-layer drying models. Regression analysis is used to determine model parameters, while statistical indicators serve to evaluate the goodness of fit. The power function model gives the best fit for all examined samples. Based on this model, different drying and heat storage technologies can be combined to ensure that the required residual moisture content of an agricultural product is reached. It is demonstrated on the case of a specific Togolese processing plant that under favorable conditions, fossil fuel consumption can be decreased by 33 %.     

Crossing the Border: From Keto- to Imine Reduction in Short-Chain Dehydrogenases/Reductases

The family of NAD(P)H-dependent short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDRs) comprises numerous biocatalysts capable of C=O or C=C reduction. The highly homologous noroxomaritidine reductase (NR) from Narcissus sp. aff. pseudonarcissus and Zt_SDR from Zephyranthes treatiae, however, are SDRs with an extended imine substrate scope. Comparison with a similar SDR from Asparagus officinalis (Ao_SDR) exhibiting keto-reducing activity, yet negligible imine-reducing capability, and mining the Short-Chain Dehydrogenase/Reductase Engineering Database indicated that NR and Zt_SDR possess a unique active-site composition among SDRs. Adapting the active site of Ao_SDR accordingly improved its imine-reducing capability. By applying the same strategy, an unrelated SDR from Methylobacterium sp. 77 (M77_SDR) with distinct keto-reducing activity was engineered into a promiscuous enzyme with imine-reducing activity, thereby confirming that the ability to reduce imines can be rationally introduced into members of the “classical” SDR enzyme family. Thus, members of the SDR family could be a promising starting point for protein approaches to generate new imine-reducing enzymes.     

Strength of pure alumina ceramics above 1 GPa

Up to now, commercially available alumina ceramics were claimed to have strength between 400 and 550 MPa. However, our study shows strength ~ 2 times higher for commercially available alumina than commonly believed. The average and characteristic strength, measured on 31 pure alumina ceramic discs by ball on three balls (B3B) test, were 1205 ± 93 MPa and 1257 MPa, respectively, with a Weibull modulus of m = 11.8. Tested specimens were in form of discs with a diameter of 5 mm and thickness 0.5 mm. The grain size distribution of the alumina is bimodal with an average grain size of ~ 850 nm measured at the surface. The fracture reveals a mixed transgranular / intergranular failure mode. To avoid incorporation of additional flaws, the discs were tested as sintered. The characteristic flexural strength measured in B3B was recalculated according to Weibull theory for standard 4-point bending bars of size 3 × 4 × 45 mm as bend 856 MPa. The measured strength of nearly 900 MPa shows the potential of strength for high purity alumina ceramics.     

Thermische Anmerkungen zu Zeitkonstanten von Wänden

Zusammenfassung Man erh?lt kompakte Approximationen von Laplace-übergangsfunktionen, wenn die Koeffizienten des Nenners aus den Zeitkonstanten des Systems abgeleitet werden. (üblicherweise führt dies auf das Problem der Nullstellensuche einer transzendenten Funktion.) Es ist bekannt (Gough [1], Stephenson [2]), da? für die meisten W?nde drei Zeitkonstanten ausreichen, um hinreichend genaue übergansfunktionen zu erhalten. Die Taylor-Entwicklung der Kettenmatrix im Laplaceraum wird für beliebige W?nde mit eindimensionalem W?rmestrom mit der Picard'schen Methode berechnet. Für ebene Mehrschichtw?nde ist dafür eine explizite L?sung angegeben. Die ersten N Zeitkonstanten werden n?herungsweise aus der (N+1). Ordnung der Partial-Summe der Taylor-Entwicklung berechnet. Dies wird mit einer generalisierten Pade-Approximation bewerkstelligt, die eine Totzeit enth?lt und direkt auf ein Nennerpolynom führt (ohne transzendente Wurzeln). Die Wurzeln konvergieren geometrisch zu den Eigenwerten mit wachsendem N (die Eigenwerte stellen die reziproken Zeitkonstanten dar). Die Komplexit?t der gesamten Prozedur liegt kaum über derjenigen für ein System mit konzentrierten Parametern der Ordnung N+1. Es werden Beispiele angegeben, um mit den „exakten” Frequenzg?ngen zu vergleichen.     

Pr3+-doped 1.3 μm fibre laser using direct coateddichroic mirrors

A 1.3 μm fibre laser consisting of a 1000 ppm (mol) Pr³⁺ -doped fluoride glass fibre with dichroic mirrors coated onto the fibre endfaces and an Nd-YLF pump laser is presented. The output mirror reflectivity R is calculated to be 50% at the lasing wavelength. Producing a maximum output power of 50 mW. The laser threshold and slope efficiency are 300 mW and 8%, respectively. The theoretically predicted values correspond with the experimental values     

Influence of flupirtine on a G-protein coupled inwardly rectifying potassium current in hippocampal neurones

Zinc deficiency has been associated with growth deficits, reduced dietary intake and appetite, and has been hypothesized to result in reduced activity. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study examined whether 10 mg of oral zinc as zinc sulfate, given daily for up to 7 mo, affected activity patterns of 85 Guatemalan infants recruited at 6-9 mo of age. Infant activity was assessed by time sampling-observation method at 10-min intervals during a 12-h data collection period, at base line, 3 and 7 mo follow-up. Motor development and the percentage of time infants were observed in various positions (being carried, lying down, sitting, crawling, standing or walking) and engaged in various activities (eating, sleeping, resting, crying/whining or playing) were compared by treatment group. No differences in motor development were observed by treatment group. However, at follow-up 2 (after 7 mo of supplementation), zinc-supplemented infants were significantly more frequently observed sitting up compared with lying down, and were playing during 4.18 +/- 1.95% (P < 0.05) more observations than unsupplemented infants. They were also somewhat less likely to be observed crying or whining (P < 0.10) compared with those receiving the placebo. These effects are independent of other factors including infant age, motor development, sex, maternal education, family socioeconomic status and nutritional status at base line. Further research must be conducted to determine the long-term developmental importance of these differences in activity patterns associated with zinc supplementation in this setting.     

The herbicide propachlor--14 C synthesis, toxicologic problems and methodology studies on the determination of residues in corn, potatoes, water and soil

Using the synthesized agent propachlor (N-isopropyl-2-chloroacetanilid) labelled with 14C, methodical investigations revealed an extremely high steam volatility not being assumed before because of the low vapour pressure. The method of steam distillation basing on this fact is of universal application to the processing of maize, potatoes, water, and soil, in which propachlor could be quantitatively determined by gas chromatography with a detection sensitivity of 0.02 ppm. Furthermore, this methods allows a simple purification of the raw product of synthesis containing impurities up to 20%. Propachlor codistilled with steam had a purity of more than 99%. Possibly, the high steam volatility of propachlor could have economic and toxicological consequences as to its application (volatilization in the open air with a high atmospheric humidity along with high temperatures). Therefore, an investigation of the steam volatility in the general screening programme for new agents is to be recommended in addition to the usual investigations of steam pressure.     

Modelling asymmetry in the peripheral auditory system of the lizard

The ears of lizards are highly directional. The directionality is generated by strong acoustical coupling of the eardrums. A simple lumped-parameter model of the ear followed by binaural comparisons has been shown to perform successful phonotaxis in robot implementations. However, such a model will produce localization errors in the form of response bias if the ears are asymmetrical. We have evaluated how large errors are generated by asymmetry using simulations of the ear model in Mathematica 5.2. The study shows that the effect of asymmetry is minimal around the most directional frequency of the ear, but that biases reduce the useful bandwidth of localization. This work was presented in part at the First European Workshop on Artificial Life and Robotics, Vienna, Austria, July 12–13, 2007     

10W continuous-wave monolithically integrated master-oscillator power-amplifier

A semiconductor-based master-oscillator power-amplifier operating at 977 nm is demonstrated to emit more than 10 W continuous wave in a nearly diffraction limited beam with a narrow spectral bandwidth. The device consists of a distributed Bragg reflector laser and a flared amplifier monolithically integrated on a single chip     

Designing the MPC105 PCI bridge/memory controller

The MPC105 peripheral component interconnection bridge/memory controller provides a platform-specification-compliant bridge between Power PC microprocessors and the PCI bus. With it, designers can create systems using peripherals already designed for a variety of standard PC interfaces. This bridge chip also integrates a secondary cache controller and high-performance memory controller that supports DRAM or synchronous DRAM and ROM or flash ROM