Recycling of Aqueous Supernatants in Soybean Oleosome Isolation

Oleosome extractions from soybean flour typically generate significant quantities of aqueous sucrose- and sodium chloride-rich supernatant which could be recycled. To determine the feasibility of recycling the oleosome process aqueous supernatants, three extraction protocols were evaluated. The first extraction used the original extraction solution, 0.1 M fresh potassium acetate pH 4.6 containing 0.4 M sucrose and 0.5 M NaCl. The second protocol reused the aqueous supernatant obtained from the first extraction. The third protocol reused the aqueous supernatant obtained from the second protocol. Oleosome extraction yields were significantly higher in the first extraction with enzymes (Multifect^® Pectinase FE, Multifect^® GC, and Multifect^® CX B, 1% each, v/w) compared to the yield when the supernatant was reused with no additional enzymes (81.41 ± 2.24 vs. 73.09 ± 3.39%, respectively). Oil yields from oleosome fractions were not statistically different when extractions were made with 0 or 3% enzymes in the third protocol. Protein was the predominant constituent in the supernatant in addition to mineral and carbohydrate. Soybean storage protein profile from recycled supernatants obtained without adding enzyme were similar to a traditional soy protein water extract but with a decrease of intensity of the β-conglycinin bands. Addition of 3% enzymes in both recycling protocols resulted in the disappearance of the α′ and α subunits of the β-conglycinin due to a protease contaminant in Multifect^® Pectinase FE. Results from this work revealed essential information for a promising possibility of the future industrial application of this technology.     

Nonlinear buckling analysis of vertical wafer probe technology

Due to the demand of the industry for an increase of the number of I/Os, while decreasing the die size, the bond pads had to shrink and design restrictions for the active structures underneath had to fall. This leads to new challenges for the electrical probing and the mechanical robustness of the under-pad structures. This paper presents analytical and numerical simulation approaches for predicting the force/travel relation of buckling beam-probes that are used for testing the electrical functionality of back-end-of-line (BEOL) interconnect system underneath a chip pad. For this purpose we investigate, first, in a closed-form manner, the elastic stability of the probe needle according to the large deflection theory of buckled bars. Second, we determine, for a specific geometry of the beam, the probe forces as functions of the probe card overdrive by using the closed-form methods as well as finite-element simulations. The results are finally compared to that obtained in (probe card) experiments.     

In vivo Quantum‐Dot Toxicity Assessment

Quantum dots have potential in biomedical applications, but concerns persist about their safety. Most toxicology data is derived from in vitro studies and may not reflect in vivo responses. Here, an initial systematic animal toxicity study of CdSe–ZnS core–shell quantum dots in healthy Sprague–Dawley rats is presented. Biodistribution, animal survival, animal mass, hematology, clinical biochemistry, and organ histology are characterized at different concentrations (2.5–15.0 nmol) over short‐term (<7 days) and long‐term (>80 days) periods. The results show that the quantum dot formulations do not cause appreciable toxicity even after their breakdown in vivo over time. To generalize the toxicity of quantum dots in vivo, further investigations are still required. Some of these investigations include the evaluation of quantum dot composition (e.g., PbS versus CdS), surface chemistry (e.g., functionalization with amines versus carboxylic acids), size (e.g., 2 versus 6 nm), and shape (e.g., spheres versus rods), as well as the effect of contaminants and their byproducts on biodistribution behavior and toxicity. Combining the results from all of these studies will eventually lead to a conclusion regarding the issue of quantum dot toxicity.     

Undergraduate electromagnetics laboratory: An invaluable part ofthe learning process

A newly developed pair of undergraduate courses in applied electromagnetics (EM) has succeeded in transforming student attitudes towards EM from dread and avoidance to acceptance and appreciation. One concrete measure of this change is in the enrolment figures in follow-up courses in microwave circuits and microwave propagation-within one year, the enrolments have doubled in one of them and just about tripled in the other one. The new EM courses incorporate an integrative approach towards teaching EM phenomena; this includes a new text, a large number of class demonstrations, and a laboratory component consisting of nine laboratory exercises and a final team project. This paper focuses on design and content of the instructional laboratory and learning contribution it provides     

Methods for detecting errors in numerically controlled machining ofsculptured surfaces

The numerically controlled (NC) machining of sculptured surfaces is an error-prone process often requiring several attempts before an error-free NC program is produced. A technique designed to move the NC proof process into software is described. The system outputs a color-coded graphics display of the machined surface that shows out-of-tolerance areas. To gain efficiency, surface curvature and cutting-tool size are used as inputs to a surface discretization algorithm, which guarantees that a user-defined level of simulation accuracy is achieved. The simulation time grows linearly in both desired accuracy and in the number of tool movements. In typical test cases, NC programs for complex automotive body panels were simulated and verified in CPU times that ranged between 5 and 30 minutes     

Deriving physical design constraints from functional topologies

An idealized microworld is defined, amenable to a well-posed statement of the design problem. Within this idealization, mathematical constraints on the distribution of material properties are derived, based on the functional characteristics required for satisfaction of specified design requirements. The design requirements derive from a dynamic synthesis process, considering the energetic behavior required by the original design specification. Design primitives derived include both normal and degenerate forms of inductances, capacitances, and conductances. The constraints are viewed as a semantic basis for the primitives, rigorously voicing their design function. Function is defined as the controlled application of power. A sketch of an automatic design process based on this system is given, and an example design problem is worked, both to illustrate the process and to highlight directions for future work.     

Multiple sexual partners and their psychosocial correlates: The population-based AIDS in Multiethnic Neighborhoods (AMEN) Study.

In this study we examined multiple partners in a household probability sample of heterosexuals. Thirty-seven percent reported 2 or more partners in the past year, and 6% reported 5 or more partners. Significant interactions among gender, ethnicity, and relationship status revealed complex relations. African American men without a primary partner were the most likely to have multiple partners; ethnic minority women with primary partners were the least likely. Psychosocial factors associated with multiple partners were examined with the AIDS Risk Reduction Model (ARRM). Situational factors influenced how ARRM variables related to multiple partners. Perceived risk, commitment to monogamy, and communication were all important correlates. Prevention efforts must focus on increasing awareness of the risks of heterosexual transmission of HIV for people in dating relationships and on strengthening sexual communication skills with new partners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Placement and routing tools for the Triptych FPGA

Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are becoming an increasingly important implementation medium for digital logic. One of the most important keys to using FPGAs effectively is a complete, automated software system for mapping onto the FPGA architecture. Unfortunately, many of the tools necessary require different techniques than traditional circuit implementation options, and these techniques are often developed specifically for only a single FPGA architecture. In this paper we describe automatic mapping tools for Triptych, an FPGA architecture with improved logic density and performance over commercial FPGAs. These tools include a simulated-annealing placement algorithm that handles the routability issues of fine-grained FPGAs, and an architecture-adaptive routing algorithm that can easily be retargeted to other FPGAs. We also describe extensions to these algorithms for mapping asynchronous circuits to Montage, the first FPGA architecture to completely support asynchronous and synchronous interface applications     

The Triptych FPGA architecture

Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are an important implementation medium for digital logic. Unfortunately, they currently suffer from poor silicon area utilization due to routing constraints. In this paper we present Triptych, an FPGA architecture designed to achieve improved logic density with competitive performance. This is done by allowing a per-mapping tradeoff between logic and routing resources, and with a routing scheme designed to match the structure of typical circuits. We show that, using manual placement, this architecture yields a logic density improvement of up to a factor of 3.5 over commercial FPGAs, with comparable performance. We also describe Montage, the first FPGA architecture to fully support asynchronous and synchronous interface circuits