From the green bean to the cup of coffee: investigating coffee roasting by on-line monitoring of volatiles

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), emitted from green coffee beans, during coffee roasting and from a cup of coffee, were all analysed by proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry. Firstly, the headspace (HS) of green beans was investigated. Alcohols dominate the HS, but aldehydes, hydrocarbons and organic acids were also abundant. Secondly, we roasted coffee under two different conditions and monitored on-line the VOCs emitted during the process. In a first roasting series, a batch of beans was roasted. After an initial drying phase, dominated by evaporation of water and methanol, the HS concentrations of VOCs such as acetic acid, acetaldehyde, pyridine and methylbutanal rapidly increased and went through a maximum at medium roast level. In a second series, just six beans were roasted. We observed sporadic bursts of some volatiles (furans, butanal, 2,3-pentanedione), coinciding with popping sounds. Other VOCs showed smooth time-intensity profiles (pyridine, pyrazine). These experiments gave a real-time insight into the complex processes taking place during roasting. Finally, the HS of coffee extracts, prepared from beans roasted to different roast levels, were analysed. Most VOCs showed a maximum concentration at medium roast level (e.g. pentanedione, furfural, 5-methyl furfural), while others showed a gradual increase (e.g. pyrrol) or decrease (e.g. methanol).     

The internationalization of the Dutch PTT telecom from a cultural perspective

This paper explores the globalization of the European public telecorn operators (PTO). Technological revolutions, deregulation, privatization and business strategies of multi national corporations (MNC) have dramatically changed the international and domestic telecom sector. PTOs are no longer monopolistic in their domestic markets but have to compete with other companies. In order to adapt on this new and uncertain situation the European PTOs have expanded beyond national markets. To expand strategies of transnationalization and strategic alliances have been used. The process of internationalization has created a dynamic network of cross-border strategic alliances between European, Latin American, Asian and American telecom companies. This paper points to the need of studying the process of internationalization from a cultural perspective. The focus of the study will be to explore the dynamic and complex world of telecommunications within a multi-level framework: the macro, the meso, and the micro level. The international activities of the Dutch PTT Telecom, part of the Royal PTT Nederland NV, provides a unique opportunity for a systematic examination of the internationalization process. At macro level the causes and effects of the turbulence in the telecom sector will be described. At meso level the internationalization strategies of the Dutch PTT Telecom and the cultural differences in the strategic alliance Unisource will be worked out. At micro level it will be examined how employees of the PTT Telecom deal with cultural differences in Indonesia and The Netherlands Antilles.     

Comparison of selected methods for downstream processing in the production of bacterial lipase

Enzymes are of growing interest to the chemical and pharmaceutical industries as highly specific biocatalysts. An obstacle to a large-scale application of such proteins is the expenditure on recovery operations which can amount up to 80% of the total production costs. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate in detail the individual stages of downstream processing in order to obtain high product yields without loss of quality. After a survey of recovery operations and information on some special features of proteins which are relevant to downstream processing, this paper deals with the methods of precipitation, chromatography and foam fractionation. Several results obtained with a real, multicomponent system, namely the supernatant of lipase fermentation, are presented and compared with one another.     

Deprivation selectively modulates brain potentials to food pictures.

Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were used to examine whether the processing of food pictures is selectively modulated by changes in the motivational state of the observer. Sixteen healthy male volunteers were tested twice 1 week apart, either after 24 hr of food deprivation or after normal food intake. ERPs were measured while participants viewed appetitive food pictures as well as standard emotional and neutral control pictures. Results show that the ERPs to food pictures in a hungry, rather than satiated, state were associated with enlarged positive potentials over posterior sensor sites in a time window of 170-310 ms poststimulus. Minimum-norm analysis suggests the enhanced processing of food cues primarily in occipito-temporo-parietal regions. In contrast, processing of standard emotional and neutral pictures was not modulated by food deprivation. Considered from the perspective of motivated attention, the selective change of food cue processing may reflect a state-dependent change in stimulus salience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response of a superconductor to a supercritical current pulse

We investigate the response of a one-dimensional homogeneous superconductor nearT _c if a current larger than the maximum supercurrent is suddenly imposed. We determine the time dependence of the order parameter, the voltage, and the quasiparticle distribution function. The delay time between the switching on of the current and the time when the system becomes normal, which is marked by the appearance of a voltage, is determined. Good agreement with experimental results is found.     

Bestimmung der Schichtdicken an feueraluminiertem Feinblech

Entwicklung eines automatisierfähigen Gerätes (Hydrevometer) zur schnellen Bestimmung der Auflagen an feueraluminiertem Feinblech. Kontinuierliche Messung des Wasserstoffdruckes und des elektrochemischen Potentials während der schichtweisen Auflösung. Seitendifferenzierende Bestimmung der Aluminiumdeckschicht und der Legierungsschicht. Funktionsweise des Gerätes. Ermittelte Standardabweichungen. Einsatzmöglichkeiten.