The migration of acetaldehyde from polyethylene terephthalate bottles for fresh beverages containing carbonic acid

The migration of acetaldehyde from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) under various conditions was analysed by headspace gas chromatography and flame ionisation detection. The residual amounts of new PET bottles were about 6.3 mg/kg with a migration value of 200 micrograms/l. On studying the migration at different temperatures and times, behaviour curves characteristic of packing materials made from plastics are obtained. The amount of acetaldehyde diffusing from PET at a temperature of 40 degrees C reached a constant level after 4 days which was about 10% of the residual value of acetaldehyde. On increasing the temperature by 20 degrees C, this level was raised up to 50%. The results of the analysis of acetaldehyde in soft drinks containing carbonic acid show that the migration in fact is not sufficiently high to influence the taste of these soft drinks. A negative effect on the taste may be recognized with mineral waters and soda when they are exposed to higher temperatures (e.g. 40 degrees C or more) over a longer period of time.     

Specificity grafting of human antibody frameworks selected from a phage display library: generation of a highly stable humanized anti-CD22 single-chain Fv fragment

A prerequisite for the enrichment of antibodies screened fromphage display libraries is their stable expression on a phageduring multiple selection rounds. Thus, if stringent panningprocedures are employed, selection is simultaneously drivenby antigen affinity, stability and solubility. To take advantageof robust pre-selected scaffolds of such molecules, we graftedsingle-chain Fv (scFv) antibodies, previously isolated froma human phage display library after multiple rounds of in vitropanning on tumor cells, with the specificity of the clinicallyestablished murine monoclonal anti-CD22 antibody RFB4. We showthat a panel of grafted scFvs retained the specificity of themurine monoclonal antibody, bound to the target antigen withhigh affinity (6.4–9.6 nM), and exhibited exceptionalbiophysical stability with retention of 89–93% of theinitial binding activity after 6 days of incubation in humanserum at 37°C. Selection of stable human scaffolds withhigh sequence identity to both the human germline and the rodentframeworks required only a small number of murine residues tobe retained within the human frameworks in order to maintainthe structural integrity of the antigen binding site. We expectthis approach may be applicable for the rapid generation ofhighly stable humanized antibodies with low immunogenic potential. Received June 10, 2003; accepted August 27, 2003.     

直接拉伸试验及Superpave规范系统研究蜡对沥青低温性能的影响

用两种不同分子量的石蜡及一种微晶蜡掺和在沥青中,来研究蜡的性能(如分子量分布、平均分子量等)对沥青低温性能的影响.用Superpave沥青胶结料性能规范系统的BBR、DTT、临界龟裂温度(Tcritical)及玻璃转换温度(Tg)来研究掺有3%或6%蜡的沥青低温性能,低分子量及分子量分布窄的石蜡降低了沥青的DTT破坏应力,同时增加了正割模量(Secant Modulus)及BBR的热应力.微晶蜡对沥青的DTT破坏应力的影响比较少,并且不影响正割模量,但增加了BBR的热应力;但当将不同蜡的沥青混合,即将蜡的分子量分布扩大,则DTT破坏应力略为降低,正割模量不变,而BBR的热应力则减少.换言之,如果将含不同蜡的沥青混合,则蜡对沥青低温性能的影响降低,这会改善含蜡沥青的低温性能,原因可能是蜡的凝结受其分子量所影响,较宽的分子量分布会导致蜡在较宽的温度范围内慢慢凝结,缓和了蜡突然结晶对沥青低温性能的有害反应.     

Consumer acceptance of high-fibre muffins and rusks baked with red palm olein

The acceptance of, preference for and consumption intent for high‐fibre muffins and/or rusks baked with either red palm olein (RPO) or sunflower oil (SFO, as control) were evaluated by two consumer groups of 144 and 67 consumers, respectively, in order to determine the possibility of their successful inclusion as carriers for oils in a subsequent nutrition intervention trial. A five‐point hedonic and food action rating scale was used for sensory evaluation. SFO muffins and rusks scored significantly higher than RPO products on a number of hedonic dimensions and were thus more acceptable to the average consumer. Sensory attributes of SFO and RPO products received high scores by consumers from both groups (≥4.0 on five‐point scale), and consumers intended to eat them often (at least one per day). The RPO products were satisfactory in terms of acceptance and complied with requirements for use in the subsequent nutrition intervention trial.     

Age-dependent phenotypic characteristics of a triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer disease.

The triple-transgenic mouse line (3×Tg-AD) harboring PS1M146V, APPSwe, and taup301L transgenes represents the only transgenic model for Alzheimer's disease (AD) to date capturing both β-amyloid and tau neuropathology. The present study provides an extensive behavioral characterization of the 3×Tg-AD mouse line, evaluating the emergence of noncognitive and cognitive AD-like symptoms at two ages corresponding to the early (6-7 months) and advanced (12-13 months) stages of AD-pathology. Enhanced responsiveness to aversive stimulation was detected in mutant mice at both ages: the 3×Tg-AD genotype enhanced acoustic startle response and facilitated performance in the cued-version of the water maze. These noncognitive phenotypes were accompanied by hyperactivity and reduced locomotor habituation in the open field at the older age. Signs of cognitive aberrations were also detected at both ages, but they were limited to associative learning. The present study suggests that this popular transgenic mouse model of AD has clear phenotypes beyond the cognitive domain, and their potential relationship to the cognitive phenotypes should be further explored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Films from oat spelt arabinoxylan plasticized with glycerol and sorbitol

The development of packaging films based on renewable materials is an important and active area of research today. This is the first extensive study focusing on film‐forming properties of an agrobiomass byproduct, namely, oat spelt arabinoxylan. A plasticizer was needed for cohesive film formation, and glycerol and sorbitol were compared. The tensile properties of the films varied with the type and amount of the polyol. With a 10% (w/w) plasticizer content, the films containing glycerol had higher tensile strength than the films containing sorbitol, but with a 40% plasticizer content, the result was the opposite. Sorbitol‐plasticized films retained their tensile properties better than films with glycerol during 5 months of storage. The films were semicrystalline with similar crystallinity indices of 0.20–0.26. The largest crystallites (9.5 nm) were observed in the film with 40% glycerol. The softening of films with 40% (w/w) glycerol started at a significantly lower relative humidity (RH) than that of the corresponding sorbitol‐containing films. The films with sorbitol also had lower water vapor permeability (WVP) than the films with glycerol. The films plasticized with 10% (w/w) sorbitol had a WVP value of 1.1 g mm/(m²·d·kPa) at the RH gradient of 0/54%. The oxygen permeability of films containing 10% (w/w) glycerol or sorbitol was similar: 3 cm³·μm/(m²·d·kPa) at 50–75% RH. A higher plasticizer content resulted in more permeable films. Permeation of sunflower oil through the films was not detected. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

The trend of reduced hop‐content in Pilsner‐type beer in Germany. A change in taste?

A time series analysis of the development of bitterness units (BU) of a collective of 1,202 Pilsner beer samples analysed between 1983 and 2013 shows a small but statistically significant decline from values of around 30 BU in the 1980s to values of around 27 in the last years. The results confirm a trend to lower hopped Pilsner beers, which could derive from economic pressures on the breweries combined with a lack of regulations, or a change in consumer preference. So–called Pilsner beers with extremely low BU values are judged as a being misleading to the consumer, which is an offence against European food law. Copyright © 2015 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

VisualNeuro: A Hypothesis Formation and Reasoning Application for Multi-Variate Brain Cohort Study Data

We present an application, and its development process, for interactive visual analysis of brain imaging data and clinical measurements. The application targets neuroscientists interested in understanding the correlations between active brain regions and physiological or psychological factors. The application has been developed in a participatory design process and has subsequently been released as the free software ‘VisualNeuro’. From initial observations of the neuroscientists' workflow, we concluded that while existing tools provide powerful analysis options, they lack effective interactive exploration requiring the use of many tools side by side. Consequently, our application has been designed to simplify the workflow combining statistical analysis with interactive visual exploration. The resulting environment comprises parallel coordinates for effective overview and selection, Welch's t-test to filter out brain regions with statistically significant differences and multiple visualizations for comparison between brain regions and clinical parameters. These exploration concepts enable neuroscientists to interactively explore the complex bidirectional interplay between clinical and brain measurements and easily compare different patient groups. A qualitative user study has been performed with three neuroscientists from different domains. The study shows that the developed environment supports simultaneous analysis of more parameters, provides rapid pathways to insights and is an effective tool for hypothesis formation.