Stabilisierung von Kakaobutterersatzfetten

Stabilization of Cocoa Butter Substitute Fats There is an increasing interest in cocoa butter substitute fats, mainly in cocoa butter exchange fats (also called CBE-cocoa butter equivalent). The industry for chocolates and sweets depends on substitute fats of highest quality. The quality estimation of CBE depends on its stability and mixability with cocoa butter (similarities of physical and chemical properties). The stability of cocoa butter substitute fats can be increased to the level of cocoa butter by the ingrediences as tocopherol and lecithine, admitted in the industry for chocolates.     

The Pupal Parasitoid Trichopria drosophilae Is Attracted to the Same Yeast Volatiles as Its Adult Host

Journal of Chemical Ecology - There is increasing evidence that microorganisms, particularly fungi and bacteria, emit volatile compounds that mediate the foraging behaviour of insects and therefore...     

Mid-IR real-time monitoring of the carbocationic polymerization of isobutylene and styrene

The in-situ monitoring of the living carbocationic polymerization of isobutylene (IB) and styrene (St) with a fiber optic Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) probe in the mid-IR "fingerprint" range is reported here for the first time. Monomer consumption was followed by the disappearance of the C=C stretching for both IB and St, and the C−H bending of the CH₃-group in IB. The formation of polyisobutylene (PIB) was also monitored by tracing the asymmetrical doublet characteristic of C−H bending of the t-butyl groups of the PIB. Conversion measurements by conventional off-line gravimetry correlated well with the new technique. Received: 27 August 1997/Revised version: 2 November 1997/Accepted: 20 November 1997     

Light Spectral Composition Modifies Polyamine Metabolism in Young Wheat Plants

Although light-emitting diode (LED) technology has extended the research on targeted photomorphogenic, physiological, and biochemical responses in plants, there is not enough direct information about how light affects polyamine metabolism. In this study, the effect of three spectral compositions (referred to by their most typical characteristic: blue, red, and the combination of blue and red [pink] lights) on polyamine metabolism was compared to those obtained under white light conditions at the same light intensity. Although light quality induced pronounced differences in plant morphology, pigment contents, and the expression of polyamine metabolism-related genes, endogenous polyamine levels did not differ substantially. When exogenous polyamines were applied, their roborative effect were detected under all light conditions, but these beneficial changes were correlated with an increase in polyamine content and polyamine metabolism-related gene expression only under blue light. The effect of the polyamines on leaf gene expression under red light was the opposite, with a decreasing tendency. Results suggest that light quality may optimize plant growth through the adjustment of polyamine metabolism at the gene expression level. Polyamine treatments induced different strategies in fine-tuning of polyamine metabolism, which were induced for optimal plant growth and development under different spectral compositions.     

Antitumor Effects of Ral-GTPases Downregulation in Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common tumor in the central nervous system in adults. This neoplasia shows a high capacity of growth and spreading to the surrounding brain tissue, hindering its complete surgical resection. Therefore, the finding of new antitumor therapies for GBM treatment is a priority. We have previously described that cyclin D1-CDK4 promotes GBM dissemination through the activation of the small GTPases RalA and RalB. In this paper, we show that RalB GTPase is upregulated in primary GBM cells. We found that the downregulation of Ral GTPases, mainly RalB, prevents the proliferation of primary GBM cells and triggers a senescence-like response. Moreover, downregulation of RalA and RalB reduces the viability of GBM cells growing as tumorspheres, suggesting a possible role of these GTPases in the survival of GBM stem cells. By using mouse subcutaneous xenografts, we have corroborated the role of RalB in GBM growth in vivo. Finally, we have observed that the knockdown of RalB also inhibits cell growth in temozolomide-resistant GBM cells. Overall, our work shows that GBM cells are especially sensitive to Ral-GTPase availability. Therefore, we propose that the inactivation of Ral-GTPases may be a reliable therapeutic approach to prevent GBM progression and recurrence.     

Journal report card

The impact factor is one of the most used scientometric indicators. Its proper and improper uses have been discussed extensively before. It has been criticized extensively, yet it is still here. In this paper I propose the journal report card, which is a set of measures, each with an easily comprehensible meaning that provides a fuller picture of the journals?? standing. The set of measures in the report card include the impact factor, the h-index, number of citations at different points on the ranked list of citations, extent of uncitedness and coverage of the h-core. The report card is computed for two sets of journals, the top-20 journals in JCR 2010 and the top-20 journals in JCR 2010 for the category Information and Library Science.     

One-pot synthesis of gelatin-based,slow-release polymer microparticles containing silver nanoparticles and their application in anti-fouling paint

Gelatinous polymer matrix microparticles containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared by a novel method to obtain quasi non-swelling anti-fouling paint additives with slow-release characteristics. A w/o type dispersion were elaborated with the aqueous phase of gelatin, urea, silver-nitrate and formaldehyde dispersed in linseed oil. Gelatin was cross-linked by formaldehyde, together with urea for limiting the swelling of the product. Silver-nitrate was reduced with the assistance of gelatin and formaldehyde into homogenously dispersed AgNPs. The microparticles and embedded AgNPs were visualized by scanning and transmission electronmicroscopy. Encapsulated AgNPs with ∼18 nm crystallite size were identified by X-ray powder diffraction. Characterization of gelatin–urea–formaldehyde polymer matrices was carried out by attenuated total reflectance FTIR spectroscopy. Silver dissolution from microparticles and paints with AgNP-containing microparticles was measured by inductively coupled plasma spectrometer and resulted in highly sustained release, compared to unmodified gelatin microparticles and paints containing uncapsulated silver salts. A 7-month-long fouling experiment run in natural sweetwater media showed that solvent-based acrylic paint with AgNPs-containing gelatinous microparticles as additives offered resistance against biofouling at low Ag-release ratio.     

Crystallinity and accessibility of fibrous carboxymethylcellulose by pad-roll technology

Statistically designed experiments have been made on partially carboxymethylated cotton fabric. The effect of the reaction parameters (concentration of sodium hydroxide and mono-chioroacetic acid and period of time) on the crystallinity (measured by x-ray diffraction), on the iodine sorption and on the disorder of amorphous fraction (calculated from iodine sorption capacity) are presented by polynomial models. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.