Selective removal of fat from acid whey during whey protein concentrate manufacture : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Technology in Food Technology

The purpose of this study was to develop a low cost technology for selective removal of lipids from acid whey during whey protein concentrate manufacture Attention was focused on gaining a better understanding of the structure and composition of the lipids in whey and ultrafiltration retentate The effects of varying dilutions, pH, salt concentration, temperature and holding time on the flocculation of lipids in the whey and retentate were investigated The composition and structure of lipids in acid whey and retentate were determined by ultracentrifugation, compositional analysis, integrated light scattering and confocal scanning laser microscopy (CLSM) techniques. Acid whey contained ~ 0.034% lipids The size of the milk fat globules (MFG) in whey varied from 0.1 and 10 μm. with the majority of the globules < 1 μm in diameter The retentate contained ~ 0.36% lipids The size of the MFG in the retentate ranged between 0.1 and 20 μm. generally larger than the MFG in the acid whey Investigation into the removal of lipids from acid whey revealed that flocculation of MFG in the acid whey occurred at temperatures between 40 and 50°C and at pH values from 5.8 to 7.0. It was observed that under these conditions, high-density lipid containing flocculent/precipitates was formed, which subsequently sedimented upon centrifugation (at 1126/g for 10 min) The MFG removed in the flocculent/precipitate appears to be either part of a calcium-MFG complex or MFG entrapped by precipitation of calcium precipitate Examination of the effects of physiochemical factors on the flocculation of MFG in between the retentate revealed that flocculation occurred upon dilution and at pH values between 4.5 and 4.7. It was found that at increasing dilutions, there was an increase in the removal of MFG and in the retention of protein in the supernatant. At retentate dilution of 1:6, the majority of the MFG was removed and a majority of protein was retained in the supernatant Flocculation of MFG in the diluted retentate was influenced by ionic strength (at Low pH values) of the system. This flocculation is thought to result from the hydrophobic association of proteins of MFGM, aggregates of serum proteins, lipoprotein complexes or individual denatured serum proteins Low fat whey protein concentrate powder (WPC) was produced on a pilot-scale plant using the process conditions determined at the laboratory scale to remove MFG from acid whey retentate. The resulting product contained ~ 1% fat. considerably less than the normal commercial WPC On a dry basis the protein content was ~ 96% as compared to ~ 85% in the commercial WPC Examination of the functionality of the low fat WPC revealed the heat-induced gels formed from 15% WPC were more elastic, had better water holding capacity, and were more "gelatinous" in nature Their gelation properties were markedly superior to the commercial WPCs currently manufactured Based on the results of this study, recommendations are made on possible areas of process improvement and development opportunities

Why the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum needs reform

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 32).The addition of a systems engineering concentration through the MIT Mechanical Engineering Alternative (course 2A) curriculum will be shown to have the potential to increase the number of engineering degrees in comparison to non-engineering degrees, to better prepare MIT engineering graduates, and to increase the percentage of graduates that pursue careers in engineering rather than finance and consulting. Original data was collected from Careerbridge and used along with existing information available through the registrar and careers office to provide a quantitative breakdown of the trends in Mechanical Engineering department enrollment, degrees awarded, and skills demanded of graduating alumni. These results are used to suggest that the number of MIT Mechanical Engineering graduates can increase by recognizing the existence of a type of engineer defined as the Systems Engineer. Systems Engineers are currently switching out of engineering into business, finance and consulting, and this can be corrected through a concentration in 2A similar to an existing program called the Gordon Engineering Leadership Program.by Arron Acosta.S.B

Improving reading compliance with whole class qualitative quiz questions

“Have you done your reading?” If you are a teaching academic that always gets positive responses to this question then you are in a very fortunate (or talented) minority. This small case study draws on existing research into why students do not read and evaluations of strategies designed to combat this phenomenon. It reflects on an ad hoc trial of randomly targeted quiz questions to two seminar groups of first year undergraduates within the Business Faculty. The trial spanned seven weeks and sought to improve previously poor levels of reading compliance. The study found that, within a short period, the technique employed significantly increased levels of reading compliance measured across the whole group through qualitative comprehension questions

Arabophobia and Arab-Conscious Hip-Hop

Designation of Arabs as the quintessential Other in America is considered in response to events witnessed on September 11, 2001. Cowardly, menacing, violent – are words used to describe 9/11. American popular culture, not surprisingly, has used the same words to describe Arabs for decades. American popular culture has always undermined Arabs’ existence. Distorted images of Arabs have become a part of the American visual psyche, influencing education, politics and policies. Therefore 9/11 to an extent provided the framework for systemic discrimination against Arabs and those assumed to be Arabs. My essay advances a definition of Arabophobia, calling for differentiation between racial discrimination and religious discrimination, i.e., Arabophobia and Islamophobia. Arab hip-hop artists in response to criminalisation of Arabs and wars in the Middle East, I argue, have taken up a quintessential American medium to enter the popular discourse surrounding Arabs and counter the dominant narrative dictating Arab lives. Arab-conscious hip-hop is the actualisation of a cultural protest by Arabs for better representation. Instead of being portrayed by apathetic popular culture, Arab artists challenge the same culture and create conditions and possibilities for social change. Arab-conscious hip-hop counters Arab stereotypes with potential to educate audiences and (re)construct the Arab identity. In the essay I discuss the song “P.H.A.T.W.A.” by The Narcicyst. Elements of the song I present reconstructs the Arab identity by reclaiming symbols of discrimination, the same way African Americans did with hip-hop in the 80’s, and berating American for using 9/11 as an excuse for fascist wars and institutional discrimination. The Narcicyst, through “P.H.A.T.W.A.,” creates a sense of consciousness for socio-political transformation

Safety and efficacy of vismodegib in patients aged ≥65 years with advanced basal cell carcinoma.

Because many patients with unresectable basal cell carcinoma (BCC) are aged ≥65 years, this study explores the efficacy and safety of vismodegib in these patients with locally advanced (la) or metastatic (m) basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in the ERIVANCE BCC trial and the expanded access study (EAS).We compared patients aged ≥65 years to patients aged &lt;65 years taking vismodegib 150 mg/day, using descriptive statistics for response and safety. Patients aged ≥65 years (laBCC/mBCC) were enrolled in ERIVANCE BCC (33/14) and EAS (27/26). Investigator-assessed best overall response rate in patients ≥65 and &lt;65 years was 46.7%/35.7% and 72.7%/52.6% (laBCC/mBCC), respectively, in ERIVANCE BCC and 45.8%/33.3% and 46.9%/28.6%, respectively, in EAS. These differences were not clinically meaningful. Safety was similar in both groups, although those aged ≥65 years had a higher percentage of grade 3-5 adverse events than those aged &lt;65 years. Vismodegib demonstrated similar clinical activity and adverse events regardless of age

Transcriptional landscape of epithelial and immune cell populations revealed through FACS-seq of healthy human skin.

Human skin consists of multiple cell types, including epithelial, immune, and stromal cells. Transcriptomic analyses have previously been performed from bulk skin samples or from epithelial and immune cells expanded in cell culture. However, transcriptomic analysis of bulk skin tends to drown out expression signals from relatively rare cells while cell culture methods may significantly alter cellular phenotypes and gene expression profiles. To identify distinct transcriptomic profiles of multiple cell populations without substantially altering cell phenotypes, we employed a fluorescence activated cell sorting method to isolate keratinocytes, dendritic cells, CD4+ T effector cells, and CD8+ T effector cells from healthy skin samples, followed by RNA-seq of each cell population. Principal components analysis revealed distinct clustering of cell types across samples, while differential expression and coexpression network analyses revealed transcriptional profiles of individual cell populations distinct from bulk skin, most strikingly in the least abundant CD8+ T effector population. Our work provides a high resolution view of cutaneous cellular gene expression and suggests that transcriptomic profiling of bulk skin may inadequately capture the contribution of less abundant cell types