• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.486-493
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• 2015

This research focuses on a new softening technology for use with chicken breast and eye of round beef in order to assist elderly individuals who have difficulty with eating due to changes in their ability to chew (masticatory function) or swallow. We investigated the hardness of chicken breast and eye of round beef through use of a texture analyzer after injection of a commercial enzyme. Among 7 commercial enzymes, bromelain and collupulin exhibited a marked softening effect on the tested chicken breast and eye of round beef given a 1.00% enzyme concentration. The hardness of bromelain-treated chicken breast reached 1.4×10⁴ N/m², of collupulin-treated chicken breast reached 3.0×10⁴ N/m², and of bromelain-treated eye of round beef reached 3.2×10⁴ N/m², respectively, while their original shapes did not change. To find the level of tissue degradation with specific enzyme concentrations, enzyme injections at 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.50%, and 1.00% concentration of bromelain and papain were also evaluated. The results of this research could be useful for softening chicken breast and eye of round beef and will contribute to the development of foods that can be more easily eaten as part of a balanced diet for elderly adults.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.441-446
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• 2011

The effects of UV irradiation, as a hormetic stimulus, on the postharvest persimmon fruits (Diospyros kaki cv. Fuyu) were investigated in regards to the change of carotenoid contents and flesh softening, when the UV irradiation was combined with or without the pretreatment of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) as an ethylene action inhibitor. The major carotenoid pigments in persimmon fruits were ${\beta}$-carotene, lycopene and ${\beta}$-cryptoxanthin. Of them, the lycopene was a pigment, which increased markedly after harvest. UV irradiation increased the contents of ${\beta}$-carotene and lycopene, enhancing the skin color to scarlet. The treatment accelerated however also the softening of fruit flesh. But the softening of UV irradiated fruits could be delayed significantly by pretreatment with 1-MCP without reducing the advantageous effect of UV irradiation on the carotenoid increase.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.95-99
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• 1988

The changes of texture, composition of cell wall polysaccharides, polygalacturonase (PG) activity and soaking effect during preserving of persimmon at various tempoeratures were estimated for the purpose of investigating the softening characteristics of persimmon fruit. The softening of persimmon was most promoted at $25^{\circ}C$, where in the higher temperature, at $45^{\circ}C$ it was inhibited. During softening adhesiveness increased, cohesiveness and gumminess decreased. This phenomenon was obvious at $25^{\circ}C$. By soaking in water at $50^{\circ}C,\;70^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes PG activity and softening was inhibited. Ionically associated pectin (IAP) and covalently bounded pectin (CBP) fractionated from crude cell wall of fresh persimmon were respectively degraded about 60% by PG curde enzyme of softened persimmon. And the degraded ratio of polysaccharides composed of pentose and hexose was very similar to that of polyuronide.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.621-630
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• 2019

A woodblock softening process using saltwater was investigated in order to reduce the cracks and distortion caused by the woodblock-making process and to make the woodblock softer and sculpturing easier. Although anatomical studies of woodblocks have been ongoing for years, little work has been done on softening treatments using natural materials. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the change in the physical properties of wood treated with saturated brine and the effect of salt on metal nails found embedded in woodblocks. After boiling for twelve h each in water and saturated brine, the saltwater-boiled specimens have longer drying times than the water-boiled specimens. Further, it was observed that salt particles penetrated the cells in the wood. As a result of exposing the copper and iron nails, which were stuck in each specimen, to a high humidity environment, the weight of the saltwater-boiled specimens increased due to the hygroscopicity of the salt. Corrosion of the nails also occurred. This result is similar to the problem that appears on the edge of a woodblock. In conclusion, it was shown that salt in the wood cells affects the corrosion of metal embedded in the wood.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.317-323
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• 1999

Immature plums(Prunus salicina L.) were coated with edible coatings, calcium-added methyl cellulose(CaMC) and hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose-15(CaHPMC-15). Weight loss and respiration rate of immature plums coated with CaMC and CaHPMC-15 were lower only at the earlier storage period. The titratable acidity of plums was decreased and pH was increased during storage, Soluble pectin, pectinesterase, and polygalacturonase activity as the marker of softening were commonly increased with storage time, but those increases were lower in CaMC and CaHPMC-15-coated plums. Mechanical firmness became significantly soft during storage, while the coated plums were remained harder. As a result of sensory evaluation, softening of plum tissue was found during storage, but the coated plums had the harder texture. These data suggest that the application of CaMC or CaHPMC-15 coatings into immature plums can reduce the postharvest softening during storage.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.164-171
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• 2006

Stress softening behaviors of SBR vulcanizates reinforced with silica or carbon black were studied. Two types of SBR with different 1,2-unit contents of 18 and 60 wt% were used and three filler systems of carbon black and silica with/without silane coupling agent were employed. Stress softening behaviors of the SBR vulcanizates were varied with the SBR types as well as the filler systems. The silica-filled rubber specimens had higher residual strains than the carbon black-filled ones. The residual strains of silica-filled vulcanizates were remarkably reduced by adding a silane coupling agent. The maximum loads at 50% maximum stretch of the carbon black-filled vulcanizates were lower than those of the silica-filled ones. On the contrary, the maximum loads at 200% maximum stretch of the carbon black-filled vulcanizates were higher than those of the silica-filled ones. The maximum loads of the specimens with the 1,2-unit content of 60 wt% are higher than those with the 1,2-unit content of 18 wt% irrespective of the filler systems.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.92-100
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• 1997

Weld repair of ASTM A-470 class 8 high pressure (HP) steam turbine rotor steel has been performed to extend the service life of older fossil units. Microhardness measurements were conducted across the weldment from unaffected base metal (BM) to weld metal (WM). The hardness of the BM was VHN 253, however it dropped up to VHN 227 at the heat affected zone (HAZ) close to unaffected BM for multipass SAW. This area of hardness drop is called "siftening zone" and has a width of 0.5-0.6mm. During creep rupture test, failure occurred around the softening zone and rupture time was 772.4hr at 19Ksi (132 Mpa) and 593.deg. C. Multipass MIG and TIG welding have been employed to reduce the softening zone width. The softening zone width for MIG was 0.3-0.4mm and for TIG was zero-0.4mm depending on heat inputs. However creep rupture time was decreased as softening zone width reduced. Creep rupture time also showed a close relationship with heat inputs in TIG process. The higher heat input, the longer rupture time. Most failure occurred at intercritical HAZ (ICHAZ), however rupture location was shifted to coarse grained HAZ (CGHAZ) as heat input decreased. The rupture surface showed tearing and dimple which indicated transgranular fracture. fracture.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.247-256
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• 2013

The carbonate sands of the Sabkha layer in the Middle East have very low shear strength. Therefore, instant settlement and time-dependent secondary settlement occur when inner voids are exposed, as in the case of particle crushing. We analyzed settlement of the Sabkha layer under a large-scale foundation by hydrotesting, and compared the field test results with the results of laboratory tests. With ongoing particle crushing, we observed the following stress-strain behaviors: strain-hardening (Sabkha GL-1.5 m), strain-perfect (Sabkha GL-7.0 m), and strain-softening (Sabkha GL-7.5 m). General shear failure occurred most frequently in dense sand and firm ground. Although the stress-strain behavior of Sabkha layer carbonate sand that of strain-softening, the particle crushing strength was low compared with the strain-hardening and strain-perfect behaviors. The stress-strain behaviors differ between carbonate sand and quartz sand. If the relative density of quartz sand is increased, the shear strength is also increased. Continuous secondary compression settlement occurred during the hydrotests, after the dissipation of porewater pressure. Particle crushing strength is relatively low in the Sabkha layer and its stress-strain behavior is strain-softening or strain-perfect. The particle crushing effect is dominant factor affecting foundation settlement in the Sabkha layer.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.87-91
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• 2008

It is commonly known that water repellency of the fabric treated with fluorocarbon resin brings about a decrease by the washing and recovers by the subsequent heat treatment. In this article, effect of the water repellency was investigated on the nylon 6, triacetate and silk fabrics treated with hydrocarbon and silicon resins. Hydrocarbon and silicon resins have been widely used in the textile finishing as the softening and water proofing agents. The fabrics were treated with hydrocarbon resins, Paragium JQ and RC (Ohara Paragium Chemical Co.) and a silicon resin, Poron MR (Shinetsu Chemical Co.), and then washed and subsequently heat treated. Although the water repellency increased by the resin treatment, it decreased by the washing apparently and recovered a little by the heat treatment. The effect of the heat treatment was small comparing with that of the fluorocarbon resin. Furthermore, as a mechanical property of the treated fabric, KES shearing and bending hysteresis parameters, modulus and hysteresis width of the hydrocarbon resin-treated nylon 6, triacetate and silk fabrics decreased by the heat treatment after washing. Therefore, the treatment is effective at improving the softening of the fabric in water repellent finish.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.829-844
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• 2015

In the current paper the results of a numerical simulation that were verified by a well instrumented experimental procedure for studying the arching effect over a trapdoor in sand is presented. To simulate this phenomenon with continuum mechanics, the experimental procedure is modeled in ABAQUS code using stress dependent hardening in elastic state and plastic strain dependent frictional hardening-softening with Mohr Coulomb failure criterion applying user sub-routine. The apparatus comprises rectangular trapdoors with different width that can yield downward while stresses and deformations are recorded simultaneously. As the trapdoor starts to yield, the whole soil mass deforms elastically. However, after an immediate specified displacement, depending on the width of the trapdoor, the soil mass behaves plastically. This behavior of sand occurs due to the flow phenomenon and continues until the stress on trapdoor is minimized. Then the failure process develops in sand and the measured stress on the trapdoor shows an ascending trend. This indicates gradual separation of the yielding mass from the whole soil body. Finally, the flow process leads to establish a stable vault of sand called arching mechanism or progressive collapse of the soil body.