Cochin University of Science and Technology

About: Cochin University of Science and Technology is a education organization based out in Kochi, Kerala, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Thin film & Natural rubber. The organization has 5382 authors who have published 7690 publications receiving 103827 citations. The organization is also known as: CUSAT & Cochin University.

Consequences of chemical deacetylation on physicochemical, structural and functional characteristics of chitosan extracted from deep-sea mud shrimp

Abstract: Extraction of chitosan from deep-sea mud shrimp (Solenocera hextii) shell waste was conducted using a chemical method by altering the deacetylation times. The degree of deacetylation of extracted chitosan were 75.5 ± 0.36, 85 ± 0.38 and 87± 0.32 %, and the molecular weights were 263.95±1.16, 52.61± 0.44, and 5.15± 0.14 kDa respectively for CH-1.5, CH-3, and CH-6. Deacetylation time significantly influenced the structure and physicochemical properties of chitosan. SEM results exposed smooth granular surface structure and XRD peaks obtained were identical with commercial chitosan. Deacetylation time for CH-3 was found optimum for commercial extraction of this natural biopolymer resource. Water binding and fat binding capacities of the extracted deep-sea mud shrimp chitosan were significantly higher than commercial chitosan from coastal shrimp and are suitable for many functional food applications.

Holographic equipartition and the maximization of entropy

Abstract: \begin{} The accelerated expansion of the universe can be interpreted as a tendency to satisfy the holographic equipartition. It can be expressed by a simple law, $\Delta V = \Delta t\left(N_{surf}-\epsilon N_{bulk}\right),$ where $V$ is the Hubble volume in Plank units, $t$ is the cosmic time plank units and $N_{surf/bulk}$ is the degrees of freedom on the horizon/bulk of the universe. We show that this holographic equipartition law effectively implies the maximization of entropy. In the cosmological context, a system that obeys the holographic equipartition law behaves as an ordinary macroscopic system that proceeds to an equilibrium state of maximum entropy. We consider the standard $\Lambda$CDM model of the universe and have shown that it is consistent with the holographic equipartition law. Analyzing the entropy evolution we find that it also proceeds to an equilibrium state of maximum entropy.