Copper Chaperone for Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase is a sensitive biomarker of mild copper deficiency induced by moderately high intakes of zinc

Background  

Small increases in zinc (Zn) consumption above recommended amounts have been shown to reduce copper (Cu) status in experimental animals and humans. Recently, we have reported that copper chaperone for Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (CCS) protein level is increased in tissues of overtly Cu-deficient rats and proposed CCS as a novel biomarker of Cu status.     

Thermal emission: A probe to identify the critical point of the elastoplastic transition

Empirical criteria allow to define a conventional value of the yield stress, often implying overesti mates of dimensions and weight in structural design, due to the need of adopting large safety factors. A method based on ever occurring thermal emission in samples under stress is supplied here to identify the true macroscopic flow stress or point of physical yielding in 38NCD4 steel. This stress physically coincides with the thermoelastic limit, and corresponds to a sudden inversion of the trend of the temperature vs stress characteristic at the bifurcation terminating the thermodynamic branch.     

Low-frequency Raman and Brillouin spectroscopy from graphite, diamond and diamond-like carbons, fullerenes and nanotubes

Inelastic light scattering by acoustic phonons (Brillouin scattering) is a useful tool for probing material properties at the submicrometre scale. In media which are statistically homogeneous at this scale, it gives access to the acoustic properties and the elastic moduli. In nanostructures it probes the vibrational properties at the mesoscopic scale. Applications to carbonaceous materials are reviewed.     

Design of microalgal biomass production in a continuous photobioreactor: An integrated experimental and modeling approach

The industrial production of microalgae in continuous photobioreactors (PBRs) was investigated using an integrated experimental-modeling approach.     

Characteristics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Listeria monocytogenes</Emphasis> isolated from tonsils of slaughtered fattening pigs in Switzerland

Of 504 tonsil samples from slaughtered fattening pigs, 5.6 % were positive for Listeria monocytogenes by culture after enrichment. The 28 L. monocytogenes isolates were analyzed to gain insights into genetic relationships and virulence-associated traits. Of the 28 isolates, 57 % belonged to serotype 1/2a (genetic lineage II), 25 % to serotype 4b (genetic lineage I) and 18 % to serotype 1/2b (genetic lineage I). These serotypes are commonly associated with human listeriosis cases. Multilocus sequence typing assigned the 28 isolates to 16 clonal complexes (CCs) and three singletons, including one new sequence type (ST768). Several of these CCs were also found in strains from human infections. Sequence analysis of the whole internalin A gene (inlA) showed that all but one isolate (CC6/serotype 4b) encoded full-length proteins. Clinical strains from human patients commonly harbor full-length inlA. On the other hand, genes for benzalkonium chloride tolerance were not found and all but one isolate lacked genes for the stress survival islet (SSI-1). Thus, tonsils of slaughtered fattening pigs can be colonized with L. monocytogenes of public health impact. To counteract this threat during slaughter, prevention of contamination of carcasses and the environment is of major importance, in particular adherence to good slaughter hygiene practice. With regard to pig tonsils, special attention must be given to the handling and contamination of head meat and pig tongues.     

Can a structured emulsion (fat in water-fibre system) substitute saturated fat in cookies without hampering their quality?

Replacing fat and saturated fat in baked goods without affecting their quality characteristics is a challenging task. This study evaluated complete and partial substitution of saturated fats (butter and palm oil) by structured emulsions [SE, oil (sunflower) – in – water (fibre-water) emulsion] in cookies by investigating its impact on product quality. Nutritional labelling underlined a drastic reduction in saturated fatty acids [−35% (50% substitution) and −73% (100% substitution)] compared to their conventional counterparts (butter and palm oil). Partial substitution did not markedly affect physicochemical properties, while complete substitution resulted in thinner, harder and darker cookies compared to the controls. Particularly, cookies made with (50:50) structured emulsion – palm oil had the highest sensory scores, and they were perceived as soft, buttery and crunchy. Thus, the use of structured emulsion might be a valuable alternative to develop a potentially healthier product with acceptable sensory properties.     

On the simulation of fast settling charge pump PLLs up to fourth order

In this paper, we discuss three different models for the simulation of integer‐N charge‐pump phase‐locked loops (PLLs), namely the continuous‐time s‐domain and discrete time z‐domain approximations and the exact semi‐analytical time‐domain model. The limitations of the two approximated models are analyzed in terms of error in the computed settling time as a function of loop parameters, deriving practical conditions under which the different models are reliable for fast settling PLLs up to fourth order. Besides, output spectral purity analysis methods based upon the time‐domain model are introduced and the results are compared with those obtained by means of the s‐domain model in terms of phase noise and reference spur estimation. As a case study, we use the three models to analyze a fast switching PLL to be integrated in a frequency synthesizer for WiMedia MB‐OFDM UWB systems. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.