Influence of anthocyanins and derivative pigments from blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) extracts on MPP intestinal uptake: A structure–activity approach

The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of an anthocyanin extract (extract I), and two other derivative extracts (extracts II and III), which are being developed aiming to be further applied in the food industry, on intestinal uptake of organic cations. For this purpose, the effect of these compounds on ³H-MPP⁺ uptake was evaluated in Caco-2 cells (an enterocyte-like cell line derived from a human colonic adenocarcinoma).     

Micropower impulse radar

Invented and developed at LLNL (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), this inexpensive and highly sensitive radar system produces and samples extremely short pulses of energy. This novel technology is finding dozens of new uses in Laboratory programs and in sensor devices for homes, automobiles, factories, and hospitals. We have invented and patented a fundamentally different type of compact, low-power radar system called micropower impulse radar (MIR), which is orders of magnitude less expensive to produce than other conventional radars. Unlike conventional radar, which sends out continuous waves in bursts, MIR uses very short electromagnetic pulses and can detect objects at much shorter range. The new technology has become LLNL's fastest growing technology transfer activity primarily because of its low cost and extraordinary range of applications     

1,3‐Dimethoxybenzene,a newly identified component of port wine

1,3‐Dimethoxybenzene was identified by GC–O, GC–MS and Kovats indices (polar Supelcowax, 1709; non‐polar Rtx‐5MS, 1158) as a new volatile component of port wine. Sensory evaluation described this compound as having a sweet medicinal odour with hazelnut, resinous and woody notes. Respective threshold limits in model wine and port wine were 21 and 47 µg l^?1. Quantitative analysis by GC–MS, using a selected characteristic ion (m/z 138), indicated that young port wines from the 1998 vintage contained up to 3 µg l^?1 whereas ports from the 1999 vintage contained up to 20 µg l^?1. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Assessment of personal hygiene and practices of food handlers in municipal public schools of Natal,Brazil

The aim of this study was to assess the hygiene practices of food handlers in municipal schools of Natal, Brazil, where 27 public schools were evaluated, using a checklist and microbiological analysis of hands. It was found that 74.1% of the handlers did not receive periodic training, 51.9% did not undergo annual health examinations and 100% did not practice proper hand hygiene, a situation that reflected significantly (p < 0.05) in hand contamination, in which fecal coliforms were detected on 55.6% of the hands analyzed. It was concluded that the schools studied did not have appropriate hygienic conditions, suggesting the need for interventions that ensure the quality of school food served to the children.     

Spin-wave Theory for the Magnetic Damping in Microwave Nano-Oscillators

Here we present a calculation for the linewidth of the spin-wave that is generated when a spin valve nanostructure is traversed by a high-density spin-polarized direct current. In this case, the magnetization excitations are considered to be standing spin-wave modes interacting through the four-magnon processes. We obtain an analytic expression for the effective nonlinear dissipation rate of a magnetic spin-torque nano-oscillator, taking into account a nonlinear phenomenological model of magnetic dissipation and the natural nonlinear contributions due to the demagnetizing fields. The calculation is applied for the general case of the external magnetic field applied in an arbitrary direction.     

Easy mass spectrometry for metabolomics and quality control of vegetable and animal fats

Easy ambient sonic spray ionization (EASI), a novel desorption/ionization technique for ambient mass spectrometry analysis, is shown to permit the characterization of different types of vegetable and animal fats. The taxonomic markers of the oils, mainly fatty acids and phenols, are extracted with methanol/water (1:1) solution and made alkaline with NH₄OH, then placed and dried on the surface of a glass tip and directly analyzed by EASI‐MS in the negative‐ion mode. EASI provides a supersonic cloud of charged droplets that causes efficient desorption and ionization of the oil markers directly from the surface of the glass tip. As proof‐of‐principle cases, EASI(?)‐MS was applied to genuine samples of olive oil, hazelnut oil, soybean oil, grape seed oil, canola oil, butter, and lard. Characteristic metabolomics EASI(?)‐MS profiles of fatty acids and eventually phenols were obtained.     

Selection of fuel cladding material for nuclear fission reactors

The growing understanding of the link between carbon emissions and global warming has been promoting a discussion on the environmental and safety viability of nuclear power generation. Current open fuel cycle reactors, however, result in low energy efficiency and produce large volumes of nuclear waste. More advanced nuclear reactors, which are currently under investigation, are expected to allow more efficient and safer use of nuclear energy. In all these cases, the fuel cladding is the most important safety barrier in fission nuclear reactors, as it restrains most of the radioactive fission products within its volume. The selection of fuel cladding material is based on many design constraints, such as neutron absorption cross section, service temperature, mechanical strength, toughness, neutron radiation resistance, thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, and chemical compatibility. The present paper reviews the selection of nuclear fuel cladding materials since the early reactors, illustrating some of the main failure modes and briefly discussing the challenges facing the development of fuel cladding materials for generation IV reactors.     

Use of Booster Sheds to Improve Performance of 800 kV Multicone Type Insulators Under Heavy Rain

Studies based on AC high voltage tests have been done at Cepel to investigate the performance of 800 kV bushar insulators under heavy wetting conditions. Insulators were tested which are now used on si...     

Bleaching and photodegradation of textile dyes by H2O2 and solar or ultraviolet radiation

The photooxidation of textile dyes Yellow Procion H-4R, Bright Blue Remazol (blue reagent-19), Red Procion H-E7B, and the mixture of the two last dyes were investigated. The efficiency of photooxidation were compared using hydrogen peroxide (30%) as a bleaching reagent, solar and ultraviolet radiation, common glass borosilicate, quartz assay tubes, and no solid catalysts. The colour of blue dye and a mixture of blue and red dyes were almost completely removed after 3 h, either by solar or ultraviolet radiation. The best results of colour removal (93%) for the red and yellow dyestuffs were obtained only after 6 h, using quartz tubes, hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet radiation. Using non-parametrical statistical tests (χ²), the treatment showed significant differences among the processes investigated (P<0.01).