Impacts of fat from ruminants' meat on cardiovascular health and possible strategies to alter its lipid composition

In the last few decades there has been increased consumer interest in the fatty acid (FA) composition of ruminant meat due to its content of saturated FAs, which have been implicated in diseases associated with modern life. However, recent studies have questioned the recommendations to reduce intake of fat, saturated FAs and cholesterol as a means of reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Interestingly, ruminant meat has some bioactive lipids such as C18:1t11 and C18:2 c9, t11 which have been reported to have positive effects on human health. In order to improve muscle fat composition from a human health standpoint, oilseeds, plant oils and marine oils can be used in ruminant diets. On the other hand, molecular mechanisms play an important role in the alteration of the FA composition of muscle fat. Genetics offer a wide range of possibilities for improvement of muscle fat composition by identifying different loci underlying the expression of quantitative traits. While significant progress has been made in characterizing the influence of diet on the FA composition of ruminant meat, the use of genetic tools can favor genotypes that could maximize their genetic potential through the diet. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

Verifying traits: an incremental proof system for fine-grained reuse

Traits have been proposed as a more flexible mechanism than class inheritance for structuring code in object-oriented programming, to achieve fine-grained code reuse. A trait originally developed for one purpose can be adapted and reused in a completely different context. Formalizations of traits have been extensively studied, and implementations of traits have started to appear in programming languages. So far, work on formally establishing properties of trait-based programs has mostly concentrated on type systems. This paper presents the first deductive proof system for a trait-based object-oriented language. If a specification of a trait can be given a priori, covering all actual usage of that trait, our proof system is modular as each trait is analyzed only once. However, imposing such a restriction may in many cases unnecessarily limit traits as a mechanism for flexible code reuse. In order to reflect the flexible reuse potential of traits, our proof system additionally allows new specifications to be added to a trait in an incremental way which does not violate established proofs. We formalize and show the soundness of the proof system.     

User-defined schedulers for real-time concurrent objects

Scheduling concerns the allocation of processors to processes, and is traditionally associated with low-level tasks in operating systems and embedded devices. However, modern software applications with soft real-time requirements need to control application-level performance. High-level scheduling control at the application level may complement general purpose OS level scheduling to fine-tune performance of a specific application, by allowing the application to adapt to changes in client traffic on the one hand and to low-level scheduling on the other hand. This paper presents an approach to express and analyze application-specific scheduling decisions during the software design stage. For this purpose, we integrate support for application-level scheduling control in a high-level object-oriented modeling language, Real-Time ABS, in which executable specifications of method calls are given deadlines and real-time computational constraints. In Real-Time ABS, flexible application-specific schedulers may be specified by the user, i.e., developer, at the abstraction level of the high-level modeling language itself and associated with concurrent objects at creation time. Tool support for Real-Time ABS is based on an abstract interpreter that supports simulations and measurements of systems at the design stage.     

A quantum multiply-accumulator

This paper proposes a quantum multiply-accumulator circuit (QMAC), which can perform the calculation on conventional integers faster than its classical counterpart. Whereas classically applying a multiply–adder (MAC) $n$ times to $k$ bit integers would require $O(n \log k)$ parallel steps, the hybrid QMAC needs only $O(n + k)$ steps for the exact result and $O(n + \log k)$ steps for an approximate result. The proposed circuit could potentially be embedded in a conventional computer architecture as a quantum device or accelerator, enabling a wide range of applications to execute faster.     

Multiparameter Characterization of Aerosols

The performance of particle‐based products depends on a multiple set of particle properties. To monitor them during particle manufacturing, three novel aerosol measurement techniques were developed: wide‐angle light scattering (WALS), three‐dimensional laser scattering (3D‐LSS), and differential aerodynamic particle sizing (DAPS). They measure particle shape, aggregate structure, and particle size, i.e., radius of gyration and aerodynamic diameter. The techniques were tested for rod‐like organic pigments and partially sintered SiO₂ aggregates, which were produced by two new aerosol generators.     

Mercury concentration in fillets of Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) caught in the Barents Sea in January 2006

In January 2006 it was reported that Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) caught in the Barents Sea contained mercury levels that exceeded the EU's upper limit of 0.5 mg/kg wet weight for this species. To further investigate this finding, the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES) in Norway recently undertook a study to quantify the levels of mercury in Greenland halibut caught in the same area of the Barents Sea. A total of 120 Greenland halibut were caught in this area between the 28th and the 30th of January 2006. The fish were immediately frozen and shipped to the laboratory; individual fish were coded, weighed, defrosted, filleted and skinned before their mercury content was determined. Analyses were carried out on 65 individuals of Greenland halibut weighing from 0.81 kg to 7.1 kg, and 40 fish weighing more than 3 kg. The lowest mercury concentration found in muscle tissue (skinless and boneless fillet) was 0.019 mg/kg wet weight, in a fish that weighed 0.81 kg. The highest mercury concentration measured in muscle tissue was 1.1 mg/kg wet weight, from a fish that weighed 4.2 kg. Of the 65 fish analysed, 15 individuals with weight exceeding 3 kg had mercury concentrations in their muscle tissue exceeded the EU's upper limit.     

Chemical and fatty acid composition of Manchego type and Panela cheeses manufactured from either hair sheep milk or cow milk

This study compared the chemical composition and fatty acid (FA) profile of Manchego type cheese and Panela cheese made from hair sheep milk and compared these with both types of cheese manufactured with cow milk as a reference. In addition, this study aimed to determine differences in sensory characteristics between Manchego type cheeses manufactured with either hair sheep milk or cow milk. A total of 25 and 14 Manchego type cheeses from hair sheep milk and cow milk were manufactured, respectively. In addition, 30 and 15 Panela cheeses from hair sheep milk and cow milk were manufactured, respectively. The chemical composition and FA profile were determined in all cheeses. In addition, a sensory analysis was performed in Manchego type cheeses manufactured from either hair sheep milk or cow milk. Moisture content was lower in Manchego type cheeses (37.5 ± 1.26 and 37.5 ± 1.26 g/100 g in cheeses manufactured from hair sheep milk and cow milk, respectively) than in Panela cheeses (54.0 ± 1.26 and 56.1 ± 1.26 g/100 g in cheeses manufactured from hair sheep milk and cow milk, respectively). Ash, protein, and sodium contents were higher in Manchego type cheeses than in Panela cheeses. Manchego type cheese manufactured from hair sheep milk contained more C4:0, C6:0, C8:0, C10:0, C12:0, C14:0, C18:2 cis-9,cis-12, total saturated FA, total short-chain FA, total medium-chain FA, total polyunsaturated FA, and de novo FA than Manchego type cheeses from cow milk. Total content of short-chain FA was higher in hair sheep cheeses (24.4 ± 1.30 and 19.6 ± 1.30 g/100 g in Manchego type and Panela cheeses, respectively) than in cow cheeses (8.89 ± 1.30 and 8.26 ± 1.30 g/100 g in Manchego type and Panela cheeses, respectively). Manchego type cheeses from hair sheep milk obtained higher scores for odor (7.05), texture (6.82), flavor (7.16), and overall acceptance (7.16) compared with those made from cow milk (6.37, 6.12, 6.17, and 6.83, respectively). In conclusion, both Manchego type cheese and Panela cheese manufactured with hair sheep milk had a similar chemical composition and contained higher levels of short-chain FA, total polyunsaturated FA, and de novo FA than those manufactured with cow milk.     

Multiple integrated applications for low-to medium-temperature geothermal resources in Iceland

There is an increasing global demand for a faster, more expansive development in the energy sector, in order to improve the standard of living of the world's population by the creation of more jobs and better living conditions. The public is, however, well aware of the damage that has been done to the environment, in the form of deforestation, despoiling of lakes and rivers and, in particular, greenhouse effects, and it is unwilling to further sacrifice its natural environment. This decision puts pressure on scientists, engineers and developers to find ways and means of attaining “sustainable energy development”. In other words, the challenge now is to achieve the sustainable development of alternative renewable energy resources. Sustainability may be achieved in a number of ways, but the one most likely to result in a rapid increase in energy output without a deleterious impact on the environment is the revamping and integration of what we already have. This paper attempts to address sustainability as it applies to geothermal energy. We describe the concept of a multiple integrated use of geothermal energy, including the tenable benefits that can be obtained from applying this concept, such as a longer reservoir lifespan, a lower specific environmental impact, and greater marketing flexibility and profitability. The paper also emphasises the importance of achieving a maximum effective temperature drop across the application, commensurate with a minimum flow rate, optimal pumping characteristics and minimal fluid extraction from the geothermal reservoir. In geothermal house heating systems this means using large and effective radiators, dual-pipe heating systems, and thermostatic controls on each radiator. Where modifications to existing house heating systems are not feasible, e.g. by conversion from a single-pipe to a dual-pipe system or installation of larger radiators, an alternative solution is to adopt a cascaded flow of the geothermal fluid through a combination of heating systems operating at different temperature levels. For economic reasons it is always better to use the geothermal water directly if its chemical quality permits us to do so, otherwise heat exchangers made of resistant materials will be needed to isolate the geothermal fluid from the heating fluid in order to avoid corrosion or scaling in the pipes and radiators. The heat exchangers should be designed in such a way as to obtain a maximum temperature drop of the geothermal fluid. The paper also describes some heating system configurations, the characteristics of geothermal heating systems and their automatic control systems, as well as recommended geothermal field management and monitoring systems. The paper also includes a few examples of existing projects to demonstrate what has already been achieved and what could be done in the future; some suggestions are also made for new developments and innovations to make geothermal energy more generally attractive and useful worldwide.     

Fabrication, structural and electrical characterization of lanthanum tungstate films by pulsed laser deposition

Films of lanthanum tungstate, 3 μm in thickness, were fabricated by means of pulsed laser deposition on a Pd foil. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and their electrical conductivity was measured at temperatures between 400 and 800 °C in different gas atmospheres. The films' structure and electrical characteristics are close to what is reported in the literature for corresponding polycrystalline material. The films exhibit fairly high proton conductivity at elevated temperatures, which make them interesting for components in hydrogen-related technologies. Changes in microstructure and the crystallographic orientation observed at higher temperatures were accompanied by changes in the conductivity characteristics.