Strains of the Lactobacillus casei group show diverse abilities for the production of flavor compounds in 2 model systems

Cheese flavor development is directly connected to the metabolic activity of microorganisms used during its manufacture, and the selection of metabolically diverse strains represents a potential tool for the production of cheese with novel and distinct flavor characteristics. Strains of Lactobacillus have been proven to promote the development of important cheese flavor compounds. As cheese production and ripening are long-lasting and expensive, model systems have been developed with the purpose of rapidly screening lactic acid bacteria for their flavor potential. The biodiversity of 10 strains of the Lactobacillus casei group was evaluated in 2 model systems and their volatile profiles were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In model system 1, which represented a mixture of free AA, inoculated cells did not grow. In total, 66 compounds considered as flavor contributors were successfully identified, most of which were aldehydes, acids, and alcohols produced via AA metabolism by selected strains. Three strains (DPC2071, DPC3990, and DPC4206) had the most diverse metabolic capacities in model system 1. In model system 2, which was based on processed cheese curd, inoculated cells increased in numbers over incubation time. A total of 47 compounds were identified, and they originated not only from proteolysis, but also from glycolytic and lipolytic processes. Tested strains produced ketones, acids, and esters. Although strains produced different abundances of volatiles, diversity was less evident in model system 2, and only one strain (DPC4206) was distinguished from the others. Strains identified as the most dissimilar in both of the model systems could be more useful for cheese flavor diversification.     

Investigations on high temperature polyimide potentialities for silicon carbide power device passivation

The operation of silicon carbide (SiC) power devices under severe conditions requires the development of thermally, electrically and chemically stable package. Passivation layer provides electrical insulation and environmental protection for the SiC die. As higher junction temperature and higher electric field can be reached within SiC component, consideration must be given to the thermal stability of the dielectric properties of the material in the die surrounding. Due to their supposed high operating temperature and dielectric strength, spin coated polyimide materials appear as a possible candidate for such passivation and insulation purposes. In this paper, we study the potentialities of a high temperature polyimide from HD Microsystems, for SiC power device passivation, at temperature up to 300 °C.     

Hall Effect in Quasi One-Dimensional Organic Conductors

We study the Hall effect in a system of weakly coupled Luttinger Liquid chains, using a Memory function approach to compute the Hall constant in the presence of umklapp scattering along the chains. In this approximation, the Hall constant decomposes into two terms: a high-frequency term and a Memory function term. For the case of zero umklapp scattering, where the Memory function vanishes, the Hall constant is simply the band value, in agreement with former results in a similar model with no dissipation along the chains. With umklapp scattering along the chains, we find a power-law temperature dependance of the Hall constant. We discuss the applications to quasi 1D organic conductors at high temperatures.     

A model-based approach to the analysis of patterns of length of stay in institutional long-term care.

Understanding the pattern of length of stay in institutional long-term care has important practical implications in the management of long-term care. Furthermore, residents' attributes are believed to have significant effects on these patterns. In this paper, we present a model-based approach to extract, from a routinely gathered administrative social care dataset, high-level length-of-stay patterns of residents in long-term care. This approach extends previous work by the authors to incorporate residents' features. Two applications using data provided by a local authority in England are presented to demonstrate the potential use of this approach.     

EEG-based synchronized brain-computer interfaces: a model for optimizing the number of mental tasks.

The information-transfer rate (ITR) is commonly used to assess the performance of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). Various studies have shown that the optimal number of mental tasks to be used is fairly low, around 3 or 4. We propose an experimental validation as well as a formal approach to demonstrate and confirm that this optimum is user and BCI design dependent. Even if increasing the number of mental tasks to the optimum indeed leads to an increase of the ITR, the gain remains small. This might not justify the added complexity in terms of protocol design.     

In situ studies of the corrosion during drying of confined zinc surfaces

The corrosion process during the drying out of zinc surfaces confined in crevices was studied using real time photograpy and in situ FTIR microspectroscopy. A pH‐indicator was used to visualise differences in the pH during the drying process. The distribution and the composition of the corrosion products after several wetting and drying cycles were studied with FTIR microspectroscopy and SEM‐EDS. An area with high pH formed during the drying process at the border of the electrolyte, with a zone of white corrosion products that contained zinc hydroxycarbonate in the electrolyte inside this area. A differential aeration cell is present at the border of the electrolyte, and the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction takes place close to the border of the electrolyte during the drying process. The corrosion attack and the distribution and composition of the corrosion products on the surface depend strongly on the drying process of the surface. The corrosion attack of confined surfaces was localised, with a significantly higher corrosion attack in some areas. Outside the drying front a thin layer of electrolyte formed as a result of surface tension driven flow of electrolyte from the electrolyte border. This effect was attributed to the alkaline pH of the electrolyte due to the oxygen reduction reaction at the border. A galvanic element was formed between the local cathodes in the area outside the drying front and the anode in the area with bulk electrolyte. The main corrosion products detected after several wet dry cycles were ZnO, Zn₅(OH)₆(CO₃)₂ and Zn₅(OH)₈Cl₂ · H₂O, but Na₂CO₃ · 10H₂O was also detected. The corrosion products were non‐homogeneously distributed on the surface and the distribution was related to the anodic and cathodic processes that took place in different regions on the surface during the corrosion process.     

Structural and interaction properties of β-Lactoglobulin as studied by FTIR spectroscopy

Summary New aspects of β-Lactoglobulin (BLG) structure which have not previously been found by FT–IR spectroscopy are presented. The conformational changes of BLG and its heat-induced denaturation have been studied at low concentration and different pHs. First, it was found that the spectra of BLG in solution are concentration-dependent. Below 1%, they reveal one component in the 1620–1635 cm⁻¹ region while above this concentration, two components are present. These changes are related to the modifications of the quaternary structure of BLG, i.e. to the monomeric or dimeric forms. As shown at high temperature (85 °C), this concentration (1%) represents the threshold of protein aggregation. Second, the thermal behaviour of BLG at pH 7.4 and 4.4 is compared. The results suggest that the denaturation process and the intermolecular interactions in aggregates are different and lead to two types of aggregate. These observations are in agreement with the formation of two gel microstructures near neutral pH and near the pI of BLG as observed by Stading & Hermasson (1990). Finally, interactions between BLG and two zwitterionic phospholipids have been investigated. Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) is unaffected in the presence of BLG, suggesting that no interaction occurs. In contrast, BLG increases the lipid chain conformational disorder of milk sphinglomyelin (SM) as a consequence of hydrophobic interactions of BLG with SM. Since this effect occurs at and above the gel-to-liquid-crystalline phase transition, it is suggested that membrane fluidity plays an important role in these interactions.     

Volume Control in Hemodialysis Patients

Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of the high mortality of dialysis patients and is largely due to poor control of blood pressure. Establishing and maintaining normal extracellular volume (ECV) is required to achieve normotension. The dry weight concept links ECV and blood pressure by a simple clinical relationship. Dry weight is the ideal postdialysis weight that allows a constantly normal blood pressure to be maintained without using antihypertensive medications. Maintenance of normal ECV requires control of salt intake to reduce interdialytic weight gain ( i.e., saline overload) combined with the diffusive and convective removal of salt and water from the body during dialysis sessions. Several problems are to be faced when using the dry weight method. Clinical evaluation must take into account the following confounding factors: weight varies with nutrition, clinical symptoms are unspecific and sometimes discordant, and there is a lag time between ECV and blood pressure changes. On the other hand, achievement of dry weight is hampered by dialysis times that are too short (and weight gains that are too high), by antihypertensive medications, and by poor heart conditions. A longer session time allows for a slower, easier, and more comfortable ultrafiltration.