Influence of ripening on proteolysis and lipolysis of Murcia al Vino cheese

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of five different manufacturers and two ripening periods on the proteolysis and lipolysis patterns of Murcia al Vino goat cheese. The manufacturers significantly affected the water activity (a_w), pH, dry matter and fat content, several nitrogen fractions: water soluble nitrogen (WSN), trichloroacetic acid (12% w/v) soluble nitrogen (TCASN) and phosphotungstic acid (5% w/v) soluble nitrogen (PTASN); also the free amino acid (FAA) and free fatty acid (FFA) contents, with the exception of C_4:0, C_16:0 and C_18:0. Different ripening periods significantly affected the dry matter content, WSN and PTASN and all FAA, except serine.     

Understanding reliance on automation: effects of error type,error distribution,age and experience

An obstacle detection task supported by ‘imperfect’ automation was used with the goal of understanding the effects of automation error types and age on automation reliance. Sixty younger and sixty older adults interacted with a multi-task simulation of an agricultural vehicle (i.e. a virtual harvesting combine). The simulator included an obstacle detection task and a fully manual tracking task. A micro-level analysis provided insight into the way reliance patterns change over time. The results indicated that there are distinct patterns of reliance that develop as a function of error type. A prevalence of automation false alarms led participants to under-rely on the automation during alarm states while over-relying on it during non-alarm states. Conversely, a prevalence of automation misses led participants to over-rely on automated alarms and under-rely on the automation during non-alarm states. Older adults adjusted their behaviour according to the characteristics of the automation similar to younger adults, although it took them longer to do so. The results of this study suggest that the relationship between automation reliability and reliance depends on the prevalence of specific errors and on the state of the system. Understanding the effects of automation detection criterion settings on human–automation interaction can help designers of automated systems to make predictions about human behaviour and system performance as a function of the characteristics of the automation.     

Influence of lamb rennet paste on the lipolytic and sensory profile of Murcia al Vino cheese

The influence of lamb rennet paste (71.1% chymosin, 177 international milk-clotting units/mL, 4.57U/g of lipase activity) during the ripening of Murcia al Vino goat cheese was studied. The aim of this study was to improve the knowledge of the effect of lamb rennet paste on the lipolytic patterns in this type of cheese by reference to the evolution of total and free fatty acids. A sensory analysis was carried out to compare cheeses made with commercial and paste rennet. The rennet paste showed higher lipolytic activity, enhancing the production of short-chain free fatty acids. In addition, the cheese produced with lamb rennet paste had a slightly more bitter and piquant taste, making it an attractive commercial alternative that can be used to develop new varieties of goat cheese.     

Partial replacement of fossil fuel in a cement plant: Risk assessment for the population living in the neighborhood

In cement plants, the substitution of traditional fossil fuels not only allows a reduction of CO₂, but it also means to check-out residual materials, such as sewage sludge or municipal solid wastes (MSW), which should otherwise be disposed somehow/somewhere. In recent months, a cement plant placed in Alcanar (Catalonia, Spain) has been conducting tests to replace fossil fuel by refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from MSW. In July 2009, an operational test was progressively initiated by reaching a maximum of partial substitution of 20% of the required energy. In order to study the influence of the new process, environmental monitoring surveys were performed before and after the RDF implementation. Metals and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were analyzed in soil, herbage, and air samples collected around the facility. In soils, significant decreases of PCDD/F levels, as well as in some metal concentrations were found, while no significant increases in the concentrations of these pollutants were observed. In turn, PM₁₀ levels remained constant, with a value of 16 μg m^− 3. In both surveys, the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks derived from exposure to metals and PCDD/Fs for the population living in the vicinity of the facility were within the ranges considered as acceptable according to national and international standards. This means that RDF may be a successful choice in front of classical fossil fuels, being in accordance with the new EU environmental policies, which entail the reduction of CO₂ emissions and the energetic valorization of MSW. However, further long-term environmental studies are necessary to corroborate the harmlessness of RDF, in terms of human health risks.     

Mechanically strong, flexible polyimide aerogels cross-linked with aromatic triamine

Polyimide gels are produced by cross-linking anhydride capped polyamic acid oligomers with aromatic triamine in solution and chemically imidizing. The gels are then supercritically dried to form nanoporous polyimide aerogels with densities as low as 0.14 g/cm(3) and surface areas as high as 512 m(2)/g. To understand the effect of the polyimide backbone on properties, aerogels from several combinations of diamine and dianhydride, and formulated oligomer chain length are examined. Formulations made from 2,2'-dimethylbenzidine as the diamine shrink the least but have among the highest compressive modulus. Formulations made using 4,4'-oxydianiline or 2,2'dimethylbenzidine can be fabricated into continuous thin films using a roll to roll casting process. The films are flexible enough to be rolled or folded back on themselves and recover completely without cracking or flaking, and have tensile strengths of 4-9 MPa. Finally, the highest onset of decomposition (above 600 °C) of the polyimide aerogels was obtained using p-phenylene diamine as the backbone diamine with either dianhydride studied. All of the aerogels are suitable candidates for high-temperature insulation with glass transition temperatures ranging from 270-340 °C and onsets of decomposition from 460-610 °C.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Charge Transfer Salts Based on DT-TTF and M(dcdmp)2 Complexes

The charge transfer salts (DT-TTF)₂[Ni(dcdmp)₂], (DT-TTF)₃[Cu(dcdmp)₂]₂ and (DT-TTF)₃[Au(dcdmp)₂]₂, (dcdmp=2,3-dicyano5,6-dimercaptopyrazine) were obtained by electrocrystallisation and characterized. The Ni compound presents a structure consisting of stacks of fully oxidized donor pairs alternating with dianionic complexes. In the two other compounds the complex is monoanionic, the Au salt presenting a structure with stacks of donors triads alternating with pairs of complexes. All compounds display a semiconductor behavior with the highest electrical conductivity of 6.8 S/cm at room temperature being observed for the Cu salt.     

Human osteoprogenitor responses to orthopaedic implant: mechanism of cell attachment and cell adhesion

Cell culture models are becoming prevalent in the investigation of tissue responses to implant materials. Cellular attachment and cell adhesion studies can aid in the development of more effective orthopaedic and dental implants. Cell attachment was studied on extracellular matrix proteins (type I, IV collagen, peptide solubilized elastin (PSE), fibronectin laminin). Human osteoprogenitor cells responded differently to these collagenous and non-collagenous proteins. PSE and type I or type IV collagen are the most effective proteins in cellular attachment and cell spreading. Cell behaviour was measured in the presence of macroporous materials (Porites astreoïdes from the West Indies and a bovine hydroxyapatite ceramic ENDOBON^®) and bioartificial connective matrices comprising hydroxyapatite, peptide solubilized elastin, collagen, fibronectin and chondroïtin-6-sulfate, components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Human osteoprogenitor cells responded differently to the materials tested according to the content of components of ECM. About 40% of attached cells were obtained on the composite materials PSE, collagen, fibronectin and chondroïtin-6-sulfate, and about 10% on the macroporous materials, whatever their porosity and their chemical components. These results demonstrate a need for more effective surface treatment to promote cell attachment, cell spreading and cell growth.     

HIP-I: a huntingtin interacting protein isolated by the yeast two-hybrid system

A new technique for ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, using catheter-directed continuous wave Nd-YAG laser light, 1064 nm, via a novel pin-electrode laser catheter, was applied in 10 patients aged 15-63 years (mean 43 years). A total of 22 laser pulses, 1-5 per patient, at 20 or 30 W, of 10-45 s (mean 27 s) were aimed at the postero-inferior aspect of the tricuspid annulus. In all patients the tachycardia was rendered non-inducible at baseline as well as during orciprenaline administration. The amplitudes of the local atrial potentials diminished from 2.0 +/- 0.5 before to 0.4 +/- 0.4 mV after ablation, atrio-His intervals increased from 73 +/- 7 to 157 +/- 36 ms. Anterograde atrioventricular nodal refractory periods (212 +/- 31 vs 238 +/- 31 ms) and Wenckebach rate (174 +/- 8 vs 167 +/- 8 beats.min-1) did not change significantly (P > 0.05). There were no complications or recurrent arrhythmias in a follow-up of 12-35 (mean 27) months. Anatomically guided laser catheter coagulation of the postero-inferior aspect of the tricuspid valve ring is a safe and effective method for the cure of patients with common atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia.