Using Metadynamics to Obtain the Free Energy Landscape for Cation Diffusion in Functional Ceramics: Dopant Distribution Control in Rare Earth‐Doped BaTiO3

Barium titanate is the dielectric material of choice in most multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) and thus in the production of ≈3 trillion devices every year, with an estimated global market of ≈$8330 million per year. Rare earth dopants are regularly used to reduce leakage currents and improve the MLCC lifetime. Simulations are used to investigate the ability of yttrium, dysprosium, and gadolinium to reduce leakage currents by trapping mobile oxygen defects. All the rare earths investigated trap oxygen vacancies, however, dopant pairs are more effective traps than isolated dopants. The number of trapping sites increases with the ion size of the dopant, suggesting that gadolinium should be more effective than dysprosium, which contradicts experimental data. Additional simulations on diffusion of rare earths through the lattice during sintering show that dysprosium diffuses significantly faster than the other rare earths considered. As a consequence, its greater ability to reduce oxygen migration is a combination of thermodynamics (a strong ability to trap oxygen vacancies) and kinetics (sufficient distribution of the rare earth in the lattice to intercept the migrating defects).     

Reducing salt content in beef frankfurter by edible coating to achieve inhomogeneous salt distribution

High dietary salt (NaCl) intake is a global health concern which leads to various chronic diseases; hence, the reduction of salt content in foods has been a high demand in the food industry. Inhomogeneous salt distribution is a promising strategy for salt reduction. This study investigated the effect of inhomogeneous salt distribution using salt edible coating on the physiochemical and sensory attributes of beef frankfurter sausages. Results demonstrated that this method significantly reduced the salt content in frankfurter sausages by 60–81% without affecting the consumers’ perception of saltiness intensity. Among the coated samples, 7.5% and 10% salt coating samples showed the best performance on the product quality. However, the problems associated with high cooking loss and hard texture of the salt-coated sausages need to be further addressed. This research has potentially developed a new method for manufacture of salt-reduced food.     

A systematic review of the application of interactive virtual reality to sport

Virtual reality (VR) technology is being increasingly used by athletes, coaches, and other sport-related professionals. The present systematic review aimed to document research on the application of VR to sport to better understand the outcomes that have emerged in this work. Research literature databases were searched, and the results screened to identify articles reporting applications of interactive VR to sport with healthy human participants. Twenty articles were identified and coded to document the study aims, research designs, participant characteristics, sport types, VR technology, measures, and key findings. From the review, it was shown that interactive VR applications have enhanced a range of performance, physiological, and psychological outcomes. The specific effects have been influenced by factors related to the athlete and the VR system, which comprise athlete factors, VR environment factors, task factors, and the non-VR environment factors. Important variables include the presence of others in the virtual environment, competitiveness, task autonomy, immersion, attentional focus, and feedback. The majority of research has been conducted on endurance sports, such as running, cycling, and rowing, and more research is required to examine the use of interactive VR in skill-based sports. Additional directions for future research and reporting standards for researchers are suggested.     

Names and words without meaning: Incidental postmorbid semantic learning in a person with extensive bilateral medial temporal damage.

The authors describe a densely amnesic man who has acquired explicit semantic knowledge of famous names and vocabulary words that entered popular culture after the onset of his amnesia. This new semantic knowledge was temporally graded and existed over and above the implicit memory he demonstrated in reading speed and accuracy, familiarity ratings, and his ability to make correct guesses on unfamiliar items. However, his postmorbid knowledge was limited to verbal labels denoting famous people and words; he possessed virtually no explicit knowledge of the meaning of these words or the identities of these individuals, although there was some evidence that some of this information had been acquired at an implicit level. Findings are discussed in the context of a neural network model (J. L. McClelland, B. L. McNaughton, & R. C. O'Reilly, 1995) of semantic acquisition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anchoring on the "here" and "now" in time and distance judgments.

Time and distance estimates were elicited with either unit-based (e.g., "How many days until...") or end-based (e.g., "On what date...") questions. For intervals of uncertain extent, unit-based estimates were consistently lower than were the corresponding end-based estimates. The observed patterns are consistent with an anchoring and adjustment process: When people generate unit-based estimates of uncertain dates or distances, they may anchor on the "here" or "now" and adjust incrementally by the unit; such adjustment, however, is often insufficient and yields systematic underestimation. Although this anchoring and adjustment cannot be directly observed, consistent with the hypothesized process, reliance on larger units yielded higher estimates and warning about insufficient adjustment reduced the effect. Implications for research on anchoring, the planning fallacy, and everyday judgment are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of Novel Immunotherapies for Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a disorder of terminally differentiated plasma cells characterized by clonal expansion in the bone marrow (BM). It is the second-most common hematologic malignancy. Despite significant advances in therapeutic strategies, MM remains a predominantly incurable disease emphasizing the need for the development of new treatment regimens. Immunotherapy is a promising treatment modality to circumvent challenges in the management of MM. Many novel immunotherapy strategies, such as adoptive cell therapy and monoclonal antibodies, are currently under investigation in clinical trials, with some already demonstrating a positive impact on patient survival. In this review, we will summarize the current standards of care and discuss major new approaches in immunotherapy for MM.     

Development and validation of a real-time PCR assay specific for Clostridium estertheticum and C. estertheticum-like psychrotolerant bacteria

A new real-time PCR assay was developed targeted to the psychrotolerant spoilage bacteria, Clostridum estertheticum, a causative agent of 'blown-pack' spoilage of vacuum packaged meats during chilled storage. Further, a robust validation of the sensitivity and specificity in different meat processing related matrices was carried out. Results show that real-time PCR is a valid method for the detection of C. estertheticum spores as long as consideration is given to the matrix being tested and the sensitivity of detection required. For meat, hide, blood/drip and environmental swabs it was possible to detect low numbers of C. estertheticum spores (approx 3 spores per ml) by direct real-time PCR (without pre-enrichment of the samples). For faeces and soil matrices, a cold temperature enrichment step was required prior to DNA extraction and real-time PCR analysis to increase the ability to detect samples containing C. estertheticum spores; this was particularly important when the samples contained low numbers of spores (less than 3 spores per ml). For matrices with high levels of PCR inhibitors such as soil, it was necessary to dilute the extracted DNA sample 100 fold especially for detection of high levels of contamination (greater than 10(3)per ml) otherwise a pre-enrichment was required.     

Evaluation of a multiplex-PCR detection in combination with an isolation method for STEC O26, O103, O111, O145 and sorbitol fermenting O157 in food

The aim of the current study was to evaluate a multiplex PCR (mPCR) detection test combined with the evaluation of a previously described isolation method.Minced beef, raw-milk cheese and sprouted seed samples were inoculated with low amounts (7-58 cfu 25 g⁻¹) of non-stressed, cold-stressed or freeze-stressed clinical STEC strains, including serogroups O26, O103, O111, O145, sorbitol fermenting (SF) O157 and non-sorbitol fermenting (NSF) O157. The inoculated pathogen was detected using a 24 h-enrichment followed by an mPCR protocol, and in parallel isolated using an enrichment step of 6 and 24 h, followed by selective plating of the enriched broth and selective plating of the immunomagnetic separation (IMS) product. Recovery results were evaluated and compared.Successful mPCR detection and isolation was obtained for non-stressed and cold-stressed STEC cells in minced beef and raw-milk cheese samples, except for serogroups O111 and SF O157. For freeze-stressed cells and sprouted seed samples, false negatives were often found. Isolation was better after 24 h-enrichment compared to 6 h-enrichment. IMS improved in some cases the isolation of non-stressed and cold-stressed cells belonging to serogroups O111 and O157 from minced beef and raw-milk cheese and freeze-stressed cells of all tested serogroups from minced beef.     

Thermotolerant Campylobacter during Broiler Rearing: Risk Factors and Intervention

Thermotolerant Campylobacters are one of the most important bacterial causative agents of human gastrointestinal illness worldwide. In most European Union (EU) member states human campylobacteriosis is mainly caused by infection with Campylobacter jejuni or Campylobacter coli following consumption or inadequate handling of Campylobacter‐contaminated poultry meat. To date, no effective strategy to control Campylobacter colonization of broilers during rearing is available. In this review, we describe the public health problem posed by Campylobacter presence in broilers and list and critically review all currently known measures that have been researched to lower the numbers of Campylobacter bacteria in broilers during rearing. We also discuss the most promising measures and which measures should be investigated further. We end this review by elaborating on readily usable measures to lower Campylobacter introduction and Campylobacter numbers in a broiler flock.     

Insertion of heme b into the structure of the Cys34-carbamidomethylated human lipocalin α(1)-microglobulin: formation of a [(heme)(2) (α(1)-Microglobulin)](3) complex

α(1)-Microglobulin (α(1)m) is a 26 kDa plasma and tissue protein belonging to the lipocalin protein family. Previous investigations indicate that the protein interacts with heme and suggest that it has a function in heme metabolism. However, detailed characterizations of the α(1)m-heme interactions are lacking. Here, we report for the first time the preparation and analysis of a stable α(1)m-heme complex upon carbamidomethylation of the reactive Cys34 by using recombinantly expressed human α(1)m. Analytical size-exclusion chromatography coupled with a diode-array absorbance spectrophotometry demonstrates that at first an α(1)m-heme monomer is formed. Subsequently, a second heme triggers oligomerization that leads to trimerization. The resulting (α(1)m[heme](2))(3) complex was characterized by resonance Raman and EPR spectroscopy, which support the presence of two ferrihemes, thus indicating an unusual spin-state admixed ground state with S=(3)/(2), (5)/(2).