Self-purging redundancy with adjustable threshold for toleratingmultiple module failures

A new self-purging digital system is presented which can automatically adjust threshold as failed modules are purged. The switch used is slightly more complex than for alternative systems but multiple module failures can be tolerated at any given time     

RAMP: Research Accelerator for Multiple Processors

The RAMP project's goal is to enable the intensive, multidisciplinary innovation that the computing industry will need to tackle the problems of parallel processing. RAMP itself is an open-source, community-developed, FPGA-based emulator of parallel architectures. its design framework lets a large, collaborative community develop and contribute reusable, composable design modules. three complete designs - for transactional memory, distributed systems, and distributed-shared memory - demonstrate the platform's potential.     

Virgin Olive Oil as Frying Oil

Frying is one of the oldest cooking procedures and is still among the most popular ones for food preparation. Due to their unique sensory characteristics, fried foods are consumed often and with pleasure. During frying, part of the oil is absorbed by the food, thereby becoming part of our diet; most interestingly, in the Mediterranean area approximately 50% of total fat intake is provided by cooking fats. Olive oil is the key lipid component of the Mediterranean diet, the health‐promoting effects of which have been largely attributed to olive oil intake. Olive oil is unique among vegetable oils due to its desirable lipid profile and some of its minor components. Scientific evidence now indicates that during frying olive oil behavior is usually equal or superior to that of refined vegetable oils. Herein, an overview of virgin olive oil performance under frying is given, with special reference to the fate of olive oil microconstituents. The compositional changes of foods fried in olive oil are also reviewed and discussed in detail.     

Foodborne disease outbreaks caused by sucrose-nonfermenting and beta-galactosidase-deficient variants of Vibrio cholerae

We reported four foodborne disease outbreaks in Taiwan caused by sucrose-nonfermenting and by beta-galactosidase-deficient variants of non-O1, non-O139 Vibrio cholerae. The sucrose-nonfermenting vibrios collected from three outbreaks were biochemically identified to be V. mimicus and the beta-galactosidase-deficient vibrios from an outbreak to be V. alginolyticus. However, molecular methods including DNA-DNA hybridization, fatty acid profile analysis, and sequence analysis of 16S rRNA, oriC, pyrH, recA, and rpoA indicated that these vibrios should be V. cholerae. These V. cholerae variants carried two hemolysin genes, hlyA and hlx, but contained neither cholera toxin gene, ctx, V. mimicus hemolysin gene, vmh, nor thermo-directed hemolysin, tdh. The sucrose-nonfermenting variants of V. cholerae shared a high level of genetic relatedness; they could derive from a common clone. In our record from 1995 to date, this was the first time that V. cholerae variants were discovered as etiologic agents for foodborne disease outbreaks in Taiwan.     

Advanced gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric studies for identification of the cellular octadecenoate isomers and changes of fatty acid composition induced by ethanol stress in Escherichia coli and Escherichia coli O157: H7

Ethanol can be introduced to foods of various origins and is commonly used for surface disinfection. Low concentrations of residual ethanol may provide an opportunity for pathogens to adapt and grow. Change of cellular fatty acid composition is one of adaptation mechanisms enabling bacteria to grow under varied stresses. Since instrumental analyses of bacterial octadecenoate isomers are sophisticated, gas chromatographic analyses of the isomers, namely trans-9-octadecenoate, trans-11-octadecenoate, cis-9-octadecenoate, and cis-11-octadecenoate, and ethanol-induced formation of trans-9-octadecenoate in Escherichia coli and E. coli O157:H7 were intensively investigated. When an HP-1, a nonpolar capillary column, was used for gas chromatographic analyses of 28 authentic bacterial acid methyl esters, resolution was satisfied for all fatty acid components except trans-9-octadecenoate and cis-11-octadecenoate, being overlapped. When the column was replaced by an RTx-2330, a polar capillary column, all of the above-mentioned octadecenoate isomers were resolved. When cells of E. coli and E. coli O157:H7 were harvested after submerged cultivation (30 degrees C, 150 rpm) in tryptic soy broth and tryptic soy broth supplemented with 5% ethanol at early stationary phase and subjected to cellular fatty acid analyses by using an HP-1 and RTx-2330 coupled with a mass detector, 12 fatty acids, i.e., trans-9-octadecenoate, 5 saturated fatty acids, 2 cyclopropane fatty acids and 4 cis-unsaturated fatty acids, were identified. Individual fatty acid contents varied depending on nature of fatty acid, strain of E. coli, and supplement of ethanol. As affected by ethanol stress for both E. coli strains, contents of trans-9-octadecenoate increased, whereas contents of cyc-9,10-methylene octadecanoate (cyc-9,10-19:0) decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Apparently, both E. coli strains have rendered necessary fatty acid adaptation to survive and grow under ethanol stress.     

French Fries oleuropein content during the successive deep frying in oils enriched with an olive leaf extract

Olive oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil were enriched with an olive (Olea Europaea) leaf extract rich in oleuropein at a supplementation level of 100 mg total phenolics per kg oil. Supplemented oils were used for deep frying of potatoes for eight successive frying sessions without replenishment under domestic frying conditions. Supplemented oils contained oleuropein while deep frying resulted in a gradual decrease in oils oleuropein content. After the eighth successive frying, oleuropein was still detected in oils, its retention being 3.2–12.4%. Deep frying of potatoes in supplemented oils succeeded in preparing French fries containing oleuropein even after eight successive fryings. Contrary to the oil type, the number of frying sessions affected potatoes oleuropein content. Oleuropein intake by consuming French fries deep‐fried in enriched oils was approximately ten times higher in potatoes prepared in the first frying session as compared to the respective intake after the eighth frying.     

Protective effects of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) derivatives on azoxymethane-induced colonic carcinogenesis in mice

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the major polyphenol in green tea and a functional food ingredient/nutraceutical with health-promoting properties, was structurally modified by esterification with butyric and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acid in order to improve its lipophilicity and hence bioefficacy in vivo. The lipophilic derivatives of EGCG so-prepared were evaluated for their anticancer activity against azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon carcinogenesis in mice. Formation of colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) was monitored as the biomarker of colorectal cancer (CRC). It was found that oral administration of EGCG derivatives led to reduced size of ACF in the mouse colon. EGCG–DHA esters were more effective than EGCG-butyrate in inhibiting the formation of ACF. The total number of large colonic ACF was remarkably decreased by treatment with EGCG derivatives, especially by the EGCG–DHA esters, which showed a 100% inhibition of large ACF formation. Two tumor-promoting enzymes, iNOS and COX-2 were also inhibited by EGCG derivatives to various extents at the expression level. The results suggest that the lipophilic ester derivatives of EGCG are effective in inhibiting colon carcinogenesis and may be good candidates for colon cancer prevention/treatment.     

Polymer crystallization induced by sorption of CO2 gas

Previous work has shown that sorption of CO₂ at relatively high pressures by glassy polymers reduces their glass transition temperatures and may convert the glass into a rubber under certain conditions. It is shown here that this plasticization by a gas can induce crystallization just as sorption of vapors or liquids is known to do. This point is extensively explored for miscible blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and poly(methyl methacrylate) and to a lesser extent for poly(ethylene terephthalate). In some cases, this secondary crystallization process results in small crystals whose melting endotherms are just above the glass transition and are very similar to peaks resulting from heat capacity overshoots, or enthalpic relaxation, caused by sub-T_g annealing; however, by appropriate techniques peaks arising from these two separate mechanisms can be distinguished. For oriented materials, evidence is shown which demonstrates that the additional crystals formed on CO₂ sorption have the same preferential orientation as the original material.