Initial Beam Test Results from a Silicon-Strip Detector with VLSI Readout

Silicon detectors with 256 strips, having a pitch of 25 ?m, and connected to two 128 channel NMOS VLSI chips each (Microplex), have been tested in relativistic charged particle beams at CERN and at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The readout chips have an input channel pitch of 47.5 ?m and a single multiplexed output which provides voltages proportional to the integrated charge from each strip. The most probable signal height from minimum ionizing tracks was 15 times the rms noise in any single channel. Two-track traversals with a separation of 100 ?m were cleanly resolved.     

Carotenoids production from a newly isolated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sporidiobolus pararoseus</Emphasis> strain by submerged fermentation

This work aimed at evaluating the total carotenoids production by a newly isolated Sporidiobolus pararoseus. Bioproduction was carried out in an orbital shaker, using 10% (w/v) of inoculum (25 °C, 180 rpm for 35 h), incubated for 120 h in a dark room. Liquid N₂ and dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) were used for cell rupture, and carotenoids were extracted with a solution of acetone/methanol (7:3, v/v). Optimization of carotenoids bioproduction was achieved by experimental design technique. Initially, a Plackett–Burman design was used for the screening of the most important factors, after the statistical analysis, a complete second-order design was carried out to optimize the concentration of total carotenoids in a conventional medium. Maximum concentration of 856 μg/L of total carotenoids was obtained in a medium containing 60 g/L of glucose, 15 g/L of peptone, and 15 g/L of malt extract, 25 °C, initial pH 4.0 and 180 rpm. Fermentation kinetics showed that the maximum concentration of total carotenoids was reached after 102 h of fermentation and that carotenoids bioproduction was associated with cell growth.     

Mycotoxins’ evaluation in wheat flours used in Brazilian bakeries

Food Science and Biotechnology - The aim of this study was to evaluate the mycotoxicological quality of wheat flours used by bakeries from the North Region in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil,...     

Holographic recording of cosmic ray tracks in BEBC

We report on a successful test of holography in the Big European Bubble Chamber (BEBC) at CERN, which was filled with a heavy neon—hydrogen mixture. During the test of a modified in-line scheme we photographed bubble tracks longer than 1 m, which were produced by cosmic rays. The smallest bubbles, which were recorded with excellent contrast, had a diameter of ? 120 μm. This presents an improved resolution of a factor of five compared to photos taken with conventional cameras.