Studies on the sample weight for ochratoxin A determination in raw coffee

Ochratoxin A is a mycotoxin that may cause damage to the kidneys and the immune system in man. Foods are examined for this contaminant by the laboratories responsible for official food control. At present, there are no specific provisions for the sampling and examination of ochratoxin A in foods. Therefore, recourse is made to the provisions for aflatoxins. They prescribe the processing of samples with a weight of up to 30 kg. The examination of raw coffee for ochratoxin A in conjunction with the German Food Monitoring Programme of 2000 was undertaken with various sample weights (5, 10 and 30 kg) in order to identify the influence of the sample weight on the result. Overall, the sample weight did not have an effect on the detection and level of the ochratoxin A content in the samples of raw coffee examined.     

Floral volatiles ofTanacetum vulgare L. attractive toLobesia botrana den. et schiff. females

The European grapevine moth (EGVM),Lobesia botrana, is a major pest of grapes in Europe. Females are attracted to a nonhost plant: tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.), which is a common weed in Slovakian vineyards. A steam distillate extract of tansy flowers was analyzed by means of a GC-EAG technique to screen constituents detected by the olfactory receptors of EGVM females. From more than 200 GC peaks, nine peaks corresponding to monoterpenoids released an EAG response in more than 70% of the females (N=15):p-cymene,d-limonene,-thujene,-thujone,-thujone, thujyl alcohol, terpinene-4-ol, (Z)-verbenol, and piperitone. The steam distillate of tansy as well as a synthetic blend of identified compounds released consistent attraction in a field cage. The use of nonhost plants and host plant odors in integrated pest management is discussed.     

X-ray focusing with lobster-eye optics: a comparison of theory with experiment

We report an experimental investigation and comparison with simulation of the x-ray focusing of a flat, square profile microchannel plate. We use x rays with an energy of ~1.5 keV from a laser-produced plasma. The images were recorded with x-ray film. We find the focal structure to be consistent with theoretical expectations. The angular resolution of the focus is 0.96 mrad, which is a major improvement over previous results. The measured peak intensity gain is 27 ± 4, which is ~33% of that for a perfect optic.     

Influence of hypertonic saline solution infusion on defibrillation efficacy

BACKGROUND: Transplantation of lung allografts from the same donor into 2 recipients ("twinning") provides an opportunity to study recipient and donor factors that influence early allograft function. METHODS: Twenty-seven pairs of recipients were identified and evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis (p < 0.05). Four measures of early graft function were analyzed: alveolar-arterial gradient in the operating room, first alveolar-arterial gradient in the intensive care unit, alveolar-arterial gradient at 24 hours, and days of mechanical ventilation. RESULTS: Analysis of the pooled data without regard to pairing showed that alveolar-arterial gradient in the operating room was influenced by donor age, length of donor hospitalization, recipient mean pulmonary artery (PA) pressure at unclamping, and transplantation of a left lung. The alveolar-arterial gradient in the intensive care unit was correlated with donor age, donor cause of death, and mean PA pressure on arrival in that unit. Only mean PA pressure remained significant at 24 hours. Days of mechanical ventilation was determined by mean PA pressure on arrival in the intensive care unit, drop in mean PA pressure during operation, and diagnosis of the recipient. In the paired analysis, receiving a left lung, recipient diagnosis (pulmonary hypertension worse than others), and need of cardiopulmonary bypass were significantly associated with immediate graft dysfunction, although these influences did not persist beyond the immediate postoperative period. Donor arterial oxygen tension and time of ischemia were not significant predictors in any analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Immediate allograft function was associated with donor-related characteristics initially, but these lost importance over the ensuing 24 hours. Recipient PA pressure was an immediate and persisting influence. In the analysis of differences in function between the members of each pair, transplantation of the left lung, recipient diagnosis, and cardiopulmonary bypass were identified, but their influence did not persist beyond the first 6 hours.     

Selective delivery of 10B to soft tissue sarcoma using 10B-L-borophenylalanine for boron neutron capture therapy

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) may improve the locoregional control of radio/chemoresistant tumours like soft tissues sarcomas (STS). This technique uses the 10B(n,alpha)7Li nuclear reaction to destroy tumour cells, provided that a sufficient amount of 10B may be carried selectively into them. In order to evaluate the targeting potential of 10B-L-borophenylalanine (BPA) a 10B biodistribution study was carried out in 24 Wistar rats bearing Yoshida sarcoma. Six animals received increasing intraperitoneal doses of BPA (300, 600 and 1200 mg kg-1), while the remainder received a BPA dose of 600 mg kg-1 but with a sacrifice at six different time points: 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 h. The 10B concentrations in the tumours, normal tissues and blood were analysed with neutron capture radiography (NCR). The analysis shows that 36 micrograms g-1 (+/- 4 SD) of 10B may be incorporated into the tumour, with a ratio of 13 (+/- 4 SD) versus the muscle and a ratio of 15 (+/- 3 SD) versus the blood, 6 h after an intraperitoneal injection of 600 mg kg-1 of BPA. The BPA appears to be abundantly incorporated in the tumour, and the kidney proximal tubule area. These data suggest that BNCT using BPA may provide an improved therapeutic ratio for the treatment of STS.     

Sequences within the amino terminus of ApoB100 mediate its noncovalent association with apo(a)

Although sequences within the C terminus of apolipoprotein B (apoB) have been implicated in the formation of covalent lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] particles, sequences in apoB that mediate initial noncovalent interaction with apo(a) remain to be characterized. To address this question, we have used an affinity chromatography method in which 2 recombinant forms of apo(a) [r-apo(a); either a 17-kringle form (17K) or a derivative containing apo(a) kringle IV types 5-8] have been immobilized onto Sepharose beads. Conditioned media from rat hepatoma (McA-RH7777) cell lines stably expressing various carboxyl-terminally truncated forms of human apoB (ranging from full-length apoB to apoB15) were applied to the r-apo(a) affinity columns; the columns were subsequently washed and eluted with epsilon-aminocaproic acid (epsilon-ACA). Specific binding was quantified by Western blot analysis of column fractions. Of the apoB truncations examined, apoB94, apoB42, apoB37, and apoB29 exhibited complete specific binding to 17K r-apo(a). Only approximately 50% binding was observed for apoB18, whereas essentially no detectable binding was observed with apoB15. In all cases, similar results were obtained when the r-apo(a) kringle IV types 5-8-Sepharose column was used. Additionally, substitution of proline for epsilon-ACA as the eluent resulted in similar column profiles with either r-apo(a) affinity column. We also demonstrated that apoB48 present in chylomicrons bound completely to the 17K column in an epsilon-ACA-dependent manner. Taken together, these results represent the first demonstration that N-terminal sequences in apoB between amino acid residues 680 (apoB15) and 781 (apoB18) are essential for noncovalent association with apo(a) and that these sequences interact with domain(s) present within apo(a) kringle IV types 5-8.     

Synchronous amplification of subpicosecond pulses

In high-gain dye amplifiers, the effective storage time of the gain medium is only a few hundred picoseconds. Therefore, efficient amplification of ultrashort pulses places a stringent requirement on the synchronization between the pump pulse and the pulse to be amplified. We present a technique of short pulse generation using a dye laser synchronously pumped by a frequency-doubled CW mode locked Nd:YAG laser. Pulses as short as 70 fs are produced. The short optical pulses are subsequently amplified with two different synchronous amplification schemes using 100 ps pulses to establish the gain in the dye amplifier stages. Subpicosecond pulses with energies from a few hundred nanojoules at 500 Hz to a few hundred microjoules at 7 Hz can be obtained.     

Tenderness of pastries made with different soy flours

Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society -