Development of Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy to Estimate Oil Content in Safflower

The oil of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a valuable oil for human nutrition. It contains a high amount of unsaturated fatty acids, in particular linoleic acid (up to 90 %). There is a great demand for ecologically produced oil in Germany, though oil crops are cultivated on 2 % of the ecological acreage. In Germany, hardly any variety test exists, moreover there has been no breeding efforts so far, although genetic variation in safflower is large. The aim of this study was the development of a rapid and non-destructive method to determine oil content in safflower seed using NIRS (Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy). A total of 203 seed samples were scanned with NIRS to estimate the oil content. Intact seeds as well as milled seeds were tested. The reference values for calibration were obtained with the Soxhlet extraction technique. The oil content analysed by Soxhlet ranged from 10% to 29.6%. NIRS-scanning of milled seed showed better values of calibration compared to intact seed (milled seed: coefficient of determination of calibration: RSQ=0.96, coefficient of determination of cross validation: 1-VR=0.93; intact seed RSQ=0.90, 1-VR=0.82). These results show that NIRS appears to be a suitable, rapid method to estimate oil content in safflower

Saflor als neue Ölpflanze im ökologischen Landbau - Zuchtmethodische Grundlagen und Schnellmethoden zur Qualitätsbestimmung

In Deutschland werden Ölpflanzen nur auf etwa 2% der ökologisch bewirtschafteten Fläche kultiviert, wobei eine große Nachfrage nach ökologisch erzeugtem Pflanzenöl existiert. Der Saflor (Färberdistel) könnte als neue Ölpflanze für den ökologischen Anbau geeignet sein, da Distelöl als wertvolles Speiseöl sehr geschätzt wird. Der Anbau von Saflor ist auch in Deutschland in sommerwarmen und -trockenen Regionen durchaus möglich. Es mangelt jedoch an Genotypen, die an das deutsche Klima angepasst sind. Besonders der niedrige Ölgehalt und die hohe Krankheitsanfälligkeit (vor allem Köpfchenfäule und Alternaria-Blattflecken) sind problematisch. Ziel des Vorhabens war es, methodische Grundlagen der Saflorzüchtung zu untersuchen und ein Konzept für die Züchtung vorzuschlagen. Um große Probenmengen auf Qualitätsparameter wie den Ölgehalt untersuchen zu können, sollte eine Schnellmethode entwickelt werden. Die Nah-Infrarot-Reflexions Spektroskopie (NIRS) bietet bei der Selektion auf höheren Ölgehalt eine gute Möglichkeit, eine große Anzahl Proben schnell und kostengünstig zu untersuchen. Es wurden Kalibrationen entwickelt, um den Ölgehalt anhand intakter Achänen schätzen zu können. Es wurden drei Züchtungsmethoden (Stammbaummethode, natürliche Selektion und Einkornramschmethode) verglichen. Linien mit geringerer Krankheitsanfälligkeit und höherem Ölgehalt wurden in der Stammbaummethode entwickelt. Die natürliche Selektion lieferte mit geringerem Arbeitsaufwand ebenfalls gute Ergebnisse. Die Anfälligkeit für Köpfchenfäule sank und der Ertrag stieg. Der Ölgehalt wurde durch die natürliche Selektion nicht beeinflusst. Bei der Züchtung von Saflor sollten die F2- und F3-Generationen zunächst der natürlichen Selektion ausgesetzt werden. Anschließend sollten die Nachkommen von Einzelpflanzen geprüft und selektiert werden. Hier sollte neben der geringeren Krankheitsanfälligkeit der Ölgehalt im Vordergrund stehen, da durch die natürliche Selektion keine Steigerung des Ölgehaltes erreicht wurde

Evaluierung von Saflor- und Leindotter-Genotypen zur Nutzung als Ölpflanze im Ökologischen Landbau

Im Ökologischen Landbau fehlt bislang eine geeignete Ölpflanzenart, deren Samen als Rohstoff für die Speiseölerzeugung dienen können. Raps und Sonnenblumen bieten aufgrund der Schädlingsproblematik, des hohen N-Bedarfes bzw. durch die geringe ökologische Adaptation keine günstigen Voraussetzungen für den Anbau. 2002 wurden in einer zweiortigen Prüfung auf Mikroparzellen unter insgesamt nahezu 1000 Genotypen (Genbank-Akzessionen, Sorten, Zuchtstämme) von Saflor und Leindotter als alternative Arten geeignete Formen für den Anbau gesucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass beide Arten hinsichtlich ihrer Anfälligkeit für verschiedene Krankheiten und anderer agronomisch relevanter Merkmale hohe genotypische Variation aufweisen, welche direkt im Anbau oder aber als Ausgangsmaterial in der Entwicklung neuer Sorten nutzbar ist

Vergleich der Anbaueignung verschiedender Ölpflanzenarten und -sorten für die Speiseölproduktion im Ökologischen Landbau

In Deutschland werden im Ökologischen Landbau trotz vorhandener Nachfrage nach Speiseöl fast keine Ölpflanzen angebaut. Zudem besteht ein Mangel an betriebseigenem pflanzlichen Protein. Im vorliegenden Vorhaben soll 2003 untersucht werden, welche Ölpflanzenart und -sorte hier eine sinnvolle Ergänzung bieten könnte: neben agronomischen Kenngrößen soll sie auch eine hochwertige Öl- und Eiweißqualität liefern. Es werden folgende Ölpflanzenarten getestet: Winterraps/-rübsen, Sonnenblumen, Leindotter, Saflor und Sojabohne. Anhand je zehn ausgewählter Sorten (bei Winterraps/-rübsen: 7+3) werden sie für den Ökologischen Landbau an fünf Standorten zunächst auf ihre Anbaueignung geprüft. Der Versuch wird auf folgenden Standorten angebaut: Kleinhohenheim, Sömmerda, Chorin, Müllheim und Oberer Lindenhof. Nachfolgend soll bei jeder der 50 Varianten eine Bewertung der relativen Vorzüglichkeit als Öl- und Eiweißlieferant gegeben werden. Es wird erwartet, daß praxisrelevante Empfehlungen für den Anbau geeigneter Ölpflanzen im Ökologischen Landbau resultieren, die praktikable Möglichkeiten für eine kombinierte Nutzung für eine Speiseölproduktion und den innerbetrieblichen Einsatz als Eiweißfuttermittel beinhalten

On the multiplicity of the O-star Cyg OB2 #8A and its contribution to the gamma-ray source 3EG J2033+4118

We present the results of an intensive spectroscopic campaign in the optical waveband revealing that Cyg OB2 #8A is an O6 + O5.5 binary system with a period of about 21.9 d. Cyg OB2 #8A is a bright X-ray source, as well as a non-thermal radio emitter. We discuss the binarity of this star in the framework of a campaign devoted to the study of non-thermal emitters, from the radio waveband to gamma-rays. In this context, we attribute the non-thermal radio emission from this star to a population of relativistic electrons, accelerated by the shock of the wind-wind collision. These relativistic electrons could also be responsible for a putative gamma-ray emission through inverse Compton scattering of photospheric UV photons, thus contributing to the yet unidentified EGRET source 3EG J2033+4118.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, conference on "The Multiwavelength Approach to Gamma-Ray Sources", to appear in Ap&S

Addition of Platelet-Rich Plasma to Endorectal Advancement Flap Repair Does Not Enhance the Healing of Cryptoglandular Transsphincteric Fistulas

BACKGROUND: Endorectal advancement flap repair is often performed for the treatment of cryptoglandular transsphincteric fistulas. However, this procedure fails in approximately 1 of 4 patients. Based on its supposed healing properties, platelet-rich plasma might enhance the outcome of this procedure. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the short-term and long-term outcomes after endorectal advancement flap repair with and without platelet-rich plasma injection in patients with a cryptoglandular transsphincteric fistula. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary referral hospital for proctology in the Netherlands. PATIENTS: Consecutive patients with a cryptoglandular transsphincteric fistula. Inverse propensity score-weighted comparison was used to adjust for confounding and selection bias.INTERVENTIONS: Endorectal advancement flap repair with and without platelet-rich plasma injection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical fistula closure within 1 year without need for a reintervention (primary healing), clinical fistula closure within 1 year corrected for reinterventions (secondary healing), overall fistula healing within 1 year, and long-term outcomes assessed by a questionnaire. RESULTS: In total, 219 patients underwent an endorectal advancement flap repair. In 88 patients (40.2%), platelet-rich plasma was injected. No significant difference was observed in primary healing (67.0% vs 69.5%, p = 0.71), secondary healing (37.5% vs 43.5%, p = 0.60), or overall healing (73.9% vs 77.1%, p = 0.58) between patients treated with and without platelet-rich plasma injection. Long-term follow-up was available in 67.1% of the patients with a mean follow-up of 6.8 years (SD: 3.7 years). Among all patients who reached fistula healing, whether primary or secondary, within 1 year and had available long-term follow-up data, recurrence rates were also not significantly different (6.3% vs 2.9%, p = 0.37). Propensity score-weighted analysis showed that patients treated with a platelet-rich plasma injection were not more likely to achieve primary healing (OR 1.0; 95% CI, 0.5-1.9), secondary healing (OR 1.1; 95% CI, 0.2-3.2), overall healing (OR 0.9; 95% CI, 0.5-1.7), or recurrence at long-term follow-up (OR 1.1; 95% CI, 0.4-18.8) compared with patients without platelet-rich plasma injection.LIMITATIONS: Retrospective design, lack of postoperative imaging, and assessment of long-term follow-up using a questionnaire. CONCLUSION: Addition of platelet-rich plasma injection does not improve the short-term and long-term outcomes of endorectal advancement flap repair in patients with a cryptoglandular transsphincteric fistula treated in a tertiary referral center.</p

Selected risk factors for coronary heart disease in male scholars from the major South African population groups

A num.ber of risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) in 7 groups of South African male scholars aged between 15 and 20 years were surveyed. Selection of the groups was based on socioeconomic status and comprised urban and rural blacks, Indians of higher and lower socio-economic status, coloureds of higher and lower socio-economic status, and middle-class whites. Both Indian groups, both coloured groups and the whites had a much greater prevalence and severity of CHD risk factors than the two black groups. This held for total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), the HDLC/LDLC ratio, apolipoprotein B, apolipoprotein A-I, insulin, fibrinogen and mass. One exception was lipoprotein a, levels of which were higher in both black groups. In general the CHD risk factor profile was worse in the higher socio-economic groups, and it also tended to be worse in urban than in rural blacks. These findings stress the need to reduce CHD risk factors in our developed populations and to prevent their emergence in our developing peoples

Pion double charge exchange on 4He

The doubly differential cross sections for the $^4$He$(\pi^+,\pi^-) 4p$ reaction were calculated using both a two-nucleon sequential single charge exchange model and an intranuclear cascade code. Final state interactions between the two final protons which were the initial neutrons were included in both methods. At incident pion energies of 240 and 270 MeV the low-energy peak observed experimentally in the energy spectrum of the final pions can be understood only if the contribution of pion production is included. The calculated cross sections are compared with data.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figure

Interaction between polymorphisms in the OCT1 and MATE1 transporter and metformin response

Introduction: The transporter OCT1 is involved in the influx of metformin into the liver and the transporter MATE1 is involved in the efflux of metformin out of the liver. Recently, we identified that the polymorphism rs622342 in the gene coding for OCT1, and the polymorphism rs2289669 in the gene coding for MATE1, are associated with the degree of glucose-lowering effect by metformin. In this study, we analysed the existence of interaction between these two polymorphisms. Design and methods: We identified all incident metformin users in the Rotterdam Study, a population-based cohort study. Interaction between these two polymorphisms and change in HbA1c levels was analyzed. Results: In incident metformin users with the OCT1 rs622342 AA genotype, no association was found between the MATE1 rs2289669 genotype and the HbA1c-lowering effect (p = 0.39). In users with the OCT1 rs622342 AC genotype a non-significant tendency was found between the MATE1 rs2289669 genotype and the HbA1c-lowering effect (p = 0.070), and in users with the OCT1 rs622342 CC genotype a significant association was found between the MATE1 rs2289669 genotype and the glucose-lowering effect of metformin (p = 0.005). Conclusion: The effect of the MATE1 rs2289669 genotype on the glucose-lowering effect of metformin is stronger in incident users with the rs622342 CC genotype than in incident users with the rs622342 AA genotype. In most patients, metformin will lower HbA1c levels sufficiently, except in patients with a reduced function of the OCT1 transporter and a normal function of the MATE1 transporter.</p

Linear Paul trap design for an optical clock with Coulomb crystals

We report on the design of a segmented linear Paul trap for optical clock applications using trapped ion Coulomb crystals. For an optical clock with an improved short-term stability and a fractional frequency uncertainty of 10^-18, we propose 115In+ ions sympathetically cooled by 172Yb+. We discuss the systematic frequency shifts of such a frequency standard. In particular, we elaborate on high precision calculations of the electric radiofrequency field of the ion trap using the finite element method. These calculations are used to find a scalable design with minimized excess micromotion of the ions at a level at which the corresponding second- order Doppler shift contributes less than 10^-18 to the relative uncertainty of the frequency standard