Fourier-space generalized magneto-optical ellipsometry

The magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) is widely exploited in laboratory-based setups for the study of thin films and nanostructures, providing magnetic characterization with good spatial and temporal resolutions. Due to the complex coupling of light with a magnetic sample, conventional MOKE magnetometers normally work by selecting a small range of incident wave-vector values, focusing the incident light beam to a small spot, and recording the reflected intensity at that angular range by means of photodetectors. Using this approach, additional methodologies and measurements are required for full vectorial magnetic characterization. Here, we computationally investigate a Fourier-space MOKE setup, where a focused beam ellipsometer using high numerical aperture optics and a camera detector is employed to simultaneously map the intensity distribution for a wide range of incident and reflected wave vectors. We employ circularly incident polarized light and no analyzing optics, in combination with a fitting procedure of the light intensity maps to the analytical expression of the Kerr effect under linear approximation. In this way, we are able to retrieve the three unknown components of the magnetization vector as well as the material' s optical and magneto-optical constants with high accuracy and short acquisition times, with the possibility of single-shot measurements. Fourier MOKE is thus proposed as a powerful method to perform generalized magneto-optical ellipsometry for a wide range of magnetic materials and devices

Variations in the contents of vitamins A and e during the ripening of cheeses with different compositions

We investigated the composition in vitamins A and E of cheeses made from the milks of ewes, goats and cows. A total of 84 cheeses of known composition were prepared and controlled to determine the influence of different factors, e.g. the variable proportions of cow’s, ewe’s, and goat’s milks, seasonality (winter/summer), and evolution during the course of ripening. The variable proportions of milk from the different species did not vary in either the amount of vitamin A or that of vitamin E in the cheeses. Seasonality and ripening were seen to have a significant effect on the concentration of vitamin

Adding plant oils to dairy goat diets: Effect on fatty acid content of milk fat

[ES]: El objetivo del presente trabajo fue investigar el efecto de la adición de aceites vegetales de diferente grado de insaturación a la dieta de cabras lecheras sobre el perfil de ácidos grasos de la grasa láctea. Doce cabras de raza Malagueña fueron asignadas al azar a uno de cuatro tratamientos: dieta basal sin aceite añadido y la misma dieta basal adicionada con 48 g/d de aceite de girasol alto oleico, aceite de girasol normal o aceite de lino. La dieta estuvo compuesta por heno de alfalfa (30%) y un concentrado granulado (70%) en el que se incluyó el aceite correspondiente. Todos los aceites redujeron el contenido de ácidos grasos saturados de cadena media de la grasa láctea (P 0,05). El aceite de girasol normal incrementó el contenido de los ácidos C18:1t10, vaccénico y ruménico y aumentó el valor de la ratio linoleico/α-linolénico (P 0,05). Los resultados obtenidos permiten concluir que la adición de aceite de lino a la dieta de cabras en lactación, en comparación con la de los aceites de girasol alto oleico y normal, modifica el perfil de ácidos grasos de la grasa láctea en un sentido más favorable desde el punto de vista de la salud humana.[EN]: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of adding differently unsaturated vegetable oils to a dairy goat diet on fatty acid content of milk fat. Twelve Malagueña goats were randomly allocated to one of four treatments: no oil basal diet and the same basal diet supplemented with 48 g/d of high oleic sunflower oil, regular sunflower oil or linseed oil. The basal diet was made of alfalfa hay and a pelleted concentrate (30:70 w/w). The concentrate included the respective oils. Supplemented diets decreased medium chain saturated fatty acid content in milk fat (P 0.05). Regular sunflower oil increased C18:1t10, vaccenic and rumenic acid contents as well as linoleic to α-linolenic acid ratio (P 0.05). It was concluded that compared to high oleic o regular sunflower oils, adding linseed oil in dairy goat diets modifies milk fat fatty acid content more favourably from the point of view of human health.Peer Reviewe

Changes in the mineral content in cheeses of different compositions during 6 months of ripening

The mineral content of cheese depends on the origin of the milk (cow, ewe, goat) and its ripening. In this work the effect of different factors on the mineral composition and the correlation between minerals (Ca, Fe, Mg, K, Na, and Zn) and the type of milk used are studied. The One-Way ANOVA procedure revealed that the effect of cow’s milk was statistically significant on Fe, K, P, and Zn; goat’s milk was statistically significant for Fe and Mg, and ewe’s milk was statistically significant for K. The effect of the ripening time was statistically significant in all cases, except for Zn; the effect of the season was statistically significant for K, Mg and P and the effect of the year was statistically significant in the case of K, Na, P, and Zn. The percentage of cow’s cheese was positively correlated with K and P; the percentage of ewe’s cheese was negatively correlated with K, Mg, Na, and P and the percentage of goat’s cheese was negatively correlated with Na, and P

Seasonal evolution of hydrophilic and hydrophobic peptide contents in cheeses made from ewe's goat's or cow's milk

Proteolysis is the principal and most complex biochemical event occurring during the maturation of the majority of ripened cheese varieties. In addition to softening the cheese body, proteolysis influences the development of cheese flavour via the formation of amino acid and peptides which make a direct contribution to flavour. Goat, cow and sheep cheeses have been elaborated with raw milk and calf rennet. The extent of proteolysis was monitored over six months of ripening and means of HPLC peptide profile analysis. The influence of season on the changes in hydrophobic and hydrophilic peptides and the HO/HI ratio during the ripening of the cheeses were studie

Relationship of sclerostin and secreted frizzled protein polymorphisms with bone mineral density: an association study with replication in postmenopausal women

Objectives.- Secreted frizzled-related protein and sclerostin, encoded by FRZB and SOST genes, respectively, are extracellular Wnt inhibitors that tend to decrease bone formation. The purpose of this study was to explore the association of sets of polymorphisms capturing common variations of these genes with bone mineral density (BMD). Methods.- Twelve polymorphic loci of the FRZB gene and 7 of the SOST gene were genotyped in postmenopausal women from two Spanish regions (Cantabria, n=1043, and Valencia, n=342). The polymorphisms included tagging SNPs and SNPs with possible functional consequences assessed in silico. Results.-The rs4666865 polymorphism of the FRZB gene was associated with spine BMD in the Cantabria cohort in the single-locus (p=0.008) and the haplotypic analysis. However, the results were not replicated in the Valencia cohort. Several polymorphisms at the 5´region of the SOST gene, and particularly rs851056, were associated with BMD in women from both cohorts (p=0.002 in Cantabria and 0.005 in Valencia). When the results of both cohorts were combined, the mean BMD difference across rs851056 genotypes was 47 mg/cm2 or 0.31 standard deviations (p<0.001). No differences in FRZB and SOST expression was detected across genotypes. Conclusions.- Polymorphisms in the 5’ region of SOST gene are associated with BMD in postmenopausal women, and consequently contribute to explain in part the hereditary influence on bone mass