Breeding for meat quality in pigs

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibilities of improving pig meat quality by selection. Therefore, literature is reviewed to determine the meat quality traits to be used and genetic parameters of those meat quality traits are calculated. A method is described to obtain marginal- income functions and economic values of meat quality traits. At last, consequences of including meat quality in the breeding goal for the various tiers of the pig meat production chain are analyzed. It is concluded that there are possibilities to improve meat quality by selection. Three strategies to improve meat quality by breeding are described. Effects of the various strategies on the genetic improvement of both production and meat quality traits are examined. Which strategy has to be used will depend on the current levels of the meat quality traits of the commercial pigs

Quasiparticle relaxation in optically excited high-Q superconducting resonators

The quasiparticle relaxation time in superconducting films has been measured as a function of temperature using the response of the complex conductivity to photon flux. For tantalum and aluminium, chosen for their difference in electron-phonon coupling strength, we find that at high temperatures the relaxation time increases with decreasing temperature, as expected for electron-phonon interaction. At low temperatures we find in both superconducting materials a saturation of the relaxation time, suggesting the presence of a second relaxation channel not due to electron-phonon interaction.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Chronic consumers of boiled coffee have elevated serum levels of lipoprotein(a)

OBJECTIVES: Lipoprotein(a) consists of an LDL-particle attached to apolipoprotein(a), which is made by the liver. Diterpenes present in boiled coffee raise serum levels of LDL cholesterol and of the liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase in man. We investigated the association between intake of boiled coffee and serum levels of lipoprotein(a). DESIGN, SETTING AND SUBJECTS: Healthy Norwegians 40-42 years of age, who habitually consumed five or more cups of boiled coffee per day (n = 150) were compared with matched filter coffee consumers (n = 159) in a cross-sectional study, as part of the Norwegian National Health Screening in 1992. RESULTS: The median lipoprotein(a) level was 13.0 mg dL-1 (10th and 90th percentile: 2.5 and 75.0 mg dL-1, respectively) on boiled and 7.9 mg dL-1 (10th and 90th percentile: 1.9 and 62.5 mg dL-1, respectively) on filter coffee (P = 0.048). Means /- SE were 25.8 /- 2.4 mg dL-1 and 19.6 /- 2.0 mg dL-1, respectively (P = 0.04). Although not statistically significant, subjects consuming nine or more cups of coffee per day had higher lipoprotein(a) levels than those drinking five to eight cups per day in both coffee groups. CONCLUSION: Chronic consumers of unfiltered, boiled coffee have higher serum levels of lipoprotein(a) than filter coffee drinkers

Diterpenes from coffee beans decrease serum levels of lipoprotein(a) in humans: results from four randomized controlled trials

Objective: Unfiltered coffee raises serum LDL cholesterol in humans, owing to the presence of the diterpenes cafestol and kahweol. Norwegians with a chronic high intake of unfiltered coffee also had elevated serum levels of lipoprotein(a), an LDL-like particle which is insensitive toward dietary interventions. We now experimentally studied the influence of coffee diterpenes on lipoprotein(a) levels. Design: Four randomised controlled trials. Subjects: Healthy, normolipidemic volunteers. Interventions: Coffee, coffee oil, and pure diterpenes for 4-24 weeks. Main outcome measures: The circulating level of lipoprotein(a). Results: In 22 subjects drinking five to six strong cups of cafetiere coffee per day, the median fall in lipoprotein(a) was 1.5 mg/dL after two months (P=0.03), and 0.5 mg/dL after half a year (P>0.05), relative to 24 filter coffee drinkers. Coffee oil doses equivalent to 10-20 cups of unfiltered coffee reduced lipoprotein(a) levels by up to 5.5 mg/dL (P<0.05) in two separate trials (n=12-16 per group). A purified mixture of cafestol and kahweol, as well as cafestol alone, were also effective in reducing Lp(a) levels (n=10). Averaged over the four trials, each 10 mg/d of cafestol (plus kahweol)?the amount present in two to three cups of cafetiere coffee?decreased Lp(a) levels by 0.5 mg/dL or 4% from baseline values after four weeks (n=63). Conclusions: Coffee diterpenes are among the few dietary exceptions shown to influence serum lipoprotein(a) levels. However, the Lp(a)-reducing potency of coffee diterpenes may subside in the long run, and their adverse side effects preclude their use as lipoprotein(a)-reducing agents. Sponsorship: Supported by the Netherlands Heart Foundation through grant No. 900-562-091 of the Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research (NWO), plus supplemental funding by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee

The Spectral Signature of Dust Scattering and Polarization in the Near IR to Far UV. I. Optical Depth and Geometry Effects

Spectropolarimetry from the near IR to the far UV of light scattered by dust provides a valuable diagnostic of the dust composition, grain size distribution and spatial distribution. To facilitate the use of this diagnostic, we present detailed calculations of the intensity and polarization spectral signature of light scattered by optically thin and optically thick dust in various geometries. The polarized light radiative transfer calculations are carried out using the adding-doubling method for a plane-parallel slab, and are extended to an optically thick sphere by integrating over its surface. The calculations are for the Mathis, Rumple & Nordsieck Galactic dust model, and cover the range from 1 $\mu m$ to 500 \AA. We find that the wavelength dependence of the scattered light intensity provides a sensitive probe of the optical depth of the scattering medium, while the polarization wavelength dependence provides a probe of the grain scattering properties, which is practically independent of optical depth. We provide a detailed set of predictions, including polarization maps, which can be used to probe the properties of dust through imaging spectropolarimetry in the near IR to far UV of various Galactic and extragalactic objects. In a following paper we use the codes developed here to provide predictions for the dependence of the intensity and polarization on grain size distribution and composition.Comment: 29 pages + 21 figures, accepted for the Astrophysical Journal Supplement February 2000 issue. Some revision, mostly in the introduction and the conclusions, and a couple of correction

Electromagnetic Cascades and Cascade Nucleosynthesis in the Early Universe

We describe a calculation of electromagnetic cascading in radiation and matter in the early universe initiated by the decay of massive particles or by some other process. We have used a combination of Monte Carlo and numerical techniques which enables us to use exact cross sections, where known, for all the relevant processes. In cascades initiated after the epoch of big bang nucleosynthesis $\gamma$-rays in the cascades will photodisintegrate $^4$He, producing $^3$He and deuterium. Using the observed $^3$He and deuterium abundances we are able to place constraints on the cascade energy deposition as a function of cosmic time. In the case of the decay of massive primordial particles, we place limits on the density of massive primordial particles as a function of their mean decay time, and on the expected intensity of decay neutrinos.Comment: compressed and uuencoded postscript. We now include a comparison with previous work of the photon spectrum in the cascade and the limits we calculate for the density of massive particles. The method of calculation of photon spectra at low energies has been improved. Most figures are revised. Our conclusions are substantially unchange

Photometric Light Curves and Polarization of Close-in Extrasolar Giant Planets

The close-in extrasolar giant planets [CEGPs], \ltorder 0.05 AU from their parent stars, may have a large component of optically reflected light. We present theoretical optical photometric light curves and polarization curves for the CEGP systems, from reflected planetary light. Different particle sizes of three condensates are considered. In the most reflective case, the variability is $\approx 100$ micromagnitudes, which will be easily detectable by the upcoming satellite missions MOST, COROT, and MONS, and possibly from the ground in the near future. The least reflective case is caused by small, highly absorbing grains such as solid Fe, with variation of much less than one micromagnitude. Polarization for all cases is lower than current detectability limits. We also discuss the temperature-pressure profiles and resulting emergent spectra of the CEGP atmospheres. We discuss the observational results of Tau Boo b by Cameron et al. (1999) and Charbonneau et al. (1999) in context of our model results. The predictions - the shape and magnitude of the light curves and polarization curves - are highly dependent on the size and type of condensates present in the planetary atmosphere.Comment: 33 pages, accepted by Ap