9,543 research outputs found
Closed loop spray cooling apparatus
A closed loop apparatus for spraying coolant against the back of a radiation target is described. The coolant was circulated through a closed loop with a bubble of inert gas being maintained around the spray. Mesh material was disposed between the bubble and the surface of the liquid coolant which was below the bubble at a predetermined level. In a second embodiment, no inert gas was used, the bubble consisting of a vapor produced when the coolant was sprayed against the target
Effect of tomato variety, cultivation, climate and processing on Sola l 4, an allergen from Solanum lycopersicum
Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) are one of the most consumed vegetables worldwide.
However, tomato allergies in patients suffering from birch pollen allergy occur frequently.
Due to highly similar protein structures of the tomato allergen Sola l 4 and the major birch
pollen allergen Bet v 1, patients cross-react with allergenic proteins from tomato as well as
other fruits or vegetables. The aim of this study was to quantify Sola l 4 in various tomatoes
differing in color, size and shape for identification of varieties with a reduced allergen level.
Therefore, an indirect competitive ELISA using a specific polyclonal Sola l 4 antibody was
developed. In addition, two varieties, both cultivated either conventionally or organically and
furthermore dried with different methods, were analyzed to investigate the influence of the
cultivation method and processing techniques on Sola l 4 level. Within 23 varieties, Sola l 4
content varied significantly between 0.24 and 1.71 ÎĽg Sola l 4/g FW. The tomato cultivars
Rugantino and Rhianna showed the significantly lowest level, whereas in cultivars Farbini
and Bambello the significantly highest concentration was determined. Drying of tomatoes in
the oven and by sun resulted in a significant decrease. The thermal instability was verified
for the recombinant Sola l 4 emphasizing the results for the native protein in dried tomato
samples. Overall, the Sola l 4 content is cultivar-dependent and no correlation between
color and Sola l 4 amount was found. During the drying process of tomatoes Sola l 4 level
was significantly reduced due to thermal instability. Growing conditions have a minor effect
whereas seasonal effects show a more pronounced impact. These findings could extend
the knowledge about the allergen level of different tomato varieties and may help to improve
food safety to potentially increase the life quality of patients suffering from birch pollen
allergy
Determination of |V_us| from hadronic tau decays
The recent update of the strange spectral function and the moments of the
invariant mass distribution by the OPAL collaboration from hadronic tau decay
data are employed to determine |V_us| as well as m_s. Our result,
|V_us|=0.2208\pm0.0034, is competitive to the standard extraction of |V_us|
from K_e3 decays and to the new proposals to determine it. Furthermore, the
error associated to our determination of |V_us| can be reduced in the future
since it is dominated by the experimental uncertainty that will be eventually
much improved by the B-factories hadronic tau data. Another improvement that
can be performed is the simultaneous fit of both |V_us| and m_s to a set of
moments of the hadronic tau decays invariant mass distribution, which will
provide even a more accurate determination of both parameters.Comment: 6 pages. Invited talk given by E.G. at the XXXXth Rencontres de
Moriond on Electroweak Interactions and Unified Theories, La Thuile, Italy,
5-12 Mar 200
Effect of the Strawberry Genotype, Cultivation and Processing on the Fra a 1 Allergen Content
Birch pollen allergic patients show cross-reactivity to vegetables and fruits, including
strawberries (Fragaria Ă— ananassa). The objective of this study was to quantify the level of the
Fra a 1 protein, a Bet v 1-homologous protein in strawberry fruits by a newly developed ELISA,
and determine the effect of genotype, cultivation and food processing on the allergen amount.
An indirect competitive ELISA using a specific polyclonal anti-Fra a 1.02 antibody was established
and revealed high variability in Fra a 1 levels within 20 different genotypes ranging from 0.67
to 3.97 ÎĽg/g fresh weight. Mature fruits of red-, white- and yellow-fruited strawberry cultivars
showed similar Fra a 1 concentrations. Compared to fresh strawberries, oven and solar-dried
fruits contained slightly lower levels due to thermal treatment during processing. SDS-PAGE and
Western blot analysis demonstrated degradation of recombinant Fra a 1.02 after prolonged (>10 min)
thermal treatment at 99 â—¦ C. In conclusion, the genotype strongly determined the Fra a 1 quantity
in strawberries and the color of the mature fruits does not relate to the amount of the PR10-protein.
Cultivation conditions (organic and conventional farming) do not affect the Fra a 1 level, and seasonal
effects were minor
Social and Emotional Dimensions of Succession Planning for Family Forest Owners in the Northeastern United States
Keeping forestland intact has emerged as a critical policy objective at state and federal levels. This target has been supported by substantial public investment. The collective impact from the bequest decisions of millions of landowning individuals and families has the potential to affect the extent and functionality of future forests in the United States. Despite a growing body of research devoted to studying these transitions in forest ownership, much remains unknown about how family forest owners make decisions in this arena. The social and emotional dimensions of woodland succession planning have been particularly under-examined. This thesis explores the process of planning for the future use and ownership of woodlands through in-depth analysis of 32 semi-structured interviews with family forest owners in Massachusetts, Maine, New York, and Vermont. The first article investigates how family forest owners evaluate and integrate stories derived from their social networks when planning for the future of their woodlands. Analysis of the themes contained in stories framed as “cautionary tales” revealed common fears surrounding succession planning. The second article explores the complexity of emotional relationships with family forests showing how emotional geographies manifest in the succession planning process. Together, these studies deepen understanding of how family forest owners plan for the future of private woodlands and offer implications for Extension and outreach
Structural and Electronic Properties of the Interface between the High-k oxide LaAlO3 and Si(001)
The structural and electronic properties of the LaAlO3/Si(001) interface are
determined using state-of-the-art electronic structure calculations. The atomic
structure differs from previous proposals, but is reminiscent of La adsorption
structures on silicon. A phase diagram of the interface stability is calculated
as a function of oxygen and Al chemical potentials. We find that an
electronically saturated interface is obtained only if dopant atoms segregate
to the interface. These findings raise serious doubts whether LaAlO3 can be
used as an epitaxial gate dielectric.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Konfitüren, Säfte und Trocknung biologisch angebauter Lebensmittel: Was geschieht mit Allergenen während der Verarbeitung?
Food allergy is an increasing health problem, whereby plant allergens are one of the major source eliciting allergenic reactions. Ninety percent of birch pollen allergic
patients develop intolerances to fruits and vegetables. Antibodies against Bet v 1, the major birch pollen allergen, cross-react with Bet v 1-homolog proteins present in a
variety of fruits and vegetables. Bet v 1 and Bet v 1-homolog proteins belong to the family 10 of pathogenesis-related proteins (PR-10). In plants PR-10 proteins are
induced in various stress conditions, e.g. pathogen attack, wounding or environmental factors. The amount of allergens is influenced by pre- and post-harvesting factors,
such as cultivar, organic or conventional cultivation and storage conditions as well as different processing methods. The aim of the project is to develop an Enzyme Linked
Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) to determine the allergen content in fruits (apple, strawberry, plum, tomato) and processed food products (apple juice, strawberry jam).
The influence of organic versus conventional farming on the allergen content will be investigated. Furthermore, the effects of different processing techniques will be analyzed
Sum rules for spin-Hall conductivity cancelation
It has been shown recently that the universal dc spin conductivity of
two-dimensional electrons with a Rashba spin-orbit interaction is canceled by
vertex corrections in a weak scattering regime. We prove that the zero bulk
spin conductivity is an intrinsic property of the free-electron Hamiltonian and
scattering is merely a tool to reveal this property in terms of the
diagrammatic technique. When Zeeman energy is neglected, the zero dc
conductivity persists in a magnetic field. Spin conductivity increases
resonantly at the cyclotron frequency and then decays towards the universal
value.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
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