Assessing quality parameters in dry-cured ham using microwave spectroscopy

Microwave spectroscopy has been applied in numerous non-food industry applications, and recently also in the food industry, for non-destructive measurements. In this study, a dry-cured ham model was designed and chemical analyses were performed for determining water activity, water content and salt content (sodium chloride) for all samples. These chemical parameters were also measured using microwave spectroscopy, with a rectangular microwave cavity resonator. Results indicate that microwave spectroscopy may be a promising technique for determination of water activity, salt content and water content in dry-cured ham using either reflected or transmitted signals

Collapse of superconductivity in a hybrid tin-graphene Josephson junction array

When a Josephson junction array is built with hybrid superconductor/metal/superconductor junctions, a quantum phase transition from a superconducting to a two-dimensional (2D) metallic ground state is predicted to happen upon increasing the junction normal state resistance. Owing to its surface-exposed 2D electron gas and its gate-tunable charge carrier density, graphene coupled to superconductors is the ideal platform to study the above-mentioned transition between ground states. Here we show that decorating graphene with a sparse and regular array of superconducting nanodisks enables to continuously gate-tune the quantum superconductor-to-metal transition of the Josephson junction array into a zero-temperature metallic state. The suppression of proximity-induced superconductivity is a direct consequence of the emergence of quantum fluctuations of the superconducting phase of the disks. Under perpendicular magnetic field, the competition between quantum fluctuations and disorder is responsible for the resilience at the lowest temperatures of a superconducting glassy state that persists above the upper critical field. Our results provide the entire phase diagram of the disorder and magnetic field-tuned transition and unveil the fundamental impact of quantum phase fluctuations in 2D superconducting systems.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figure

One-loop SYM-supergravity relation for five-point amplitudes

We derive a linear relation between the one-loop five-point amplitude of N=8 supergravity and the one-loop five-point subleading-color amplitudes of N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figures; v2: very minor correction

CHY representations for gauge theory and gravity amplitudes with up to three massive particles

We show that a wide class of tree-level scattering amplitudes involving scalars, gauge bosons, and gravitons, up to three of which may be massive, can be expressed in terms of a Cachazo-He-Yuan representation as a sum over solutions of the scattering equations. These amplitudes, when expressed in terms of the appropriate kinematic invariants, are independent of the masses and therefore identical to the corresponding massless amplitudes.Comment: 20 pages, 1 figure; v2: minor typos corrected, published versio

Trace-gas metabolic versatility of the facultative methanotroph Methylocella silvestris

The climate-active gas methane is generated both by biological processes and by thermogenic decomposition of fossil organic material, which forms methane and short-chain alkanes, principally ethane, propane and butane1, 2. In addition to natural sources, environments are exposed to anthropogenic inputs of all these gases from oil and gas extraction and distribution. The gases provide carbon and/or energy for a diverse range of microorganisms that can metabolize them in both anoxic3 and oxic zones. Aerobic methanotrophs, which can assimilate methane, have been considered to be entirely distinct from utilizers of short-chain alkanes, and studies of environments exposed to mixtures of methane and multi-carbon alkanes have assumed that disparate groups of microorganisms are responsible for the metabolism of these gases. Here we describe the mechanism by which a single bacterial strain, Methylocella silvestris, can use methane or propane as a carbon and energy source, documenting a methanotroph that can utilize a short-chain alkane as an alternative to methane. Furthermore, during growth on a mixture of these gases, efficient consumption of both gases occurred at the same time. Two soluble di-iron centre monooxygenase (SDIMO) gene clusters were identified and were found to be differentially expressed during bacterial growth on these gases, although both were required for efficient propane utilization. This report of a methanotroph expressing an additional SDIMO that seems to be uniquely involved in short-chain alkane metabolism suggests that such metabolic flexibility may be important in many environments where methane and short-chain alkanes co-occur

Detecting a conditional extrme value model

In classical extreme value theory probabilities of extreme events are estimated assuming all the components of a random vector to be in a domain of attraction of an extreme value distribution. In contrast, the conditional extreme value model assumes a domain of attraction condition on a sub-collection of the components of a multivariate random vector. This model has been studied in \cite{heffernan:tawn:2004,heffernan:resnick:2007,das:resnick:2008a}. In this paper we propose three statistics which act as tools to detect this model in a bivariate set-up. In addition, the proposed statistics also help to distinguish between two forms of the limit measure that is obtained in the model.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure

Comparison of the Simple Patient-Centric Atopic Dermatitis Scoring System PEST with SCORAD in Young Children Using a Ceramide Dominant Therapeutic Moisturizer.

INTRODUCTION: Patient eczema severity time (PEST) is a new atopic dermatitis (AD) scoring system based on patients' own perception of their disease. Conventional scales such as SCORing of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) reflect the clinician's observations during the clinic visit. Instead, the PEST score captures eczema severity, relapse and recovery as experienced by the patient or caregiver on a daily basis, promoting patient engagement, compliance with treatment and improved outcomes. This study aims to determine the correlation between carer-assessed PEST and clinician-assessed SCORAD in paediatric AD patients after 12 weeks of treatment using a ceramide-dominant therapeutic moisturizer. METHODS: Prospective, open-label, observational, multi-centre study in which children with AD aged 6 months to 6 years were treated with a ceramide dominant therapeutic moisturizer twice daily for 12 weeks; 58 children with mild-to-moderate AD were included. Correlation between the 7-day averaged PEST and SCORAD scores for assessment of AD severity was measured within a general linear model. PEST and SCORAD were compared in week 4 and week 12. RESULTS: At week 12, a moderate correlation was found between the SCORAD and PEST scores (r = 0.51). The mean change in SCORAD and PEST scores from baseline to week 12 was -11.46 [95% confidence interval (CI) -14.99 to -7.92, p < 0.0001] and -1.33 (95% CI -0.71 to -0.10, p < 0.0001) respectively. PEST demonstrated greater responsiveness to change (33.3% of scale) compared to SCORAD (13.8% of scale). CONCLUSION: The PEST score correlates well with the SCORAD score and may have improved sensitivity when detecting changes in the severity of AD. The ceramide-dominant therapeutic moisturizer used was safe and effective in the management of AD in young children

Variation in the use of chemotherapy in lung cancer

Factors influencing the use of chemotherapy for the initial (6 months) treatment of lung cancer in South East England were investigated. The variables explored as possibly influencing the use of chemotherapy were sex, age, the year of diagnosis, the type of lung cancer, the stage, the index of multiple deprivation and the cancer network of residence. χ2 analysis and multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine the effect of each of the variables on the use of chemotherapy. The results showed a highly significant trend in use of chemotherapy over time; the adjusted proportion of patients receiving chemotherapy increasing from 13.6% in 1994 to 29.3% in 2003. However, age, cancer network and type of lung cancer had the strongest influence on the use of chemotherapy. This finding is important when we consider that the NHS Cancer Plan aims at improving inequalities in cancer care in the UK

Production of 3,4-dihydroxy L-phenylalanine by a newly isolated Aspergillus niger and parameter significance analysis by Plackett-Burman design

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The amino acid derivative 3,4-dihydroxy L-phenylalanine (L-dopa) is gaining interest as a drug of choice for Parkinson's disease. <it>Aspergillus oryzae </it>is commonly used for L-dopa production; however, a slower growth rate and relatively lower tyrosinase activity of mycelia have led to an increasing interest in exploiting alternative fungal cultures. In the present investigation, we report on the microbiological transformation of L-tyrosine to L-dopa accomplished by a newly isolated filamentous fungus <it>Aspergillus niger</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The culture <it>A. niger </it>(isolate GCBT-8) was propagated in 500 ml Erlenmeyer flasks and the pre-grown mycelia (48 h old) were used in the reaction mixture as a source of enzyme tyrosinase. Grinded mycelia gave 1.26 fold higher L-dopa production compared to the intact at 6% glucose (pH 5.5). The rate of L-tyrosine consumption was improved from 0.198 to 0.281 mg/ml. Among the various nitrogen sources, 1.5% peptone, 1% yeast extract and 0.2% ammonium chloride were optimized. The maximal L-dopa was produced (0.365 mg/ml) at 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate with L-tyrosine consumption of 0.403 mg/ml.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Over ~73% yield was achieved (degree of freedom 3) when the process parameters were identified using 2k-Plackett-Burman experimental design. The results are highly significant (p ≤ 0.05) and mark the commercial utility (LSD 0.016) of the mould culture which is perhaps the first ever report on L-dopa production from <it>A. niger</it>.</p