Potential for improvement of population diet through reformulation of commonly eaten foods

Food reformulation: Reformulation of foods is considered one of the key options to achieve population nutrient goals. The compositions of many foods are modified to assist the consumer bring his or her daily diet more in line with dietary recommendations. Initiatives on food reformulation: Over the past few years the number of reformulated foods introduced on the European market has increased enormously and it is expected that this trend will continue for the coming years. Limits to food reformulation: Limitations to food reformulation in terms of choice of foods appropriate for reformulation and level of feasible reformulation relate mainly to consumer acceptance, safety aspects, technological challenges and food legislation. Impact on key nutrient intake and health: The potential impact of reformulated foods on key nutrient intake and health is obvious. Evaluation of the actual impact requires not only regular food consumption surveys, but also regular updates of the food composition table including the compositions of newly launched reformulated foods

New wave form surveillance and diagnostics for the LEP injection kickers

The introduction of the Bunch Train Scheme in LEP requires a more precise and automatic supervision of the stability of the LEP injection kickers in timing and amplitude. Comprehensive and user-friendly diagnostic tools are required for in-depth investigation of equipment behaviour. A new system is currently being prepared using to a large extent commercial data acquisition hardware and hardware independent software products

THE USE OF RAINFALL PATTERNS IN PREDICTING POPULATION DENSITIES OF MULTIMAMMATE RATS, \u3ci\u3eMastomys natalensis\u3c/i\u3e

During 3 years we studied a population of multimammate rats, Mastomys natalensis (Smith 1834), in Morogoro, Tanzania. Data were collected in both removal and capture-recapture schemes. We present evidence that patterns of growth and reproduction were related to onset and abundance of rains. This partially explains differences in densities. Additionally, we investigated available literature data and related them with climatological data. A scenario is presented which enables us to predict how densities of multimammate rats may evolve in the following year and whether there will be a risk of outbreaks. The use and implications of this scenario in planning control actions are discussed

Spatio-temporal genetic structure and gene flow between two distinct shell morphs of the planktonic developing periwinkle <i>Littorina striata</i> (Mollusca : Prosobranchia)

The planktonic developing periwinkle Littorina striata produces both nodulose and smooth shells, which were originally regarded as 2 separate species. Although both morphs occur microsympatrically, their distribution is not random. Nodulose shells predominate at wave-sheltered sites, whereas smooth shells are more common at wave-exposed sites. The degree of genetic similarity between the 2 shell types and their microgeographic spatio-temporal genetic structuring were investigated using allozyme electrophoresis. This indicated that: (1) both morphs share a common gene pool, (2) gene flow between populations is high and of comparable magnitude to gene flow between both morphs, (3) the population genetic structure of L. striata remains stable over a sampling period of 3 yr, and (4) genetic and morphological distances between populations are not correlated. These results thus confirm the conspecific status of the 2 shell types and suggest that shell variability and spatial patterning in L. striata persist in the presence of intense gene flow

The new control system of the SPS injection kicker

The SPS accelerator will be used as injector for the LHC and has to be adapted to the LHC requirements. The tight specification on beam blow-up and bunch spacing in the SPS has required an upgrade program of the SPS injection kicker in order to obtain a reduction of the magnetic field ripple to less than ± 0.5% and of the magnet current rise time to less than 145 ns. In this context, the slow control part has been entirely rebuilt on the basis of off-the-shelf industrial components. A hierarchical architecture based on a SIEMENS S7-400 master programmable logic controller interconnected through PROFIBUS-DP to S7-300 deported and decentralised I/Os has been implemented. Integration of in-house specific G-64 hardware systems inside this industrial environment has been done through a PROFIBUS-DP to G-64 intelligent interface based on an OEM fieldbus mezzanine board on one side and an FPGA implementing the required functionality on the other. Simultaneously, the fast timing system has been completely reshuffled in order to provide the required SPS multi-cycling functionality and a synchronisation of the 16 magnets to 5ns. This modular architecture has been successfully integrated inside the new SPS accelerator control infrastructure and will be duplicated in the future for the control of the different SPS extraction channels

Surface water sanitation and biomass production in a large constructed wetland in the Netherlands

In Western-Europe, agricultural practices have contributed to environmental problems such as eutrophication of surface and ground water, flooding, drought and desiccation of surrounding natural habitats. Solutions that reduce the impact of these problems are urgently needed. Common reed (Phragmites australis) is capable of sanitizing surface water and may function as green energy source because of its high productivity. Here, the results of an experiment in a constructed wetland in the Netherlands are presented where two different sanitation treatments were compared. Depending on the residence time and volume per unit area, reed is capable to reduce the total amount of nitrogen in the water with average efficiencies from 32 to 47% and the total amount of phosphorous with 27–45%. Although biomass production still varies largely between different parts of the constructed wetland, a rapid increase in biomass was observed since planting. Constructed wetlands with reed provide opportunities to improve water quality and reed produces enough biomass to serve as green energy source. Moreover, these wetlands also function as a flood water reservoir and are possibly advantageous for biodiversity. The optimal moment of reed harvesting depends on the goal of the owner. This moment should be chosen wisely, as it may have consequences for reed filter regeneration, biomass production, biodiversity, methane emission and water sanitation efficiency