Descriptive Sensory Analysis and Acceptance of Stingless Bee Honey

Stingless bee honey samples were evaluated by sensory descriptive analysis using free choice profile methodology. Appearance, flavor, and aroma were described and the data were treated with Generalized Procrustes Analysis. Individual descriptive terms ranged from 8 to 20. Plotting the samples in a bidimensional plan indicated that appearance attributes (color and viscosity) and sweet, sour and acid flavor were strongly correlated with x axis (Dimension 1) while coconut, wood, acid, sour, and sweet flavor aroma attributes were correlated with y axis (Dimension 2). The affective test was also performed and with the exception of the Melipona scutellaris honey, all the other samples showed good acceptance. Honeys that were described as sweeter and less acid were preferred by nontrained assessors, indicating that the regular consumer recognizes honey produced by Apis mellifera bee as a standard.

Nanostructured europium oxide thin films deposited by pulsed laser ablation of a metallic target in a He buffer atmosphere

Nanostrucured europium oxide and hydroxide films were obtained by pulsed Nd:YAG (532 nm) laser ablation of a europium metallic target, in the presence of a 1 mbar helium buffer atmosphere. Both the produced film and the ambient plasma were characterized. The plasma was monitored by an electrostatic probe, for plume expansion in vacuum or in the presence of the buffer atmosphere. The time evolution of the ion saturation current was obtained for several probe to substrate distances. The results show the splitting of the plume into two velocity groups, being the lower velocity profile associated with metal cluster formation within the plume. The films were obtained in the presence of helium atmosphere, for several target-to-substrate distances. They were analyzed by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, x-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy, for as-deposited and 600 degrees C treated-in-air samples. The results show that the as-deposited samples are amorphous and have chemical composition compatible with europium hydroxide. The thermally treated samples show x-ray diffraction peaks of Eu(2)O(3), with chemical composition showing excess oxygen. Film nanostructuring was shown to be strongly correlated with cluster formation, as shown by velocity splitting in probe current versus time plots. (C) 2010 American Vacuum Society. [DOI: 10.1116/1.3457784]

Sudden stratospheric warmings seen in MINOS deep underground muon data

The rate of high energy cosmic ray muons as measured underground is shown to be strongly correlated with upper-air temperatures during short-term atmospheric (10-day) events. The effects are seen by correlating data from the MINOS underground detector and temperatures from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts during the winter periods from 2003-2007. This effect provides an independent technique for the measurement of meteorological conditions and presents a unique opportunity to measure both short and long-term changes in this important part of the atmosphere. Citation: Osprey, S., et al. (2009), Sudden stratospheric warmings seen in MINOS deep underground muon data, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L05809, doi: 10.1029/2008GL036359.