Improved generation lifetime model for the electrical characterization of single- and double-gate SOI nMOSFETs

This work proposes a refined technique for the extraction of the generation lifetime in single- and double-gate partially depleted SOI nMOSFETs. The model presented in this paper, based on the drain current switch-off transients, takes into account the influence of the laterally non-uniform channel doping, caused by the presence of the halo implanted region, and the amount of charge controlled by the drain and source junctions on the floating body effect when the channel length is reduced. The obtained results for single- gate (SG) devices are compared with two-dimensional numerical simulations and experimental data, extracted for devices fabricated in a 0.1 mu m SOI CMOS technology, showing excellent agreement. The improved model to determine the generation lifetime in double-gate (DG) devices beyond the considerations previously presented also consider the influence of the silicon layer thickness on the drain current transient. The extracted data through the improved model for DG devices were compared with measurements and two-dimensional numerical simulations of the SG devices also presenting a good adjustment with the channel length reduction and the same tendency with the silicon layer thickness variation.

Penetration of hydrolysed soy protein-added brine and its effect on yield and pH of beef steaks from the biceps femoris muscle

This study was aimed to evaluate the penetration behaviour of different brines with tumbled beef steaks from the biceps femoris muscle, specifically their interactions with pH and effects on yield. Six muscles from different animals, divided into origin (OP) and insertion (IP) portions, were cut into 60 steaks of 2.5 cm thickness and tumbled for 30 or 60 min. The steaks were tumbled with two brines, with (WTB/HSP) or without (WTB) hydrolysed soy protein (HSP), and steaks that were not tumbled with brine or water were used as controls. Brine penetration was verified by measuring the amount of dye-containing brine (absorbance at 627 nm) recovered from homogenates of four thin (2 mm) slices from the surface of the beef steaks after tumbling. The WTB/HSP steaks exhibited greater (P < 0.05) brine penetration when tumbled for 60 min than for 30 min. The OP steaks showed greater yield and lower pH (P < 0.05) than IP steaks. HSP-added brine increased the water absorption and retention in the first slices of the steaks, and its efficiency was increased with a longer tumbling time. The portion of the biceps femoris muscle used influenced brine absorption and retention, impacting meat yield. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular detection and differentiation of Brazilian and African isolates of the entomopathogen Neozygites tanajoae (Entomophthorales: Neozygitaceae) with PCR using specific primers

Neozygites tanajoae is an entomopathogenic fungus which has been used for biocontrol of the cassava green mite (Mononychellus tanajoa, CGM) in Africa. Establishment and dispersal of Brazilian isolates which have been introduced into some African countries in recent years to improve CGM control was followed with specific PCR assays. Two primer pairs, NEOSSU_F/NEOSSU_R and 8DDC_F/8DDC_R, were used to differentiate isolates collected from several locations in Brazil and from three countries in Africa, Benin, Ghana and Tanzania. The first primer pair enabled the species-specific detection of Neozygites tanajoae, while the second differentiated the Brazilian isolates from those of other geographical origin. PCR assays were designed for detection of fungal DNA in the matrix of dead infested mites since N. tanajoae is difficult to isolate and culture on selective artificial media. Our results show that all isolates (Brazilian and African) that sporulated on mummified mites were amplified with the first primer pair confirming their Neozygites tanajoae identity. The second pair amplified DNA from all the Brazilian isolates, but did not amplify any DNA samples from the African isolates. None of the two primers showed amplification neither from any of the non-sporulating mite extracts nor from the dead uninfected mites used as negative controls. We confirmed that the two primer pairs tested are suitable for the detection and differential identification of N. tanajoae isolates from Brazil and Africa and that they are useful to monitor the establishment and spread of the Brazilian isolates of N. tanajoae introduced into Benin or into other African countries for improvement of CGM biocontrol.

Water Resources Assessment at Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiai River Basins: A Dynamic Systems Approach

The Piracicaba, Capivari, and Jundiai River Basins (RB-PCJ) are mainly located in the State of So Paulo, Brazil. Using a dynamics systems simulation model (WRM-PCJ) to assess water resources sustainability, five 50-year simulations were run. WRM-PCJ was developed as a tool to aid decision and policy makers on the RB-PCJ Watershed Committee. The model has 254 variables. The model was calibrated and validated using available information from the 80s. Falkenmark Water Stress Index went from 1,403 m(3) person (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) year (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) in 2004 to 734 m(3) P (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) year (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) in 2054, and Xu Sustainability Index from 0.44 to 0.20. In 2004, the Keller River Basin Development Phase was Conservation, and by 2054 was Augmentation. The three criteria used to evaluate water resources showed that the watershed is at crucial water resources management turning point. The WRM-PCJ performed well, and it proved to be an excellent tool for decision and policy makers at RB-PCJ.

Drying and storage of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) hydroprimed seeds

Literature has documented beneficial effects of seed priming on speed, synchronization and uniformity of germination. often leading to improved stand establishment. However. doubts still persist about the possible reversal effects, after drying and during storage of primed seeds that could overcome, partial or totally, the improved performance. The objectives of this research were to identify drying and storage procedures that would maintain the physiological performance achieved after seed priming, without negative effects on storability. First. hydroprimed cauliflower Seeds cv. Sharon and cv. Teresopolis Gigante, each represented by three seed lots were submitted to fast drying, slow drying, and treatments of pre-drying incubation (exposure to 35 degrees C, to a polyethylene glycol 6000 solution or a heat shock) followed by fast drying. In the second phase of this study, hydroprimed seed samples were submitted to fast drying (30-35 degrees C and 40-50% R.H.) and stored under laboratory conditions or in a chamber at 20 degrees C and 50% relative humidity for six months. Seed physiological potential was evaluated after 60-day intervals for germination (speed and percentage), Seedling emergence and saturated salt accelerated aging tests. All drying treatments efficiently preserved the favourable priming effects, except for the incubation at 35 degrees C for 96-144 hours. The beneficial priming effects followed by fast drying persisted for four months under controlled conditions (20 degrees C and 50% relative humidity).

Seed development, yield and quality of two palm species growing in different tropical forest types in SE Brazil: implications for ecological restoration

Natural forest remnants have been set as seed production fields to supply seeds of native tree species for tropical forest restoration, but the effect of different forest types on seed production has not been accessed to date for palm species. In this work, we studied seed development, yield, and quality of two palm species in different tropical forest types in SE Brazil. Seed production of palmiteiro (Euterpe edulis) and queen-palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), which are largely used in restoration efforts due to their importance for vertebrate frugivores, were studied in natural remnants of Atlantic Rainforest, Restinga Forest, Seasonally Dry Forest, and Cerrado Forest. We studied seed development, yield, size, and germination of seed lots produced in some of these forest types, including seeds harvested in 2008, 2009, and both years. Seed yield and quality, as well as seed dry mass in 2009, were higher for palmiteiro seeds produced in the Atlantic Rainforest, while queen-palm seeds produced at the Restinga Forest showed the higher mass and yield, but the lowest physiological potential. Consequently, these natural differences of seed yield and quality have to be taken into account for establishing standards for seed commercialization and analysis, seed pricing, and seedling production in forest nurseries.

Assessing the association between phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity of Brazilian red wines using chemometrics

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association among chemical parameters, the commercial value, and the antioxidant activity of Brazilian red wines using chemometric techniques. Twenty-nine samples from five different varieties were assessed. Samples were separated into three groups using hierarchical cluster analysis: cluster 1 presented the highest antioxidant activity towards DPPH (68.51% of inhibition) and ORAC (30,918.64 mu mol Trolox Equivalents/L), followed by cluster 3 (DPPH = 59.36% of inhibition: ORAC = 25,255.02 mu mol Trolox Equivalents/L) and then cluster 2 (DPPH = 46.67% of inhibition; ORAC = 19,395.74 gmol Trolox Equivalents/L). Although the correlation between the commercial value and the antioxidant activity on DPPH and ORAC was not statistically significant (P = 0.13 and P = 0.06, respectively), cluster 1 grouped the samples with higher commercial values. Cluster analysis applied to the variables suggested that non-anthocyanin flavonoids were the main phenolic class exerting antioxidant activity on Brazilian red wines. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of the Partial Substitution of Soy Proteins by Highly Methyl-esterified Pectin on Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Sausages

Pectin can be used as a natural emulsifier in food formulations. In this study, textured soybean protein (TSP), used as an emulsifier in commercial sausages, was partially replaced by a mixture containing pectin and isolated soybean proteins, which were either extruded (EXT) or not extruded (MIX), and the chemical and sensory characteristics of samples were evaluated after 60 days of storage at 4 degrees C. Responses such as oxidation measured by PV and TBARS, hardness, color, pH and sensory characteristics were compared with those of a commercial sausage (CON). The mixture containing highly methyl-esterified pectin, textured soybean proteins and isolated soybean proteins, as emulsifier agent, reduced the hardness (EXT: 21.69 +/- 0.98 and MIX: 20.17 +/- 2.76 N) and the pH (EXT: 5.46 +/- 0.03 and MIX: 5.29 +/- 0.01) of the samples and increased the concentration of peroxides (EXT: 0.10 +/- 0.01 and MIX: 0.15 +/- 0.01 meq/kg) when compared with samples formulated only with TSP (28.57 +/- 2.54 N, pH of 6.92 +/- 0.04 and PV = 0.07 +/- 0.01 meq/kg). These effects were likely caused by the anionic character of the emulsifier. However, no sensory difference was observed between the sausages containing highly methyl-esterified pectin, textured soybean proteins and isolated soybean proteins submitted to the extrusion process (EXT) and the control sausages, suggesting that the formulation proposed in this study can be a potential alternative for the further development of sausages that have functional properties or are free of artificial additives.

Thermal properties and resistant starch content of green banana flour (Musa cavendishii) produced at different drying conditions

The objective of this research was to verify the effect of drying conditions on thermal properties and resistant starch content of green banana flour (Musa cavendishii). The green banana flour is a complex-carbohydrates source, mainly of resistant starch, and quantifying its gelatinization is important to understand how it affects food processing and the functional properties of the flour. The green banana flour was obtained by drying unripe peeled bananas (first stage of ripening) in a dryer tunnel at 52 degrees C, 55 degrees C and 58 degrees C and air velocity at 0.6 m s(-1), 1.0 m s(-1) and 1.4 m s(-1). The results obtained from differential scanning calorimetry, (DSC) curves show a single endothermic transition and a flow of maximum heating at peak temperatures from (67.95 +/- 0.31)degrees C to (68.63 +/- 0.28) degrees C. ANOVA shows that only drying temperature influenced significantly (P < 0.05) the gelatinization peak temperature (Tp). Gelatinization enthalpy (Delta H) varied from 9.04 J g(-1) to 11.63 J g(-1) and no significant difference was observed for either temperature or air velocity. The resistant starch content of the flour produced varied from (40.9 +/- 0.4) g/100 g to (58.5 +/- 5.4) g/100 g, on dry basis (d. b.), and was influenced by the combination of drying conditions: flour produced at 55 degrees C/1.4 m s(-1) and 55 degrees C/1.0 m s(-1) presented higher content of resistant starch. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Probiotic potential and sensory properties of coconut flan supplemented with Lactobacillus paracasei and Bifidobacterium lactis

The effect of probiotic cultures on sensory performance of coconut flan during storage at 5 degrees C and the viability of these micro organisms for up to 28 days were investigated. Sensory analyses of the product were performed after 7, 14 and 21 days of storage. Coconut flans were produced with no addition of cultures (T1, control), or supplemented with Bifidobacterium lactis (T2), Lactobacillus paracasei (T3) and B. lactis + L. paracasei (T4). Populations of L. paracasei and B. lactis as single or in co-culture remained above 7 log CFU g(-1) during the entire storage period. Viability of L. paracasei was higher for T3. All products were well accepted and no significant differences (P > 0.05) were detected between the coconut flans studied. The addition of L. paracasei and B. lactis to coconut flan resulted in its having great potential as a functional food, which has high sensory acceptability.

Cu and Fe metallic ions-mediated oxidation of low-density lipoproteins studied by NMR, TEM and Z-scan technique

In this work we report on a study of the morphological changes of LDL induced in vitro by metallic ions (Cu(2+) and Fe(3+)). These modifications were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance and the Z-scan technique. The degree of oxidative modification of LDL was determined by the TBARS and lipid hydroperoxides assays. It is shown that distinct pathways for modifying lipoproteins lead to different morphological transformations of the particles characterized by changes in size and/or shape of the resulting particles, and by the tendency to induce aggregation of the particles. There were no evidence of melting of particles promoted by oxidative processes with Cu and Fe. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of natural and synthetic compounds according to their antioxidant activity using a multivariate approach

The antioxidant activity of natural and synthetic compounds was evaluated using five in vitro methods: ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydradzyl (DPPH), oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAL), oxidation of an aqueous dispersion of linoleic acid accelerated by azo-initiators (LAOX), and oxidation of a meat homogenate submitted to a thermal treatment (TBARS). All results were expressed as Trolox equivalents. The application of multivariate statistical techniques suggested that the phenolic compounds (caffeic acid, carnosic acid, genistein and resveratrol), beyond their high antioxidant activity measured by the DPPH, FRAP and TBARS methods, showed the highest ability to react with the radicals in the ORAC methodology, compared to the other compounds evaluated in this study (ascorbic acid, erythorbate, tocopherol, BHT, Trolox, tryptophan, citric acid, EDTA, glutathione, lecithin, methionine and tyrosine). This property was significantly correlated with the number of phenolic rings and catecholic structure present in the molecule. Based on a multivariate analysis, it is possible to select compounds from different clusters and explore their antioxidant activity interactions in food products.

Effect of inulin as a prebiotic to improve growth and counts of a probiotic cocktail in fermented skim milk

Inulin was used as a prebiotic to improve quality of skim milk fermented by pure cultures of Lactobacillus acidophilus Lactobacillus rhamnosus Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Bifidobacterium lactis binary co-cultures with Streptococcus thermophilus or a cocktail containing all them Inulin supplementation to pure cultures lowered the generation time with particular concern to S thermophilus and L acidophilus The generation time of all micro-organisms decreased in the following order mono-cultures co-cultures cocktail It was demonstrated a synergism between S thermophilus and the other strains and a bifidogenic effect of inulin Enumerations of L rhamnosus in cocktail markedly decreased compared to co-cultures likely because of greater competition for the same substrates The results of this work highlight the industrial potential of the cocktail mainly in terms of fermentation acceleration (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved

Structured lipids obtained by chemical interesterification of olive oil and palm stearin

Interesterification of palm stearin (PS) with liquid vegetable oils could yield a good solid fat stock that may impart desirable physical properties, because PS is a useful source of vegetable hard fat, providing beta` stable solid fats Dietary ingestion of olive oil (OO) has been reported to have physiological benefits such as lowering serum cholesterol levels Fat blends, formulated by binary blends of palm stearin and olive oil in different ratios, were subjected to chemical interesterification with sodium methoxide The original and interesterified blends were examined for fatty acid and triacylglycerol composition, melting point, solid fat content (SFC) and consistency. Interestenfication caused rearrangement of triacylglycerol species, reduction of trisaturated and triunsaturated triacylglycerols content and increase in diunsaturated-monosaturated triacylglycerols of all blends, resulting in lowering of melting point and solid fat content The incorporation of OO to PS reduced consistency, producing more plastic blends The mixture and chemical interesterification allowed obtaining fats with various degrees of plasticity, increasing the possibilities for the commercial use of palm stearin and olive oil (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved

The effects of enzymatic interesterification on the physical-chemical properties of blends of lard and soybean oil

The main goal of the present research effort was to evaluate the physical-chemical properties of blends of lard and soybean oil following enzymatic interesterification catalyzed by an immobilized lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosa (Lipozyme (TM) TL IM). Lipase-catalyzed interesterification produced new tri-acylglycerols that changed the physical-chemical properties of the fat blends under study. Solid fat content (31.3 vs 31.5 g/100 g), consistency (104.7 vs 167.6 kPa), crystallized area (0.6 vs 11.8) and softening point (31.8 vs 32.2 degrees C) of lard increased after interesterification, and this was mostly due to the increase of SSS (saturated) + SSU (disaturated-monounsaturated) triacylglycerols. These contents (SSU + SSS) increased in lard after interesterification from 42.9 to 46.7 g/100 g. The interesterified blends exhibited lower values for the physical properties when compared with their counterparts before enzymatic interesterification. The interesterification of blends of lard with soybean oil increased the amounts of UUU (triunsaturated) and SSS triacylglycerols and reduced the amounts of UUS (diunsaturated-monosaturated) triacylglycerols. The interesterified blends of lard and soybean oil demonstrated physical properties and chemical composition similar to human milk fat and they could be used for the production of a human milk fat substitute. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.