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This work was supported by the PORTOS project co-financed by the Interreg Atlantic Area Programme through the European Regional Development Fund [grant number EAPA_784/2018]. During this work, R. Claus was also supported by the “Programa Severo Ochoa de Ayudas para la investigación y docencia”, a research fellowship programme financed by the Government of the Principality of Asturias (Spain) [grant number AYUD0029T01].

This work evaluated the influence of added encapsulated (e) polyphosphates (PP; sodium tripolyphosphate, STP; sodium pyrophosphate, SPP) levels (0, 0.25, 0.5%) on lipid oxidation inhibition in beef patties during 120 d refrigerated storage. STP incorporation led to lower (P < 0.05) cooking loss (CL) compared to SPP, caused similar CL with control. Added ePP level had no impact on CL. Although ePP level was not a factor on manufacturing day, increasing eSTP or eSPP level increased or decreased pH respectivelly at the end of storage (P < 0.05). Although PP type and ePP level did not influence some physico-chemical (fat, texture, fatty acids) parameters, STP increased moisture, ash and redness and decreased protein, lightness and yellowness compared to control and SPP incorporated patties (P < 0.05). Regardless of encapsulated or not, SPP enhanced lipid oxidation reduction rate compared to STP (P < 0.05). Using 0.25% ePP provided lower (P < 0.05) lipid oxidation than 0.5% unencapsulated PP. Hovewer, 0.5% ePP had no further impact on advancing lipid oxidation inhibition.

Strategies that would increase eggshell quality could be of considerable value to egg producers. This research demonstrated the effective use of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) peptide vaccines to increase eggshell quality of Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens (from 69 to 72 wk of age). Hens, fed a standard diet (containing 900 IU/kg vitamin D3), were intramuscularly injected (and boosted) with either a control vaccine (n = 14 hens) or one of 2 FGF-23 peptide vaccines (peptides NP1, GMNPPPYS; and NP7, YTSTERNSFH; n = 15 hens for each peptide). During peak antibody titer, eggs were collected for shell and internal quality analysis, hens were artificially inseminated, and the hatchability of fertilized eggs was determined. Laying hens vaccinated with either FGF-23 peptide NP1 or NP7 had increased (P0.05) plasma phosphate level (mmol/L; NP1 = 1.74, NP7 = 1.76, control = 1.47), egg specific gravity (NP1 = 1.083, NP7 = 1.083, control = 1.079), and eggshell strength (g of force; NP1 = 4002, NP7 = 4157, control = 3102) when compared to control vaccinated hens. FGF-23 peptide NP1 vaccinated hens also had increased eggshell thickness (mm, P0.001), shell weight (g, P = 0.032), and shell index (% of whole egg, P = 0.023) when compared to control vaccinated hens. FGF-23 peptide NP7 vaccinated hens tended to have decreased eggshell weight (P = 0.064) when compared to control vaccinated hens. Hatchability of fertilized eggs was not affected in incubations 1 and 3, but tended to be decreased (P = 0.097) by FGF-23 peptide NP1 vaccination in incubation 2. In conclusion, vaccines to FGF-23 peptides increased eggshell quality of laying hens with minimal adverse effects on egg internal quality. The effect of FGF-23 peptide vaccination on hatchability remains to be clarified.

Commercially harvested cull dairy cow carcasses (n = 64) from the two lowest-valued marketing classes (MC: Lean, LE; Light, LI) were conventionally chilled (CN) or vascularly rinsed with a chilled isotonic substrate solution (Rinse & Chill®; RC). Longissimus lumborum (LL) and Triceps brachii (TB) muscles were processed (steaks, ground). Early postmortem (first 24 h), RC resulted in a lower pH at each time measured. RC steaks had longer sarcomeres and lower shear force than CN. RC produced greater redness associated with blooming and display times. RC LE beef resulted in greater oxymyoglobin during display times. RC ground TB had greater moisture fat-free than CN. RC Lean LL had less purge loss compared to CN LE. RC had greater total pigments than CN. RC ground TB had greater oxygen consumption and lower thiobarbituric acid reactive substances compared to CN. RC has the potential to improve tenderness and color as well as limit lipid oxidation with similar benefits across the two marketing classes.

Consumers are the final step in the meat supply chain and meeting consumer expectations of quality and tenderness are important for satisfaction and repeat purchase. High pressure processing, shockwaves, ultrasound, pulsed electric field and muscle stretching can be applied to pre- and post-rigor meat for tenderisation. These non-thermal and thermal innovative technologies can be used with varying levels of success to cause physical disruption to muscle structure, enhanced proteolysis and ageing and muscle protein denaturation and solubilisation resulting in changes to texture and juiciness. Results of a meta-analysis are used to compare the effects of these technologies on meat tenderisation. In the future, a combination of new and innovative technologies will be ideally suited to deliver a range of desired textures for meat products.

Market hogs were conventionally chilled (CN, n = 12) or Rinse & Chill® processed (RC, n = 13, MPSC Inc.). Muscles (Longissimus lumborum, LL; picnic shoulder, PS) were processed (chops, ground), packaged, and displayed or stored in the dark. Color, pH, moisture fat free (MFF), expressible moisture (EM), oxygen consumption, Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS), total pigment, TBARS, and hexanal content were determined. RC generally resulted in a lower pH during the first 4 h compared to CN. RC compared to CN had lower fat, but were not different in moisture fat free, expressible moisture, and total pigments. RC did not affect cooler shrink, cook loss and WBS force. RC PS was redder than RC LM. RC had greater deoxymyoglobin than CN on 7 d display. RC chops (LL) were lighter and had less deoxymyoglobin compared to CN. RC ground pork had greater oxygen consumption, lower TBARS and hexanal values compared to CN. RC has the potential to improve color and reduce lipid oxidation.

Lipid oxidation inhibition effects of 0.5% encapsulated (e) phosphates (sodium tripolyphosphate, STP; sodium hexametaphosphate, HMP; sodium pyrophosphate, SPP) designed with a 60 or 68 °C encapsulate melting temperature (MT) incorporated into ground meat (beef, chicken) and stored (0, 1, 7 d) after being cooked at two heating rates (HR; slow, fast) were investigated. Both a fast heating rate and eSTP resulted in lower (p

The ATLAS muon Cathode Strip Chamber (CSC) back-end readout system has been upgraded during the LHC 2013-2015 shutdown to be able to handle the higher Level-1 trigger rate of 100 kHz and the higher occupancy at Run 2 luminosity. The readout design is based on the Reconfiguration Cluster Element (RCE) concept for high bandwidth generic DAQ implemented on the ATCA platform. The RCE design is based on the new System on Chip Xilinx Zynq series with a processor-centric architecture with ARM processor embedded in FPGA fabric and high speed I/O resources together with auxiliary memories to form a versatile DAQ building block that can host applications tapping into both software and firmware resources. The Cluster on Board (COB) ATCA carrier hosts RCE mezzanines and an embedded Fulcrum network switch to form an online DAQ processing cluster. More compact firmware solutions on the Zynq for G-link, S-link and TTC allowed the full system of 320 G-links from the 32 chambers to be processed by 6 COBs in one ATCA shelf through software waveform feature extraction to output 32 S-links. Furthermore, the full system was installed in Sept. 2014. We will present the RCE/COB design concept, the firmware and software processing architecture,more » and the experience from the intense commissioning towards LHC Run 2.« less

Our objective was to determine the amino acid sequence of turkey myoglobin. Turkey myoglobin was isolated from cardiac muscles via ammonium sulphate precipitation and gel-filtration chromatography. Purified turkey myoglobin, separated as a 17 kDa band in SDS–PAGE, was subjected to digestion with trypsin or aspartic acid endopeptidase. The resulting peptides were separated by reverse-phase HPLC, and then subjected to Edman degradation to obtain the amino acid sequence. The complete amino acid sequence of turkey myoglobin was determined and compared with that of poultry and red meat myoglobins. Turkey myoglobin has 153 amino acids and nine histidine residues. Proximal (position 93) and distal (position 64) histidine residues, responsible for maintaining the stability of haeme, are conserved in turkey myoglobin. Turkey myoglobin shares 100% sequence similarity with chicken myoglobin, whereas it shares 92.5% homology with ostrich, 76.5% with pig, and less than 73% with ruminant myoglobins.

Ground beef was either packaged in an atmosphere of 0.4% CO, 30% CO₂, and 69.6% N₂ (CO-MAP) or vacuum. After storage (48 h, 2-3°C), packages of CO-MAP and vacuum were opened and overwrapped with polyvinyl chloride. Other CO-MAP and vacuum packages were left intact. Packages were initially displayed for 7 days (2-3°C). Intact packages were further displayed up to 35 days before being opened and displayed (1 or 3 days). Intact CO-MAP packaged ground beef was always more red than intact vacuum-packaged ground beef. Color was relatively stable for both types of intact packages over 35 days of display. Upon opening CO-MAP packaged ground beef, the red color decreased slower than in ground beef from vacuum packages.

An experiment was conducted to test sequential injection of sodium tripolyphosphate (STP; 0.5% meat weight basis, mwb) followed by injection with or without addition of calcium chloride (CaCl 2 , 500 ppm mwb), and to test the effect of post-injection delay prior to cooking. A second experiment evaluated the impact of injection order and delay time between independent addition of CaCl 2 (500 ppm mwb) and STP (0.5% mwb). Turkey was formulated without an added pink generating ligand (NONE), with nicotinamide (NIC; 0.1% mwb), or with sodium nitrite (NIT; 10 ppm mwb). A white colloid was observed in the extracellular space of treatments containing both STP and CaCl 2. Addition of CaCl 2 decreased nitrosylhemochrome but did not reduce levels of nicotinamide hemochrome or CIE a ∗ values. Injection order or delay between injections did not contribute to controlling the pink defect in cooked, intact turkey breast.

Pink color defect (PCD) is a major quality problem in the turkey industry leading to pink appearance of pre-cooked, uncured turkey. The present study determined the molecular mass of turkey myoglobin (Mb) using mass spectrometry and characterized the thermostability of turkey Mb, in comparison with beef Mb, to elucidate the molecular basis of PCD. Purified turkey and beef myoglobins were analyzed using Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry. The thermostability of turkey and beef oxymyoglobins was examined at pH and Mb concentrations (pH 6.2 and 0.04 mmol/L for turkey; pH 5.6 and 0.15 mmol/L for beef) reflecting inherent conditions in these meats. Turkey and beef oxymyoglobins were incubated at 71, 75, and 80 °C and percentage myoglobin denaturation (PMD) was determined. Molecular mass of turkey Mb (17,295 Da) was 346 Da greater than beef Mb (16,949 Da) and was approximately 300–350 Da greater than those of other red meat myoglobins, suggesting its unique primary structure. PMD was lower (P

Whey protein concentrate constituents were tested for their ability to reduce naturally occurring pink color defect and pink cooked color induced by sodium nitrite (10 ppm) and nicotinamide (1.0%) in ground turkey. β-lactoglobulin (1.8%), α-lactalbumin (0.8%), bovine serum albumin (0.15–0.3%), lactose (1.0–3.0%), potassium chloride (500–1500 ppm), and ferrous iron chloride (0.3–30 ppm) had no effects on cooked pink color. Lactoferrin (30–5000 ppm) increased or decreased pink color depending on its concentration in samples without added sodium nitrite or nicotinamide. Annatto (0.1–1.0 ppm) reduced pink color whereas the higher concentration of magnesium chloride (22–88 ppm) and ferric iron chloride (0.3–30 ppm) increased pink color in samples with added nicotinamide. Calcium chloride (160–480 ppm) was the only tested constituent that consistently reduced pink cooked color in samples with and without added nitrite and nicotinamide. Due to the variability of whey protein concentrates and the number of constituents that do not reduce pink cooked color, the addition of calcium alone or dried milk minerals containing calcium, phosphate, and citrate, represents a better means to regularly prevent the pink color defect in cooked ground turkey.

Ground, pre-salted, pre-rigor semimembranosus muscles of beef were subjected to three treatments A=rapid carbon dioxide (CO(2)) chilling, B=slow CO(2) chilling and C=air chilling, and compared to a control D=slow air chilling of muscles, which were subsequently ground and salted post-rigor. Meat of the pre-rigor treatments A, B and C had higher pH values during processing, lower cooking loss, firmer texture and a lighter yellowish external colour of cooked patties than the post-rigor control D (p0.05). The two CO(2) chilling regimes A and B had no detrimental effects on the functional properties of the pre-rigor meat. Sarcomere lengths did not differ in meat of the four treatments (p0.05), indicating that early pre-salting protected the meat from cold shortening during rapid temperature decline. A process combination of grinding, followed by immediate pre-salting and CO(2) chilling within 312h post-mortem of non-stimulated beef muscles is likely to yield superior binding properties of cooked patties and similar ground beef products.

The principal mechanism by which sodium citrate reduces the pink color defect in cooked ground turkey was investigated. Sodium citrate (SC; 0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 M), sodium nitrite (0.01, 0.1 M), and nicotinamide (0.5, 0.75 M) were combined in solutions of bovine hemin to determine SCs ability to bind heme iron and competitively inhibit pink-color-generating ligands from binding. Additionally, the effects of sodium erythorbate (0, 275, 550 ppm), ferrous iron chloride (0, 0.3, 3.0, 30 ppm), and ferric iron chloride (0, 0.3, 3.0, 30 ppm) on SCs ability to reduce pink cooked color was examined. Absorbance curves of hemin + nitrite and hemin + nicotinamide were relatively unaffected by SC, therefore whether or not SC bound heme iron, that did not appear to be a mechanism for inhibiting the pink color defect. Both ferrous and ferric iron chloride had minimal effects on color values, possibly due to sodium tripolyphosphate chelation ability in the meat system and thus their presence did not enhance SCs ability to reduce the pink color defect. However, sodium erythorbate, a reducing agent, inhibited SCs ability to decrease the pink color defect in samples induced pink with sodium nitrite and nicotinamide. Therefore, it appears SC requires the presence of oxygen and may participate in oxidative processes to reduce the pink color defect.

The effects of citric acid (0.15%, 0.3%) and sodium citrate (0.5%, 1.0%) on pink color development in ground turkey following irradiation (0, 2.5, 5.0 kGy) were examined. Citric acid and sodium citrate had little effect on pink color when samples were irradiated prior to cooking. In contrast, when samples were cooked prior to irradiation, citric acid (0.3%) and sodium citrate (1.0%) reduced redness as indicated by eliminating a reflectance minimum at approximately 571 nm, lessening greater reflectance in the red wavelength region, and preventing greater reducing conditions caused by irradiation. Citric acid significantly reduced pH and yields whereas sodium citrate reduced pH and yields to a lesser extent. Both citric acid and sodium citrate are potential ingredients that can be added during processing to prevent undesirable pink color in precooked irradiated ground turkey and therefore can result in greater acceptance of irradiated products by consumers.

The top surface of the raw eye of round steaks was inoculated with either green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled Escherichia coli (E. coli-GFP) or rifampin-resistant E. coli (E. coli-rif). Cryostat sampling in concert with laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) or plating onto antibiotic selective agar was used to determine if hydrodynamic shock wave (HSW) treatment resulted in the movement of the inoculated bacteria from the outer inoculated surface to the interior of intact beef steaks. HSW treatment induced the movement of both marker bacteria into the steaks to a maximum depth of 300 microm (0.3 mm). Because popular steak-cooking techniques involve the application of heat from the exterior surface of the steak to achieve internal temperatures ranging from 55 to 82 degrees C, the extent of bacterial penetration observed in HSW-treated steaks does not appear to pose a safety hazard to consumers.

In separate experiments, chicken broiler breasts were deboned (45 min postmortem, 52 min, respectively) and either exposed to high pressure hydrodynamic shockwaves (HSW) 25 min after deboning (77 min postmortem) or after 24 h of storage (4°C) respectively, and compared to companion control breasts. HSW were produced in a cylindrical HSW processor with 40-g explosive. Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) values of the HSW breasts treated at 77 min postmortem were not different than the controls. HSW treatment decreased (P

The ability of nonproteolytic Clostridium botulinum type B spores to grow and produce toxin in cooked, uncured turkey packaged under modified atmospheres was investigated at refrigeration and mild to moderate abuse temperatures. Cook-in-bag turkey breast was carved into small chunks, surface-inoculated with a mixture of nonproteolytic C. botulinum type B spores, packaged in O2-impermeable bags under two modified atmospheres (100% N2 and 30% CO2:70% N2), and stored at 4, 10, and 15 degrees C. Samples were analyzed for botulinal toxin and indigenous microorganisms, as well as subjected to sensory evaluation, on days 0, 7, 14, 28, 42, and 60. Given sufficient incubation time, nonproteolytic C. botulinum type B grew and produced toxin in all temperature and modified atmosphere treatment combinations. At moderate temperature abuse (15 degrees C), toxin was detected by day 7, independent of packaging atmosphere. At mild temperature abuse (10 degrees C), toxin was detected by day 14, also independent of packaging atmosphere. At refrigeration temperature (4 degrees C), toxin was detected by day 14 in product packaged under 100% N2 and by day 28 in product packaged under 30% CO2:70% N2. Reduced storage temperature significantly delayed toxin production and extended the period of sensory acceptability of cooked turkey, but even strict refrigeration did not prevent growth and toxigenesis by nonproteolytic C. botulinum. At all three storage temperatures, toxin detection preceded or coincided with development of sensory characteristics of spoilage, demonstrating the potential for consumption of toxic product when spoilage-signaling sensory cues are absent.

The IMB detector (named after its founding institutions: University of California, Irvine, the University of Michigan and Brookhaven National Laboratory) collected data on a wide range of phenomena for over eight years. It was the first and the largest of the ring imaging water Cherenkov detectors. The detector consisted of 8000 metric tons of ultra-pure water instrumented with 2048 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). The PMTs were placed on the roof, floor, and walls of the detector in a lattice of approximately 1 m spacing. It made measurements of contained events that ranged in energy from 15 MeV up to 1.5 GeV. This paper describes the calibration of the IMB detector. This procedure was accurate and stable over a wide range of physical variables. It was used with little change throughout the entire eight-year lifetime of the experiment. The IMB calibration is a model for future large-scale detectors that employ the water Cherenkov technique.

The lead-liquid argon sampling calorimeter of the SLD detector is one of the largest detectors employing cryogenic liquids now in operation. This paper details the design and performance considerations, the mechanical and cryogenic systems, the absorber design and tower segmentation, the data acquisition electronics, and the control systems of the detector. The initial operational performance of the device is discussed. Detailed resolution studies will be presented in a later paper.

The IMB experiment, a large water Cherenkov detector which began data collection in September 1982, has undergone several upgrades to improve light collection, on-line processing power, data throughput and buffering, calibration, and operating efficiency. The current device, known as IMB-3, enjoys a factor of four light collection advantage over its precursor. Since May 1986, it has been used to search for such diverse phenomena as nucleon decay, dark matter, neutrino oscillation, and magnetic monopoles, and to study stellar collapse and cosmic rays. Due to its large size and long exposure time IMB presents unique challenges. The design and operation of the IMB-3 detector are described in detail.

A serum-free, low-protein cell culture medium is described which markedly improves the productivity of murine hybridoma cells when carnitine is added to it. The additional attention which technical systems have been receiving recently in the in vitro culture of animal cells raises the acute question of the optimization of the cell culture media. This involves costs as well as the purely pragmatic aspects of the mass cultivation of such cells. Numerous supplements for serum-free cultivation have been described in the literature (Tharakan et al., 1986; Shatter, 1987; Kovar and Franek, 1987; Glassy et al., 1988). The question has not yet been answered, however, as to whether the target of cultivation is to be the production of serum-free media whose quality specifications equal those of fetal calf serum-supplemented media or whether a sub-division into growth and production media under which cells could be easily adapted to given requirements was preferable. It is known to those cultivating microorganisms that carnitine can stimulate growth (Kleber and Claus, 1981, 1982). Besides its significance to all processes of the intermediary metabolism involving the transport of acetyl groups through biological membranes, carnitine is essential to fat metabolism in cell metabolism as an acetyl group transfer agent. Experience with microbial cultures suggested studies into the influence of carnitine on eukaryotic cells as well. Five different lines of hybridoma cells of varying isotypes were picked for the test (Fig. 1). The test was

Light scattering experiments concerning the long wavelength totally symmetric polar transverse modes in GdS have been performed by using an Nd:YAG-laser. Polaritons associated with the A 1 (TO)-phonon at 233 cm -1 show resonance couplings with two modes at 204 and 213 cm -1 . These modes have been assigned earlier to originate from second order phonon process due to two phonon density of states maxima. The recorded wave vector dependent frequencies and scattering intensities are in good agreement with calculated data.

Unconjugated testosterone (T), 5a-androst-16-en-3-one (Δ-16), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), unconjugated (u Oe) and conjugated oestrogens (c Oe) were determined weekly in the peripheral blood plasma and seminal plasma of 8 boars for a period of 15 months. Four of the boars were kept under natural daylength fluctuations (8–17 h), and 4 boars on a light programme which shifted these fluctuations by half a year. In peripheral plasma of all boars the highest concentrations were found for c Oe (17 ng/ml) followed by Δ-16 (7.3), T (2.2) DHT (0.75) and u Oe (0.24). In seminal plasma of all boars (with an average volume of 172 ml) the highest concentrations were again found for c Oe (5.9 ng/ml) followed by Δ-16 (1.1), u Oe (0.73), T (0.28) and DHT (0.1). This shows that u Oe reach higher concentrations in seminal plasma than in blood plasma. In boars under the influence of natural daylight steroids fluctuated with season. Maximum concentrations were present from October till December. Minimum concentrations were about 1 10 of the maximum concentrations. All steroids measured in blood and semen were similarly affected and all were highly correlated. In boars on an artificial light programme the off-season depression during the summer was completely restored. This indicates that daylight fluctuations are the main reason for seasonal changes of testicular function in the domestic boar.

A method for the separation of the outer membrane (OM) from the cytoplasmic membrane (CM) of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus 69/V grown on different carbon sources is described. The contamination of the OM with CM was less than 10%. Independent of the carbon source, five protein bands with apparent molecular weights of 47 000, 33000, 21 000, 19 000 and 12 000 were found by solubilization at 37°C and six bands at 100°C (apparent Mr 53 000, 47 000, 38 000, 26 000, 21000, 12000). Three proteins were modifiable by heat. With the periodic acid-Schiff procedure the bands with apparent Mr of 33 000 and 12 000 were made visible. After growth on d , l -carnitine an additional two non-heat-modifiable protein bands with apparent Mr between 40 000 and 45 000 were detected. By cultivation on acetate and peptone as carbon source one additional band (Mr 15 000) from OM of cells could be found.

The complications after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for large renal calculi could be reduced by insertion of ureteral stents. In a prospective study, the critical stone size for ESWL combined with ureteral stenting was looked for. Sixty consecutive patients entered the study, 17 patients suffered from renal calculi with a length of greater than 4 cm and a width of greater than 3 cm (group 1), and in 43 patients the calculi measured between 4 x 3 and 2.5 x 1.5 cm2 (group 2). ESWL was performed with the Dornier apparatus HM-3. A ureteral stent was placed immediately before ESWL. In group 1 with very large stones, significantly more obstructive problems were encountered. Three months after ESWL, only 6 of 14 (43%) were free of stones or with stone material likely to discharge spontaneously. In group 2, a success rate of 25 of 29 (86%) was noticed, which was considered satisfactory. For most stones greater than 4 x 3 cm2 the combination of percutaneous nephrolithotomy and ESWL seems to be the preferred treatment.

A burst of eight neutrino interactions occurring over a six second interval has been observed with the IMB detector. The closeness in time of the burst to the optical discovery of Supernova 1987a suggests that the neutrinos originated from stellar collapse. The characteristics of the burst are reviewed together with a recently completed reevaluation of many aspects of the detector's response. Efforts underway to discover past and future supernovae are also briefly discussed.

SUMMARY The progress in the application of progesterone determination in milk-fat as a service to farmers, veterinarians and breeding stations concerned with fertility in cattle is described. Errors in oestrus observations (in problem herds an average 22%) are indicated by progesterone concentrations > 30 ng/ml milk-fat in samples taken on the day of artificial insemination (AI) (day 0). A substantial improvement is the double sampling regime where progesterone levels are evaluated on days 0 and 5 (or 6). An ovulatory oestrus with a chance of conception is expressed by progesterone levels 30 ng/ml milk-fat on day 5 (or 6), whereas progesterone levels below 30 ng/ml in both samples indicate acyclic or cystic ovaries; thus within one week after AI veterinary aid may be requested. For screening the ‘return’ or ‘non-return’ results (sample taken between days 20 and 22 after AI) the questionable range could be reduced, the discriminatory level being 90 ng progesterone/ml milk-fat. By monitoring the progesterone profiles post partum the individual variation in the onset of cyclic functions could be demonstrated. The progesterone-in-milk assay may help to differentiate between environmental and biological causes responsible for fertility problems. For example the elimination of management factors (false oestrus detection, missed oestrus) may largely improve the importance of breeding parameters (calving interval etc.). As an aid for veterinarians, progesterone determinations are not valuable for the classification of cysts, although the success of treatment may be followed up conveniently by laboratory diagnosis. In sophisticated biotechnical procedures such as embryo transfer the milk progesterone assay may be applied for selecting donor cows and for monitoring the success of superovulation.

A burst of eight neutrino events preceding the optical detection of the supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud has been observed by the IMB detector. The events span an interval of 6 s and have visible energies in the range 20–40 MeV. Some comparisons between the signal and that expected from a supernova are made. We have found no other comparable burst during the operation of IMB.

A number of authors have proposed mechanisms by which the sun could be a strong source of energetic neutrinos. We search for an excess signal of penetrating neutral particles from the direction of the sun. We employ two data samples. One sample studies energies from 400 MeV to 2 GeV. The other studies vμ interactions above 2 GeV where the atmospheric background is lower. Our results are compared with the general background of atmospheric neutrinos from other directions. No significant excess has been found. These results can be used to set limits on possible dark matter candidates.

Light scattering by polaritons associated with phonons of twofold degenerate type is reported. The experiments are in good agreement with dispertion curves calculated on the basis of corrected assignments of all phonon modes recently given. A photographic method has been used in order to record an important ordinary branch with small scattering cross section.

Zusammenfassung Raman intensities of the lattice vibrations of crystal powders of Anthracene and Naphthalene were measured, in extension of previous investigations also in the anti-Stokes region. Within an accuracy of 20 % the temperature dependence of the intensities is described by the temperature dependent factors of Placzek's polarizability theory.

Directional dispersion of the highest frequency B-phonon branch associated with the ω3-vibration of H2O in monoclinic Li2SO4·H2O has been measured by means of Raman spectroscopy for varying wave vector directions perpendicularly to the twofold symmetry axis. The minimum and maximum frequency indicates those directions for which there exist purely transverse and longitudinal waves, respectively. Since the dipole moment of the ω3-vibration is parallel to the H-H-direction the wave normals of the TO- and LO-modes allow a direct conclusion in regard to the orientation of the crystal water molecules. Our result is in good agreement with previous NMR-measurements.

A device has been developed which is capable of doubling the light collection capability of a 5 inch hemispherical photomultiplier tube. Known as a “waveshifter plate”, its geometry is adaptable to various applications. Its marginal cost is small with respect to that of a phototube, it is readily removable, and it has minimum effect upon dark noise and timing resolution.

The polariton spectrum of uniaxial K 3 Cu(CN) 4 was investigated with He-Ne-laser excitation. When the polariton branch associated with the A 1 phonon at 2075 cm -1 crosses the second order phonon at 2035 cm -1 a resonant exchange of intensities takes place and a lifting of the crossing point is observed.

Polariton spectra of two crossing branches of symmetry A 1 and E were observed.

Polaritons described by the dispersion curve of ordinary photons in LiNbO 3 have been observed photo-electrically by Raman scattering. The agreement with the dispersion branch calculated by theory is shown to be quite satisfactory.