Microstructures formed by spray freezing of food fats

The spray-freezing of two food fats, tripalmitin (PPP) and cocoa butter (CB) and mixtures thereof, has been modeled experimentally using a novel single droplet freezing apparatus configured so that temperature profiles or samples for microstructure analysis can be obtained. For 2 mm diameter droplets suspended in a cold air flow at temperatures around 2–15°C, initial cooling rates were on the order of 10 K s⁻¹ and the temperature profiles could be correlated directly to DSC data collected at 20 K min⁻¹, indicating that minimal supercooling of the materials occurred in the droplet form. Microstructure analysis confirmed that PPP crystallized preferentially in mixtures, and that the surface structure was very sensitive to storage conditions. The bulk structure was much less sensitive, and the internal microstructure of the PPP droplets revealed distinct nucleation sites, which were absent from the CB: These persisted in the mixtures up to 50 wt%. X-ray analysis indicated that the fats crystallized in their more stable forms, namely, β for PPP and Form V/V1 in CB.     

Clinical evaluation of 0.5% ferric hyaluronate adhesion prevention gel for the reduction of adhesions following peritoneal cavity surgery: open-label pilot study

The objective of this study was to assess the safety and to make a preliminary assessment of the efficacy of 0.5% ferric hyaluronate adhesion prevention gel in reducing adhesions in patients undergoing peritoneal cavity surgery by laparotomy, with a planned 'second-look' laparoscopy. The study was a randomized, open-label, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design in patients desirous of fertility at the Women's and Children's Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California. Female patients aged 24 to 41 years received 300 ml 0.5% ferric hyaluronate adhesion prevention gel or lactated Ringer's solution as an intraperitoneal instillate at the completion of the laparotomy procedure. At second-look laparoscopy 4-12 weeks after the laparotomy, the presence of adhesions was evaluated. Haematology and serum chemistry were determined throughout the study interval. All patients tolerated the procedures well and did not manifest any serious adverse events. At second-look laparoscopy, patients treated with 0.5% ferric hyaluronate adhesion prevention gel had significantly fewer adhesions than control patients. When adhesions did form, they were significantly less extensive and less severe in patients who received 0.5% ferric hyaluronate adhesion prevention gel. In conclusion, 0.5% ferric hyaluronate adhesion prevention gel was safe and highly efficacious in the reduction of the number, severity and extent of adhesions throughout the entire abdomen following peritoneal cavity surgery.     

A 50-MS/s (35 mW) to 1-kS/s (15 /spl mu/W) power scaleable 10-bit pipelined ADC using rapid power-on opamps and minimal bias current variation

A novel rapid power-on operational amplifier and a current modulation technique are used in a 10-bit 1.5-bit/stage pipelined ADC in 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS to realize power scalability between 1 kS/s (15 /spl mu/W) and 50 MS/s (35 mW), while maintaining an SNDR of 54-56 dB for all sampling rates. The current modulated power scaling (CMPS) technique is shown to enhance the power scaleable range of current scaling by 50 times, allowing ADC power to be varied by a factor of 2500 while only varying bias currents by a factor of 50. Furthermore, the nominal power is reduced by 20%-30% by completely powering off the rapid power-on opamps during the sampling phase in the pipeline's sample-and-holds.     

New wire interface for graded 3-D TLM

A new 3-D graded TLM model for thin radiating wires is presented. The model differs from previous TLM models because the wire is modelled at the interfaces between cells, rather than through the centre of the node. The connection between the TLM symmetrical condensed-node link lines and the line forms a 'wire interface'. The scattering algorithm for the interface and simulation results are given.<>     

Renal nerve responses to somatic nerve activation in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats

Antidepressant-induced adverse sexual effects are becoming more frequently reported by patients who require pharmacotherapy. A MED-LINE search was conducted to generate articles reporting such events. We report here on the sexual side effects associated with tricyclics, monoamine oxidase inhibitors including moclobemide, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, bupropion, and on the newer antidepressants venlafaxine and nefazadone. We conclude that adverse sexual effects are an increasingly important side effect of antidepressant medications, and patients must be routinely asked about their occurrence.     

CRITICAL POINTS IN THE SOLIDIFICATION OF A PURE MATERIAL

Patterns in the solidification of a pure material are dealt with in this article. Results, deduced from a simple model based on heat conduction in the two phases and the effect of surface tension on the equilibrium temperature at the moving front, present a guide for experimental work. By introducing far-field conditions imitating what can be achieved in an experiment, we explain how the depths of the phases and the width of the container influence the patterns that can be seen if one advances the control variable to the critical point and then just beyond. Our new result is the existence of a third critical point. It occurs at small wave numbers and it is independent of surface tension. It appears because we take the depths of the phases into account. These depths are input values that offer the possibility of controlling crest-to-trough conduction, stabilizing in the solid, destabilizing in the liquid. The new critical point, and the patterns attending its appearance, can be found in cells of easily attainable widths.     

Improved node for frequency-domain TLM: the `distributed node'

A new node is presented for frequency-domain TLM (TLM-FD). It is shown by propagation analysis that the new node has the advantage of being much less dispersive than previous TLM-FD nodes     

SURF1, encoding a factor involved in the biogenesis of cytochrome c oxidase, is mutated in Leigh syndrome

A drug with cationic characteristics such as procaine can be conveyed in a Carbomer hydrogel in two different ways: (i) in the form of salt in solution in the aqueous phase, and (ii) in the base form salified with the same polymer. Introduction of the drug into the hydrogel with different concentrations of polymer produced, in both cases, a reduction in viscosity in relation to drug concentration. The gels with procaine salified with the polymer showed greater viscosity. The drug release rate, in general, diminished with the increase in polymer concentration. Nevertheless, when this concentration was maintained, there was no variation in release rate when the viscosity produced as a consequence of drug concentration was changed. Gels with procaine salified with the carboxyvinylic polymer had a faster release rate than those with procaine in the hydrochloride form dissolved in the aqueous phase. These results have also been confirmed by a simulated absorption test.     

Catalysts of lipid oxidation in meat products

In emulsions consisting of refined lard, egg white and corn starch haemoglobin, initially a mixture of the oxy and met forms, at levels similar to the haemoprotein contents found in fresh meat, was a far more powerful catalyst of lipid oxidation, as measured by TBA number, than inorganic iron compounds at levels appropriate to those found in meat. This was true over the pH range 4·5 to 7·5. When added and evenly distributed to exhaustively washed muscle fibres (WF), at levels appropriate to those found in meat, haemoglobin was again a powerful catalyst, but all forms of inorganic iron appeared to have little prooxidant activity. The rate of oxidation of the lipid was very dependent on the haemoprotein concentration, being maximal in the range 10(-4) to 10(-5) M. This equates to an approximate unsaturated lipid to haem molar ratio of several hundred to one, similar to the values reported for model linoleate haem systems. In heated systems the haemoprotein again appeared to be a more effective catalyst than inorganic iron at levels appropriate to those found in meat. It is concluded that the conflicting results as to the roles of haem pigments and inorganic iron in lipid oxidation found in the literature are due, at least in part, to the difficulty of evenly dispersing the catalysts in the washed fibres, especially if heat or freezing leads to subsequent phase separation, and that H(2)O(2), formed by autoxidation of the oxypigments, may be necessary for ferric haem pigments to be effective catalysts.