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Selected AbstractsMICROBIAL ANALYSIS AND TEXTURAL PROPERTIES OF CANTONESE SAUSAGEJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 1 2010YANTAO WU ABSTRACT Cantonese sausage is one of the traditional meat products in China. In the present study, eight Cantonese sausage samples from different manufacturers were collected. Their microbial and textural properties were characterized. The chemical compositions were determined as follows: moisture, 15.18 ± 3.40%; protein, 33.75 ± 7.26% (expressed in dry matter); fat, 42.12 ± 6.64% (expressed in dry matter); total carbohydrates, 9.11 ± 3.73%; sodium chloride, 6.13 ± 0.41%; and sodium nitrite, 35.55 ± 6.69 mg/kg. The pH was determined to be 6.22 ± 0.14, while the acid value was 2.02 ± 0.71 mg potassium hydroxide/g lipid, and the peroxide value was 0.03 ± 0.04 g potassium iodide/100 g lipid. The total viable counts were 5.55 ± 1.48 log10 cfu/g, lactic acid bacteria were 3.59 ± 0.68 log10 cfu/g, staphylococci/micrococci were 3.96 ± 0.54 log10 cfu/g and yeasts/molds were 3.55 ± 0.47 log10 cfu/g. Staphylococci/micrococci were the dominant microbial group in Cantonese sausage. This was different from other sausages. The textural profiles of Cantonese sausage were determined as follows: average values of hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess and chewiness were 3,066.56 g, 0.96 mm, 0.57, 1,736.76 g and 1,658.26 g × mm, respectively. Analysis of between-variable relationships indicated that the pH value of Cantonese sausage was significantly correlated to its microbial and textural properties. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Cantonese sausage has gained much popularity and acceptance in China and many other countries. Commercial products from different manufacturers were collected in this work. The microbiological and textural characteristics of Cantonese sausage as well as the chemical compositions were evaluated. It is helpful to understand this type of sausage in order to improve its quality. [source] High-level distribution for the rapid production of robust telecoms software: comparing C++ and ERLANGCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 8 2008J. H. Nyström Abstract Currently most distributed telecoms software is engineered using low- and mid-level distributed technologies, but there is a drive to use high-level distribution. This paper reports the first systematic comparison of a high-level distributed programming language in the context of substantial commercial products. Our research strategy is to reengineer some C++/CORBA telecoms applications in ERLANG, a high-level distributed language, and make comparative measurements. Investigating the potential advantages of the high-level ERLANG technology shows that two significant benefits are realized. Firstly, robust configurable systems are easily developed using the high-level constructs for fault tolerance and distribution. The ERLANG code exhibits resilience: sustaining throughput at extreme loads and automatically recovering when load drops; availability: remaining available despite repeated and multiple failures; dynamic reconfigurability: with throughput scaling near-linearly when resources are added or removed. Secondly, ERLANG delivers significant productivity and maintainability benefits: the ERLANG components are less than one-third of the size of their C++ counterparts. The productivity gains are attributed to specific language features, for example, high-level communication saves 22%, and automatic memory management saves 11%,compared with the C++ implementation. Investigating the feasibility of the high-level ERLANG technology demonstrates that it fulfils several essential requirements. The requisite distributed functionality is readily specified, even although control of low-level distributed coordination aspects is abrogated to the ERLANG implementation. At the expense of additional memory residency, excellent time performance is achieved, e.g. three times faster than the C++ implementation, due to ERLANG's lightweight processes. ERLANG interoperates at low cost with conventional technologies, allowing incremental reengineering of large distributed systems. The technology is available on the required hardware/operating system platforms, and is well supported. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Analyses of preservatives by capillary electrochromatography using methacrylate ester-based monolithic columnsELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 18-19 2004Hsi-Ya Huang Abstract Five common food preservatives were analyzed by capillary electrochromatography, utilizing a methacrylate ester-based monolithic capillary as separation column. In order to optimize the separation of these preservatives, the effects of the pore size of the polymeric stationary phase, the pH and composition of the mobile phase on separation were examined. For all analytes, it was found that an increase in pore size caused a reduction in retention time. However, separation performances were greatly improved in monolithic columns with smaller pore sizes. The pH of the mobile phase had little influence on separation resolution, but a dramatic effect on the amount of sample that was needed to be electrokinetically injected into the monolithic column. In addition, the retention behaviors of these analytes were strongly influenced by the level of acetonitrile in the mobile phase. An optimal separation of the five preservatives was obtained within 7.0 min with a pH 3.0 mobile phase composed of phosphate buffer and acetonitrile 35:65 v/v. Finally, preservatives in real commercial products, including cold syrup, lotion, wine, and soy sauces, were successfully determined by the methacrylate ester-based polymeric monolithic column under this optimized condition. [source] Storage stability study of margarines produced from enzymatically interesterified fats compared to margarines produced by conventional methods.EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF LIPID SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 7-8 2005Physical properties Abstract In this study, margarine hardstocks were produced from two enzymatically interesterified fats at conversion degrees of 80 and 100%, a chemically randomized fat and a physically mixed fat, respectively. These four hardstocks blended with 50% of sunflower oil were mainly used for the production of table margarines in a pilot plant. Storage stability studies were carried out at storage temperatures of 5 and 25,°C during 12,wk. Margarines from the enzymatically interesterified fats were compared to the margarines produced by conventional methods and to selected commercial products. The changes in the physical properties of margarines, including hardness, dropping point, crystal form, and sensory evaluation, were examined during storage. It was observed that margarine storage stability increased with increasing conversion degree. The color of margarines made from the enzymatically interesterified fats was more similar to that of the physically mixed fat than that of the margarine from the chemically randomized fat, which had less color. Crystal transformation was accelerated at high storage temperature. Crystal size was not only related to the types of crystals, but also to the driving force of temperature difference. A larger crystal size was observed at 5,°C than at 25,°C for the margarine made from the blend. Margarines produced from interesterified fats had better physical properties than the blend. Overall, the margarine produced from the enzymatically fully converted fat had physical properties similar to the margarine produced from the chemically interesterified fat. [source] A Facile Synthesis and Characterization of Monodisperse Spherical Pigment Particles with a Core/Shell Structure,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 9 2007C. Lin Abstract In this paper, a facile sol,gel process for producing monodisperse, spherical, and nonaggregated pigment particles with a core/shell structure is reported. Spherical silica particles (245 and 385,nm in diameter) and Cr2O3, ,-Fe2O3, ZnCo2O4, CuFeCrO4, MgFe2O4, and CoAl2O4 pigments are selected as cores and shells, respectively. The obtained core/shell-structured pigment samples, denoted as SiO2@Cr2O3 (green), SiO2@,-Fe2O3 (red), SiO2@MgFe2O4 (brown), SiO2@ZnCo2O4 (dark green), SiO2@CoAl2O4 (blue), and SiO2@CuFeCrO4 (black), are well characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-vis diffuse reflection, as well as by investigating the magnetic properties. The results of XRD and high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) demonstrate that the pigment shells crystallize well on the surface of SiO2 particles. The thickness of the pigment shell can be tuned by the number of coatings, to some extent. These pigment particles can be well dispersed in some solvents (such as glycol) to form relatively more stable suspensions than the commercial products. Apart from the color characteristics, some of pigments like SiO2@Cr2O3, SiO2@MgFe2O4, and SiO2@CuFeCrO4 also show magnetic properties with coercivities of 1098,Oe (5,K), 648,Oe (5,K), and 91,Oe (298,K), respectively. [source] Carbon-Nanotube-Based Electrical Brush ContactsADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 20 2009Geza Toth Electrical properties of brush contacts made of bulk carbon nanotube forest are significantly better than the presently used commercial products due to the unique and intimate surface interaction of the former on the nanoscale. The image displays the nanotube block used, the measurement setup, and the resistance fluctuations for the carbon nanotube and the conventional brush setups. [source] Hair breakage,How to measure and counteractINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE, Issue 2 2010H.-M. Haake J. Cosmet. Sci., 60, 143,151 (March/April 2009) Synopsis A system to determine the efficacy of hair treatments in terms of anti-breakage and split end prevention was developed which involves the repeated combing of hair strands. The device allows ten hair strands to be combed simultaneously. First, the influences of chemical hair treatments like bleaching on hair breakage were examined. In a next step, the protective effects of benchmark products from the market were studied. Since nearly all commercial products with anti-breakage claims contain silicones combined with cationic polymers, alternative actives were searched. In a test series with different waxes in shampoo formulations with a variable number of parameters, the particle size was found to be the factor with the strongest influence on the amount of wax deposited on the shampooed hair. Therefore, a targeted development was started, resulting in a combination of several ethers dispersed in sodium laureth sulfate. Excellent conditioning, anti-breakage and split ends protection properties of the compound were found, showing also a dosage dependency. The latter could be explained by analyzing the amounts of waxes applied on treated hair. In these experiments, a dependency on the concentration in the shampoo was found. [source] The rheological behaviour of low fat soy-based salad dressingINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 12 2008Chi Zhang Summary Low fat soy-based salad dressings were formulated with different oil levels (3%, 13% and 23%) and emulsifiers (whey protein concentrate, soy-lecithin and sodium caseinate) using either blender or ultra-turrax (UT) homogeniser. Results showed that the rheological behaviour of these samples were highly dependent on the oil content, emulsifiers and blending methods. The UT method produced samples with better viscosity and have droplet size of 2,100 ,m. Samples containing higher oil level have higher viscosity, smaller droplet size, larger G, and G, values. All samples show a shear-thinning effect and larger G, than G,, indicating the elastic nature of the samples. A quantity Q(t)% was applied to estimate the elasticity and the values were found to be in the range 22.8,85.2%. G, and G, were found to decrease with increased temperature. However, tan , increased slightly with temperature; the values ranged from 0.2 to 0.4 at 5 °C to 0.3,0.5 at 25 °C. Current results demonstrated that the formulated samples have good stability compared with commercial products. [source] Preparation of tofu using chitosan as a coagulant for improved shelf-lifeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2004Hong Kyoon No Summary The potential of chitosan as a coagulant in commercial tofu preparation was investigated with six chitosans of different molecular weights using various treatments. The following optimum processing conditions for tofu preparation were proposed: chitosan with a molecular weight of 28 kDa; chitosan solution type, 1% chitosan/1% acetic acid; chitosan solution to soymilk ratio, 1 : 8; coagulation temperature, 80 °C; coagulation time, 15 min. However, the sensory quality of tofu was notably improved using a 1 : 1 mixture of 1% acetic acid and 1% lactic acid instead of 1% acetic acid alone as a chitosan solvent. Tofu prepared with chitosan had lower ash and higher protein content than those of commercial products tested. In storage tests, the chitosan-tofu had a longer shelf-life, about 3 days, than tofu made with CaCl2. This added shelf-life is significant in view of the magnitude (366 000 tonnes year,1) of tofu produced from commercial tofu plants (1407 plants as of 1998) in Korea. [source] CASE REPORT: Efficacy of Hoodia for weight loss: is there evidence to support the efficacy claims?JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 5 2010A. M. Whelan PharmD Summary Increasing rates of adult obesity and its negative health consequences are likely to become an increasing burden to the Canadian health care system. Consumers are looking for treatment options and often try the natural health products that are heavily promoted as safe, fast and effective. In this case report, MH, a 57-year-old overweight female wanted advice regarding whether she should use the natural product Hoodia to help her attain her weight loss goals. A literature search was conducted using Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database and IPA from inception to March 2009. The internet, files of the authors and bibliographies of articles were searched for additional references. No published, peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials examining efficacy of Hoodia were found. Unpublished data from two small trials reported promising results with no adverse events. However, this leaves many unanswered questions regarding the use of Hoodia for weight loss such as the appropriate dose and duration, short and long term safety and use in patients with concomitant diseases. Literature suggests that some commercial products may not actually contain Hoodia at all. Additionally, Hoodia is not yet listed in the Canadian Licensed Natural Health Products Database meaning products sold in Canada may not meet Canadian regulatory standards. Upon discussing this information, MH decided not to use Hoodia, and other evidence-based recommendations were discussed. [source] New Shade Guide for Evaluation of Tooth Whitening,Colorimetric StudyJOURNAL OF ESTHETIC AND RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY, Issue 5 2007RADE D. PARAVINA DDS ABSTRACT Statement of the Problem:, Available shade guides lack colorimetric uniformity, which compromises the validity of visual evaluation of tooth whitening efficacy. Purpose:, The objective of this study was to perform a colorimetric analysis of a new shade guide designed primarily for the visual evaluation of tooth whitening efficacy and to compare this shade guide with two commercial shade guides. Materials and Methods:, Color ranges and color distribution of three shade guides (prototype of the new Vita Bleachedguide 3D-Master [BG, Vita Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany], value scale of Vitapan Classical [VC, Vita], and color-ordered Trubyte Bioform porcelain shade guide [TB, Dentsply International, York, PA, USA]) were analyzed (N=3). A circular area (d=1.7 mm) on the middle of the labial surface of the tab, excluding the cervical portion, was measured with a spectroradiometer (D65, 2). Whiteness and yellowness indices were computed. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance and Fisher's PLSD test at a 0.05 level of significance. Results:, The range of color difference (,E*) from the lightest to the darkest tab was 33.8 (BG), 17.1 (VC), and 23.2 (TB). Mean values of ,E* among pairs of adjacent tabs were 3.0 (BG), 4.2 (VC), and 3.3 (TB). BG exhibited the highest R2 values between color coordinate pairs and between whiteness and yellowness indices with the respective color coordinates. Conclusions:, BG exhibited the widest color range and had the most consistent color distribution as compared with the two commercial products. Extension of the lightness range of BG toward higher L* values (bleach shades) was confirmed. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE A dental shade guide that is colorimetrically uniform might increase the reliability of visual comparisons of tooth whitening efficacy, whereas the inclusion of realistic bleaching shades in the shade guide will complement contemporary esthetic dentistry. (J Esthet Restor Dent 19:276,283, 2007) [source] Polymerization Contraction Stress of Resin Composite Restorations in a Model Class I Cavity Configuration Using Photoelastic AnalysisJOURNAL OF ESTHETIC AND RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY, Issue 6 2000YOSHIFUMI KINOMOTO DDS ABSTRACT Purpose: An important factor that contributes to deterioration of resin composite restorations is contraction stress that occurs during polymerization. The purpose of this article is to familiarize the clinician with the characteristics of contraction stress by visualizing the stresses associated with this invisible and complex phenomenon. Materials and Methods: Internal residual stresses generated during polymerization of resin composite restorations were determined using micro-photoelastic analysis. Butt-joint preparations simulating Class I restorations (2.0 mm ± 5.0 mm, 2.0 mm in depth) were prepared in three types of substrates (bovine teeth, posterior composite resin, and transparent composite resin) and were used to examine contraction stress in and around the preparations. Three types of composite materials (a posterior composite, a self-cured transparent composite, and a light-cured transparent composite) were used as the restorative materials. The self-cured composite is an experimental material, and the others are commercial products. After treatment of the preparation walls with a bonding system, the preparations were bulk-filled with composite. Specimens for photo-elastic analysis, were prepared by cutting sections perpendicular to the long axis of the preparation. Fringe patterns for directions and magnitudes of stresses were obtained using transmitted and reflected polarized light with polarizing microscopes. Then, the photoelastic analysis was performed to examine stresses in and around the preparations. Results: When cavity preparations in bovine teeth were filled with light-cured composite, a gap was formed between the dentinal wall and the composite restorative material, resulting in very low stress within the restoration. When cavity preparations in the posterior composite models were filled with either self-cured or light-cured composite, the stress distribution in the two composites was similar, but the magnitude of the stress was greater in the light-cured material. When preparations in the transparent composite models were filled with posterior composite and light-cured transparent composite material, significant stress was generated in the preparation models simulating tooth structure, owing to the contraction of both restorative materials. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Polymerization contraction stress is an undesirable and inevitable characteristic of adhesive restorations encountered in clinical dentistry that may compromise restoration success. Clinicians must understand the concept of polymerization contraction stress and realize that the quality of composite resin restorations depends on successful management of these stresses. [source] PRESERVATION OF COMMERCIAL FISH BALL QUALITY WITH EDIBLE ANTIOXIDANT-INCORPORATED ZEIN COATINGSJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION, Issue 5 2009LIAN-SYUN LIN ABSTRACT Fish ball, a surimi product rich in lipid and protein, is a popular food in Taiwan. Because lipid oxidation is one of the major deterioration reactions for fish ball, the feasibility of preservation of fish ball quality by the application of antioxidant-incorporated zein coating was investigated. Three antioxidants including butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and n-propyl gallate (PG) were used to formulate the antioxidant zein coatings. Infrared spectroscopy was used to confirm the successful incorporation of antioxidant with zein protein; peroxide value (POV), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and weight loss were used as the quality indicators of fish ball stored at 4C. While all three types of antioxidant-incorporated zein coatings significantly retarded the quality deterioration, PG-incorporated zein coating exerted better quality preservation effectiveness than BHA- and BHT-incorporated zein coatings. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Edible coatings have been under research for several decades. However, most of the studies are conducted for the investigations of physiochemical or mechanical properties and usually using simulated food systems. The lack of applications on the commercial food products manufactured from food plants makes the edible coatings somewhat unrealistic. Not prepared in a laboratory for academic purpose only, the fish ball used in the present study was a real commercial product. The promising results of antioxidant-incorporated zein coatings on commercial products presented in this report will enhance the confidence of food manufacturers on the edible coatings. [source] Addition of Soluble Soybean Polysaccharides to Dairy Products as a Source of Dietary FiberJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 6 2010Wenpu Chen Abstract:, Increasing consumption of dietary fiber in food leads to many important health benefits: for example, reduction in blood cholesterol, reduced risk of diabetes, and improved laxation. Water soluble soybean polysaccharide (SSPS) is a dietary fiber extracted and refined from okara, a byproduct of soy manufacturing. It was incorporated into 3 categories of dairy-based products, thickened milkshake-style beverages, puddings, and low-fat ice cream, to the maximum amount without over-texturing the food. Rheological measurements and sensory tests were used to develop desirable SSPS-fortified products. From the rheological data, 4% SSPS-fortified dairy beverages and 4% SSPS -fortified puddings were in the range of commercial products. From sensory analyses, 4% SSPS-fortified dairy beverage with 0.015%,,carrageenan, 4% SSPS-fortified pudding with 0.1%,,carrageenan, and 2% SSPS-fortified low-fat ice cream gained the highest scores in consumer hedonic rating. Panelists also indicated their willingness to consume those products if they were available commercially. Practical Application:, Since the dietary fiber intake of many people is below their suggested adequate intake values, strategies to successfully fortify foods with fiber may help alleviate this gap. We have developed 3 dairy products, a beverage, a pudding, and a low-fat ice cream, that have been fortified with soluble soybean polysaccharide at levels of 4%, 4%, and 2%, respectively. These products were within acceptable ranges of rheological parameters and other physical stability measurements and were judged to be acceptable by sensory analyses. [source] Effects of Rice Batter on Oil Uptake and Sensory Quality of Coated Fried OkraJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 1 2005Fred F. Shih ABSTRACT: Okra was coated and deep-fat fried with batters of flour sources including rice flour, a mixture of rice flour and small amounts of pregelatinized rice flour (PGRF), and, as a control, traditional wheat flour. The addition of PGRF, up to 8%, enhanced batter viscosity and the coating properties of the rice batter. Oil uptake of the fried batter decreased with the addition of up to 5% PGRF. Rice flour fried batters, with and without PGRF, were found to absorb substantially lower oil, by as much as 51 %, compared with the wheat batter. The fried okra coated with the rice batter containing 5% PGRF, when evaluated for sensory properties on appearance and surface attributes, was found to be superior or equal to those with the wheat batter and rice batter without PGRF. Particularly, its golden brown color is considered more desirable than the lighter yellow color of the other 2 entities. Similarly, most of its 1st-bite and after-chew properties were slightly better and were in the normal range of commercially available products. Specifically, its distinctive crispiness is considered a positive attribute, whereas its slightly higher tooth packing properties, while remaining in the range of commercial products, may be noticeable to some consumers. [source] Infrared Spectra of U.S. Automobile Original Finishes.JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 3 2006ABSTRACT: The identification, analysis, and occurrence in U.S. automobile original finishes (1974,1989) of Nickel Titanate (yellow) and Chrome Titanate (yellow,orange) are described in this report. The titanate pigments are based on the rutile (titanium dioxide) structure and there are only minor differences between the infrared absorptions of rutile and the titanates. Titanate pigment absorptions in paint spectra can thus be easily mistaken for those of rutile. Each of the titanates, however, contains two elements in addition to titanium that can serve to distinguish them using elemental analyses. Fourier transform infrared (4000,220 cm,1) and X-ray fluorescence instruments were used in combination for the in situ analysis of the titanates. In addition to titanium, nickel, and antimony, the three main detectable elements comprising Nickel Titanate, all of the commercial products of this pigment that were examined also contained impurities of zirconium, niobium, and usually lead. These elements were also detected in most of the monocoats in which Nickel Titanate was identified, as well as in the Chrome Titanate pigments, and the zirconium to niobium ratio was found to exhibit a wide variation. Nickel Titanate is a relatively common pigment that was identified in nearly three dozen U.S. automobile yellow nonmetallic monocoats (1974,1989), while Chrome Titanate appears to have been used in only a few yellow and orange nonmetallic monocoats. The use of the titanate pigments likely increased after this time period as they were replacements for lead chromate pigments (last used in a U.S. automobile original finish in the early 1990s), and are more amenable for use in basecoat/clearcoat finishes than in monocoats. Minor distortions of the infrared absorptions of rutile, anatase, and the titanates obtained using accessories with diamond windows were noted, and their origins are discussed. [source] Bactericidal effect of dentin primer containing antibacterial monomer methacryloyloxydodecylpyridinium bromide (MDPB) against bacteria in human carious dentinJOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 4 2001S. Imazato The aim of this study was to investigate the bactericidal effect of a dentin primer incorporating the antibacterial monomer 12-methacryloyloxydodecylpyridinium bromide (MDPB) against bacteria in human dentinal carious lesions. To evaluate the antibacterial activity of MDPB against anaerobes, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against obligate anaerobes and facultative anaerobic strains of lactobacilli were determined. Bacteria were recovered from carious dentin samples obtained from the teeth of patients, and the bactericidal activities of the experimental primer containing 5% MDPB and three commercially available primers were compared by counting the number of viable cells after contact with diluted solutions of each primer for 30 s. MDPB showed strong antibacterial activity against anaerobes, the MIC and MBC values ranging from 3·9 to 31·3 ,g mL,1 and 15·6,125 ,g mL,1, respectively. Experimental primer containing MDPB was the most bactericidal among the materials tested (ANOVA, Fisher's PLSD test, P < 0·05) and was able to kill the bacteria completely even when diluted 40 times, while the three commercial products exhibited little activity at 40 times dilution. These results indicate that incorporation of MDPB into dentin primer could be beneficial for eliminating the residual bacteria in cavities. [source] Development of a liquid enzyme-based ceruminolytic productJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 11 2008Nuria Jimenez Abstract Various compositions for removal of human cerumen are marketed but they are not very effective. Therefore, a proteolytic enzyme-based ceruminolytic product was developed containing the enzyme, methyl trypsin, and sodium bicarbonate. Efficacy was optimized based on in vitro testing using both human and artificial cerumen preparations. Both qualitative (visual observation) and quantitative (spectrophotometric) assessments of ceruminolytic efficacy were employed. Optimal enzyme stability was observed for the aqueous formulation at pH 4, while greater ceruminolytic efficacy was observed at pH 8. The optimal concentration range of enzyme was 150,300 absorbance U/mL based on efficacy and stability considerations. An aqueous formulation containing both methyl trypsin and sodium bicarbonate was shown to be more effective than two commercial products, Murine® Ear Wax Removal Drops and Cerumenex® Ear Drops. A two-part packaging system was employed to provide adequate shelf-life. Long-term stability studies confirmed that the formulation maintained >75% enzyme stability for 24 months at 5 and 25°C and after reconstitution at room temperature for up to 1 day. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 97:4970,4982, 2008 [source] Polymorphism and pseudopolymorphism of salicaine and salicaine hydrochloride crystal polymorphism of local anaesthetic drugs, part VJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 5 2006A.C. Schmidt Abstract The local anaesthetic drug salicaine hydrochloride (hydroxytetracaine hydrochloride, 4-butylamino-2-hydroxybenzoic acid 2-dimethylaminoethyl ester hydrochloride, SLCHC) and the free-base salicaine (SLC) were characterized by thermal analysis, vibrational and solid-state NMR-spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray single crystal structure analysis, and water vapor sorption analysis. Additionally, the crystal structures of the anhydrate mod. II° (monoclinic, space group P21/n), the hydrated mod. I (triclinic, space group ), and of the free base (SLC) in the form of the hemihydrate (triclinic, space group ) are discussed. Mod. II° of the polymorphic SLCHC is the thermodynamically stable form at room temperature and is present in commercial products mostly contaminated with a hydrated form that is isomorphic with mod. I. Mod. II° crystallizes from most organic solvents and from the melt below 110°C. Mod. I crystallizes from the melt at temperatures above 110°C, and additionally appears on dehydration of the hydrated mod. I. A third polymorph monotropically related to mod. II° was found by freeze-drying. The free-base SLC was found to crystallize from ethanol/water as a triclinic hemihydrate. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 95:1097,1113, 2006 [source] Paradoxical Effects of Alcohol Information on Alcohol Outcome ExpectanciesALCOHOLISM, Issue 7 2010Marvin D. Krank Background:, Cognitive associations with alcohol predict both current and future use in youth and young adults. Much cognitive and social cognitive research suggests that exposure to information may have unconscious influences on thinking and behavior. The present study assessed the impact of information statements on the accessibility of alcohol outcome expectancies. Methods:, The 2 studies reported here investigated the effects of exposure to alcohol statements typical of informational approaches to prevention on the accessibility of alcohol outcome expectancies. High school and university students were presented with information statements about the effects of alcohol and other commercial products. The alcohol statements were taken from expectancy questionnaires. Some of these statements were presented as facts and others as myths. The retention of detailed information about these statements was manipulated by (i) divided attention versus focused attention or (ii) immediate versus delayed testing. Accessibility of personal alcohol outcome expectancies was subsequently measured using an open-ended question about the expected effects of alcohol. Results:, Participants reported more alcohol outcomes seen during the information task as personal expectations about the effects of alcohol use than similar unseen items. Paradoxically, myth statements were also more likely to be reported as expectancies than unseen items in all conditions. Additionally, myth statements were generated less often than fact statements only under the condition of immediate testing with strong content processing instructions. Conclusions:, These observations are consistent with findings from cognitive research where familiarity in the absence of explicit memory can have an unconscious influence on performance. In particular, the exposure to these items in an informational format increases accessibility of the seen items even when the participants were told that they were myths. The findings have implications for the development of effective prevention materials. [source] Laser-Welded Hollow Pontic Full-Gold Fixed Dental ProsthesisJOURNAL OF PROSTHODONTICS, Issue 5 2010Alan J. Sutton DDS Abstract This article describes a technique for the fabrication of a laser-welded hollow pontic full-gold fixed dental prosthesis. Reference to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. Government. The opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. Government, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. [source] Separation of fatty alcohol ethoxylates by capillary zone electrophoresis and micellar electrokinetic chromatographyJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 3 2009Ryo Koike Abstract Separation methods based on capillary zone electrophoresis and micellar electrokinetic chromatography were developed to characterize the distribution of ethylene oxide (EO) homologues in the fatty alcohol ethoxylates (FAEs). Prior to the separation, the FAEs were derivatized with 2-fluoro-1-methylpyridinium p -toluenesulfonate (FMPTS) to allow CZE separation and UV detection. To prevent adsorption of cationic analytes onto the inner surface of the capillary and formation of micelles in CZE analysis, a lower pH background solution (BGS) containing a high concentration of acetonitrile was employed. Under optimal conditions, FMPTS-derivatized FAEs with an average EO number of 6 were completely separated within 11 min. For MEKC analysis of the FAEs, dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC) was added to the BGS. In the presence of 30 mM DTAC in 10 mM phosphate buffer (pH 2.5) containing 20% (v/v) acetonitrile, superior oligomer separation of the FAEs containing up to 50 EO groups was achieved within 30 min with good analytical reproducibilities. Furthermore, the developed method was applied to the analysis of the FAEs in commercial products such as laundry detergent and fabric softener. [source] THE ANALYSIS OF STRESS RELAXATION DATA OF SOME VISCOELASTIC FOODS USING A TEXTURE ANALYZER,JOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 4 2006H. SINGH ABSTRACT Uniaxial compression test for dough and several commercial products like jello, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, tofu and sausage (cooked and uncooked) was performed using a texture analyzer (TA). Percent stress relaxation (%SR ), k1 (initial rate of relaxation), k2 (extent of relaxation) and relaxation time (RT) were calculated and compared for different products. The TA software was used to convert the raw SR data into a linear form. Constants k1 and k2 were determined from the intercept and slope of the linear data. Higher values of %SR and k2 (90 and 9, respectively) indicated higher elasticity for jello, whereas wheat flour dough samples showed the lowest values (20,30) for %SR and 1 to 2 for k2. The RT and k1 values were not good indicators for differentiating different products based on their viscoelastic behavior. Measurement of RT was limited by the maximum time for which the data were collected, whereas k1, because of its mathematical form, needed careful interpretation. In this study, %SR was found to be a good measure to interpret viscoelasticity of different food samples. [source] TEXTURE AND MOUTHFEEL OF SEMISOLID FOODS: COMMERCIAL MAYONNAISES, DRESSINGS, CUSTARD DESSERTS AND WARM SAUCESJOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 2 2003H. WEENEN ABSTRACT Texture and mouthfeel sensations of three groups of semisolid foodstuffs (mayonnaises and dressings, custard desserts and warm sauces) were characterised, measured, evaluated and compared based on quantitative descriptive sensory analysis of commercial products. Six groups of texture attributes were generated and used by the sensory panel. These were related to: viscosity, surface feel, bulk homogeneity, adhesion/cohesion, wetness-dryness and fat. Two groups of nontextural mouthfeel attributes were found to be relevant, which were related to perceived temperature and oral irritation. The importance of the attributes for each product category is discussed. [source] Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked cheeseJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 8 2008Marie Suchanovį Abstract BACKGROUND: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a group of organic compounds containing two or more aromatic rings. Their control in the human food chain is required due to the mutagenic and carcinogenic potential, exhibited in vertebrates. In the present study, the occurrence of PAHs in 36 cheeses smoked by various processes was investigated. RESULTS: PAH concentrations (sum of 15 US EPA PAHs) found in samples smoked under controlled industrial conditions were at level 0.11 µg kg,1, whereas in ,home-made' cheeses, the PAH content was up to 10 times higher. A similar trend was observed for B[a]P, a marker compound representing carcinogenic PAHs. While its levels in commercial products prepared by controlled smoking technologies were close to the limit of quantification (0.03 µg kg,1); in household samples, the B[a]P content ranged from 0.6 to 0.9 µg kg,1. Significantly higher amounts of PAHs (up to three to six times) were found in surface layers as compared to internal parts of cheese. CONCLUSION: Although smoked cheese is a popular food, only several papers have focused on PAH levels in these products. This paper evaluates the contribution of different smoking technologies to PAH contamination of several cheeses and thus can help in a risk assessment associated with their consumption. Moreover, the study shows the concentration ratios of selected PAHs, from which the type of smoking technology can be indicated. The results obtained in this study also supported the suggestion of the EU Scientific Committee on Food to use benzo[a]pyrene as an indicator of the occurrence of higher-molecular mass PAHs. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Contents of hypericin and pseudohypericin in five commercial products of St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum)JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 5 2004Zhao-Jun Wang Abstract Hypericin and pseudohypericin are the two major dianthrones of St John's wort (SJW, Hypericum perforatum) that are reported to have antidepressant and antiviral effects. In this study we used methanol extracts of five commercial SJW products to determine the two congeners using a modified reverse phase HPLC method with gradient elution. One SJW product is specified by the manufacturer to contain 340 µg hypericin per tablet (170 mg extract), while the other four products are specified to contain 900 µg hypericin per tablet (300 mg); none of the products is claimed to contain pseudohypericin. Our results showed that the actual contents of hypericin in these products ranged from 1.7 to 38.5% of the claimed amounts. However, the amounts of pseudohypericin were in general much higher than those of hypericin. When hypericin and pseudohypericin were combined as total hypericin, the four products that supposedly contain 900 µg per tablet were found to contain 26, 484, 587 and 615 µg total hypericin per tablet, or 2.9, 53.8, 65.2 and 68.3% of the claimed hypericin contents respectively. The product which supposedly contains 340 µg hypericin per tablet was found to contain 388 µg total hypericin per tablet, or 114% of the claimed hypericin content. The relatively low hypericin contents measured in these products are not a result of losses during extraction, because the two congeners had high recoveries (93.7 and 94.3% for hypericin and pseudohypericin respectively) when added before methanolic extraction to an SJW product with known amounts of the two congeners. Thus our results show that the commercial SJW products vary greatly in their amounts of total hypericin and that pseudohypericin, rather than hypericin, is the major hypericin in these products. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Commercial Exploration of High-Temperature SuperconductivityLASER TECHNIK JOURNAL, Issue 4 2010Excimer Lasers Enable Novel Coated Superconductor Cylinders Superconductivity, which is the condition in which the electrical resistance of a material drops to zero, was discovered nearly 100 years ago. Since that time, large superconducting magnets such as those used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and big physics experiments have been developed and can now be regarded as being commercial products extending our capabilities in medicine and science. Yet many industrial applications of high temperature superconductivity (HTS) are on the horizon waiting to enter the marketplace. Currently, numerous manufacturers are working on improving and upscaling HTS materials, which operate at liquid nitrogen temperatures, and the most promising configuration for these materials is in the form of long tapes also known as coated conductors. These coated conductors are wound into coils in order to produce electrical components such as motors, magnets, transformers etc. Depending on the component to be made, there is an alternative to fabricating long unit lengths of superconducting tape, and in forming stable robust windings utilizing them. Now, a new technique has been developed which is using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) to deposit a series of layers of superconducting material directly on to the surface of a cylinder and patterning them into coils. This configuration provides a very direct route for the production of components that conventionally involve winding processes. This article explores how coated conductor cylinders can be produced utilizing this technique and explains why industriallyproven excimers represent the optimum choice of laser source for this emergingtechnology. [source] Validation of numerical codes for impact and explosion cratering: Impacts on strengthless and metal targetsMETEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE, Issue 12 2008E. PIERAZZO When properly benchmarked and validated against observation, computer models offer a powerful tool for understanding the mechanics of impact crater formation. This work presents results from the first phase of a project to benchmark and validate shock codes. A variety of 2D and 3D codes were used in this study, from commercial products like AUTODYN, to codes developed within the scientific community like SOVA, SPH, ZEUS-MP, iSALE, and codes developed at U.S. National Laboratories like CTH, SAGE/RAGE, and ALE3D. Benchmark calculations of shock wave propagation in aluminum-on-aluminum impacts were performed to examine the agreement between codes for simple idealized problems. The benchmark simulations show that variability in code results is to be expected due to differences in the underlying solution algorithm of each code, artificial stability parameters, spatial and temporal resolution, and material models. Overall, the inter-code variability in peak shock pressure as a function of distance is around 10 to 20%. In general, if the impactor is resolved by at least 20 cells across its radius, the underestimation of peak shock pressure due to spatial resolution is less than 10%. In addition to the benchmark tests, three validation tests were performed to examine the ability of the codes to reproduce the time evolution of crater radius and depth observed in vertical laboratory impacts in water and two well-characterized aluminum alloys. Results from these calculations are in good agreement with experiments. There appears to be a general tendency of shock physics codes to underestimate the radius of the forming crater. Overall, the discrepancy between the model and experiment results is between 10 and 20%, similar to the inter-code variability. [source] Comparative analysis of dental enamel polyvinylsiloxane impression and polyurethane casting methods for SEM researchMICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE, Issue 4 2006Jordi Galbany Abstract Dental casting is a very common procedure for making high-quality replicas of paleo-anthropological remains. Replicas are frequently used, instead of original remains, to study both fossil and extant Primate teeth in morphological and metrical analyses. Several commercial products can be used in molds. This study analyzed SEM image resolution and enamel surface feature definition of tooth molds at various magnification levels and obtained, with both Coltčne® and 3MTM low-viscosity body polyvinylsiloxane impression, materials and polyurethane casts. Results, through comparison with the original teeth, show that both the negative molds and the positive casts are highly reliable in replicating enamel surfaces. However, positive cast quality is optimal for SEM observation only till the fourth consecutive replica from the original mold, especially at high SEM magnification levels. Microsc. Res. Tech 69:246,252, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Low profile DOA finder at 2.4 GHzMICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 1 2009M. Uthansakul Abstract Technique to find direction of arrival (DOA) has been promisingly constructed by smart antenna technology. It consists of array antennas and signal processing unit. Because of the limitation of space in commercial products, the size of antenna array should be designed with the smallest dimension. Also the processing unit is expected in low complexity and expense. Most of DOA finders were recently proposed employing linear array in which the size is linearly increased as a number of antenna elements. Also the processing units were fully comprised with high level of computation. In this paper, the low profile of 2.4 GHz DOA finder is proposed. The DOA finder is designed in the compact size of 2 × 2 array antennas. Using modified Butler matrix, the processing unit is very simple in which it can be handled by any economic microprocessors. The proposed finder is able to delicately specify DOA in every angle from 0° to 360°. The experimental results confirm the success of proposed DOA finder. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 252,256, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23984 [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||