In Vitro Simultaneous Transfer of Lipids to HDL in Coronary Artery Disease and in Statin Treatment

The exchange of lipids with cells and other lipoproteins is a crucial process in HDL metabolism and for HDL antiatherogenic function. Here, we tested a practical method to quantify the simultaneous transfer to HDL of phospholipids, free-cholesterol, esterified cholesterol and triacylglycerols and to verify the lipid transfer in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) or undergoing statin treatment. Twenty-eight control subjects without CAD, 27 with CAD and 25 CAD patients under simvastatin treatment were studied. Plasma samples were incubated with a donor nanoemulsion prepared by ultrasonication of the constituent lipids and labeled with radioactive lipids; % lipids transferred to HDL were quantified in the HDL-containing supernatant after chemical precipitation of non-HDL fractions and the nanoemulsion. The assay was precise and reproducible. Increase of temperature (4–37 °C), of incubation period (5 min to 2 h), of HDL-cholesterol concentration (33–244 mg/dL) and of mass of nanoemulsion lipids (0.075–0.3 mg/μL) resulted in increased lipid transfer from the nanoemulsion to HDL. In contrast, increasing pH (6.5–8.5) and albumin concentration (3.5–7.0 g/dL) did not affect lipid transfer. There was no difference between CAD and control non-CAD with regard to the lipid transfer, but statin treatment reduced the transfer to HDL of all four lipids. The test herein described is a valid and practical tool for exploring an important aspect of HDL metabolism.     

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Influence of dispersant size on rheology of non-aqueous ceramic particle suspensions

The surface of alumina, which is hydrophilic in general, was made hydrophobic either by adsorption of polymer (phys-adsorption) or by an alkylation reaction with alcohol (chem-adsorption) to enable dispersion in dodecane. Hypermer A70 (8.2 nm) was used as the polymer and 1-octanol (1.2 nm), 1-decanol (1.5 nm) and 1-hexadecanol (2.5 nm) were used as the alcohol (values in brackets are the approximate thickness of the steric barrier). Rheological measurements of ceramic suspensions indicate that it is possible to achieve a high solid loading (50 vol.%) with relatively low viscosity (0.25 Pa s at 100 s^?1, the typical shear rate for pumping of liquids in pipes) as long as the stabilising molecule is large enough. The observed rheological behaviour fitted the Quemada viscosity model quite well when excluded volume effects were taken into account. Addition of 2.8 wt.% of Hypermer A70 with respect to weight of alumina was enough to stabilise the particles.     

Intraindividual variability in infant behavior.

Longitudinal observational data of infant crying, fretting/fussing, and smiling and the time spent in physical contact with the mother were used in a study on behavioral variability. The infants were followed weekly for a 15-month period. Evidence was found of an important intraindividual variability in the studied behaviors, specifically between the ages of 0 and 5 months, 5 and 10 months, but not between 10 and 15 months. Results are discussed and analyzed in the light of earlier literature. The possible functions and the factors underlying variability in development as well as its methodological implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of particle size on the shaping of ceramics by slip casting

The effect of the nanometric-ranged particle size of the starting powder through a simple and well-established shaping method, slip casting, has been studied. Several alumina suspensions with the same viscosity (but different solid content suspensions) and different particle size (11, 44, 190 and 600 nm) were prepared and shaped into a dense body. The green and sintered densities ranged between 30–67% and 63–99% of the theoretical value, respectively. These values, together with the microstructure observations reveal the effect of the solid content of the suspensions and the characteristics of the ceramic powder, leading to the determination of an optimal particle size. Based on both processability (rheological behaviour) and microstructure (density and grain size) it has been determined that particles with sizes ranging 100–300 nm are the best for preparing concentrated suspensions with low viscosity and bodies with density close to the theoretical value when using conventional pressureless sintering densification.     

Assessment of production efficiency,physicochemical properties and storage stability of spray-dried propolis,a natural food additive,using gum Arabic and OSA starch-based carrier systems

The aim of this work was to obtain propolis in a powder, alcohol-free, water-dispersed and shelf-stable form. Propolis extract was spray-dried using gum Arabic and octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) starch as carriers in two different weight ratios (1:4 and 1:6). Spray-dried propolis samples were evaluated for morphology, moisture, water activity, water dispersibility, hygroscopicity, particle size, particle distribution, entrapping efficiency, stability, isotherms and antioxidant properties. The spray-drying process produced round particles with sizes ranging from 15 to 24 μm. This process preserved the antioxidant activity of propolis and also allowed propolis to be obtained in a powder form, which was stable during storage at room temperature, had low hygroscopicity and was highly dispersible in cold water. The application of this technology could increase the use of propolis in various industrial applications, such as an antimicrobial and as an antioxidant in food.     

Swarm intelligence for traffic light scheduling: Application to real urban areas

Congestion, pollution, security, parking, noise, and many other problems derived from vehicular traffic are present every day in most cities around the world. The growing number of traffic lights that control the vehicular flow requires a complex scheduling, and hence, automatic systems are indispensable nowadays for optimally tackling this task. In this work, we propose a Swarm Intelligence approach to find successful cycle programs of traffic lights. Using a microscopic traffic simulator, the solutions obtained by our algorithm are evaluated in the context of two large and heterogeneous metropolitan areas located in the cities of Málaga and Sevilla (in Spain). In comparison with cycle programs predefined by experts (close to real ones), our proposal obtains significant profits in terms of two main indicators: the number of vehicles that reach their destinations on time and the global trip time.     

The Influence of Oxygen Volumetric Mass Transfer Rates on Cyclodextrin Glycosyltransferase Production by Alkaliphilic Bacillus circulans in Batch and Fed-Batch Cultivations

In this work, the influence of oxygen mass transfer rates on the production of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) by the alkaliphilic bacterium Bacillus circulans ATCC 21783 was investigated. Experimental design and response surface methodology were applied to optimize agitation speed and air flow rate in batch cultivations, in order to identify their significant effects and interactions with the synthesis of CGTase. Results were expressed as the volumetric mass transfer rates of oxygen (k_la, [per hour]). The maximal CGTase productivity of 155 U mL⁻¹ h⁻¹ was achieved with k_la of 48 h⁻¹. CGTase production was also studied in fed-batch cultures using the optimized parameters obtained in the batch experiments. The maximal CGTase productivity on fed-batch cultivations was 137 U mL⁻¹ h⁻¹ with feeding rates of starch at 0.17 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹.     

Enhancement of pasta antioxidant activity with oregano and carrot leaf

Five different pasta formulations were prepared using different concentrations of carrot leaf meal (CLM) and oregano leaf meal (OLM). One control formulation (wheat flour and semolina, 70:30 w/w) and four other formulations were prepared using the following amounts of leaf meals: 5% CLM and 5% OLM (I), 10% CLM (II), 10% OLM (III), and 10% CLM, 10% OLM (IV). The highest content of alpha-linolenic acid was found in formulations II and IV, which also had a reduced n-6/n-3 ratio, 3.6 (IV), when compared to the control, which was 19.8. All the samples enhanced with leaf meals showed antioxidant activity by the DPPH radical method; however, it was higher in formulation IV, which was the same observed for phenolic compounds. Pasta added with leaf meals lost more solubles, had shorter cooking time and a lower weight increase than the control pasta. All formulations had significant sensory acceptance.