Retaining maximum antioxidative potency of wheat germ oil refined by molecular distillation

A process of physical refining wheat germ oil using the technique of molecular distillation (MD) is presented in this work. Wheat germ oil was obtained from the germ by solvent extraction using hexane and also by cold pressing. The oil extracted with hexane was degummed and bleached before deacidification in order to modify the parameters of phosphorus and color. The goal in carrying out the stage of physical refining by MD was to preserve the maximum amount of original antioxidative potential obtained from extraction of the crude oil. The effect of evaporation temperature of one‐stage MD on the efficiency of free fatty acid elimination was studied. The antioxidant portion was followed by means of analytic determination of tocopherols by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Tocopherol retention up to 98% was achieved in the oil extracted by pressing, and yields of up to 96% were achieved in the oil extracted with hexane. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Watermarked 3-D Mesh Quality Assessment

This paper addresses the problem of assessing distortions produced by watermarking 3D meshes. In particular, a new methodology for subjective evaluation of the quality of 3D objects is proposed and implemented. Two objective metrics derived from measures of surface roughness are then proposed and their efficiency to predict the perceptual impact of 3D watermarking is assessed and compared with the state of the art. Results obtained show good correlations between the proposed objective metrics and subjective assessments by human observers     

Vibrational analysis of functionalized polyolefins/poly(vinylchloride) blends

Polyolefins functionalized with diethylmaleate were mixed with poly(vinylchloride) (PVC) in different compositions. Intermolecular interactions involving the carbonyl groups of the side chains of the functionalized polyolefins and methine hydrogens of PVC were investigated by means of infrared spectroscopy. The major flexibility of the ester groups attached to the backbone chains, with respect to polyesters, seems to increase the capability of such groups to interact with groups of more polar polymers, thus allowing prediction of easier miscibility, which however also depends on the starting polyolefin structure and function-alization degree.     

Morphological variations of the human gastric mucosa after omeprazole treatment: a scanning electron microscopic study

The effects of antiepileptic drugs on cognitive function in 48 healthy volunteers were assessed using event-related potentials (ERP) and the Attention Index included in the Wechsler Memory Scale, revised edition (WMS-R). The study was conducted over 1 week, using a double-blind design. Four drugs, carbamazepine (CBZ), phenytoin (PHT), valproate (VPA) and zonisamide (ZNS) were tested. Using an auditory oddball task, ERP measurements were made under two conditions with different tone intensities: Condition 1 used 70 db SPL; and Condition 2 used 30 db SPL. Results showed that CBZ prolonged target N1 and P3 latencies in Condition 1, and reduced frequent N1 amplitude in Condition 2, which suggests that CBZ may cause a change in sensory memory and prolong stimulus evaluation time. It is suggested that under a low stimulus intensity level, the sensory function itself was affected. Phenytoin was found to prolong target N1 latency in Condition 2, which also indicates a change in the sensory memory function. However, VPA did not significantly affect ERP components, except for the shortened frequent N1 latency, which could not be explained due to the limited information. It was found that ZNS augmented P3 amplitude in Condition 2, and reduced scores on the Attention Index. It is suggested that the augmentation of P3 amplitude was caused by the reduction of processing negativity as a result of the detrimental effect of ZNS on subjects' attention. However, the apparent difference between the ERP and behavioral indices suggests that caution should be exercised in assessing the results obtained only from ERP measurements.     

Multi-level simulation of metal-forming processes

The IBF has for some years made use of finite element programmes to solve metal-forming problems. In the course of this investigation, it has become evident that a problem-oriented adaptation of FEM simulation to the problem in hand is beneficial in terms of computation effort. The computation time for the process parameters is optimised in a multi-level simulation. At level 1 (global analysis) integral parameters such as the required force and required work are computed using a coarse FEM mesh. At level 2 (local analysis) an optimised number of elements is used to determine continuum mechanics parameters like stress, strain and temperature. Microscopic phenomena are simulated at level 3 (microscopic analysis), using special micro-material elements and thermodynamic models.     

Gamma-Ray-Induced Multi-Effect on Properties of Chalcogenide Glasses

Gamma-ray irradiations induced various alterations in sulfur- and selenium-based chalcogenide glasses. The absorbed dose was in the range of 0.01–3.6 MGy. The glasses exhibit prominent sensitivity to γ-ray irradiation, characterized by changes in some of the physical properties of the glasses, e.g., optical transmission, optical band gap, density, and thermal expansion coefficient. The effects on glass structure and microscopic morphology were also studied by Raman spectra and scanning electron microscopic observations.     

“Biaxiality Effect” on the Energy Dissipated by Elastoplastic Base-Isolators

A plane elastic-plastic solid body presenting kinematic hardening is used to simulate a pair of dampers at the base of a rigid structure and determine the energy dissipation under conditions of assigned, homogeneous cyclic loading. The well-known von Mises theory of plasticity is applied with the aim of obtaining analytical solutions to the problem. Such solutions are arrived at by first calculating the Odqvist parameter, which yields dimensionless relations that depend on the external loads and mechanical properties of the material. The results, in terms of dissipated energy, are given for the case of a sinusoidal process, represented with the help of dimensionless parameters useful for engineering applications.     

Hybrid photocatalytic membranes embedding decatungstate for heterogeneous photooxygenation

The incorporation of decatungstate in polymeric membranes provides new heterogeneous photocatalysts for the oxidation of organic substrates under oxygen atmosphere at 25 °C. Photocatalytic membranes have been prepared yielding polymeric films with a high thermal, chemical and mechanical stability (PVDF, PDMS, Hyflon). Surface spectroscopy techniques including transmittance and reflectance UV-Vis and FT-IR have been used to assess the photocatalyst integrity within the polymeric support. Catalyst screening has been performed under both homogeneous and heterogeneous photooxygenation conditions. The photocatalyst activity has been evaluated in terms of the substrate conversion, turnover numbers, and recycling experiments. A membrane induced selectivity behavior has been evidenced by comparison with homogeneous oxidations.     

Penetrating cardiac wounds: prospective study of factors influencing initial resuscitation

A prospective study of 66 consecutive patients with cardiac wounds seen over a 27-month period is reported. No patient was excluded. Patients were stratified by injury mechanism and by physiologic scoring at admission using the cardiovascular-respiratory elements of the Trauma Score (CVRS). Admission cardiac rhythm was obtained in patients with a CVRS of 0 and a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 3. Information concerning the anatomic extent of the cardiac wound, the presence or absence of tamponade, and the degree of injury to other structures was also collected prospectively. Seventy percent of the cardiac wounds were caused by gunshots. The probability of successful resuscitation was significantly related to mechanism of injury and physiologic condition on arrival. Among patients arriving with a CVRS of 0 and a GCS score of 3, survival correlated with cardiac rhythm. Pericardial tamponade did not prove to be an independent predictor of early survival. The presence of tamponade was statistically linked to the mechanism of injury. Transport by non-official conveyance was associated with a higher CVRS on arrival. Intoxication with alcohol or cocaine had no evident effect on resuscitation probability.