Relative absorption of conjugated linoleic acid as triacylglycerol,free fatty acid and ethyl ester in a functional food matrix

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) shows potential benefits in a number of medical conditions, making it a possible target for incorporation into a functional food. Until recently, clinical trials were conducted with various mixtures of CLA isomers, encapsulated as the free acid. The purpose of this study was to examine a mixture of two specific CLA isomers (9c,11t and 10t,12c), incorporated into a functional food either as triacylglycerol, free fatty acid or fatty acid ethyl ester. Differences in absorption between the lipid forms and between the isomers were investigated. The palatability of the different functional‐food formulations was also studied. Significantly less CLA was absorbed into chylomicrons over six hours when fed as fatty acid ethyl ester than when either the triacylglycerol or free fatty acid forms were fed. Further work is recommended, to examine fatty acid ethyl ester absorption over longer periods of time. Most subjects reported that the fatty acid formulation had poor taste characteristics. We conclude that CLA as triacylglycerol is the most suitable form for incorporation into a functional food and that the 9c,11t and 10t,12c CLA isomers are absorbed similarly into chylomicrons.     

Liquid–solid mass transfer in a three-phase stationary catalytic basket reactor

Measurements of the liquid–solid mass transfer coefficient k_S were performed in a three-phase multiple impeller and stationary catalytic basket reactor, called a Robinson–Mahoney reactor. Local coefficients were determined using naphtol particle dissolution in water and n-heptane with or without gas flow. Experiments have shown that local coefficients k_{S loc} depend on the particle position in the basket, agitation speed, and liquid properties. A correlation linking k_S to liquid velocity was established in a reactor simulating hydrodynamics in a piece of catalytic basket. Liquid velocity values were validated using a particle image velocimetry technique in a Robinson–Mahoney reactor, using water. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2005     

Synthesis of new functionalized polymers and their use as stabilizers of Pd,Pt, and Rh nanoparticles. Preliminary catalytic studies

Polymers I ‐ X with functionalized main chain were synthesized from commercial polymers containing reactive groups, anhydride (for Gantrez), or carboxylate (for polyacrylates) moieties, to be used as stabilizers of metallic nanoparticles. ¹H HRMAS, ¹³C MAS NMR, IR, and GPC techniques were applied to characterize the new polymers. Metal transition nanoparticles stabilized with these polymers were prepared in organic solvents (Pd and Pt) and also in water/ethanol medium (Rh), under hydrogen atmosphere. TEM analysis revealed the formation of small nanoparticles, in the range ～ 3–20 nm, depending on the solvent, metal precursor, metal concentration, and polymer nature. Preliminary catalytic applications, C? C couplings using palladium and hydrogenations using platinum and rhodium systems in organic and also aqueous medium, were tested. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Practical applications of electromapping]

The serum "uracil+uridine" level, expressed as uracil, has been measured in 21 cases of vitamin B12 deficiency, in which the serum folate was normal, and compared with the level in 97 normal subjects. The level in the vitamin B12 deficient group (11.9 mumol/1). was significantly lower than in the controls (15.7 mumol/1., P less than 0.005). Nine of the former were complicated by stystemic illness but the clinical and haematological features in the remaining 12 were consistent with the diagnosis of pernicious anaemia in relapse. The serum uracil level in this group was even lower (10.21 mumol/1., P less than 0.01). This finding is unexpected in view of the generally accepted indirect role of vitamine B12 in the methylation of deoxyuridine monophosphate to deoxythymidine monophosphate. Reasons are given for not accepting these results as reflecting the main biochemical lesion in vitamin B12 deficiency. Although they do not give direct support to an impairment in the methylation of deoxyuridine monophosphate, they do not exclude it as they test only one possible metabolic pathway and moreover they could represent the result of more than one action of vitamin B12 on uracil metabolism. They do show, however, that some aspect of uracil metabolism other than methylation is affected in vitamin B12 deficiency in man.     

Gas-liquid and liquid-solid mass transfers in two types of stationary catalytic basket laboratory reactor

Measurements of gas-liquid and liquid-solid mass transfer coefficients were performed in two types of three-phase laboratory reactor equipped with stationary catalytic basket and multiple impeller. Those reactors are called Robinson-Mahoney reactors. Local liquid-solid mass transfer coefficients were measured using naphtol particle dissolution in n-heptane at several agitation speeds. Experiments had shown that local coefficients depended on the particle locations in the basket and agitation speeds. The local coefficient values and profiles were quite similar for both studied reactors even though the reactor designs were different. Similar values of RM basket thicknesses might account for this phenomenon because the liquid-solid mass transfers could be correlated with the ones in packed beds with forced liquid circulation. Gas-liquid mass transfer coefficients were measured using standard dynamic absorption methods in air-water or hydrogen-gas oil system. As in stirred tanks, the gas-liquid mass transfers were linked to the impeller designs and characteristics (gas-inducing or classical impeller) and to the operating conditions such as agitation speeds and fluid properties. However, correlations applicable to stirred tank reactors can be used with Robinson-Mahoney reactors, the baskets behaving like additional baffles or reduction of tank diameters.     

Oxidation of NH3 on polycrystalline copper and Cu(1 1 0): a combined FT-IRAS and kinetics investigation

The kinetics of the reaction of oxidation of ammonia on polycrystalline copper, has been investigated, in a re-circulating reactor, and correlated to a characterisation of the catalyst surface at different extent of conversions.

The rapid formation of a nitride or oxynitride phase and its reactivity have been demonstrated. Under oxidising conditions, P_NH3=P_O2, and up to 650 K, dinitrogen is the only product of the reaction; N₂O being formed when T or P_O2 increases further. The correlation of these kinetics results to an in situ characterisation of the same reaction at RT by Fourier-transformed infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (FT-IRAS), on a well defined Cu(1 1 0) surface, led to the following conclusion: two reaction pathways contribute to the conversion of ammonia: (i) its decomposition on copper; (ii) the reaction between ammonia molecules and oxygen adsorbed from the gas phase. The major adsorbed species is oxygen; intermediate species are NH₂, NH and possibly HNO formed when the oxygen surface concentration is sufficient. Increasing the pressure of oxygen induces, at high T, the formation of nitrous oxide; N₂O results from an oxidation of the surface copper nitride or from the interaction of two surface HNO intermediates.     

High aspect ratio submicrometer two-dimensional structures fabricated by one-photon absorption direct laser writing

We have demonstrated a simple technique, based on a combination of a low cost one-photon elaboration method in a very low absorption regime (LOPA) and a tightly focusing optical system, to fabricate submicrometer 2D and 3D structures. A simple continuous-wave laser at 532 nm with only a few milliwatts allowed to fabricate high-aspect-ratio 2D pillars arrays in a commercial SU8 photoresist. The diameter of pillars is about 300 nm and the aspect ratio is as high as 7. This direct laser writing technique based on the LOPA approach is potentially a breakthrough: it is very simple, compact and low cost, while it allows to achieve the same results as those obtained by the two-photon absorption technique.     

Fish oil fatty acid esters of phytosterols alter plasma lipids but not red blood cell fragility in hamsters

In an attempt to combine the hypocholesterolemic properties of plant sterols with the hypotriglyceridemic action of fish oil FA, plant sterols have recently been esterified to fish oil n−3 PUFA. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of plant sterols esterified to n−3 PUFA on plasma lipid levels and erythrocyte fragility. For 5 wk, male Golden Syrian hamsters were fed diets varying in cholesterol and plant sterol content: (i) Noncholesterol (semipurified diet with no added cholesterol or plant sterols) (ii), Cholesterol (0.25% cholesterol) (iii), Sterols (0.25% cholesterol plus 1% nonesterified plant sterols), or (iv) Fish oil esters of plant sterols (0.25% cholesterol plus 1.76% EPA and DHA sterol esters, providing 1% plant sterols). The addition of fish oil esters of plant sterols to the cholesterol diet decreased (P=0.001) plasma total cholesterol levels by 20%, but nonesterified plant sterols did not have such a beneficial impact. In addition, non-HDL cholesterol concentrations were 29% lower in hamsters fed fish oil esters of plant sterols than in hamsters fed nonesterified plant sterols (P<0.0001). Despite higher (P<0.0001) plant sterol levels in whole erythrocytes of hamsters fed nonesterified plant sterols and fish oil esters of plant sterols compared with hamsters fed no plant sterols, no difference was observed in erythrocyte fragility. The present results show that EPA and DHA esters of plant sterols have a hypocholesterolemic effect in hamsters, and that these new esters of plant sterols exert no detrimental effect on erythrocyte fragility.     

An in-situ Reduction/Oxidation XAS Study on the EL10V8 VO x /TiO2(Anatase) Powder Catalyst

The structural changes of the supported vanadium oxide in the V₂O₅/TiO₂(anatase) EUROCAT EL10V8 powder catalyst during reduction and oxidation at 420 and 490 °C were studied with in-situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The Vanadium K-edge XAS results are compared with pure bulk V₂O₅. For the reduction–oxidation cycle at 420 °C, similar structural changes as for bulk V₂O₅ were observed for the supported vanadium oxide: a reduction to the VO₂ structure and re-oxidation back to V₂O₅. After reduction at 490 °C however, a different structure was obtained: very regular “VO₆” octahedra with a V^2.8+ valence. This may point to a structural support effect.     

A framework for the operationalization of monitoring in business intelligence requirements engineering

Business intelligence (BI) is perceived as a critical activity for organizations and is increasingly discussed in requirements engineering (RE). RE can contribute to the successful implementation of BI systems by assisting the identification and analysis of such systems’ requirements and the production of the specification of the system to be. Within RE for BI systems, we focus in this paper on the following questions: (i) how the expectations of a BI system’s stakeholders can be translated into accurate BI requirements, and (ii) how do we operationalize specifically these requirements in a system specification? In response, we define elicitation axes for the documentation of BI-specific requirements, give a list of six BI entities that we argue should be accounted for to operationalize business monitoring, and provide notations for the modeling of these entities. We survey important contributions of BI to define elicitation axes, adapt existing BI notations issued from RE literature, and complement them with new BI-specific notations. Using the i* framework, we illustrate the application of our proposal using a real-world case study.