Multi-laboratory simulator studies on effects of serum proteins on PTFE cup wear

A multi-laboratory, simulator study investigated the wear of polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) cups run in bovine serum. Each laboratory used its own test protocol with a variety of simulator types. Our wear model incorporated 32 mm dia CoCr heads matched to PTFE cups run with serum protein-concentrations in the range 17–69 mg/ml. The multi-lab data demonstrated that protein-concentration had the most significant effect on wear performance. Both inverted and anatomical cups followed the same trend with first a rapid increase in wear-rates apparent for the initially low-protein levels and then a wear-rate reduction effect becoming apparent beyond 17 mg/ml of proteins. The results showed that as the protein concentration increased from 17 to 69 mg/ml, the magnitude of the wear-rates increased 200% but the protein wear-rate gradient decreased 24–60% with “inverted” and “anatomical” cups, respectively. This effect was more pronounced with ‘anatomical” than “inverted” cups. Thus, the wear-trends with “inverted” cups were generally the more consistent, particularly at the low-protein levels. Increasing the serum volume by two-fold in one study increased the PTFE wear-magnitudes approximately 40% and the protein-wear gradient by 30%. These PTFE wear phenomena were consistent with the concept that low-concentrations of proteins promoted polymer wear but high-protein concentrations resulted in a protein-degradation phenomenon which progressively masked the actual polymer wear. In the selected protein range 17–69 mg/l, the multi-laboratory simulator data consistently overestimated the average clinical wear-rate by at least 50–100% depending on protein range. It would, therefore, appear clinically relevant to study PTFE wear with an inverted-cup model using a large volume of serum but only in low-protein concentrations. The protein-related wear phenomena observed with PTFE cups in this multi-laboratory project may also have relevance for wear-simulation of UHMWPE cups.     

Effect of enzymatic transesterification on the melting points of palm stearin-sunflower oil mixtures

Transesterification with lipases may be used to convert mixtures of fats to plastic fats, making them more suitable for use in edible products. In our study, 1,3-specific (Aspergillus niger, Mucor javanicus, Rhizomucor miehei, Rhizopus javanicus, and Rhizopus niveus) and nonspecific (Pseudomonas sp. and Candida rugosa) lipases were used to transesterify mixtures of palm stearin and sunflower oil (PS-SO) at a 40:60 ratio in a solvent-free medium. The transesterified mixtures of PS-SO were analyzed for their percentage free fatty acids (FFA), degree and rate of transesterification, solid fat content, slip melting point (SMP), and melting characteristics by differential scanning calorimetry. Results indicated that Pseudomonas sp. lipase produced the highest degree (77.3%) and rate (50.0 h⁻¹) of transesterification, followed by R. miehei lipase at 32.7% and 27.1 h⁻¹, respectively. The highest percentage FFA liberated was also in the reaction mixtures catalyzed by Pseudomonas sp. (2.5%) lipase and R. miehei (2.4%). Pseudomonas-catalyzed mixtures produced the biggest drop in SMP (13.5°C) and showed complete melting at below body temperature. All results indicated conversion of the PS-SO mixtures to a more fluid product. The findings also suggest that the specificity of lipases may not play a significant role in lowering the melting point of the PS-SO mixtures.     

Chemical and physical characteristics of cocoa butter substitutes, milk fat and malaysian cocoa butter blends

Two ternary systems of confectionery fats were studied. In the first system, lauric cocoa butter substitutes (CBS), anhydrous milk fat (AMF), and Malaysian cocoa butter (MCB) were blended. In the second system, high-melting fraction of milk fat (HMF42) was used to replace AMF and also was blended with CBS and MCB. CBS contained high concentrations of lauric (C_12:0) and myristic (C_14:0) acids, whereas palmitic (C_16:0), stearic (C_18:0), and oleic (C_18:1) acid concentrations were higher in MCB. In addition, AMF and HMF42 contained appreciable amounts of short-chain fatty acids. CBS showed the highest melting enthalpy (143.1 J/g), followed by MCB (138.8 J/g), HMF42 (97.1 J/g), and AMF (72.9 J/g). The partial melting enthalpies at 20 and 30°C demonstrated formation of a eutectic along the binary blends of CBS/MCB, AMF/MCB, and HMF42/MCB. However, no eutectic effect was observed along the binary lines of AMF/CBS and HMF42/CBS. Characteristics of CBS included two strong spacings at 4.20 and 3.8 Å. MCB showed a strong spacing at 4.60 Å and a weak short-spacing at 4.20 Å. On the other hand, AMF exhibited a very weak short-spacing at 4.60 Å and two strong spacings at 4.20 and 3.8 Å, while HMF42 showed an intermediate short-spacing at 4.60 Å and also two strong short-spacings at 4.20 and 3.8 Å. Solid fat content (SFC) analyses at 20°C showed that CBS possessed the highest solid fat (91%), followed by MCB (82.4%), HMF42 (41.4%), and AMF (15.6%). However, at 30°C, MCB showed the highest SFC compared to the other fats. Results showed that a higher SFC in blends that contain HMF does not necessarily correlate with a stronger tendency to form the β polymorph.     

A comparison of lycopene and canthaxanthin absorption: Using the rat to study the absorption of non-provitamin a carotenoids

The purpose of this study was to validate the use of the mesenteric lymph duct cannulated rat to study the absorption of carotenoids which do not have provitamin Activity. The absorption of two carotenoids, a hydrocarbon carotenoid (lycopene) and a xanthophyll carotenoid (canthaxanthin), were investigated. In the first experiment, lipid emulsions containing lycopene (LYC) or canthaxanthin (CTX) were continuously infused into the duodenum, and lymph was collected for analysis at 2-h intervals. The time course for absorption of carotenoids and triacylglycerol (TAG) was similar. Carotenoids and TAG reached steady-state concentrations in the lymph by 6 h. There was no evidence for a delayed release of either carotenoid from the intestine relative to TAG. During a second experiment, emulsions containing increasing concentrations of LYC or CTX (5, 10, 15, 20 μmol/L) were infused. The LYC and CTX in the lymph increased in a dose-dependent manner. The average efficiency of CTX absorption was 16% while the efficiency of LYC absorption averaged only 6%. Efficiency of carotenoid absorption was not related to concentration infused. Finally, to test whether LYC and CTX interact during absorption both were added to a lipid emulsion at equal concentrations (20 μmol/L) and infused. The carotenoids did not significantly affect each other's absorption. These results demonstrate the usefulness of the rat as an animal model to study the absorption of non-provitamin A carotenoids.     

环柱状催化剂内强放热复合反应──传质──传热耦合过程研究(Ⅱ)本征反应动力学及反应──传质──传热耦合过程数学模型

用等温积分反应器,在与工业生产相似的条件下,研究了银催化剂上乙烯氧化制环氧乙烷本征反应动力学,得到了能反映该系统反应特性的速率方程．建立了乙烯氧化制环氧乙烷环柱状银催化剂内复合反应-传质-传热耦合过程二维数学模型。     

环柱状催化剂内强放热复合反应──传质──传热耦合过程研究(Ⅲ)数学模型的求解及实验验证

采用有限元上的正交配置法对环柱状催化剂内强放热复合反应-传质-传热耦合过程二维数学模型进行了求解,计算结果与实验值十分吻合。     

分子吸附对聚乙烯醇在氧化铝粉末压缩体中扩散系数的影响

利用氧化铝粉末压缩球状体和Ｆｉｃｋ第二扩散定律,系统地研究了聚乙烯醇在多孔介质和实验系统ｐＨ值为８．４０±０．２条件下的扩散行为,以及聚乙烯醇在球体外表面吸附对扩散系数的影响．实验结果和相应计算得到的扩散系数表明：发生在氧化铝表面的分子吸附,不仅导致扩散平衡状态时的Ｍｔ（聚乙烯醇在时间ｔ的扩散量）高于理论计算值Ｍ∞,而且使实验初始阶段计算的扩散系数远大于其它过程扩散系数．由分子吸附产生的实验误差和扩散系数计算误差,可通过修正浓度分配系数Ｋ,或者直接从Ｍｔ中去除可能存在的吸附量得到解决．     

Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3基复相陶瓷的室温介电老化行为

研究了Ｐｂ（Ｚｎ１／３Ｎｂ２／３）Ｏ３基复相陶瓷的室温介电老化行为与材料烧成制度的关系,性机和介电常数与老化时间的对数值成线性关系,随烧成温度提高和保温时间延长,老化速率增大,老化速率对频率的依存性增加。低温短时间烧结的复相陶瓷的介电老化行为类似于正常铁电体,其老化起因于畴壁运动;而高温长时间烧结的复相陶瓷表现为典型弛豫电体的老化行为,起因于缺陷偶极子与极性微区的相互作用。     

瓷石尾砂外墙砖的研制

以贵溪瓷石尾砂为主要原料,外加红粘土及助熔性原料,研制出一次低温快烧的外墙砖,烧成温度１１１０°Ｃ,周期６０分钟,性能达到国标要求     

微机测温仪与轮胎硫化测温

介绍了著者研制的新型微机测温仪的主要技术指标、特点和用途,并讨论了轮胎硫化测温的有关问题。新型微机测温仪在10种内能同时采集、存储、显示和打印20个测温点的时间一温度数据,包括同时显示和打印20个测温点等效硫化时间数据,指出轮胎硫化测温应采用合适的测温仪、纱缠绕热电偶丝、在已成型的胎腔中布埋热电偶、重要位置对称地布埋多对热电偶密集测温、等效硫化时间采用阿累尼乌斯公式计算。