Effects of dietary alpha-tocopheryl acetate on lipid oxidation and alpha-tocopherol content of novel omega-3-enhanced farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fillets

A trout diet was supplemented with 0, 8.5, or 15 g/100 g of flaxseed oil (FO). To prevent lipid oxidation of fillets, FO-supplemented diets were also enhanced with 0, 400, and 900 mg/kg of alpha-tocopheryl acetate (α-TA). Total fat, moisture content, lipid oxidation, fatty acid profile, and α-tocopherol content of fillets were determined following fish harvest on days 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120. FO supplementation resulted in increased (P<0.05) concentration of omega-3 fatty acid (ω3 FA) in fillets, mainly due almost two-fold increase (P<0.05) of α-linolenic acid, while docosahexaenoic and eicopentaenoic acids slightly decreased (P<0.05). Regardless of supplementing trout diets with FO or α-TA, no (P>0.05) difference of the total fat in fillets was measured. The highest (P<0.05) α-tocopherol content in fillets was determined when supplementing trout with 900 mg/kg of α-TA at day 120. The effect of retarding lipid oxidation in fillets was recorded after supplementing trout with α-TA for 60 days. Our results indicate that regardless of FO level in trout diet, 900 mg/kg of α-TA can prevent lipid deterioration of fillets. However, to achieve more pronounced antioxidant effect in the ω-3-enhanced trout fillets, a synergetic effect of antioxidants and anaerobic packaging with α-TA supplementation should be investigated.     

Long term relative survival after surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm in western Australia: population based study

OBJECTIVE: To determine the long term relative survival of all patients who had surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm in Western Australia during 1985-94. DESIGN: Population based study. SETTING: Western Australia. SUBJECTS: All patients who had had surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm in Western Australia during 1985-94. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Morbidity and mortality data of patients admitted and surgically treated for abdominal aortic aneurysm in Western Australia during 1985-94. Elective, ruptured, and acute non-ruptured cases were analysed separately. Independent analyses for sex and patients aged 80 years or more were also undertaken. Postoperative (>30 days) relative survival was assessed against age and sex matched controls. RESULTS: Overall, 1475 (1257 men, 218 women) cases were identified. The crude five year survival after elective surgery, including deaths within 30 days of surgery, was 79% for both men and women. When compared with a matched population the five year relative survival after elective surgery was 94.9% (95% confidence interval 89.9% to 99.9%) for men but only 88.0% (76.3% to 99.7%) for women. The five year relative survival of those aged 80 years and over was good: 116.6% (89.1% to 144.0%) compared with 92.4% (87.7% to 97.0%) for those under 80 years of age (men and women combined). Cardiovascular disease caused 57.8% of the 341 deaths after 30 days. CONCLUSION: In a condition such as abdominal aortic aneurysm, which occurs in elderly patients, relative survival is more clinically meaningful than crude survival. The five year relative survival in cases of elective and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm was better in men than in women. This is probably because of greater comorbidity in women with abdominal aortic aneurysm and this deserves more attention in the future. The long term survival outcome in octogenarians supports surgery in selected cases.     

Membrane gas transfer under conditions of creeping flow: modeling gas composition effects

A computational model was developed to predict gas transfer and gas composition changes in membrane modules designed for addition of gases to groundwater. The model was verified using pilot-scale gas transfer experiments. The modeling and experimental results suggest that back diffusion of dissolved gases into the membrane has a significant effect on gas transfer via hollow-fiber membrane. In the experimental study, N(2) back-diffusion reduced the partial pressure of O(2) within the membrane and decreased the concentration gradient for gas transfer. The model was able to simulate both the dynamic and steady-state gas transfer behavior of the membranes under a variety of operating conditions. This model can be used to estimate gas transfer as a function of different membrane module design and operating conditions.     

Evaluation of a smartphone platform as a wireless interface between tongue drive system and electric-powered wheelchairs

Tongue drive system (TDS) is a new wireless assistive technology (AT) for the mobility impaired population. It provides users with the ability to drive powered wheelchairs (PWC) and access computers using their unconstrained tongue motion. Migration of the TDS processing unit and user interface platform from a bulky personal computer to a smartphone (iPhone) has significantly facilitated its usage by turning it into a true wireless and wearable AT. After implementation of the necessary interfacing hardware and software to allow the smartphone to act as a bridge between the TDS and PWC, the wheelchair navigation performance and associated learning was evaluated in nine able-bodied subjects in five sessions over a 5-week period. Subjects wore magnetic tongue studs over the duration of the study and drove the PWC in an obstacle course with their tongue using three different navigation strategies; namely unlatched, latched, and semiproportional. Qualitative aspects of using the TDS-iPhone-PWC interface were also evaluated via a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. Subjects showed more than 20% improvement in the overall completion time between the first and second sessions, and maintained a modest improvement of ～9% per session over the following three sessions.