Surface chemistry of the calcination of gelatinous and crystalline aluminium hydroxides

The surface properties of a range of aluminas, obtained by calcination of crystalline and gelatinous aluminium hydroxides at temperatures from 300° to 1000° and characterised by X-ray powder diffractometry, have been examined by nitrogen adsorption. On calcination the hydroxides exhibited two distinct types of behaviour which can be related to their texture. Crystalline hydroxides underwent a pronounced activation, the increased surface area being almost wholly confined to the small pores (micro and transitional pores) formed on dehydration. Gelatinous hydroxides, on the other hand, had high surface areas before calcination and these underwent a progressive diminution in the temperature range studied. The structures obtained on calcination depended to a marked degree on the crystallinity of the starting materials. Between 500° and 800°, the amorphous hydroxide and poorly organised pseudoboehmites gave ill-defined γ-aluminas whereas the crystalline trihydroxides gave well-defined η- and θ-aluminas. At 1000°, the product from the amorphous hydroxide still retained a surface area of 132 m²/g, this high residual area being in character with the slowness of the conversion to δ-and α-alumina. An empirical approach is used to analyse the adsorption data in terms of three mechanisms of adsorption: monolayer-multilayer coverage, capillary condensation, and micropore filling.     

Safety of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in overweight or obese human volunteers

The main objective of the study was to investigate the safety of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in healthy volunteers. The effect of CLA on body composition was also investigated. The trial design was a randomized, double‐blind placebo controlled study including 60 overweight or obese volunteers (body mass index (BMI) 27.5—39.0 kg/m²). The subjects were divided into two groups receiving 3.4 g CLA or placebo (4.5 g olive oil) daily for 12 weeks. The safety was evaluated by analysis of blood parameters and by clinical examinations at baseline and week 12. Vital signs and adverse events were registered at baseline, week 6, and week 12. Bio Impedance Assessment was applied for body composition measurements. 55 subjects completed the study. Adverse events occurred in 10% of the subjects. No difference in adverse events or other safety parameters was found between the treatment groups. Small changes in the laboratory safety data were not regarded as clinically significant. Moreover, no clinically significant changes in vital signs were observed in any of the groups. In the CLA group, mean weight was reduced by 1.1 kg (paired t‐test p = 0.005), while mean BMI was reduced by 0.4 kg/m²(p = 0.007). However, the overall treatment effect of CLA on body weight and BMI was not significant. There were no differences found between the groups with regard to efficacy parameters. The results indicate that CLA in the given dose is a safe substance in healthy populations with regard to the safety parameters investigated.     

Relationships between microstructure,fracture–surface morphology,and mechanical properties in ethylene and propylene polymers and copolymers

The fracturing of four different polyolefin materials (a polypropylene homopolymer, a propylene–ethylene copolymer, a polyethylene homopolymer, and an ethylene–hexene copolymer) was studied with the objective of developing a better understanding of the relationships between the morphology of semicrystalline polymers, the morphology and growth kinetics of their fracture surfaces, and their mechanical properties. A scanning electron microscope and an optical microscope were used to obtain images of the fracture surfaces. The samples were injection‐molded or hot‐pressed to generate different microstructures. Fracture experiments were performed at 23, 0, and −20°C to generate fracture surfaces with different morphologies from the same supermolecular structure. It appears that the fracture propagates through the spherulites in a brittle manner. The macroscopic aspect of the fracture surfaces is temperature‐independent and changes are visible only at the microscopic scale. Over the range of temperatures studied, the rms roughness [root mean square roughness decreased by only about 20%, while the fracture energy of all but one of the materials (a high‐density ethylene–hexene copolymer) decreased by about 60% as the temperature was reduced. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 2370–2382, 2000     

Chemical composition and antimicrobial and spasmolytic properties of Poliomintha longiflora and Lippia graveolens essential oils

In the present study, we reported a comparative analysis of the chemical composition and pharmacological properties of the essential oils obtained from 2 Mexican oreganos, Poliomintha longiflora and Lippia graveolens. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) profiles of the oils showed high amounts of oxygenated monoterpenes, mainly carvacrol (%[mg/100 g dry matter]) (18.36 [459.0] in P. longiflora and 13.48 [164.7] in L. graveolens). In addition, these oils contained marked quantities of p-cymene (14.09 [352.2] and 7.46 [37.3], respectively), β-caryophyllene oxide, β-caryophyllene, and carvacrol acetate. Headspace analyses of the leaves of both species using different coated fibers revealed that γ-terpinene, eucalyptol, and p-cymene were the principal light volatile components. Chromatographic fingerprints and a suitable analytical method for quantifying the main components of both essences were established using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as analytical tool. The essential oils of both species were not toxic in the acute toxicity studies in mice performed according to the Lorke procedure (DL(50) > 5000 mg/kg). The oils and the major constituents, carvacrol and p-cymene, displayed a moderate in vitro antibacterial activity, with minimum inhibitory concentration values ranging from 128 to 512 μg/mL. In addition, these samples demonstrated a marginal antispasmodic activity in vivo and provoked a concentration-dependent inhibition of the carbachol- and histamine-induced contractions using the isolated guinea-pig ileum preparation. In particular, p-cymene exerts good selective inhibitory activity on the carbachol-induced contractions (IC(50) = 9.85 μg/mL). PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The analytical methods using GC-MS and HPLC techniques will be useful for establishing quality control as well as preclinical pharmacological and toxicological parameters of the crude drug P. longiflora, which is widely used as substitute of L. graveolens for medicinal and flavorings purposes. This overall information will be also useful for elaborating scientific and pharmacopoeic monographs of this very Mexican medicinal plant.     

Interfacial tension between aluminum and NaCl-KCl-based salt systems

Aluminum scrap is frequently remelted under a NaCl-KCl based salt flux cover to prevent oxidation, to aid in the stripping of oxide films, and to improve drop coalescence. In this process, the interfacial tension between the aluminum metal and the salt flux plays an important role. However, the measurement of interfacial tensions at high temperature is difficult and prone to errors. Therefore, an interfacial tension model, presented in this article, has been developed. The interfacial tension between aluminum and NaCl-KCl based melts does not change with the addition of chlorides or with variations in the composition of the NaCl-KCl melt. On the other hand, the addition of fluorides decreases the interfacial tension to various extents due to the adsorption of sodium and/or potassium at the interface. Addition of AlF₃ is the least effective; additions of LiF, MgF₂, CaF₂, BaF₂, or SrF₂ are moderately effective; and additions of NaF or KF are the most effective in lowering the interfacial tension.     

What happens with patients after participation in a clinical trial?

107 patients with primary hypercholesterolaemia participated for five years in a clinical trial with dietary and drug treatment (a statin) at the Lipid Clinic. At the end of the study the patients were referred back to their own physicians, with written advice on diet and drug therapy. At a recall two years later we studied to what extent recommended therapy and follow-up had been implemented. 15% had no follow-up after participating in the study and 18% had not measured their cholesterol for one year or more. The majority of the patients did not follow the recommended diet and level of physical activity satisfactorily, and 20% had stopped their lipid-lowering medication. In general they had been prescribed too low doses of the lipid-lowering agent, and 70% of the patients had not reached the target of the LDL-cholesterol. In conclusion, adequate treatment and a five-year follow-up is not sufficient to keep the patient compliant when the follow-up becomes less intensive. When a clinical trial is terminated, greater efforts should be made to secure better compliance to therapy.     

Fluidized Bed Selective Oxidation-Sulfation Roasting of Nickel Sulfide Concentrate: Part I. Oxidation Roasting

Two-stage oxidation-sulfation roasting of nickel sulfide concentrate in fluidized bed was investigated to generate water-soluble metal sulfates as an alternative process to smelting of the sulfide concentrate for the recovery of valuable metals. The first stage, i.e., oxidation roasting, was employed to preferentially oxidize the iron before performing sulfation roasting. A batch fluidized bed roaster was constructed for roasting tests. Roasting products from various roasting temperatures and different roasting times were analyzed by SEM/EDS, EPMA, XRD, and ICP-OES to investigate the oxidation roasting behavior of the nickel concentrate as a function of temperature and time.     

Effect of increasing doses of hypertonic saline on mucociliary clearance in patients with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND: Patients with cystic fibrosis are known to have decreased mucociliary clearance. It has previously been shown that inhalation of a 7.0% solution of hypertonic saline significantly improved mucociliary clearance in a group of adult patients with cystic fibrosis. The aim of this study was to measure the response to increasing concentrations of inhaled hypertonic saline. METHODS: Ten patients (seven men) of mean (SE) age 22 (4) years and mean forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) 52.0 (6.7)% predicted completed the study. Mucociliary clearance was measured using a radioaerosol technique for 90 minutes after the interventions which comprised 0.9% NaCl + voluntary cough (control), 3.0% NaCl, 7.0% NaCl, and 12% NaCl. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in the amount of activity cleared from the right lung with all concentrations of hypertonic saline (HS) compared with control. The amount cleared at 90 minutes on the control day was 12.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 9.8 to 17.2) compared with 19.7% (95% CI 13.6 to 29.5) for 3% HS, 23.8% (95% CI 15.9 to 36.7) for 7% HS and 26.0% (95% CI 19.8 to 35.9) for 12% HS. The improvement in mucociliary clearance was not solely due to coughing as the number of coughs recorded on the control day exceeded that recorded on any other day. The hypertonic saline did not induce a clinically significant change in FEV1. CONCLUSIONS: Within the range of concentrations examined in this study, the effect of hypertonic saline appears to be dose dependent. Inhalation of hypertonic saline remains a potentially useful treatment for patients with cystic fibrosis.     

Evaluation of an automatic seizure detection method for the newborn EEG

In another publication, we described a set of methods for automatic detection of EEG seizures in the newborn. We describe here the evaluation of these methods using a completely new set of data, which were not used in developing the method. This testing data set consisted of recording from 54 patients, lasting an average of 4.4 h. Recordings had 8-16 channels and were obtained, in approximately equal numbers, from 3 institutions in Canada, the USA and Australia. Recording conditions varied from short recordings fully attended by a technologist to overnight recordings largely unattended. The average seizure detection rate was 69% (77%, 53%, 84% in the 3 institutions). False detections occurred at the average rate of 2.3/h (4.1, 1.0, 2.7 in the 3 institutions), with fluctuations that reflected largely the technical quality and level of supervision of the recordings. The results are similar to those obtained in the commonly used method of epilepsy monitoring in adults and allow us to envisage clinical application.