Tolerance of a standard intact protein formula versus a partially hydrolyzed formula in healthy, term infants

Background  

Parents who perceive common infant behaviors as formula intolerance-related often switch formulas without consulting a health professional. Up to one-half of formula-fed infants experience a formula change during the first six months of life.     

Fatty acid analysis of blood serum, seminal plasma, and spermatozoa of normozoospermic vs. Asthernozoospermic males

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22∶6n−3) is found in extremely high levels in human ejaculate with the majority occurring in the spermatozoa. However, the relative concentration of DHA and other fatty acids, in blood serum, seminal plasma, and spermatozoa of asthenozoospermic vs. normozoospermic individuals is not known. We analyzed the phospholipid fatty acid composition of blood serum, seminal plasma, and spermatozoa of normozoospermic men and asthenozoospermic men in order to determine if DHA levels, as well as the levels of other fatty acids, differed. The serum phospholipid DHA levels were similar in the two groups, suggesting similar intakes of dietary DHA. On the other hand, seminal plasma levels of DHA (3.0 vs. 3.7%) and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (11.8 vs. 13.5%) were significantly lower in asthenozoospermic vs. normozoospermic men, respectively, while 18∶1 (19.0 vs. 16.8%) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) (24.2 vs. 21.7%) were significantly higher in the asthenozoospermic vs. the normozoospermic men. Spermatozoa from asthenozoospermic men had higher levels of 18∶1, 20∶0, 22∶0, 22∶1, and 24∶0 than sperm from normozoospermic men, and lower levels of 18∶0 and DHA (8.2 vs. 13.8%). Furthermore, total MUFA (19.3 vs. 16.5%) was higher and total PUFA (19.0 vs. 24.0%), n−3 fatty acids (9.3 vs. 14.6%), and the ratio of n−3 to n−6 fatty acids (1.0 vs. 1.6) were lower in the asthenozoospermic men. Therefore, in asthenozoospermic individuals, lower levels of DHA in the seminal plasma, but not in the blood serum, mimic the decreased concentrations of DHA in the spermatozoa. This suggests that the lower concentrations of spermatozoon DHA in these individuals are due not to dietary differences but to some type of metabolic difference in the asthenozoopermic men.     

Mediators of telephone-based continuing care for alcohol and cocaine dependence.

A previous randomized trial with 224 alcohol and/or cocaine addicts who had completed an initial phase of treatment indicated that 12 weeks of telephone-based continuing care yielded higher abstinence rates over 24 months than did group counseling continuing care. The current study examined mediators of this treatment effect. Results suggested that self-help involvement during treatment and self-efficacy and commitment to abstinence 3 months after treatment mediated subsequent abstinence outcomes. These analyses controlled for substance use prior to the assessment of mediators. Conversely, there was no evidence that self-help beliefs or social support mediated the treatment effect. These results are consistent with a model in which treatment effects are first accounted for by changes in behavior, followed by changes in self-efficacy and in commitment to abstinence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Active coke: Carbonaceous materials as catalysts for alkane dehydrogenation

The catalytic dehydrogenation (DH) and oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of light alkanes are of significant industrial importance. In this work both carbonaceous material deposited on VO_x/Al₂O₃ catalysts during reaction and unsupported carbon nanofibres (CNFs) are shown to be active for the dehydrogenation of butane in the absence of gas-phase oxygen. Their activity in these reactions is shown to be dependent upon their structure, with different reaction temperatures yielding structurally different coke deposits. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS), among other techniques, has been applied to the characterisation of these deposits – the first time this technique has been employed in coke studies. TEM and other techniques show that coke encapsulates the catalyst, preventing access to VO_x sites, without a loss of activity. Studies on CNFs confirm that carbonaceous materials act as catalysts in this reaction. Carbon-based catalysts represent an important new class of potential catalysts for DH and ODH reactions.     

Oxygen Deficiency and Hydrogen Turn ZnO Red

The effect of hydrogen on ZnO while annealing at 1370 K under oxygen-poor conditions with excess Zn vapor or Ti metal is studied. ZnO turns red only when hydrogen is present in a complex with oxygen vacancies. A practical method is described to remove hydrogen from ZnO in a sealed ampoule and to bind it to Ti metal. Hydrogen coupled to an oxygen vacancy is the simplest defect to explain the observations. The coloration is reversible at 1370 K by adding or removing hydrogen, consistent with an activation energy >1.5 eV. In red ZnO Hall data show a shallow donor level around 45 meV.     

Microfluidic arrays for bioimprint of cancer cells

We report the development and characterization of a microfluidics-based bioimprint process using high-density microchannel arrays for cell-culture and polymer delivery. The tubeless PDMS arrays consist of multiple independent microchannels and allow for parallelized bioimprint via automated dispensing and passive pumping. Using the microchannels, a 400 nm thin test pattern was replicated into a methacrylate biopolymer to demonstrate process applicability. Bioimprints of cobalt chloride stimulated Ishikawa endometrial cancer cells exhibiting exocytosis-like pore structures were compared with controls using AFM to exemplify a process application. The devices can be used for high-throughput cell assays, cell developmental studies and the formation of phenotype-specific biomimetic scaffolds.