Jack-Bean Starch. 1. Properties of the Granules and of the Pastes

Jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) starch is composed of granules measuring up to 37 micra. Gelatinization temperatures of the granules range from 67.5 to 78 °C. Its pastes, in concentrations up to 6 % did not show swelling peak which appears only in high concentrations. They are very stable during stirring, both at low and high temperatures. They are also more resistant to α-amylase bacterial action than those of corn starch. The results, both for granules and pastes of this starch, show a great resemblance with the same data for guandu bean.     

Noise peaks influence communication in the operating room. An observational study

Noise peaks are powerful distractors. This study focuses on the impact of noise peaks on surgical teams’ communication during 109 long abdominal surgeries. We related measured noise peaks during 5-min intervals to the amount of observed communication during the same interval. Results show that noise peaks are associated with less case-relevant communication; this effect is moderated by the level of surgical experience; case-relevant communications decrease under high noise peak conditions among junior, but not among senior surgeons. However, case-irrelevant communication did not decrease under high noise level conditions, rather there was a trend to more case-irrelevant communication under high noise peaks. The results support the hypothesis that noise peaks impair communication because they draw on attentional resources rather than impairing understanding of communication. As case-relevant communication is important for surgical performance, exposure to high noise peaks in the OR should be minimised especially for less experienced surgeons.

Practitioner Summary: This study investigated whether noise during surgeries influenced the communication within surgical teams. During abdominal surgeries, noise levels were measured and communication was observed. Results showed that high noise peaks reduced the frequency of patient-related communication, but did not reduce patient-irrelevant communication. Noise may negatively affect team coordination in surgeries.     

Clinical outcomes of an integrated treatment for depression and substance use disorders.

The authors compared longitudinal treatment outcomes for depressed substance-dependent veterans (N = 206) assigned to integrated cognitive–behavioral therapy plus standard pharmacotherapy (ICBT + P) or 12-step facilitation therapy plus standard pharmacotherapy (TSF + P). Drug and alcohol involvement and depressive symptomology were measured at intake and at 3-month intervals during treatment and up to 1 year posttreatment. Participants in both treatment conditions showed decreased depression and substance use from intake. ICBT + P participants maintained improvements in substance involvement over time, whereas TSF + P participants had more rapid increases in use in the months following treatment. Decreases in depressive symptoms were more pronounced for TSF + P than ICBT + P in the 6 months posttreatment. Within both treatment groups, higher attendance was associated with improved substance use and depression outcomes over time. Initial levels of depressive symptomology had a complex predictive relationship with long-term depression outcomes. Early treatment response predicted long-term substance use outcomes for a portion of the sample. Although both treatments were associated with improvements in substance use and depression, ICBT + P may lead to more stable substance use reductions compared with TSF + P. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A general comparison of language learning from examples and from queries

In language learning, strong relationships between Gold-style models and query models have recently been observed: in some quite general setting Gold-style learners can be replaced by query learners and vice versa, without loss of learning capabilities. These ‘equalities’ hold in the context of learning indexable classes of recursive languages.     

Systematic Review: Drug Repositioning for Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG)

Advances in research have boosted therapy development for congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG), a group of rare genetic disorders affecting protein and lipid glycosylation and glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor biosynthesis. The (re)use of known drugs for novel medical purposes, known as drug repositioning, is growing for both common and rare disorders. The latest innovation concerns the rational search for repositioned molecules which also benefits from artificial intelligence (AI). Compared to traditional methods, drug repositioning accelerates the overall drug discovery process while saving costs. This is particularly valuable for rare diseases. AI tools have proven their worth in diagnosis, in disease classification and characterization, and ultimately in therapy discovery in rare diseases. The availability of biomarkers and reliable disease models is critical for research and development of new drugs, especially for rare and heterogeneous diseases such as CDG. This work reviews the literature related to repositioned drugs for CDG, discovered by serendipity or through a systemic approach. Recent advances in biomarkers and disease models are also outlined as well as stakeholders’ views on AI for therapy discovery in CDG.     

Determination of epoxidized soy bean oil (ESBO) in oily foods by GC–FID or GC–MS analysis of the methyl diepoxy linoleate

A simplified method is presented for determining epoxidized soy bean oil (ESBO) in food or food simulants, such as olive oil. ESBO is transesterified with methoxide/methanol directly in the homogenated food, i.e. without prior extraction, and analyzed on a cyanopropyl or phenyl polysiloxane stationary phase without formation of dioxolanes. For most foods, flame ionization detection (FID) was appropriate, but for samples with interfering components, GC–MS was needed. Chemical ionization (CI) with ammonia is more sensitive and more selective than electron impact ionization (EI). In CI, positive and negative ion monitoring (PCI and NCI) are similar in sensitivity, but different in selectivity, i.e. the combination of the two is well suited for confirmation. Results are shown to be in agreement with on-line LC–GC–FID.     

The effect of the structure of native banana starch from two varieties on its acid hydrolysis

Two banana starches were studied to analyze the effect of the acid hydrolysis on their molecular structure, and the impact in their physicochemical features. The native banana starches exhibit differences in the amylose content, molar mass, gelatinization parameters, X-ray diffraction pattern, and pasting profile. These results suggested that different acid hydrolysis mechanisms may be operative in these two starches. The kinetic hydrolysis is different in both banana starches that are related to the crystalline packing of the starch molecules. This was confirmed by the amylose content, the X-ray diffraction pattern, and the thermal study in the acid hydrolyzed starches at different times. The acid-treated Roatan starch showed higher retrogradation than Macho starch, a phenomenon that increases in the sample hydrolyzed for the longer time. This pattern is related to the amylose/amylopectin ratio, the reduction in the molar mass and the gyration radius. The acid hydrolysis of banana starches, although they have some similarities, they are different.     

Recent advances refining galactooligosaccharide production from lactose

The production of prebiotic galactooligosaccharides (GOS) by the β-galactosidase catalysed conversion of lactose has become commercially important. Yet it remains a challenge to sufficiently understand the structure and activity of β-galactosidase, to increase the efficiency of transgalactosylation and GOS production and to improve the quality of GOS products in a rational way. This review covers the broad but related aspects of GOS synthesis including: the structure and reaction mechanism of β-galactosidase, factors effecting yield and productivity of GOS synthesis systems, the structure of GOS products, models for the kinetics of GOS synthesis and reactor configurations for GOS synthesis. It aims to couple recent discoveries with established knowledge to enhance understanding of the complex biochemistry of GOS synthesis.     

Metabolic profile and biological activities of Lavandula pedunculata subsp. lusitanica (Chaytor) Franco: Studies on the essential oil and polar extracts

We investigated the metabolic profile and biological activities of the essential oil and polar extracts of Lavandula pedunculata subsp. lusitanica (Chaytor) Franco collected in south Portugal. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis revealed that oxygen-containing monoterpenes was the principal group of compounds identified in the essential oil. Camphor (40.6%) and fenchone (38.0%) were found as the major constituents. High-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC–DAD) analysis allowed the identification of hydroxycinnamic acids (3-O-caffeoylquinic, 4-O-caffeoylquinic, 5-O-caffeoylquinic and rosmarinic acids) and flavones (luteolin and apigenin) in the polar extracts, with rosmarinic acid being the main compound in most of them. The bioactive compounds from L. pedunculata polar extracts were the most efficient free-radical scavengers, Fe²⁺ chelators and inhibitors of malondialdehyde production, while the essential oil was the most active against acetylcholinesterase. Our results reveal that the subspecies of L. pedunculata studied is a potential source of active metabolites with a positive effect on human health.