An open label study to determine the effects of an oral proteolytic enzyme system on whey protein concentrate metabolism in healthy males

Background

Current research suggests that protein intake of 1.5 – 2.8 g/kg/day (3.5 times the current recommended daily allowance) is effective and safe for individuals trying to increase or maintain lean muscle mass. To achieve these levels of daily protein consumption, supplementing the diet with processed whey protein concentrate (WPC) in liquid form has become a popular choice for many people. Some products have a suggested serving size as high as 50 g of protein. However, due to possible inhibition of endogenous digestive enzymes from over-processing and rapid small intestine transit time, the average amount of liquid WPC that is absorbed may be only 15 g. The combined effect of these factors may contribute to incomplete digestion, thereby limiting the absorption rate of protein before it reaches the ceacum and is eliminated as waste. The purpose of this study was to determine if Aminogen^®, a patented blend of digestive proteases from Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae, would significantly increase the in-vivo absorption rate of processed WPC over control values. It also investigated if any increase would be sufficient to significantly alter nitrogen (N2) balance and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels over control values as further evidence of increased WPC absorption rate.

Methods

Two groups of healthy male subjects were assigned a specified balanced diet before and after each of two legs of the study. Subjects served as their own controls. In the first leg each control group (CG) was dosed with 50 g of WPC following an overnight fast. Nine days later each test group (TG) was dosed following an overnight fast with 50 g of WPC containing either 2.5 g (A2.5) or 5 g (A5) of Aminogen^®. Blood samples were collected during each leg at 0 hr, 0.5 hr, 1 hr, 2 hr, 3 hr, 3.5 hr and 4 hr for amino acid (AA) and CRP analyses. The following 18 AAs were quantified: alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine and valine. Urine was collected for 24 hours from 0 hr for total N2 analysis. Results are expressed as means ± SEM. All significance and power testing on results was done at a level of alpha = 0.05. Area under the concentration time curve (AUC) was calculated using the trapezoidal rule. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA-1) was done between CGs, between TGs and between time points. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA-1-RM) was done to compare CGs and TGs. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA-2) was performed on total serum amino acid (TSAA) levels, urine N2 levels and CRP levels between each CG and TG.

Results

After baseline subtraction the mean AUC was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) greater in each TG compared the corresponding CG. Comparison of the mean AUC between each TG and each CG was not significantly different. Total serum amino acid (TSAA) levels were significantly greater in each TG compared the corresponding CG. They were also significantly different between each TG but not between each CG. All individual serum amino acid (ISAA) levels in TG-A2.5 except glycine, histidine, methionine and serine were significantly higher than in CG-A2.5 at 4 hr. All ISAA levels in TG-A5 except methionine and serine were significantly higher than in CG-A5 at 4 hr. The N2 balance was significantly higher in each TG compared to the corresponding CG, but not significantly different between each CG and between each TG. Significant differences in CRP levels are reported between each TG compared to the corresponding CG, but not significantly different between each TG and between each CG.

Conclusion

A patented blend of digestive proteases (Aminogen^®) increased the absorption rate of processed WPC over controls, as measured by statistically significant increases in AUC, TSAA levels, ISAA levels and N2 balance. Significant decreases in CRP levels and fluxes in AA levels are also reported.

     

Reduced leakage current of multiferroic BiFeO3 ceramics with microwave synthesis

Preparation of multiferroic BiFeO₃(BFO) is reported using microwave heating. The prepared sample is characterized using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and leakage current measurements. It is observed that the BFO can be prepared with microwave heating at a fast heating rate, consisting of more homogeneous microstructure and better electrical properties. Phase purity of the sample is confirmed from x-ray diffraction measurements. Uniform grain size distribution is observed for the sample prepared with microwave heating. More than an order of magnitude reduction in the leakage current is observed for the sample prepared with microwave heating as compared to conventional radiant heating.     

On the representation of solutions for the theory of generalized thermoelasticity with three phase-lags

An analytical investigation on the plastic zone size (PZS) of a crack near a circular inclusion has been carried out. Both the crack and the circular inclusion are embedded in an infinite matrix, with the crack oriented along the radial direction of the inclusion. In the solution procedure, the crack is simulated as a continuous distribution of edge dislocations. With the Dugdale model of small scale yielding, two stripe plastic zones at both crack tips are introduced. Using the solution of a circular inclusion interacting with a single dislocation as the Green’s function, the physical problem is formulated as a set of singular integral equations. With the aid of Erdogan and Gupta’s method and iterative numerical procedures, the singular integral equations are solved numerically for the PZS and the crack tip opening displacement. The results obtained in the current work can be reduced to those simpler cases of the Dugdale model.     

Rapid synthesis of silver nanoparticles by Pseudomonas stutzeri isolated from textile soil under optimised conditions and evaluation of their antimicrobial and cytotoxicity properties

Present study utilised textile soil isolated bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri to synthesise extracellular silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) under optimised conditions. The synthesised AgNPs were characterised using ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Optimisation showed AgNPs synthesis within 8 h using 2mM Ag nitrate at pH9, temperature 80°C and maximum absorbance toward 400 nm. TEM analysis revealed spherical shape AgNPs and reduction in size upto 8 nm was observed under optimised conditions. FTIR spectra confirmed presence of proteins bound to AgNPs act as reducing agent. AgNPs showed strong antibacterial activity against multi‐drug resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae as demonstrated by disc diffusion and colony forming unit assays. Zone of inhibition increased with increasing concentration of AgNPs with maximum of 19 mm against E. coli and 17 mm against K. pneumoniae at concentration of 2 μg/disc. Furthermore, AgNPs did not show any cytotoxic effects on human epithelial cells as demonstrated by 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay even at 2 μg/ml concentration of AgNPs. The results of the present study suggest that AgNPs can be synthesised rapidly under optimised conditions and show strong antimicrobial property against MDR pathogens without having toxicity effect on human epithelial cells.Inspec keywords: ultraviolet spectra, proteins, transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectra, Fourier transform spectra, visible spectra, microorganisms, toxicology, cellular biophysics, biomedical materials, antibacterial activity, nanomedicine, nanofabrication, nanoparticles, silverOther keywords: 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay, human epithelial cells, cytotoxic effects, K. pneumoniae, colony forming unit counting assays, disc diffusion, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, multidrug resistant, stabilising agent, reducing agent, proteins, parametric optimisation, TEM, transmission electron microscopy, FTIR spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy, bacterium, cytotoxicity properties, antimicrobial properties, textile soil, Pseudomonas stutzeri, silver nanoparticle synthesis     

Development of an ASIC set for signal processing

An approach to signal acquisition, digitization, and processing of low-frequency physiological signals is discussed. The approach uses a chip attached to a transducer through a digital wire placed at the sensing point. The wire transmits digital information instead of an analog signal to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) signal processor. This digital wire/Visp chip set produces a noise-immune signal processing system usable in a variety of biosignal processing needs. The concept is demonstrated using the Visually Evoked Potential (VEP) measurement system     

The Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study: preliminary first-ever and total incidence rates of stroke among blacks

In this study a rat self-administration model was used to examine the effects of training dose and time in the session on the dose-effect curve for heroin. Doses of heroin lower than 5.4 microg/inf maintained higher rates of drug intake in animals trained with 5.4 microg/inf compared to 18 microg/inf. Doses greater than 5.4 microg/inf maintained similar rates of intake in both groups of animals. The dose-response curve was shifted downward and to the right as the session progressed for animals trained with 5.4 microg/inf of heroin; however, the shift in the dose-intake curve over the session was less pronounced when the training dose was 18 microg/inf. Naltrexone and naltrindole were administered to animals in which responding was engendered with infusions of 5.4 microg of heroin to determine the effects of these antagonists in the context of time is the session. The potency of naltrexone decreased across the 4 h of the session with a time course that was consistent with literature reports on the elimination kinetics of naltrexone in rat brain. In contrast, there was not a significant interaction between naltrindole dose and session time. Therefore, the rates of heroin intake in rats are dependent not only upon the dose available for self-administration, but upon the session time and training dose as well.     

Digital Paper™ for reflective displays

Abstract— Iridigm has produced the first color MEMS‐based reflective display. With dimensions of 240 × 160 pixels at 100 dpi, it exhibits good contrast and high brightness. Response times of 35 μsec have been achieved at exceptionally low power consumption, and there is no active matrix. The status of this technology is discussed.     

10—THE UNWINDING OF YARNS FROM PACKAGES PART II: UNWINDING FROM CYLINDRICAL PACKAGES

The particular case of unwinding from cylindrical packages is considered. Tables of balloon parameters are given for various unwinding conditions, and empirical formulae for estimating these parameters are presented.     

An analytical study of resource division and its impact on power and performance of multi-core processors

The study and development of chip multi-processors (CMPs) are of utmost importance for the creation of future technologies. Devising a theoretical analysis of the micro-architecture model for the power/performance on CMPs is still a challenge. This paper addresses this problem by (1) introducing an analytical model for measuring the power and performance of a processor quantitatively, (2) analyzing the effects of resource division on power consumption and performance when executing a given benchmark, and (3) predicting the optimum number of cores to run the benchmark on. Our proposed analytically derived results show that in order to achieve power/performance gains, the optimum number of cores must be between 8 and 16.     

Moisture management properties of plated knit structures with varying fiber types

Thermo-physiological comfort of clothing designed for next-to-skin applications is influenced by the clothing’s ability to manage heat and moisture transfer thereby maintaining dry skin microclimate. Plated knit structures designed and engineered with correct selection of fiber and yarn constituents in the distinct bottom (exposed to environment) and top (next to sin) layers can serve well for next-to-skin applications. In this study, plated fabrics with altering hydrophilic and hydrophobic fibers in top and bottom layers and different types of hydrophobic fibers in top layers have been compared for the moisture management properties. Results show that fabrics knitted with hydrophobic fibers (polypropylene, polyester) in top layers seem suitable for next-to-skin applications as they were classified as moisture management fabrics owing to high values of accumulative one-way transport index and bottom spreading speed. Though both fabrics can be recommended for next-to-skin applications, however, polypropylene on account of superior moisture management properties in the top layer would be more effective in providing dry feel next to skin and hence, seems to be a preferred choice over polyester for such applications. Fabric knitted with nylon in top layer was classified as water penetration fabric due to poor liquid transfer properties. Fabrics knitted with cotton in top layer irrespective of the hydrophobic fiber in bottom layer were poor in moisture management properties. Univariate analysis of variance with a confidence level of 95% showed the results to be statistically significant. Pearson correlation coefficient was obtained for all the moisture management indices by bivariate correlation procedure to determine strength and direction of association between the different moisture management indices. Most of the indices were found to be significantly correlated also, OWTC and OMMC were found to be positively and linearly related to each other.