bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Antioxidant Effect of Thiamine on Acutely Alcoholized Rats and Lack of Efficacy Using Thiamine or Glucose to Reduce Blood Alcohol Content
Authors: Portari Guilherme V. , Marchini Julio Sergio , Vannucchi Helio , Jordao Alceu A. 
Published: August 2008

Abstract:  Although there is no consensus about the use of glucose and thiamine for the treatment of acute ethanol intoxication, this is a routine practice in many countries. Our objective was to determine the efficacy of this treatment and the changes it causes in the antioxidant status of the liver. Male Wistar rats were intoxicated with an ethanol dose of 5 g/kg and divided into three groups: ethanol (EtOH; untreated), EtOH+G (treated with glucose), and EtOH+B1 (treated with thiamine). Blood and urinary ethanol as well as hepatic malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione and vitamin E were determined in all animals. Blood alcohol levels did not differ between groups, although urinary excretion was about four times higher in the group treated with thiamine (EtOH+B1). The malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione and vitamin E values used here as parameters of the antioxidant system of the liver showed improvement for the thiamine‐treated group (EtOH+B1). Treatment with glucose or thiamine was ineffective in reducing blood alcohol levels in rats with acute ethanol intoxication. However, the beneficial effect of thiamine as an antioxidant for ethanol metabolism was demonstrated. Further investigations are necessary to clarify the urinary excretion of ethanol reported here for the first time and the possibility of using thiamine as an antioxidant in situations of chronic alcohol use.
EFFECT OF ENZYMATIC TREATMENT OF CORN GLUTEN MEAL ON LUTEIN, ZEAXANTHIN AND β‐CRYTOXANTHIN EXTRACTION
Authors: LI XIU‐XIA , HAN LU‐JIA 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT Response surface methodology was used to optimize some operating parameters on the effects of alcalase treatment extraction of lutein, zeaxanthin andβ‐cryptoxanthin from corn gluten meal (CGM) on the yield of total xanthophylls. Three independent variables tested were enzyme concentration, substrate concentration and hydrolyzing time. The t‐test and P value indicated that the quadratic of the three variables, enzyme concentration and hydrolyzing time were important linear variables affecting the total xanthophyll yield (P < 0.005), followed by substrate concentration (P < 0.01). The interaction effect between enzyme concentration and hydrolyzing time was also significant (P < 0.005). Considering the efficiency, the economy of materials and the feasibility of experiment, the technique parameters were optimized by constrained complex method. The optimum conditions were obtained as follows: the enzyme concentration, the substrate concentration and the hydrolyzing time were 4,367 U/g, 11.3% and 2.4 h, respectively. The highest total xanthophyll yield was predicted of 65.69 µg/g when CGM was hydrolyzed under the optimum condition. The suitability of the model equation for predicting the optimal response values was tested using the selected optimum conditions; the experimental yield was 65.06 ± 0.78 µg/g, which was found to be in agreement with the predicted yield.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSCorn gluten meal (CGM), a major by‐product of corn wet milling, contains (on a dry basis) 200–400 µg/g carotenoids. There are ∼840,000 tons of CGM produced in China every year. If a part of CGM produced was manufactured further to produce carotenoids as foods, materials of foods and additives of pharmaceutical products, its value and presence in the marketplace would be increased.
EFFECT OF SETTING CONDITIONS USING MICROBIAL TRANSGLUTAMINASE DURING OBTENTION OF BEEF GELS
Authors: CASTRO‐BRIONES MARTÍN , CALDERÓN GEAZUL N. , VELAZQUEZ GONZALO , SALUD‐RUBIO M. , VÁZQUEZ MANUEL , RAMÍREZ JOSÉ A 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT Microbial transglutaminase (MTG) is a food additive widely used to improve the mechanical properties of beef, poultry and fish gels. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of incubation temperature on the mechanical properties of restructured beef gels treated with MTG. The restructured beef gels were obtained by adding 0.0% (untreated) or 0.3% MTG. Three incubation temperatures (40, 50 or 60C) for 30 min were used, followed by cooking at 90C for 15 min. Control samples without incubation were also prepared. Changes in the mechanical properties (texture profile analysis and puncture test), color attributes, expressible water and cooking loss were determined. Results indicated that the maximum mechanical properties can be obtained by incubating beef pastes at 50C for 30 min with minimal effect on color, expressible water and cooking loss when 0.3% of MTG is added. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSMeat and poultry are considered nonsetting proteins, and consequently, an incubating treatment to allow optimal cross‐linking has not been considered, and the products are usually obtained by direct cooking. Our results showed that beef gels containing 0.3% of microbial transglutaminase incubated at 50C showed higher mechanical properties than control gels without incubation. These results could be useful to improve the mechanical properties of beef gels.
DENSITY, VISCOSITY AND SURFACE TENSION OF WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE SOLUTIONS
Authors: GONZÁLEZ‐TELLO P. , CAMACHO F. , GUADIX E.M. , LUZÓN G. , GONZÁLEZ P.A. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT We have determined the density, rheological behavior and surface tension of whey protein concentrate (WPC) solutions. Densities (ρ) were measured at concentrations of 0.05–0.40 w/w at temperatures of 20–35C. The results were expressed as a function of temperature and mass fraction (w). This function fit the data with deviations of less than±0.4%. Apparent viscosities (ηa) for WPC solutions with mass fractions w ≤ 0.20 at temperatures of 10–40C and high shear rates, 50–1,200/s, were found to be independent of shear rates, implying that the rheological behavior of WPC solutions is Newtonian. Dynamic viscosity (η) data were fitted to an empirical function of the WPC mass fraction and temperature with a mean deviation of±4.7%. Surface tensions (σ) were determined for mass fractions between 0.01 and 0.30 at 25C. At this temperature and w = 0.05, there was a critical surface tension,σc = 42.5 mN/m. When w ≥ 0.10, the arithmetic mean ofσat 25C was 46.3 mN/m. The surface tension values were similar to those published for skimmed milk at 25C. In addition, for w = 0.05 and w = 0.20, we found that at temperatures between 20 and 40C, the surface tension decreased linearly with temperature. These linear equations fit our experimental data with an average deviation lower than±0.4%.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSDensity, rheological behavior and surface tension are required to design and control processes with momentum, heat and mass transfer. The process of producing protein concentrates from milk or whey by ultrafiltration uses spiral‐wound membranes. The cross‐flow pressure drop and permeate mass flow are a function of fluid density and viscosity, which in turn depend on concentration and temperature. The ultrafiltration process used to concentrate solutions with mass fractions of about 0.10–0.20 w/w must then be treated to avoid physicochemical or microbiological alterations. Spray drying is usually used as the preservation technique. In the spray‐drying design, these physical properties are necessary to calculate the mean droplet diameter and droplet size distribution.
MODELING DEAD‐END ULTRAFILTRATION OF APPLE JUICE USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK
Authors: GÖKMEN VURAL , AÇAR ÖZGE ÇETİNKAYA , SERPEN ARDA , SÜĞÜT İDRİS 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT An artificial neural network (ANN) was developed to model the dead‐end ultrafiltration process of apple juice. Molecular weight cutoff, transmembrane pressure, gelatin–bentonite concentration and time were the input variables, while filtrate flux and filtrate volume were the output variables of the ultrafiltration process. According to error results and correlation values for two types of network (one or two hidden layer configurations), configurations with two hidden layers had comparatively better performance. The highest correlation coefficient with the minimum prediction error was calculated for two hidden layers with 6‐5 nodes configuration. Trained ANN (4‐6‐5‐2) predicted filtrate flux and filtrate volume with 2.33 and 1.38% mean relative error, respectively. The results suggest that the ANN modeling can be effectively used to optimize filtration process. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONMembrane separation processes including ultrafiltration have gained importance in the food industry. Today, fruit juices are widely clarified by means of ultrafiltration process instead of tedious and laborious conventional clarification treatments. Membrane fouling which results in flux decline is the main problem associated with the ultrafiltration of fruit juices. In order to perform an efficient ultrafiltration process, optimization is required to obtain maximum filtrate volume per unit time. Artificial neural network (ANN) modeling offers great advantage on improving the performance of ultrafiltration process by accounting the effects of different variables, i.e., feed properties, transmembrane pressure and membrane pore size on filtrate volume as the main output of the filtration process. ANN modeling of ultrafiltration may be an alternative to previously proposed empirical and semiempirical models.
Is there adequate feeding assistance for the hospitalised elderly who are unable to feed themselves?
Authors: TSANG Mei F. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractObjective:  To observe patients at meal times in order to determine the type and amount of feeding assistance required by hospitalised elderly patients and the adequacy of assistance nursing staff provide to patients.Methods:  The study was an observational study. Patients admitted to the ward were observed over a one‐week period encompassing all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks) served on a 14‐day menu cycle.Subjects:  A total of 46 hospitalised elderly patients with mean age 86.5 ± 4.8 years admitted to the ward.Setting:  The study was undertaken in a general teaching hospital geriatric ward in Sydney.Results:  A high percentage of patients required some assistance with feeding at meals (70%, n = 32). The partially dependent patients had their needs basically fulfilled by ward staff. However, of the nine totally dependent patients, three were observed lacking any assistance (33%). The amount of assistance time from nursing staff was found shorter than that from non‐nursing staff, 123 and 137 minutes, respectively. Nursing assistants were the main providers of assisted eating in the ward. However, little attention and time were given to that task by registered nurses.Discussion:  Provision of assisted eating by nursing staff presents many problems. More than 40% of hospital food was wasted and patients' recommended intakes for preserving health were not met. Hospital feeding policies and staff arrangements therefore need reviewing.Conclusions:  Although assisting patients who are unable to feed themselves is a time‐consuming process, it is a vital and necessary part of nursing care.
Eating habits of young offenders on community orders and associations with overweight and obesity
Authors: KENNY Dianna T. , DENNEY‐WILSON Elizabeth , NELSON Paul , HARDY Louise L. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractAim:  The diets of young people are often described as poor, but young offenders may be at particular risk and in need of targeted nutrition education. There are very little data on the nutritional status of young offenders as they are rarely captured in national adolescent samples. This paper describes the food habits of young offenders supervised in the community and the association of food habits with overweight and obesity, and compares these with school‐attending adolescents to determine whether they should be specifically targeted for nutrition education.Methods:  During 2003–2005, 802 (85% male) young offenders took part in a comprehensive health survey that included interviewer‐assisted recall of 11 food items. Height and weight were measured and body mass index calculated.Results:  The diets of young offenders were poor. Only 32% of men and 20% of women reported eating breakfast every day, and 25% of participants ate fruit every day, while 30% of men and 16% of women ate extra foods (i.e. meat pies, sausage rolls or hot dogs) daily. One‐third of the participants were either overweight or obese; however, there was no significant association between food habits and overweight and obesity.Conclusion:  Programs which encourage healthy food habits among young people serving community orders are required to improve their diets and long‐term health outcomes. The period of supervised orders offers an opportunity for health authorities to intervene, but further research is required to identify effective interventions in this traditionally difficult‐to‐reach group.
Product and Process Tolerance Allocation in Multistation Compliant
Assembly Using Analytical Target Cascading
Authors: Li Zhijun , Kokkolaras Michael , Papalambros Panos , Hu S. Jack 
Published: August 2008

Abstract
Tolerance allocation is the process of determining allowable dimensional variations in products (parts and subassemblies) and processes (fixtures and tools) in order to meet final assembly quality and cost targets. Traditionally, tolerance allocation is conducted by solving a single optimization problem. This "all-in-one" (AIO) approach may not be desirable or applicable for various reasons: the assembler of the final product may not have access to models and∕or data to compute appropriate tolerance values for all subassemblies and parts in the case of outsourcing; optimization algorithms may face numerical difficulties when solving very large-scale, simulation-based nonlinear problems; interactions are often obscured in AIO models and trade-offs may not be quantifiable readily. This paper models multistation compliant assembly as a hierarchical multilevel process and proposes the application of analytical target cascading for formulating and solving the tolerance allocation problem. Final product quality and cost targets are translated into tolerance specifications for incoming parts, subassemblies, and station fixtures. The proposed methodology is demonstrated using a vehicle side frame assembly example. Both quality- and cost-driven tolerance allocation problems are formulated. A parametric study with respect to budget is conducted to quantify the cost-quality trade-off. We believe that the proposed multilevel optimization methodology constitutes a valuable new paradigm for tolerance design in multistation assembly involving a large number of parts and stations, and creates research opportunities in this area.
Potential for Hepatitis C Virus Resistance to Nitazoxanide or Tizoxanide
Authors: Korba Brent E. , Elazar Menashe , Lui Ping , Rossignol Jean-François , Glenn Jeffrey S. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Nitazoxanide and its primary metabolite, tizoxanide, inhibit hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication in HCV replicon systems. To study the potential for resistance, we subjected Huh7 cells harboring HCV replicons to serial passage in 250 μM G418 and increasing concentrations of nitazoxanide or tizoxanide. Passage of the replicon-containing cell lines in either compound resulted in increases in the 50% effective concentrations (EC
50
s) (7- to 13-fold), EC
90
s (14- to 36-fold), and 50% cytotoxic concentrations (2- to 4-fold) of both compounds. Serial passage in either compound did not alter the susceptibility of HCV replicons to ribavirin or 2′-
C
-methylcytidine. Interestingly, serial passage in nitazoxanide or tizoxanide resulted in increased sensitivity to alpha interferon 2b: EC
50
s and EC
90
s were reduced three- and eightfold, respectively. Replicons isolated from these cell lines had no greater ability to confer tizoxanide resistance, or increased susceptibility to alpha interferon, than replicons isolated from the parental cell line that had not previously been exposed to nitazoxanide or tizoxanide. These findings are indicative of a cell-mediated activity differing from that of other anti-HCV drugs but complementary with interferon and are consistent with the enhanced response rates observed clinically when nitazoxanide is combined with pegylated interferon therapy. Finally, unlike data for other compounds in advanced clinical development for HCV, these data are consistent with resistance in HCV replicon-containing cell lines conferred by changes in the host and not by mutations in the virus.
Aspergillus fumigatus
Forms Biofilms with Reduced Antifungal Drug Susceptibility on Bronchial Epithelial Cells
Authors: Seidler Marc J. , Salvenmoser Stefanie , Müller Frank-Michael C. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Aspergillus fumigatus
is a leading cause of death in immunocompromised patients and a frequent colonizer of the respiratory tracts of asthma and cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Biofilms enable bacteria and yeasts to persist in infections and can contribute to antimicrobial resistance. We investigated the ability of
A. fumigatus
to form biofilms on polystyrene (PS) and human bronchial epithelial (HBE) and CF bronchial epithelial (CFBE) cells. We developed a novel in vitro coculture model of
A. fumigatus
biofilm formation on HBE and CFBE cells. Biofilm formation was documented by dry weight, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM). The in vitro antifungal activities of seven antifungal drugs were tested by comparing planktonic and sessile
A. fumigatus
strains.
A. fumigatus
formed an extracellular matrix on PS and HBE and CFBE cells as evidenced by increased dry weight, SEM, and CSLM. These biofilms exhibited decreased antifungal drug susceptibility and were adherent to the epithelial cells, with fungi remaining viable throughout 3 days. These observations might have implications for treatment of
A. fumigatus
colonization in chronic lung diseases and for its potential impact on airway inflammation, damage, and infection.
Vibrio cholerae
O139 Multiple-Drug Resistance Mediated by
Yersinia pestis
pIP1202-Like Conjugative Plasmids
Authors: Pan Jing-Cao , Ye Rong , Wang Hao-Qiu , Xiang Hai-Qing , Zhang Wei , Yu Xin-Fen , Meng Dong-Mei , He Zhe-Sheng 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

A conjugative plasmid, pMRV150, which mediated multiple-drug resistance (MDR) to at least six antibiotics, including ampicillin, streptomycin, gentamicin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, was identified in a
Vibrio cholerae
O139 isolate from Hangzhou, eastern China, in 2004. According to partial pMRV150 DNA sequences covering 15 backbone regions, the plasmid is most similar to pIP1202, an IncA/C plasmid in an MDR
Yersinia pestis
isolate from a Madagascar bubonic plague patient, at an identity of 99.99% (22,180/22,183 nucleotides). pMRV150-like plasmids were found in only 7.69% (1/13) of the O139 isolates tested during the early period of the O139 epidemic in Hangzhou (1994, 1996, and 1997); then the frequency increased gradually from 60.00% (3/5) during 1998 and 1999 to 92.16% (47/51) during 2000 to 2006. Most (42/51) of the O139 isolates bearing pMRV150-like plasmids were resistant to five to six antibiotics, whereas the plasmid-negative isolates were resistant only to one to three antibiotics. In 12 plasmid-bearing O139 isolates tested, the pMRV150-like plasmids ranged from approximately 140 kb to 170 kb and remained at approximately 1 or 2 copies per cell. High (4.50 × 10
−2
and 3.08 × 10
−2
) and low (0.88 × 10
−8
to 3.29 × 10
−5
) plasmid transfer frequencies, as well as no plasmid transfer (under the detection limit), from these O139 isolates to the
Escherichia coli
recipient were observed. The emergence of pMRV150-like or pIP1202-like plasmids in many bacterial pathogens and nonpathogens occupying diverse niches with global geographical distribution indicates an increasing risk to public health worldwide. Careful tracking of these plasmids in the microbial ecosystem is warranted.
Synthesis, Antimalarial Activity, and Intracellular Targets of MEFAS, a New Hybrid Compound Derived from Mefloquine and Artesunate
Authors: de Pilla Varotti Fernando , Botelho Ana Cristina C. , Andrade Anderson Assunção , de Paula Renata C. , Fagundes Elaine M. S. , Valverde Alessandra , Mayer Lúcia M. U. , Mendonça Jorge Souza , de Souza Marcus V. N. , Boechat Núbia , Krettli Antoniana Ursine 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

A new synthetic antimalarial drug, a salt derived from two antimalarial molecules, mefloquine (MQ) and artesunate (AS), here named MEFAS, has been tested for its pharmacological activity. Combinations of AS plus MQ hydrochloride are currently being used in areas with drug-resistant
Plasmodium falciparum
parasites; although AS clears parasitemia in shorter time periods than any other antimalarial drug, it does not cure infected patients; in addition, MQ causes side effects and is rather expensive, important problems considering that malaria affects mostly populations in poor countries. Here, we show that MEFAS is more effective than the combination of AS and MQ, tested in parallel at different mass proportions, against
P. falciparum
(chloroquine-resistant clone W2 and chloroquine-sensitive clone 3D7) in vitro and in mice infected with
Plasmodium berghei
, promoting cure of this infection. MEFAS tested against HepG2 hepatoma cells exhibited lower toxicity than the antimalarials AS and MQ alone or combined. Possible targets of MEFAS have been studied by confocal microscopy using fluorescent probes (Fluo-4 AM and BCECF-AM) in
P. falciparum
synchronous culture of W2-infected red blood cells. Dynamic images show that MEFAS exhibited intracellular action increasing cytoplasmic Ca
2+
at 1.0 ng/ml. This effect was also observed in the presence of tapsigargin, an inhibitor of SERCA, suggesting an intracellular target distinct from the endoplasmic reticulum. Trophozoites loaded with BCECF-AM, when treated with MEFAS, were still able to mobilize protons from the digestive vacuole (DV), altering the pH gradient. However, in the presence of bafilomycin A1, an inhibitor of the H
+
pump from acidic compartments of eukaryotic cells, MEFAS had no action on the DV. In conclusion, the endoplasmic reticulum and DV are intracellular targets for MEFAS in
Plasmodium
sp., suggesting two modes of action of this new salt. Our data support MEFAS as a candidate for treating human malaria.