Brief review on systematic hypothermia for the protection of central nervous system during aortic arch surgery: a double-sword tool?

Antegrade selective cerebral perfusion in conjunction with hypothermia attenuate postoperative neurological injury, which in turn still remains the main cause of mortality and morbidity following aortic arch surgery. Hypothermic circulatory arrest however could be a useful tool during arch surgery, surgery for chronic thromboembolic disease, air on the arterial line during CPB, during cavotomy for extraction of renal cell carcinoma with level IV extension, or when dealing with difficult trauma to the SVC or IVC. Cerebral protective effects with hypothermic procedures including inhibition of neuron excitation, and discharge of excitable amino acids, and thereby, prevention of an increase in intercellular calcium ions, hyperoxidation of lipids in cell membranes, and free radical production

The ARCH Projects: design and rationale (IAASSG 001)

OBJECTIVE A number of factors limit the effectiveness of current aortic arch studies in assessing optimal neuroprotection strategies, including insufficient patient numbers, heterogenous definitions of clinical variables, multiple technical strategies, inadequate reporting of surgical outcomes and a lack of collaborative effort. We have formed an international coalition of centres to provide more robust investigations into this topic. METHODS High-volume aortic arch centres were identified from the literature and contacted for recruitment. A Research Steering Committee of expert arch surgeons was convened to oversee the direction of the research. RESULTS The International Aortic Arch Surgery Study Group has been formed by 41 arch surgeons from 10 countries to better evaluate patient outcomes after aortic arch surgery. Several projects, including the establishment of a multi-institutional retrospective database, randomized controlled trials and a prospectively collected database, are currently underway. CONCLUSIONS Such a collaborative effort will herald a turning point in the surgical management of aortic arch pathologies and will provide better powered analyses to assess the impact of varying surgical techniques on mortality and morbidity, identify predictors for neurological and operative risk, formulate and validate risk predictor models and review long-term survival outcomes and quality-of-life after arch surger

Fabrication and characterization of filled hydrogel particles based on sequential segregative and aggregative biopolymer phase separation

In this study, filled hydrogel particles were created based on the ability of proteins and ionic polysaccharides to phase separate through both aggregative (complexation) and segregative (incompatibility) mechanisms. At pH 7, a mixture of 3% (w/w) high-methoxy pectin and 3% (w/w) sodium caseinate phase separated through a segregative mechanism. Following centrifugation, the phase separated system consisted of an upper pectin-rich phase and a lower casein-rich phase. Casein-coated lipid droplets added to the phase separated pectin/caseinate system partitioning into the lower casein-rich phase. This was attributed to a reduction in the unfavorable osmotic stress in this phase associated with biopolymer depletion. When shear was applied this system formed an oil-in-water-in-water (O/W1/W2) emulsion consisting of oil droplets (O) contained within a casein-rich watery dispersed phase (W1) suspended in a pectin-rich watery continuous phase (W2). Acidification of the O/W1/W2 system from pH 7–5 promoted adsorption of pectin around the casein-rich W1 droplets, resulting in the formation of filled hydrogel particles (d = 3–4 μm) that remained stable to aggregation or dissociation when stored for 24 h at ambient temperature. These particles may be useful as encapsulation and delivery systems for lipophilic components in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries

Designing Novel Food Functionality Through Controlled Biopolymer Phase Separation

Consumption of nutritionally beneficial lipids, such as -3 fatty acids, is currently limited because of difficulties in incorporating these oxidatively unstable components into foods. Successful completion of this project would help overcome this problem through development of innovative delivery systems for encapsulating, protecting and delivering bioactive lipids. In particular, this project would lead to the development of structural design principles that could be used by the food industry to produce bioactive lipid-loaded biopolymer particles suitable for application in a wide range of foods. Successful completion of this project could therefore have major health and economic benefits for the nation. The approach used in this project could also be adapted to encapsulate other types of food components, such as flavors, minerals and vitamins. Improved knowledge of the controlled phase separation and gelation of mixed biopolymer systems could also be used to create novel physicochemical properties and functional performances in other types of food products, e.g., viscous solutions, suspensions or gels

Oxidative stability of n-3 fatty acids encapsulated in filled hydrogel particles and of pork meat systems containing them

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Abstract The effect of storage time (2 C, 19 days) and heating (70 C, 30 min) on physical characteristics and oxidative stability of fish oil encapsulated in filled hydrogel particles was determined and compared with a conventional oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion with the same oil content (8.5%). Subsequently they were used to enrich meat systems with n-3 LCPUFAs, and their lipid oxidation was evaluated and compared with two other meat systems: one containing all animal fat and another with fish oil added directly. Filled hydrogel particles were more effective in lowering the oxidation rate than O/W emulsion, even when thermal treatment was applied. Oxidative stability over the storage time was best in the n-3 LCPUFA-enriched meat system containing filled hydrogel particles, in which TBARS levels were up to 62% lower than other systems containing fish oil. Hydrogel particles offer a promising means of controlling lipid oxidation in n-3 LCPUFA-enriched meat products.Peer Reviewe