Comparison of the efficiency of utilization of amino acids from intact protein and amino acids in crystalline form by channel catfish, (Ictaluras punctatus)

Two laboratory feeding trials were conducted to quantify differences in the digestibility and absorption of dietary amino acids provided in intact protein or in purified amino acid mixtures. In the first experiment, 36 channel catfish (346 ± 47 g) were force-fed one of six practical feed ingredients (blood meal, corn meal, fish meal, meat and bone meal, soybean meal or wheat middlings), or a mixture of crystalline amino acids designed to duplicate the amino acid composition of each of the practical ingredients. Apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) were calculated for 15 amino acids in each practical ingredient and in each amino acid mixture. An average ADC of all amino acids in each treatment also was calculated. Very few differences in the ADCs of individual amino acids were observed. However, in all ingredients but two, the mean ADCs of amino acids in fish fed purified amino acids were significantly higher than the mean ADCs of amino acids in fish fed intact protein. In the second experiment, 468 channel catfish (396 ± 49 g) were force-fed the same ingredients and amino acid mixtures used in the digestibility trial, and blood was collected from the hepatic portal vein at 1-h intervals for 12 h after feeding. In four of the six ingredients tested, postprandial concentrations of 2-8 amino acids in blood plasma were significantly higher and reached peak levels earlier (1-3 h after feeding) in fish fed purified amino acids than in fish fed intact protein. Results indicated that protein was well digested by channel catfish regardless of its source. However, soybean protein appeared to be digested more slowly than the other proteins tested. The efficiency with which supplemental amino acids are utilized might be reduced if slowly digested proteins compose a major portion of the diet, because of temporal differences in the absorption of amino acids from different dietary sources. If so, the effectiveness of amino acid supplementation could vary with the ingredient composition of the diet to a greater extent than has previously been recognized

Controlled drug release from oriented biodegradable polymers

This research is the first systematic investigation of solid-state orientation as a novel method for controlling drug release from biodegradable polymers. The effect of various degrees of polymer orientation was studied in oriented Poly (L-lactic acid) (PLA) films containing curcumin and theophylline as model drugs. Additionally, direction specific drug release was studied from oriented PLA rods containing paracetamol. The films oriented to 2X uniaxial constant width (UCW) or 2X2Y biaxial draw ratio showed retardation of drug release, when their nematic structure was stabilised by the presence of crystalline theophylline. Contrarily, the same films when contained solid solution of curcumin, shrunk in the release medium and exhibited a release profile similar to the un-oriented films. All films oriented to the UCW draw ratio ≥ 3X contained α crystalline form of PLA and showed acceleration of drug release proportionate to the draw ratio. According to the proposed mechanism augmented formation of water filled channels in these films was responsible for faster drug release. Similarly, the paracetamol loaded PLA rods die-drawn to uniaxial draw ratios ≥ 3X exhibited enhancement of drug release. Importantly, the amount of drug released along the oriented chain axis was significantly larger than that in the perpendicular direction. Drug release from the die-drawn rods was accelerated by a greater degree than that observed from the oriented films. This can be correlated to the differences in their size, geometry and the crystalline form of PLA. In conclusion, the current study provided substantial evidence that solid-state orientation can offer a control over drug release from PLA

Why Knowledge Might Not Entail Belief

Despite Radford’s (1966) case of the unconfident examinee, many epistemologists think that knowledge entails belief. Epistemologists have levelled two sorts of criticisms: first, they point out that Radford’s case isn’t a clear case of knowledge; second, they object that even if knowledge is granted in Radford-like cases, agents therein will still have dispositional belief. This paper offers a case that improves upon Radford’s. In my case, the agent’s evidence is intuitively sufficient for knowledge. And we do not need to posit dispositional belief to make the case empirically plausible. My counterexample involves a distinctive type of agent: cautious believers. Cautious believers care more about avoiding false belief. When armed with evidence that is sufficient - though only barely sufficient - to justify some proposition p, cautious believers suspend judgment about p. Nevertheless, they remain minimally behaviourally sensitive to the evidence. Ultimately, I argue that such agents are in a mental state that falls short of belief

Modifications in visco-elasticity of gluten by diacetyl tartaric acid ester of monoglyceride (DATEM), ascorbic acid, urea and dithiothreitol and its effects on mixing and baking properties in commercial wheat flours

Scope and Method of Study: Quality and structure of gluten is one of the determining factors of baking quality in wheat flours. Changes in structure and quality of gluten at molecular level are dependent on different covalent and non covalent crosslinks, redox states and folding and unfolding of gluten during baking processes. Surfactants, oxidizing agents, reducing agents and chemicals like urea modify the structure of gluten at a molecular level changes the visco-elastic as well as reactive properties with other components of the flour resulting into improved or adverse effect on baking. DATEM, ascorbic acid, urea and dithiothreitol (DTT) were added to the gluten and the dough at different levels to measure the changes in visco-elasticity in gluten and mixing and baking properties of wheat flours with different protein content and quality. Six flours of different protein content and quality were procured from two sites in Oklahoma, three from each site. Visco-elastic properties of gluten extracted from flours were measured using creep recovery tests. Mixing properties were evaluated using a Farinograph and baking characteristics were assessed using standard 100 g flour pup loaves baking method.Findings and Conclusions: DATEM treatments strengthened the structure of gluten as observed with various visco-elastic parameters during creep recovery experiments. While most of the visco-elastic properties were independent of baking and mixing properties of flours, oven spring rise was closely related with rheological parameters that explained increased viscosity like delta compliance (r = -0.57, P < 0.01) due to DATEM. The addition of ascorbic acid had no specific effect on the visco-elastic properties of gluten and mixing properties of flour. However, loaf quality improved with 100-150 ppm ascorbic acid showing significant correlations between recoverability of gluten and oven spring (r = -0.57, P <0.01). An overall weakening of the gluten strength resulted into dramatic decrease in baking and mixing characteristics of wheat flours with urea. Decrease in baking performance was related to slow rates of deformations and recovery of gluten due to urea indicated by significant correlations between loaf volume and creep time constants (r = -0.42, P < 0.05). Reducing effect of DTT on gluten weakened the gluten structure due to disulfide bond destruction resulting into poor baking supported by strong significant (P <0.01) correlations of separation time with proof and loaf heights (r = 0.56 and 0.53, respectively). The changes in visco-elasticity of gluten, mixing and baking properties of commercial wheat flours due to structural modification of gluten with different compounds were quantified. For the most part visco-elastic properties of gluten were independent of mixing and baking properties of flours with exceptions of few weak but significant correlations. This study concluded that 1 and 0.6% (w/w flour basis) DATEM strengthened gluten structure and improved bread quality, respectively. Ascorbic acid levels up to 100 ppm promoted disulfide linkages in gluten and improved baking. All levels of urea and DTT weakened the gluten strength due to disruption of hydrophilic and hydrophobic non-covalent bond and disulfide linkages resulting into poor baking performance

The Right Ingredients: Essential If You Want to Bake the Cake Right!

Docēre, the Latin root for doctor, means to teach. At the heart of what we do as physicians is teaching; we teach our patients, their families, and our future physicians. Why do we devote so much time to education? No matter how well we diagnose and treat, if patients and families do not understand their treatment, it may be unsuccessful. No matter how knowledgeable and skillful we are, if we do not nurture the next generation, key knowledge, skills, and values will disappear

On the Epistemic Value of Reflection

Against philosophical orthodoxy, Hilary Kornblith has mounted an empirically grounded critique of the epistemic value of reflection. In this paper, I argue that this recent critique of the epistemic value of reflection fails even if we concede that (a) the empirical facts are as Kornblith says they are and (b) reliability is the only determinant of epistemic value. The critique fails because it seeks to undermine the reliability of reflection in general but targets only one of its variants, namely individual reflection, while neglecting social reflection. This critique comprises two arguments which have a common structure: they both impose a requirement on the reliability of reflection, but deny, on empirical grounds, that the requirement is met. One argument imposes an introspection requirement, which I reject as superfluous. I show how reflection can proceed without introspection. The other argument imposes an efficacy requirement. This requirement concerns whether reflection is causally efficacious i.e., whether it leads us to change our minds for the better. I accept this as a genuine requirement. Even if we concede that individual reflection fails to meet this requirement, I argue that we have not been given sufficient evidence to believe that social reflection is bound to fail this requirement. Furthermore, my analysis of the conditions under which social reflection works best provides us with prima facie grounds for optimism regarding the reliability of social reflection. Ultimately, then, these arguments fail to undermine the epistemic value of reflection in general

A rare case of tubeculous mesenteric cyst

We report a case of 17 year old female weighing 85 kg with chronic abdominal pain. Radiological imaging techniques revealed it as an enteric duplication cyst or mesenteric cyst. Diagnostic laparoscopy confirmed the cyst originating from mesentery. After laparoscopic excision of this cyst histopathology report was unusual, as a tuberculous mesenteric cyst

Titanium Dioxide and Its Applications in Mechanical, Electrical, Optical, and Biomedical Fields

Titanium dioxide (TiO2), owing to its non-toxicity, chemical stability, and low cost, is one of the most valuable ceramic materials. TiO2 derived coatings not only act like a ceramic protective shield for the metallic substrate but also provide cathodic protection to the metals against the corrosive solution under Ultraviolet (UV) illumination. Being biocompatible, TiO2 coatings are widely used as an implant material. The acid treatment of TiO2 promotes the attachment of cells and bone tissue integration with the implant. In this chapter, the applications of TiO2 as a corrosion inhibitor and bioactive material are briefly discussed. The semiconducting nature and high refractive index of TiO2 conferred UV shielding properties, allowing it to absorb or reflect UV rays. Several studies showed that a high ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) was achieved by incorporating TiO2 in the sunscreens (to protect the human skin) and textile fibers (to minimize its photochemical degradation). The rutile phase of TiO2 offers high whiteness, and opacity owing to its tendency to scatter light. These properties enable TiO2 to be used as a pigment a brief review of which is also addressed in this chapter. Since TiO2 exhibits high hardness and fracture toughness, the wear rate of composite is considerably reduced by adding TiO2. On interacting with gases like hydrogen at elevated temperatures, the electrical resistance of TiO2 changes to some different value. The change in resistance can be utilized in detecting various gases that enables TiO2 to be used as a gas sensor for monitoring different gases. This chapter attempts to provide a comprehensive review of applications of TiO2 as an anti-corrosion, wear-resistant material in the mechanical field, a UV absorber, pigment in the optical sector, a bioactive material in the biomedical field, and a gas sensor in the electrical domain

Intussusception due to caecal carcinoma in a young man: unusual cause of presentation a case report

A young 26 year male patient admitted with colicky pain in right iliac fossa with well palpable tender lump. After radiological investigation lump was diagnosed as ileocaecal intussusception. Patient underwent laparoscopy which diagnosed as intussusception due to caecal carcinoma. Laparoscopy again proved to be useful diagnostic tool over imaging techniques in this case. Laparoscopic assisted surgery of right radical hemicolectomy done successfully