Drying of foam under microgravity conditions

Foams have recently been characterised as ideal products for pharmaceutical and topical use applications for the delivery of topical active agents. Foams are usually produced in a wet form but in a number of applications moderately dry foams are required. Drying of foam under terrestrial conditions proceeds under the action of gravity, which is impossible under microgravity condition. Below a new method of drying foams under microgravity condition is suggested. According to this method foam should be placed on a porous support, which will absorb the liquid from foam based on capillary forces only. The final liquid content inside the foam can be achieved by a proper selection of the porous support. The suggested method allows drying foams under microgravity conditions. Interaction of foams with porous support under terrestrial conditions was developed only recently and theoretically investigated (Arjmandi-Tash, O.; Kovalchuk, N.; Trybala, A.; Starov, V. Foam Drainage Placed on a Porous Substrate. Soft Matter2015, 11 (18), 3643–3652) followed by a theory of foam drainage on thin porous substrates (Koursari, N.; Arjmandi-Tash, O.; Johnson, P.; Trybala, A.; Starov, M. V. Foam Drainage Placed on Thin Porous Substrate. Soft Matter, 2019, (submitted)), where rate of drainage, radius of the wetted area inside the porous layer and other characteristics of the process were predicted. The latter model is modified below to investigate foam drying under microgravity conditions. Model predictions are compared with experimental observations for foam created using Triton X-100 at concentrations above CMC. Wetted radius inside the porous substrate was measured and results were compered to model predictions. Experimental observations for spreading area versus time show reasonable agreement with theoretical predictions for all investigated systems

Renal function in late survivors of Iranian children with cancer: Single centre experience

Context: One of the side-effects of chemotherapy is nephrotoxicity, whose incidence rate has reportedly been higher in pediatrics. Early diagnosis of renal dysfunction may decrease the morbidity in those with partial or complete remission by avoiding nephrotoxic agents and promoting regular follow-up. Aims: We studied the frequency of renal dysfunction in pediatric patients whose therapy was completed regardless of the type of chemotherapy. Settings and Design: Prospective cross sectional study in Hematoncology department of children\u2032s hospital. Materials and Methods:0 One hundred and eight pediatric cancer patients (44 females, 64 males), who were at least one year off therapy, enrolled in the study from 2003 to 2005. Demographic data, mean dosages of anticancer drugs, history of other nephrotoxic agents, nephrectomy, radiotherapy and acute renal failure were recorded. Fasting blood and urine samples were collected to calculate fractional excretion of magnesium, calcium, phosphate, urine protein to urine creatinine ratio, creatinine clearance (using Schwartz formula), urine analysis, urine osmolality and blood gas analysis. Statistical analysis used: T-test, Chi square and binary logistic regression were used to compare means, frequency and correlation respectively. P values < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: Renal dysfunction was seen in 25.2% of cases. These abnormalities included hypercalciuria (7.2%), phosphaturia (13.5%), magnesuria (3.6%), glomerular filtration rate less than 90 ml/min (7.5%), metabolic acidosis (3%), metabolic alkalosis (10%), urinary concentration defect (19%), proteinuria (7.2%), glycosuria (2%), microscopic hematuria (4%), sterile pyuria (6%), and hypertension (8%). We found only Procarbazin as an independent variable of nephrotoxicity (P< 0.05). Conclusions: Mild to moderate tubular dysfunction has been observed in the survivors of cancer disease

Renal function in late survivors of Iranian children with cancer: Single centre experience

Context: One of the side-effects of chemotherapy is nephrotoxicity, whose incidence rate has reportedly been higher in pediatrics. Early diagnosis of renal dysfunction may decrease the morbidity in those with partial or complete remission by avoiding nephrotoxic agents and promoting regular follow-up. Aims: We studied the frequency of renal dysfunction in pediatric patients whose therapy was completed regardless of the type of chemotherapy. Settings and Design: Prospective cross sectional study in Hematoncology department of children�s hospital. Materials and Methods:0 One hundred and eight pediatric cancer patients (44 females, 64 males), who were at least one year off therapy, enrolled in the study from 2003 to 2005. Demographic data, mean dosages of anticancer drugs, history of other nephrotoxic agents, nephrectomy, radiotherapy and acute renal failure were recorded. Fasting blood and urine samples were collected to calculate fractional excretion of magnesium, calcium, phosphate, urine protein to urine creatinine ratio, creatinine clearance (using Schwartz formula), urine analysis, urine osmolality and blood gas analysis. Statistical analysis used: T-test, Chi square and binary logistic regression were used to compare means, frequency and correlation respectively. P values < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: Renal dysfunction was seen in 25.2 of cases. These abnormalities included hypercalciuria (7.2), phosphaturia (13.5), magnesuria (3.6), glomerular filtration rate less than 90 ml/min (7.5), metabolic acidosis (3), metabolic alkalosis (10), urinary concentration defect (19), proteinuria (7.2), glycosuria (2), microscopic hematuria (4), sterile pyuria (6), and hypertension (8). We found only Procarbazin as an independent variable of nephrotoxicity (P 0.05). Conclusions: Mild to moderate tubular dysfunction has been observed in the survivors of cancer disease

A novel method for the analysis of particle coating behaviour via contact spreading in a tumbling drum: Effect of coating liquid viscosity

Spray coating is a common method of distributing liquids over powders, especially in the pharmaceutical, detergent and food industries. During this process, liquid drops are deposited on the surface of particles. Liquid is then transferred between particles via particle collisions, in a process called liquid contact spreading. This contact spreading process facilitates inter-particle coating, in which wetting, de-wetting, mixing and drying are occurring simultaneously. This work presents the first experimental study of the mechanism of liquid contact spreading. In this work, a novel experimental method has been developed to investigate the mechanism of contact spreading, incorporating a newly developed image analysis technique, based on colourimetric measurements, to quantitatively determine coating behaviour via contact spreading. Here, experiments designed to isolate the contact spreading coating mechanism were performed in a tumbling drum using a model material system; alumina particles and dyed polyethylene glycol solutions of varying viscosities. The coating uniformity was quantified by the variation in inter-particle coating; the coefficient of variation (CoV). For all systems, the uniformity of the coating increased with time until the CoV decreased to an asymptotic value. The rate of the decrease in the CoV was successfully fitted using an exponential decay function. The viscosity of the coating solution had a significant effect on the rate of liquid transfer; the lower the viscosity the faster the contact spreading process. This effect is attributed to differences in the formation and stability of liquid bridges between the particles, influencing the extent of liquid transfer. The results also show that in most cases examined here, viscous forces play a main role in the contact spreading process, and the contribution of capillary forces are minimal. This understanding could assist the design and scale up for the wet coating processes

One year soy protein supplementation has positive effects on bone formation markers but not bone density in postmenopausal women

BACKGROUND: Although soy protein and its isoflavones have been reported to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in peri- and post-menopausal women, most of these studies are of short duration (i.e. six months). The objective of this study was to examine if one year consumption of soy-containing foods (providing 25 g protein and 60 mg isoflavones) exerts beneficial effects on bone in postmenopausal women. METHODS: Eighty-seven eligible postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to consume soy or control foods daily for one year. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) of the whole body, lumbar (L1-L4), and total hip were measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry at baseline and after one year. Blood and urine markers of bone metabolism were also assessed. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Sixty-two subjects completed the one-year long study. Whole body and lumbar BMD and BMC were significantly decreased in both the soy and control groups. However, there were no significant changes in total hip BMD and BMC irrespective of treatment. Both treatments positively affected markers of bone formation as indicated by increased serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP) activity, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), and osteocalcin (BSAP: 27.8 and 25.8%, IGF-I: 12.8 and 26.3%, osteocalcin: 95.2 and 103.4% for control and soy groups, respectively). Neither of the protein supplements had any effect on urinary deoxypyridinoline excretion, a marker of bone resorption. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that although one year supplementation of 25 g protein per se positively modulated markers of bone formation, this amount of protein was unable to prevent lumbar and whole body bone loss in postmenopausal women

Assessment of soy phytoestrogens' effects on bone turnover indicators in menopausal women with osteopenia in Iran: a before and after clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is the gradual declining in bone mass with age, leading to increased bone fragility and fractures. Fractures in hip and spine are known to be the most important complication of the disease which leads in the annual mortality rate of 20% and serious morbidity rate of 50%. Menopause is one of the most common risk factors of osteoporosis. After menopause, sex hormone deficiency is associated with increased remodeling rate and negative bone balance, leading to accelerated bone loss and micro-architectural defects, resulting into increased bone fragility. Compounds with estrogen-like biological activity similar to "Isoflavones" present in plants especially soy, may reduce bone loss in postmenopausal women as they are similar in structure to estrogens. This research, therefore, was carried out to study the effects of Iranian soy protein on biochemical indicators of bone metabolism in osteopenic menopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This clinical trial of before-after type was carried out on 15 women 45–64 years of age. Subjects were given 35 g soy protein per day for 12 weeks. Blood and urine sampling, anthropometric measurement and 48-h-dietary recalls were carried out at zero, 6 and 12 weeks. Food consumption data were analyzed using Food Proccessor Software. For the study of bone metabolism indicators and changes in anthropometric data as well as dietary intake, and repeated analyses were employed. RESULTS: Comparison of weight, BMI, physical activity, energy intake and other intervening nutrients did not reveal any significant changes during different stages of the study. Soy protein consumption resulted in a significant reduction in the urinary deoxypyridinoline and increasing of total alkaline phosphatase (p < 0.05), although the alterations in osteocalcin, c-telopeptide, IGFBP3 and type I collagen telopeptide were not significant. CONCLUSION: In view of beneficial effect of soy protein on bone metabolism indicators, inclusion of this relatively inexpensive food in the daily diet of menopausal women, will probably delay bone resorption, thereby preventing osteoporosis

Soy protein supplementation does not cause lymphocytopenia in postmenopausal women

BACKGROUND: The health benefits of soy isoflavones have been widely investigated; however, there are some concerns as to whether soy isoflavones, similar to ipriflavone, a synthetic isoflavone, cause lymphocytopenia in postmenopausal women. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which 12-month supplementation of 25 g soy protein containing 60 mg isoflavones alters lymphocyte counts or other hematological parameters in postmenopausal women who were not on hormone replacement therapy. METHODS: Eighty-seven postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to receive either soy protein or an equivalent amount of control protein devoid of isoflavones. Fasting venous blood was collected at baseline and at the end of twelve month study period for complete blood count analyses. RESULTS: Between the two treatment groups, the percent changes in hematological parameters, including lymphocytes, were not different. While women consuming the soy supplement had an increase in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and red cell distribution width index (RDW; a marker of reticulocytes), women consuming the control diet had higher percentage of only MCHC. CONCLUSION: Overall, the results of the present study indicate that consumption of 25 g soy protein containing 60 mg isoflavones daily for one year does not cause lymphocytopenia

Collapse of superconductivity in a hybrid tin-graphene Josephson junction array

When a Josephson junction array is built with hybrid superconductor/metal/superconductor junctions, a quantum phase transition from a superconducting to a two-dimensional (2D) metallic ground state is predicted to happen upon increasing the junction normal state resistance. Owing to its surface-exposed 2D electron gas and its gate-tunable charge carrier density, graphene coupled to superconductors is the ideal platform to study the above-mentioned transition between ground states. Here we show that decorating graphene with a sparse and regular array of superconducting nanodisks enables to continuously gate-tune the quantum superconductor-to-metal transition of the Josephson junction array into a zero-temperature metallic state. The suppression of proximity-induced superconductivity is a direct consequence of the emergence of quantum fluctuations of the superconducting phase of the disks. Under perpendicular magnetic field, the competition between quantum fluctuations and disorder is responsible for the resilience at the lowest temperatures of a superconducting glassy state that persists above the upper critical field. Our results provide the entire phase diagram of the disorder and magnetic field-tuned transition and unveil the fundamental impact of quantum phase fluctuations in 2D superconducting systems.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figure

Formation of methane clathrate hydrates at elevated pressures and in the presence of nanoparticles

Natural gas hydrates occur widely on the ocean-bed and in permafrost regions, and have potential as an untapped energy resource. Their formation and growth, however, poses major problems for the energy sector due to their tendency to block oil and gas pipelines, whereas their melting is viewed as a potential contributor to climate change. Although recent advances have been made in understanding bulk methane hydrate formation, the effect of impurity particles, which are always present under conditions relevant to industry and the environment, remains an open question. Here we present results from neutron scattering experiments and molecular dynamics simulations that show that the formation of methane hydrate is insensitive to the addition of a wide range of impurity particles. Our analysis shows that this is due to the different chemical natures of methane and water, with methane generally excluded from the volume surrounding the nanoparticles. This has important consequences for our understanding of the mechanism of hydrate nucleation and the design of new inhibitor molecules

Efect of maleated anhydride on mechanical properties of rice husk filler reinforced PLA Matrix Polymer Composite

Polylactic acid (PLA) formulated from corn starch has a bright potential to replace the non-renewable petroleum-based plastics. The combination of PLA and natural fbre has gained interest due to its unique performance, as reported in many researches and industries. Meanwhile, rice husk produced as the by-product of rice milling can be utilised, unless it is turned completely into waste. Therefore, in the present study, the rice husk powder (RHP) was used as a fller in the PLA, so to determine the infuence of the fller loading on the mechanical properties of the PLA composite. A coupling agent was selected for treatment from two options, i.e., maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP) and maleic anhydride polyethylene (MAPE), by applying the agents with various loading contents, such as 2, 4 and 6 wt%. The composite was fabricated by using the hot compression machine. Both the treated and untreated RHP–PLA composites were characterised via the tensile, fexural and impact strength tests. The increase in the RHP loading content led to the decrease in the tensile and fexural strengths. The applications of the coupling agents (MAPE and MAPP) did not improve the tensile and impact strengths, but the fexural strength was enhanced