Variação da massa específica aparente e unitária e da porosidade do milho-pipoca durante o processo de secagem.

Pode-se inferir que varios fatores afetam a qualidade do milho-pipoca, dentre eles, propriedades fisicas como tamanho do grao e massa especifica. Com isso, o objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar propriedades fisicas de dois cultivares de milho-pipoca em funcao do teor de umidade. Foram utilizados graos dos cultivares Zelia e CMS 43. A secagem do produto foi realizada a 40oC. Simultaneamente determinou-se a massa especifica aparente e unitaria de ambos os cultivares e varios niveis de umidade. A faixa de teor de umidade utilizada foi de 10,2 a 17,2% e 10,4 a 19,4%, para os cultivares Zelia e CMS 43, respectivamente. Os valores medios obtidos foram 768 e 767 kgm3 de massa especifica aparente, 1.242 e 1332 kg.m3 de massa especifica unitaria e 38 e 42 % de porosidade, para os cultivares Zelia e CMS 43, respectivamente. O comportamento das propriedades fisicas, apresentou a mesma caracteristica da maioria dos produtos agricolas

Efeito das condições de colheita, pré-processamento e armazenamento na qualidade do milho-pipoca.

Com o objetivo de identificar parametros de decrescimos de qualidade de milho-pipoca, foram avaliados os efeitos dos metodos de colheita e debulha de graos, dos teores de umidade inicial, da temperatura do ar de secagem e do tempo de armazenamento sobre a capacidade de expansao das cultivares Zelia e CMS 43. A colheita foi realizada quando ambas as cultivares de milho-pipoca atingiram o teor de umidade de 19% b.u e, posteriormente, 15% b.u. Foram utilizadas a colheita e debulha manuais e a colheita mecanica com diferentes velocidades do cilindro debulhador. O produto foi submetido a secagem artificial em camada fina. Periodicamente, realizou-se o teste-padrao de qualidade relativo a capacidade de expansao do milho-pipoca. A qualidade do grao foi afetada significativamente pela colheita mecanica e pelo aumento da temperatura do ar de secagem mas nao foi reduzida durante o armazenamento. Os melhores valores de capacidade de expansao, com relacao a maioria dos tratamentos, foram obtidos depois de 270 dias de armazenamento. O milho-pipoca da cultivar Zelia apresentou-se com qualidade comercial superior a da cultivar CMS 43, porem e necessario salientar que esta ultima encontra-se ainda em fase de desenvolvimento e melhoramento genetico

the fire assay reloaded

The fire assay process is still the most accurate and precise method for measuring the gold content in gold alloys. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy have been applied to observe the change in microstructure of the samples undergoing the fire assay process. The performed observations reveal that the microstructure of the specimen is more complex than expected. Before the parting stage, the specimen is not a perfect gold–silver binary alloy but contains also copper–silver oxides and other residual compounds. The parting stage appears to be a dealloying process leading to a nanoporous gold nanostructure. What observed after partition explains the evolution of the shape and colour of the specimen and may allow for a better comprehension of the procedure and an improvement in the method

Intensive care of the cancer patient: recent achievements and remaining challenges

A few decades have passed since intensive care unit (ICU) beds have been available for critically ill patients with cancer. Although the initial reports showed dismal prognosis, recent data suggest that an increased number of patients with solid and hematological malignancies benefit from intensive care support, with dramatically decreased mortality rates. Advances in the management of the underlying malignancies and support of organ dysfunctions have led to survival gains in patients with life-threatening complications from the malignancy itself, as well as infectious and toxic adverse effects related to the oncological treatments. In this review, we will appraise the prognostic factors and discuss the overall perspective related to the management of critically ill patients with cancer. The prognostic significance of certain factors has changed over time. For example, neutropenia or autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) have less adverse prognostic implications than two decades ago. Similarly, because hematologists and oncologists select patients for ICU admission based on the characteristics of the malignancy, the underlying malignancy rarely influences short-term survival after ICU admission. Since the recent data do not clearly support the benefit of ICU support to unselected critically ill allogeneic BMT recipients, more outcome research is needed in this subgroup. Because of the overall increased survival that has been reported in critically ill patients with cancer, we outline an easy-to-use and evidence-based ICU admission triage criteria that may help avoid depriving life support to patients with cancer who can benefit. Lastly, we propose a research agenda to address unanswered questions

A Controversy That Has Been Tough to Swallow: Is the Treatment of Achalasia Now Digested?

Esophageal achalasia is a rare neurodegenerative disease of the esophagus and the lower esophageal sphincter that presents within a spectrum of disease severity related to progressive pathological changes, most commonly resulting in dysphagia. The pathophysiology of achalasia is still incompletely understood, but recent evidence suggests that degeneration of the postganglionic inhibitory nerves of the myenteric plexus could be due to an infectious or autoimmune mechanism, and nitric oxide is the neurotransmitter affected. Current treatment of achalasia is directed at palliation of symptoms. Therapies include pharmacological therapy, endoscopic injection of botulinum toxin, endoscopic dilation, and surgery. Until the late 1980s, endoscopic dilation was the first line of therapy. The advent of safe and effective minimally invasive surgical techniques in the early 1990s paved the way for the introduction of laparoscopic myotomy. This review will discuss the most up-to-date information regarding the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of achalasia, including a historical perspective. The laparoscopic Heller myotomy with partial fundoplication performed at an experienced center is currently the first line of therapy because it offers a low complication rate, the most durable symptom relief, and the lowest incidence of postoperative gastroesophageal reflux