Determination of Sugars in Soft Drinks by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

The fructose, glucose and sucrose contents of selected soft' drinks available in Malaysian markets were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The soft drinks tested had a soluble sugar content of between 8.5 to 15.3 g 100 ml- 1 • The average fructose, glucose and sucrose contents werefound to be in the ranges of 0 - 6. 7, 0 - 6.9 and 0 - 10.5 g 100 ml I respectively. The content of individual sugars were found to be more variable than the content of total sugar in different samples of a specific soft drink

Integrating rhythmic syllable with tonguing drills in elementary brass instruments instruction

Various rhythm syllable systems that are based on the concept that prioritises ‘sound before symbol’ are known to be able to enhance students’ ability to read music notations. To date, these systems are yet to be integrated with basic brass instrumental skills such as tonguing. This research examines the effect of the rhythm syllable system when it is applied as an integrated teaching approach for novice brass instrument learners by combining rhythm learning with articulation. A teaching experiment was conducted with 90 elementary trumpet students assigned randomly into three groups. Each group underwent five weeks of intervention with a single content but using different approaches of rhythm learning. Data analysis showed significant differences among the groups, and the group that used the adapted rhythmic syllable approach achieved the highest both in rhythm accuracy and articulation clarity, followed by the group that used Kodaly syllables and the control group that did not apply any particular syllable system. The integrated rhythmic syllable reduces the time of learning the brass instrument while eliminating the redundancies resulting from compartmentalised teaching. This research has extended the scope of application of the rhythmic syllable system beyond musicianship training. It indicates that methods in musicianship training can be localised for specific purposes in instrumental learning

Out-of-frame T cell receptor beta transcripts are eliminated by multiple pathways In Vivo

Non-productive antigen receptor genes with frame shifts generated during the assembly of these genes are found in many mature lymphocytes. Transcripts from these genes have premature termination codons (PTCs) and could encode truncated proteins if they are not either inactivated or destroyed by nonsense-mediated decay (NMD). In mammalian cells, NMD can be activated by pathways that rely on the presence of an intron downstream of the PTC; however, NMD can also be activated by pathways that do not rely on these downstream introns, and pathways independent of NMD can inactivate PTC-containing transcripts. Here, through the generation and analysis of mice with gene-targeted modifications of the endogenous T cell receptor beta (Tcrb) locus, we demonstrate that in T cells in vivo, optimal clearance of PTC-containing Tcrb transcripts depends on the presence of an intron downstream of the PTC

Myocardial collagen deposition and inflammatory cell infiltration in cats with pre-clinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

The histological features of feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) have been well documented, but there are no reports describing the histological features in mild pre-clinical disease, since cats are rarely screened for the disease in the early stages before clinical signs are apparent. Histological changes at the early stage of the disease in pre-clinical cats could contribute to an improved understanding of disease aetiology or progression. The aim of this study was to evaluate the histological features of HCM in the left ventricular (LV) myocardium of cats diagnosed with pre-clinical HCM. Clinically healthy cats with normal (n = 11) and pre-clinical HCM (n = 6) were identified on the basis of echocardiography; LV free wall dimensions (LVFWd) and/or interventricular septal wall (IVSd) dimensions during diastole of 6–7 mm were defined as HCM, while equivalent dimension

Numerical Investigation on Serpentine Flow Field and Rhombus Electrolyte Compartment of Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (V-RFB)

Selection of suitable material, fitting for prototype design and pumping rates are three affecting element for cost effectiveness and improve performance of vanadium cell prototype investigation. Therefore, three-dimensional numerical model isothermal computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of vanadium redox flow battery (V-RFB) is studied. In this work, V-RFB with different electrolyte compartments is proposed and the effect of serpentine flow field is investigated. The performance of two V-RFBs with diamond and square electrolyte compartment is numerically tested. This work has been performed to optimize flow rate, electrolyte compartment design, avoid stagnant fluid and flow field application in VRFB. For the simulation, the flow was assumed to be incompressible, isothermal, steady state flow, laminar and Newtonian flow. Results show that the application of flow field and Rhombus type electrolyte compartment can facilitate the distribution of electrolyte in the unit cell uniformity and avoid stagnant in the tank. Simulation results indicate the diamond shape and serpentine flow field at optimal flow rate show the most suitable for V-RFBs than square shape

Composition and Functionality of Lipid Emulsions in Parenteral Nutrition: Examining Evidence in Clinical Applications

Lipid emulsions (LEs), an integral component in parenteral nutrition (PN) feeding, have shifted from the primary aim of delivering non-protein calories and essential fatty acids to defined therapeutic outcomes such as reducing inflammation, and improving metabolic and clinical outcomes. Use of LEs in PN for surgical and critically ill patients is particularly well established, and there is enough literature assigning therapeutic and adverse effects to specific LEs. This narrative review contrarily puts into perspective the fatty acid compositional (FAC) nature of LE formulations, and discusses clinical applications and outcomes according to the biological function and structural functionality of fatty acids and co-factors such as phytosterols, α-tocopherol, emulsifiers and vitamin K. In addition to soybean oil-based LEs, this review covers clinical studies using the alternate LEs that incorporates physical mixtures combining medium- and long-chain triglycerides or structured triglycerides or the unusual olive oil or fish oil. The Jaded score was applied to assess the quality of these studies, and we report outcomes categorized as per immuno-inflammatory, nutritional, clinical, and cellular level FAC changes. It appears that the FAC nature of LEs is the primary determinant of desired clinical outcomes, and we conclude that one type of LE alone cannot be uniformly applied to patient care

Protein-energy wasting and nutritional supplementation in patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis

© 2016 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism Background & aims Protein-Energy Wasting (PEW) is the depletion of protein/energy stores observed in the most advanced stages of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). PEW is highly prevalent among patients on chronic dialysis, and is associated with adverse clinical outcomes, high morbidity/mortality rates and increased healthcare costs. This narrative review was aimed at exploring the pathophysiology of PEW in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis. The main aspects of nutritional status evaluation, intervention and monitoring in this clinical setting were described, as well as the current approaches for the prevention and treatment of ESRD-related PEW. Methods An exhaustive literature search was performed, in order to identify the relevant studies describing the epidemiology, pathogenesis, nutritional intervention and outcome of PEW in ESRD on hemodialysis. Results and conclusion The pathogenesis of PEW is multifactorial. Loss of appetite, reduced intake of nutrients and altered lean body mass anabolism/catabolism play a key role. Nutritional approach to PEW should be based on a careful and periodic assessment of nutritional status and on timely dietary counseling. When protein and energy intakes are reduced, nutritional supplementation by means of specific oral formulations administered during the hemodialysis session may be the first-step intervention, and represents a valid nutritional approach to PEW prevention and treatment since it is easy, effective and safe. Omega-3 fatty acids and fibers, now included in commercially available preparations for renal patients, could lend relevant added value to macronutrient supplementation. When oral supplementation fails, intradialytic parenteral nutrition can be implemented in selected patients

Biocompatible nanostructured high-velocity oxyfuel sprayed titania coating : Deposition, characterization, and mechanical properties

Nanostructured titania (TiO2) coatings were produced by high-velocity oxyfuel (HVOF) spraying. They were engineered as a possible candidate to replace hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings produced by thermal spray on implants. The HVOF sprayed nanostructured titania coatings exhibited mechanical properties, such as hardness and bond strength, much superior to those of HA thermal spray coatings. In addition to these characteristics, the surface of the nanostructured coatings exhibited regions with nanotextured features originating from the semimolten nanostructured feedstock particles. It is hypothesized that these regions may enhance osteoblast adhesion on the coating by creating a better interaction with adhesion proteins, such as fibronectin, which exhibit dimensions in the order of nanometers. Preliminary osteoblast cell culture demonstrated that this type of HVOF sprayed nanostructured titania coating supported osteoblast cell growth and did not negatively affect cell viability.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

Important parameters for hand function assessment of stroke patients

Clinical scales such as Fugl-Meyer Assessment and Motor Assessment Scale are widely used to evaluate stroke patient's motor performance. However, the scoring systems of these assessments provide only rough estimation, making it difficult to objectively quantify impairment and disability or even rehabilitation progress throughout their rehabilitation period. In contrast, robot-based assessments are objective, repeatable, and could potentially reduce the assessment time. However, robot-based assessment scales are not as well established as conventional assessment scale and the correlation to conventional assessment scale is unclear. This paper discusses the important parameters in order to assess the hand function of stroke patients. This knowledge will provide a contribution to the development of a new robot-based assessment device effectively by including the important parameters in the device. The important parameters were included in development of iRest and yielded promising results that illustrate the potential of the important parameters in assessing the hand function of stroke patients

Reformism, Economic Liberalisation and Popular Mobilisation in Iran

Whereas in other MENA countries the impact of neo-liberal policies has been the subject of intense debate, there are at present few voices that directly analyse or critique its social and political consequences in Iran. This article seeks to address this lacuna by analysing the dynamics of reformism, economic liberalisation and popular mobilisation in Iran. It charts the country’s move from a post-revolutionary populism to a liberalised yet increasingly exclusivist model of politics and compares this to trajectories of economic liberalisation in Egypt. Two distinct outcomes of economic reform are analysed in the first part of the article: Socio-economic exclusion; and the contraction of political rights. In the second half, I investigate the ways successive post-war governments in Iran have packaged neo-liberal reforms, and how their re-imagining of the role of the state has led to differing levels of popular resistance. Finally I argue that under the present administration, political elites increasingly are oriented toward strengthening the state and seeking to limit opposition to their policies. However, the absence of neo-liberal hegemony in Iran means that growing mobilization on socio-economic issues is challenging these policies. The Right in Iranian politics is utilizing this mobilisation to present a populist challenge to the reformists in power