Development of sugar free cookies with novel biodegradable packaging film

The use of alternative sweeteners can help manage weight and normal blood glucose levels of diabetics. Development and standardization of sugar free, low glycemic index and high fibre cookies using wheat flour, oats, trans free bakery shortening, and almonds.  Physiochemical analysis of the raw materials used for cookie preparation and the finished product was conducted.   Cookies were analysed for diameter, height, spread ratio, texture, and water activity. Sensory analysis using semi-trained panellists was done to establish the acceptability of the product. The formulated cookies were well accepted by the semi-trained panellists as well as the people with diabetes who were randomly selected for the study. The overall appearance, texture and flavour of the cookies were moderately liked by the panellists as indicated in the qualitative descriptive analysis. The product did not change much with the storage of 90 days. The cookies were high in dietary fibre (2.5g per serving), out of which ?- glucan, a soluble fibre was found to be 0.8g per serving which offers a healthy alternative for consumers. The biodegradable polymer used for packaging the cookies was prepared using terpolymer. The chemical and physical properties of the polymer were determined using acid value which was between 0.0195 and 0.0200, hydroxyl value; 0.0260 and 0.023 and the molecular weight was in the range of 10,256 ? and 10,000 ? of the terpolymer A and B, respectively. The polymer demonstrated good mechanical strength as well as and water vapours barrier properties to be used as a primary package for cookies

BlackMax: A black-hole event generator with rotation, recoil, split branes and brane tension

We present a comprehensive black-hole event generator, BlackMax, which simulates the experimental signatures of microscopic and Planckian black-hole production and evolution at the LHC in the context of brane world models with low-scale quantum gravity. The generator is based on phenomenologically realistic models free of serious problems that plague low-scale gravity, thus offering more realistic predictions for hadron-hadron colliders. The generator includes all of the black-hole graybody factors known to date and incorporates the effects of black-hole rotation, splitting between the fermions, non-zero brane tension and black-hole recoil due to Hawking radiation (although not all simultaneously). The generator can be interfaced with Herwig and Pythia.Comment: 32 pages, 61 figures, webpage http://www-pnp.physics.ox.ac.uk/~issever/BlackMax/blackmax.htm

Efficacy of docosahexaenoic acid-enriched formula to enhance maternal and fetal blood docosahexaenoic acid levels: randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND & AIMS Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) compromises the level of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in phospholipids of maternal and fetal red blood cells and fetal plasma. This is of some concern because of the importance of DHA for fetal neuro-visual development. We have investigated whether this abnormality could be rectified by supplementation with DHA-enriched formula. METHODS Women with GDM (n = 138) recruited from Newham University Hospital, London received two capsules of DHA-enriched formula (active-group) or high oleic acid sunflower seed oil (placebo-group) from diagnosis until delivery. Maternal (baseline and delivery) and fetal (cord blood) red blood cell and plasma phospholipid fatty acid composition, and neonatal anthropometry were assessed. RESULTS One hundred and fourteen women (58 active, 56 placebo) completed the trial. The active-group compared with the placebo-group had significantly enhanced level of DHA in plasma phosphatidylcholine (4.5% vs 3.8%, P = 0.011), red blood cell phosphatidylcholine (2.7% vs 2.2%, P = 0.022) and phosphatidylethoanolamine (9.5% vs 7.6%, P = 0.002). There was no difference in cord plasma and red blood cell phospholipid DHA between the two groups. The neonates of the two groups of women had comparable anthropometric measurements at birth. CONCLUSION Daily supplementation of 600 mg DHA enhances maternal but not fetal DHA status in pregnancy complicated by GDM. The inefficacy of the supplement to improve fetal status suggests that the transfer of DHA across the placenta maybe impaired in women with the condition. Regardless of the mechanisms responsible for the impairment of the transfer, the finding has implications for the management of neonates of women with GDM because they are born with a reduced level of DHA and the condition is thought to be associated with a risk of neuro-developmental deficits. We suggest that babies of women with GDM, particularly those not suckling, similar to the babies born prematurely require formula milk fortified with a higher level of DHA

Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in Bantul, Jogyakarta, Indonesia

An epidemiological investigation of DHF outbreak was done from November to Desember 1976 in Bantul, which is an agricultural district located 25 kilometers south east Jogjakarta, Central Jawa. One hundred and twenty six cases were studied and 97 or 73% were confirmed as dengue infecti­on, the case fatality rate was 3.1%. The median age was 7 years and male to female ratio was 1:1.8. Clinically the observed cases ranged in severity from undifferentiated fever to shock and death. Dengue type, 1, 3 and 4 were isolated but dengue 3 was the predominant virus with 60% (27) isolates. Dengue type 1 and 4 were isolated also in equal numbers. Both A. Aegypti and A. albopictus showed a diversity of breeding habitats. While A. aegypti preferred the large cement tans and A. Albopictus cut bamboo stumps, there was considerable overlapping many breeding sites were shared by the 2 species

Air-Abrasion in Dentistry: A Short Review of the Materials and Performance Parameters

The selection of abrasive material and parameters of the Air-Abrasion device for a particular application is a crucial detail. However, there are no standard recommendations or manuals for choosing these details; the operator must depend on his experience and knowledge of the procedure to select the best possible material and set of parameters. This short review attempts to identify some of the effects that the selection of material and parameters could have on the performance of the Air-Abrasion procedure for a particular application. The material and parameter data are collected from various studies and categorized according to the most popular materials in use right now. These studies are then analyzed to arrive at some inferences on the performance of Air-Abrasion materials and parameters. This review arrives at a few conclusions on the effectiveness of a material and parameter set, and that there is potential for developments in the area of standardizing parameter selection; also, there is scope for further studies on Bio-Active Glass as an alternative to the materials currently used in Air-Abrasion

A chemical biology toolbox to study protein methyltransferases and epigenetic signaling

© 2019, The Author(s). Protein methyltransferases (PMTs) comprise a major class of epigenetic regulatory enzymes with therapeutic relevance. Here we present a collection of chemical probes and associated reagents and data to elucidate the function of human and murine PMTs in cellular studies. Our collection provides inhibitors and antagonists that together modulate most of the key regulatory methylation marks on histones H3 and H4, providing an important resource for modulating cellular epigenomes. We describe a comprehensive and comparative characterization of the probe collection with respect to their potency, selectivity, and mode of inhibition. We demonstrate the utility of this collection in CD4 + T cell differentiation assays revealing the potential of individual probes to alter multiple T cell subpopulations which may have implications for T cell-mediated processes such as inflammation and immuno-oncology. In particular, we demonstrate a role for DOT1L in limiting Th1 cell differentiation and maintaining lineage integrity. This chemical probe collection and associated data form a resource for the study of methylation-mediated signaling in epigenetics, inflammation and beyond

A Potent, Selective and Cell-Active Allosteric Inhibitor of Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 3 (PRMT3)

PRMT3 catalyzes the asymmetric dimethylation of arginine residues of various proteins. It is essential for maturation of ribosomes, may have a role in lipogenesis, and is implicated in several diseases. A potent, selective, and cell- active PRMT3 inhibitor would be a valuable tool for further investigating PRMT3 biology. Here we report the discovery of the first PRMT3 chemical probe, SGC707, by structure-based optimization of the allosteric PRMT3 inhibitors we reported previously, and thorough characterization of this probe in biochemical, biophysical, and cellular assays. SGC707 is a potent PRMT3 inhibitor (IC50 = 31 ± 2 nm, KD = 53 ± 2 nm) with outstanding selectivity (selective against 31 other methyltransferases and more than 250 non-epigenetic targets). The mechanism of action studies and crystal structure of the PRMT3-SGC707 complex confirm the allosteric inhibition mode. Importantly, SGC707 engages PRMT3 and potently inhibits its methyltransferase activity in cells. It is also bioavailable and suitable for animal studies. This well- characterized chemical probe is an excellent tool to further study the role of PRMT3 in health and disease