Association of body mass index with disease severity and prognosis in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis

The objective of this observational, multicenter study was to evaluate the association of body mass index (BMI) with disease severity and prognosis in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. A total of 339 patients (197 females, 142 males) diagnosed with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis by high-resolution computed tomography were classified into four groups: underweight (BMI<18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5≤BMI<25.0 kg/m2), overweight (25.0≤BMI<30.0 kg/m2), and obese (BMI≥30.0 kg/m2). Clinical variables expressing disease severity were recorded, and acute exacerbations, hospitalizations, and survival rates were estimated during the follow-up period. The mean BMI was 21.90 kg/m2. The underweight group comprised 28.61% of all patients. BMI was negatively correlated with acute exacerbations, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, radiographic extent of bronchiectasis, and chronic colonization by P. aeruginosa and positively correlated with pulmonary function indices. BMI was a significant predictor of hospitalization risk independent of relevant covariates. The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year cumulative survival rates were 94%, 86%, 81%, and 73%, respectively. Survival rates decreased with decreasing BMI (χ2=35.16, P<0.001). The arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure, inspiratory capacity, age, BMI, and predicted percentage of forced expiratory volume in 1 s independently predicted survival in the Cox proportional hazard model. In conclusion, an underweight status was highly prevalent among patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. Patients with a lower BMI were prone to developing more acute exacerbations, worse pulmonary function, amplified systemic inflammation, and chronic colonization by P. aeruginosa. BMI was a major determinant of hospitalization and death risks. BMI should be considered in the routine assessment of patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

Development of the endocrine pancreas and novel strategies for β-cell mass restoration and diabetes therapy

Diabetes mellitus represents a serious public health problem owing to its global prevalence in the last decade. The causes of this metabolic disease include dysfunction and/or insufficient number of β cells. Existing diabetes mellitus treatments do not reverse or control the disease. Therefore, β-cell mass restoration might be a promising treatment. Several restoration approaches have been developed: inducing the proliferation of remaining insulin-producing cells, de novo islet formation from pancreatic progenitor cells (neogenesis), and converting non-β cells within the pancreas to β cells (transdifferentiation) are the most direct, simple, and least invasive ways to increase β-cell mass. However, their clinical significance is yet to be determined. Hypothetically, β cells or islet transplantation methods might be curative strategies for diabetes mellitus; however, the scarcity of donors limits the clinical application of these approaches. Thus, alternative cell sources for β-cell replacement could include embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and mesenchymal stem cells. However, most differentiated cells obtained using these techniques are functionally immature and show poor glucose-stimulated insulin secretion compared with native β cells. Currently, their clinical use is still hampered by ethical issues and the risk of tumor development post transplantation. In this review, we briefly summarize the current knowledge of mouse pancreas organogenesis, morphogenesis, and maturation, including the molecular mechanisms involved. We then discuss two possible approaches of β-cell mass restoration for diabetes mellitus therapy: β-cell regeneration and β-cell replacement. We critically analyze each strategy with respect to the accessibility of the cells, potential risk to patients, and possible clinical outcomes.

Production and characterization of lipid microparticles produced by spray cooling encapsulating a low molar mass hydrophilic compound

The objective of this research was to produce and characterize lipid particles (MpLs) that may be used as carriers of high amounts of hydrophilic core and evaluate the influence of the core amount on the performance of lipid microparticles. The MpLs were produced by spray cooling from solid and liquid lipid mixtures (stearic and oleic fatty acids and partly hydrogenated vegetable fat) containing glucose solution as core and soy lecithin as surfactant. The performance of MpLs was evaluated by means of the effective amount of encapsulated core, the core amount present on the surface of MpLs (superficial glucose) and the core release profile in aqueous solution. Morphological observations showed that MpLs presented spherical shape and a rugged and continuous surface, and an average diameter between 25 and 32 µm. The effective amount of encapsulated core was greater than 78% for all formulations evaluated. Larger amounts of superficial glucose were found in formulations in which more concentrated glucose solutions were used, regardless of the glucose lipid-solution ratio. The release results showed that core retention was significantly influenced by the glucose solution concentration, whereas release modulation was influenced by the glucose lipid-solution ratio.

Evaluation of noni (Morinda citrifolia) volatile profile by dynamic headspace and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Noni is a fruit that has interested the scientific community due to its medicinal and functional activities. Different products that contain noni are already in the market, but their consumption could be impaired by their distinctive unpleasant aroma and flavor. The aim of this work was to evaluate the noni pulp volatile profile by dynamic headspace and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Thirty seven volatile compounds were detected, mainly alcohols (63.3%), esters (26.9%), cetones (7.4%), and acids (1.2%).

(E)-2-Nonenal determination in brazilian beers using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatographic coupled mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS)

(E)-2-nonenal is considered an important off-flavor of beer, related to the flavor of beer staling. In this study, a new method for determination of (E)-2-nonenal in beer using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatographic coupled mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) was developed and applied in Brazilian beer samples. The extractions were carried out in CAR-PDMS (carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane) fiber and the best results were found with 15 minutes of equilibrium and 90 minutes of extraction at 50 °C. The method was linear in the range from 0.02 to 4.0 μg.L-1 with correlation coefficient of 0.9994. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.01 and 0.02 μg.L-1, respectively. 96.5% of recovery and 4% precision (RSD) were obtained in the fortification of beer samples with 2.0 μg.L-1 of (E)-2-nonenal. The developed method proved to be simple, efficient and highly sensitive to the determination of this analyte being easily applied in the quality control of the brewery. (E)-2-nonenal was found in all beer samples analyzed with levels between 0.17 and 0.42 μg.L-1.

Monitoring of wine aging process by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

The characterization of wine samples by direct insertion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), without pre-treatment or chromatographic separation, in a process denominated fingerprinting, has been applied to several samples of wine produced with grapes of the Pinot noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties from the state o Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil. The ESI-MS fingerprints of the samples detected changes which occurred during the aging process in the three grape varieties. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the negative ion mode fingerprints was used to group the samples, pinpoint the main changes in their composition, and indicate marker ions for each group of samples.

Development and validation of a method for detection and quantification of ochratoxin A in green coffee using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry

A method using Liquid Chromatography Tanden Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with matrix-matched calibration curve was developed and validated for determining ochratoxin A (OTA) in green coffee. Linearity was found between 3.0 and 23.0 ng.g-1. Mean recoveries ranged between 90.45% and 108.81%; the relative standard deviation under repeatability and intermediate precision conditions ranged from 5.39% to 9.94% and from 2.20% to 14.34%, respectively. The limits of detection and quantification were 1.2 ng.g-1 and 3.0 ng.g-¹, respectively. The method developed was suitable and contributed to the field of mycotoxin analysis, and it will be used for future production of the Certified Reference Material (CRM) for OTA in coffee.

Characterization and classification of pequi trees (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) based on the profile of volatile constituents using headspace solid-phase microextraction - gas chromatography - mass spectrometry and multivariate analysis

In order to determine the variability of pequi tree (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) populations, volatile compounds from fruits of eighteen trees representing five populations were extracted by headspace solid-phase microextraction and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Seventy-seven compounds were identified, including esters, hydrocarbons, terpenoids, ketones, lactones, and alcohols. Several compounds had not been previously reported in the pequi fruit. The amount of total volatile compounds and the individual compound contents varied between plants. The volatile profile enabled the differentiation of all of the eighteen plants, indicating that there is a characteristic profile in terms of their origin. The use of Principal Component Analysis and Cluster Analysis enabled the establishment of markers (dendrolasin, ethyl octanoate, ethyl 2-octenoate and β-cis-ocimene) that discriminated among the pequi trees. According to the Cluster Analysis, the plants were classified into three main clusters, and four other plants showed a tendency to isolation. The results from multivariate analysis did not always group plants from the same population together, indicating that there is greater variability within the populations than between pequi tree populations.

Quality of eggs sold in different commercial establishments and the study of the conditions of storage

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of storage conditions on the physicochemical (mass, albumen height, pH, and Haugh unit) and microbiological (Salmonella spp., determination of the Total and Thermotolerant Coliforms, and Counting of the Mesophilic Aerobic Bacteria) quality of eggs. In the first experiment, a questionnaire was applied, and 33 samples of eggs were collected for the Salmonella spp analysis. In the second experiment, the eggs were collected from supermarkets, open markets, and distributors for physicochemical analysis. In the third experiment, 175 eggs were collected from the distributor, packaged in cardboard boxes lined with plastic wrapping, stored at 5 °C and 28 °C, and the physicochemical and microbiological analyses were performed at 7, 14, and 21 days of storage. In the first experiment, 100% of the samples analyzed showed no Salmonella spp. In the second experiment, it was found that the values of physicochemical parameters were in agreement with those in the literature. However, in the third experiment, the physicochemical parameter results showed statistical difference during storage and temperatures studied. Salmonella spp. were found in the samples stored at room temperature and in the refrigerated samples. Mesophilic microorganisms with values ranging from <10 CFU g- 1 (estimated) to 8.0 × 10³ CFU g- 1 and coliforms to 4 NMP.g- 1 were also found, but the presence of E. coli was not confirmed.

Influence of distillation time and sample mass on sulfur dioxide analysis in passion fruit juice through Monier-Williams method

AbstractThis study aimed to evaluate the effect of the distillation time and the sample mass on the total SO2 content in integral passion fruit juice (Passiflora sp). For the SO2 analysis, a modified version of the Monier-Williams method was used. In this experiment, the distillation time and the sample mass were reduced to half of the values proposed in the original method. The analyses were performed in triplicate for each distilling time x sample mass binomial, making a total of 12 tests, which were performed on the same day. The significance of the effects of the different distillation times and sample mass were evaluated by applying one-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA). For a 95% confidence limit, it was found that the proposed amendments to the distillation time, sample mass, and the interaction between distilling time x sample mass were not significant (p > 0.05) in determining the SO2 content in passion fruit juice. In view of the results that were obtained it was concluded that for integral passion fruit juice it was possible to reduce the distillation time and the sample mass in determining the SO2 content by the Monier-Williams method without affecting the result.

Drying soybean seed using air ambient temperature at low relative humidity

Under subtropical and tropical environments soybean seed (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) are harvested early to avoid deterioration from weathering. Careful after-harvest drying is required and is an important step in maintaining the physiological quality of the seed. Soybean seed should be harvested when the moisture content is in a range of 16-20%. Traditional drying utilizes a high temperature air stream passed through the seed mass without dehumidification. The drying time is long because the system is inefficient and the high temperature increases the risk of thermal damage to the seed. New technology identified as heat pipe technology (HPT) is available and has the unique feature of removing the moisture from the air stream before it is passed through the seed mass at the same environmental temperature. Two studies were conducted to evaluate the performance of HPT for dry soybean seed. In the first study the seeds were dried from 17.5 to 11.1% in 2 hours and 29 minutes and in the second sudy the seeds were dried from 22.6 to 11.9% in 16 hours and 32 minutes. This drying process caused no reduction in seed quality as measured by the standard germination, tetrazolium-viability, accelerated aging and seedling vigor classification tests. The only parameter that indicated a slight seed quality reduction was tetrazolium vigor in the second study. It was concluded that the HPT system is a promising technology for drying soybean seed when efficiency and maintenance of physiological quality are desired.

Chemical changes in biomass during torrefaction

Torrefaction is moderate thermal treatment (~200-300 °C) of biomass in an inert atmosphere. The torrefied fuel offers advantages to traditional biomass, such as higher heating value, reduced hydrophilic nature, increased its resistance to biological decay, and improved grindability. These factors could, for instance, lead to better handling and storage of biomass and increased use of biomass in pulverized combustors. In this work, we look at several aspects of changes in the biomass during torrefaction. We investigate the fate of carboxylic groups during torrefaction and its dependency to equilibrium moisture content. The changes in the wood components including carbohydrates, lignin, extractable materials and ashforming matters are also studied. And at last, the effect of K on torrefaction is investigated and then modeled. In biomass, carboxylic sites are partially responsible for its hydrophilic characteristic. These sites are degraded to varying extents during torrefaction. In this work, methylene blue sorption and potentiometric titration were applied to measure the concentration of carboxylic groups in torrefied spruce wood. The results from both methods were applicable and the values agreed well. A decrease in the equilibrium moisture content at different humidity was also measured for the torrefied wood samples, which is in good agreement with the decrease in carboxylic group contents. Thus, both methods offer a means of directly measuring the decomposition of carboxylic groups in biomass during torrefaction as a valuable parameter in evaluating the extent of torrefaction. This provides new information to the chemical changes occurring during torrefaction. The effect of torrefaction temperature on the chemistry of birch wood was investigated. The samples were from a pilot plant at Energy research Center of the Netherlands (ECN). And in that way they were representative of industrially produced samples. Sugar analysis was applied to analyze the hemicellulose and cellulose content during torrefaction. The results show a significant degradation of hemicellulose already at 240 °C, while cellulose degradation becomes significant above 270 °C torrefaction. Several methods including Klason lignin method, solid state NMR and Py-GC-MS analyses were applied to measure the changes in lignin during torrefaction. The changes in the ratio of phenyl, guaiacyl and syringyl units show that lignin degrades already at 240 °C to a small extent. To investigate the changes in the extractives from acetone extraction during torrefaction, gravimetric method, HP-SEC and GC-FID followed by GC-MS analysis were performed. The content of acetone-extractable material increases already at 240 °C torrefaction through the degradation of carbohydrate and lignin. The molecular weight of the acetone-extractable material decreases with increasing the torrefaction temperature. The formation of some valuable materials like syringaresinol or vanillin is also observed which is important from biorefinery perspective. To investigate the change in the chemical association of ash-forming elements in birch wood during torrefaction, chemical fractionation was performed on the original and torrefied birch samples. These results give a first understanding of the changes in the association of ashforming elements during torrefaction. The most significant changes can be seen in the distribution of calcium, magnesium and manganese, with some change in water solubility seen in potassium. These changes may in part be due to the destruction of carboxylic groups. In addition to some changes in water and acid solubility of phosphorous, a clear decrease in the concentration of both chlorine and sulfur was observed. This would be a significant additional benefit for the combustion of torrefied biomass. Another objective of this work is studying the impact of organically bound K, Na, Ca and Mn on mass loss of biomass during torrefaction. These elements were of interest because they have been shown to be catalytically active in solid fuels during pyrolysis and/or gasification. The biomasses were first acid washed to remove the ash-forming matters and then organic sites were doped with K, Na, Ca or Mn. The results show that K and Na bound to organic sites can significantly increase the mass loss during torrefaction. It is also seen that Mn bound to organic sites increases the mass loss and Ca addition does not influence the mass loss rate on torrefaction. This increase in mass loss during torrefaction with alkali addition is unlike what has been found in the case of pyrolysis where alkali addition resulted in a reduced mass loss. These results are important for the future operation of torrefaction plants, which will likely be designed to handle various biomasses with significantly different contents of K. The results imply that shorter retention times are possible for high K-containing biomasses. The mass loss of spruce wood with different content of K was modeled using a two-step reaction model based on four kinetic rate constants. The results show that it is possible to model the mass loss of spruce wood doped with different levels of K using the same activation energies but different pre-exponential factors for the rate constants. Three of the pre-exponential factors increased linearly with increasing K content, while one of the preexponential factors decreased with increasing K content. Therefore, a new torrefaction model was formulated using the hemicellulose and cellulose content and K content. The new torrefaction model was validated against the mass loss during the torrefaction of aspen, miscanthus, straw and bark. There is good agreement between the model and the experimental data for the other biomasses, except bark. For bark, the mass loss of acetone extractable material is also needed to be taken into account. The new model can describe the kinetics of mass loss during torrefaction of different types of biomass. This is important for considering fuel flexibility in torrefaction plants.

Parameter estimation for Chaotic or Stochastic Dynamics

Since its discovery, chaos has been a very interesting and challenging topic of research. Many great minds spent their entire lives trying to give some rules to it. Nowadays, thanks to the research of last century and the advent of computers, it is possible to predict chaotic phenomena of nature for a certain limited amount of time. The aim of this study is to present a recently discovered method for the parameter estimation of the chaotic dynamical system models via the correlation integral likelihood, and give some hints for a more optimized use of it, together with a possible application to the industry. The main part of our study concerned two chaotic attractors whose general behaviour is diff erent, in order to capture eventual di fferences in the results. In the various simulations that we performed, the initial conditions have been changed in a quite exhaustive way. The results obtained show that, under certain conditions, this method works very well in all the case. In particular, it came out that the most important aspect is to be very careful while creating the training set and the empirical likelihood, since a lack of information in this part of the procedure leads to low quality results.

Mass transfer and reaction kinetics in single droplet systems

As reactive extraction grown more and more popular in a variety of technological applications, optimizing its performance becomes more and more important. The process of complex formation is affected by a great number of both physical and chemical properties of all the components involved, and sometimes their interference with one another makes improving the effectiveness of such processes very difficult. In this Master’s Theses, the processes of complex formation between the aqueous phase - represented by copper sulfate water solution, and organic phase – represented by Acorga M5640 solvent extractor, were studied in order to establish the effect these components have on reactive extraction performance and to determine which step is bottlenecking the process the most.

Résidence de Charles [Richard] Crane à Woods Hole (Mass.) [Massachusetts] qui sera probablement celle de Wilson [résidence d'été] : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol]

Référence bibliographique : Rol, 58888