Crosslinking of β-cyclodextrin on cholesterol removal from milk

This study was designed to develop crosslinking of beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD), and determine the optimum conditions of different factors (mixing time, mixing temperature, and mixing speed) on cholesterol reduction from milk. Crosslinked beta-CD was prepared with epichlorohydrin. When milk was treated with different conditions, the cholesterol removal rate was in the range of 79.4 to 83.3% with 1% crosslinked beta-CD addition, which were not significantly different among treatments. After cholesterol removal from milk, the used crosslinked beta-CD was washed for cholesterol dissociation and reused. For recycling study, the cholesterol removal rate in first trial was 81.8%, which was mostly same as that using new crosslinked beta-CD. With five trials repeatedly using the same sample, the mean cholesterol removal rate was 81.2%. The present study indicated that the optimum conditions on cholesterol removal using crosslinked beta-CD were 10 min mixing with 400 rpm speed at 5 degrees C with about 80% cholesterol removal. In addition, crosslinked beta-CD resulted in the effective recycling efficiency almost 100%.

Microencapsulated iron for milk fortification

This study was designed to develop a microencapsulated iron that could be used to fortify milk and to determine the sensory properties of milk fortified with microencapsulated iron. Coating material was polyglycerol monostearate (PGMS), and selected core material was ferric ammonium sulfate. The highest efficiency of microencapsulation was 75% with 5:1:30 ratio (w/w/v) as coating to core materials to distilled water. Iron release was 12% when stored at 4 degrees C for 3 days. The TBA value was the lowest when 100 ppm of capsulated iron was added into milk and was significantly lower in capsulated groups compared with that in uncapsulated groups. In an in vitro study, only 3-5% of iron was released in simulated gastric fluid (pH 3, 4, 5, and 6). Comparatively, iron release increased dramatically from 12.3% (pH 5) to 95.7% (pH 8) for 60 min of incubation in simulated intestinal fluid. In a sensory analysis, most aspects except for metallic taste and color were not significantly different between control and capsulated iron fortified milk at 3 days of storage. However, between capsulated and uncapsulated groups, astringency, metallic, color, and overall scores were significantly different. The present study indicated that the use of microencapsulated iron with PGMS is effective for fortifying milk.

Terahertz waveform synthesis via optical rectification of shaped ultrafast laser pulses

We demonstrate the use of optical pulse-shaping technique in conjunction with difference frequency generation in a non-linear optoelectronic crystal for generating synthesized waveforms at terahertz frequencies. Spectral phase modulations, programmed using Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm and prepared in a spatial light Fourier filter, produce tailored terahertz pulses, including chirped pulses, zero-area pulses, and trains of multiple pulses for tunable narrow-band terahertz radiation up to 2.0 THz.

Functional Properties of Cholesterol-Removed Whipping Cream Treated by β-Cyclodextrin

The present study was carried out to examine the changes in functional properties of cholesterol-removed whipping cream by beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) treatment. The cholesterol removal rate reached over 90% in cream before whipping in all conditions (different stirring time and speed) applied. The apparent viscosity of beta-CD treated cream after whipping increased with increased stirring time and speed. Comparatively, the overrun percentage reached to 150%, and foam instability was measured as 2.5 ml deformed cream with lower stirring time (10 min) and speed (400 rpm). The thiobarbituric acid value of cholesterol-removed whipping cream increased from 0.08 to 0.14 stored at 4 degrees C during 4 wk; however, no difference was found compared with that of control. Above results indicated that beta-CD treatment process for cholesterol removal did not show a profound adverse effect on functional properties of cream after whipping.

Microencapsulated ascorbic acid for milk fortification

The present study was designed to develop a microencapsulated L-ascorbic acid and iron that could be used to fortify milk and to determine the sensory properties of milk fortified with microencapuslation. Coating material was medium-chain triacylglycerol (MCT), and selected core material was ferric ammonium sulfate and L-ascorbic acid. The highest efficiency of microencapsulation was 95.0% in the ratio of 15:1 as coating to core material. Ascorbic acid release was increased sharply up to 5 d storage as 6.5%. TBA value was the lowest when both capsulated iron and ascorbic acid were added during 12 d storage, compared with other treatments. In sensory analysis, most aspects were not significantly different between control and capsulated ascorbic acid fortified milk at 5 d storage. The present study indicated that the use of microencapsulated ascorbic acid with MCT is effective for fortifying milk. In addition, these results suggest that acceptable milk products can be prepared with microencapsulated ascorbic acid and iron.

Deep venous thrombosis associated with protein C and/or S deficiency: management with catheter-directed thrombolysis

We performed this study to evaluate the efficacy of catheter-directed thrombolysis with urokinase in treating acute symptomatic iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis associated with protein C and/or S deficiency. A total of 42 consecutive patients with deep venous thrombosis were seen between September 2000 and August 2002. Of these, catheter-directed thrombolysis via the popliteal vein was performed in 5 patients (11.9%) with acute iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis associated with protein C and/or S deficiency. Average duration of symptoms was 4.2 days (range, 1-7 days). The average urokinase dose was 2.7 million IU (range, 0.6 million to 7.0 million IU) infused over an average of 33.1 h (range, 16-67 h). Lysis was complete in all five treated cases. Two cases had underlying iliac venous stenoses (>50%) that were treated with angioplasty and stent placement. In one patient in whom recanalization of a right iliac vein occlusion was successful, thrombosis occurred in the treated vein within 3 weeks of intervention despite full anticoagulation therapy, and further intervention was required. There were no complications or clinically detectable pulmonary emboli. The technical and clinical success rates were 100%. This initial experience suggests that catheter-directed thrombolysis for treatment of acute symptomatic iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis associated with protein C and/or S deficiency is safe and effective.

Removal of cholesterol from Cheddar cheese by beta-cyclodextrin

This study was carried out to determine the cholesterol removal rate and resulting changes in flavor, fatty acid and bitter amino acid production in reduced-cholesterol Cheddar cheese, made by cream separation followed by 10% beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) treatment. The cholesterol removal from the cheese was 92.1%. The production of short-chain free fatty acids (FFAs) increased the ripening time in control and cream-treated cheeses. The quantity of short-chain FFAs released between treatments during ripening was different, while not much difference was found in the production of neutral volatile compounds in the samples. Reduced-cholesterol cheese produced much higher levels of bitter amino acids than the control. In sensory analysis, the texture score of control Cheddar cheese increased significantly with ripening time; however, that of the cream treatment group decreased dramatically with ripening time. On the basis of our results, we conclude that the cheese made from beta-CD-treated cream had a higher rate of cholesterol removal and ripened rapidly.

Evidence for linkage and association with reading disability on 6p21.3-22

Reading disability (RD), or dyslexia, is a common heterogeneous syndrome with a large genetic component. Several studies have consistently found evidence for a quantitative-trait locus (QTL) within the 17 Mb (14.9 cM) that span D6S109 and D6S291 on chromosome 6p21.3-22. To characterize further linkage to the QTL, to define more accurately the location and the effect size, and to identify a peak of association, we performed Haseman-Elston and DeFries-Fulker linkage analyses, as well as transmission/disequilibrium, total-association, and variance-components analyses, on 11 quantitative reading and language phenotypes. One hundred four families with RD were genotyped with a new panel of 29 markers that spans 9 Mb of this region. Linkage results varied widely in degree of statistical significance for the different linkage tests, but multipoint analysis suggested a peak near D6S461. The average 6p QTL heritability for the 11 reading and language phenotypes was 0.27, with a maximum of 0.66 for orthographic choice. Consistent with the region of linkage described by these studies and others, there was a peak of transmission disequilibrium with a QTL centered at JA04 (chi2=9.48; empirical P=.0033; orthographic choice), and there was strong evidence for total association at this same marker (chi2=11.49; P=.0007; orthographic choice). Although the boundaries of the peak could not be precisely defined, the most likely location of the QTL is within a 4-Mb region surrounding JA04.