Development Of High-Strength Aluminum-Based Alloys By Synthesis Of New Multicomponent Quasicrystals

By the control of composition, clustered atomic configuration and stability of the supercooled liquid in the rapid solidification and powder metallurgy processes, high-strength Al-based bulk alloys containing nanoscale nonperiodic phases were produced in AI-Ln-LTM, AI-ETM-LTM and Al-(V, Cr, Mn)-LTM (Ln=lanthanide metal, LTM=VII and VIII group metals, ETM=IV to VI group metals) alloys containing high Al contents of 92 to 95 at%. The nonperiodic phases are composed of amorphous or icosahedral (I) phase. In particular, the Al-based bulk alloys consisting of nanoscale I particles surrounded by Al phase exhibit much better mechanical properties as compared with commercial Al base alloys. The success of producing the Al-based alloys with good engineering properties by use of I phase is important for future development of I-based alloys as practical materials.

Nutritional follow-up of critically ill infants receiving short term parenteral nutrition

Few studies have tried to characterize the efficacy of parenteral support of critically ill infants during short period of intensive care. We studied seventeen infants during five days of total parenteral hyperalimentation. Subsequently, according to the clinical conditions, the patients received nutritional support by parenteral, enteral route or both up to the 10th day. Evaluations were performed on the 1st, 5th, and 10th days. These included: clinical data (food intake and anthropometric measurements), haematological data (lymphocyte count), biochemical tests (albumin, transferrin, fibronectin, prealbumin, retinol-binding protein) and hormone assays (cortisol, insulin, glucagon). Anthropometric measurements revealed no significant difference between the first and second evaluations. Serum albumin and transferrin did not change significantly, but mean values of fibronectin (8.9 to 16 mg/dL), prealbumin (7.7 to 18 mg/dL), and retinol-binding protein (2.4 to 3. 7 mg/dL) increased significantly (p < 0.05) from the 1st to the 10th day. The hormonal study showed no difference for insulin, glucagon, and cortisol when the three evaluations were compared. The mean value of the glucose/insulin ratio was of 25.7 in the 1st day and 15. 5 in the 5th day, revealing a transitory supression of this hormone. Cortisol showed values above normal in the beginning of the study. We conclude that the anthropometric parameters were not useful due to the short time of the study; serum proteins, fibronectin, prealbumin, and retinol-binding protein were very sensitive indicators of nutritional status, and an elevated glucose/insulin ratio, associated with a slight tendency for increased cortisol levels suggest hypercatabolic state. The critically ill patient can benefit from an early metabolic support.