Lower oxygen saturation targets in preterm infants are not associated with increased rates of pulmonary hypertension.

BACKGROUND: The optimal oxygen saturation target in preterm infants is not known. In this study, we aimed to assess the effect of lower oxygen saturation targets on the rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and pulmonary hypertension (PH) in preterm infants. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study comparing BPD, ROP, and PH incidence among two cohorts of infants born at≤32 weeks gestation with different oxygen saturation targets at≥34 weeks post-menstrual age (PMA): cohort 1, 94-98% (n = 126); cohort 2, 92-97% (n = 121). Groups compared by Chi-square test, t-test, and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: When comparing cohort 1 (average gestational age 29.8 weeks, average birth weight 1271g) with cohort 2 (average gestational age 29.6 weeks, average birth weight 1299g), there was no difference in rate of BPD (24% vs. 19%, p = 0.38), ROP (4% vs. 3%, p = 0.49), or PH (2% vs. 4%, p = 0.44). CONCLUSION: An oxygen saturation target of 92-97% at≥34 weeks PMA was not associated with a higher rate of PH or lower rate of BPD or ROP when compared with a higher target of 94-98%.

Fabrication, characterisation and stability of oil-in-water emulsions stabilised by solid lipid particles: the role of particle characteristics and emulsion microstructure upon Pickering functionality.

The quest to identify and use bio-based particles with a Pickering stabilisation potential for food applications has lately been particularly substantial and includes, among other candidates, lipid-based particles. The present study investigates the ability of solid lipid particles to stabilise oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions against coalescence. Results obtained showed that emulsion stability could be achieved when low amounts (0.8 wt/wt%) of a surface active species (e.g. Tween 80 or NaCas) were used in particles' fabrication. Triple staining of the o/w emulsions enabled the visualisation of emulsion droplets' surface via confocal microscopy. This revealed an interfacial location of the lipid particles, hence confirming stabilisation via a Pickering mechanism. Emulsion droplet size was controlled by varying several formulation parameters, such as the type of the lipid and surface active component, the processing route and the polarity of the dispersed phase. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was employed as the analytical tool to quantify the amount of crystalline material available to stabilise the emulsion droplets at different intervals during the experimental timeframe. Dissolution of lipid particles in the oil phase was observed and evolved distinctly between a wax and a triglyceride, and in the presence of a non-ionic surfactant and a protein. Yet, this behaviour did not result in emulsion destabilisation. Moreover, emulsion's thermal stability was found to be determined by the behaviour of lipid particles under temperature effects.

Functional food microstructures for macronutrient release and delivery.

There is a need to understand the role of fat, protein and carbohydrate in human health, and also how foods containing and/or structured using these macronutrients can be designed so that they can have a positive impact on health. This may include a reduction in fat, salt or sugar, the protection and targeted release of micronutrients or active ingredients from/to particular parts of the digestive system, improvement of gastrointestinal health or satiety enhancing properties. Such foods can be designed with various macro- and microstructures that will impact on macronutrient release and delivery. These include simple and double emulsions, the use of Pickering particles and shells, nanoparticles, liposomes, gelled networks, fluid gels and gel particles, foams, self-assembled structures, and encapsulated systems. In order to design foods that deliver these benefits understanding of how these structures behave in the gastrointestinal tract is also required, which should involve utilising both in vitro and in vivo studies. This review aims to draw together research in these areas, by focusing on the current state of the art, but also exciting possibilities for future research and food development.

PET/CT imaging reveals unrivaled placental avidity for glucose compared to other tissues.

INTRODUCTION: The goal of this study was to define the kinetics of glucose transport from maternal blood to placenta to fetus using real time imaging. METHODS: Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of the glucose-tracer [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) was used to temporally and spatially define, in vivo, the kinetics of glucose transport from maternal blood into placentae and fetuses, in the late gestational gravid rat. Computed tomography (CT), with intravenous contrast, co-registered to the PET images allowed anatomic differentiation of placentae from fetal and maternal tissues. RESULTS: FDG was rapidly taken up by placentae and subsequently appeared in fetuses with minimal temporal lag. FDG standardized uptake values in placentae and fetuses approached that of maternal brain. In both anesthetized and awake dams, one quarter of the administered FDG ultimately was accrued in the collective fetuses and placentae. Accordingly, kinetic modeling demonstrated that the placentae had very high avidity for FDG, 2-fold greater than that of the fetus and maternal brain, when accounting for the fact that fetal FDG necessarily must first be taken up by placentae. Consistent with this, placental expression of glucose transporter 1 exceeded that of all other tissues. DISCUSSION: Fetal and placental tissues place a substantial glucose metabolic burden on the mother, owing to very high avidity of placentae for glucose coupled with the large relative mass of fetal and placental tissues. CONCLUSIONS: The placenta has a tremendous capacity to uptake and transport glucose. PET/CT imaging is an ideal means to study metabolite transport kinetics in the fetoplacental unit.

Interfacial behaviour of sodium stearoyllactylate (SSL) as an oil-in-water pickering emulsion stabiliser.

The ability of a food ingredient, sodium stearoyllactylate (SSL), to stabilise oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions against coalescence was investigated, and closely linked to its capacity to act as a Pickering stabiliser. Results showed that emulsion stability could be achieved with a relatively low SSL concentration (≥0.1 wt%), and cryogenic-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) visualisation of emulsion structure revealed the presence of colloidal SSL aggregates adsorbed at the oil-water interface. Surface properties of SSL could be modified by altering the size of these aggregates in water; a faster decrease in surface tension was observed when SSL dispersions were subjected to high pressure homogenisation (HPH). The rate of SSL adsorption at the sunflower oil-water interface also increased after HPH, and a higher interfacial tension (IFT) was observed with increasing SSL concentration. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) enabled a comparison of the thermal behaviour of SSL in aqueous dispersions with SSL-stabilised O/W emulsions. SSL melting enthalpy depended on emulsion interfacial area and the corresponding DSC data was used to determine the amount of SSL adsorbed at the oil-water interface. An idealised theoretical interfacial coverage calculation based on Pickering emulsion theory was in general agreement with the mass of SSL adsorbed as predicted by DSC.

Competitive adsorption of surfactants and hydrophilic silica particles at the oil-water interface: interfacial tension and contact angle studies.

The effect of surfactants' type and concentration on the interfacial tension and contact angle in the presence of hydrophilic silica particles was investigated. Silica particles have been shown to have an antagonistic effect on interfacial tension and contact angle in the presence of both W/O and O/W surfactants. Silica particles, combined with W/O surfactant, have no effect on interfacial tension, which is only dictated by the surfactant concentration, while they strongly affect interfacial tension when combined with O/W surfactants. At low O/W surfactant, both particles and surfactant are adsorbed at the interface, modifying the interface structure. At higher concentration, interfacial tension is only dictated by the surfactant. By increasing the surfactant concentration, the contact angle that a drop of aqueous phase assumes on a glass substrate placed in oil media decreases or increases depending on whether the surfactant is of W/O or O/W type, respectively. This is due to the modification of the wettability of the glass by the oil or water induced by the surfactants. Regardless of the surfactant's type, the contact angle profile was dictated by both particles and surfactant at low surfactant concentration, whereas it is dictated by the surfactant only at high concentration.

O/W emulsions stabilised by both low molecular weight surfactants and colloidal particles: The effect of surfactant type and concentration.

The stability against coalescence of O/W emulsions in the presence of both surfactants and colloidal particles was investigated. In particular the effect of the surfactant type and concentration in these emulsifier mixtures on the O/W emulsions' stability was studied. Two types of surfactants were selected; those that have the ability to stabilise O/W emulsions on their own (O/W surfactants) and those that cannot (W/O surfactants). Tween 60 and Sodium Caseinate were selected as the O/W surfactants and lecithin as the W/O surfactant. Oil-in-water emulsions prepared with both particles and any of the three surfactants were stable against coalescence but, depending on the type of surfactant, the behaviour of the systems was found to depend on surfactant concentration. The droplet sizes of emulsions stabilised by mixed emulsifier systems containing low concentrations of O/W surfactants (Tween 60 or Sodium Caseinate) were smaller than those solely stabilised by either the surfactant or particles alone. At intermediate O/W surfactants concentrations, the droplet sizes of the emulsions increased. Further increases in the O/W surfactants' concentration, resulted in the complete removal of particles from the interface with the system now behaving as a surfactant-only stabilised emulsion. The behaviour of emulsions stabilised by emulsifier mixtures containing W/O surfactants was not dependent on the concentration of surfactant: no removal of particles was observed.

Mixed-emulsifier stabilised emulsions: Investigation of the effect of monoolein and hydrophilic silica particle mixtures on the stability against coalescence.

The stability against coalescence of vegetable oil-in-water "food grade" emulsions in the presence of both surfactant (monoolein) and colloidal particles (hydrophilic silica) has been studied and compared to the stability of systems where only the low molecular weight surfactant or the colloidal particles act as the emulsifier. No attempt was made to stop the emulsions from creaming and the data presented for coalescence stability is for droplets in the creamed layer. These are severe conditions as the contact time between droplets in such closed packed conditions is very high or even infinite. These mixed emulsifier systems were found to induce long-term emulsion stability against coalescence via a synergistic "two-part" mechanism in which both the surfactant and colloidal particles components have specific functions. The role of the surfactant is to initially "delay" the re-coalescence phenomena and induce further droplet break-up during emulsification by rapidly covering the new (naked) interface and reducing interfacial tension in order to allow the time for the silica particles to assemble at the oil/water interface and provide long-term stability. This dual manner by which mixed-emulsifier systems induced stability was found to depend on the concentrations of both monoolein and silica particles.

Interfacial tension in aqueous biopolymer-surfactant mixtures.

The current study offers a first insight into the interfacial properties of pullulan-sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) in the presence of sodium chloride (NaCl). The effect of composition on the interfacial tension (sigma) in these ATPS was investigated over a wide range of pullulan, SDS and NaCl concentrations. An increase in the interfacial tension was observed with increasing pullulan and SDS concentrations and a small increase was also observed as the NaCl concentration was increased. In both cases the interfacial tension increases were closely related to the phase behaviour of these systems; as a consequence of increasing the pullulan, SDS and/or NaCl concentrations, the system moves further away from the critical point. In all systems interfacial tensions (of the order of muN/m) were comparable with those reported for polymer-polymer ATPS. Interfacial tensions sigma can be well correlated with the difference in pullulan and SDS concentrations between the phases (DeltaC pul and DeltaC SDS) and also the tie-line length (TLL); all yield straight lines on a log-log scale.