Application of seaweed dietary fiber as a potential alternative to phosphates in frankfurters with healthier profiles.

This study was designed to investigate the utilization of seaweed dietary fiber (SDF) as a potential alternative to phosphates on the quality profiles of phosphate-free frankfurters. The results showed that the incorporation of SDF obviously promote the textural parameters of phosphate-free frankfurters, which was effectively verified by scanning electron microscopy. Meanwhile, SDF effectively retarded lipid oxidation of phosphate-free frankfurters during storage (P < 0.05). Moreover, 1.00% SDF was proven to show the best optimal phosphates replacing effect, as well as overcome the quality defects of phosphate-free frankfurters to the maximum extent. In addition, hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions were the primary molecular force in SDF-added phosphate-free frankfurters. Therefore, our results implied that SDF can be considered as a feasible alternative for the processing of phosphate-free frankfurters with improved quality profile and superior health benefits which consistent with the demand of healthier meat products.

Additive Effects of L-Arginine with Potassium Carbonate on the Quality Profile Promotion of Phosphate-Free Frankfurters.

The present study investigated the additive effects of L-Arginine (L-Arg) with potassium carbonate (PC) on the quality characteristics of phosphate-free frankfurters. The results showed that L-Arg combined with PC could act as a viable phosphate replacer by decreasing cooking loss and improving the textural properties of phosphate-free frankfurters (p < 0.05), mainly because of its pH-raising ability. Moreover, L-Arg could assist PC in effectively retarding lipid oxidation in phosphate-free frankfurters during storage (p < 0.05). Furthermore, 0.1% L-Arg combined with 0.15% PC was found to exhibit the best optimal phosphate-replacing effect. This combination could also overcome quality defects and promote the sensory attributes of phosphate-free frankfurters to the maximum extent. Therefore, our results suggest that L-Arg combined with PC can be considered a feasible alternative for the processing of phosphate-free frankfurters with an improved quality profile and superior health benefits.

Effects of the Incorporation of Calcium Chloride on the Physical and Oxidative Stability of Filled Hydrogel Particles.

In this study, the effects of calcium chloride (CaCl2) addition on the physical and oxidative stabilities of filled hydrogel were investigated. The results revealed that CaCl2 significantly enhanced the particle size, interfacial layer thickness, apparent viscosity, and viscoelastic behavior of filled hydrogels and decreased their light and whiteness values (p < 0.05). This phenomenon was mainly attributed to the strong binding ability between Ca2+ and protein/pectin mixtures, which were present in the interfacial area or aqueous phase, as verified by cryo-scanning electron microscopy results. Moreover, lower levels of CaCl2 (2 or 4 mM) significantly enhanced the oxidative stability of filled hydrogels (p < 0.05), particularly at a concentration of 4 mM. However, a higher level of CaCl2 (6 or 8 mM) resulted in an electrostatic shielding effect, which resulted in the aggregation of multiple droplets and the flocculation of the filled hydrogels, which negatively affected the oxidative stability of filled hydrogels. The findings of this study indicated that appropriate Ca2+ levels (4 mM) improved the physical and oxidative stability of filled hydrogel, and this finding may provide useful insights for the development of effective delivery systems for specific applications.

Composite Gel Fabricated with Konjac Glucomannan and Carrageenan Could Be Used as a Cube Fat Substitute to Partially Replace Pork Fat in Harbin Dry Sausages.

The effect of the partial replacement of pork back-fat with a cube fat substitute (CFS) fabricated from konjac glucomannan and carrageenan on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of Harbin dry sausages during 7 days of fermentation was investigated. There were the following five treatments: control (100% back-fat), FS1 (80% back-fat, 20% CFS), FS2 (60% back-fat, 40% CFS), FS3 (40% back-fat, 60% CFS) and FS4 (20% back-fat, 80% CFS). The results showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the physicochemical and sensory characteristics among the control, FS1 and FS2 treatments. However, higher replacement levels (60% and 80%) rendered higher degrees of change in the characteristics of the sausages, lowering the moisture content and aw and increasing the pH, hardness, chewiness and atypical appearance at the end of fermentation. Moreover, electronic nose analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis demonstrated that the FS3 and FS4 treatments destroyed the characteristic quality of the sausage. Overall, our results indicated that, to ensure the traditional characteristics of Harbin dry sausages, the upper limit of the fat replacement level with CFS should be set at 40%.

Comparative Study of Oxidative Structural Modifications of Unadsorbed and Adsorbed Proteins in Whey Protein Isolate-Stabilized Oil-in-Water Emulsions under the Stress of Primary and Secondary Lipid Oxidation Products.

The impact of typical primary or secondary lipid oxidation (LPO) products, selected as linoleic acid 13-hydroperoxide (13-HPODE) and malondialdehyde (MDA), on the structural modification of unadsorbed or adsorbed proteins in whey protein isolate (WPI)-stabilized oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions during storage up to 48 h at 37 °C in the dark was investigated. The results showed that either 13-HPODE and MDA could lead to structural modifications of unadsorbed or adsorbed proteins with a concentration-dependent manner and time relationship, respectively. Moreover, higher levels of MDA rendered a higher degree of oxidative modifications of WPI than 13-HPODE, indicated by the higher protein carbonyl contents and N'-formyl-L-kynurenine (NFK) and lower fluorescence intensity. Additionally, adsorbed proteins were more easily oxidized by LPO products than unadsorbed proteins. Overall, our results indicated that the formation of secondary LPO products and the protein position were crucial factors to increase the degree of oxidative modifications of WPI in O/W emulsion systems.

Multiple Low Doses of Intravenous Corticosteroids to Improve Early Rehabilitation in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Low doses of corticosteroids have been proved to be effective in decreasing the inflammatory cytokines and relieving the pain. However, the optimal dosage of corticosteroids in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is undetermined. A total of 103 patients were randomly divided into three groups. Group A containing 32 patients received normal saline. Group B including 36 patients used two doses of 100 mg hydrocortisone, given 2 hours before and 8 hours after surgery. Group C involving 35 patients received four doses of 100 mg hydrocortisone, 8 hours apart.The level of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were lower in group C than those in group A when detected at 12, 24, and 48 hours after operation and even lower than that in group B at 24 and 48 hours (p < 0.05, all). The visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores were significantly reduced by using two doses of hydrocortisone at the first 12 hours compared with group A (p > 0.05), but it did not show statistic difference 24 hours later (p > 0.05). For comparison, patients with multiple doses achieved continuously better outcomes on pain management than the blank control group within postoperative 36 hours at rest and at 24 hours with activity. In addition, patients using multiple doses of hydrocortisone achieved fewer occurrences of nausea and vomiting, fever, and sleeplessness, better knee function recovery, better patient satisfaction, and shorter length of hospital stays (p < 0.05, all).Multiple dose of hydrocortisone was benefit to the pain management and early rehabilitation in TKA and may be recommended to the clinical practice.

In vivo evaluation of porous lithium-doped hydroxyapatite scaffolds for the treatment of bone defect.

Hydroxyapatite (HA) possesses similar mineral components to bone and possesses good physicochemical properties. Even though pure HA scaffold is brittle, it is insufficient in promoting vascularization and osteoinductivity. This study was conducted to assess whether lithium (Li) incorporated into HA could improve the scaffolds' inherent shortcomings. In the experiments, Li-hydroxyapatite scaffolds' mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and biodegradability were researched primarily. In vivo studies, the Li hydroxyapatite scaffolds were implanted into an animal model to repair the bone defects. Meanwhile, we also evaluated the expression of angiogenic and osteogenic factors. For comparison, autologous bone, hydroxyapatite, and blank control groups were designed. According to the results, Li incorporated with hydroxyapatite did not significantly change the scaffold's degradation velocity, but it obtained higher compress mechanical strength. After Li was doped, bone regeneration was further enhanced but the angiogenic effect was not improved significantly. The in vivo study, Li-HA scaffolds improved new bone formation with GSK-3𝛽 decreased and 𝛽-catenin increased. In conclusion, doped Li into hydroxyapatite was an alternative strategy for improving hydroxyapatite's mechanical property and promoting the osteogenesis potential. This method is highly recommended for clinical application based on this study alone.

Porous lithium-doped hydroxyapatite scaffold seeded with hypoxia-preconditioned bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells for bone-tissue regeneration.

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is a commonly used biomaterial in bone-tissue engineering, but pure HA is deficient in osteoinduction. In this study, we fabricated scaffolds of lithium-doped HA (Li-HA) and assess the bone generation enhancement of Li-HA scaffolds seeded with hypoxia-preconditioned bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs). We found that 1.5%Li-HA obtained optimal cell proliferation activity in vitro. In an in vivo study, Li-HA/BMSCs enhanced new bone formation, reducing the GSK-3ß and increasing the ß-catenin, but the angiogenic effect was not modified significantly. However, when the seeded BMMSCs had been preconditioned in hypoxia condition, the new bone formation was increased, with lower GSK-3ß and higher ß-catenin amounts detected. The HIF-1α secretion was up-regulated, and the vascular endothelial growth factor and CD31 expression increased. In conclusion, the bone scaffold developed from Li-doped HA seeded with hypoxia-preconditioned BMMSCs exerted positive effect on activating the Wnt and HIF-1α signal pathway, and showed good osteogenesis and angiogenesis potential. The composited scaffold contributed to an encouraging result in bone regeneration.

Use of fly-ash slurry in backfill grouting in coal mines.

Cave backfill grouting implies grouting of the caving rock mass prior to it being compacted. The filling materials strengthen the caving rock and support the overlying strata to achieve the purpose of slowing down the surface subsidence. The broken roof will fail and collapse during mining operations performed without appropriate supporting measures being taken. It is difficult to perform continuous backfill mining on the working face of such roofs using the existing mining technology. In order to solve the above problems, fly ash and mine water are considered as filling materials, and flow characteristics of fly-ash slurry are investigated through laboratory experiments and theoretical analyses. Laws governing the diffusion of fly-ash slurry in the void of caving rock masses and in the void between a caving rock mass and a basic roof are obtained and verified. Based on the results obtained from the above analyses and actual conditions at the Zhaoguan coal mine, Shandong Province, China, a cave backfill grouting system of the hauling pipeline is developed and successfully tested at the 1703 working face in the Zhaoguan coal mine. The results demonstrate that a filling rate of 43.46% is achieved, and the surface subsidence coefficient of the grouting process is found to be 0.475. Compared to the total caving method, the proposed system is found to achieve a reduction rate of 40.63%. This effectively helps in lowering the value of the surface subsidence coefficient. Fly ash and mine water, considered as primary materials in this study, also play a significant role in improving the air quality and water environment.

Adductor canal block provides better performance after total knee arthroplasty compared with femoral nerve block: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The methods for pain control after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) vary and have been extensively studied in recent years. Femoral nerve block (FNB) is used as the standard method due to its effective pain control following TKA, but it may weaken the quadriceps strength. Adductor canal block (ACB) is a newly developing analgesic protocol with fast functional recovery and good pain control after TKA. A meta-analysis was conducted to try to find out if ACB is better than FNB in pain treatment and joint functional recovery after TKA. METHODS: The databases PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched. Of 66 records identified, eight randomised controlled trials (RCT) involving 434 patients (504 knees) were eligible for data extraction and meta-analysis according to criteria included. RESULTS: Meta-analysis showed that ACB can significantly decrease visual analogue scale (VAS) score at rest within eight hours (p < 0.001) and at 24 hours (p < 0.001) after operation compared to FNB after TKA, and improve quadriceps strength (p < 0.001) and mobilization ability (p < 0.001). However, the differences in VAS score at rest at 48 hours, VAS score with activity within two days after operation, opioid consumption, hip adductor strength, patient satisfaction, and tourniquet times were not significant between the two groups. CONCLUSION: ACB provide better ambulation ability, faster functional recovery and better pain control at rest after TKA compared to FNB. The use of ACB post TKA is worthy of being recommended to replace FNB as a standard analgesic protocol for pain treatment after TKA.

[Web-based support system for medical device maintenance].

A Web-based technology system was put forward aiming at the actual problems of the long maintenance cycle and the difficulties of the maintenance and repairing of medical equipments. Based on analysis of platform system structure and function, using the key technologies such as search engine, BBS, knowledge base and etc, a platform for medical equipment service technician to use by online or offline was designed. The platform provides users with knowledge services and interactive services, enabling users to get a more ideal solution.

[Anatomic study on hook of hamate bone].

OBJECTIVE: To study the hook of hamate bone by anatomy and iconography methods in order to provide information for the clinical treatment of injuries to the hook of hamate bone and the deep branch of ulnar nerve. METHODS: Fifty-two upper limb specimens of adult corpses contributed voluntarily were collected, including 40 antisepticized old specimens and 12 fresh ones. The hook of hamate bone and its adjacent structure were observed. Twenty-four upper limbs selected randomly from specimens of corpses and 24 upper limbs from 12 healthy adults were investigated by computed tomography (CT) three-dimensional reconstruction, and then related data were measured. The measurement results of 24 specimens were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: The hook of hamate bone is an important component of ulnar carpal canal and carpal canal, and the deep branch of ulnar nerve is located closely in the inner front of the hook of hamate bone. The flexor tendons of the forth and the little fingers are in the innermost side, closely lie next to the outside of the hook of hamate bone. The hamate bone located between the capitate bone and the three-cornered bone with wedge-shaped. The medial-, lateral-, and front-sides are all facies articularis. The hook of hamate bone has an approximate shape of a flat plate. The position migrated from the body of the hamate bone, the middle of the hook and the enlargement of the top of the hook were given the names of "the basis of the hook", "the waist of the hook", and "the coronal of the hook", respectively. The short path of the basement are all longer than the short path of the waist. The long path of the top of the hook is the maximum length diameter of the hook of hamate bone, and is longer than the long path of the basement and the long path of the waist. The iconography shape and trait of the hook of hamate bone is similar to the anatomy result. There were no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) between two methods in the seven parameters as follows: the long path of the basement of the hook, the short path of the basement of the hook, the long path of the waist of the hook, the short path of the waist of the hook, the long path of the top of the hook, the height of the hook, of hamate bone, and the distance between the top and the waist of the hook. CONCLUSION: The hook of hamate bone can be divided into three parts: the coronal part, the waist part, and the basal part; fracture of the hamate bone can be divided into fracture of the body, fracture of the hook, and fracture of the body and the hook. Fracture of the hook of hamate bone or fracture union can easily result in injure of the deep branch of ulnar nerve and the flexor tendons of the forth and the little fingers. The measurement results of CT three-dimensional reconstruction can be used as reference value directly in clinical treatments.