Adding Sodium Bicarbonate Research Articles

Effect of adding sodium bicarbonate 8.4% to local anesthesia on pain during upper canine infiltration

Background: Alkalization of local anesthetics may have an impact on alleviating the injection pain by buffering these solutions with sodium bicarbonate. The present study aimed to evaluate the pain during local anesthetic buccal infiltration for the maxillary canines after adding sodium bicarbonate 8.4% during local anesthesia. Materials and Methods: A buffered 2% lidocaine with 1:80,000 epinephrine and sodium bicarbonate 8.4% was used for one site, and an unbuffered 2% lidocaine with 1:80,000 epinephrine was used for the other site at the same appointment. Two groups of volunteers (15 male and 15 female) participated. Each participant received 0.6 mL of the anesthetic solution. Injection discomfort was assessed using a visual analog scale. Results: 73% and 93% of patients in group 1 experienced pain in sites A and B, respectively, during the injection, whereas 80% and 100% of patients in group 2 experienced pain in sites A and B, respectively, during the injection. Both groups showed a significant difference in pain scores between the two injected sites (P ˂ 0.01). Conclusion: Upper canine infiltration anesthesia with buffered lidocaine and epinephrine with sodium bicarbonate has less pain during injection than when unbuffered lidocaine with epinephrine is used.

Assessing the Limit of CO2 Storage in Seawater as Bicarbonate-Enriched Solutions.

The dissolution of CO2 in seawater in the form of bicarbonate ions is an attractive alternative to storage in geological formations, on the condition that the storage is stable over long periods and does not harm the marine environment. In this work, we focus on the long-term chemical stability of CO2 absorbed in seawater as bicarbonate by monitoring the physico-chemical properties of the solutions (pH, dissolved inorganic carbon and alkalinity) in six different sets of experiments on both natural and artificial seawater lasting up to three months. The bicarbonate treatment of natural seawater consists of mixing it with pre-equilibrated solutions obtained from the reaction of CO2 and Ca(OH)2, with the same pH as natural seawater. This was achieved with a pilot plant working with tons of seawater, while small-scale laboratory experiments were carried out by adding sodium bicarbonate to artificial seawater solutions. If the increase in the overall carbon concentration in the final mixture does not exceed a critical threshold (about 1000-1500 μmol/L), the resulting bicarbonate-rich solutions are found to be stable for over three months.

Preservatives for postmortem brain tissue in biomechanical testing: A pilot study.

Postmortem human subject (PMHS) studies are essential to brain injury research in motor vehicle safety. However, postmortem deterioration reduces the similarity between postmortem test results and invivo response in material testing of brain tissue and in biomechanical testing of the whole head. This pilot study explores the effect of potential preservatives on brain tissue breakdown to identify promising preservatives that warrant further investigation. To identify preservatives with potential to slow postmortem degradation, samples from an initial PMHS were refrigerated at 10°C to qualitatively compare tissue breakdown from 58 to 152 h postmortem after storage in candidate solutions. On brain tissue samples from a second PMHS, compressive stiffness was measured on six samples immediately after harvest for comparison to the stiffness of 23 samples that were stored at 10°C in candidate solutions for 24 h after harvest. The candidate solutions were artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) without preservatives; ACSF with a combination of antibiotics and antifungal agents; ACSF with added sodium bicarbonate; and ACSF with both the antibiotic/antifungal combination and sodium bicarbonate. Results were analyzed using multiple linear regression of specimen stiffness on harvest lobe and storage solution to investigate potential differences in tissue stiffness. Qualitative evaluation suggested that samples stored in a solution that contained both the antibiotic/antifungal combination and sodium bicarbonate exhibited less evidence of tissue breakdown than the samples stored without preservatives or with only one of those preservatives. In compression testing, samples tested immediately after harvest were significantly stiffer than samples tested after 24 h of storage at 10°C in ACSF (difference: -0.27 N/mm, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.50, -0.05) or ACSF with antibiotics/antifungal agents (difference: -0.32 N/mm, 95% CI: -0.59, -0.04), controlling for harvest lobe. In contrast, the stiffness of samples tested after storage in either solution containing sodium bicarbonate was not significantly different from the stiffness of samples tested at harvest. There was no significant overall difference in the mean tissue stiffness between samples from the frontal and parietal lobes, controlling for storage solution. Given the importance of PMHS studies to brain injury research, any strategy that shows promise for helping to maintain invivo brain material properties has the potential to improve understanding of brain injury mechanisms and tolerance to head injury and warrants further investigation. These pilot study results suggest that sodium bicarbonate has the potential to reduce the deterioration of brain tissue in biomechanical testing. The results motivate further evaluation of sodium bicarbonate as a preservative for biomechanical testing using additional test subjects, more comprehensive material testing, and evaluation under a broader set of test conditions including in whole-head testing. The effect of antibiotics and antifungal agents on brain tissue stiffness was minimal but may have been limited by the cold storage conditions in this study. Further exploration of the potential for microbial agents to preserve tissue postmortem would benefit from evaluation of the effects of storage temperature.

Using ultrasonic-assisted sodium bicarbonate treatment to improve the gel and rheological properties of reduced-salt pork myofibrillar protein

To study the impact of ultrasonic duration (0, 30, and 60 min) and sodium bicarbonate concentration (0% and 0.2%) on the gel properties of reduced-salt pork myofibrillar protein, the changes in cooking yield, colour, water retention, texture properties, and dynamic rheology were investigated. The findings revealed that added sodium bicarbonate significantly increased (P < 0.05) cooking yield, hardness, springiness, and strength of myofibrillar protein while reducing centrifugal loss. Furthermore, the incorporation of sodium bicarbonate led to a significant decrease in L⁎, a⁎, b⁎, and white values of cooked myofibrillar protein; these effects were further amplified with increasing ultrasonic duration (P < 0.05). Additionally, storage modulus (G') significantly increased for myofibrillar protein treated with ultrasonic-assisted sodium bicarbonate treatment resulting in a more compact gel structure post-cooking. In summary, the results demonstrated that ultrasonic-assisted sodium bicarbonate treatment could enhance the tightness of reduced-salt myofibrillar protein gel structure while improving the water retention and texture properties.

Complications and side effects of Wide-Awake Local Anaesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT) in upper limb surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PurposeWide-Awake Local Anaesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT), a groundbreaking anaesthetic technique resurging in practice, warrants a comprehensive safety analysis for informed adoption. Our study aimed to identify complications/side effects of WALANT upper limb procedures through a systematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsThis PROSPERO-registered study was performed with strict adherence to PRISMA guidelines. Embase, OVIDMedline, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched until February 2023. Inclusion criteria involved English articles, reporting complications/side effects in primary WALANT upper limb surgeries. Outcomes included all complications and side effects, data on the anaesthetic mixture, publication year/location, study type, and procedures performed. The meta-analysis employed the Freeman-Tukey Double Arcsine Transformation, computed I2 statistics, and utilized common or random effects models for pooled analysis.Results2002 studies were identified; 79 studies met the inclusion criteria representing 15,595 WALANT patients. A total of 301 patients had complications, and the meta-analysis using a random effects model provided a complication rate of 1.7% (95% CI: 0.93–2.7%). The most reported complications were superficial infection (41%, n = 123/300), other/specified (12%, n = 37/300), and recurrent disease (6.7%, n = 20/300). A decade-by-decade analysis revealed no statistically significant difference in complication rates spanning the last three decades (p = 0.42). Adding sodium bicarbonate to the anaesthetic solution significantly reduced postoperative complications (p = 0.025).ConclusionWALANT has a low overall complication rate of 1.7%, with no significant temporal variation and a significant reduction in complications when sodium bicarbonate is added to the anaesthetic solution. Our findings support the safety of WALANT in upper limb procedures.RegistrationPROSPERO: CRD42023404018.

Generation of Nano-Bubbles by NaHCO3 for Improving the FO Membrane Performance.

Thin-film composite (TFC) polyamide membranes have a wide range of applications in forward osmosis, but tuning the water flux remains a significant challenge due to concentration polarization. The generation of nano-sized voids within the polyamide rejection layer can change the roughness of the membrane. In this experiment, the micro-nano structure of the PA rejection layer was adjusted by adding sodium bicarbonate to the aqueous phase to generate nano-bubbles, and the changes of its roughness with the addition of sodium bicarbonate were systematically demonstrated. With the enhanced nano-bubbles, more and more blade-like and band-like features appeared on the PA layer, which could effectively reduce the reverse solute flux of the PA layer and improve the salt rejection of the FO membrane. The increase in roughness raised the area of the membrane surface, which led to a larger area for concentration polarization and reduced the water flux. This experiment demonstrated the variation of roughness and water flux, providing an effective idea for the preparation of high-performance FO membranes.

Subcritical water hydrolysis for the obtention of bioactive peptides from a grasshopper Sphenarium purpurascens protein concentrate

The effect of adding sodium bicarbonate(SB) and citric acid(CA) in the subcritical water (SW) hydrolysis process was studied to improve peptide extraction from Sphenarium purpurascens. A complete factorial(23) design was accomplished, and the effects of the temperature, pressure and modifier concentration on the degree of hydrolysis(DH), molecular distribution, antioxidant activity and Angiotensin I-converting enzyme(ACE) inhibitory activity were evaluated. A protein concentrate was obtained and hydrolyzed, showing a DH of up to 44.56 ± 0.92% with the addition of 1 M SB at 130 °C/20 MPa; meanwhile, 38.73 ± 0.58% was observed using CA under the same conditions. The best bioactivities were found in CA treatments: IC50 of up to 4.06 ± 0.35 mg/mL for DPPH, 330 ± 0.03 µg/mL for ABTS and up to 0.148 ± 0.016 mg/mL for the ACE inhibition activity. Moreover, differential hydrolysis was found due to the presence of modifiers and process conditions, being able to modulate the hydrolysis degree and obtaining hydrolysates with different characteristics and bioactivities.

Effect of sodium bicarbonate on the physicochemical properties of fermented rice flour and quality characteristics of fermented semi-dried rice noodles.

Considering the effect that fermentation can improve the quality of rice noodles, and given that fermented rice noodles usually have a significantly acidic taste that is not generally acceptable to consumers, this study aimed to neutralize or eliminate the acidic taste of fermented rice noodles by adding sodium bicarbonate, and improve the quality of fermented rice noodles. The physicochemical properties of fermented rice flour and quality characteristics of fermented semi-dried rice noodles were investigated in this study in relation to the addition of sodium bicarbonate (0∼0.5%, w/w). With the increase of sodium bicarbonate addition, the pH value was increased, and lipid and protein content were decreased in rice flour. Meanwhile, thermal properties and farinograph properties showed that the pasting temperature, dough water absorption, dough development time and dough stability time of rice flour increased with the addition of sodium bicarbonate. Pasting properties and rheological properties results showed that a small amount of sodium bicarbonate (0∼0.1%) could increase the pasting viscosity, storage modulus (G'), and loss modulus (G″) of rice flour. Additionally, the hardness and chewiness of semi-dried rice noodles increased with the addition of sodium bicarbonate from 0 to 0.1%. With the addition of a small amount of sodium bicarbonate (0∼0.1%), x-ray diffraction showed that it could increase the crystallinity of semi-dried rice noodles. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance showed that A21 increased, and A22 and A23 decreased in semi-dried rice noodles. Scanning electron microscope showed that it could enhance the starch-protein interaction and starch-protein formed an ordered and stable network structure. Finally, the principal component analysis showed that the chewiness, texture and eating quality of semi-dried rice noodles were the best with the addition of sodium bicarbonate at 0.1%. This study provides practical value for the application of alkali treatment in rice products and provides a reference for the improvement of related rice noodles products.

Hidratación de granos asistida con ultrasonido y su efecto en los almidones: Una revisión

In the hydration of grains, it is sought to develop novel approaches to reduce the kinetic time and obtain better properties by taking advantage of the time to incorporate nutrients. This review seeks to publicize the potential of ultrasound in seed hydration and its effect on the properties of starches. It has been found that ultrasound accelerates the hydration and germination process in the grains without altering the properties of starch, and the extraction of alkaloids, it reduces the cooking time with ferrous sulfate, but at high temperatures, it hinders the effect of ultrasound. Adding sodium bicarbonate accelerates the softening kinetics, but slows down the hydration process. In quality parameters, zoning and thermal treatments cause an increase in the size of the granules and improve the rate of incorporation of water, obtaining better characteristics suitable for use in industry. Future studies could use other nutrients or salt solutions in the hydration process such as sodium bisulfate (NaHSO4), sodium bisulfite (NaHSO3) and ferrous fumarate (C4H2FeO4), as well as investigate other grains such as chickpeas, lentils and popping beans and Andean grains.

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON EFFECTIVENESS OF ADDING ZEOLITE TOSODIUM BICARBONATE FIRE SUPPRESSANT POWDER

Sodium bicarbonate is commonly used fire suppressant powder because of its high efficiency and low cost. Two main factors affecting the effectiveness of sodium bicarbonate is moisture absorption and cake formation. From the literature survey, it has been found that, by adding small quantities of zeolite particles to sodium bicarbonate the above issues can be eliminated. Also, by adding zeolite the surface area available for each particle increases, which will eventually increase the efficiency. The project aims in experimenting zeolite added sodium bicarbonate fire extinguishing powder and finding out its effectiveness in suppressing. A new type of particulate fire suppressant powder was prepared, in which zeolite of different concentration are added. By the experimental results, it is found that the zeolite added sodium bicarbonate suppressant powder has better performance than the conventional sodium bicarbonate, with relatively shorter extinguishing time and a smaller number of agents required to extinguish the fire. Based on experimental study and mathematical modelling in MATLAB software it is found that the optimum concentration of zeolite in sodium bicarbonate was obtained as 7.939 percentage and extinction time was 1.125 seconds

Sodium Bicarbonate-Based Warm Saline Versus Warm Saline for Peritoneal Irrigation in Diagnostic Hysteroscopy-Laparoscopy: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT Introduction: Diagnostic hysteroscopy-laparoscopy is an essential tool in management of infertility. Mainly, postoperative pain related to insufflated cold carbon dioxide (co2), as it creates acidic milieu causing mucosal, sub-diaphragmatic and phrenic nerve irritation. Sodium bicarbonate is an alkaline solution, neutralizing the acidic effects, hence reduces postoperative pain and irritation symptoms. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of adding sodium bicarbonate to washing warm saline in hysteroscopic-laparoscopic patients regarding incidence and intensity of postoperative pain and gastrointestinal irritation symptoms. Patients and methods: 66 patients were enrolled, one was excluded due to ovarian bleeding. 33 patients in sodium bicarbonate (Na) group received 50 ml sodium bicarbonate 8.4% in 1000 ml warm saline as peritoneal irrigation solution. While 32 patients in saline (S) group the peritoneal irrigation solution was 1000 ml warm saline only. Results: Patients’ demographic, hemodynamic data were comparable. Postoperative pain profile regarding shoulder tip pain, visual analogue score (VAS), and total pethidine consumption were lower in Na group. Also, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) was lower in Na group. Conclusion: Adding sodium bicarbonate to warm saline as a peritoneal washing solution during hysteroscopy-laparoscopy procedure resulted in better postoperative pain reduction specially shoulder tip pain and reduced the incidence of PONV. These results would improve patients’ recovery and experience towards operative practice. ABSTRACT Introduction: Diagnostic hysteroscopy-laparoscopy is an essential tool in management of infertility. Mainly, postoperative pain related to insufflated cold carbon dioxide (co2), as it creates acidic milieu causing mucosal, sub-diaphragmatic and phrenic nerve irritation. Sodium bicarbonate is an alkaline solution, neutralizing the acidic effects, hence reduces postoperative pain and irritation symptoms. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of adding sodium bicarbonate to washing warm saline in hysteroscopic-laparoscopic patients regarding incidence and intensity of postoperative pain and gastrointestinal irritation symptoms. Patients and methods: 66 patients were enrolled, one was excluded due to ovarian bleeding. 33 patients in sodium bicarbonate (Na) group received 50 ml sodium bicarbonate 8.4% in 1000 ml warm saline as peritoneal irrigation solution. While 32 patients in saline (S) group the peritoneal irrigation solution was 1000 ml warm saline only. Results: Patients’ demographic, hemodynamic data were comparable. Postoperative pain profile regarding shoulder tip pain, visual analogue score (VAS), and total pethidine consumption were lower in Na group. Also, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) was lower in Na group. Conclusion: Adding sodium bicarbonate to warm saline as a peritoneal washing solution during hysteroscopy-laparoscopy procedure resulted in better postoperative pain reduction specially shoulder tip pain and reduced the incidence of PONV. These results would improve patients’ recovery and experience towards operative practice. Keywords: Laparoscopy, Pain, VAS, Sodium bicarbonate, PONV.

Characterization of stress degradation products of nintedanib by UPLC, UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS/MS and NMR: Evidence of a degradation product with a structure alert for mutagenicity

Nintedanib is an anti-cancer drug used for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and non-small cell lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to explore its degradation chemistry under various stress conditions recommended in ICH guidelines Q1A R(2). The drug was subjected to hydrolytic, photolytic, thermal and oxidative (H2O2, AIBN, FeCl3 and FeSO4) stress conditions. The degradation products formed in stressed solutions were successfully separated on an ACQUITY UPLC CSH C18 (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.7 μm) column, using a gradient UPLC-PDA method, developed with acetonitrile:methanol (90:10) and 0.1 % formic acid (pH 3.0) as the mobile phase. The drug proved to be labile to acidic, neutral and alkaline hydrolytic, and H2O2/AIBN oxidative conditions. It was stable to photolytic and thermal stress conditions, and even in oxidative reaction solutions containing FeCl3 or FeSO4. Additionally, the drug exhibited instability when its powder with added sodium bicarbonate was stored at 40 °C/75 % RH for 3 months. In total, nine degradation products (DPs 1–9) were formed. To characterize them, a comprehensive mass fragmentation pathway of the drug was first established using UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS/MS data. Similarly, the mass studies were then carried out on the stressed samples using the developed UPLC method. All the degradation products were primarily characterized through comparison of their mass fragmentation profiles with that of the drug. To confirm the structure in one case (DP 3), additional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies were carried out on the isolated product. Subsequently, mechanisms for their formation were laid down. A significant finding was the formation of a degradation product upon acid hydrolysis having a free aromatic amine moiety, which is considered as a structural alert for mutagenicity. Furthermore, the physicochemical and ADMET properties of the drug and its degradation products were predicted using ADMET predictor™ software.

Reduction of Ochratoxin A during the Preparation of Porridge with Sodium Bicarbonate and Fructose.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a potential human carcinogen that poses a significant concern in food safety and public health. OTA has been found in a wide variety of agricultural commodities, including cereal grains. This study investigated the reduction of OTA during the preparation of rice- and oat-based porridge by a simulated indirect steam process. The effects of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and fructose on the reduction of OTA were also investigated. During the processing, OTA in rice- and oat-porridge was decreased by 59% and 14%, respectively, from initial OTA artificially added at 20 μg/kg (dry weight basis). When 0.5% and 1% of sodium bicarbonate were added to rice porridge, increased reduction of OTA was observed as 78% and 68%, respectively. The same amounts of added sodium bicarbonate also further reduced OTA in oat porridge to 58% and 72%, respectively. In addition, increased reduction of OTA in the presence of fructose was observed. A combination of the two, i.e., 0.5% sodium bicarbonate and 0.5% fructose, resulted in a 79% and 67% reduction in rice porridge and oat porridge, respectively. These results indicate that indirect steaming may effectively reduce OTA in preparation of porridge-type products, particularly when sodium bicarbonate and/or fructose are added.

Countermeasure for corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement of Ni-Ti superelastic alloy in acidic fluoride solution by adding sodium bicarbonate and hydrogen peroxide

ABSTRACT Development of countermeasure for corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement of Ni-Ti superelastic alloy in an acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) solution has been attempted by adding NaHCO3 and H2O2 to the solution. Upon addition of only 0.001 M NaHCO3 to a 0.2% APF solution, almost no changes in corrosion current density and corrosion potential are observed. With an increasing NaHCO3 concentration up to 0.01 M, the corrosion current density substantially decreases and the corrosion potential slightly shifts in the noble direction. The corrosion loss significantly decreases and hydrogen absorption is slightly inhibited. Upon the combined addition of 0.01 M NaHCO3 and 0.001 M H2O2, the corrosion current density is lowest and the corrosion potential shifts in the noble direction. The corrosion and hydrogen absorption are substantially inhibited. The present study clearly indicates that the combined addition is exceptionally effective as a simultaneous countermeasure for corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement of the alloy.

Ultrasound-assisted hydration with sodium bicarbonate solution enhances hydration-cooking of pigeon pea

This work studied the effect of ultrasound power and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) concentration during soaking process on the hydration and cooking kinetics of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan). The pigeon pea grains were hydrated using 0, 1, 1.5, and 2% m/m NaHCO3 solutions without and with ultrasound assistance (17 W/L; 40 kHz and 43 W/L; 40 kHz) at 27 °C. Cooking process was studied using softening kinetics. Grains were cooked in boiling water and their softening was evaluated with a texturometer. Both hydration and softening kinetics were fitted to suitable models and their parameters were used for evaluating the effect of ultrasound power and salt concentration. Ultrasound accelerated hydration kinetics but did not affect the cooking process. Soaking in NaHCO3 solution, delayed hydration kinetics, but accelerated the softening kinetics. The synergetic effect of ultrasound (17 W/L) and NaHCO3 solution (1% m/m) accelerated both hydration and cooking kinetics by approximately 3 h. In fact, hydration is a long process, which requires more than 6 h, and cooking requires boiling temperature, which increases energy use and cost. Using ultrasound technology and adding sodium bicarbonate in soaking water can improve grain processing. Studying other grains and salts solutions on hydration-cooking process in the future is recommended.

Repeated crack cocaine administration alters panic-related responses and delta FosB immunoreactivity in panic-modulating brain regions.

Crack cocaine is the crystal form of cocaine, produced by adding sodium bicarbonate to cocaine base paste. Brazil is the largest consumer of crack cocaine in the world. Users of crack cocaine show important physiological and behavioral alterations, including neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety-related symptoms. Nevertheless, few pre-clinical studies have been previously performed to understand the neurobiological effects of crack cocaine. The purpose of the present study was to investigate effects of the subchronic treatment (5days, IP) of rats with crack cocaine in an animal model of anxiety/panic, the elevated T-maze (ETM). The ETM model allows the measurement of two behavioral defensive responses, avoidance and escape, in clinical terms, respectively, associated to generalized anxiety and panic disorder, the two main psychiatric conditions that accompany substance use disorders. Immediately after the ETM model, animals were tested in an open field for locomotor activity assessment. Analysis of delta FosB protein immunoreactivity was used to map areas activated by crack cocaine exposure. Results showed that crack treatment selectively altered escape displayed by rats in the ETM test, inducing either a panicolytic (18mg/kg IP) or a panicogenic-like effect (25 and 36mg/kg IP). These effects were followed by the altered functioning of panic-modulating brain regions, i.e., the periaqueductal gray and the dorsal region and lateral wings of the dorsal raphe nucleus. Treatment with 36mg/kg of crack cocaine also increased locomotor activity. These are the first observations performed with crack cocaine in a rodent model of anxiety/panic and contribute to a better understanding of the behavioral and neurobiological effects of crack cocaine.

EVALUATION OF COOKING TIMES OF EGYPTIAN AND INTRODUCED COWPEA (VIGNA UNGUICULATA) GENOTYPES UNDER DIFFERENT COOKING CONDITIONS

Cooking times of fourteen Egyptian and introduced cowpea genotypes were evaluated under different cooking conditions. Soaking treatments manifested shorter time than unsoaked treatments. Adding sodium bicarbonate or baking powder to soaking and cooking solutions gave more shorter cooking time. Microwaves treatment gave the shortest cooking time than all other treatments and conserved as a new approach. All studied cowpea genotypes and all cooking treatments exhibited significant variations. The blacked colored seeds needed shorter cooking time than the red seeds, while round or small seeds needed longer time to complete cooking. The observed significant differences among the genotypes were reflected to genotypic and phenotypic variations and consequently to high broad sense heritability estimates and to high values of genetic advances. Such estimates suggested the ability to achieve possible improvement in cooking time of cowpea seeds which might eventually reflect on their cooking quality.

Effect of Different Dietary Electrolyte Balance Levels on Physiological Responses and Metabolic Rate of Rams Exposed to Heat Stress Conditions

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementation of different dietary electrolyte balance (DEB, as the equation of Na+K-Cl milliequivalents (meq) /kg of dry matter) levels on physiological responses and metabolic rate of rams exposed to heat stress and to determine which DEB level is the optimum. A total of 20 Farafra mature rams were used in this trail. These animals were divided into Four equal homogenized groups (5 each) as control (received basal diet only and its DEB was 98 meq/kg of feed DM), T1: DEB 200 meq/kg DM, T2: DEB 300 meq/kg DM and T3: DEB 400 meq/kg DM. Different DEB content of the three treatments was achieved by adding sodium bicarbonate by a rate of 0.74%, 1.48% and 2.22% of kg DM in T1, T2 and T3, respectively. Thermal response parameters, blood constituents, and respiratory activities were determined during the experimental period before (11-12 am) solar exposure and after 3 hours of solar exposure (3-4 pm). The results revealed that supplementation of different DEB levels reduced rectal and skin temperatures and respiration rate before and after solar exposure. However, gas volume per minute (GV) and tidal volume (TV) increased significantly in all treated groups. Volume of oxygen consumption (VO2) and metabolic rate tended to increase by treatment. Also, serum DEB level (Na+K-Cl) increased significantly in all treatments. In conclusion, supplementation of different DEB levels had beneficial effects on the thermal responses, respiratory activities and gas exchange parameters of heat exposed rams and the optimum DEB level is 300 meq/kg of DM.

Contemporary Australian priming constituents for adult perfusion centres: a survey.

Evidence for the ideal/best practice priming solution remains meagre and largely historical. The aim of this survey was to determine the constituents of contemporary priming solutions in adult open-heart centres across Australia. This would provide insight on the level of variation within current Australian priming practices and inform perfusionists of how their current priming methods compare to the spectrum of Australian practice. A total of 15 survey questions covering various aspects of priming constituents were sent via email to perfusionists in all 63 adult open-heart centres across Australia. This prime survey received a 100% response rate across Australia. All units prime with a balanced physiological solution, 73% of units prime with Plasma-Lyte 148 and 19% with Hartmann's solution. No synthetic colloids are used for priming in Australia. Up to 6,520 (30%) cases per annum receive heparin as the only additive to their prime base solution. All other cases had various combinations of sodium bicarbonate, mannitol and albumin added for a variety of recorded reasons. Contemporary Australian priming practices show a marked level of conformity between units. Variation exists in the rationale for adding sodium bicarbonate, mannitol and albumin. Further investigations into the clinical effects of these additives are required to determine if the rationale for their addition is historical or judicious in this contemporary era of low prime volumes, physiological base solutions and coated bypass circuits.

Use of an immobilised thermostable α-CA (SspCA) for enhancing the metabolic efficiency of the freshwater green microalga Chlorella sorokiniana

There is significant interest in increasing the microalgal efficiency for producing high-quality products that are commonly used as food additives in nutraceuticals. Some natural substances that can be extracted from algae include lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, carotenoids, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, and vitamins. Generally, microalgal photoautotrophic growth can be maximised by optimising CO2 biofixation, and by adding sodium bicarbonate and specific bacteria to the microalgal culture. Recently, to enhance CO2 biofixation, a thermostable carbonic anhydrase (SspCA) encoded by the genome of the bacterium Sulfurihydrogenibium yellowstonense has been heterologously expressed and immobilised on the surfaces of bacteria. Carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) are ubiquitous metalloenzymes, which catalyse the physiologically reversible reaction of carbon dioxide hydration to bicarbonate and protons: CO2 + H2O ⇄ HCO3 − + H+. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time that the fragments of bacterial membranes containing immobilised SspCA (M-SspCA) on their surfaces can be doped into the microalgal culture of the green unicellular alga, Chlorella sorokiniana, to significantly enhance the biomass, photosynthetic activity, carotenoids production, and CA activity by this alga. These results are of biotechnological interest because C. sorokiniana is widely used in many different areas, including photosynthesis research, human pharmaceutical production, aquaculture-based food production, and wastewater treatment.