Differences In Viscosity Research Articles

Relationship between rheological properties, sensory perception, and overall acceptability of thickened liquids for dysphagia in young and old healthy individuals

This study investigated the relationship between rheological properties, sensory perception, and overall acceptability in healthy young and old groups for dysphagia thickened liquids. Unflavored (UTL) and flavored (FTLP) thickened liquids were prepared using tap water or pomegranate juice at 10 different viscosity levels. The rheological properties were then evaluated via syringe flow test and line spread test (LST). When the apparent viscosity levels of UTL and FTLP were similar, the syringe test and LST results were also similar, indicating consistent flow behavior. Sensory perception evaluations showed that the young group better distinguished viscosity differences between stages compared to the old group. Regarding overall acceptability, the old group preferred samples with higher apparent viscosity than the young group. Principal component analysis and k-means cluster analysis were used to explore correlations between variables and classify thickened liquids into four groups. This can serve the foundation for standardized texture grades of dysphagia thickened liquids, considering rheological characteristics and sensory profiles.

Hybrid coaxial 3D printing with nested-screw mechanism: Optimizing material integration and structural performance for coaxial designs

The emergence of multi-material extrusion systems has opened up new possibilities for 3D printing, spurring research on the combination of diverse materials and structures to enhance part quality and performance. In this work, a nested-screw coaxial co-extrusion 3D printing mechanism was designed for hybrid coaxial structures to address the viscosity matching limitation that is present in traditional coaxial extrusion. The high-viscosity shell material, with 3 wt% added carbon fiber, can be extruded and printed at room temperature. This suggests that the nested-screw can be used to adjust the high viscosity difference between the core and shell materials for co-extrusion. A model for coaxial extrusion was developed to establish appropriate printing parameters for the hybrid integration of materials and structures in coaxial designs. The resulting model for determining the printing parameters of the C-S structure improves dimensional stability and print repeatability. The coaxial printing was also employed to validate the bionic coaxial structure of antlers. The influence of the core-shell material and structure combinations on strength and toughness was thoroughly examined, enabling the optimization of structures with superior strength-toughness combinations. The comparative truss structure tests demonstrated that the core-shell structure enhanced damage absorption by 30.1 % compared to a single-structure design. This confirms the adjustability of mechanical properties in printed systems through a combination of hybrid materials and structure.

An Insight in the Viscosity–Temperature Property of CaO‐SiO2‐Al2O3‐Based Slag Systems from Melt Structure

Viscosity is an important property for CaO‐SiO2‐Al2O3‐based slag systems, which showcases different scenarios in basic and acid slag systems with temperature change. This article elucidates the mechanism of their difference in viscosity–temperature property from melt structure. Results reveal that basic slag shows a low degree of polymerization (DOP) and a low viscosity of the melt due to an excessive O2− ions depolymerizing the complex network structures, resulting in more low‐polymerized Q0(Si) units and less high‐polymerized Q3(Si) units. With the temperature decreases, the DOP and viscosity do not change significantly. However, the low DOP and viscosity favor crystal precipitation in the melt, leading to a solid–liquid mixed state of the slag, and thus a sharp increase in viscosity when the temperature decreases to 1275 °C. For acid slag, it undergoes a transformation into aluminosilicate structures with the introduction of numerous [AlO4]5− tetrahedra, accompanied by a significant increase in the relative mole fraction of high‐polymerized Q3(Si) units. Consequently, the DOP and viscosity are obviously higher than that of the basic slag. Furthermore, the DOP and viscosity of the acid slag increase continuously with the temperature decreasing, thus impeding crystal precipitation and enhancing the glass transition tendency of the molten slag.

The new preservative-free ophthalmic formulation of bilastine 0.6% preserves the ocular surface epithelial integrity in a comparative in vitro study

Allergic conjunctivitis (AC) is the most common form of allergic eye disease and an increasingly prevalent condition. Topical eye drop treatments are the usual approach for managing AC, although their impact on the ocular surface is not frequently investigated. The aim of this study was to perform a comparative physicochemical characterization, and in vitro biological evaluations in primary conjunctival and corneal epithelial cells of the new multidose preservative-free bilastine 0.6% and main commercially available eye drops. MTT assay was used to measure cell viability; oxidative stress was analyzed with a ROS-sensitive probe; and apoptosis was evaluated monitoring caspase 3/7 activation. Differences in pH value, osmolarity, viscosity and phosphate levels were identified. Among all formulations, bilastine exhibited pH, osmolarity and viscosity values closer to tear film (7.4, 300 mOsm/l and ~ 1.5–10 mPa·s, respectively), and was the only phosphates-free solution. Single-dose ketotifen did not induce ROS production, and single-dose azelastine and bilastine only induced a mild increase. Bilastine and single-dose ketotifen and azelastine showed high survival rates attributable to the absence of preservative in its formulation, not inducing caspase-3/7-mediated apoptosis after 24 h. Our findings support the use of the new bilastine 0.6% for treating patients with AC to preserve and maintain the integrity of the ocular surface.

An Experimental Study of the Transfer of Heat in Nanofluid of a Tiny-Channel using Several Innovative Arrangement Designs

This work presents an experimental investigation of the heat transfer (HT) and pressure drop characteristics associated with three different configuration models of minichannel heat sinks. This study utilizes a coolant consisting of TiO2 nanoparticles dispersed in water at a weight concentration of 10%. The performance of this nanofluid coolant is then evaluated and compared to that of distilled water under several heating powers ranging from 100 to 300 W. The findings suggest that the thermal performance of TiO2 nanofluid is significantly influenced by heating power (HP), and its HT efficiency can be enhanced more efficiently at lower levels of HP. However, it has been observed that when the HP decreases, the pressure drop increases. This effect is more pronounced in TiO2 nanofluid than in pure water, which can be attributed to the difference in viscosity with temperature. The Nusselt number remains constant regardless of the increase or reduction in HP. Consequently, when pure water is utilized, the experimental Nusselt number aligns with the Peng and Peterson empirical correlation for all HPs, with an accuracy of 15%. The TiO2 nanofluid was used to test the lowest wall temperature, 40 °C. This measurement was obtained at a Reynolds number of 1100, equivalent to a heat power (HP) of 100 W. Furthermore, it is noted that when the fluid passes through the mini channel, there is an increase in the axial temperature from the input to the outlet of the heat sink (HS). The maximum enhancement observed for a power input of 100 W is 19.59% when utilizing configuration A. This is attributed to the combination of a weak buoyancy force and an increase in the surface area of HT. The HP highly influences the system's thermal performance, and its effective HT characteristics are more pronounced at lower HP levels.

Structural and Rheological Characterization of Vegetable Crispbread Enriched with Legume Purée.

Crispbread is gaining popularity as a healthy snack or bread substitute. This is a lightweight dry type of flat food that stays fresh for a very long time due to its lack of water and usually contains different types of grain flour, including gluten-containing wheat or rye flour. The incorporation of legume purée into crispbread represents an innovative approach to enhancing the nutritional profile and taste of the product. The rheological properties of various legume purées (chickpea, white bean, black bean, and red bean) mixed with citrus pectin were examined, revealing significant differences in fluid behavior and viscosity. Crispbread formulations were analyzed for water content and activity, color, structure, FT-IR spectra, water vapor adsorption isotherms, and sensory evaluation. The results showed the possibility of obtaining crispbread based on the purée of legumes and citrus pectin. Crispbread enriched with red bean purée exhibited low water activity (0.156) and water content (3.16%), along with a continuous porous structure, and received the highest sensory evaluation score among the products. These findings can be treated as a basis for the development of other innovative recipes and combinations using legumes.

Synthesis and photoinitiated cationic polymerization of epoxy monomers derived from oleic acid comprising one to three epoxy groups

A series of bio-based epoxy compounds based on oleic acid combined with aliphatic or aromatic structures were studied regarding selected properties such as melting behavior and viscosity as well as their reactivity in a photoinitiated cationic polymerization. The new epoxy compounds derived from oleic acid and either eugenol or isoeugenol, epoxidized triolein, and an epoxy compound derived from oleic acid and popane diol-1,3 contain 100 % renewable carbon. Atom economy differs not only for the esterification and epoxidation reaction, also selection of hydrogen peroxide or m-chloroperbenzoic acid for the epoxidation significantly influences the atom economy of this reaction step. Variation of the chemical structure of the bio-based epoxy compounds derived from oleic acid and either an aliphatic alcohol or a phenolic compound results in differences in both melting behavior and viscosity of the epoxy monomers that is important for the photoinitiated cationic polymerization. Kinetic investigation of the photoinitiated cationic polymerization of the bio-based epoxy compounds using photo-DSC shows significant differences in the polymerization rate and conversion as a function of the irradiation time for the epoxy monomers. RT-FTIR spectroscopy gives additional information about the polymerization kinetics for epoxy monomers that are liquid at room temperature. The glass transition temperature of the photopolymers analyzed by DSC is mostly below room temperature that is attributed to the high content of flexible structures containing in the polymers. Additional investigation of the soluble photopolymers by GPC resulted in a molecular weight corresponding to the oligomer region and a dispersity higher than one. The bio-based epoxy monomers comprising two or three epoxy groups may be interesting for application, e. g. in coatings or adhesives, because photoinitiated polymerization results in crosslinking. Epoxy compounds containing only one epoxy group may be useful for viscosity reduction of the photopolymerizing mixtures because of their lower viscosity compared to the epoxy monomers comprising more than one epoxy group.

Early Investigations on Electrolyte Mixing Issues in Large Flow Battery Tanks

Most investigations on flow batteries (FBs) make the assumption of perfectly mixed electrolytes inside the tanks without estimating their likelihood, while specific analyses are missing in the literature. This paper presents a pioneering investigation of the electrolyte flow dynamics inside FB tanks. This study considers the Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) measured at the stack of a 9 kW/27 kWh Vanadium FB with 500 L tanks. Order-of-magnitude estimates of the measured dynamics suggest that differences in densities and viscosities of the active species drive gradients of concentrations with different patterns in the positive and negative tanks and in charge and discharge, affected by current and flow rate, which result in significant deviation from homogeneity, affecting the State of Charge (SoC) of the electrolytes flowed into the stack and thus the FB performance. In particular, stratifications of the inlet electrolytes may appear which are responsible for delays in reaching the outlets, with initial plateau and following step (s) in the SoC at the stack. These events can have a major impact in the performance of industrial FBs with large tanks and suggest that specific tank designs may improve the overall dynamics, calling for further analysis.

Centrifugally spun superhydrophobic fibrous membranes with core-sheath structure assisted by hyper branched polymer and via click chemistry for high efficiency oil–water separation

Superhydrophobic fibrous membranes have been widely investigated to treat oily wastewater originated from oil spills and industrial organic pollutants. However, the applications of these membranes are usually limited by complex preparation process, high modification cost, and poor durability. In this research, we developed a cost-saving approach to construct the fiber with core-sheath structure by using centrifugal spinning, which was based on the viscosity difference of Polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), hyperbranched unsaturated polyester (HBPU). Subsequently, the hydrophobic long chain was attended on fiber surface through the mercaptan click reaction induced by ultraviolet light, which were assisted by the plenty of double bonds supplied by HBPU. Due to the coarse structure and low surface energy of the treated fibers, the fibrous membranes exhibited super hydrophobic properties for the water contact angle high as 156°. The separation capacity for water-in-oil emulsions were up to 7562.24 L·m−2·h−1 for the flux and separation efficiency were up to 99.27 %. Additionally, the flux and separation efficiency exhibited no significant changes over 50 cycles. Therefore, we provided a unique and straightforward technique for producing superhydrophobic separation fibrous membranes.

Phase Separation Study on the Storage of Technically Specification Natural Rubber Modified Bitumen

Overloading and climate change are often problems in pavement structures. For this reason, hard asphalt binders have high softening points, are elastic, and have good adhesion, which is needed to improve pavement performance. Asphalt binder performance can be enhanced by adding additives such as natural rubber or natural-rubber-modified asphalt. However, natural-rubber-modified asphalt shows poor storage stability problems. This is due to differences in density and viscosity between the constituent components of natural-rubber-modified asphalt. This study examines the phase separation mechanism in technically specified natural rubber (TSNR) modified asphalt. Prediction of the optimum storage length of modified asphalt before phase separation occurs, using a combined incompressible Navier–Stokes and phase field model and carried out with COMSOL Multiphysics software version 5.5. Experimental validation was conducted at TSNR levels of 8, 10, and 12% at 160 °C for 48 h, with and without sulfur. The simulation showed that the asphalt modified with TSNR experienced phase separation after 12 h of storage at 160 °C under conditions without stirring. This aligns with the experimental results, which showed phase separation at 160 °C after 48 h. Adding sulfur additives did not have much effect on improving storage stability. The combined incompressible Navier–Stokes and phase field model accurately describes the phase separation in TSNR-modified asphalt. The results of this research recommend that the industry store natural-rubber-modified asphalt in a constantly stirred condition to prevent phase separation of modified asphalt. In addition, the results of this research help the industry predict or increase the homogeneity of polymer-modified asphalt production and save time and costs.

Evaluating the Use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Male Infertility: A Critical Retrospective Study.

Background: The use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) has been associated with potential effects on male fertility, although the exact mechanisms are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between SSRIs and male infertility; Methods: A retrospective chart review of Saudi males who were treated with SSRIs and attended an infertility clinic in KSMC was undertaken. The medical records of men from an infertility clinic were reviewed to screen the quality of the sperm parameters in patients taking SSRIs; Results: In total, 299 men were identified, of whom 29 (9.6%) were exposed to SSRIs, while 270 (90.4%) did not receive SSRIs, defined as the control infertile group. When comparing the mean ages, a notable disparity was observed between the control group of infertile men (34.2 ± 6.9 years) and the infertile group using SSRIs (41.5 ± 3.2 years) (p < 0.001). Regarding the sperm analysis and the use of SSRIs, the impact of SSRIs use showed no significant differences in sperm liquefaction (p = 0.1), motility (p = 0.17), viscosity (p = 0.16), or count (p = 0.069) with escitalopram, fluoxetine, or paroxetine use; Conclusions: Our study showed no significant difference in the sperm analysis between the SSRI and non-SSRI cohorts. However, the relationship between SSRI use and sperm count warrants further investigation and consideration in clinical practice.

Microstructure and viscosity of in vitro-digested rye and wheat food products

Understanding rye and wheat digestion is vital for evaluating impacts on nutrient availability and glycaemic responses. This study investigated the disintegration of processed high-fibre rye foods and refined wheat products during simulated intestinal digestion, aiming to link product characteristics with nutrient liberation. The overarching aim was to elucidate how these rye products contribute to the observed benefits in human intervention studies, particularly regarding satiety, weight loss, and metabolism.Analysis included four wholegrain rye products and three refined wheat products, spanning yeast-fermented breads and un-leavened cereal products. Microstructure examination revealed larger, partially intact digesta particles in wholegrain rye products after 120 min of digestion, alongside more aggregated and less degraded starch granules compared to refined wheat bread. Fermented rye bread exhibited greater degradation of subaleurone cell wall fragments than un-fermented rye bread. Viscosity assessments indicated lower viscosity for wheat products than for rye products, with yeast-fermented soft rye bread and rye crispbread showing notably lower viscosity than unfermented rye products. Post-digestion carbohydrate analysis uncovered higher glucose and maltose release during digestion for wheat products. PCA analysis confirmed negative correlations between glucose and maltose release and rye products, characterized by larger post-digestion bolus particles and higher dietary fibre. The elevated cell wall content in rye products acted as a protective barrier for starch granules, mitigating swelling and amylose release, explaining the observed viscosity differences between wheat and rye products and potentially influencing starch digestibility. Consequently, rye products undergo slower and less complete digestion than wheat, aligning with findings from human intervention studies.

Two-Phase Flow Patterns of Air – Water and Oil in Mini Channel Against Horizontal Position

Two-phase flow is the simplest form of multi-phase flow or multi-component flow. Inside a two-phase flow, two phases or components flow simultaneously. The most important thing to ensure is not to let a flow pattern occur that can increase the flow pressure to increase very extremely so that it will damage the piping system or channel, both on the mini, small channels, and large channels. The flow pattern’s main parameters include superficial velocity, fluid density, and viscosity. Therefore, it is crucial to examine how influential these parameters are in forming flow patterns. This experimental study used an acrylic pipe 160 mm long with a diameter of 1.6 mm in a horizontal position. The liquid solution used is a water-coconut oil emulsion of 350 mg/dl and a water-oil emulsion of 500 mg/dl. The superficial velocity of the gas (JG) = 0.083 m/s - 76.604 m/s and the superficial velocity of the liquid (JL) = 0.041 m/s - 4.145 m/s. The resulting Flow Pattern is Plug, Slug Annular, Annular, and churn. Changes in the mixture of water emulsions and coconut oil have little effect on the flow pattern of a plug, slug annular, and annular and significantly affect the flow pattern of churn. This significant influence occurs because the variation in the mixture of water and oil emulsions greatly affects the difference in viscosity of liquids, namely 130.00 Cp and 161.66 Cp, thus affecting the type of flow pattern. In this study, a bubbly flow pattern was not found. This case was due to the absence of laminar to turbulent transitions because higher oil concentrations resulted in lower Reynolds values.

Active spheroids in viscosity gradients

In this paper, we explore the hydrodynamics of spheroidal active particles in viscosity gradients. This work provides a more accurate modelling approach, in comparison to spherical particles, for anisotropic organisms such as Paramecium swimming through inhomogeneous environments, but more fundamentally examines the influence of particle shape on viscotaxis. We find that spheroidal squirmers generally exhibit dynamics consistent with their spherical analogues, irrespective of the classification of swimmers as pushers, pullers or neutral swimmers. However, the slenderness of the spheroids tends to reduce the impact of viscosity gradients on their dynamics; when a swimmer becomes more slender, the viscosity difference across its body is reduced, which leads to slower reorientation. We also derive the mobility tensor for passive spheroids in viscosity gradients, generalizing previous results for spheres and slender bodies. This work enhances our understanding of how shape factors into the dynamics of passive and active particles in viscosity gradients, and offers new perspectives that could aid the control of both natural and synthetic swimmers in complex fluid environments.

Insight into the peristaltic motion through a tapered channel with Newton’s cooling subject to viscous dissipation, Lorentz force, and velocity slip

Peristalsis has gained significant attention due to its numerous applications in the medical field, engineering, and manufacturing industries. Therefore, the current work intends to look into the effects of variable liquid properties on the magnetohydrodynamics of peristaltic flow exhibited by viscous fluid through a tapered channel. The viscosity of the liquid differs over the thickness of the channel, and temperature-dependent thermal conductivity is considered. The constitutive relation for energy is formulated with the addition of viscous dissipation and heat generation/absorption. The assumption of velocity slip along with the convective boundary condition energizes the thermal system as well as the flow phenomena. The mathematical formulation is established on the grounds of low Reynolds number and long wavelength approximations. Perturbation solution were obtained for the resulting non-linear differential equations of momentum and energy for small values of variable viscosity and variable thermal conductivity. The effects of various relevant parameters on flow properties were investigated through graphical analysis. The results show that the maximum velocity does not occur in the middle of the tapered channel, but moves toward the upper wall with the increase in the variable viscosity difference between the walls. The application of viscosity is essential in many engineering and industrial processes.

Inhibition of PCSK9 with evolocumab modulates lipoproteins and monocyte activation in high-risk ASCVD subjects

BackgroundMechanistic studies suggest that proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors can modulate inflammation. MethodsDouble-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized 41 ASCVD subjects with type 2 diabetes with microalbuminuria and LDL-C level >70 mg/dL on maximum tolerated statin therapy received subcutaneous evolocumab 420 mg every 4 weeks or matching placebo. The primary outcomes were change in circulating immune cell transcriptional response, lipoproteins and blood viscosity at 2 weeks and 12 weeks. Safety was assessed in all subjects who received at least one dose of assigned treatment and analyses were conducted in the intention-to-treat population. ResultsAll 41 randomized subjects completed the 2-week visit. Six subjects did not receive study medication consistently after the 2-week visit due to COVID-19 pandemic suspension of research activities. The groups were well-matched with respect to age, comorbidities, baseline LDL-C, white blood cell counts, and markers of systemic inflammation. Evolocumab reduced LDL-C by −68.8% (p < 0.0001) and −52.8% (p < 0.0001) at 2 and 12 weeks, respectively. There were no differences in blood viscosity at baseline nor at 2 and 12 weeks. RNA-seq was performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells with and without TLR4 stimulation ("Stress" transcriptomics). "Stress" transcriptomics unmasked immune cell phenotypic differences between evolocumab and placebo groups at 2 and 12 weeks. ConclusionsThis trial is the first to demonstrate that PCSK9 mAB with evolocumab can modulate circulating immune cell properties and highlights the importance of "stress" profiling of circulating immune cells that more clearly define immune contributions to ASCVD.

Dietary Protein Levels in the Small Intestine and Carcass Traits of Cross-Breed Chickens

Protein is a source of nutrients that plays a significant role in biological processes. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of feed with different protein levels on the pH and viscosity of the small intestine, ileum characteristics, and carcass traits of cross-breed chickens. A total of 160 cross-breed unsexed chicks aged 2 days were divided into three treatments (T1-T3), each consisting of 6 replications with 9 chicks per replication, consisting of a diet with protein level (T1; starter 18% and finisher 16%;), a diet with protein level (T2; starter 20% and finisher 18%), and a diet with protein level (T3; starter 22% and finisher 20%). Cross-breed chickens were crossed between Bangkok males and Lohmann laying hens. The variables were analyzed, including pH and viscosity of digesta, ileum characteristics consisting of total villous, height of villous, and depth of crypt. The carcass percentages consisting of the carcass, breast, thicks, wings, and back were measured. The research was analyzed using a completely randomized design. The results indicated that different protein levels in treatments were significantly different in total villous, height of villous, and depth of crypt but did not indicate a significant difference in pH and viscosity. Furthermore, the treatments have a significant difference in the carcass percentage and thick percentage but did not significantly affect the breast, wings, and back. It can be concluded that 22% crude protein in the starter and 20% crude protein in the finisher produced the greatest results in the intestinal characteristics and also in the carcass percentage of cross-breed chickens. Keywords: Carcass, Cross-breed chicken, Feed, Intestinal characteristic, Protein

Splitting morphology of low-viscous finger at different junctions of microchannels

This paper reports the splitting morphology of low-viscous fingers in the microchannels that are associated with flat T-shaped, curved T-shaped, and Y-shaped junctions. The numerical simulations are based on the finite volume approach and the volume of the fluid model. In this study, microchannels are filled with silicon oil. Perfluorodecalin is used to displace silicon oil from the microchannels. Due to viscosity differences, the low-viscous finger (LVF)-shaped instability evolves at the interface of fluids. A single LVF propagates in the parent channel, and at the junction, it splits into two identical LVFs. It is noted that the splitting morphology of LVF depends upon the shape of the junction and its wettability. Therefore, there are three different junctions, i.e. flat T-shaped, curved T-shaped, and Y-shaped, with three different wettability conditions [Formula: see text], i.e. hydrophilic ([Formula: see text]), hydrophobic ([Formula: see text]), and superhydrophobic ([Formula: see text]) are used for numerical investigation. It is found that a LVF splits symmetrically at all three different junctions but tips of LVFs are found to be convex in superhydrophobic conditions. The LVFs-shaped are curved in the limbs of curved T-shaped microchannel and straight in the limbs of flat T-shaped and Y-shaped microchannels. The findings of this paper may be used in lung biomechanics, respiratory diseases, biochemical testing, and many more.

Dichotomous effect of dietary fiber in pediatrics: a narrative review of the health benefits and tolerance of fiber.

Dietary fibers are associated with favorable gastrointestinal, immune, and metabolic health outcomes when consumed at sufficient levels. Despite the well-described benefits of dietary fibers, children and adolescents continue to fall short of daily recommended levels. This gap in fiber intake (i.e., "fiber gap") might increase the risk of developing early-onset pediatric obesity and obesity-related comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes mellitus into adulthood. The structure-dependent physicochemical properties of dietary fiber are diverse. Differences in solubility, viscosity, water-holding capacity, binding capability, bulking effect, and fermentability influence the physiological effects of dietary fibers that aid in regulating appetite, glycemic and lipidemic responses, and inflammation. Of growing interest is the fermentation of fibers by the gut microbiota, which yields both beneficial and less favorable end-products such as short-chain fatty acids (e.g., acetate, propionate, and butyrate) that impart metabolic and immunomodulatory properties, and gases (e.g., hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane) that cause gastrointestinal symptoms, respectively. This narrative review summarizes (1) the implications of fibers on the gut microbiota and the pathophysiology of pediatric obesity, (2) some factors that potentially contribute to the fiber gap with an emphasis on undesirable gastrointestinal symptoms, (3) some methods to alleviate fiber-induced symptoms, and (4) the therapeutic potential of whole foods and commonly marketed fiber supplements for improved health in pediatric obesity.

Synthesis and Characterization of New Nanohybrids Based on Carboxymethyl Scleroglucan and Silica Nanoparticles.

In this study, two new nanohybrids (NH-A and NH-B) were synthesized through carbodiimide-assisted coupling. The reaction was performed between carboxymethyl-scleroglucans (CMS-A and CMS-B) with different degrees of substitution and commercial amino-functionalized silica nanoparticles using 4-(dimethylamino)-pyridine (DMAP) and N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) as catalysts. The morphology and properties of the nanohybrids were investigated by using transmission (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron-dispersive scanning (EDS), attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The nanohybrids exhibited differences in structure due to the incorporation of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) materials. The results reveal that hybrid nanomaterials exhibit similar thermal properties but differ in morphology, chemical structure, and crystallinity properties. Finally, a viscosity study was performed on the newly obtained nanohybrid materials; viscosities of nanohybrids increased significantly in comparison to the carboxymethyl-scleroglucans, with a viscosity difference of 7.2% for NH-A and up to 32.6% for NH-B.