Soft Portion Research Articles

Título en español.

La pasta de cidra es similar a la de naranja. Las dos se preparan usando sacarosa de tal forma que se logre una cristalización fina en la superficie y una masa interior blanda. En el producto que se prepara comercialmente el azúcar tiende a continuar cristalizándose basta formar una pasta totalmente cristalizada y dura después de 1 ó 2 meses de almacenamiento. Por eso se estudió el efecto de los niveles de pH durante la preparación de pastas de cidra confeccionadas totalmente con sacarosa sobre las propiedades de almacenamiento. Al empezar el trabajo se prepararon lotes de pastas variando el pH de 3.0 a 5.0. De su evaluación se determinó estudiar los efectos de pH 3.1, 3.4, 3.7, 4.l y 4.3. A los 20 días de preparadas las pastas se evaluaron. Los resultados demostraron que la pasta con pH de 3.1 era demasiado blanda para entrar en el mercado. Además de blanda era pegajosa y no cortaba bien; se descartó. La pasta a pH 3.4 mantenía la forma pero aún quedaba muy blanda. En la prueba de rigidez experimentó una flexión de 1/2 pulgada. La pasta a pH 3.7 se parecía mucho a la de pH 3.4 pero era más consistente, pues en la prueba de rigidez la flexión fue de 1/4 pulgada. Las pastas a pH 3.4 y 3.7 no acusaban cristalización. A pH 4.1 y 4.3 las pastas mostraban cristalización en la superficie, pero apenas se notaba en la pasta a pH 4.1; la de pH 4.3 tenía una capa como de 1/16 pulgada de gruesa. Las dos eran completamente rígidas, aptas para una fácil manipulación al empacarse. Estudios de textura con la prensa Allo-Kramer demostraron que el grado de cristalización en estas pastas se puede determinar mediante la curva de fuerza registrada por el instrumento. El perfil de esta curva da un índice de la formación de la cristalización; el pico más amplio de la curva registra la dureza de las capas azucaradas que se han formado. La evaluación de las pastas después de 6 meses almacenadas demostró que a pH 3.4 y 3.7 nose formaba cristalizaci6n durante ese tiempo. A pH 4.1 y 4.3 si cristalizaron; lade pH 4.1 tenía una capa como de 1/16 pulgada, mientras que la de pH 4.3 tenía como 1/8 pulgada con algunas áreas de 1/4 pulgada de espesor. Del estudio se desprende que al elaborar pastas de cidra éstas deben confeccionarse a un pH de 4.1 para lograr la adecuada cristalización.

Treatment of lumbar disks with chymopapain.

Symptoms arising from a herniated disk appear when the nucleus pulposus or soft inner portion of the disk bulges against a nerve root. When conservative treatment fails to help the patient, the enzyme chymopapain is currently being used in the treatment of such conditions. Injected directly into the disk, the chymopapain dissolves the nucleus by enzymatic action which selectively breaks certain bonds within the nucleus. The pressure within the center is decreased, hence the pressure against the nerve root is relieved, alleviating the symptoms. Because back care is particularly important following such treatment, physical therapy is valuable in promoting continued relief. The major emphasis of the therapy back care program is on abdominal strengthening exercises and postural training.

Use of Kirschner wires to map floor of the mouth lesions.

A SERIOUS DIFFICULTY in dissections for malignant floor of the mouth lesions (combined with radical neck dissections) is identifying the borders of the lesion, especially after the initial incision in the mouth. The difficulty is usually not on the lateral side, which is delineated by the mandible and where no problem with tissue planes is encountered. The problem area is the soft tissue portion, toward the tongue, where after the incision is made, the lesion becomes distorted. Bleeding at the site adds further difficulty to identifying the tumor and its borders. A simple method of mapping the line of resection and keeping in the planned plane would simplify surgery and give a greater chance of complete resection. Such a simple method is described using small size (35/ 1,000 inch) Kirschner wires. After the radical neck dissection is completed, the wires are placed around the floor of the mouth lesion at

On Moisture Content of Rice : 1. Hygroscopic equilibrium of rice in relation to the grain texture.

The studies were undertaken to explore the relation between equilibrium moisture content in kernel and the grain texture in several varieties of rice and some kinds of kernels at high, medium and low relative humidities. 1. The soft varieties those have somewhat soft and coarse portion in their endosperm tissues<> approach to higher equilibrium moisture contents at high relative humidity, but to lower equilibrium moisture contents at lower relative humidity in comparison with the hard varieties. (Table 2, Fig. 1, Fig. 2). 2. Chalky kernels and other unfully ripened kernels approach to higher equilibrium moisture contents at high relative humidity, and to lower equilibrium moisture contents at low relative humidity in shorter duration than normal kernels, because those Kernels have the soft and coarse portion in the outer tissue of endosperm. (Fhg. 1, Fig. 3). 3. Generaly, at the same relative humidity, equilibrium moisture content is lower at high temperature than at low temperature1). The soft varieties are more sensitive to these effects of temperatures, therefore, equilibrium moisture contents in them are higher at high relative humidity and low temperature and are lower at low relative humidity and high temperature in a marked degree than those in hard varieties. (Fig. 4, Fig. 5). 4. At the same relative humidity, equilibrium moisture contents is lower in brown rice than in polished rice because the moisture content of bran is lower than polished rice at usual relative humidity (lower than 80%). (Fig. 6).

Forsøg på rekonstruktion af fortidige smedeprocesser

Forsøg på rekonstruktion af fortidige smedeprocesser

The Patient with a Ruptured Disk

lifting or a fall may initiate the trouble. Sometimes low back pain comes on gradually as a result of the continued stress caused by anomalies in the formation of the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae and the articulation with the sacrum. Overweight, pregnancy, or just improper use of the back will then cause trouble in this area. Finally there is the now famous slipped disk-in reality, a herniation of the nucleus pulposus or soft central portion of the intervertebral disk. This protrusion presses on the nerve roots as they exit from the spinal canal, causing the sciatic pain going down the leg which is the patient's chief complaint. How should acute low back pain be treated? Conservative therapy is always tried first: rest on a firm bed; heat to the area; frequently traction to relax the muscle spasm and to keep the patient quiet. The traction may be applied by Buck's extension, by leather anklets, or by a pelvic girdle. Almost all patients with back pain other than disk in origin improve under such a regimen. Frequently even disk symptoms are alleviated. When the acute stage is over, patients may be started on exercises to gradually strengthen their back muscles as prophylaxis against another attack. On occasion a lumbosacral corset or brace is also indicated.

Iliac Horns

Recently Fong (1) described a bizarre anomaly of the pelvis consisting of processes arising bilaterally from the posterior aspects of the iliac bones. To these bony protuberances he gave the name of “iliac horns.” The malformation appears to be unusual, inasmuch as several radiologists and orthopedic surgeons of considerable experience who saw the roentgenograms had never encountered a similar occurrence. From the anatomic standpoint, these processes could not be considered as vestigial structures. In an addendum to Fong's article, Doub (2) stated that he had observed a similar case twenty years earlier. In each of the above instances, the anomaly was asymptomatic and was an incidental finding during the course of a pyelographic study. It is our impression that iliac horns constitute one of the manifestations of a more complex hereditary syndrome. The following cases are reported in an attempt to justify this assumption. Case 1: J. S., a 28-year-old white male, was admitted to Grady Memorial Hospital in November 1946, for pyelographic studies. On physical examination, the thumbnails were found to be absent and the nails of the index finger were divided by longitudinal fissures. Roentgenologic studies demonstrated hypoplasia of the patellae (Fig. 1), as well as flaring of the iliac bones, from the external surfaces of which oblong processes protruded posteriorly (Fig. 2). There was a history of absence of the thumbnails and of knee-joint deformities in the patient's mother and maternal grandmother. Similar defects were known to have occurred in two of the mother's sisters and in the patient's brother, two cousins, and a nephew. Case 2: B. S., a 5-year-old white boy, a son of the patient described above, was admitted to Grady Memorial Hospital in November 1947, because of hematuria following sulfadiazine therapy for an upper respiratory infection. On physical examination, absence of the thumbnails and deformities of the other fingernails were noted. Pelvic roentgenograms disclosed flaring of the iliac bones and bilateral posterior iliac processes (Fig. 3). The ossification centers for the patellae were not visible. Case 3: J. B., a 5-year-old white boy, not related to the patients described above, was admitted to Emory University Hospital for surgical correction of bilateral patellar dislocation. The positive physical findings were referable to the extremities. The upper extremities were normal except for the thumbnails, which showed a central longitudinal ridge and a thin soft distal portion. The patellae were found, on palpation, to be smaller than those normally felt at the age of five and were displaced laterally to a marked degree. The mobility of both knee joints was increased, and the legs could be easily hyperextended. Roentgenologic examination disclosed shortening of the left radial shaft and bilateral iliac horns (Fig. 4).

The Nesting Habits of the Little Carpenterbee, Ceratina Calcarata

The large carpenter-bee, Xylocopa virginica, is rightfully entitled to this name; the small carpenter-bee, Ceratina calcarata Robt., (Fig. 1), can furnish only part of the qualifications necessary to entitle her to the name. The former actually carves out with her powerful jaws new tunnels in the solid wood, grinding out sawdust as yellow and as real as any that comes from a steel blade. She seeks no soft or decayed portions, but cuts on into the sound wood with joyous vigor. The small carpenter-bee, so-called, burrows only into the soft pith of elder or sumac, and even then is able to use only the stems which have been cut or broken off, so as to afford her direct access to the soft pith within. If the soft portion is unexposed, Ceratina is unable to break through the ligneous wall and is obliged to seek another stem. Thus it is in only a very limited sense that this species may be called a carpenterbee. The similarity of common name of the two insects might lead one to expect similarity in looks, but in their physical appearance there is all the difference of David and Goliath, the one large and powerful in build, the other small and delicate. That they find the stems which have been cut was proven by a little experiment. In the middle of June, 1918, a large clump of sumac at Meramec Highlands gave no evidence of harboring any of these bees within their stems. I cut off the tops of about one-fourth of them (sixty-five in number) to make a place which would be attractive to home-seekers. When I returned a month later, seventy-five per cent, of the cut twigs were occupied by Ceratina calcarata, and not one of those uncut contained an occupant.

Societies and Academies

LONDON. Royal Society, May 20.—Sir William Crookes, president, in the chair.—H. Moore: The corpuscular radiation liberated in vapours by homogeneous X-radiation.—H. Richardson: The absorption in lead of χ rays emitted by radium B and radium C. (1) The absorption curves in lead of the radiations emitted by radium B and radium C have been determined and analysed. (2) In addition to the penetrating type of radiation for which μ = 0·5 (cm.-1) in lead, radium C has been found to emit soft types for which μ = 46, μ = 6·0, and μ = 1·5, and which are practically absorbed by 1·5 cm. of lead. (3) The analysis of the radium B absorption curve shows that in addition to the radiation μ = 40 in aluminium, the rays emitted consist of three types for which μ=46, μ = 6·0, and μ = 1·5 for lead. The close similarity of this latter radiation with that of the soft portion emitted by radium C, already observed by Rutherford and Andrade, has been established. (4) The absorption of the radiations in different elements has been examined and the bearing of the results discussed. No evidence of anomalous absorption has been found in the case of the penetrating radiations.—T. R. Merton: The application of interference methods to the study of the origin of certain spectrum lines. By measuring the limiting orders at which interference can be detected) for different radiations, certain deductions may be made as to the mass of the luminous particles and the temperature of the source. If the only circumstance which could possibly influence the width of spectrum lines set low pressures were the Doppler effect due to the motion of the luminous particles in the line of sight, the relative masses of particles emitting radiations from the same source of light might be calculated. As, however, there is reason to doubt the validity of this assumption under certain conditions, the conclusions which may be drawn with certainty from measurements of this kind-are an inferior limit for the mass of the luminous particles if the temperature of the source is known” or a superior limit to the temperature if the mass of the luminous particles is assumed. It is shown in the paper that the flame lines of calcium, strontium, and barium are probably due to molecules, whilst the H and K lines of calcium are to be attributed to calcium atoms. As the flame lines are members of series, it must be recognised that radiations from molecules may give rise to line series as well as band spectra. Lines of. the two spectra of argon have been investigated. The width of the lines of the red spectrum would appear to be accounted for by the Doppler effect. The lines of the blue spectrum are very broad in comparison with those of the red spectrum, and a satisfactory explanation of this has not been found. Spectrum lines of the “arc” type are broadened when condensed discharges are used as the method of excitation, but the difference in width of the lines in the blue and red spectra of argon is of another order of magnitude. The band spectrum associated with helium has been found to be enhanced when the gas is cooled to the temperature of liquid air, which might justify the suspicion that more than one atom was concerned in its production, but a comparison of the widths of the lines in the band spectrum with the ordinary helium lines makes it extremely probable that the band spectrum is due to atomic helium.