The visualisation and quantification of human gastrointestinal fat distribution with MRI: a randomised study in healthy subjects

We aimed to study the fate of fat during digestion. For this purpose, we validated and investigated the non-invasive quantification of gastric and duodenal fat emptying and emulsion processing (creaming and phase separation) using the MRI method iterative decomposition with echo asymmetry and least squares estimation (IDEAL). In total, twelve healthy subjects were studied on two separate visits in a single-blind, randomised, cross-over design study. IDEAL was utilised to repeatedly acquire quantitative fat fraction maps of the gastrointestinal tract after infusion of one of two fat emulsions: E1 (acid stable, droplet size 0·33 mm) and E4 (acid unstable, 0·38 mm). In vitro and in vivo validation was carried out using diluted emulsion and gastric content samples, respectively, and resulted in Lin’s concordance correlation coefficients of 1·00 (95 % CI 0·98, 1·00) and 0·91 (95 % CI 0·87, 0·94), respectively. Fat fraction maps and intragastric emulsion profiles enabled the identification of features of intraluminal phase separation and creaming that were not visible in conventional MRI. Gastric fat emptying was faster for E4 compared with E1 with a difference of 2·5 (95 % CI 1·9, 3·1) ml/h. Duodenal content volumes were larger for E1 than for E4 with a difference of 4·9 (95 % CI 3·9, 8·5) ml. This study demonstrated that with IDEAL it was possible (1) to visualise the intragastric and duodenal fat distribution and (2) to quantify the differences in emptying, phase separation and creaming of an acid-stable and an acid-unstable emulsion. This method has potential to bridge the gap between current in vitro digestive models and in vivo behaviour and to be applied in the development of effective functional foods.

Tailoring the optical properties of poly(3-hexylthiophene) by emulsion processing using polymeric macrosurfactants

Here we demonstrate that the use of macrosurfactants in the production of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT):water dispersion allows to drastically change the semiconductor's molecular aggregation, leading to pronounced H- or J-like behaviour depending on the macrosurfactant used and the conditions selected to produce the dispersions.

Synthesis of Novel Anionic Fluorinated Polyacrylate Emulsion and its Application in Leather Waterproofing

Novel anionic fluorinated polyacrylate emulsion (FLHA) was synthesized and characterized using Infrared spectrum (IR). Then it was used as waterproofing agent to treat wet blue leather and the effects of various parameters, such as dose of fluorinated acrylate emulsion, processing time, temperature, etc., on hydrophobic property of the treated crust leather were also investigated using single factor experimental method. Results showed that water contact angle (WCA) on the grain and flesh layers of the resultant leather had similar rule controled by dose of the FLHA, processing time and temperature and increased with augment of those factors. The most preferable processing parameters of the above factors were 6% (based on the weight of the treated wet blue leather), 60 minutes and 30 °C, repectively. Thus, WCA on the grain and flesh layers of the resultant leather could attain 130° and 136°.

Preparation and Luminescent Properties of Nancrystalline Zro2:Eu3+ by Emulsion Method

Europium-doped nanocrystalline ZrO2: Eu3+ powders with different doped concentrations were prepared by emulsion processing method, with different doped concentration and calcination temperature on the material grain size, structure, size and luminescent properties. The results show that: Eu3+ has a stabilizing effect on tetragonal phase of ZrO2. Emission spectra indicates that the main emission peak in the 593m and 608m, “Blue Shift “will occur in 5D0 → 7F2 transition of the emission spectra of sample with the sintering temperature at 1000°C. Samples with the sintering temperature soaring, spectral emission intensity also increases.