Multi-tag pyrosequencing has become a key method in the analysis of microbial community composition. However, it is well known that kinetic bias during the initial PCR amplification of such microbial communities can dramatically distort amplicon abundance prior to downstream emulsion PCR and pyrosequencing. Here we present a simple protocol combining length-heterogeneity PCR fingerprinting with...

Picoinjection is a promising technique to add reagents into pre-formed emulsion droplets on chip however, it is sensitive to pressure fluctuation, making stable operation of the picoinjector challenging. We present a chip architecture using a simple pressure stabilizer for consistent and highly reproducible picoinjection in multi-step biochemical assays with droplets. Incorporation of the stabi...

Colour is one of the most important visual attributes of food and is directly related to the perception of food quality. The interest in natural colourants, especially β-carotene that not only imparts colour but also has well-documented health benefits, has triggered the research and development of different protocols designed to entrap these hydrophobic natural molecules to improve their stabi...

STUDY OBJECTIVES Lipid emulsions have been suspected of inducing certain modifications in gas exchange and pulmonary hemodynamics. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the hemodynamic and pulmonary effects of two lipid emulsions. DESIGN Prospective, randomized, double-blind, crossover study. SETTING Medical and surgical ICU in a French university hospital. PATIENTS Eighteen p...

Investigations were carried out on development quality evaluation and shelf life studies of buffalo meat emulsion sausage prepared by different levels of fat and skimmed milk powder (SMP) at refrigerated storage temperature (0°C). The quality of emulsion sausage was based on the basis of physico-chemical characteristics namely moisture content, pH, protein content, TBA number, microbial charact...

OBJECTIVE To describe a new intraoperative bile leakage test in patients undergoing a major liver resection aimed to combine the advantages of each of the other standard bile leakage tests (accurate visualization of leaks, reproducibility, and ease of use) without their disadvantages. METHODS At the end of the major hepatic resection, 10 to 30 mL of sterile fat emulsion, 5%, is injected via a...

The utilization of carboxylic ionophores such as monensin for immunotoxin potentiation may be hampered by the poor solubility and short in vivo half-life of these highly lipophilic compounds. Therefore, the use of monensin formulated in a lipid/water emulsion was investigated for the in vitro and in vivo potentiation of immunotoxins. Monensin in emulsion or in buffer was equally effective for t...

The antioxidant activity of pectic enzyme treated pectin (PET-pectin) prepared from citrus pectin by enzymatic hydrolysis and its potential use as a stabilizer and an antioxidant for soy protein isolate (SPI)-stabilized oil in water (O/W) emulsion were investigated. Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) was found to be positively associated with molecular weight (M(w)) of PET-pectin and...

The effects of the initial emulsion structure (droplet size and emulsifier) on the properties of β-carotene-loaded emulsions and the bioavailability of β-carotene after passing through simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT) digestion were investigated. Exposure to GIT significantly changed the droplet size, surface charge and composition of all emulsions, and these changes were dependent on the...