Effect of sodium molybdate and sodium tungstate in concrete rebar corrosion

Purpose This paper aims to identify an inhibitor to protect rebar corrosion in concrete. Design/methodology/approach The authors use the simple method of polarization and calculate the change in open-circuit potential and corrosion current density. Findings Sodium molybdate is an efficient inhibitor compared with sodium tungstate for rebar corrosion in concrete. Research limitations/implications This paper has limitation of 0.0001 M concentration of inhibitors for 400 days of exposure in 3.5 per cent sodium chloride solution. Originality/value The research focused on the concentration of both inhibitors in the range from 0.1 to 0.0001 M, which resulted in greater structural protection from corrosion in adverse conditions, such as coastal areas.

Efficacy of sodium alginate as fat replacer on the processing and storage quality of buffalo mozzarella cheese

Purpose The sensory quality and yield of mozzarella cheese deteriorate as the fat content in milk is reduced. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of sodium alginate as a fat replacer in low-fat buffalo mozzarella cheese on the basis of processing and storage (4 ± 1°C) quality. Design/methodology/approach Five treatments of buffalo mozzarella cheese, viz., control full-fat cheese (6.0 per cent milk fat; CFFC), control low-fat cheese (<0.5 per cent milk fat) without sodium alginate (CLFC), low-fat cheese with 0.1 per cent sodium alginate (LFC-1), 0.2 per cent sodium alginate (LFC-2) and 0.3 per cent sodium alginate (LFC-3), were comparatively evaluated. Findings Increase in the level of sodium alginate increased the percent yield of treated low-fat cheese than CLFC. Addition of sodium alginate to low-fat cheese resulted in decrease in hardness (p = 0.023) and chewiness than CLFC. Meltability was significantly decreased (p = 0.03) in low-fat cheese than CFFC. It was recorded as 1.5 ± 0.14 cm for CFFC to 0.2 ± 0.08 cm in LFC-3. Sensory panellists awarded LFC-3 highest and lowest to LFC-1; however, treated products at all selected levels were superior to CLFC. Oxidative stability and microbial stability were improved in LFC-3 than CFFC during storage. Practical implications Results concluded that 0.3 per cent sodium alginate is optimum for the development of extended shelf-life functional/low-fat/low-calorie buffalo mozzarella cheese. Originality/value Processing interventions can be successfully used to develop low-fat/low-calorie mozzarella cheese with acceptable sensory attributes and longer storage life.

Single dose injection snoreplasty: investigation or treatment?

Introduction:Many surgical and nonsurgical procedures have been designed for the treatment of snoring due to palatal flutter. All work in some, but not all, snorers. The difficulty lies in making the definitive diagnosis of palatal flutter as the cause of snoring, and in deciding which patients should undergo which treatment, which in some cases are relatively radical.Aims:This study aimed to assess the usefulness of injection snoreplasty in differentiating palatal flutter from other forms of snoring. This was done in the hope of determining which patients would benefit from definitive palatal surgery such as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and laser-assisted uvuloplasty.Materials:Sixty consecutive patients referred for habitual snoring were treated with sodium tetradycil sulphate during their first consultation visit. No patients were excluded and none refused the treatment. Forty patients received a single 1 ml dose of 1 per cent sodium tetradycil sulphate, and twenty patients received a single 1 ml dose of 3 per cent sodium tetradycil sulphate under topical anaesthesia. Visual analogue snoring scales were completed by the patient and their partner six weeks, three months, six months and 12 months after the procedure.Results:Forty of the 60 patients showed improvement in snoring and therefore were considered for definitive surgery. Four of the 60 patients found the investigation unpleasant and did not want any further treatment. Of the 40 patients who showed improvement, 29 maintained this at one year. The other 11 underwent uvulopalatopharyngoplasty or laser-assisted palatoplasty. All patients had successful snoring scale outcomes following the surgery.Conclusion:A significant number of the patients, 62 per cent, were demonstrated to have significant improvement in the short term. Single dose injection snoreplasty seems not only to be an effective investigation but may constitute a safe and simple treatment within the clinic. At the very least, patients in whom the palate appears not to be the problem are prevented from undergoing painful, unpleasant surgery. Our results support the use of injection snoreplasty, both as an investigation and in some patients as a treatment, for habitual snoring.

The prognostic value of mucociliary clearance in predicting success in tympanoplasty

Mucociliary and equipressive eustachian tube functions have been studied, using saccharin solution (five per cent sodium saccharinate) and tubal manometry respectively, in 58 ears with chronic disease undergoing tympanoplasty. The position of the perforation site determines the results as the poorest results are obtained from the posterior ones, positive cases (47 per cent) and mean transport time (37.7 minutes), compared to the greater percentage of positive cases (86 per cent) and mean transport time (22.2 minutes) for anterior perforations.When both parameters are analysed together there is a direct relationship between normal equipressive function and normal mucociliary transport time and between negative transport time and tubal blocking. Significant differences in transport times have been found for the anterior and posterior perforations being shorter for the anterior ones.When surgical outcome is correlated with mucociliary transport, the normal transport time percentage is seen to be considerably higher in the success group (50 per cent) than in the failure group (22 per cent).

Treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis by sodium cromoglycate plus 0.025 per cent xylometazoline

SummaryThe object of this double-blind study was to assess the therapeutic effects of a combination of two per cent sodium cromoglycate and 0.025 per cent xylometazoline compared with a matched placebo. Forty patients were included in the two-week study.The treatment was found to be rapidly effective taking only a day to control symptoms in almost 80 per cent of the patients in the group receiving active treatment.No evidence of rebound effects due to the decongestant was observed during the study.