Successful transvenous lead extraction of abandoned lead implanted through persistent left superior vena cava

Persistent left superior vena cava, the most common thoracic venous anomaly, may complicate transvenous lead extraction (TLE). We report a successful case of TLE in a patient with persistent left superior vena cava, despite a long dwelling time and several pocket revisions due to pocket infection. The lead was removed via a hand-powered mechanical extraction sheath, and postoperative complications did not occur. Complicated TLE cases may have a better outcome if performed in a high-volume center with experienced specialists.

New approach for the elucidation of the phenomena involved in the operation of vegetable oil extraction presses

In a context where the search for naturalness, the need to reduce the carbon footprint and the development of a decentralized crushing sector are intensifying, mechanical extraction is a technology that is regaining major importance for the industry. The performance of this technique remains far below what is desirable, while the understanding of the main phenomena involved in screw presses remains insufficient. This article, after a brief presentation of the state of the art of this discipline, presents a new model centered on the notions of pressure generation and plasticity. According to this approach, plasticity can account for parameters such as the water and oil content of oilseeds, their temperature, and their possible dehulling. Plasticity in turn would explain both the compressibility of the cake and its ability to resist the thrust of the screws, and consequently to generate pressure or to creep or flow backward depending on the geometry of the screw and the cage. The model must also incorporate the notions of compression velocity, friction, and the complexity of the interactions between these parameters and the impact of the succession of screw segments and cone rings. It has been built on observation and experience and gives an understanding of the need to work simultaneously on the conditioning and geometry of the presses to achieve improved performance in terms of energy, efficiency, and reduction of the temperatures experienced by the proteins and oils

Continuous Mechanical Extraction of Fibres from Linseed Flax Straw for Subsequent Geotextile Applications

Linseed flax is a multipurpose crop. It is cultivated for its seeds and particularly for its oil. The main contributors for this crop are Canada, France and Belgium. In general, straws of linseed flax are buried in the fields or burnt. However, these solutions are not good practices for the environment and from an economical point of view. In this study, straws of linseed flax (six batches in total) with different dew retting durations and harvesting techniques were studied to possibly use them for producing innovative geotextiles. Two different fibre extraction processes were investigated. A first process (A) involved horizontal breaker rollers and then a breaking card. A second one (B) consisted in using vertical breaker rollers, and an “all fibre” extraction device (fibre opener) followed by sieving. The chemical composition of fibres in parietal constituents appeared to be globally equivalent to the one of textile flax with a pectic content decreasing as a function of the dew retting duration. This contributed to an increase in the cellulose content. The fibre content was situated in a range from 29% to 33%, which corresponds to a good yield for linseed flax fibre. The level of purity can reach values of up to 90% for method A (without extra-sieving) and 96% for method B (with extra-sieving), and the length of the fibres (larger for method A than for method B) and their tensile properties make them suitable for structural geotextile yarn manufacturing.

Application of Low Temperature during the Malaxation Phase of Virgin Olive Oil Mechanical Extraction Processes of Three Different Italian Cultivars

The malaxation step, one of the most important phases of the virgin olive oil (VOO) mechanical extraction process involved in the development of the main quality characteristics of the final product, was carried out at a low temperature (18 °C). The rapid control of malaxer temperature was handled with the same chiller as that of the heat exchanger used in a semi-industrial extraction plant. Low temperature was used during the full olive paste kneading process and also for half of this process, which showed that there was a significant impact on the phenolic and volatile contents of VOO. Trials were conducted on three different cultivars (Canino, Moraiolo and Peranzana), and their phenolic and volatile concentrations showed different quantitative and qualitative effects due to the prolonged use of low temperature after the crushing phase, as a function of the different genetic origins of the olives. The process of phenolic compound solubilization into the oily phase was negatively influenced by the use of low temperature during the entire malaxation period for all the cultivars, whereas the volatile fraction showed an improvement in VOO flavor mainly due to the oil extracted from Canino olives.

Temperature Effects on Yields, Fatty Acids and Tocopherols of Prickly Pear (Opuntia Ficus Indica L.) Seed Oil of Oriental Region of Morocco

This study focuses on yields, chemical quality, composition, and the stability of the fatty acids of the oil extracted from Opuntia ficus indica seeds, collected from the eastern region of Morocco, regardless of the temperature and the extraction method used. The results of this study reveal that prickly pear is a rich source of oil. The obtained oil yields varied from 12.49%±0.09 for the mechanical extraction, 11.46±0.10 for the chemical extraction, and 10.52%±0.09 for the maceration. The main fatty acids found in O. Ficus indica are linoleic acid 75.80%±0.10 (Chemical), 74.07%±0.14 (Maceration) and 71.59%±0.14 (Mechanical), and palmitic acid 17.32%±0.02 (Chemical) 22.419% ±0.06 (Maceration) and 26.58% ±0.00 (Mechanical). So the oil of prickly pear could be classified as a linoleic. Among the Tocopherols founded, a high value of b-tocopherol has been detected in the mechanical extraction with 502.04±0,76 mg/kg followed by the chemical and the maceration extraction with (430.12±0.61mg/kg, 315.47± 0.96 mg/kg) respectively. The findings of the present study reveal that the oil of O. ficus indica could be used in cosmetics and pharmacological products.