This work aims at improving the textural and whipping properties of whipped cream by the addition of milk fat globule membrane protein. The determination of particle size distribution and average diameter of whipped cream showed that the small particle size was shifted to a larger range after milk fat globule membrane protein was added. The average particle size (d_3,2) of whipped cream reached a maximum value of 5.05 µm at 1% milk fat globule membrane protein, while slowly decreased with increasing milk fat globule membrane protein levels from 2% to 5%. In addition, the partial coalescence of fat increased with the increase of milk fat globule membrane protein levels, and the correlation between the whipping time and the overrun of whipped cream was positive. The addition of milk fat globule membrane protein also altered the rheological behaviour of whipped cream, resulting in the increase of modulus G′ and the loss modulus G″. The results also indicated that higher milk fat globule membrane protein level decreased the serum loss of whipped cream while improved its stability. While milk fat globule membrane protein levels had no significant effect on viscosity, its increasing levels effectively improved the hardness, consistency, and viscosity of whipped cream.

γ-Tocotrienol, a kind of isoprenoid phytochemical, has antitumor activity. However, there is limited evidence that it has an effect on cervical cancer. In this study, the capacity to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in human cervical cancer HeLa cells and the mechanism underlying these effects were examined. The results indicated that a γ-tocotrienol concentration over 30 μM inhibited the growth of HeLa cells with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 46.90 ± 3.50 μM at 24 h, and significantly down-regulated the expression of proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki-67. DNA flow cytometric analysis indicated that γ-tocotrienol arrested the cell cycle at G0/G1 phase and reduced the S phase in HeLa cells. γ-tocotrienol induced apoptosis of HeLa cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. γ-tocotrienol-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells was accompanied by down-regulation of Bcl-2, up-regulation of Bax, release of cytochrome from mitochondria, activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and subsequent poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage. These results suggested that γ-tocotrienol could significantly inhibit cell proliferation through G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, and induce apoptosis via the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in human cervical cancer HeLa cells. Thus, our findings revealed that γ-tocotrienol may be considered as a potential agent for cervical cancer therapy.

To assess the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) under epidural anesthesia (EA) and general anesthesia (GA) for treating lumbar disc herniation (LDH). A retrospective study involving 86 patients with LDH managed by PELD under EA and GA was conducted from July 2018 to March 2019. These patients were divided into 2 groups according to the type of anesthesia. Patient's demographics data as well as the operation time, complications, fluoroscopy shots, visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA), and MacNab scores of the 2 groups were recorded. All of the patients were followed-up at 6 months after operation. There were no significant differences were detected in the preoperative demographics between the groups (p > 0.05). Two cases (4.8%) under GA developed transient motor weakness, 3 cases (7.4%) presented numbness of lower limb, and 1 case (2.4%) had cauda equina syndrome after operation. In EA group, 1 case (2.2%) had motor weakness and 3 cases (6.7%) had lower limb numbness, which resolved completely at the last follow-up. There was significant difference between preoperative VAS, JOA, and ODI scores and postoperative scores (p < 0.01). Moreover, there were no differences in the operation time, fluoroscopy shots, and MacNab scores between the 2 groups (p > 0.05). EA and GA in PELD are effective and safe, and no significant difference in complications was observed. Based on our experience, we recommended junior surgeons to perform PELD under EA for getting feedback from the patient to avoid nerve injury and reduce the radiation dose. The concentration of ropivacaine in EA should be considered carefully.