Biomedical subjects

S Finnie

Publications and source records attributed to S Finnie.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Microhardness and dislocation identification studies on paracetamol single crystals.

PURPOSE: To study the mechanical behaviour of paracetamol single crystals. METHODS: Microhardness indentation techniques were used to study the hardness anisotropy of paracetamol. Solvent etching technique was used to define the range of plastic deformation and the orientation of the dislocation lines. The orientation dependence of Knoop hardness on the (001), (110) and (201) surfaces was compared with calculated values of the Effective Resolved Shear Stress (ERSS) for plastic deformation by specific dislocation types. RESULTS: The principal habit faces of single crystals using both Vickers and Knoop indenters showed a range of hardness from 235 to 456 MPa depending on the type of indenter used and its orientation on the surface. Solvent etching of the plastically deformed region of the crystal around the Vickers/Knoop indentations confirmed that the slip plane was (010). ERSS analysis suggested that the deformation occurred by the slip of dislocations of the types (010)[001] and (010)[100]. Crystals doped with 0.08-0.8 w/w% p-acetoxyacetanilide showed hardness values similar to the pure material. CONCLUSIONS: The low number of distinct dislocation slip systems (two) is characteristic of a brittle material and is consistent with the observation that paracetamol will tolerate only deformations of 1 part in 10(6) before fracture.

Acetaminophen↗

PubMed1997

The starch and total sugar content of Mexican fruit and vegetables.

The starch and total sugar contents of 20 types of fruit, 28 types of vegetables and six different herbs, grown in Mexico, were analysed. The selection was based on dietary surveys to identify those foods most widely consumed. Starch was determined by an enzymatic method whilst total sugar was determined gravimetrically. The foods were grouped according to the Southgate classification. Fruits contained little starch (range 0-4 g/100 g fresh weight (FW) except in the case of the plantain (31 g/100 g FW starch), whereas vegetables showed a higher concentration with tubers in the range 10-20 g/100 g FW starch. Legumes contained 0-5 g/100 g FW; amongst the capsicum group the chilli poblano had the highest concentration at 1.3 g/100 g FW starch. The concentration of sugars in fruits ranged from 0.6 g/100 g FW to 21.1 g/100 g FW.

Carbohydrates↗

PubMed1983

Diet therapy for rheumatoid arthritis.

Although diet therapy for arthritis has received considerable publicity, there is little objective information about its efficacy. We undertook a 10-week, controlled, double-blind, randomized trial of patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Twenty-six patients completed the study; 11 were on an experimental diet (a specific popular diet free of additives, preservatives, fruit, red meat, herbs, and dairy products) and 15 were on a "placebo" diet. Of 183 variables analyzed, there were no clinically important differences among rheumatologic, laboratory, immunologic, radiologic, or nutritional findings between patients on experimental and placebo diets. Six RA patients on the placebo and 5 on the experimental diet improved by objective criteria. Improvement averaged 29% for patients on placebo and 32% for patients on experimental diets. Two patients on the experimental diet improved notably, elected to remain on the experimental diet following the study period, have continued to improve, and noted exacerbations of disease upon consuming nonexperimental diet foods. Our study failed to provide evidence of objective overall clinical benefit of this diet as followed by a group of patients with longstanding, progressive, active RA. However, our data are not inconsistent with the possibility that individualized dietary manipulations might be beneficial for selected patients with rheumatic disease.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗