Decreasing the Linoleic Acid to α-Linolenic Acid Diet Ratio Increases Eicosapentaenoic Acid in Erythrocytes in Adults

The n-6/n-3 fatty acid (FA) ratio has increased in the Western-style diet to ~10–15:1 during the last century, which may have contributed to the rise in cardiovascular disease (CVD). Prior studies have evaluated the effects on CVD risk factors of manipulating the levels of n-6 and n-3 FA using food and supplements or investigated the metabolic fate of linoleic acid (LNA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA) by varying the n-6/n-3 ratios. However, no previous studies have investigated the potential interaction between diet ratios and supplementation with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3). We used a factorial design approach with adults (n = 24) in a controlled feeding trial to compare the accretion of EPA and DHA into red blood cell membranes (RBC) by adding a direct source (algal oil supplement) of EPA and DHA in a diet with a 10:1 versus 2:1 ratio of n-6/n-3 FA. Subjects were randomized into 8-week crossover diet sequences and each subject consumed three of four diets [10:1, 10:1 plus supplement (10:1 + S), 2:1 and 2:1 + S]. LNA and ALA intakes were 9.4 and 7.7%, and 1.0 and 3.0% during the low and high ALA diets, respectively. Compared to the Western-style 10:1 diet, the 2:1 diet increased EPA by 60% (P < 0.0001) in RBC membranes without the direct EPA source and a 34% increase (P = 0.027) was observed with the 10:1 + S diet; however, DHA levels increased in both diet ratios only with a direct DHA source. Shifting towards a 2:1 diet is a valid alternative to taking EPA-containing supplements.     

Sliding mode control based buck-boost bidirectional converter to drive piezoelectric loads

The present work deals with the development of a converter to drive piezoelectric actuators to be used in automotive and aerospace applications and work under mechanical frequencies up to 2 kHz with rectangular, triangular and sinusoidal reference signals. In order to maximize the field in the piezoelectric ceramic important voltages (up to 2,000 V) are needed. To fulfill such requirements with a limited input voltage a bidirectional buck-boost converter is proposed. Such a converter shows voltage reduction and elevation capability. This advantage overcomes its intrinsic control non-linearity and the drawbacks involved. The converter is controlled by means of a sliding mode control strategy based on two different linked sliding surfaces which are defined as the energy error of the converter for charging and discharging operation modes, so that each surface controls one of the two switches employed. The state-space evolution of the voltage and current is investigated in order to analyze the converter limitations. The proposed converter and control strategy have been simulated and have proved to be appropriate and robust for different voltage references and values of the equivalent capacitance C _P .