Brewer’s spent grain as a functional ingredient for breadsticks

Brewer’s spent grain (BSG) was evaluated for its potential as a functional baking ingredient. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the microstructure of BSG and wheat flours. Baked snacks (breadsticks) were prepared using 15%, 25% and 35% BSG and evaluated for their baking quality and fibre and protein content (over a period of 3 months). The addition of BSG altered the baking characteristics of the breadsticks by affecting their structure and texture. The snacks appeared to lack in cellular structure and crispiness. However, they had quite a stable shelf‐life, as changes in texture, moisture and a_w progressed at a low rate. Addition of 25% and 35% BSG significantly increased the protein content of the snacks, and addition of 15% BSG more than doubled the content of dietary fibre in the samples.     

Effects of Silver and Antimony Content in Lead-Free High-Temperature Solders of Bi-Ag and Bi-Sb on Copper Substrate

Replacing high-temperature leaded solders with lead-free alternatives is an important issue in the electronics industry. This study investigates the viability of lead-free Bi-Ag and Bi-Sb solder alloys, ranging in composition from 1.5 to 5 wt.% Ag and Sb. The effects of melting point, wetting angle, microstructure, and morphology were analysed by differential scanning calorimetry, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscope–energy dispersive x-ray analysis. The results showed that all tested alloys had suitable melting temperatures, ranging from 271 to 276°C. The wetting angle increased by raising the Sb content, but, in contrast, by increasing the wt.% of Ag, the wetting angle decreased. A Cu-rich phase was present in all Bi-Ag alloys, The Cu-rich phase was also present in decreasing amounts with increasing Sb, but, with 5Sb, there was no Cu-rich phase, and a Cu3Sb intermetallic compound was present in the interface and as precipitates in the solder. Grooving along Cu grain boundaries was observed at the interface for the rest of the alloys.     

Experimental approaches for the estimation of uncertainty in analysis of trace inorganic contaminants in foodstuffs by ICP-MS

Total Diet Studies to estimate dietary exposure to food contaminants need to evaluate laboratory measurements data variance. In this process it is critical that data from analytical methods are reliable to correctly scrutinize and compare values over time and between countries. In Europe it is widely recognized that the evaluation of measurement uncertainty is an important parameter when assessing the sources of analytical data variability. Two approaches are considered to estimate uncertainty in analytical measurement. Arsenic, Lead, Chromium and Cadmium, content in several food matrix determined by Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) microwave digestion assisted, are used as examples. The aim of the present research work is to compare both approaches accepted by Eurolab and GUM: Mathematical modeling to assess uncertainty components based on a classical model (bottom up) and an empirical method (top down), based on either experimental data obtained from a single laboratory validation data or inter-laboratory data from Proficiency Testing schemes. Relative expanded uncertainty calculated by both approaches agree when U (%) <20%. These values are concordant with RSD_R reported in collaborative studies of EN 15763 (2009), which were assumed as target uncertainty. The top down approach described is simple and easy to use when compared with the mathematical modeling approach providing considerable benefits to those who assess data produced by several laboratories.     

A Model Korean Ubiquitous Eco-City? The Politics of Making Songdo

Building cities from scratch has continued unabated since the latter half of the twentieth century despite some of these planned cities achieving global infamy for their failures. These endeavors are, in part, due to a persistent belief by governments that newly constructed cities can set their nations on a fast path to the future. Today, challenges posed both by global climate change and increased urbanization have widened this platform from projects almost exclusively of developing nations to include those in the developed world. Today we talk of the eco-city, a local solution to a global crisis. If completion is successfully fast-tracked, the resultant eco-city will position its respective nation at the forefront of innovation in what is effectively a global race: the resultant city can be exported as a model both locally and globally. In this regard, the envisioning and building of Songdo in South Korea may not be unique. Songdo is a city underway on flat land created from wetland reclamation. As part of the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ), Songdo's development has benefited from opportunistic circumstances that has led to its pursuit of becoming a “Ubiquitous Eco-City.” The green infrastructure of the new city is to be enhanced by the provision of extra services that combine information and communication technologies as well as digital networks to ideally create harmony among the environment, society, and technology. Songdo, as planned, will position South Korea among a group of leading nations, and possibly at the forefront of new city development, potentially producing a model for export.     

Performance analysis of three advanced controllers for polymerization batch reactor: An experimental investigation

The performances of three advanced non-linear controllers are analyzed for the optimal set point tracking of styrene free radical polymerization (FRP) in batch reactors. The three controllers are the artificial neural network-based MPC (NN-MPC), the artificial fuzzy logic controller (FLC) as well as the generic model controller (GMC). A recently developed hybrid model (Hosen et al., 2011a. Asia-Pac. J. Chem. Eng. 6(2), 274) is utilized in the control study to design and tune the proposed controllers. The optimal minimum temperature profiles are determined using the Hamiltonian maximum principle. Different types of disturbances are introduced and applied to examine the stability of controller performance. The experimental studies revealed that the performance of the NN-MPC is superior to that of FLC and GMC.     

Fetal Undernutrition Modifies Vascular RAS Balance Enhancing Oxidative Damage and Contributing to Remodeling

Fetal stress is known to increase susceptibility to cardiometabolic diseases and hypertension in adult age in a process known as fetal programming. This study investigated the relationship between vascular RAS, oxidative damage and remodeling in fetal programming. Six-month old Sprague-Dawley offspring from mothers that were fed ad libitum (CONTROL) or with 50% intake during the second half of gestation (maternal undernutrition, MUN) were used. qPCR or immunohistochemistry were used to obtain the expression of receptors and enzymes. Plasma levels of carbonyls were measured by spectrophotometry. In mesenteric arteries from MUN rats we detected an upregulation of ACE, ACE2, AT₁ receptors and NADPH oxidase, and lower expression of AT₂, Mas and MrgD receptors compared to CONTROL. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and plasma levels of carbonyls were higher in MUN than in CONTROL. Vascular morphology evidenced an increased media/lumen ratio and adventitia/lumen ratio, and more connective tissue in MUN compared to CONTROL. In conclusion, fetal undernutrition indices RAS alterations and oxidative damage which may contribute to the remodeling of mesenteric arteries, and increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular events and hypertension.     

Validation of a Cleanroom Compliant Sonication-Based Decellularization Technique: A New Concept in Nerve Allograft Production

Defects of the peripheral nervous system are extremely frequent in trauma and surgeries and have high socioeconomic costs. If the direct suture of a lesion is not possible, i.e., nerve gap > 2 cm, it is necessary to use grafts. While the gold standard is the autograft, it has disadvantages related to its harvesting, with an inevitable functional deficit and further morbidity. An alternative to autografting is represented by the acellular nerve allograft (ANA), which avoids disadvantages of autograft harvesting and fresh allograft rejection. In this research, the authors intend to transfer to human nerves a novel technique, previously implemented in animal models, to decellularize nerves. The new method is based on soaking the nerve tissues in decellularizing solutions while associating ultrasounds and freeze–thaw cycles. It is performed without interrupting the sterility chain, so that the new graft may not require post-production γ-ray irradiation, which is suspected to affect the structural and functional quality of tissues. The new method is rapid, safe, and inexpensive if compared with available commercial ANAs. Histology and immunohistochemistry have been adopted to evaluate the new decellularized nerves. The study shows that the new method can be applied to human nerve samples, obtaining similar, and, sometimes better, results compared with the chosen control method, the Hudson technique.     

On the limit theory of the Gaussian SQMLE in the EGARCH(1,1) model

We derive the limit theory of the Gaussian stable quasi maximum likelihood estimator for the stationary EGARCH(1,1) model when the squared innovation process has marginals with regularly varying tails. We derive regularly varying rates and limiting stable distributions. We perform Monte Carlo experiments to assess the extent of the parameter space corresponding to the invertibility condition, and the quality of the asymptotic approximation.