Application of ergothioneine-rich extract from an edible mushroom Flammulina velutipes for melanosis prevention in shrimp,Penaeus monodon and Litopenaeus vannamei

This report investigated the melanosis-inhibiting properties of crude water soluble extract from the base and fruiting body waste of an edible mushroom (Flammulina velutipes) containing 9.13 ± 2.03 mg/mL 2-thiol-l-histidine-betaine (ergothioneine, ESH). Immersion of live full-grown black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) and Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) in a 0.5% w/v solution of mushroom extract for 1 h significantly decreased polyphenoloxidase (PPO) activity in shrimp hemolymph and expression of the prophenoloxidase (proPO) gene in hemocytes. Consequently, the development of melanosis in the treated shrimp during ice storage was prevented. Treatment with a 0.05% w/v solution of sodium sulfite and 4-hexyl-1,3-benzenediol had a similar effect. Enzyme assays showed that ESH is a non-competitive inhibitor. It is proposed that ESH possibly interacts directly with Cu²⁺ at the putative binding sites of PPO and proPO, based on copper-chelating activity analyses, thus preventing melanosis in the shrimp. This study indicated that application of ESH-rich F. velutipes mushroom extract from trimming waste is an effective natural alternative to synthetic melanosis-inhibiting agents to prevent postmortem melanosis in shrimp.     

Relating TQM,marketing and business performance: An exploratory study

Total Quality Management (TQM) is perhaps the leading management approach that companies employ to improve their product and service quality with the aim of improving typical measures of business performance (e.g. increased profits, increased market share, reduced costs). However, consumer perception of quality not only results from an evaluation of the intrinsic quality attributes of the product (e.g. performance, reliability, durability) but is also affected by the marketing mix (e.g. price, advertising, warranties) adopted by the company selling the product. This paper offers a first attempt at cross-functional fertilization by examining the relationships between TQM, some marketing mix variables and measures of company performance by exploring the diverse multidisciplinary literature and developing an explanatory framework, which is tested using non-parametric correlation and refined through an empirical study of Spanish manufacturing companies. The results show that the most important TQM dimensions are the system of employee relations and the use of quality management-related design tools. The results also indicate the existence of a relationship amongst price, advertising and warranties, but that these marketing variables were not related to TQM and that further research is required to include a wider definition of marketing strategy.     

Neural and Neural Gray-Box Modeling for Entry Temperature Prediction in a Hot Strip Mill

In hot strip mills, initial controller set points have to be calculated before the steel bar enters the mill. Calculations rely on the good knowledge of rolling variables. Measurements are available only after the bar has entered the mill, and therefore they have to be estimated. Estimation of process variables, particularly that of temperature, is of crucial importance for the bar front section to fulfill quality requirements, and the same must be performed in the shortest possible time to preserve heat. Currently, temperature estimation is performed by physical modeling; however, it is highly affected by measurement uncertainties, variations in the incoming bar conditions, and final product changes. In order to overcome these problems, artificial intelligence techniques such as artificial neural networks and fuzzy logic have been proposed. In this article, neural network-based systems, including neural-based Gray-Box models, are applied to estimate scale breaker entry temperature, given its importance, and their performance is compared to that of the physical model used in plant. Several neural systems and several neural-based Gray-Box models are designed and tested with real data. Taking advantage of the flexibility of neural networks for input incorporation, several factors which are believed to have influence on the process are also tested. The systems proposed in this study were proven to have better performance indexes and hence better prediction capabilities than the physical models currently used in plant.     

Occurrence of C16:1 isomers in milk fats from ewes fed with different dietary lipid supplements

The trans as well as the cis C16:1 isomer profiles were established in 43 ewe milk fats supplemented with different dietary lipid sources representative of the variety of unsaturated fatty acids found in nature such as olive, sunflower, linseed and fish oils. Fractionation by silver-ion solid phase extraction facilitated a rapid separation of the trans, cis and saturated FA before gas chromatography analysis took place. C16:1 isomers with a double bond in positions 7, 9 and 13 in the cis group and 8 and 9 in the trans fraction were the most abundant. Dietary lipid supplementation produced a noticeable increase in the total trans C16:1 content and elevated correlations were observed between trans-8 C16:1 and trans-10 C18:1 as well as trans-9 C16:1 and trans-11 C18:1. These results support the idea that altering the trans C18:1 profile affects trans C16:1 isomer composition consistent with the β-oxidation products from the trans C18:1 isomers.     

Using Fuzzy Cost‐Based FMEA,GRA and Profitability Theory for Minimizing Failures at a Healthcare Diagnosis Service

This paper proposes an integrated approach to identify, evaluate and improve the potential failures in a service setting. This integrated approach combines Fuzzy cost‐based service‐specific FMEA (FCS‐FMEA), Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) and profitability theory for better prioritization of the service failures by considering cost as an important issue and using the profitability theory in a way that the corrective actions costs are taken into account. Considering profitability with FCS‐FMEA and GRA reduces the losses caused by failure occurrence. Besides, a maximization linear mathematical problem is used to select the best mix of failures to be repaired. We apply our approach to an academic example concerning the potential failures diagnosis of the Internal Medicine service of a hospital located in Seoul, Korea. We applied our approach and solved the associated maximization problem by a commercial solver, producing an optimal solution which indicates the most convenient mix of failures to be repaired by considering available budget. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.