Mercury and Fatty Acids in Canned Tuna, Salmon, and Mackerel

ABSTRACT: Canned tuna ( n = 240), salmon ( n = 16), and mackerel ( n = 16) were analyzed for mercury and fatty acids. Average mercury levels were 188, 45, and 55 ppb, respectively, and below the FDA Action Level of 1000 ppb. "Light tuna in water" contained lower mercury (x = 54 ppb) compared with "white/albacore tuna in water," which contained higher eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid (EPA/DHA) x= 711 mg/100 g wet tissue). Mercury residues in salmon (x = 45 ppb) and mackerel (x = 55 ppb) were lower than in tuna products, but the EPA/DHA levels were higher (salmon, ×= 1623 mg/100 g wet tissue; mackerel, ×= 851 mg/100 g wet tissue). Information from this study will help women of childbearing age to limit their intake of mercury while obtaining healthy fats from fish.     

First dicadmium(II) complex of tripodal amide ligand with one edge-sharing monocapped octahedral geometry

A new dicadmium(II) complex [Cd₂(L)₂(H₂O)₂](NO₃)₄ · 8H₂O (1) with the tripodal amide ligand L (tris[3-aza-2-oxo-4-(2-pyridyl)butyl]amine) was synthesized and structurally characterized. Complex 1 is revealed as a dinuclear 2:2 (Cd:L) complex, in which each cadmium(II) ion is hepta-coordinated with the coordination surrounding of distorted monocapped octahedral geometry. Two cadmium(II) ions are dibridged by two carbonyl μ-O atoms forming a Cd₂(μ-O)₂ parallelogram-type moiety. Interestingly, the dinuclear coordination sphere can be seen as resulting from the fusion of two distorted monocapped octahedral [Cd(L)(H₂O)]²⁺ units through sharing one edge originated from the two carbonyl μ-O atoms as a first example. Comparative NMR, IR and FAB-mass data of 1 are also discussed.     

Coherence technique for noise reduction in rotary compressor

The noise and vibration of a rotary compressor, a type of multi-input, single output system, are generally studied through frequency analysis. Although this method is effective in analyzing frequency components, using this method to identify the specific source of the noise (4 kHz to 6 kHz) is difficult. Hence, noise source should be studied systematically. In this study, a coherence analysis method based on systems analysis is used to identify the compressor noise source. Compressor noise source is identified through the coherence between the vibration signals on the shell of the compressor and the noise signal at one point near the compressor (1 m away from the compressor). A one-third octave band is employed for frequency analysis. The design of experiment is conducted to identify possible noise factors, such as volume, size, and neck area of the resonator in the compressor cylinder. Analysis showed that noise was generated from the cavity of the cylinder and the muffler inside the rotary compressor. A new type of muffler was applied to the rotary compressor to verify this finding. Noise was dramatically reduced.     

Characteristics analysis of the developed surface modification technologies to improve the anti-corrosion performances for offshore equipments

In this study, we carried out the characteristics analysis and experiment research of the developed technologies based on surface modifications to enhance the anti-corrosion performance of offshore equipments. The developed technologies are the dipping method to generate super-hydrophilic surface which is then treated to be super-hydrophobic using chemical deposition and lubricant impregnation, and the spray coating method to generate super-hydrophobic surface. It is well-known that the super-hydrophilic and super-hydrophobic surfaces have good anti-corrosion performance. However, the mechanical properties should be maintained. We have verified the anticorrosion performance through the salt spray test and the measuring contact angle. And, we have evaluated the mechanical characteristics such as hardness. As the results, the dipping and the spray coating methods improved the anti-corrosion performance maintaining its mechanical properties at the same coating thickness of about 80 nm.

     

High temperature oxidation of Ti−48%Al−2%W intermetallics

Powder metallurgically produced Ti-48% Al-2%W alloys were oxidized between 800 and 1050°C in air. The W-addition was quite effective in providing isothermal and cyclic oxidation resistance. The alloys oxidized parabolically up to 1050°C during isothermal oxidation, with small weight gains. The scales were adherent up to 900°C during cyclic oxidation. Oxide scales consisted primarily of an outer TiO₂ layer, an intermediate Al₂O₃ layer, and an inner (TiO₂+Al₂O₃) mixed layer. Tungsten was present below the intermediate Al₂O₃ layer. and also at the scale-matrix interface as W-enriched compounds. Below the oxide scale, a Ti₃Al zone containing some W and O existed.     

Cocoa Phytochemicals: Recent Advances in Molecular Mechanisms on Health

Recent reports on cocoa are appealing in that a food commonly consumed for pure pleasure might also bring tangible benefits for human health. Cocoa consumption is correlated with reduced health risks of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and cancer, and the health-promoting effects of cocoa are mediated by cocoa-driven phytochemicals. Cocoa is rich in procyanidins, theobromine, (?)-epicatechin, catechins, and caffeine. Among the phytochemicals present in consumed cocoa, theobromine is most available in human plasma, followed by caffeine, (?)-epicatechin, catechin, and procyanidins. It has been reported that cocoa phytochemicals specifically modulate or interact with specific molecular targets linked to the pathogenesis of chronic human diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, obesity, diabetes, and skin aging. This review summarizes comprehensive recent findings on the beneficial actions of cocoa-driven phytochemicals in molecular mechanisms of human health.     

Aquafaba,wastewater from chickpea canning,functions as an egg replacer in sponge cake

Aquafaba, the viscous liquid resulting from cooking chickpeas in water is typically discarded. However, this solution is now widely used by the vegan community as an egg replacement that adds texture to food products, such as mayonnaise, pudding, ice cream and baked goods. Sponge cake was prepared with either egg white or aquafaba derived from ten different brands of canned chickpea and the texture and colour were compared. Aquafaba obtained from each chickpea can produced foam which differed in both properties and stability. In addition, aquafaba from some brands provided comparable foam volume and stability to that achieved with egg white. The colour and texture of sponge cake made with either egg white or aquafaba were similar and acceptable, but cakes prepared with aquafaba were less springy, and less cohesive than cake that included egg white. Based on our results, it appears that aquafaba has potential to replace egg white in eggless cake recipes.     

Image Independent Driving Power Reduction for High Frame Rate LCD Televisions

In this letter, the constant driving power reduction ratio has been achieved for column drivers regardless of the input image by incorporating a new static power reduction scheme into the previous dynamic power reduction method. The measured power reduction ratio is around 50% for a 120 Hz liquid crystal display panel in such cases of still input video and fallback.     

Improvement strategy for edge waviness in roll bending process of corrugated sheet metals

This paper focuses on the corrugated thin-walled sheet metal in the roll bending process. The main defect that appears in corrugated panels subjected to high amounts of bending deformation is a wavy edge. Edge defects are caused by excessive longitudinal stress and strain near the edge of the plate, and local edge buckling may occur when some critical value of the bending radius is exceeded. This paper proposes two different approaches to avoid a wavy edge for a formed panel: excessive stress on the edge region is restrained by controlling the length of the cross-sectional end of the corrugated panel while considering the stress distribution, and the bending radius in each forming step is determined by considering the strain limit at which the initial edge waviness occurs to avoid excessive compression at particular steps. The experimental and numerical results indicated that the two proposed design strategies can minimize wavy edges in the formed shape.     

Improvement of the expression level of β-glucosidase from Agrobacterium sp. in Escherichia coli by rare codon optimization

To achieve high level expression of β-glucosidase from Agrobacterium sp. (Abg) in an Escherichia coli expression system, 6 rare codons at +3, +11, +158, +308, +314, and +318 of abg gene were replaced with favored codons using site-directed mutagenesis. The rare codon replacements of +3 (CCC) and +11 (CCC) positions enhanced the expression level of Abg by 2- and 3.6-fold, respectively. The double mutant, Abg-DM, where both of +3 and +11 rare codon positions were modified showed a 5.2-fold higher expression level than the original abg gene. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the over-expressed Abg and original Abg enzymes were identical, indicating that Abg was properly folded during over-expression.