Electromyography of Eating Apples: Influences of Cooking, Cutting, and Peeling

ABSTRACT: The mastication of 7 differently prepared apple samples (raw pieces peeled and unpeeled, sliced, grated, cooked pieces with and without peel, and half-cooked pieces, 10 g each) was evaluated using electromyography (EMG). Eleven subjects participated in the EMG recording of both sides of the masseter and temporal muscles while eating samples normally. Only the grated sample reduced the number of chewing strokes and muscle activity before swallowing. In contrast, the thin apple slices produced significantly shorter contraction duration and cycle time only during the 1st 5 chewing strokes. The EMG duration and cycle in subsequent chews, as well as the other parameters, did not significantly differ between slices and pieces. Cooked apples exhibited significantly lower EMG amplitude and muscle activity per chew than their raw counterparts; however, there was no evidence of reduced total muscle activity required for swallowing. Raw and cooked apples with peel yielded significantly greater EMG amplitude and longer duration than those without peel. These findings suggest that appropriate preparation is necessary for people with various mastication abilities: grated for very low ability, cooked for those with weak chewing force, and unpeeled for mastication training.     

Durability of radiation-sterilized polymers III. Oxidation layer determined by chemiluminescence

Chemiluminescence (CL) analysis was used for determining the oxidation layer formed by the irradiation of polypropylene for medical supplies. The depth of the oxidation layer from the surface depended on dose rate and increased with decreasing dose rate. The oxidation occurred remarkably at a region near the surface area of the film where the diffusion of oxygen is more sufficient. On the contrary, there was very little oxidation in the interior portion. The oxidation layers of polypropylene samples irradiated with electron beam showed U-shaped profiles in the cross-section of film as did as a sample irradiated with γ-rays. However, the degree of oxidation by irradiation with electron beam was very small; CL intensity at the surface area was only one-third that for the γ-irradiated samples.     

Formation Processes of β-C2S by the Decomposition of Hydrothermally Prepared C-S-H with Ca(OH)2

A mixture of CaO and silicic acid prepared with a Ca/Si ratio of 2.0 was hydrothermally synthesized at 80° to 200°C, and the thermal decomposition behavior of the products (C-S-H with Ca(OH)₂) was analyzed using XRD, ²⁹Si MAS NMR, and the trimethylsililation method (TMS). It was found that the main silicate anion structure of C-S-H was a mixture of a dimer and a single-chain polymer (larger than Si₅O₁₆) and that polymerization advanced with an increase of the synthesizing temperature. On heating, the products decomposed to form β-C₂S. It was found that the decomposition was gradual and that the-higher the temperature of hydrothermal synthesis, the lower was the temperature of the decomposition into β-C₂S. Although the decomposition proceeded to form a monomer (β-C₂S) from the polymer and dimer, this dimer was resistant to heat and did not decompose unless heated to above 400°C.     

An Additional Insight into the Correlation between the Distribution Ratios and the Aqueous Acidity of the TODGA System

Abstract

Extraction of Eu(III) and Am(III) from HNO₃ into the organic solvents using N,N,N′,N′‐tetraoctyl‐diglycolamide (TODGA) was investigated in order to study the detailed extraction reaction. The chemical species: 1:2 for metal:TODGA complex is present in polar diluents. On the other hand, the metal complexes need three or more TODGA molecules to remain stable in non‐polar diluents. The HNO₃ concentration dependence on the distribution ratio suggests that HNO₃ participates in the metal extraction. Infrared spectra indicate that the carbonyl oxygen coordinates with Eu(III), and luminescence lifetimes suggest that there are no water molecules in the inner coordination sphere of the extracted Eu‐complex.     

Fabrication of Functionally Graded SiO2‐Mo Material by Centrifugation and Floc‐Casting of Highly Concentrated Slurry

To fabricate functionally graded materials, a highly concentrated slurry of SiO₂‐Mo system was prepared and centrifugal force was applied in an attempt to achieve a graded composition. Subsequently, we formed a homogeneous green body with compositional gradation by floc‐casting at 80°C, which was then fired at 1750°C for 10 min in Ar. The sintered body had compositional ratios of SiO₂ and Mo as well as electrical conductivities that changed gradually along the direction of centrifugal force. The results demonstrate that centrifugation and control of slurry characteristics such as flocculation are effective in fabricating functionally graded SiO₂‐Mo materials.     

Fish intake and serum levels of organochlorines among Japanese women

This study evaluates background serum levels of selected organochlorine compounds among Japanese women of reproductive age and investigates whether lifestyle factors, especially dietary factors, may be associated with these levels. A cross-sectional study was performed on 80 Japanese women, aged 26-43 years, who complained of infertility and were confirmed not to have endometriosis. The serum levels of total toxic equivalency (TEQ), 18 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs)/polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), 4 coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (cPCBs), 36 ortho-substituted polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and 13 chlorinated pesticides or their metabolites were measured and data were collected on the women's age, residence, occupation, body mass index (BMI), smoking and alcohol habit and 6 dietary intakes (fish, meats, rice, vegetables, fruits and dairy products). The serum median level of total TEQ was 25.1 pg TEQ/g lipid, that of PCDDs/PCDFs/cPCBs was 11.5 pmol/g lipid, that of PCBs was 0.46 nmol/g lipid, and that of total pesticides was 1.32 nmol/g lipid. The serum levels of total TEQ, PCDDs/PCDFs/cPCBs, PCBs and pesticides were positively associated with age (P for trend=0.003, 0.01, 0.005 and 0.01, respectively) and frequent fish consumption (P for trend=0.002, 0.003, 0.0003 and 0.006, respectively). Other lifestyle factors were not associated with serum organochlorine levels. The present study suggests that Japanese women who consume fish frequently in their reproductive period tend to accumulate organochlorines in their bodies.     

Imaging of optical disc using reflection-mode scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy

A phase-change optical disc was observed using a reflection-mode scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope (RS-SNOM). In an a.c.-mode SNOM image, the 1.2 microm x 0.6 microm recording marks were successfully observed although the data were recorded on the groove. In contrast, no recording marks could be resolved in a d.c.-mode SNOM image. These results are in good agreement with those from a numerical simulation using the finite difference time domain method. The resolution was better than 100 nm with a.c.-mode SNOM operation and the results indicate that recording marks in phase-change optical media can be directly observed with the RS-SNOM.     

Feasibility of palm‐biodiesel fuel for a direct internal reforming solid oxide fuel cell

The feasibility of a direct internal reforming (DIR) solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) running on wet palm‐biodiesel fuel (BDF) was demonstrated. Simultaneous production of H₂‐rich syngas and electricity from BDF could be achieved. A power density of 0.32 W cm^?2 was obtained at 0.4 A cm^?2 and 800 °C under steam to carbon ratio of 3.5. Subsequent durability testing revealed that a DIR‐SOFC running on wet palm‐BDF exhibited a stable voltage of around 0.8 V at 0.2 A cm^?2 for more than 1 month with a degradation rate of approximately 15 % / 1000 h. The main cause of the degradation was an increase in the ohmic resistance. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

One Pot Cooking of Rice Grains for Preparation of Rice-Gel Samples Using a Small-Scale Viscosity Analyzer: Small-scale Rice-gel Preparation from Grains

Rice-gel prepared by the following three steps: rice grain cooking, shearing of the cooked rice, and cooling for gel formation, is expected as a novel food ingredient for modification of various food products such as bread and noodles. To meet the demand for high-throughput systems for research and developments on the new rice gels, herein we established a mini-cooking system for preparation of rice gel samples from grains using a small-scale viscosity analyzer (Rapid Visco Analyzer; RVA). Polished rice grains (4 g) were cooked with 22 mL of water in a canister, and the paddle equipped in the canister was rotated at 2,000 rpm for 30 min (80 °C was used as a representative) to shear the cooked rice. The sheared paste was cooled to 10 °C at 160 rpm, and the initial gelation property was evaluated by viscosity analysis within the RVA. Alternatively, the sheared paste was transferred to an acrylic mold and kept at 4 °C for 0, 1, 3, and 5 days for determination of the hardness with a compression test. Compressive forces required to penetrate 20 % thickness for three tested rice cultivars were measured, and the trend of the value shifts during preservation is similar to the corresponding trend obtained in 300-g grain scale laboratory tests, whereas the individual values were halved in the former. This small cooking method could offer a useful assay system for a rapid evaluation in the breeding programs and in the high-throughput screening of additives for the modification of properties.     

On a peculiarity of low-energy ion scattering from a well-ordered bcc W(2 1 1) surface

A peculiarity in the backscattering of keV He⁺ ions by a well-ordered high-purity W(2 1 1) surface is reported. Besides the normal elastic binary collision peak and the low-energy tail due to backscattering in deeper layers, an extra peak is observed for an inelastic loss of about 95 eV. This unusually large loss has a constant value over a wide range of primary energies (1.5-4.5 keV). An extra peculiarity is that the peak is only observed for the scattering in normal incidence towards the (2 1 1) plane. It is also not seen for polycrystalline W. The energy loss may be due to a quasi-double or -triple collisions of He particles with the row-trough structure of W(2 1 1) involving electronic excitation of both He and W atoms. Alternatively it may be due to a special channeling/dechanneling process for the incident ions.