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Summary: Food fortification with whole or de‐hulled pulse flours is a challenge since food products usually have inferior structure and sensory characteristics. In this study, wheat flour was substituted with whole or de‐hulled pea flour (20 wt%) processed under pre‐treatments of microwave and roasting to prepare novel Chinese steamed bread (CSB), respectively, and the effect on pasting property of the dough, and its influence on physical quality, sensory attributes, and nutritional profile (amino acids, dietary fibre, and mineral micronutrients) of the resulting CSB was investigated. The addition of pretreated pea flour increased the peak, retraction and final viscosity of the dough and increased the specific volume and decreased the hardness of the final product due to the enhanced pasting characteristics, compared to the control. Microwave and roasting presented different patterns affecting gas cell structure, amino acid composition, dietary fibre content, and essential minerals, depending to a large extent on the milling fraction. Among all the treatments, microwave‐treated de‐hulled pea flour was more effective in modifying the cellular structure, improving amino acid composition and dietary fibre content of the resultant CSBs. This study offers useful knowledge for creating functional CSB that satisfies the needs for both sensory appeal and nutritional balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Encapsulation of tannic acid (TA) in an edible guar gum (GG) – the nanofibrous delivery system was applied to improve antioxidant efficacy relative to butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and non‐encapsulated TA under accelerated oxidation of flaxseed oil (FO). The TA fibrous mat (average fibre diameter of 96 ± 22 nm) significantly improved oxidative stability compared to BHT‐ and non‐encapsulated TA‐treated samples during the oil‐accelerated oxidation test (peroxide value, p‐anisidine, P < 0.05). Principal component analysis (PCA) for eight fatty acids: palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, behenic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid and palmitoleic acid, explained 80.0% of the total variation. Linolenic acid, palmitoleic acid and stearic acid were essential to the discrimination of fatty acid changes in the PLS model among all the studied variables. After 30 days of oxidation, TA fibrous‐mat‐treated FO was separated from the control‐, BHT‐ and non‐encapsulated TA‐treated sample, mainly due to the changes in linolenic acid. Our original study provides a novel method to improve the oxidative stability of FO and may support further exploration of the interaction between active nanodelivery systems and fatty acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the changes in the quality of rice during storage, this study investigated the comprehensive metabolomic profiles of Nanjing 9108 (typical japonica rice) and Jianzhen 2 (typical indica rice) varieties in China, using metabolomics. A total of 13 categories of 593 metabolites including lipids (134 species), phenolic acids (78 species), flavonoids (70 species), alkaloids (67 species), organic acids (64 species), amino acids and derivatives (64 species), saccharides and alcohols (44 species), nucleotides and derivatives (37 species), vitamins (14 species), lignans and coumarins (9 species), tannins (2 species), terpenoids (2 species), and others (8 species) were identified in both varieties. The result showed significant changes in 204 metabolites in Nanjing 9108, while only 26 were altered in Jianzhen 2 during storage. These metabolites involved 46 metabolic pathways. The TCA cycle, linoleic, and α-linolenic acid metabolic pathways were unique in Nanjing 9108. Finally, the results of quantitative mass spectrometry of 11 metabolites provided insight into biomarkers associated with quality deterioration of rice. This study provides insights into the mechanism of deterioration in the quality of rice during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the occurrence of mercury in coal and the effectiveness of mercury and ash removal by an air dense medium fluidized bed (ADMFB). Results of the study revealed that there was a linear correlation between the mercury content, ash content and density of coal. This was attributed to the fact that mercury mainly exists in high density minerals containing elements with a certain affinity for mercury such as silicon, aluminum, iron, titanium, potassium, sodium, chloride, zinc, and magnesium. There is therefore a good correlation between the separation efficiency of ADMFB and the quality of the clean coal, as well as the overall removal of mercury. By optimizing the operating conditions based on the fitting models, clean coal with a mercury content of 0.0841 ppm and a separation efficiency exceeding 99.8% was obtained. The desirability of the separation effect optimized by fitting models was 0.999. Based on these results, it was concluded that ADMFB is an effective way to remove mercury from coal and reduce its ash content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose acetate (CA) fibrous mats with improved mechanical and antioxidant properties were produced by a simple, scalable and cost-effective electrospinning method. Fibers loaded with small amounts of TA-Fe 3+ complexes showed an increase in tensile strength of ∼117% when compared to that of neat CA and were more resistant than those loaded with TA alone. The water uptake of the fibers increased upon TA or TA-Fe 3+ incorporation while their thermal behavior was only slightly affected. Fibrous mats loaded with TA-Fe 3+ showed comparable antioxidant activity with that of CA/TA mats, and a much slower TA release. These results suggest that TA-Fe 3+ complexes can be incorporated into electrospun CA fibers to improve their mechanical properties and antioxidant activity which may be of interest for the development of active packaging that can extend the shelf life of perishable foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: γ-LiAlO2 layers with a highly preferred (100) orientation were prepared by vapor transport equilibration (VTE) technique on (0001) sapphire substrate. Microstructure of the γ-LiAlO2 layers was studied by XRD and SEM. In the temperature range from 750 to 1100°C, the residual stress in the γ-LiAlO2 layers varied from tensile to compressive with the increase of VTE temperature, and the critical point of the change between tensile and compressive stress is around 975°C. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: U3+:CaF2 single crystals with different dopant concentrations were grown in the presence or absence of PbF2 as oxygen scavenger by TGT. Multiple centers, at least including and , were investigated by absorption spectra measured in the wavelength range of 190–2500nm.Absorption coefficient ratios in different samples indicates that the concentration of centers in U3+:CaF2 crystal grown with PbF2 was relatively low and almost remained constant. Without PbF2 as oxygen scavenger, centers with higher concentration are distinctly present in U3+:CaF2 crystal. The oscillator strength of the transition 4I9/2→4I15/2 of corresponding to absorption band at 896nm, is larger than that of Color centers in U3+:CaF2 were studied by γ-irradiation and heat treating in oxygen atmosphere. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Chilling injury, tissue browning, and fungal infection are the major problems of peach fruit during post-harvest storage. In this study, a precise temperature control cold storage with low-temperature fluctuation (LFT) and internal circulation flow system is designed. An ozone (O3) generator and a (titanium dioxide) TiO2 photocatalytic reactor were applied to cold storage to investigate the variation of LFT combined with ozone fumigation and a TiO2 photocatalytic reactor in the efficiency of delaying ripening and maintaining peach fruit quality. Results showed that the temperature fluctuation with the improved control system was only ±0.1 to ±0.2 °C compared with that of ±0.5 to ±1.0 °C in conventional cold storage. LFT significantly reduced the chilling injury of peach fruit during storage. Although LFT combined with fumigation of 200 mg m−3 ozone periodical treatment slightly damaged the peach fruit after 40 d of storage, its combination with the TiO2 photocatalytic system significantly improved the postharvest storage quality of the fruit. This treatment maintained higher titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), better firmness, color, microstructure, and lower decay rate, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities, total phenol accumulation, respiratory intensity, ethylene production, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content during 60 d of storage. All the results show that LFT combined with the TiO2 photocatalytic system might be a promising technology for quality preservation in peach fruit storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, tannic acid (TA), a natural antioxidant, is successfully encapsulated into a plant‐based guar gum fibrous mat by electrospinning without using an organic solvent. An upper threshold of 10 wt% TA (based on the dry weight of guar gum [GG]) and 2 wt% guar gum is the optimum composition to achieve a defect‐free structure through electrospinning. The obtained nanofibers have a mean diameter of 96 ± 22 nm. The effect of the encapsulated TA in the fibrous mat (200 ppm) on the oxidation of unrefined flaxseed oil (FO) is investigated over 30 days of storage at an elevated temperature (60 °C) and compared with the effect of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), a synthetic antioxidant, and non‐encapsulated TA at the same concentrations. Changes in the fatty acid composition, the conjugated diene content, the peroxide value, the content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and the p‐anisidine content are monitored as indicators of the oxidative stability. The TA fibrous mat exhibits different inhibitory effects on the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids and is more effective than non‐encapsulated TA and BHT in reducing the rate of primary oxidation and secondary oxidation of FO as evaluated by all the oxidation indicators except the TBARS values for which BHT displays the greatest inhibition. Overall, the results demonstrate that the encapsulation of natural antioxidants into fibrous mats could potentially be used to preserve edible oils. Practical Applications: This is the first paper using plant‐based fibrous mats encapsulating natural antioxidant to improve the oxidative of flaxseed oil (FO) during storage. Compared with macro Tannic acid (TA), encapsulating TA in nano‐scale delivery system is more effective in delaying both the primary and secondary oxidation reactions of FO throughout the entire storage time. The results demonstrate that encapsulation of TA in fibrous mat could be potentially used to preserve oil. The formation of this nanofiber mat in this system is manufactured without using any synthetic chemicals. The plant‐derived components (GG and TA) are both recognized as safe by FDA and even edible. It can be directly added to crude oil systems during oilseed refining processing or used as coating material to fix on the surface of existing packaging bottle in order to prevent edible oil from oxidation, which would be beneficial in oil preservation and other related fields. This is the first paper using plant‐based nanoscale delivery system encapsulating natural antioxidant to improve the oxidative of flaxseed oil during storage. The plant‐derived components (guar gum and tannic acid) are both recognized as safe by FDA and even edible. The simple preparation process, effectiveness, and food‐grade functionality provide a novel alternative to synthetic antioxidants to protect edible oil from oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of polysaccharides to produce functional micro- or nanoscale fibrous mats has attracted growing interest for their food-grade applications. In this study, the characterization and electro-spinnability of guar gum (GG) solutions loaded with tannic acid (TA) was demonstrated. Food-grade antioxidant materials were successfully produced by electrospinning while incorporating different loads of TA into GG fibers. Bead-free GG-TA fibers could be fabricated from GG solution (2 wt %) with 10 wt % TA. Increasing the amount of TA led to fibers with defects and larger diameter sizes. Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction of neat GG and TA loaded GG fibrous mats suggested that inclusion of TA interrupted the hydrogen bonding and that a higher density of the ordered junction zones formed with the increased TA. The high TA incorporation efficiency and retained antioxidant activity of the fibrous mats afford a potential application in active edible film or drug delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The CaF2 single crystals with diameters up to 200mm were successfully grown by modified temperature gradient technique (TGT), which are suitable for application as optical elements in the ultraviolet range. The optimizations of various growth parameters were systematically studied. Properties of as-grown CaF2 crystals were characterized by the nature of inclusions, dislocations, crystallinity, and impurities contents. The results showed that the dislocations and multinucleation were mostly constrained in the conical part of the crystals with the cylindrical parts having the best crystalline quality and lowest impurity contents. The high optical quality of TGT-grown CaF2 single crystals was also confirmed to have excellent optical transmission in 190–2500nm and refractive index homogeneity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: High-quality 2at%-doped Yb:CaF2 and Yb,Na:CaF2 single crystals with diameter of 76mm were grown by the temperature gradient technique. For the first time, distribution coefficients (K 0) of Yb in the two crystals were determined to be 1.07 and 0.91, respectively, by measuring the Yb concentrations at the growth starting position in the as-grown boules. Absorption and emission spectra of the two different crystals were measured at room temperature. Experimental results show that Na+ ions codoping with Yb3+ as charge compensators make Yb3+ ions in CaF2 lattice to be a quasi-single-center system, and greatly suppress the deoxidization of Yb3+ to Yb2+. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Single-phase γ-LiAlO2 layer with a preferred (1 0 0) orientation on (0 0 0 1) sapphire substrate is successfully fabricated by vapor transport equilibration (VTE) technique. The VTE-treated surface of (0 0 0 1) sapphire is polycrystalline shown to be a single-phase of γ-LiAlO2 at low VTE temperature (750–900°C), and becomes highly oriented in [1 0 0] direction at proper VTE temperature of ∼1100°C. The transparence of the obtained γ-LiAlO2//sapphire(0 0 0 1) is greatly enhanced as the γ-LiAlO2 layer becomes oriented. These results reveal the possibility of fabricating γ-LiAlO2(1 0 0)//sapphire(0 0 0 1) composite substrate by VTE for M-plane GaN-based epitaxial film. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Chilling injury, tissue browning, and fungal infection are the major problems of peach fruit during post-harvest storage. In this study, a precise temperature control cold storage with low-temperature fluctuation (LFT) and internal circulation flow system is designed. An ozone (O 3 ) generator and a (titanium dioxide) TiO 2 photocatalytic reactor were applied to cold storage to investigate the variation of LFT combined with ozone fumigation and a TiO 2 photocatalytic reactor in the efficiency of delaying ripening and maintaining peach fruit quality. Results showed that the temperature fluctuation with the improved control system was only ±0.1 to ±0.2 °C compared with that of ±0.5 to ±1.0 °C in conventional cold storage. LFT significantly reduced the chilling injury of peach fruit during storage. Although LFT combined with fumigation of 200 mg m -3 ozone periodical treatment slightly damaged the peach fruit after 40 d of storage, its combination with the TiO 2 photocatalytic system significantly improved the postharvest storage quality of the fruit. This treatment maintained higher titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), better firmness, color, microstructure, and lower decay rate, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities, total phenol accumulation, respiratory intensity, ethylene production, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content during 60 d of storage. All the results show that LFT combined with the TiO 2 photocatalytic system might be a promising technology for quality preservation in peach fruit storage.

We report the successful preparation of reinforced electrospun nanofibers and fibrous mats of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) via a simple and inexpensive method using stable tannic acid (TA) and ferric ion (Fe +++ ) assemblies formed by solution mixing and pH adjustment. Changes in solution pH change the number of TA galloyl groups attached to the Fe +++ from one (pH < 2) to two (3 < pH < 6) to three (pH < 7.4) and affect the interactions between PVA and TA. At pH ~ 5.5, the morphology and fiber diameter size (FDS) examined by SEM are determinant for the mechanical properties of the fibrous mats and depend on the PVA content. At an optimal 8 wt % concentration, PVA becomes fully entangled and forms uniform nanofibers with smaller FDS ( p < 0.05) and improved mechanical properties when compared to mats of PVA alone and of PVA with TA ( p < 0.05). Changes in solution pH lead to beads formation, more irregular FDS and poorer mechanical properties ( p < 0.05). The Fe +++ inclusion does not alter the oxidation activity of TA ( p > 0.05) suggesting the potential of TA-Fe +++ assemblies to reinforce polymer nanofibers with high functionality for use in diverse applications including food, biomedical and pharmaceutical.

Three kinds of Yb3+ - and Na+-codoped CaF2 laser crystal with different Na:Yb ratios of 0, 1.5, and 10 are grown by the temperature gradient technique. Room-temperature absorption, photoluminescence spectra, and fluorescence lifetimes belonging to the transitions between ground state 2F7/2 and excited state 2F5/2 of Yb3+ ions in the three crystals are measured to study the effect of Na+. Experimental results show that codoping Na+ ions in different Na:Yb ratios can modulate the spectroscopy and photoluminescence properties of Yb3+ ions in a CaF2 lattice in a large scope.