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Foam is one special colloid dispersion system and has been widely used in foods. This work aims to improve the foam properties of sodium caseinate (Cas) through the electrostatic complexation of Cas and type-A gelatin (GE), in which GE is one cheap and widely sourced basic protein. Turbidity and zeta potential measurements indicate that mass ratio (r = GE/Cas) was critical to the solubility of protein complexes at pH 6.0 and that soluble and insoluble complexes were respectively formed at low mass ratios (r = 0.25, 0.5 and 1) and high mass ratios (r = 2 and 4). All soluble and insoluble complexes exhibited better foaming capacity than that of Cas and GE, while only soluble complexes significantly improved the foam stability of Cas. Particularly, the foam half-time of GE/Cas mixture at r = 0.25 was 5525.2 ± 405.7 s and 2.1 times that of Cas. Surface dilatational rheology shows that the adsorption behavior of soluble and insoluble complexes was respectively similar to that of Cas and GE. Soluble complexes formed more viscoelastic interface films than Cas, which could explain the better foam stability of soluble complexes. Transmission electron microscopy shows that electrostatic complexation of GE/Cas destroyed the micelle structure of Cas to varying degree but produced new networks. GE/Cas heteroprotein complexes have the potential to be used as excellent foaming agents in food industry. [Display omitted] • Cas foam properties was improved through heteroprotein complexation with GE. • Soluble complexes were formed at low GE/Cas mass ratios. • Soluble complexes had better foaming capacity and foam stability. • Surface dilatational rheology agreed with the data of foam properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bouncing motion of aqueous drops between two oppositely charged electrodes has been observed. However, the forward and backward velocities of the drops are nonuniform in some cases because of unknown reasons. In this study, the velocity difference was mainly caused by the distribution of ions that altered the electric field strength between the electrodes. This result yielded accurate control of the drops in the electric field and opened opportunities for industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this study, the dehydration of water-in-oil emulsion subjected to an electric field was investigated both experimentally and via computer simulation. The time evolution of the droplets subjected to an electric field was investigated using optical microscopy. We also implemented a computer simulation of the dynamic behavior of the droplets resulting from the balance of forces applied on them. The probability of coalescence between droplets as well as coalescence between droplets and the water/oil interface was also investigated. Thus, the behavior of the droplets could be observed more directly, and the problem could be solved stochastically and mathematically. Through adjustment of the values of the two coalescence probabilities, the simulated results could accurately represent the actual process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is the extensively used nonconventional material removal process for machining engineering ceramics provided they are electrically conductive. However, the electrical resistivity of the popular engineering ceramics is higher, and there has been no research on the relationship between the EDM parameters and the electrical resistivity of the engineering ceramics that can be machined effectively by EDM. This paper investigates the effects of the electrical resistivity and the EDM parameters on the EDM performance of ZnO/AlO ceramic in terms of the machining efficiency and the quality. The experimental results showed that the electrical resistivity and the EDM parameters such as pulse on-time, pulse off-time, and peak current had the great influence on the machining efficiency and the quality during electrical discharge machining of ZnO/AlO ceramic. Moreover, the electrical resistivity of the ZnO/AlO ceramic, which could be effectively machined by EDM, increased with increasing the pulse on-time and peak current and with decreasing the pulse off-time, respectively. Furthermore, the ZnO/AlO ceramic with the electrical resistivity up to 3,410 Ω cm could be effectively machined by EDM with the appropriate machining condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To observe and compare the difference in retinal perfusion using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) between anisometropic amblyopia in children and fellow eyes as well as age-matched controls.Methods: A total of 16 children with anisometropic amblyopia and 19 age-matched healthy subjects were enrolled. All participants underwent OCTA examination, with 3 mm × 3 mm and 6 mm × 6 mm scans in the macular region. Perfusion parameters of the superficial retinal layer were measured by built-in software, including the macular foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, perimeter and circularity, as well as the vessel length density (VLD) and perfusion density (PD) of the foveal, parafoveal and perifoveal regions.Results: Among the 16 patients with anisometropic amblyopia, the FAZ area was significantly higher in diseased eyes (P = 0.027) than in fellow eyes. The VLD and PD of the foveal average and the VLD of the nasal quadrant of the perifoveal region in anisometropic amblyopic eyes were significantly lower than those in fellow eyes (P < 0.05). The VLD of the parafoveal average, the superior, temporal, inferior and nasal quadrants of the parafoveal region, and the nasal quadrant of the perifoveal region in anisometropic amblyopic eyes were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (P < 0.05). The PD of the parafoveal average, and the inferior quadrant of the parafoveal region in anisometropic amblyopic eyes were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (P < 0.05). The VLD of the parafoveal average, the superior, inferior and nasal quadrants of the parafoveal region, and the nasal quadrant of the perifoveal region in fellow eyes were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (P < 0.05). The PD of the parafoveal average, and the inferior quadrant of the parafoveal region in fellow eyes were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (P < 0.05).Conclusions: The macular vessel density of the superficial capillary plexus is lower in anisometropic amblyopic children than in age-matched healthy children. Compared with the fellow eye, the perfusion of the amblyopic eye in children with anisometropic amblyopia also decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For perennial woody plants, softwood cutting is an efficient technique for larger scale propagation and adventitious rooting of cuttings is one of the most crucial steps. To evaluate the significance of juvenility on adventitious rooting, rooting rates was compared between softwood cuttings collected from apomictic seedlings (juvenile), in vitro cultured plants (rejuvenated), suckers (juvenile like) and canopy shoots (adult) of reproductively mature trees in Malus xiaojinensis. After pre-treatment with indole-3-butytric acid (IBA) (3,000 mg L) + HO (50 mM), rooting rates in cutting from juvenile, juvenile like and rejuvenated donor plants were significantly higher (>90 %) than that from adult trees. The effects of IBA on adventitious rooting were enhanced significantly by exogenous HO. After 15 passages of in vitro subculture, the micro-shoots from adult phase explants were rejuvenated successfully, marked by the elevated expression of miR156 in the leaflets of the micro-shoots. But the rooting ability of rejuvenated micro-shoots was recovered delayed at the 18th or 21st passage of subculture. During the process of rejuvenation, the leaf indole-3-acetic acid contents and the expressions of rooting related genes CKI1, ARRO- 1, ARF7 and ARF19 increased significantly. In contrary, the leaf abscisic acid contents decreased. A lack of juvenility is the most important limiting factor governing adventitious rooting of softwood cuttings in apple rootstocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This work proposed a novel method of determining the energy distribution and plasma diameter of EDM. The energy distribution and plasma diameter were determined by comparing the boundary of the melted material in the crater which was obtained by metallographic method and the isothermal curve of the thermal-physical model using finite element method (FEM). The results of this work indicated that the expansion of the plasma diameter must be taken into consideration in order to be more consistent with the actual EDM process. With this method, the energy distribution and plasma diameter in different dielectrics with different polarities were investigated. Comparison between the results of this work and the previously reports showed that the energy distributed into workpiece and plasma diameter can be determined by this new method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Material removal characteristics in five different dielectrics were investigated. [•] Complete geometry of craters was precisely determined by metallographic methods. [•] Evolution of discharge generated bubble was investigated by computer simulation. [•] Material removal characteristics were significantly affected by bubble pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new kind of ultra-high-speed combined machining of electrical discharge machining and arc machining was developed. A rotating graphite electrode and a workpiece were connected to the negative and positive poles of the power supply, which consisted of a pulse generator and direct current power. Efficient electrode injection flushing and side flushing yielded a noncontinuous arc and achieved a maximum material removal rate of 12,688 mm3/min at a relative electrode wear ratio of 2.3% during quenched mold steel machining. The characteristics of the combined machining process were determined by studying the effects of flushing, rotation, peak current, and peak voltage on process performance, such as on the material removal rate and relative electrode wear ratio. The recast layer and surface defects were also investigated. The result shows that the novel combined machining process has great potential to reduce machining time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The titanium (Ti) alloys are the notoriously 'difficult-to-machine' aerospace materials. Compared with the traditional mechanical cutting methods which are costly because of high tooling costs, electrodischarge machining (EDM) is an effective machining method for the Ti alloys. The energy distribution during the EDM process of Ti alloys was rarely reported, though it is a very important factor that can affect the machining performance. In this work, the energy distribution during EDM of Ti-6Al-4V has been investigated by a novel method, at different EDM parameters including interelectrode distance, pulse duration, polarity, and electrode shape. The results of this work show that energy distribution characteristics are greatly affected by the power density applied on the electrodes and more energy is distributed into the anode than into the cathode, which are in good concurrence with the results obtained by other authors. The results of this work will be helpful for further improving the technological performance of this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron transfer, ionic liquids, femtoliter reactor, bulk electrolysis Keywords: electron transfer; ionic liquids; femtoliter reactor; bulk electrolysis EN electron transfer ionic liquids femtoliter reactor bulk electrolysis 1 1 1 04/28/22 20220426 NES 220426 B The Front Cover b illustrates a single microscopic drop which is generated and directed to a reactive surface, where the liquid content is detected. [Extracted from the article]

This study applied grassland related multi-index and assessed the effects of climate change by investigating grassland responses to drought. This process was performed to study grassland vegetation dynamic accurately and evaluate the effect of drought in the Mongolian Plateau (MP). The spatial–temporal characteristics of grassland dynamic in terms of coverage (Fv), surface bareness (Fb), and net primary production (NPP) from 2000 to 2013 were explored. We implemented the maximum Pearson correlation to analyze the grassland vegetation in response to drought by using self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI). Results show that Fv and NPP present an increasing trend (0.18 vs. 0.43). Fb showed a decreasing trend with a value of −0.16. The grassland Fv and NPP positively correlated with scPDSI, with a value of 0.12 and 0.85, respectively, and Fb was −0.08. The positive correlation between Fv and NPP accounted for 84.08%, and the positive correlation between Fv and scPDSI accounted for 93.88%. On the contrary, the area with a negative correlation between Fb and scPDSI was 57.43%. The grassland in the MP showed a recovery tendency. The increase in grassland caused by positive reaction was mainly distributed in the middle of Mongolia (MG), whereas that caused by counter response was mainly distributed in the east and west MG and northeast Inner Mongolia autonomous region of China (IM). The relevant results may provide useful information for policymakers about mitigation strategies against the inverse effects of drought on grassland and help to ease the losses caused by drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of bubble generated by electrical discharge in sinking electrical discharge machining (EDM) occurs in a very short time period and in a very narrow space, thus making both observation and theoretical analysis extremely difficult. For this reason, the role of the discharge-generated bubble during the material removal process in sinking EDM has not to be understood very clearly. In this paper, the evolution process of the discharge-generated bubble was simulated in three dimensions and the influence of inter-electrode distance was studied. It was found that the evolution of the discharge-generated bubble was significantly affected by the inter-electrode distance. Smaller inter-electrode distances can contribute to a larger pressure and expansion velocity of the bubble as well as a larger force applied on the tool electrode and workpiece. The experimental results showed that the geometry characteristics of the crater were also significantly affected by inter-electrode distance. A smaller inter-electrodes distance can contribute to a larger volume of both melted and removed materials. The simulation results were discussed by relating to the results of single-pulse discharge experiments; some insightful views about the material removal mechanism of EDM were presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new type of sinking electric discharge machining (EDM) dielectric-water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion is proposed, and the machining characteristics of W/O emulsion are investigated by comparing with that of kerosene. In the experiments, machining parameters such as the dielectric type, peak current, and pulse duration are changed to explore their effects on machining performance, including the material removal rate (MRR), relative electrode wear rate (REWR), and surface roughness. Experimental results revealed that W/O emulsion could be used as the dielectric fluid of sinking EDM and adopting long pulse duration and large peak current could lead to obtaining higher MRR than kerosene. Compared with kerosene, W/O emulsion is observed to cause lower carbon adhered to the electrode surface. Therefore, its REWR is higher. Statistics of the discharge waveform show that more stable discharge processes can be obtained by using W/O emulsion compared with kerosene. Furthermore, W/O emulsion is more economical and more environmentally friendly than kerosene, and it could be an alternative to kerosene in sinking EDM application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel hybrid process that integrates end electric discharge (ED) milling and mechanical grinding is proposed. The process is able to effectively machine a large surface area on SiC ceramic with good surface quality and fine working environmental practice. The polarity, pulse on-time, and peak current are varied to explore their effects on the surface integrity, such as surface morphology, surface roughness, micro-cracks, and composition on the machined surface. The results show that positive tool polarity, short pulse on-time, and low peak current cause a fine surface finish. During the hybrid machining of SiC ceramic, the material is mainly removed by end ED milling at rough machining mode, whereas it is mainly removed by mechanical grinding at finish machining mode. Moreover, the material from the tool can transfer to the workpiece, and a combination reaction takes place during machining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water-in-oil emulsion has been proposed as the working fluid of die-sinking electrical discharge machining in our previous research. Compared with the traditional mineral oil–based working fluid, the water-in-oil emulsion was more environmentally benign and efficiency. This study presents a new method of die-sinking electrical discharge machining that uses oxygen-mixed water-in-oil emulsion as the working fluid. Experimental results showed that the material removal rate can be highly improved, and the relative electrode wear ratio can be significantly reduced by mixing oxygen into the water-in-oil emulsion. The recast layer was much thinner with this oxygen-assisted machining method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a comparative study on the performance of three types of dielectrics at different electrical discharge machining (EDM) parameter combinations favorable for generating porosity. The characteristics of the porosity formation in the recast layer formed in water/oil emulsions (W/O) were investigated by comparing them with those present in the recast layer formed in kerosene and deionized water dielectric. The results showed that the porosity characters were influenced significantly by the dielectric type. The formation mechanism of the porosity in different dielectrics is presented in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A technique of machining insulating Al2O3 ceramic with a thin copper sheet assisting electrode and high instantaneous pulse energy is developed. The process uses the high peak voltage and large capacitor with high instantaneous pulse energy, and there is no current-limiting resistor in the discharge circuit, so the discharge energy and discharge explosive force are high, and the process is able to effectively machine insulating ceramics. To further explore the process characteristics, the single pulse discharge experiments have been carried out in kerosene. The effects of polarity, capacitance, peak voltage, and current-limiting resistance on the process performance such as the crater volume, crater depth, tool wear ratio (TWR), and assisting electrode wear ratio (AEWR) have been investigated. The microstructure of the discharge crater has been examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that the insulating Al2O3 ceramic materials are mostly removed by spalling, at the center region of the discharge some materials are removed by melting and evaporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic has been widely used in modern industry because of its superior mechanical properties, wear, and corrosion resistance even at elevated temperature. However, the manufacture of SiC ceramic is not an efficient process by conventional machining methods. This paper employs a steel-toothed wheel as the tool electrode to machine SiC ceramic using electric discharge milling. The process is able to effectively machine a large surface area on SiC ceramic. To further improve the process performance, three kinds of emulsion are proposed as the dielectric in this paper. The effects of dielectric, tool polarity, pulse duration, pulse interval, peak voltage, and peak current on the process performance such as the material removal rate (MRR) and surface roughness (SR) have been investigated. Furthermore, the microstructure of the machined surface is examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), an energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compound process that integrates end electrical discharge (ED) milling and mechanical grinding to machine silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics is developed in this paper. The process employs a turntable with several uniformly-distributed cylindrical copper electrodes and abrasive sticks as the tool, and uses a water-based emulsion as the machining fluid. End electrical discharge milling and mechanical grinding happen alternately and are mutually beneficial, so the process is able to effectively machine a large surface area on SiC ceramic with a good surface quality. The machining principle and characteristics of the technique are introduced. The effects of polarity, pulse duration, pulse interval, open-circuit voltage, discharge current, diamond grit size, emulsion concentration, emulsion flux, milling depth and tool stick number on performance parameters such as the material removal rate, tool wear ratio, and surface roughness have been investigated. In addition, the microstructure of the machined surface under different machining conditions is examined with a scanning electron microscope and an energy dispersive spectrometer. The SiC ceramic was mainly removed by end ED milling during the initial rough machining mode, whereas it is mainly removed by mechanical grinding during the later finer machining mode; moreover, the tool material can transfer to the workpiece surface during the compound process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic has been widely used in modern industry for its excellent physical and mechanical properties. However, SiC ceramic is difficult to machine owing to its high hardness and brittleness. This article presents a novel compound process that integrates end electric discharge (ED) milling and mechanical grinding to machine SiC ceramic. The process is able to effectively machine a large surface area on SiC ceramic with a good surface quality. The effect of tool polarity on the machining characteristics such as the material removal rate (MRR), tool wear ratio (TWR), and surface roughness (SR) has been explored. The effects of pulse on-time, pulse off-time, discharge current and open voltage on MRR, TWR, and SR have been investigated with Taguchi experimental design. The experimental data are statistically evaluated by analysis of variance and stepwise regression. The significant machining parameters, the optimal combination levels of machining parameters, and the mathematical models associated with the machining characteristics are obtained. The confirmation experiment results confirm the validity of the used Taguchi method for enhancing the machining performance and optimizing the machining parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An extremely reliable remote control system for subsea blowout preventer stack is developed based on the off-the-shelf triple modular redundancy system. To meet a high reliability requirement, various redundancy techniques such as controller redundancy, bus redundancy and network redundancy are used to design the system hardware architecture. The control logic, human–machine interface graphical design and redundant databases are developed by using the off-the-shelf software. A series of experiments were performed in laboratory to test the subsea blowout preventer stack control system. The results showed that the tested subsea blowout preventer functions could be executed successfully. For the faults of programmable logic controllers, discrete input groups and analog input groups, the control system could give correct alarms in the human–machine interface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Interaction between COS 2-6 (oligomers of glucosamine) and BSA was analyzed. • COS 2 and COS 3 were enriched in COS 2-6 -BSA precipitate. • The binding-site number of COS 2-6 -BSA was calculated as about 1. • Electrostatic and hydrophobic effects were the main forces for COS 2-6 -BSA complex. • The binding of COS 2-6 to BSA was weak and selective. The interaction between chitooligosaccharides (COS 2-6) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) is worthy of investigation, which provides support for improving the physical properties (gelling, foaming, and emulsifying) of food proteins via COS addition and in vivo research on COS bioactivity. Component analysis indicated that COS 2 and COS 3 were enriched in the COS 2-6 -BSA precipitate. The fluorescence binding constant (1.73 × 103 M−1), Δ G of isothermal titration calorimetry (-6.7 kJ/mol), and the predicted Δ G of molecular docking (−10 to −5 kJ/mol) confirmed the weak interaction of COS 2-6 -BSA. Quartz crystal microbalance dissipation and molecular docking indicated that electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions were the main stabilization forces. Molecular docking showed that the predicted Δ G of COS 2-6 to BSA decreased with the increasing degree of polymerization. This work clarified the weak and selective interaction between COS 2-6 and BSA via various methods, which is useful for the food application of COS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eurasian steppe (EAS) is the largest contiguous grassland worldwide. Quantitative evaluations of the relative impacts of climate change and human activities on grasslands are significant for understanding grassland degradation mechanisms and controlling degraded grasslands. In this study, we analyzed the grassland productivity based on multiple forms of net primary productivity (NPP), including climate NPP (CNPP), actual NPP (ANPP), and human-caused NPP (HNPP) during 2000–2014. The results demonstrate that the average value of annual ANPP in the EAS was 47.36 gC/(m2·year), with a weak decrease (−0.02 gC/(m2·year)) during the study period. The area of grassland degradation account for 48.52% of the total grassland area in EAS, while the area of grassland recovery account for 51.48%. Restorative grassland was mainly distributed in Mongolia and China, while worse grassland was mainly distributed in the Kazakh steppe regions. Grassland degradation in China was mainly caused by climate change, whereas it was mainly caused by human activities in Mongolia. Grassland recovery in Kazakh steppe regions was mainly caused by human activities, but in Mongolia, it was mainly caused by climate change. Compared with temperature, precipitation played a more significant role on grassland productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Taurine is considered to have great potential in development of functional foods. • Its alleviating effects on AFLD/NAFLD can be derived from in vivo / in vitro data. • It prevents liver steatosis by inhibiting lipogenesis/promoting energy expenditure. • It prevents oxidative damage by inhibiting ROS/stabilizing mitochondrial membrane. • It prevents inflammation by inhibiting TLR-4 mediated signaling pathways. Fatty liver disease (FLD) is mainly characterized by the pathophysiological progression from simple hepatic steatosis to steatohepatitis, which has been increasing in incidence and has attracted much attention due to its risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. It is considered that lipid metabolism disorder, oxidative stress, inflammation etc. are common factors leading to the progression of FLD including alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A number of studies provide the evidence that taurine, a small sulfur-containing amino acid in food, has the efficient action to FLD. The beneficial effects include lowering lipids level to alleviate hepatic steatosis, increasing the antioxidant enzymes and substances to improve antioxidant defense, regulating the inflammation-related signal pathways to reduce pro-inflammatory factors and inflammatory response, and regulating the enzymes involved in ethanol metabolism etc. This review summarizes the data from in vivo and in vitro studies, and addresses the possible metabolic and molecular mechanisms of taurine in alleviating FLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]