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AbstractThe Zingiberaceae family encompasses a diverse range of species, including Alpinia oxyphylla Miq, Amomum tsao-ko Crevost et Lemaire, and Amomum villosum Lour. Among them, Amomum villosum Lour (AVL) is particularly significant due to its high economic and medicinal value in China. The drying method employed during the initial processing of fresh AVL plays a pivotal role in determining product quality. However, the shell expansion and subsequent breakage during the drying process adversely affect the final quality. To address these issues, this study introduced a three-stage drying (TD) method, examining the effects of the tempering intervals on drying characteristics, physicochemical properties, and volatile organic components of AVL. The results revealed that interval tempering not only reduced the total heat treatment time but also significantly improved drying efficiency. Compared to hot air drying (HD), AVL subjected to three-stage drying exhibited a denser fruit structure, leading to enhanced storage stability and a higher concentration of volatile components, notably alkenes (54%) and camphor (15.43%). These findings underscore the potential of interval tempering as a cost-effective and efficient strategy for drying fresh Chinese traditional medicinal plants, offering a promising alternative to conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the drying properties of new-mown oat grass were investigated using three methods: high-voltage discharge plasma drying (HVDP), hot-air drying (HAD), and natural air drying (AD). The HVDP process mainly generates discharge plasma between needle electrodes and a dielectric plate by changing the discharge voltage. HVDP, which is a new type of non-thermal drying technology, uses the energy exchange associated with the action of plasma and the non-uniform electric field force to accelerate the evaporation of water. The results show that HVDP has obvious advantages in terms of the drying rate and drying time, as well as reducing energy consumption while retaining nutrients. In particular, under the condition of 35 kV, HVDP not only effectively shortened the drying time and reduced the energy consumption but also selectively degraded the nutrient-reducing substances (e.g., lignin) and retained the substances positively correlated with the nutrient quality, significantly improving the nutrient content of the treated oat grass. In conclusion, as an innovative non-thermal drying technology, HVDP has great potential to improve the drying efficiency and reduce nutrient degradation in oat grass, providing an innovative solution to improve its quality and utilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction of ash-slag into the ceramic composition as a desiccant, which is a non-shrinkable material, contributes to a more uniform moisture distribution within a sample and its effective removal during drying. This also has a positive effect on ceramic product molding and drying processes. Ash-slag must be introduced into ceramic masses to reduce shrinkage during drying, increase moisture conductivity, however, it should be borne in mind that this reduces the ceramic product strength under compression. Optimum compositions for effective drying contain 20 – 24 % ash slag. A regression analysis method is used to predict the results that are not provided in an experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Infrared (IR) drying is an effective method for the preservation and processing of carmine radish (Raphanus sativus L.). This study aimed to investigate the effects of different IR radiation intensities (2125, 2780, and 3358 W/m2) on the drying properties and flavor components of carmine radish slices. As the IR radiation intensity and the drying temperature increased, the total drying time, the moisture content, and the dehydration rate reduced continuously, while the hardness of carmine radish slices decreased and then increased. Drying at a radiation intensity of 2780 and 3358 W/m2 reduced 50% and 70% of the drying time compared to that of 2125 W/m2, respectively. Flavor components of carmine radish showed apparent changes during the IR drying process with a radiation intensity of 2125 W/m2. IR drying at a lower intensity was beneficial to the retention of volatile flavor components. The retention of volatile substances at an intensity of 2125 W/m2 for 15 min was 1.97 and 1.68 times that for 30 min and control samples, respectively. Consequently, to retain good processing quality and flavor properties of carmine radish slices, the optimal drying parameter of IR within this study was an IR radiation intensity of 2125 W/m2 for about 15 min.

AbstractThe need to ensure availability of locust beans when off-season forms the basis of this study. The study investigated the drying characteristics, nutritional composition and some anti-nutritional contents of dried locust beans. Fermented locust beans were dried at 50°C, 60°C, 70°C and 90°C. The moisture contents of the fermented locust seeds were determined at different time intervals between 0 and 480 min. Lower moisture content was achieved in a shorter drying time at higher temperature. The dried locust bean samples had lower moisture contents (12.36–12.76%) compared to control sample (38.76%). Higher drying temperature resulted in low ash content of the samples but increased the fibre, fat and protein content of the samples. The dried samples had low mineral contents compared to the fresh sample, which was used as control. The most abundant mineral in the samples were found to be calcium and zinc. No significant difference was observed in the titratable acidity and the pH of the locust bean samples at varying drying temperature. Increase in temperature resulted to a reduction in the antioxidant, phenolic composition and the anti-nutritional properties of the dried locust bean samples. Panelists preferred samples dried at lower temperature (50°C and 60°C compared with the samples dried at high temperature. The study concluded that locust bean should be dried using a carefully selected temperature to avoid negative impacts on the nutrients of the beans.

Drying properties of forensically relevant biological materials including saliva are lacking research despite being known to affect casework-relevant phenomena, including DNA transfer. We previously observed that saliva collected from someone chewing gum and deposited on various surfaces did not dry, raising questions about the effects of chewing gum on the drying properties of saliva. The DNA content of saliva samples under differing conditions is also not well known. This study investigated the drying properties and DNA content of saliva deposited on glass from samples collected before, during and after chewing gum. Samples taken before chewing gum dried the fastest and an inverse relationship between the time since chewing gum began and saliva drying time was found; as the time between the chewing and sample collection decreased, the drying time increased. All samples except those taken at the two minutes mark of chewing dried within the 96 h–27 days observation period. DNA yield initially decreased as chewing begun, then recovered during and after chewing, sometimes to be greater than the control sample. These observations contribute to our limited knowledge regarding variables affecting saliva samples. However, further research to facilitate activity level assessments regarding saliva samples is desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of pulsed electric field (PEF) on freeze-drying of apple tissue was investigated. The freeze-drying was performed with different parameters of PEF treatment, and PEF treatment on the drying characters, microstructure, rehydration ratio, effective diffusion coefficient and hardness of apple tissue were discussed separately. The results indicated that PEF utilization as a pretreatment of apples enhances the drying process. The drying time was shortened by 17.73% at most, specific energy consumption decreased by 24.74% at most, and the rehydration ratio was improved by 65.22% at most for PEF treatment samples respectively, compared with the untreated samples. The effective diffusion coefficients varied from 2.60 × 10-8 m2/s to 4.20 × 10-8 m2/s for PEF pretreated samples, and was 2.40 × 10-8 m2/s for untreated samples drying at 75°C, the hardness of the untreated apple tissue was about 144.4 N which was decreased to 39.5-115.0 N after PEF treatment.

The effects of novel Pulse-Spouted Bed Microwave Freeze Drying (PSMFD) technology on the quality on natural food products have been investigated. The objective of this research was to study effects of this novel technology on dielectric properties and quality characteristics (moisture content, porosity, microstructure, texture, color, and flavor) of apple cuboids as compared with the conventional drying technologies (air drying and freeze drying). During the first 45 min of drying, the dielectric properties increased due to partial conversion of water from ice to liquid, and then gradually decreased due to the moisture removal. Microwave energy increased sample temperature from minus 20 °C to + 67 °C, which resulted in fast drying to 0.09 g/g within 270 min. Porosity increased almost linearly, reaching 0.87 at equilibrium moisture content. Hardness of apple cuboids increased to 350-450 kPa due to the glass transition in the final period of drying. Better preservation of apple color and volatile compounds demonstrated the benefits of the hybrid PSMFD technology for the production of premium quality dried fruits compared to air drying and freeze drying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of different wind temperatures (50, 55, 60 ℃), wind speeds (3, 4, 5 m/s), loading capacities (1000, 1500, 2000 g) and placement methods (gill-up placed and gill-down placed) on the drying quality of mushrooms were discussed, and the curves of dry characteristic were obtained in this study. Using SPSS software, experimental data were fitted and the heat pump drying kinetics model of a mushroom was also established. The results indicate that the drying time of mushrooms indeed shortened with an increase in drying wind temperature and wind speed, and with a decrease in loading capacity. Besides, it was more conducive to the evaporation of water when the gill-up were placed at the earlier and mid-term drying stage. The heat pump drying process of mushrooms is mainly divided into acceleration and deceleration drying stages, and there was no obvious constant speed drying stage. Compared with hot-air drying, the mushrooms dried with the heat-pump drying method are superior in rehydration and color. After regression fitting, the heat pump drying kinetics model of mushroom conforms to the Page equation, which can be used to describe the mushroom heat pump process.

Effect of different pretreatments on drying behavior and quality of taro slices during intermittent microwave vacuum-assisted drying were investigated. Taro slices were subjected to the following pretreatments: blanching (B), blanching and freezing (B + F), blanching and immersion in maltodextrin solution (B + M), and blanching and immersion in maltodextrin solution and freezing (B + M + F). The reduction in amylose content, the increase in amylose to amylopectin ratio, the change of mechanical properties, the increase in sample bulk density and reduction in sample porosity and structure collapse during pretreatment processes facilitated heat and moisture transfer and quality changes during drying of taro slices. During drying process, all the pretreatment reduced the drying time of samples. The drying rate included a warming-up period and a falling rate period. The values of effective moisture diffusivity increased gradually as the moisture content decreased. The B + M + F pretreatment had the shortest drying time, the highest drying rate and the biggest effective moisture diffusivity. Moreover, for B + M + F pretreatment, the parameters including hardness, crispness, color, and microstructure had remarkable changes as compared with the other pretreatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A microwave (MW) treatment of plantation eucalyptus (Eucalyptus urophylla) wood was investigated by applying MW treatments with varying conditions, such as radiation power, irradiation time, and initial moisture content of the wood. The wood permeability and drying properties were investigated. Results show that the permeability (both along the transverse and longitudinal directions) increased with the radiation power and the irradiation time. The permeability was considerably enhanced by the MW pretreatments, which effectively decreased the moisture content within the wood. A MW pretreatment can greatly accelerate the drying rate and shorten the wood drying time. Under atmospheric pressure the stain uptake along the transverse and longitudinal directions, with respect to the wood fibers, increased to 58% and 135%, respectively, compared to reference samples. Meanwhile, the drying rate increased to 171% and the drying time was cut by 65%. The MW pretreatment was found to generate a high-pressure internal steam that resulted in the rupture of wood cell pore membranes and ray cells. Therefore, a remarkable permeability increase and drying time reduction was achieved, which created favorable conditions for the fabrication of high value-added functional wood-based composites materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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When blood reaches an extracorporeal surface, a drying process is initiated. Properties of this drying process may be crucial for the correct assessment of case-specific time lapses, however, there is a lack of systematic studies concerning the drying times of blood. We present a study on drying properties of small blood droplets with a standardized size of 25 μl (resembling droplets originating from pointed and sharp objects, e.g. the tip of a knife) under different environmental conditions to elucidate the effect of different ambient temperatures, indoor surfaces and anticoagulant treatment. As a rule of thumb, wiping a typical small blood droplet will not lead to a macroscopically visible smear after a time period of approximately 60 min (time = 45 min; time = 75 min) at an average room temperature of 20 °C. Alteration of the ambient temperature has a remarkable effect, as the time needed for the drying process leading to wipe resistance of the droplets decreases to 30 min (time) at an ambient temperature of 24 °C, and is prolonged up to >120 min (time) at an ambient temperature of 15 °C. As for the surface materials in our study, significant differences in drying periods were only found between wood and linoleum (80th percentile 45 vs. 75 min). Treatment with anticoagulants did not influence extracorporeal drying times. In synopsis, the present study shows that ambient temperature is a major determinant of the drying process of blood droplets and should always be documented accurately and continuously on a crime scene. In certain situations, an estimation of the time elapsed since bloodstain origination may be of importance to answer questions related to the time course of actions. However, further systematic studies are needed to clarify the effect of other properties such as droplet size, humidity, or evaporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drying properties and optimal parameters of foamed blue honeysuckles pulp under microwave drying conditions were studied. The microwave power, loading mass and thickness were selected as the influencing factors, and objective factors were content of anthocyanin, vitamin C, moisture and values of color of the final blue honeysuckles powder. The drying process may be divided into three stages: acceleration stage, slow decline stage and quick decay stage. The initial drying phase lasted until the moisture content was less than 4 kg/kg. The constant drying phase was long when the influencing factor was loading mass. The deceleration drying phase is short in all conditions. This study achieve the continuous production of blue honeysuckles powder and the optimum experiment parameters were obtained as follows, the content of anthocyanin in honeysuckle powder is 64.58 mg/g, the content of vitamin C is 14.604 mg/g, moisture ratio is 9.88 % and the color value is 9.78 with the microwave power at 8.86 kW, loading mass at 100 g and the thickness at 4mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed at obtaining data on drying conditions for 11 potential ramin substitutes. Several characteristics of the woods were observed and compared. Research on drying properties at high temperature was carried out to design drying conditions for the substituting-woods. From the 11 species studied, 8 species had better drying properties than ramin and can be dried further under more severe condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The lacquer trees in Donglan of Guangxi Province, China, were identified totally as the species Rhus succedanea found in Vietnam and Taiwan region, based on the results of pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), an easy and effective method to identify species of trees among those with similar properties. Analyses by IR and NMR, the drying properties, and conventional morphology also confirmed that the Donglan lacquer trees do not belong to Rhus vernicifera, like most trees of the China mainland. Some differences, however, such as the enzymatic activity and the components of the lacquer, were found between the Donglan lacquer and the Vietnam lacquer. The Donglan lacquer has a shorter drying time than the latter. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two sets of variable oil length, alkyd resins modified by sunflower oil (SOA) and by rapeseed oil (ROA), were evaluated in offset formulations with mineral oils as diluent. The more suitable alkyds for this kind of application were determined. In a second experiment, hydrocarbon solvents were substituted by the fatty acid methyl esters derived from rapeseed oil or sunflower oil to produce ecologically friendly offset printing inks. Finally, the ROA and the SOA were associated with the methyl esters derived from the same vegetable oil. New properties of the varnishes composed of a vegetable diluent were evaluated. The quickset formulations with the methyl esters do not need important modifications, as opposed to the heatset formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is established that an increase in pyrophyllite content in acid-resistant refractory specimens leads to a reduction in molding and equilibrium moisture content, which is connected with a reduction in the weight fraction of hygroscopic argillaceous component. There is an increase in moisture content and moisture conductivity at the end of specimen shrinkage. Formation of surface cracks in specimens with an increase in the amount of pyrophyllite is reduced, that is apparently due to a reduction in mix plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Substrate type impacts drying times and characteristics of biological fluids. • DNA transfers without contact from substrates during agitation. • DNA transfer depends on types of agitation, biological material, substrate. • Drying properties of biological materials influence DNA transfer without contact. DNA transfer is a well-recognised phenomenon impacting the probability of detecting the presence of a particular source of DNA and thus the likelihood of the evidence given considered events within forensic investigations. Comprehensive study is lacking on variables associated with indirect DNA transfer without physical contact. Additionally, the drying properties of forensically relevant biological materials are under researched despite the recognised potential for these properties to affect DNA transfer. This study investigated the drying properties and indirect DNA transfer of dried blood, saliva, semen, vaginal fluid and touch DNA without contact deposited on two different non-porous hard substrates (melamine and glass) and two different porous soft substrates (polyester and cotton) by tapping (all substrates) and stretching (only fabric substrates) agitations. Different apparent drying trends were observed between the volumes, substrates and biological materials tested with substrate type generally having a greater influence than biological material. The rate and percentage of indirect transfer appeared to be dependent on agitation, substrate type, biological material and its drying properties. The outcomes of this study may assist those evaluating the likelihood of the evidence given proposed events during activity level assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]