Contents Of Volume Research Articles

Peritoneal Phosphate Clearance: Determinants and Association With Mortality.

Dialytic phosphate removal is a cornerstone of the management of hyperphosphatemia in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, but the influencing factors on peritoneal phosphate clearance (PPC) are incompletely understood. Our objective was to explore clinically relevant factors associated with PPC in patients with different PD modality and peritoneal transport status and the association of PPC with mortality. This is a cross-sectional and prospective observational study. Four hundred eighty-five PD patients were enrolled and divided into 2 groups according to PPC. All-cause mortality was evaluated after followed-up for at least 3 months. High PPC group showed lower mortality compared with Low PPC group by Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test. Both multivariate linear regression and multivariate logistic regression revealed that high transport status, total effluent dialysate volume per day, continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD), and protein in total effluent dialysate volume appeared to be positively correlated with PPC; body mass index (BMI) and the normalized protein equivalent of total nitrogen appearance (nPNA) were negatively correlated with PPC. Besides PD modality and membrane transport status, total effluent dialysate volume showed a strong relationship with PPC, but the correlation differed among PD modalities. Higher PPC was associated with lower all-cause mortality risk in PD patients. Higher PPC correlated with CAPD modality, fast transport status, higher effluent dialysate volume and protein content, and with lower BMI and nPNA.

Effect of PCM-filled hallow fin heat sink for cooling of electronic components — a numerical approach for thermal management perspective

This paper aims at the PCM-based heat sink for electronic cooling. In the present analysis, paraffin wax-based phase change material (PCM), in 3-fin and 4-fin hollow heat sinks with the proper volume of PCM in the temperature of the electronic components can be controlled. The PCM-filled heat sinks are placed on top of the high heat-generating integrated circuit (IC) components. The aim is to reduce the maximum temperature of the electronic components and keep them below their critical temperature, hence increasing the life of the IC chips. A correlation is put forward for dimensionless temperature ([Formula: see text]) in terms of heat flux ([Formula: see text]), volume content ([Formula: see text]) and size of the IC chips ([Formula: see text]). It has been found that there will be a 4–[Formula: see text]C drop in temperature when compared to solid fins heat sinks. It is confirmed that the temperature of the IC chip is a strong function of heat flux, size and volume content of PCM.

Floral resource partitioning of coexisting bumble bees: Distinguishing species-, colony-, and individual-level effects.

Resource partitioning is considered a key factor in alleviating competitive interactions, enabling coexistence among consumer species. However, most studies have focused on resource partitioning between species, ignoring the potentially critical role of intraspecific variation in resource use. We investigated floral resource partitioning across species, colonies, and individuals in a species-rich bumblebee community in the diversification center of bumblebees. We used a total of 10,598 bumblebees belonging to 13 species across 5 years in the Hengduan Mountains of southwest China. First, we evaluated the influence of a comprehensive set of floral traits, including both those related to attractiveness (flower color and shape) and rewards (pollen, sugar ratio, nectar volume, sugar concentration, and amino acid content) on resource partitioning at the species level in bumblebee-plant networks. Then, we explored intraspecific resource partitioning on the colony and individual levels. Our results suggest that bumblebee species differ substantially in their use of the available floral resources, and that this mainly depends on flower attractiveness (floral color and shape). Interestingly, we also detected floral resource partitioning at the colony level within all commonest bumblebee species evaluated. In general, floral resource partitioning between bumblebee individuals decreased with species- and individual-level variation in body size (intertegular span). These results suggest that bumblebee species may coexist via the flexibility in their preferences for specific floral traits, which filters up to support the co-occurrence of high numbers of species and individuals in this global hotspot of species richness.

Current Effect of Mother-Child Memory Talk on Emotion Regulation, Self-Esteem, and Memory

Children talking to their parents more frequently about past experiences tend to have higher emotion regulation skills and self-esteem in their future lives, which may lead to higher volume and richer emotional content in future memories. Previous research also indicated that self-esteem has a strong bond with emotion regulation skills. This study’s aim is to measure the mediator roles of emotion regulation difficulty and self-esteem on the relationship between childhood maternal reminiscing frequency and the volume and emotional content of the current memory experienced with the mother. Additionally, mediator roles of self-esteem in the connection between past maternal reminiscing and emotion regulation difficulty, and emotion regulation difficulty in the relationship between self-esteem and the current memory variables (i.e., total words, total emotion and unique emotion words) are examined. Participants (N=124, the age range was 22-39) filled out Rosenberg Self-Esteem, Emotion Regulation Difficulty, and Family Reminiscence Scales and wrote down one negatively-charged recent memory about their mothers. Path analysis revealed significant positive associations between past maternal reminiscing and self-esteem, emotion regulation difficulty, and total and unique emotion words in recent memory, and negative association between self-esteem and emotion regulation difficulty, supporting half of the mediation hypotheses. Results supported the notion that the frequency of parent-child reminiscing conversations in childhood is a parameter of child development since it can show its prospective effect via improving self-esteem and emotional functioning. Gender differences were not evident for current memory variables but more research on this issue is needed to reach more precise conclusions.

Fine-tuning covalent organic frameworks for structure-activity correlation via adsorption and catalytic studies

In applications utilizing Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) for adsorption, the interplay between crystallinity (vis-à-vis surface area) and active sites still remains ambiguous. To address this, the present study introduces three isoreticular COFs—COP-N18 (covalent organic polymer with short-range order), COF-N18 (COF having long-range order), and COF-N27 (semicrystalline COF with pyridyl heteroatoms)—to explore this duality. Through systematic variations in structural order, pore volume, and pore-wall nitrogen content, we aim to establish a structure–activity relationship (SAR) for these COFs via adsorption and catalysis, using CO2 and I2 as probes. Our investigation highlights the positive influence of crystallinity, surface area, and pore volume in adsorption as well as catalysis. However, the presence of heteroatoms manifests complex behavior in CO2 adsorption and CO2 cycloaddition reactions with epoxides. COF-N18 and COF-N27 showed comparable CO2 uptake capacities at different temperatures (273, 293, and 313 K) and ∼1 bar pressure. Additionally, CO2 cycloaddition reactions were performed with substrates possessing different polarities (epichlorohydrin, 1,2-epoxydodecane) to elucidate the role of COF surface polarity. Further investigation into iodine adsorption was performed to understand the impact of COF structural features on the modes of adsorption and adsorption kinetics. Improvements in COF-crystallinity results in faster average iodine uptake rate at 80% (K80% = 1.79 g/h) by COF-N18. Whereas, heteroatom doping slows down iodine adsorption kinetics (0.35 g/h) by prolonging the adsorption process up to 72 h. Overall, this study advances our understanding of COFs as adsorbents and catalysts, providing key insights into their SAR while emphasizing structural fine-tuning as a key factor for impactful environmental applications.

Swelling evolution mechanism for argillaceous slate in a hydrochemical environment

In radioactive waste repositories and tunnel engineering, the near-field groundwater environment is extremely complex, and changes in multiple chemical components are bound to disrupt the long-term stability of soft rock and soil, thus inducing a series of environmental and engineering geological problems. In this study argillaceous slate was selected as the research object and different types of aqueous chemical solutions were prepared. Lateral constraint expansion tests, X-ray diffraction tests, nuclear magnetic resonance tests and scanning electron microscopy tests were then carried out. The expansion characteristics and evolution mechanism of argillaceous slate in a hydrochemical environment are then revealed at the multiscale level, and the internal relationship between the macroscopic expansion of argillaceous slate and the microscopic and mesoscopic structures explored. Finally, based on experimental data and the grey theory, a non-equal step GM(1, N ) grey prediction model was constructed. The results indicated that: (1) the water‒rock physicochemical reactions mainly affect the microstructure evolution of the argillaceous slate expansion process through pore changes, mineral dissolution and ion exchange; (2) there is a certain correlation between the microstructure parameters and the expansion rate, and it was found that pore volume and clay mineral content are the main factors affecting the expansion of soft rocks; and (3) the model verification results show that the non-equal step GM(1, N ) grey prediction model established in this study can effectively predict the expansion trend of soft rocks in different hydrochemical environments. The research findings can provide a reference for the study of the expansion mechanism of soft rocks in complex hydrochemical environments and the disposal of expansion problems. Supplementary material: the Supplementary Figures and Tables are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.7095856

Effects of PVA fibers and multi-walled carbon nanotubes reinforcement on uniaxial compression fatigue properties of Engineered geopolymer composites

As a new type of green and environmentally friendly cementing material, engineered geopolymer composites (EGC) have broad application prospects. In this study, uniaxial compression fatigue tests were conducted to investigate the fatigue properties of geopolymer material. A total of 137 samples were tested to investigate the effects of carbon nanotubes content, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers volume content, and maximum stress level on the fatigue life and deformation of geopolymers. The results showed that the fatigue life of geopolymers obeys Weibull distribution, and PVA fibers and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) achieved multiscale enhancement of the fatigue life by up to 16.34 times. The total strain accumulation, residual strain, and fatigue stiffness of the geopolymers under fatigue loading exhibited a three-stage evolution rule, with stability within the secondary creep branch. In the process of EGC production, the innovative adoption of optimized MWCNTs surface modification and dispersion strategies improved the uniformity of MWCNTs distribution in the matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the hybridization of MWCNTs and PVA fibers at the microscopic level, which can achieve multi-scale enhancement of geopolymers. This study successfully optimized the content of MWCNTs and PVA fibers, further expanding the application range of composite materials.

Numerical investigation of internal damage in heterogeneous-structured laminates using a 3D multiple physical mechanisms based constitutive model

Heterogeneous-structured laminates (HSLs), which consist of multiple layers of metallic materials arranged in successive pairs of coarse-grained (CG) and nano-grained (NG) layers, have been recently reported to display excellent balance of strength and ductility. However, it is argued that accompanying state-of-art numerical models developed to simulate the deformation of this specific class of composite materials have limitations for investigating their underlying damage evolution. Addressing this issue is essential to support the rational design, optimisation and application of HSLs, especially when subjected to contact and dynamic processes. For this reason, a novel 3D numerical framework for HSLs is proposed and tested in this research considering published experimental findings and dislocation theories. This framework comprehensively considers the evolution of various types of dislocations and back stress while being coupled with the Johnson Cook damage criterion. The HSL specimens simulated here were made of alternating layers of CG and NG copper separated by interface affected zones. Following initial microhardness and uniaxial tensile simulations on homogenous copper with different grain sizes, simulations of HSLs were conducted to study the effect of different layer thickness and the volume fraction of the NG layer. Overall, a good correlation between numerical and experimental results was achieved. An important and distinguishing characteristic of this research is that the proposed model enables the evolution of internal damage and the synergetic effect between the CG and NG layers to be investigated. Through the evaluation of the damage accumulation factor in the NG layer, the simulations results yielded quantitative information which aligned with the following known experimental observations: 1) the smaller the layer thickness, then the smaller the internal damage and 2) the internal damage increases with the increase in volume content of the NG layer. In addition, for a set simulated strain of 10%, the developed model could be used to show that the damage accumulation factor in the NG layer was 10 times lower than that in its counterpart, i.e., a stand-alone NG layer not sandwiched between two CG layers.

Implementation of solidified carbon dioxide to anaerobic co-digestion of municipal sewage sludge and orange peel waste

The waste production is closely related with human activity. Various approaches have been applied to manage and reduce its increasing volume (Paranjpe et al. 2023). One of the possibilities that comply with the assumptions of circular economy is utilization of wastes in anaerobic digestion (AD) process. This technology is common worldwide and it is recognized as the cost-effective methods of energy generation that also allow for nutrient recovery, as well as effective waste management (Alharbi et al. 2023). The biogas generated within this process is considered as a multifunctional renewable source that might be a promising alternative to the depleting traditional fuels. It finds various applications such as heat and power generation, fuel in automobiles, and substrate in chemical industry (Shitophyta et al. 2022, Pradeshwaran 2024). Typically, biogas contains 50–70% of CH4, 30–50% of CO2, and 1–10% of other trace gases like H2, H2S, CO, N2. Its composition mainly depends on the feedstock characteristics, operational conditions, and adopted technology (Gani et al. 2023, Archana et al. 2024). Considering further application, the priority action should be increasing its volume and methane content. There are several strategies to achieve these goals, including implementing codigestion strategy, adding additional component to the main substrate, introducing trace elements essential in AD, pretreatment strategies, and introducing enzymes and microbial strains to digesters (Zhang et al. 2019). Each method has limits related to the implementation costs, changes in the adopted technology, operator training needs, and additional energy input, which might negatively influence the energy balance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) (Meng et al. 2022). Therefore, recent scientific attention has focused on combining various strategies to achieve intended goals. Moreover, such combinations might allow for an effective utilization of various wastes, the earlier use of which in AD was difficult. Orange waste could be an example of such a substrate. The previous studies indicated that its application in AD resulted in poor process efficiency, mainly due to the presence of limonene, recognized as the main inhibitor of biological activity (Calabro et al. 2020, Bouaita et al. 2022). In this study, the novel concept of implementing solidified carbon dioxide (SCO2) in the anaerobic co-digestion of municipal sewage sludge (SS) and orange peel waste (OPW) has been proposed. This approach may help overcome the disadvantages of the two-component AD of these wastes. Importantly, such studies have not been conducted thus far. However, the recent studies indicated that application of SCO2 to aerobic granular sludge improved biogas and methane yields and also enhanced the kinetics of biogas production (Kazimierowicz et al. 2023 a,b). Importantly, SCO2 might be generated in biogas upgrading technologies (Yousef 2019). Such solution is consistent with the principles of the circular economy and contributes to reducing the carbon footprint of WWTPs.

Combined printable and mechanical analysis of 3D-printed green high-strength, lightweight engineered cementitious composites

This study used a novel eco-friendly lightweight sand fine (LSF) to prepare green lightweight and high-strength ECC (GLH-ECC) for 3D printing. Orthogonal design, analysis of variance, and analytic hierarchy process were first employed to explore the influence of water-to-binder ratio (WBR), LSF replacement rate (LRR), and fiber volume content (FVC) on the printability of ECC fresh mortar. The influence degree of three factors on the fluidity, consistency, and setting time of fresh ECC was FVC >WBR >LRR, LRR> FVC > WBR, and WBR> LRR >FVC, respectively. Besides, the scopes of fluidity, consistency, and setting time for ensuring the favorable printability of fresh GLH-ECC were 172–183 mm, 7.4–8.0 cm, and 5.3–5.9 h, respectively. A novel mechanistic parametric model was developed to establish a direct correlation between the fluidity, consistency, setting time, and buildability of GLH-ECC. Additionally, higher effective fiber content along the direction of printing and incorporated LSF in printable GLH-ECC provided more appropriate interfacial bonding between the fiber and matrix and resultant better fiber bridging ability, in contrast to the casting ECC. Moreover, the fiber orientation in the printable GLH-ECC tended to be arranged along the direction of printing, and the well-organized fiber orientation and more matrix pores in the interlayer interface of printable GLH-ECC led to the notable anisotropy of mechanical properties. This study inspires applications of 3D-printed GLH-ECC in digital construction without reinforcement in terms of excellent printability, impressive mechanical properties, light weight, and effective waste utilization.

Effects of the CADW in low-metamorphic coal and analyse on its action mechanism

The CO2-alkaline-water two-phase displacing gas and wetting coal (CADW) measure can effectively prevent coal and gas outburst and reduce mine dust concentration, while relevant research on its effects and action mechanism is insufficient. In this work, effects of the CADW in low-metamorphic bituminous coal and its action mechanism were investigated deeply. The experimental results revealed that, after using the CADW, the risk of gas outburst was reduced evidently compared with conventional water injection. The residual methane and mixed gas in JZ coal reduced by -79.50% and -33.39% severally. The water-injection effect was also enhanced obviously. During injecting water, the maximum pore pressure at 20, 40, 60 mm away from the drilling increased by 10.80%, 5.96%, 1.80%, respectively. The water-injection rate, total volume and radial moisture content of JZ coal all increased distinctly, with the increment of 4.45%∼28.14%, 10.30% and 3.45%∼15.82% respectively. The increment of moisture content rose with distancing the drilling. In addition, the CADW could notably improve the water-lock effect, the permeability of JZ coal was reduced by 88%. As a result, the methane migration, from deeper coal seam to the exposed working face, was inhibited effectively. The results can provide significative guidance for the application of the CADW technique, gas outburst prevention and dust concentration reduction.

Informing Producers in a Nontraditional Maple Syrup Region: Red Maple and Sugar Maple Production Parameters in Kentucky

Abstract Maple syrup is an important nontimber forest product in the northern latitudes of North America but has regained popularity in more southerly regions, including Kentucky. We provide the first formal investigation of the relationships between tree attributes and sap production parameters for red maple (Acer rubrum) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) in Kentucky. During the 2020 and 2021 maple syrup seasons, we monitored per-tap sap volume production and sugar content of seventy-five red maples and seventy-five sugar maples to understand regional trends in maple production. Positive interannual correlations (r = 0.69–0.71) for sap volume and sugar content indicated that individual-tree production was relatively consistent between years. Moderate to strong positive relationships between diameter at breast height (DBH) and both annual sap volume production and sugar content were identified for both species. Predictive equations for sap volume and sugar content based on dbh demonstrated satisfactory predictive power and probable generalizability to new data sets. Trends in sap volume production and sugar content during Kentucky’s maple syrup season indicated that maple syrup production is closely related to weather patterns and site and tree characteristics, and the tools developed in this study will aid regional practitioners with feasibility analyses, operational implementation, long-term planning, and sugarbush management. Study Implications: Maple syrup production has become more popular in southern states in recent decades. Our study tracked yearly sap volume production and sugar content (the measures that control syrup yield) for red and sugar maples across two seasons in Kentucky. We found that both sap volume and sugar content increased with DBH and can be satisfactorily predicted by DBH. Trees in dominant and codominant crown classes yielded higher syrup volumes than intermediate and overtopped trees. The tools developed by this study will aid landowners and foresters in estimating the potential maple syrup yield of southern sugarbushes.

Preparation of iron oxide-modified digestate biochar and effect on anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste

Two kinds of Fe2O3-modified digestate-derived biochar (BC) were prepared and their effects on anaerobic digestion (AD) of kitchen waste (40.0 g VS/L) were investigated, with BC and Fe2O3 addition used as a comparison. The results showed that Fe2O3-modified BC (Fe2O3-BC1 prepared by co-precipitation and Fe2O3-BC2 by impregnation) significantly increased methane yield (20.8 % and 16.4 %, respectively) and reduced volatile fatty acid concentration (35.6 % and 29.6 %, respectively). Microbial high-throughput analysis revealed that Fe2O3-modified BC selectively enriched Clostridium (47.3 %) and Methanosarcina (72.2 %), suggesting that direct interspecies electron transfer contributing to improved biogas production performance was established and enhanced. Correlation analysis indicated that biogas production performance was improved by the larger specific surface area (83.4 m2/g), pore volume (0.101 cm3/g), and iron content (97.4 g/Kg) of the BC. These results offer insights for enhancing the efficacy of AD processes using Fe2O3-modified BCs as additives.

Polyamine functionalized cage hollow mesoporous SiO2 microspheres for CO2 capture over a wide temperature range

Hollow SiO2 microspheres have become attractive materials for nanotechnology applications owing to their biological inertness and high functionality. In this study, hydrophobic spherical hollow cages were formed using the soft stencil method with Pluronic F127 and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the structure-directing agent, and hollow nanoporous SiO2 microspheres (FHMS) were prepared using the soft template method. Various of amine functionalization modes were further employed to demonstrate the complexity of the relationship between pore structure/amidation mode/amine content and adsorption capacity. The hollow morphology of the porous silica was revealed using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and its porous properties were revealed using nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm measurements. Experiments on the fixed-bed dynamic adsorption process at 15% CO2 showed that the high specific surface area, high pore volume and amine content of the carriers had a positive effect on the adsorption performance. However, the accessibility of the adsorption centre was affected at high loadings, and the amine efficiency and adsorption capacity were reduced. The dual amine functionalized FHMS-G-I60 maintained the integrity and order of the hollow mesoporous carrier structure, and overcame the dilemma of easy loss in the cycle process of the impregnation method and the low adsorption capacity of the grafting method. It possessed an adsorption capacity of 3.62 mmol/g, high adsorption cycling stability (more than 99.5% adsorption maintained after 10 cycles) and high amine efficiency (0.2852 mmol CO2/mmol N). CO2-TPD analysis (Thermal Programmed Desorption) further showed that FHMS-G-I60 had a faster desorption rate and lower regeneration energy consumption. In general, such structure-directed prepared matrices and functionalized with different amines are promising and low-cost adsorbents that can be used to capture CO2 from ambient air and flue gases under different demands.

Experimental study on the evolution process of hydrate deposition, blockage and decomposition in reducing pipeline

BackgroundIn the process of deep-water oil and gas extraction, due to the special structure of the reducing pipeline, the flow field of the pipeline changes here, making it easier for hydrates to form and accumulate at reduced-diameter zone and increasing the risk of pipeline blockage. MethodsAiming at the problem of hydrate deposition and blockage in reducing pipeline, an experimental study was carried out through the self-designed and reduced-diameter transparent flow loop to investigate the hydrate deposition and blockage and decomposition evolution of hydrate at reduced-diameter zone under different conditions of flow velocities and initial cyclopentane volume contents. Significant FindingsThe study found that the flow field formed at reduced-diameter zone was the main reason affecting the distribution of hydrate particles, and the flow velocity and the initial hydrate volume fraction were the main controlling factors affecting the blockage in reducing pipeline. The flow velocity of 1.6 m/s was determined as the safe boundary for cyclopentane hydrate in reducing pipeline. Based on the experimental results, the mechanism of cyclopentane hydrate deposition and blockage in reducing pipeline was revealed, and targeted prevention and control methods for hydrate blockage at reduced-diameter zone were proposed. It is of great significance to ensure the safe flow of hydrate in reducing pipeline.

Research on Flexural Properties and Flexural Toughness Evaluation Method of Steel Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composites under Polar Low Temperatures

In this research, five groups of steel fiber reinforced cementitious composite (SFRCC) with different fiber volume content (0%, 0.5%, 1.0% 1.5%, and 2.0%) were designed to perform four-point flexural tests on beam specimens to study the effects of polar temperature (20, 0, −25, −50, −75, and −100°C) and fiber volume content on the flexural properties. The flexural toughness index and load holding capacity index were calculated based on the load–displacement curve, and the enhancement and toughening mechanisms of SFRCC by low temperature and steel fibers were analyzed in conjunction with experimental observations. The results of the proposed flexural toughness evaluation method show that the flexural toughness of SFRCC can significantly improve than that of ambient temperature when the temperature is lower than 0°C. With the decrease in temperature, the flexural property of SFRCC increases first and then decreases, and the temperature point of this transition is around −50–−75°C. The flexural property enhancement effect of 1.0% fiber volume content SFRCC is more significant in low temperatures according to the flexural toughness index and load holding capacity index. The conclusion can provide a reference for the application of SFRCC in cryogenic engineering, as well as a simple and quantifier evaluation method for flexural toughness is proposed.

Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Hard‐Phase Containing Co‐Base Alloy

This work considers the processing of the hard‐phase containing CoCrW‐alloy Celsit F using powder bed fusion‐laser beam/metal (PBF‐LB/M), whereby a suitable process window for producing dense parts having a low‐defect density is determined. Several cuboid specimens are manufactured by varying the exposure parameters (laser power, hatch distance, scanning speed). With the help of quantitative image analysis, the samples are evaluated regarding crack density and porosity, and optimal exposure parameters are derived. Dense samples with a low defect density can be produced if the energy density is 60–70 J mm−3 and the base‐plate is preheated to 800 °C. Choosing lower energy densities leads to increased pore formation, whereas higher energy densities result in increased ablation and cracking. With a view to a later application in which additively manufactured hot work tools are made of Celsit F, the possibility of introducing internal cavities as potential cooling channels is considered. It can be shown that the hardness sideways is lower than above and below the cavity due to a changed microstructure and locally different heat dissipation. The results of this work give a first guideline for the PBF‐LB/M‐processing of wear‐resistant CoCrW alloys with a high hard phase volume content to tools for hot working.

Effect of goji berry incorporation on the texture, physicochemical, and sensory properties of wheat bread.

The regular intake of Lycium barbarum (goji berry) is supposed to play an important role in the promotion of human health. Regarding, its incorporation into staple foods, including bread, seems to be effective. However, it requires the evaluation of dough behavior and final product quality. This study investigated the effect of goji berry incorporation at levels of 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30% ww-1 on the textural, physicochemical, and sensory properties of wheat bread. Results indicated a significant enhancement of water absorption and gelatinization temperature in composite flour via the inclusion of goji berry powder (p < 0.05). Using goji berry powder up to 20% ww-1 has shown to obtain the structure able to restore gases through the baking process and provide enhancement in a specific volume at about 10%. Alongside, the hardness of composite bread decreased, and the optimal hardness was observed at formulations containing 20% w/w goji berry powder with a value equal to 1199.95 ± 0.05 g, which is supposed to be induced by the higher specific volume and lower moisture content of bread samples. Moreover, color and sensory perception have been found to be significantly changed by goji berry substitution. Goji berry substitution up to 20% ww-1 is found to be preferred by the consumer, and a drop in overall acceptability was observed at its higher inclusion. The technological characteristic changes induced by goji berry incorporation are induced by its gluten dilution impact. However, the gel-like structure formed by the high fiber content of goji berries compensates for this adverse impact up to 20% w/w substitution level.

Cryogenic thermal cycling induced simultaneous improvement of strength and ductility in a Zr-based bulk metallic glass composite

Preparing bulk metallic glass composites (BMGCs) is an effective way to improve the plasticity of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). However, the enhancement of plasticity is usually at the cost of deterioration in strength. In this study, a series of BMGCs with the nominal composition of Zr48Cu48Al4 was prepared. Finely dispersed B2 CuZr crystals are embedded in a glassy matrix and subsequently, these composites were cryogenically cycled in liquid nitrogen followed by heating to various temperatures below the glass transition temperature. It was found that the samples after cryogenic thermal cycling (CTC) treated at an intermediate upper temperature shown a simultaneous improvement of yielding strength from 1680 MPa to 1832 MPa and plasticity from 5.6% to 9.1%. The enhancement of yielding strength is ascribed to the existence of the B19′ phase resulted from the partial martensitic transformation during the CTC treatment, while the improvement of plasticity is attributed to the higher free volume content and the larger “blocking effect” from the B19’ after the samples were treated by CTC. The combination of CTC treatment and precipitation of crystals provides a new strategy for improving the mechanical properties of the BMGs.

Effect of Cryogenic Time on Wear Resistance of M2 High Speed Steel

The wear resistance, residual austenite volume and carbon content in martensite of M2 steel were studied by means of universal vertical friction and wear testing machine, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and digital Rockwell hardness tester. The results show that a large number of fine carbide particles in M2 steel martensite are precipitated by cryogenic treatment and distributed uniformly and diffusely in the structure. With the increase of cryogenic time, the residual Austenite volume of M2 steel gradually decreases, while the Martensite volume increases, resulting in the wear resistance and Rockwell hardness increasing first and then decreasing. After 24 hours of cryogenic treatment of M2 steel, its wear resistance increased by 310%, hardness increased by 3.6%. Therefore, 24 hours is confirmed as the best cryogenic treatment time for the wear resistance and hardness of M2 steel.