Specific Energy Levels Research Articles

A Quasi-Statistical Approach to the Boltzmann Entropy Equation Based on a Novel Energy Conservation Principle

Boltzmann entropy equation is gained according to the statistical mechanics directly and general dependence between entropy and probability is obtained. Based on the second law of thermodynamics with a glance at the Boltzmann entropy equation, it can be deduced that physical processes are done in a direction that the probability of the system and total entropy increase. In fact, the possible process performing states and their entropy variations will be determined at a specific energy level. In this paper, an entropy equation is gained by using a new quasi-statistical approach to the physical processes as well as a novel energy conservation principle. The variation of the "energy structure equation”, as an equation to formulate the performed process using activated energy components of the system and their dependence, is studied in different possible paths by using the energy conservation principle directly. Despite the classical mechanics that all particles are studied, in the novel approach, "particular processes" as all processes that have the same active independent energy components are studied at "various conditions"; in other words, all conditions that same energy amount is applied to the system. One of the advantages of this novel approach is that the volume of the needed calculations will be decreased mainly in comparison with the Boltzmann entropy equation. Dependence of the entropy and rate of the energy components is gained from the novel energy conservation principle. The gained relation, expressed by energy components of the system, is considered with no constraints on the structure of the system but has a common basis with the Boltzmann entropy equation. In fact, by using a novel macroscopic-statistical approach, the entropy variation of a physical system is studied.

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound promotes skeletal muscle regeneration via modulating the inflammatory immune microenvironment.

Background: Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS, a form of mechanical stimulation) can promote skeletal muscle functional repair, but a lack of mechanistic understanding of its relationship and tissue regeneration limits progress in this field. We investigated the hypothesis that specific energy levels of LIPUS mediates skeletal muscle regeneration by modulating the inflammatory microenvironment. Methods: To address these gaps, LIPUS irritation was applied in vivo for 5 min at two different intensities (30mW/cm2 and 60mW/cm2) in next 7 consecutive days, and the treatment begun at 24h after air drop-induced contusion injury. In vitro experiments, LIPUS irritation was applied at three different intensities (30mW/cm2, 45mW/cm2, and 60mW/cm2) for 2 times 24h after introduction of LPS in RAW264.7. Then, we comprehensively assessed the functional and histological parameters of skeletal muscle injury in mice and the phenotype shifting in macrophages through molecular biological methods and immunofluorescence analysis both in vivo and in vitro. Results: We reported that LIPUS therapy at intensity of 60mW/cm2 exhibited the most significant differences in functional recovery of contusion-injured muscle in mice. The comprehensive functional tests and histological analysis in vivo indirectly and directly proved the effectiveness of LIPUS for muscle recovery. Through biological methods and immunofluorescence analysis both in vivo and in vitro, we found that this improvement was attributable in part to the clearance of M1 macrophages populations and the increase in M2 subtypes with the change of macrophage-mediated factors. Depletion of macrophages in vivo eliminated the therapeutic effects of LIPUS, indicating that improvement in muscle function was the result of M2-shifted macrophage polarization. Moreover, the M2-inducing effects of LIPUS were proved partially through the WNT pathway by upregulating FZD5 expression and enhancing β-catenin nuclear translocation in macrophages both in vitro and in vivo. The inhibition and augment of WNT pathway in vitro further verified our results. Conclusion: LIPUS at intensity of 60mW/cm2 could significantly promoted skeletal muscle regeneration through shifting macrophage phenotype from M1 to M2. The ability of LIPUS to direct macrophage polarization may be a beneficial target in the clinical treatment of many injuries and inflammatory diseases.

Electrochemically Determining Electronic Structure of ZnO Quantum Dots with Different Surface Ligands.

The electronic structure of quantum dots (QDs) including band edges and possible trap states is an important physical property for optoelectronic applications. The reliable determination of the energy levels of QDs remains a big challenge. Herein we employ cyclic voltammetry (CV) to determine the energy levels of three types of ZnO QDs with different surface ligands. Coupled with spectroscopic techniques, it is found that the onset potential of the first reductive wave is likely related to the conduction band edges while the first oxidative wave originates from the trap states. The determined specific energy levels in CV further demonstrates that the ZnO QDs without surface ligands mainly have oxygen interstitial defects whilst the ZnO QDs covered with ligands contain oxygen vacancies. The present electrochemical method offers a powerful and effective way to determine the energy levels of wide bandgap ZnO QDs, which will boost their device performance.

Reducing excess sludge volume in sequencing batch reactor by integrating ultrasonic waves and ozonation.

The effects of ultrasonic waves and ozonation on the reduction of produced sludge in the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system were investigated in laboratory-scale experiments. For this purpose, the optimal ozone dosage was determined by measuring soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), protein concentration, turbidity level, and biomass yield coefficient. Next, the effect of its integration with different levels of ultrasonic specific energy was evaluated. Based on the results, the minimum excess sludge production in the SBR system was achieved at the ozone dosage of 11mg O3/g MLSS followed by ultrasonic specific energy of 12000kJ/kg TS. In this case, the biomass yield coefficient decreased from 0.75 in the control reactor to 0.34mg MLSS/mg COD in the test reactor, which was equal to a 54% reduction in excess sludge production in the SBR system. In these circumstances, the removal efficiencies of COD, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were measured as 90%, 82%, and 81%, respectively.

Energy-Model and Life Cycle-Model for Grinding Processes of Limestone Products

Fine and ultrafine grinding of limestone are frequently used in the pharmaceutical, chemical, construction, food, and cosmetic industries, however, research investigations have not yet been published on the combination of energy and life cycle modeling. Therefore, the first aim of this research work was the examination of main grinding parameters of the limestone particles to determine an empiric energy-model. Dry and wet grinding experiments have been carried out with a Bond mill and a laboratory stirred ball mill. During the grinding processes, the grinding time and the filling ratio have been adjusted. The second goal of this research assessed the resources, emissions and environmental impacts of wet laboratory grinding with the help of life cycle assessment (LCA). The life cycle assessment was completed by applying the GaBi 8.0 (version: 10.5) software and the CML method. As a result of research, the determination of an empiric energy-model allowed to develop an estimated particle size distribution and a relationship between grinding fineness and specific grinding energy. The particle size distribution of ground materials can be exactly calculated by an empirical Rosin–Rammler function which represented well the function parameters on the mill characters. In accordance with LCA results, the environmental impacts for the mass of a useful product for different levels of specific energy with the building of approximation functions were determined. This research work sets up a new complex model with the help of mathematical equations between life cycle assessment and specific energy results, and so improves the energy and environmental efficiency of grinding systems. This research work facilitates the industry to make predictions for a production-scale plant using an LCA of pilot grinding processes.

Microstructure and local mechanical properties of pea starch / protein composites

Biopolymer composites based on pea starch-protein blends and pea flour are processed using extrusion at various levels of specific mechanical energy (SME). Their morphology was a continuous matrix phase of starch with embedded protein particles, as revealed by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). The motivation is to correlate the local Young's modulus (E) in starch and protein phases, as well as their interphase, through nanoindentation tests to macroscopic three-point bending testing results of starch-protein composites. The differences between E of starch and protein phases and interphase were significant and their values were found to vary in the ranges of 4.2–7, 3–6.9 and 4–6.9 GPa, respectively. The local E can be tuned by the protein content and composite morphology, the latter depending on the level of transformation of the biopolymers during extrusion (SME). Pea flour composites have larger modulus values, which can be attributed to the presence of fibres.

Effects of extrusion specific mechanical energy and dryer conditions on the survival of Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 for commercial pet food applications

In companion animal nutrition, probiotics (direct-fed microbials) are considered functional ingredients that benefit the gastrointestinal and immune health of the host. Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 is a spore-forming bacterial strain that has been reported to survive environmental stresses, heat processing, and extreme-pH conditions. Extrusion cooking is the most widely used method to produce commercial dog and cat foods, however the thermal and mechanical forces exerted during extrusion and drying present a challenge for guaranteeing the viability of live microorganisms after processing. Two experiments were conducted to determine the reduction in viability of the microorganism at graded flour inoculation levels (0, 6.2, 6.7, and 7.3 log10 colony forming units per gram (CFU/g)) subjected to extrusion cooking under varied levels of specific mechanical energy that were achieved by adjusting the extruder water input (10, 12, and 20 kg/h), and extruder screw speed (400, 500, and 600 rpm). A second experiment was conducted to determine the survival of the microorganism subjected to three dryer conditions (49 °C for 10 min; 107 °C for 16 min; and 66 °C for 46 min). Enumeration of bacterial colony forming units was performed on pre- and post-processing samples. Extrusion data were analyzed using a general linear model using the GLIMMIX procedure, and dryer data were analyzed as a completely randomized design with one-way analysis of variance (SAS v. 9.4, SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC) with significance accepted at a level of 95% confidence (α = 0.05). The results indicate that the low SME extrusion conditions (in-barrel moisture of 35%, extruder screw speed of 400 rpm, and specific mechanical energy of 129 kJ/kg) resulted in the greatest retention (P < 0.05), with a mean log10 reduction of viable spores of 0.44, 2.15, and 2.67 for the low, moderate, and severe extrusion conditions, respectively. Viability of the spores through three dryer conditions were observed to be similar across all treatments. This study also demonstrated that the greatest losses of viability occurred during extrusion rather than drying, and that in-barrel moisture and extruder screw speed are two operational parameters may be modified for the optimization of Bacillus coagulans survival in extruded foods.

Multidisciplinary conceptual design for a hybrid-electric commuter aircraft

AbstractThe electrification of the commuter aircraft is instrumental in the development of novel propulsion systems. The scope of this work aims to explore the design space of a parallel hybrid-electric configuration with an entry into service date of 2030 and beyond and determine the impact of other disciplines on conceptual design, such as components positioning, aircraft stability and structural integrity. Three levels of conceptual sizing are applied and linked with a parametric aircraft geometry tool, to generate the aircraft’s geometry and position the components. Subsequently, the structural optimisation of the wing box is performed, providing the centre of gravity of the components placed inside the wing, that minimise the induced stresses. Furthermore, the stability and trim analysis follow, with the former being highly affected by the positioning of components. Results are compared to a similar aircraft with entry into service technology of 2014 and it is indicated that in terms of block fuel reduction the total electrification benefit increases with the increase of degree of hybridisation, if aircraft mass is kept constant. On the other hand, if battery specific energy is kept constant, similar block fuel reduction is possible with lower hybridisation degrees. The potential for improvement in terms of carbon dioxide emissions and block fuel reduction ranges from 15.73% to 21.44% compared to the conventional aircraft, for levels of battery specific energy of 0.92 and 1.14 kWh/kg respectively. Finally, the component positioning evaluation indicates a maximum weight limitation of 240 kg for the addition of an aft boundary layer ingestion fan to a tube and wing aircraft configuration, without compromising the aircraft static stability.

RETRACTED: Influence of Different Rotations of Organic Formamidinium Molecule on Electronic and Optical Properties of FAPbBr3 Perovskite

Hybrid organic–inorganic halide perovskites (HOIPs) have recently represented a material breakthrough for optoelectronic applications. Obviously, studying the interactions between the central organic cation and the Pb-X inorganic octahedral could provide a better understanding of HOIPs. In this work, we used a first-principles theoretical study to investigate the effect of different orientations of central formamidinium cation (FA+) on the electronic and optical properties of FAPbBr3 hybrid perovskite. In order to do this, the band structure (with and without spin–orbit coupling (SOC)), density of states (DOS), partial density of states (PDOS), electron density, distortion index, bond angle variance, dielectric function, and absorption spectra were computed. The findings revealed that a change in the orientation of FA+ caused some disorders in the distribution of interactions, resulting in the formation of some specific energy levels in the structure. The interactions between the inorganic and organic parts in different directions create a distortion index in the bonds of the inorganic octahedral, thus leading to a change in the volume of PbBr6. This is the main reason for the variations observed in the electronic and optical properties of FAPbBr3. The obtained results can be helpful in solar-cell applications.

A novel zero-liquid discharge desalination system based on the humidification-dehumidification process: A preliminary study

As a byproduct of desalination plants, brine is increasingly becoming a threat to the environment, and the design of zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) systems is gaining increasing attention. Existing ZLD systems are limited by a high energy intensity and high plant costs of their crystallizers. This study proposes a novel crystallization method based on the humidification-dehumidification (HDH) process, which exhibits the advantages of a low energy consumption, low component costs and a reduced scaling and fouling potential. A simple experimental setup is first designed to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system. Brine concentration and salt crystallization are successfully achieved with air heated to 40 °C as the heat source. Afterwards, a thermo-economic analysis is conducted for the whole system. The specific thermal energy and electricity consumption levels are found to range from 700-900 and 5-11 kJ, respectively, per kg of feed brine. The energy consumption is 56% lower than that of a conventional evaporative crystallizer, and the initial plant cost is reduced by 58%.

Neutronic design of pulsed neutron facility (PNF) for PGNAA studies of biological samples

This paper introduces a novel concept of the pulsed neutron facility (PNF) for maximizing the production of the thermal neutrons and its application to medical use based on prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) using Monte Carlo simulations.The PNF consists of a compact D-T neutron generator, a graphite pile, and a detection system using Cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector arrays. The configuration of fuel pins in the graphite monolith and the design and materials for the moderating layer were studied to optimize the thermal neutron yields. Biological samples – normal and cancerous breast tissues – including chlorine, a trace element, were used to investigate the sensitivity of the characteristic γ-rays by neutron-trace material interactions and the detector responses of multiple particles.Around 90 % of neutrons emitted from a deuterium-tritium (D-T) neutron generator thermalized as they passed through the graphite stockpile. The thermal neutrons captured the chlorines in the samples, then the characteristic γ-rays with specific energy levels of 6.12, 7.80 and 8.58 MeV were emitted. Since the concentration of chlorine in the cancerous tissue is twice that in the normal tissue, the count ratio of the characteristic γ-rays of the cancerous tissue over the normal tissue is approximately 2.

Quantitative benchmarking of iodine imaging for two CT spectral imaging technologies: a phantom study

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to quantitatively benchmark iodine imaging across specific virtual monoenergetic energy levels, iodine maps and virtual non-contrast images with different phantom sizes and iodine concentrations, using a rapid switching dual-energy CT (DECT) and a dual source DECT, in order to investigate accuracy and potential differences between the technologies.MethodsSolutions of iodine contrast (10, 20, 30, 50, and 100 mg/mL), sterile water and saline were scanned in a phantom on a rapid switching single-source and dual-source DECT scanners from two different vendors. The phantom was equipped with polyurethane rings simulating three body sizes. The datasets were reconstructed in virtual monoenergetic energy levels (70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, and 140 keV), virtual non-contrast images and iodine maps. HU and iodine concentrations were measured by placing ROIs in the iodine solutions.ResultsThe iodine concentrations were reproduced with a high degree of accuracy for the single-source DECT (1.8–9.0%), showing a slight dependence on phantom size. The dual source DECT technique showed deviant values (error -33.8 to 12.0%) for high concentrations. In relation to the virtual non-contrast measurements, the images from both vendors were affected by the iodine concentration and phantom size (-127.8 to 539.1 HU). Phantom size did not affect the calculated monoenergetic attenuation values, but the attenuation values varied between the scanners.ConclusionsQuantitative measurements of post-processed images are dependent on the concentration of iodine, the phantom size and different technologies. However, our study indicates that the iodine maps are reliable for quantification of iodine.

Recovering phenolic compounds from Eugenia calycina Cambess employing high-intensity ultrasound treatments: A comparison among its leaves, fruit pulp, and seed as promising sources of bioactive compounds

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the high-intensity ultrasound (HIUS) on the recovery of phenolic compounds from the leaves, fruit pulp, and seed of Eugenia calycina Cambess. The impact of using different modes of application of the same ultrasound-specific energy (kJ/g) was examined. Ultrasound energy performance was assessed employing two different HIUS treatments for each part plant. The same specific energy levels of 2 and 5 kJ/g were applied, varying nominal power and processing time. The HIUS treatments of low-power and long-time (LPLT) and high-power and short-time (HPST) were performed at 100 W, and 475 W. LPLT treatment was non-thermal processing, while HPST was a thermal treatment. The HPST treatment showed more efficiency in the recovery of the phenolic compounds to specific energies. The leaves were the plant part that exhibited the highest content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. The LC-MS analysis also showed ellagic acid and myricitrin as the main phenolic compounds in all botanical parts evaluated. The SEM showed a physical change in plant structure because of HIUS. However, the FTIR spectra indicated that the chemical functional groups were not affected by the acoustic energy. Despite the HPST treatment increased the medium temperature, the stability of antioxidant compounds was preserved. The interaction of the high nominal power, short processing time, and moderate temperature employed in the HPST extraction procedure positively affected the extraction yield of phenolic compounds from the Eugenia calycina.

Enhanced light-driven hydrogen generation on carbon quantum dots with TiO2 nanoparticles.

Solar to hydrogen (H2) conversion systems based on carbon nanomaterials have shown great potentials in the clean energy field recently. However, for most systems, energy level alignments and light-induced redox processes are still unclear, which hinder artificial designing for higher efficiency of solar energy conversion and further applications. Here we report 77% enhancement in the light-driven H2 generation efficiency of N,S co-doped carbon quantum dot (N,S-CQD) aqueous system by adding TiO2 nanoparticles. Using steady-state and transient spectroscopy, four specific energy levels of CQDs are confirmed with the band gaps of 3.55 eV (X4), 2.99 eV (X3), 2.76 eV (X2) and 1.75 eV (X1), respectively. The X2 energy band is highly active for H+ reduction with a longer lifetime of 13.38 ns. Moreover, the observed low efficiency of intrinsic transition from X3 to X2 band of N,S-CQDs accounts for the poor performance of solar to H2 conversion for pure N,S-CQDs based on H2 generation and detailed time-resolved spectroscopic results. The mechanism of H2 generation enhancement can be explained by multiple electron transfer processes between N,S-CQDs and TiO2 NPs where TiO2 NPs act as electron intermediates that efficiently transfer electrons from the inert band (X3) to the active band (X2) for H2 generation. This study enriches the fundamental understanding of N,S-CQDs and provides a new pathway toward high-performance N,S-CQD-based solar to H2 conversion systems.

Transition Metal Ions for Solid State Lighting and Optical Thermometry

Different transition metal ions with 3d unfilled shells are used for applications in solid state lasers and phosphors. Among the whole 3d group the ions with the 3d3 configuration are of particular importance, due to their specific energy level scheme, which can lead to three kinds of photoluminescence spectra: i) sharp spin-forbidden 2E→4A2 emission; ii) broad spin-allowed 4T2→4A2 emission; iii) coexistence of both these emissions.In the present work we review recent progress in the development of crystalline materials doped with the Mn4+ and Cr3+ ions.The Mn4+ ions-doped hosts exhibit only sharp emission spectra in the range from 620 nm to ~700 nm, depending on the host [1]. The phosphors with emission between 620 nm and 650 nm (such as K2SiF6, Na2SiF6 etc) are suitable for applications in white LEDs to produce warm white light. The phosphors emitting at longer wave lengths (e.g. double perovskites Ba2LaNbO6, La2LiSbO6 etc) are used for applications in white LEDs for agriculture, to enhance plant growth [2].In addition to several examples of tuning emission peak position by chemical composition, an important issue of dependence of the emission intensity on the local symmetry will be discussed in detail.The Cr3+ ions can produce all three above-mentioned spectra, depending on the host material. For example, in ZnAl2O4 and MgAl2O4 sharp Cr3+ red 2E→4A2 emission transition is peaked at around 685 nm [3], whereas in LaSc3(BO3)4 and (Ce,Gd)Sc3(BO3)4 crystals broad infrared Cr3+ 4T2→4A2 emission band is centered at 960 nm and 1100 nm, respectively [4, 5].An interplay of the strong and weak crystal field effects can produce redistribution of relative intensities of both 2E→4A2 and 4T2→4A2 emission transitions in the Cr3+-bearing phosphors. With increased temperature, the crystal field strength is decreased and the infrared 4T2→4A2 emission gains intensity. Ratio of intensities of these two transitions can be used for non-contact temperature measurements [6, 7]. Another potential application of such systems is pressure sensing. These examples justify recently renewed interest to the Cr3+ and Mn4+ ions.

Styrene and Bioaerosol Removal from Waste Air with a Combined Biotrickling Filter and DBD–Plasma System

A combined system of a biotrickling filter and a non-thermal plasma (NTP) in a downstream airflow was operated for 1220 days for treatment of emissions of styrene and secondary emissions of germs formed in the biological process. The biotrickling filter was operated at variable inlet concentrations, empty bed residence times (EBRT), type and dosage of fertilizers, irrigation densities, and starvation periods, while dielectric barrier discharge and corona discharge were operated at different specific input energy levels to achieve optimal conditions. Under these conditions, efficiencies in the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), germs and styrene of 96–98%, 1–4 log units and 24.7–50.1 g C m−3 h−1 were achieved, respectively. Fluid simulations of the NTP and a germ emission-based clocking of the discharge reveal further energy saving potentials of more than 90%. The aim of an energy-efficient elimination of VOCs through a biotrickling filter and of secondary germ emissions by a NTP stage in a downstream airflow for potential re-use of purified waste gas as process gas for industrial application was successfully accomplished.

A techno-economic evaluation for the genipin recovery from Genipa americana L. employing non-thermal and thermal high-intensity ultrasound treatments

This paper presents techno-economic results for the high-intensity ultrasound (HIUS)-assisted extraction of a valuable phytochemical. Genipin is a precussor of natural blue compounds besides presenting anticancer, anti-oxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties. The effects of the non-thermal and thermal HIUS treatments on obtaining of genipin-rich ethanolic extracts from the unripe Genipa americana L. were evaluated. The HIUS treatments were evaluated in the economic viewpoint to show their feasibility in different scenarios. The non-thermal HIUS-assisted extraction, with a maximum temperature of 30 ± 1 °C, was performed applying a nominal power of 100 W and the thermal extraction with 450 W, achieving a maximum temperature of 73 ± 1 °C. For both treatments, the HIUS specific energy levels of 1, 3, and 5 kJ/g were assessed. The unripe genipap extracts obtained were characterized during their storage time (0, 24, 48, and 72 h) at 24 ± 2 °C according to their genipin and geniposide content and visual appearance. The cost of manufacturing was evaluated in a pilot and industrial-scale for the different HIUS treatments studied. Our results demonstrated that the HIUS-assisted extractions allowed us to obtain different amounts of genipin and geniposide according to the non-thermal and thermal process conditions. The more intense acoustic cavitation provided by the nominal power of 450 W resulted in a better diffusion and, consequently, higher genipin recovery. The economic evaluation showed different scenarios to produce genipin-rich ethanolic extracts by HIUS technology. In comparison with a process using pressing + low-pressure extraction, our HIUS processes presented a faster and fixed capital investment two times cheaper.

An Energy Efficient Adaptive Scheduling Scheme (EASS) for Mesh Grid Wireless Sensor Networks

The technology-driven shift in distributed network systems, Internet technology and energy grid digitization have changed the traditional spoke-hub distribution models to the more flexible and giant network-to-networks paradigm known as Energy Cloud. This energy cloud paradigm has the ability to adapt to the large-scale distributed energy resources with dynamic demand–response associated with smart grid and smart homes applications, which allows customers/users to have connectivity of electrical devices with supply grid into one giant energy cloud network. If efficient policies are not adapted in the design and operations of such networks, sensor devices may sense and forward redundant data packets. Hence, valuable energy of the node will be depleted quickly and as a result; the network will be down before accomplishing its intended task. To address the issue of energy-efficiency in energy-cloud at embedded networks, this paper proposes a novel scheme, “Energy Efficient Adaptive Scheduling Scheme (EASS) for Mesh Grid Wireless Sensor Networks”. In EASS, a sensor node configures and schedules its functions/roles according to the contents of sensed data packets and frequency of generated traffic. Like energy cloud, tasks are uniformly distributed on all nodes in mesh-grid in four states – each state of a node is responsible for configuring its components on a specific energy level – which aims to avoid link disconnection and vanish redundant data packets generation. Simulation results show that EASS increases energy-efficiency by 50% due to the four-states model, 62.5% due to alive nodes, 92.60% due to minimized Cluster-Heads overhead and 38.11% due to the reduction in dead nodes ratio.

Effects of pulsed electric field pretreatment on frying quality of fresh-cut lotus root slices

This study aimed to compare the effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) pretreatment on fresh-cut lotus root and its frying quality with those under blanching (80 °C, 3 min). The lotus root slices were treated by 10,000 pulses at different electric field strength (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 kV/cm) with specific energy levels (5.56, 22.20 and 50.00 kJ/kg). PEF treatment decreased the reducing sugar content in fresh samples and then diminished the Millard reaction, including lower browning index and 25.9% reduction in acrylamide content. Besides, membrane disintegration occurred when the cells were subjected to PEF, resulting in soft tissue structure and a reduction of oil inhalation of 15%. Results imply that PEF treatment can be used as a viable alternative to blanching to pretreat lotus root slices, effectively saved thermal energy required for industrial production and delivered more positive effects on quality of fried slices.

Four-Dimensional Dynamic Synchrotron Microcomputed Tomography Imaging of Gas-Water Interface at High Pressure and Low Temperature

It is challenging to separate water from gas phases in computed tomography images of three-phase granular materials because water and most gases have close attenuation coefficients for x-ray. This article presents two techniques for three-dimensional (3D) imaging using synchrotron microcomputed tomography (SMT). Monochromatic x-ray beam that can be tuned for a specific energy level was used for a dual energy SMT that takes advantage of a sudden change in attenuation at the absorption edge of iodine. A solution of 4 % by weight potassium iodide (KI) and distilled water was used as a doping agent to saturate a column of sand as a test sample. The article focuses on how the technique was employed to image a column of sand as the degree of saturation changes. Water and air were separated easily, and the degree of saturation was calculated for the sand column at different drainage conditions. The article also presents a description of a high-pressure, low-temperature flow cell suitable for SMT imaging for dynamic monitoring of gas hydrate formation and dissociation. High photon flux beam (pink beam) enabled fast 4D imaging (3D plus time) of xenon gas hydrate formation. Hydrate specific area increased initially with increasing hydrate saturation and began to decrease after a threshold, which is evidence of Ostwald Ripening. For hydrate saturation less than 10 %, the predominant pore-habit was surface coating. Cementing pore-habit was observed at 15 % hydrate saturation, and pore-filling hydrate pore-habit was observed with further increase in hydrate saturation.