Retention Values Research Articles

Exploring traditional and novel spike traits associated with seed retention in perennial ryegrass by integrating 2D and 3D image analysis

AbstractSeed shattering is a major economic problem in seed production of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). The objective was to identify potential relationships between phenotypic traits and seed retention in a 2‐year field trial with 21 diverse global accessions of perennial ryegrass. Accessions were grouped according to level of seed retention. Phenotypic traits examined were growth habit, spike length, curvature of the spike, spikelets per spike, spikelet length, internode length between spikelets, angle of spikelet insertion into the rachis, seeds per spike, and seed weight. Traits were captured and measured by use of novel two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) imaging tools. Among accessions, median seed retention values for the high and low seed retention groups were 61% and 36%, respectively. Four traits were found to significantly impact seed shattering: spike length (p ≤ 0.01), seed weight (p ≤ 0.001), seeds per spike (p ≤ 0.05), and internode length between spikelets (p ≤ 0.01). Seed retention was highest in accessions with short spikes. Most of the accessions that had high seed retention also had lower mean seed weight than the commercial plant materials. Accession (PI 231620) had both high levels of seed retention and a mean seed weight that is acceptable in the marketplace. These qualities may be used to improve seed retention in the breeding of perennial ryegrass cultivars. The 2D and 3D imaging methods have applicability in measurement of other plant morphological traits and across a broad range of plant species.

Ultrasound effect on a biorefinery lignin-cellulose mixture

Forest biorefineries provide multiple new avenues for applied research. The main concept lies in the malleability of the processes and their stepwise organization. The core element of the biorefinery concept addressed in the present study is the pretreatment step; here, wood biomass is converted into free hemicellulosic sugars, lignin and cellulose. In traditional approaches, the pretreatment step is a starting point for isolating and separating lignin or cellulose through different processes. In this study, instead of performing any separation, a lignin-cellulose mixture was used as its own material, and the effects of ultrasound treatment with a probe system at 20 kHz, with various amplitude, sonication time and dry matter content were investigated with the aim of assessing the formation of a nanocellulose structure with a high lignin content (>30 %) and investigating the stability of the lignin-cellulose mixture under aqueous conditions. We demonstrated the importance of dry matter content for the specific particle size and water retention values for this mixture. US treatment of lignin-cellulose mixtures <4 % dry matter formed a gel-like material, with low particle size (90 % below 30 μm and smallest at nanoscale). Low dry matter loading led to better US transfer and higher conversion of cellulose to <100 nm nanoparticles. Our study can serve as a baseline for future developments in the field of stable emulsions, filtering materials or inputs for material synthesis.

Assessment of Changes in Selected Features of Pine and Birch Wood after Impregnation with Graphene Oxide.

In this work, pine and birch wood were modified by graphene oxide using a single vacuum impregnation method. The research results indicate that the impregnation of wood with graphene oxide increases the crystallinity of cellulose in both pine and birch wood, and the increase in crystallinity observed in the case of birch was more significant than in the case of pine. FT-IR analyses of pine samples impregnated with graphene oxide showed changes in intensity in the absorption bands of 400-600, 700-1500 cm-1, and 3200-3500 cm-1 and a peak separation of 1102 cm-1, which may indicate new C-O-C connections. In the case of birch, only some differences were noticed related to the vibrations of the OH group. The proposed modification also affects changes in the color of the wood surface, with earlywood containing more graphene oxide than latewood. Analysis of scanning electron microscope images revealed that graphene oxide adheres flat to the cell wall. Considering the differences in the anatomical structure of both wood species, the research showed a statistically significant difference in water absorption and retention of graphene oxide in wood cells. Graphene oxide does not block the flow of water in the wood, as evidenced by the absorbability of the working liquid at the level of 580-602 kg/m3, which corresponds to the value of pure water absorption by wood in the impregnation method using a single negative pressure. In this case, higher graphene oxide retention values were obtained for pine wood.

Optimization of the Encapsulation of Vitamin D3 in Oil in Water Nanoemulsions: Preliminary Application in a Functional Meat Model System.

Meat products containing Vitamin D3 (VD3) are an innovative option that could contribute to reducing deficiencies in this micronutrient. Designing nanoemulsions that carry VD3 is the first step in developing functional meat products. Thereby, this study investigated the impact of food components on the nanoemulsion properties. A central composite design was used to study the effects of pea protein (PP, 0.5-2.5%), safflower oil (SO, 5-15%), and salt (0-0.5%) on the nanoemulsion stability (ζ-potential and particle size) and the VD3 retention. Also, the optimized nanoemulsion carrying VD3 was incorporated into a meat matrix to study its retention after cooking. The combination of food components in the optimized nanoemulsion were SO = 9.12%, PP = 1.54%, and salt content = 0.4%, resulting in the predicted values of ζ-potential, particle size, and VD3 retention of -37.76 mV, 485 nm, and 55.1%, respectively. The VD3 that was nanoencapsulated and included in a meat product remained more stable after cooking than the VD3 that was not encapsulated. If a meat product is formulated with 5 or 10% safflower oil, the stability of the nanoencapsulated VD3 is reduced. This research contributes to developing functional meat products carrying nanoencapsulated vitamin D3 in natural food-grade components.

Peptide retention time prediction for hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography at acidic pH in formic-acid based eluents

Peptide separation selectivity was evaluated for hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) ZIC-HILIC, ZIC-cHILIC, and XBridge Amide sorbents using formic acid as eluent additive (pH 2.7). Sequence-specific retention prediction algorithms were trained using retention datasets of ∼30,000 peptides for each column. Our retention models were able to attain ∼0.98 R2-value and yielded retention coefficients that can be probed to understand peptide-stationary phase interaction. Overall, the hydrophilicity for these columns decreased when the mobile phase changed pH from 4.5 to 2.7, when using 0.1 % formic acid in the mobile phase. The acidic residues became protonated, and the resultant hydrophilic interaction is dampened at the lower pH, leaving only the basic residues as the primary hydrophilic interactors. Hence, peptides of increasing charge have higher retention. In this comparison between the three columns, ZIC-HILIC has the highest chromatographic resolution between groups of peptides of different charge. From the position-dependent retention coefficients for ZIC-HILIC at pH 2.7, we found that the amino acids at the terminal positions of the peptide modulate the basicity of the N-terminal amino group or the C-terminal Arg/Lys for tryptic peptides. With respect to the separation orthogonality between HILIC and acidic pH RPLC for two dimensional separations, the orthogonality values were lower at pH 2.7 than operating HILIC at pH 4.5 for the first dimension. We also demonstrate that ZIC-HILIC was able to distinguish citrullinated and deamidated peptides based on predicted retention values.

Novel CdFe2O4 nanoparticles facile synthesis and their applications towards practical ammonia detection: an effect of annealing

Cadmium ferrite (CdFe2O4) nanoparticles were synthesized via a simple co-precipitation method, and the effect of annealing temperature over the prepared samples’ structural, morphological, and optical properties was analyzed by varying the temperatures 700, 800, and 900 °C. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) studies revealed that the prepared samples are highly crystalline in nature and belong to a cubic spinel crystal structure, and the crystallite size increases from 32 to 59 nm with respect to the increasing temperature. The surface morphology of the ferrite samples showed the uniformly distributed highly agglomerated particles with larger voids for the ferrite nanoparticles annealed at 900 °C. Optical properties of the prepared CdFe2O4 samples were carried out by diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and the optical band gap of the samples were found to be 2.57, 2.55 and 2.53 eV. The Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) studies at room temperature showcased that the nanoparticle samples possess ferromagnetic behavior, and the magnetization (Ms), Coercivity (Hc), and Retentivity (Mr) values were found to be 27.5 × 10−3 emu g−1, 237.60 Oe, and 1976 × 10−6 emu/g for the CdFe2O4 sample annealed at 900 °C. The gas sensing studies were carried out with the presence of target gas ammonia, and its significant sensing parameters such as gas responsivity (S%), rise time, and recovery times were determined, and these values of CdFe2O4 samples annealed at 900 °C were observed to be 1610%, 7.1 s, and 2.2 s. Our findings strongly suggest that the CdFe2O4 samples annealed at 900 °C hold significant promise as a multifunctional material, particularly in gas-sensing applications. This potential opens an exciting avenue for further research and development.

Incorporating Ag into Nd-Succinate MOF: Tunned electrochemical supercapacitor behaviour of Ag modified Nd-Succinate and electrochemical reaction mechanism

The electrode materials must be tailored to achieve higher energy and power densities and thus improve the supercapacitor's performance. This study explores the impact of incorporating Silver (Ag) into a Neodymium-Succinate Metal Organic Framework (Nd-Succinate) on supercapacitor behaviour. Initially, the Nd-Succinate MOF was characterized by structural, morphological, and spectroscopic characterizations. Subsequently, Ag/Nd-Succinate was synthesized and characterized. The electrochemical performance of Ag/Nd-Succinate was evaluated in a 6 M KOH electrolyte; the results indicated a significant enhancement in supercapacitor performance upon incorporating Ag into parent Nd-Succinate. From galvanostatic Charge-Discharge cycles (GCD), the capacitance for Ag/Nd-Succinate was determined to be 1389 F/g, i.e., 42 % higher than that of bare Nd-Succinate which was measured at 978 F/g. at a current density of 1.25 A/g. Ag/Nd-Succinate showcased an 89 % retention value for multiple retention cycles, slightly higher than the retention value obtained (84 %) for Nd-Succinate. The results of electrochemical experiments (Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectra (EIS)) provided information about the nature of electron transfer and capacitance enhancement upon the introduction of Ag into Nd-Succinate. These findings provide valuable information on modifying MOFs and introducing metal that will help produce high-performance supercapacitor electrodes.

Binder-free copper manganese sulfide nanoflake arrays electrodeposited on reduced graphene oxide-wrapped nickel foam as an efficient battery-type electrode for asymmetric supercapacitors

In the current study, 2D interconnected copper manganese sulfide (CMS) nanoflake arrays are successfully electrodeposited on nickel foam (NF) and reduced graphene oxide-coated NF (NF/rGO). A pulsed current electrodeposition method is used to prepare a uniform and homogeneous coverage of rGO on NF. By using rGO as a conductive carbon-based template, an ultrathin nanoflake structure of CMS with smaller dimensions and higher electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) is achieved. The results reveal the battery-type behavior of the as-synthesized CMS electroactive materials. At a current density of 5 A g−1 this electrode delivers a significant specific capacity of 667 C g-1 and maintained a considerable proportion of its initial capacity, with a retention value of 83.2 % even after undergoing 3000 charge/discharge cycles. In addition, an asymmetric supercapacitor is fabricated by setting up the synthesized NF/rGO/CMS sample as the positive electrode and activated carbon as the negative electrode. The constructed device not only delivers an impressive energy density of 63.3 Wh kg-1 accompanied by an outstanding power density of 11214.5 W kg−1, but also exhibits a considerable cycling durability, enduring only a 12 % decline in specific capacitance after 3000 charge/discharge cycles at a current density of 5 A g−1.

Energy cost prediction for chromium removal by nanofiltration membrane

Abstract This paper aims to investigate the energy cost of eliminating Cr(VI) by nanofiltration membranes (NF). The modified pore flow model was utilized to predict the performance of NF membrane in terms of ion retention and water productivity. Then, the energy cost was estimated according to the obtained results from this model as well as available data from literature. The effect of feed flow, applied pressure, and temperature on energy cost were highlighted and thoroughly assessed. It is shown that high retention values can be achieved with relatively high energy cost. Nonetheless, energy cost of 0.04 $/m3 have been estimated for Cr retention less than 95 % at a pressure of 5 bar. It is also assessed that feed flow has a significant influence on energy cost relative to other operating parameters. In particular, increasing feed flow from 40 to 760 L/h leading the energy cost to be increased by twelve times. At high feed flow, however, energy cost can be largely reduced by applying pressure higher than 10 bar. It is concluded that high feed temperature is favored if there is no need for heating equipment.

The effect of ascorbic acid, QMix and other conditioning solutions on the bond strength of adhesively luted glass fiber-reinforced composite posts to root dentin, a laboratory study

PurposeThis study was designed to investigate the effect of post space conditioning with different solutions on the bond strength of glass FRC posts and evaluate the mode of resin failure. MethodsSixty extracted human single rooted teeth were root filled using a resin sealer and suitable gutta-percha cones. Post spaces were prepared, and the teeth randomly allocated into 5 groups according to their irrigation regimens which included the following solutions: 17 % EDTA, 2 % CHX, 3 % NaOCl, 10 % ascorbic acid and QMix solutions. Post spaces were irrigated with 5 ml of the solution for 15 s and subsequently washed with distilled water and dried with paper points. Glass FRC posts were cemented into their spaces using a self-adhesive resin cement. The specimens were mounted in plexiglass molds using autopolymerizing acrylic resin. A universal testing machine was used to measure post retention at a crosshead speed of 2 mm/min. The results were analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey HSD test (α = 0.05). Dislodged posts and post spaces were examined microscopically to evaluate retention failure. ResultsThe Ascorbic acid group exhibited the highest mean retentive strength value at 229 N, followed by QMix at 198 N, NaOCl at 186 N, CHX at 170 N, and EDTA at 124 N. The mean value of the ascorbic acid group was significantly higher than EDTA group, p = 0.012. The failure category was primarily mixed. ConclusionsRinsing post spaces with ascorbic acid exhibited significantly superior bond strength. The failure mode was mixed. Clinical significanceIrrigating post spaces with ascorbic acid solution before luting FRC posts significantly improves their bond strength compared to irrigation with EDTA solution. Irrigation with QMix solution produced the second highest retentive strength but showed no statistical significance when compared to using ascorbic acid, NaOCl, CHX, or EDTA solutions.

Preparation and Characterization of Supramolecular Bonding Polymers Based on a Pullulan Substrate Grafted with Acrylic Acid/Acrylamide by Microwave Irradiation

A microwave technique was used to prepare a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) by grafting two hydrophilic monomers onto a polysaccharide substrate. The monomers used were acrylic acid (AA) or acrylamide (AM) and were grafted onto a pullulan (PUL) substrate to form PUL-g-AA (SAP1) and PUL-g-AM (SAP2), respectively. The monomers (AM/AA) were grafted together onto a PUL substrate to form PUL-g-(AM/AA) (SAP3). Grafting parameters such as grafting efficiency with the percentage, the conversion of monomer into polymer, gel content, water retention, water adsorption capacity, and swelling kinetics were determined. Additionally, the effect of environmental pH (2, 4, 7, 9, and 12) and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) surfactant was evaluated, where 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 mM of SDBS was added to form SAP4 to SAP8. The FTIR results show that AM was grafted onto PUL through an aliphatic C-N bond, while AA grafting occurred through a single C-C bond. The grafting efficiency with AM was higher than with AA, as well as showing a superior gel content. Water absorbance capacity and water retention increased with the grafting of AA and AM together for SAP3. The highest absorbent capacity, water retention, gel content, and grafting parameters values were obtained with a 3 mM SDBS content and a pH of 7. The swelling kinetics showed that the increases in the theoretical and experimental swelling equilibriums were 72% and 82%, respectively, for SAP6 compared to the values of these parameters for SAP3. The water absorption capacity of the hydrogel increases upon increasing the pH to 7 and then gradually decreases. XRD demonstrated the improved crystallinity and crystalline size of the hydrogel after grafting polymerization of AM/AA onto PUL, in addition to enhanced thermal stability. On the contrary, FE-SEM demonstrated that SDBS improves the porosity and pore size of the hydrogel surface with SAP6.

Bacterial nanocellulose by static, static intermittent fed-batch and rotary disc bioreactor-based fermentation routes using economical black tea broth medium: A comparative account

Bacterial nanocellulose was produced here using static, static intermittent-fed batch (SIFB) and rotary disc bioreactor (RDB) mode. Economical black tea broth media with symbiotic consortia of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) was used towards feasible BNC production (instead of commercial NCIM 2526 strain and conventional HS media). The physicochemical characterization of BNC produced in all three modes via FE-SEM, ATR-FTIR, XRD and TGA results showed a highly porous morphology, mostly Iα form, good crystallinity and thermal stability, respectively. BNC crystallinity lies in the range of 68 % (RDB) to 79.4 % (static and SIFB). Water retention value (86 to 93 %) and moisture content (85 to 93 %) are high for BNC produced in all three modes. Commendable difference in the BNC yield, sugar consumption, conversion yield and residual sugar was observed using different methods. Highest BNC yield 29.4 ± 0.66 gL−1 was obtained under SIFB method as compared to static mode (13.6 ± 0.32 g L−1). Under RDB, a negligible amount of BNC i.e., 1.0 ± 0.2 g L−1 was produced. SCOBY with BTB medium was found unsuitable for BNC production under RDB and needs further investigation. Thus, this comparative study offers a way to produce a commendable amount of low-priced BNC for various techno-industrial usage.

From Waste to Consumption: Tomato Peel Flour in Hamburger Patty Production.

Tomato is a widely cultivated crop and its processing produces large quantities of wastes, such as pulp, seed, and peel. In recent years, the valorization of these wastes in the production of high-value-added food products has gained popularity in achieving environmental sustainability and zero waste. From this viewpoint, dried tomato peel (DTP-1%, 2%, 3%, 4%) flour was included in hamburger formulations. In patty samples, ash, carbohydrate, and dietary fiber amounts were increased due to the high fiber content of DTP flour, while moisture and fat percentages decreased with increasing amounts of DTP flour (p < 0.05). The inclusion of DTP flour retarded lipid oxidation during cooking (p < 0.05). The significantly highest cooking yield was calculated in samples including 4% DTP flour. In parallel, water-holding capacity, moisture, and fat retention values increased with increasing levels of DTP flour (p < 0.05). The enrichment of patties with DTP flour resulted in hard texture, less gumminess, and a darker, more reddish and yellowish color (p < 0.05). Hamburger samples containing 1% or 2% DTP flour were graded with closer scores in the sensory panel as compared to the control (0% DTP). Overall, our findings demonstrated that DTP flour up to 2% could be used to improve the nutritional and technological properties of patty samples.

Durability of externally strengthened concrete prisms with CFRP laminates and galvanized steel mesh attached with epoxy adhesives and mortar

The long-term bond degradation and strength retention of flexural bond prisms strengthened with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite and galvanized steel mesh (GSM) systems, bonded to concrete using epoxy adhesives and cement-based mortar under aggressive conditioning regimes are compared in this paper. Notched prisms strengthened using low-cord density steel mesh (LSM) with epoxy (SME-strengthened) and cement mortar (SMM-strengthened), and CFRP-epoxy systems were weathered under saline water and direct sunlight for a period of 28 and 540 days. The results of the study were analyzed based on experimentally obtained ultimate load (Pu) values and empirically calculated average bond shear stress (τavg) and prism strength retention (Rp) values. The bond strength degraded by 39 and 34 % in CFRP strengthened, 2.9 and 33 % in SME strengthened, and 2.8 and 10.8 % in SMM-strengthened specimens following the 540-day exposure to saline water and direct sunlight, respectively. The average prism retention ratio was calculated to be 0.61 and 0.66 for CFRP-strengthened, 0.97 and 0.67 for SME-strengthened, and 0.97 and 0.89 for SMM-strengthened specimens after 540 days of saline water and direct sunlight exposure. Flexural prism environment strength reduction factors (CE) were proposed as 0.60, 0.95, and 0.95 for CFRP, SME, and SMM-strengthened specimens under saline water exposures and 0.65, 0.65, and 0.85 for CFRP, SME, and SMM strengthened specimens under direct sunlight exposures. Saline water exposure was observed to be most critical to all strengthening systems. Although CFRP-strengthened specimens showed minimum degradation in load-carrying capacity under both conditioning regimes, they showed maximum bond strength reduction in contrast to SMM-strengthened specimens. It was observed that the choice of bonding agent significantly influenced the extent of bond strength degradation under extreme exposure regimes, like those that prevail in the UAE and the Persian Gulf.

Retention and wear assessment of two different bar materials used in implant-retained mandibular overdenture

Abstract Aim To assess retention and wear of two different bar materials (cobalt chromium and poly ether-ether ketone) used in implant-retained mandibular overdenture subjected to chewing simulation Robota during 1 year of functional simulation. Patients and methods This study is a comparative laboratory study which was carried out on 14 models of implant-retained mandibular overdenture, for each model two implants were inserted. The 14 models were divided equally into two equal groups: group A (overdenture constructed over two implant analogs with bar attachment and clip made from cobalt chromium material), and group B (overdenture constructed over two implant analogs with bar attachment and clip made from poly ether-ether ketone material). Drilling of the models was done using milling machine and each model received two implant analogs inserted 11 mm from midline at canine region. The overdentures were constructed in the usual manners and the teeth were set in lingualized occlusion. The mandibular overdentures were subjected to 150 000 chewing cycles using Robota chewing simulator and 1080 insertion-removal cycles. Retention of the samples was measured by the universal testing machine and wear observed under USB digital microscope both of which were done at the beginning of the study and after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Results The retention force for group A decreased significantly from baseline 43.43 ± 5.25 to 35.56 ± 8.30 after 3 months of cyclic loading, with similar reductions after 6, 9, and 12 months. Group B also showed reductions from baseline 26.75 ± 2.32 to 21.29 ± 6.74 after 3 months, and similar patterns over time. Group A had no statistically significant wear changes after cyclic loading, with a baseline mean of 0.2904 ± 0.0008, changing to 0.2913 ± 0.0008 after 3 months, while group B showed similar nonsignificant changes. There were no statistically significant differences in wear between both groups at any time point. Conclusion Retentive forces decrease with increasing cyclic loading. However, both materials displayed acceptable retentive values. Wear values were nonsignificant between two studied groups.

Evaluation of retention values of different telescopic crown attachment materials in implant retained overdenture (an in vitro study)

Evaluation of retention values of different telescopic crown attachment materials in implant retained overdenture (an in vitro study)

Valorization of Hibiscus Flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) Anthocyanins to Produce Sustainable Spray-Dried Ingredients

The recent increase in sustainability awareness has triggered the industry to establish novel, eco-friendly sources of plant-based ingredients. In the present study, hibiscus flowers (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) were investigated as a sustainable source of anthocyanins for use in spray-dried ingredients with antioxidant capacity. To this end, the extraction and spray-drying microencapsulation of hibiscus flower anthocyanins were optimized and the final products were evaluated for their oxidative stability index. Initially, preliminary experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of selected processing parameters on anthocyanin extraction. Next, the extraction was optimized through a 22 central composite design, considering ethanol concentration (44–56% v/v) and extraction time (1.6–6.4 h) as independent factors. The optimum extraction conditions (8 h, 41.6% v/v ethanol concentration) were used to produce anthocyanin-rich extracts, which were microencapsulated by spray drying using a 22 central composite design with the carrier addition rate (1–3% w/v) and inlet temperature (160–192 °C) as factors. Maximum values of solids recovery (60.8%) and anthocyanin retention (96.0%) were reached when 3.2% w/v of starch–alginate carrier blend and a 170.7 °C inlet temperature were used. Finally, when hibiscus microcapsules were added to soybean oil, higher oxidative stability was achieved compared to the control. Overall, we demonstrate an industrially friendly and scalable approach that takes advantage of abundant hibiscus flowers as a viable source of anthocyanins for multiple applications.

Effects of the spray-drying process using maltodextrin on bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of the pulp of the tropical fruit açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.)

Aҫai fruit is characterized by the properties of its bioactive compounds; however, this fruit is highly perishable and its compounds are sensitive when exposed to non-optimal environmental factors. Therefore, the objective of this study was to encapsulate the fruit pulp by spray drying to improve the nutritional value and extend the shelf life of the products derived from acai fruit. Maltodextrin was used as a wall material and the process was optimized to obtain the desirable values of the response variables. For this, a central compound design (CCD) was developed to determine the influence of temperature (110–170 °C) and the wall material proportion (5–15 %) on dependent variables: the retention of ascorbic acid, moisture percentage, hygroscopicity, solubility, water activity, and yield. Furthermore, the effects of spray drying on bioactive compounds (AA, TPC, TFC, TA, TCC, GA, CT, and QC) and antioxidant activity (ABTS, DPPH, and ORAC) were evaluated. The maximum design temperature (170 °C) and wall material proportion (15 %) significantly influenced the response variables where encapsulation was applied, with high ascorbic acid retention (96.886 %), low moisture (0.303 %), low hygroscopicity (7.279 g/100 g), low level of water activity (0.255), a water solubility index of 23.206 %, and a high yield of 70.285 %. The bioactive compounds analyzed and the antioxidant capacity presented significant retention values for AA (96.86 %), TPC (65.13 %), TFC (82.09 %), TA (62.46 %), TCC (7.28 %), GA (35.02 %), CT (49.03 %), QC (37.57 %), ABTS (81.24 %), DPPH (75.11 %), and ORAC (15.68 %). Therefore, it is concluded that the powder obtained under these conditions has desirable physical properties, and the drying process preserved a notable retention of bioactive compounds and their antioxidant activities.

Enhancing subsequent kraft fiber dewatering properties by using fiber polyamide-epichlorohydrin (PAE) treatment to prepare a dry pulp product,

The energy needed for the dewatering and drying of wet paper web represents around half of the energy consumption of papermaking processes. The present work examined whether the dewatering and drying of paper could be enhanced during a previous pulp drying process by pretreating the fibers with polyamide-epichlorohydrin (PAE). According to the hypothesis, the cured PAE restrains swelling and water absorption of water-wetted fibers by forming a fiber-bound, self-crosslinked polymer-network on the fiber surfaces. The hypothesis was tested by adding PAE to never-dried kraft pulp slurry followed by pulp thickening, drying, and final curing of the PAE-resin. After this, the PAE-treated fibers were dispersed in water, and their water retention values (WRV) and Shopper-Riegler values (○SR) were measured. The PAE pretreatments notably decreased the fibers´ WRV and ○SR, indicating improved water removal of paper web in the paper machine forming and drying section. Compared to chemical crosslinking pretreatments, which also can be used to decrease fibers WRV and ○SR-value, a notable advantage of PAE-pretreatment is milder required curing conditions of the PAE, which makes implementation of the method easier in practice. Due to decreased fiber-to-fiber bonding capability, the PAE-treated specialty fibers could take advantage especially as a bulking aid of paperboard, tissue, and absorbent materials.

The relationship between atmospheric particulate matter, leaf surface microstructure, and the phyllosphere microbial diversity of Ulmus L.

BackgroundPlants can retain atmospheric particulate matter (PM) through their unique foliar microstructures, which has a profound impact on the phyllosphere microbial communities. Yet, the underlying mechanisms linking atmospheric particulate matter (PM) retention by foliar microstructures to variations in the phyllosphere microbial communities remain a mystery. In this study, we conducted a field experiment with ten Ulmus lines. A series of analytical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and high-throughput amplicon sequencing, were applied to examine the relationship between foliar surface microstructures, PM retention, and phyllosphere microbial diversity of Ulmus L.ResultsWe characterized the leaf microstructures across the ten Ulmus lines. Chun exhibited a highly undulated abaxial surface and dense stomatal distribution. Langya and Xingshan possessed dense abaxial trichomes, while Lieye, Zuiweng, and Daguo had sparsely distributed, short abaxial trichomes. Duomai, Qingyun, and Lang were characterized by sparse stomata and flat abaxial surfaces, whereas Jinye had sparsely distributed but extensive stomata. The mean leaf retention values for total suspended particulate (TSP), PM2.5, PM2.5-10, PM10-100, and PM> 100 were 135.76, 6.60, 20.10, 90.98, and 13.08 µg·cm− 2, respectively. Trichomes substantially contributed to PM2.5 retention, while larger undulations enhanced PM2.5-10 retention, as evidenced by positive correlations between PM2.5 and abaxial trichome density and between PM2.5-10 and the adaxial raw microroughness values. Phyllosphere microbial diversity patterns varied among lines, with bacteria dominated by Sediminibacterium and fungi by Mycosphaerella, Alternaria, and Cladosporium. Redundancy analysis confirmed that dense leaf trichomes facilitated the capture of PM2.5-associated fungi, while bacteria were less impacted by PM and struggled to adhere to leaf microstructures. Long and dense trichomes provided ideal microhabitats for retaining PM-borne microbes, as evidenced by positive feedback loops between PM2.5, trichome characteristics, and the relative abundances of microorganisms like Trichoderma and Aspergillus.ConclusionsBased on our findings, a three-factor network profile was constructed, which provides a foundation for further exploration into how different plants retain PM through foliar microstructures, thereby impacting phyllosphere microbial communities.