Intrinsic UV reflection and fluorescence studies for water sorption in polycarbonate, polyurethane and poly(ethylene terephthalate) films

Intrinsic UV reflection and fluorescence behaviors of polycarbonate, polyurethane and poly(ethylene terephthalate) films were investigated in order to characterize the interaction of water in these films. During water sorption process, UV reflection spectra of polycarbonate and polyurethane films showed little peak position changes. Fluorescence emission spectra of polycarbonate films showed red spectral shifts from 332 nm with water immersion time. This red-shifted peak could be due to phenyl-2-phenoxybenzoate, which is one of the major thermal degradation products in polycarbonate. Fluorescence peaks of polyurethane films appeared at two different positions and the ratio of these peak intensities increased with increasing immersion time. In the case of PET films, the UV reflection spectrum showed the peak intensity around 340 nm to change in response to water sorption. The fluorescence near 388 nm probably due to ground state dimer exhibited sensitivity with water sorption, when excited at 340 nm.     

基于冠层透射微分光谱的小麦植株含水量监测研究

为实现基于可见光透射微分光谱的小麦植株含水量监测,通过三年田间试验,测定自拔节期以后小麦关键生育时期冠层透射光谱和植株含水量,确立了透射光谱微分参数与植株含水量间定量关系。结果表明,与小麦冠层原始透光率相比,一阶微分光谱能够很好地减轻生育时期的影响。将不同生育时期数据综合,不同波段的透射率与植株含水量相关性均较差,而微分光谱在439、735、823及950 nm处与植株含水量相关性较好(|r| 0.57),以735 nm处相关性最高。基于蓝光、黄光和红光波段筛选了21个光谱特征参数,其中红边振幅(Dr)、红蓝振幅归一化指数(Dr-Db)/(Dr+Db)、红边面积(SDr)、右峰面积(RSDR)、双峰面积比(RIDA)及双峰面积归一化指数(NDDA)6个光谱特征参数与植株含水量间相关性较好(r0.70)。在以上优选的光谱参数中,红边双峰面积比值(RIDA)及归一化指数(NDDA)与植株含水量的回归关系表现最好,拟合精度r~2大于0.69,均方根误差RMSE低于4.87,模型具有很好的稳定性,可以实时精确估测小麦植株含水量。这表明利用冠层透射微分光谱可对小麦植株含水量进行精确监测,对指导作物精确灌溉管理具有较大的应用潜力。     

Development of biodegradable films based on blue corn flour with potential applications in food packaging. Effects of plasticizers on mechanical,thermal, and microstructural properties of flour films

In the present study, blue corn flour films were developed. The cereal grain’s total composition (excluding the pericarp) is used to obtain the films. The plasticizing effects of two different polyols such as glycerol and sorbitol on the mechanical, thermal, and microstructural properties of flour films were researched. The results showed that films plasticized with sorbitol had better mechanical properties and less affinity for water than those plasticized with glycerol. The sorbitol-plasticized films were more rigid and did not lose their integrity when immersed in water. The ATR-FTIR spectra of blue corn flour plasticizer with sorbitol showed the presence of the additional band at 1745 cm⁻¹ characteristic of the vibrational carbonyl peak, which confirms the chemical linkages between sorbitol and a polymeric matrix. The effect of the plasticizer on the glass transition temperature (T_g) was characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). T_g decreased as the plasticizer content increased. Plasticized glycerol films showed lower T_g values than those with sorbitol. SEM observations showed that it was necessary to add plasticizer to maintain film integrity. The sorbitol-plasticized flour films revealed better adhesion between phases, and these films showed a compact structure.     

基于近地高光谱与TM遥感影像的冬小麦冠层含水量反演

为探讨利用近地高光谱和TM遥感影像数据评估作物冠层水分状况的可行性,以北京顺义通州为研究区域,以冬小麦为研究对象,首先基于Landsat TM5的光谱响应函数,利用地面实测的冬小麦全生育期冠层高光谱窄波段反射率数据来模拟TM5卫星宽波段反射率,然后利用模拟的TM5数据的NIR波段(第4波段)和2个SWIR波段(第5和7波段)反射率分别构建水分指数(WI)和归一化差异水分指数(NDWI),并利用地面实测数据建立冠层叶片含水量(LWC)和等效水厚度(EWT)的遥感估算模型,最后选取最优的水分估算模型,利用TM5卫星遥感影像数据对研究区域小麦冠层水分含量进行反演与应用。结果表明,利用TM5数据中SWIR第5波段比第7波段构建的水分指数更有优势;WI对估算LWC的效果较好,而NDWI在EWT估算方面效果较好,应用TM5宽波段模拟数据模型验证的冬小麦冠层含水量的r2和RMSE分别为0.57和0.51、3.89%和0.024。同时从TM遥感影像的反演结果来看,开花期的冬小麦冠层水分高于拔节期。     

In situ observation of the freezing process in wheat dough by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM): Formation of ice and changes in the gluten network

Freezing of bread dough is widely applied in food industry. However, freezing impairs the baking performance of dough, which is largely attributed to structural changes as induced by ice formation. The aim of the present investigation was to image ice formation during freezing of dough and to assess the structural changes in the gluten network. A confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) equipped with a freezing stage was used to follow ice formation in the reflection and transmission (bright field) mode. Wheat dough with air inclusions served as a model for fermented dough. The gas pores and the ice crystals could be imaged by confocal laser reflection. Ice formation was initiated at the gas pore interface, where large ice crystals were formed during a freezing time of 4 h at −15 °C. The freezing of gluten samples stained with rhodamin was followed in the fluorescence mode. The cryoconcentration of gluten could be observed, but no irreversible changes in the microstructure of gluten were detected upon thawing. It is concluded that the gas pore interfaces in dough are preferential sites for ice nucleation, favouring the growth of ice crystals in these regions and by this a freeze induced redistribution of water in dough.     

Studies of electrospinning process of zirconia nanofibers

Eletriospinning process was used to fabricate Zirconia nanofibers and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) was employed in this procedure. SEM, TGA, FT-IR and XRD were used to investigate the electrospinning process. Pure PVP was electrospun at the same conditions as comparisons. The results indicated that the fibers had an average diameter about 80 nm with smooth surface. FT-IR spectrum and TGA curve proved that PVP was removed from the fibers after a thermal treatment. It was found that the crystal structure of Zirconia changed at different calcination temperature. The use of PVP, bicomponent solvent of water and ethanol and inorganic salt had positive effects on the morphology of the fibers.     

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) puroindoline functionality in bread making and its impact on bread quality

Wheat puroindolines (PINs) spontaneously adsorb at air/water interfaces and show excellent foaming properties. They can positively impact bread quality, in which the formation of stable foam is important for product quality. The impact of endogenous PINs on bread quality was studied by preparing gluten–starch blends from isolated gluten and starch fractions with different PIN levels, which allowed largely retaining the interaction between PINs and flour components. Our results indicate that blends with high PIN levels yielded more homogeneous crumb structures with fine gas cells than bread made with blends containing medium or low PIN levels. However, the mechanism by which PINs exert this crumb improving effect is not clear. Varying PIN levels impacted neither dough extensibility nor did it result in different PIN levels in dough liquor. Lipid removal yielded bread with a less homogeneous crumb gas cell distribution, indicating that lipids also are required to obtain good crumb structure.     

Facile process for the fabrication of durable superhydrophobic fabric with oil/water separation property

A durable superhydrophobic fabric with oil/water separation property has been successfully prepared by introducing the modified silica nanoparticles and polysiloxane. The as-prepared fabric shows liquid repellency not only to water but also to coffee, milk and tea droplets, which are normal in daily life. Furthermore, the treated fabric shows simultaneous superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity, which could be utilized as materials to separate oil/water mixture with high efficiency. It is important to note that the obtained fabric kept stable superhydrophobicity even after it suffered severe friction damage. The surface morphologies of untreated/treated fabrics were characterized by the scanning electron microscopy. The chemical compositions were characterized by X-ray photoelectric energy spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrum. This functionalized fabric will be helpful for developing superhydrophobic and selective oil adsorption materials.     

Dehydration of gluten matrix as a result of dietary fibre addition – A study on model flour with application of FT-IR spectroscopy

Nowadays, consumers demand dietary fibre-enriched products of appropriate taste, texture, smell and appearance. Unfortunately, addition of the dietary fibre supplements to bread significantly reduces its quality which is connected with changes in the structure of gluten proteins. Structural changes as well as changes in the water state of gluten matrix induced by eight dietary fibres were observed by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. To facilitate this the difference spectra were calculated by subtraction of the control (gluten only) infrared spectrum from the spectra of gluten-fibre mixtures. The presence of positive bands at ca. 1597 and 1235 cm⁻¹ indicated aggregation of gluten proteins into hydrogen bonded β-sheets. These β-sheets can be formed by other β-sheets, antiparallel-β-sheets, β-turns and/or α-helices. The aggregation is probably induced by partial dehydration of gluten matrix due to competition for water molecules between gluten proteins and fibre polysaccharides. This assumption is confirmed by the presence of the negative band at 3237 cm⁻¹ and decrease in the intensity of the band at 3051 cm⁻¹. These bands are assigned to the weak and strong H-bonds in the gluten matrix, respectively. The results indicated that both weak and strong H-bonds are necessary to dough formation of adequate rheological properties.     

ε-聚-L-赖氨酸及其抑菌机理研究进展

ε-聚-L-赖氨酸(ε-PL)是一种天然的生物防腐剂,是经分离提取精制而获得的微生物发酵产物,其抑菌谱广、水溶性好、安全性高、热稳定性好,具有广阔的商业化应用前景。从ε-PL的特性、选育、发酵生产及应用等方面综述了ε-PL的研究现状,重点介绍了其抑菌机理方面的研究进展。     

赤霉素与小麦生理型雄性不育的关系

为探究赤霉素与小麦生理型雄性不育的关系,以新型小麦化学杀雄剂SQ-1作为诱导剂,西农1376为材料,构建了西农1376不育和可育生理系,通过扫描电镜、荧光定量PCR、气相质谱等技术,研究了小孢子花粉形态、TaGAMYB和CYP709C1基因表达、硬脂酸和赤霉素含量和花粉育性。结果表明,化学杀雄剂SQ-1诱导的生理型雄性不育系花粉粒畸形,TaGAMYB和CYP709C1基因表达量显著下降,硬脂酸含量显著上升,赤霉素含量显著低于可育系。赤霉素对雄性不育系的育性有一定逆转效应。     

Using vibrational molecular spectroscopy to detect moist heating induced carbohydrates structure changes in cool-climate adapted barley grain

There is limited research to study how moist heating affects internal structure of barley grain on a molecular basis. The objectives of this study were to use vibrational molecular spectroscopy: 1) to determine the moist heating induced changes of barley carbohydrate (CHO) structure on a molecular basis, 2) to study the effects of moist heating on CHO chemical profiles, Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) subfractions, in situ rumen degradation, and predicted intestinal carbohydrate supply of barley grain; and 3) to reveal the association between molecular structure spectral features and CHO related metabolic characteristics. Barley samples (CDC cowboy) were collected from Kernen Crop Research Farm (Saskatoon, Canada) during two consecutive years. Half of each sample was kept as raw barley and the other half underwent moist heating (autoclaving at 120 °C for 60 min). The molecular spectroscopy (attenuated total reflectance-fourier transform infrared, ATR-FTIR) was used to detect the barley CHO related molecular structure spectral features. Moist heating did not affect carbohydrate related chemical profiles and CNCPS subfractions but it decreased rumen degradable carbohydrate. Rumen undegradable and intestinal digestion of CHO subfractions were not affected by moist heating. The advanced vibrational molecular spectroscopy can be used to detect carbohydrate molecular spectral features. Nutrient utilization prediction using molecular spectral characteristics is warranted and further investigation is encouraged.     

Aquatic weed problems and their management: a review I. The worldwide scale of the aquatic weed problem

Water and its management are vital to the production of all major world crops. Weed control in irrigation and drainage channels, and associated waters, is an essential part of crop management in many parts of the world. This review considers the worldwide scale of problems caused by aquatic weeds; the distribution of such problems in America, Europe, Asia, Australasia and Africa; and current approaches to aquatic plant management. There are major differences between the problems caused by aquatic weeds in freshwater ecosystems, and weed problems in terrestrial agro-ecosystems. Aquatic plant management is a particularly complex problem in multiple-use waters, which make up an increasingly large proportion of water bodies world wide. Effective and environmentally acceptable management of aquatic vegetation must overcome difficulties of access to the target weeds, take into account the ecological complexity and vulnerability of freshwater ecosystem and avoid interference with the different uses of the target water, as well as coping with a potentially wide spectrum of weed species. Aquatic weeds are recognized as comprising some of the most intractable of weed problems, while at least one species (Eichhornia crassipes, water hyacinth) is listed as one of the top ten world's worst weeds. The need for improved monitoring and reporting of aquatic weed problems is stressed. Advances in the technology of remote sensing, coupled with the increasingly widespread availability of cheap computer databases, can provide the means for such improvements. Approaches to aquatic plant management currently rely on a wide range of physical, chemical and biological control techniques. Of these, physical control, mainly by manual or mechanical cutting, remains the most widespread approach on a worldwide basis.     

PEG-6000干旱胁迫对小麦三叶期蛋白表达的影响

为了探索小麦在正常情况和干旱胁迫下的蛋白质表达变化,选取旱地品种烟D27、 陕优225和水地品种新麦18、小偃22、10-31为材料,在小麦三叶期,用18%和35%两种浓度的聚乙二醇(PEG-6000)干旱胁迫,处理待试小麦24 h后,收获处理的叶片。TCA丙酮法提取叶片全蛋白,通过SDS-PAGE分析小麦在干旱胁迫后蛋白质的表达变化。并运用高效液相色谱－质谱联用技术鉴定了新麦18的35.0kD水分敏感诱导蛋白条带。结果表明,PEG-6000胁迫后分子量28.0 kD蛋白在水地品种中消失,在抗旱品种中正常表达或诱导表达。此外,抗旱品种烟D27诱导出33.0kD和23.0 kD干旱应答蛋白条带;水地品种新麦18的35.0kD蛋白条带消失。对新麦18的 35.0kD蛋白条带进行液相色谱分离结合质谱分析后发现其含有17种与基本生命活动有关的蛋白,这些蛋白与小麦对干旱胁迫的适应性代谢调节有关。     

国内橡胶树尖孢炭疽复合种种间分子系统发育及生物学特性分析

为明确国内橡胶树尖孢炭疽复合种内不同种的生物学特性及种间差异情况,评价了4个代表性菌株（Colletotrichum bannanense YNML52,C. laticiphilum YNJH17109,C. australisinense GX1655,YNJP162）对不同碳源、氮源的利用情况,以及在不同温度、pH、水活度下的生长情况,并评价了这些菌株对橡胶不同品种和不同作物的致病性。结果表明：供试菌株在碳源、氮源利用,适宜生长温度、致死温度、pH和水分活度等方面均存在显著差异;致病性分析表明,供试菌株的致病谱也存在显著差异,YNML52的寄主范围较窄,具有很强的寄主专化性。通过评价生态因子对橡胶树炭疽病病原菌生物学特性的影响,为深入了解橡胶病害发生规律和制定有效防控措施提供指导依据。     

根际pH值对杂交稻幼苗光能转化特性的影响

模拟土壤pH值对杂交稻两优培九幼苗叶片光合速率、类囊体膜的光合电子传递活性、室温吸收光谱、室温荧光发射光谱以及多肽组分影响的研究结果表明,当土壤pH值小于5.0或大于7.0时,叶片光合速率、PSⅠ和PSⅡ的电子传递活性以及类囊体膜室温荧光发射峰值均有不同程度的降低,其中尤以pH 4.0试验组的降低幅度最为显著;pH 4.0与pH 8.0两个试验组使类囊体膜的室温吸收光谱峰值得到增强,但未使多肽组分发生明显改变。研究证明,与酸性环境相比,水稻幼苗对碱性环境的耐受能力更强,其生长的最适土壤pH值为6.0。     

Fatty acid methyl ester from Neurospora intermedia N-1 isolated from Indonesian red peanut cake (oncom merah)

The objective of this study was to identify the Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) from Neurospora intermedia N-1 that isolated from Indonesian red peanut cake (oncom). FAME profiles have been used as biochemical characters to study many different groups of organisms, such as bacteria and yeasts. FAME from N. intermedia N-1 was obtained by some stages of extraction the orange spores and fractination using a chromatotron. The pure compound (1) was characterized by 500 mHz NMR (1H and 13C), FTIR and LC-MS. Summarized data's of 1H and 13C NMR spectra of compound 1 contained 19 Carbon, 34 Hydrogen and 2 Oxygen (C19H34O2). The position of the double bonds at carbon number 8 and 12 were indicated in the HMBC spectrum (2D-NMR). LC-MS spectrum indicates molecular weight of the compound 1 as 294 which is visible by the presence of protonated molecular ion [M+H] at m/z 295. Methyl esters of long chain fatty acids was presented by a 3 band pattern of IR spectrum with bands near 1249, 1199 and 1172 cm(-1). We suggested that the structure of the pure compound 1 is methyl octadeca-8,12-dienoate. The presence methyl octadeca-8,12-dienoate in N. intermedia is the first report.     

Enhancement of the mechanical properties of glass/polyester composites via matrix modification glass/polyester composite siloxane matrix modification

Enhancement of the mechanical and vibrational properties of glass/polyester composites was aimed via matrix modification technique. To achieve this, unsaturated polyester was modified by incorporation of oligomeric siloxane in the concentration range of 1–3 wt%. Modified matrix composites reinforced with woven roving glass fabric were compared with untreated glass/polyester in terms of mechanical and interlaminar properties by conducting tensile, flexure, and short-beam shear tests. It was found that after incorporation of 3 % oligomeric siloxane into the polyester matrix, the tensile, flexural, and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) values of the resulting composite increased by 16, 15, and 75 %, respectively. The increases in ILSS as well as in tensile and flexural properties were considered to be an indication of better fiber/matrix interaction as confirmed by SEM fractography images. Furthermore, the effect of oligomeric siloxane incorporation on the vibrational properties of the composites was investigated by experimental modal testing and the natural frequencies of the composites were found to increase with increasing siloxane concentration.     

Aspects of electrohydrodynamic instabilities at polymer interfaces

Electrospinning is emerging as a simple means of producing fibers with diameters ranging from 0.02μm to many microns. Electrospinning, however, relies on the force generated by an electric field on the surface of a polymer solution to either enhance instabilities in a thinning jet or to rapidly elongate a jet of polymer solution form a nozzle. In this article, the fundamental physics and fluid dynamics on the subject matter are described, and some of the relevant parameters in electrodynamic instabilities at polymer interfaces are discussed in some detail.     

Preparation and characterization of modified collagen/PAN blending fibers

Graft modification of collagen with acrylonitrile in concentrated aqueous solution of sodium thiocyanate (NaSCN) is developed in this paper. This modification can largely change it’s solubility in water and can be applied in fiber production. Grafting modified collagen is characterized by infrared spectrum and wide angle X-ray diffraction. Wet spinning of PAN fibers containing several content of modified collagen is performed. The tests about these fibers show that breaking strength and sonic orientation decrease as the amount of collagen is raised. The addition of collagen can largely improve the moisture regain of PAN fiber. Micro-appearance of fibers observed under scanning electron microscope (SEM) presents circular cross section and longitudinal grooves on surface, the depth of grooves increases with the increasing draw ratio.