Whey protein nanofibrils: the environment-morphology-functionality relationship in lyophilization, rehydration, and seeding

Amyloid-like fibrils from β-lactoglobulin have potential as efficient thickening and gelling agents for food and biomedical applications, but the link between fibril morphology and bulk viscosity is poorly understood. We examined how lyophilization and rehydration affects the morphology and rheological properties of semiflexible (i.e., straight) and highly flexible (i.e., curly) fibrils, the latter made with 80 mM CaCl(2). Straight fibrils were fractured into short rods by lyophilization and rehydration, whereas curly fibrils sustained little damage. This was reflected in the viscosities of rehydrated fibril dispersions, which were much lower for straight fibrils than for curly fibrils. Lyophilized straight or curly fibrils seeded new fibril growth, but viscosity enhancement due to seeding was negligible. We believe that the increase in fibril concentration caused by seeding was counterbalanced by a decrease in fibril length, reducing the ability of fibrils to form physical entanglement networks.     

Isolation and characterization of an oxygen radical absorbance activity peptide from defatted peanut meal hydrolysate and its antioxidant properties

Defatted peanut meal hydrolysate (DPMH) was purified using ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography. A tripeptide with strong oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) was isolated and identified as Tyr-Gly-Ser by ESI-MS/MS. It was then synthesized to measure its antioxidant properties in different systems. The ORAC value of Tyr-Gly-Ser was 3-fold higher than that of glutathione (GSH), and it displayed a stronger protective effect on linoleic acid peroxidation and H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative injury in rat pheochromocytoma line PC12 cells than GSH (p < 0.05). However, Tyr-Gly-Ser showed negligible DPPH radical scavenging activity, reducing power, and no metal chelating ability. The results suggested that Tyr-Gly-Ser displayed antioxidant activity via the hydrogen atom transfer mechanism, and the Tyr at the N-terminal was the hydrogen donor. The ORAC assay was recommended as a reliable and effective method to measure the antioxidant activity in the course of antioxidant peptide isolation.     

Matrix effects in analysis of β-agonists with LC-MS/MS: influence of analyte concentration, sample source, and SPE type

The synergistic influences of analyte concentration, sample source, and solid-phase extraction (SPE) type on matrix effects in the multiresidue analyses of eight β-agonists with LC-ESI-MS/MS were evaluated. Porcine muscle and liver extracts and urine from diverse sources were purified by strong or mixed-mode cation exchange and molecularly imprinted polymer SPE cartridges, respectively. Three spiked concentrations (2, 10, and 20 ng/mL) of eight β-agonists in the purified matrices and the different sample sources were analyzed. The results show that for most β-agonists there are significant differences in matrix effects between analyte concentrations or sample sources (P < 0.05), whereas there is no significant difference in matrix effects between different SPE cartridges (P > 0.05). Results from main effects testing indicated that analyte concentration was the main effector.     

Rapid Determination of Mercury in Contaminated Soil and Plant Samples Using Portable Mercury Direct Analyzer without Sample Preparation, a Comparative Study

The objective of this study was to determine the efficiency of a portable total mercury analyzer (OhioLumex RA-915+) in comparison with traditional analytical methods, such as inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and cold vapor atomic absorption. The quick mercury analytical procedure with the direct mercury analyzer without sample pretreatment (such as sample digestion) was optimized for a variety of environmental samples, including contaminated soil and plant samples. The efficiency was evaluated using practical parameters, such as time required for analysis, sample amount, mercury species, accuracy, and precision/reproducibility, as well as using statistical analysis. Our results demonstrate that these three instrumental methods yielded similar mercury concentration values and statistical data, while the mercury direct analyzer had the advantages of not requiring for sample digestion and only requiring a small quantity of samples for distribution of mercury in a single root, a single root hair, and sub-regions of a single leaf of plants. These factors are used to justify use of the portable direct mercury analyzer under field conditions and validation of the results.     

唐皇城含光门土遗址盐分病害分析与研究

唐皇城含光门土遗址中微溶-可溶盐导致地泛白、酥粉、片状脱落等病害极为严重。通过对土壤含水率、酸碱度(pH)、电导率测定以及微溶-可溶盐的X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、能谱(EDX)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)分析,结果表明:唐皇城含光门东展厅土遗址微溶-可溶盐主要以硫酸钙类和硫酸钠类为主;西展厅五期断面土遗址主要以硫酸钙类、碳酸钙类为主。不同部位含盐量与水分的运移密切相关,随着距离水平地面高度的增加,含水率的的降低,微溶-可溶盐的含量降低。通过扫描电子显微镜观察发现,硫酸钙类是导致土遗址酥粉、脱落病害的主要原因。     

高功率密度柴油机的排气流通特性

为了分析柴油机功率密度提高后排气流动特征的变化,建立单缸柴油机一维热动力模型,对转速为3000r/min时柴油机的控制参数和热动力参数进行仿真,计算结果与试验值吻合良好。应用校准的模型分析柴油机提高功率密度对排气流动的影响。结果表明,随转速提高超临界排气持续曲轴转角明显增加,在转速为4200r/min时达128°;活塞排气指示功明显增大。排气流通面积成为影响高功率密度柴油机排气流动性能的主要因素,增大排气门喉口直径,可缩短超临界排气,减小排气指示功绝对值。为高功率密度柴油机排气系统的优化设计提供理论参考。     

HJ-1卫星延寿期的CCD影像质量评价与可用性分析

HJ-1卫星发射升空投入运行以来,已在灾害与环境的快速监测与预报领域发挥了重要作用。HJ-1卫星目前已经成功运行3a多,属于超期服役状态。为了评价延寿期影像质量,该文从影像的几何校正精度、灰度特征和纹理特征3个方面对延寿期HJ-1A-CCD影像进行分析,并与正常寿命运行期的HJ-1ACCD影像、同时期的Landsat7 ETM+影像进行比较,分析结果表明:延寿期HJ-1A-CCD影像质量虽然有一定程度的下降,但其与正常寿命期影像质量接近,仍能较好地描述丰富的地物类型及地物细节信息,可以像正常寿命期影像一样,有效地用于环境监测、灾害监测、国土资源管理、城市规划、农业应用等方面。     

油茶果脱壳清选机的研制与试验

为了找到一种油茶果脱壳及壳、籽分离的最佳方法,该文研究了油茶果的生物特性,并据此特性采用撞击、挤压和揉搓原理研发了油茶果脱壳清选机。该机采用呈一定扭角和锥角、回转半径不同的脱壳杆,在滚筒里形成一锲形脱壳室进行脱壳,适应大小不同的油茶果。利用果壳和茶籽粒的外形差异,设计了一组弧形齿光辊对辊清选机构,并进行了脱壳清选试验。试验结果表明,对于含水率较高、未开裂及开裂的油茶果,在脱壳杆转速350～400r/min,脱壳杆锥角3°,齿光辊间隙1.0～1.5mm,筛孔直径24mm的工艺条件下,处理量达1000kg/h,脱净率≥99%、清选率≥95%,碎籽率≤3%、损耗率≤2%。试验表明整机构思巧妙、工作稳定可靠,可以投入生产应用。     

大田原生盐碱荒地入渗特性的试验

为揭示原生盐碱荒地土壤的入渗特性,基于大田原生盐碱荒地4个试验点的原位土壤入渗试验,并与非盐碱土壤入渗特性比较,探讨了盐碱荒地土壤的入渗的过程和特性。结果表明:原生盐碱荒地的入渗过程与非盐碱荒地相类似,但其累积入渗量和入渗率远小于非盐碱地,且入渗率的衰减速度远快于非盐碱地,究其原因是由其水力传导度小所导致,而水力传导度小的根本原因是由于盐碱土壤中含有较多的交换性钠离子;盐碱土壤的累积入渗量和相对稳定入渗率与其含盐量、Na+离子含量间呈反比例关系;其入渗过程也可用Kostiakov模型来表征,用与Kostiakov两参数模型结合的分段模型可获得更好的表征精度。研究结果对于推进土壤水分运动理论的研究具有一定的意义,可为原生盐碱荒地的改良提供技术支撑。     

Development and experiment of handheld digitalized and multi-functional forest measurement gun

为了实现森林的数字化、多功能、精准计测,该文研制了一种数字化多功能电子测树枪,该设备以MEMS（micro-electro-mechanical systems）测角传感器、激光测距传感器、电子罗盘等主要硬件为基础,通过测量距离、倾角、磁方位角3个参数,基于三角函数原理,嵌入操作软件,实现了树高测量、林分平均高测量、株数密度测量、角规绕测、任意高度直径测量、基本测量6项功能。并将该设备在河南省、内蒙古等地林场进行了试验,试验结果表明,树高测量精度最高,达99.39%,林分平均高测量精度最低,为94.97%,其他功能精度都在95%以上,可以满足林业外业调查的需要。