Removal of hexavalent chromium in aquatic solutions by pomelo peel

This study investigated the removal of hexavalent chromium(Cr(VI)) in aqueous solutions using pomelo peel(PP) and FeCl_3-modified pomelo peel(FPP) as novel biomass adsorbents.Batch adsorption experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of pH,time,temperature,initial concentration,and adsorbent dose on Cr(VI) removal by PP and FPP.The results show that the maximum adsorption capacity of Cr(VI)was 21.55 mg/g for FPP and 0.57 mg/g for PP at a pH of 2.0 and a temperature of 40℃.The surface shape,microstructure,and chemical composition of FPP were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy(SEM),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),and energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS),and compared with those of PP.The results show that the adsorption performance of FPP was much better than that of PP,indicating that FPP can be an alternative high-efficiency adsorbent for Cr(VI) removal.     

Impact of cryoconcentration on casein micelle size distribution,micelles inter-distance,and flow behavior of skim milk during refrigerated storage

Cryoconcentration combined with a cascade effect was used to concentrate skim milk up to 25.12% total dry matter. Size, shape, and inter-micellar distance of casein micelles were characterized by ZetasizerNano-ZS, transmission electron microscopy, and ImageJ analyses. Flow properties of the cryoconcentrated skim milk were evaluated during 5 weeks of storage under refrigerated condition at 4 °C. Milk color was also evaluated according to the L*, a*, and b* system. The cryoconcentrated skim milk obtained after three cryoconcentration cycles was characterized by a monomodal distribution of its micelles with a tendency to smaller casein micelles. Approximately 60% of the total micellar volume was occupied by the casein micelles with a size of 100–200 nm, less than 18% of the volume with a size of 50–100 nm and only less than 1% was occupied by micelles with a size > 350 nm. This result shows that cryoconcentration changed the distribution of the mean size of the casein micelles to smaller units. No significant difference was observed on the inter-micellar distance. Cryoconcentration significantly improved the color of skim milk by increasing the L* value up to 67 which was similar to that of whole milk. Transition from a Newtonian to a non-Newtonian behavior was observed from the fourth week storage with a slight increase of casein micelle size.Industrial relevanceA concentration procedure of skim milk based on a complete block cryoconcentration technique was proposed. Application of this sub-zero technology permitted the concentration of skim milk total dry matter up to 25%. The casein micelle size was positively affected by moving the major part of the micelles toward the smaller size, whereas the inter-micellar distance was not affected. This new knowledge can be exploited in milk-based products to enhance the product stability. The cryoconcentrated skim milk color was positively affected since its L* value, which represents the milk whiteness, was significantly improved. The flow behavior of the cryoconcentrated milk was of Newtonian type up to 4 weeks of storage at 4 °C. The generated knowledge in this study can be easily used by the milk processing industry in order to make stable milk product with high dry matter content without adding milk powder, which negatively affects the product sensory properties (floury consistency).     

Macaroon-like FeCo2O4 modified activated carbon anode for enhancing power generation in direct glucose fuel cell

Macaroon-like FeCo₂O₄ nanomaterial was prepared and used as electrocatalyst in direct glucose alkaline fuel cell (DGAFC), which exhibited high catalytic activity towards glucose oxidation reaction. Maximum power density of 35.91 W m⁻² was achieved in the DGAFC equipped with a FeCo₂O₄ modified activated carbon (AC) anode, which was almost 151% higher than the control. Physical and electrochemical characterizations were performed to provide further understanding of the origin of its high activity. Our results show that the introduction of FeCo₂O₄ into the AC anode remarkably increase the exchange current density and reduce the charge transfer resistance. It is supposed that there is a synergistic effect between Fe (III) and Co (III), which accelerates electron transfer from glucose to external circuits. This study will promote the development of cost effective and environmentally benign catalysts for electrochemical energy applications.     

Metagenomic analysis revealed the individualized shift in ileal microbiome of neonatal calves in response to delaying the first colostrum feeding

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of colostrum feeding time on the ileal microbiome of neonatal calves. In this study, 22 male Holstein calves were randomly assigned to different colostrum feeding time treatments: after birth (at 45 min, n = 7); at 6 h after birth (n = 8); and at 12 h after birth (TRT12h; n = 7). At 51 h after birth, calves were killed and ileum digesta was collected for microbiome analysis using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Bacteria, archaea, eukaryotes, and viruses were identified from the ileum microbiome. For the bacteriome, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the predominant phyla, and Escherichia, Streptococcus, Lactobacillus were the 3 most abundant genera. For the archaeal community, Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeota were the 2 major phyla, and Methanosarcina, Methanobrevibacter, and Methanocorpusculum were the 3 most abundant genera. In total, 116 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were identified from the ileal microbiome, with “biosynthesis of vancomycin group antibiotics,” “biosynthesis of ansamycins,” “valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis,” “ribosome,” and “d-alanine metabolism” as the top 5 functions. When the ileal microbiomes were compared among the 3 treatments, the relative abundance of Enterococcus was higher in TRT12h calves, suggesting that calves may have a higher abundance of opportunistic pathogens when the feeding of colostrum is delayed for 12 h. Moreover, among all KEGG pathways, the enriched “taurine and hypotaurine metabolism” (KO00430) pathway was identified in the ileal microbiome of TRT12h calves; however, future studies are needed to understand the effect on the host. Additionally, 2 distinct ileal microbial profiles were identified across all samples, indicating that that host factors may play a significant role in driving varied microbiome changes in response to colostrum feeding time. Whether such microbiome shifts affect long-term gut function and calf performance warrants future studies.     

Analysis of RO flux decline due to membrane surface blockage

Recent work has shown that, flux decline due to precipitation of a scaling salt such as CaSO₄ on RO membranes, is governed by a surface blockage rather than a cake filtration mechanism. Crystal growth sites, scattered on the membrane, spread out laterally, increasingly blocking the membrane free flow area. Flux decline, resulting from gradual blockage of the membrane flow area, is analyzed for both laminar and turbulent flow conditions. Predicted results are shown to conform to experimental observations.     

湖南常见辣椒品种游离氨基酸主成分分析及综合评价

游离氨基酸参与辣椒中风味物质的合成,其种类及含量与辣椒品种密切相关.采用高效液相色谱-串联质谱法对湖南常见大红椒、青尖椒、螺丝椒、小米椒、小红椒、大青椒6种辣椒的游离氨基酸进行分析,明确不同辣椒品种游离氨基酸组成差异,以期为合理开发和利用辣椒资源提供理论依据.结果表明:6种辣椒中共检出24种游离氨基酸,其中青尖椒、螺丝...     

鸡蛋粉等温吸附特性研究

研究了冷冻干燥鸡蛋全蛋粉、蛋白粉和蛋黄粉在10 ℃、20 ℃、30 ℃、40 ℃下的等温吸附和解吸特性及滞后现象,建立3种蛋粉等温吸附曲线的回归方程,并计算出三种干燥蛋粉的BET单层值.     

婴幼儿健齿食品生产工艺的研究

以面粉、食盐、酵母、脱脂奶粉、碳酸钙等为原料,经过和面、压片、成形、醒发、烘烤等工艺,加工成了一种适合婴幼儿长牙或换牙期间使用的健齿食品.以感观评价值、硬度值为指标,通过正交试验,确定了最佳生产工艺,并对产品的主要质量指标进行了测定.