Preparation and electrochromism of pyrochlore-type tungsten oxide film

Pyrochlore-type WO_3 powder was synthesized via hydrothermal method using aqueous sodium tungstate solution and oxalic acid as raw materials. The as-prepared powder was made into a soliquoid,from which films were made by dip coating process with indium-tin oxide(ITO).The obtained films were characterized by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis(TG-DTA), X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM), cyclic voltammetry(CV), chronoamperometry(CA) and ultravioletvisible(UV-Vis) absorption. Results show that the crystal of the pyrochlore-type WO_3 powder is perfect. When the calcination temperature rises from room temperature to500 ℃,the pyrochlore-type structure first becomes deformed, then it is destroyed and turns into amorphous phase,finally it will completely convert to WO_3 with a monoclinic structure. Electrochemical and optical tests demonstrate that the film calcined at 300 ℃ exhibits the best electrochromic performance and has a coloration efficiency of up to 68.5 cm~2 C~(-1) at 884 nm.     

Correlation between instrumental texture and colour quality attributes with sensory analysis of selected cheeses as affected by fat contents

This study evaluated several physical and sensory parameters of different types of cheese available in the Polish market. The measurements of textural properties were conducted in an Instron universal testing machine, while the colour properties of cheeses were measured using a Minolta chromameter. The chemical composition was determined by means of the near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRs). Moreover, a trained sensory panel was invited to assess the cheese texture‐related properties. Generally, cheeses with reduced fat content were characterised by higher hardness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness and elasticity. Texture‐related parameters of cheese with canola oil were comparable to that of most of full‐fat cheeses. The correlation analysis between physical and sensory attributes related to cheese textural properties indicated the potential applications of TPA, shear and penetration tests (r = 0.766, r = 0.75 and r = 0.765, respectively) for the evaluation of sensory properties related to the hardness. Meanwhile, the elasticity of cheese obtained from sensory evaluation was strongly correlated with the elasticity determined from the shear test (r = 0.722) and moderately correlated with the elasticity from penetration test (r = 0.588), indicating a need to refine the method of penetration test. In addition, cheeses exhibited higher meltability during convection heating at 230 °C than microwave heating. The values of meltability for cheese with reduced fat content were lower than those of full‐fat cheese.     

Super-oleophilicity Co-doping Co2+/F-/TiO2 one-dimensional nanotubes for photocatalytic denitrification of light oil

In this study, a simple hydrothermal synthesis method was adapted for the preparation of Co-doping Co²⁺/F^-/TiO₂ nanotubes photocatalyst, and the micro-nano structure of catalysts prepared by biomimetic technology which makes the catalyst have super-oleophilicity property. Co²⁺/F^-/TiO₂ revealed improved photocatalytic performance for denitrification of light oil compared to single TiO₂ photocatalysts. The enhance of photocatalytic activity can be attributed to narrowing the band gap, increasing the light response wavelength and exposing more highly active crystal surfaces due to synergistic effects of Co²⁺ and F^? in the photocatalyst.     

Regulation of sensory nerve conduction velocity of human bodies responding to annual temperature variations in natural environments

The extensive research interests in environmental temperature can be linked to human productivity / performance as well as comfort and health; while the mechanisms of physiological indices responding to temperature variations remain incompletely understood. This study adopted a physiological sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) as a temperature‐sensitive biomarker to explore the thermoregulatory mechanisms of human responding to annual temperatures. The measurements of subjects’ SCV (over 600 samples) were conducted in a naturally ventilated environment over all four seasons. The results showed a positive correlation between SCV and annual temperatures and a Boltzmann model was adopted to depict the S‐shaped trend of SCV with operative temperatures from 5°C to 40°C. The SCV increased linearly with operative temperatures from 14.28°C to 20.5°C and responded sensitively for 10.19°C‐24.59°C, while tended to be stable beyond that. The subjects’ thermal sensations were linearly related to SCV, elaborating the relation between human physiological regulations and subjective thermal perception variations. The findings reveal the body SCV regulatory characteristics in different operative temperature intervals, thereby giving a deeper insight into human autonomic thermoregulation and benefiting for built environment designs, meantime minimizing the temperature‐invoked risks to human health and well‐being.     

Properties and applications of β‐glycosidase from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron that specifically hydrolyses isoflavone glycosides

To modify the glycan part of glycosides, the gene encoding β‐glycosidase was cloned from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron VPI‐5482. The cloned gene, bt_1780, was expressed in Escherichia coli MC1061 and the expressed enzyme was purified using Ni‐NTA affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme, BTBG, showed optimal activity at 50 °C and pH 5.5. Interestingly, this enzyme did not have any hydrolysing activity on ordinary β‐linkage–containing substrates such as xylobiose, lactose and cello‐oligosaccharide, but specifically hydrolysed isoflavone glycosides such as daidzin, genistin and glycitin. Compared to a commercial beta glucosidase, BTBG selectively hydrolysed isoflavone glycosides in soybean extract mixture solution. These results suggest that BTBG may be a specialized enzyme for the hydrolysis of glycosides and that the substrate specificity of BTBG is applicable for the bioconversion of isoflavone glycosides in the food industry.