Ergogenic Attributes of Young and Mature Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) Water Based on Physical Properties,Sugars and Electrolytes Contents

The present work aimed to compare the main ergogenic attributes of two commercialized stages (young and mature) of coconut water (CW) obtained from four coconut varieties. The changes of electrolytes and sugars in CW upon maturation were quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrophotometer and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Based on the electrolyte profiling, potassium yielded the highest amount (ranging from 237.41 to 361.20 mg/100 mL) followed by sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, copper, selenium, and zinc across all the maturity stages tested. For sugars, there were lower amounts of fructose and glucose, but a higher amount of sucrose with the maturation of the fruits. In conclusion, the amount of beneficial nutrients in the form of sugars and minerals was higher than that of young CW, and the ergogenic attributes of mature CW especially from MATAG variety (M-MATAG) were the best to be exploited further in the development of natural energy drinks.     

Antioxidant activity and profiles of common fruits in Singapore

Thirty-eight types of fruits commonly consumed in Singapore were systematically analysed for their hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity (H-ORAC), total phenolic content (TPC), ascorbic acid (AA) and various lipophilic antioxidants. Antioxidant composition and concentration varied widely across different fruits. Many of the tropical fruits tested were high in antioxidants. Amongst all fruits tested, sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) had the highest H-ORAC and TPC whilst guava had the highest AA per gram fresh weight. Papaya, red watermelon and cantaloupe had the highest β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene and β-carotene per gram fresh weight, respectively. On the other hand, durian and mangosteen were high in tocopherols and tocotrienols, respectively. Based on consumption data, Chinese Singaporeans appear to have a higher intake of carotenoids and tocopherols rich fruits compared to the US population. As fruits are a rich source of diverse antioxidants, efforts to promote consumption of a variety of fruits should be continued for public health benefits.     

Clustering of platinum atoms into nanoscale particle and network on NaY zeolite

Platinum has been supported on NaY zeolite by ion exchange of Pt(NH₃)₄ ²⁺. Clustering of Pt atoms into a 1 nm cluster, and three-dimensional quantum-size wire (3 nm thick) network (greater than 100 nm) from reduction of the Pt species has been investigated by extended X-ray absorption fine structure transmission electron microscopy and xenon adsorption measurements.     

Metal hollow sphere electrocatalysts

Metal micro-/nano hollow spheres have been widely applied in numerous fields during the last decade. This review will only focus on the synthetic strategies to synthesize hollow spherical structures in the enhancement of their electrocatalytic activity, especially the metal hollow spherical materials. We present a comprehensive overview of synthetic strategies for metal hollow spherical structures which have been approached specifically in electrochemical reactions. These synthetic methods are mainly categorized as hard templates, soft templates, sacrificial templates and without templates. The review further includes electrocatalytic approaches of hollow spherical metals in different electrochemical processes, especially the methanol electro-oxidation reaction for methanol fuel cell application and hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions in water electrolyzer, as metal hollow spherical materials are especially applied in these specific reactions.     

The kinetics of the gaseous extraction of gallium from mica

The gaseous reduction of gallium in white mica has been studied using natural gas as the reducing gas. From a study at three temperatures, the initial extraction was observed to be linear with time and independent of particle size. The results suggest that delamination of the mica lattice is important. The measured activation energy for the loss of gallium from the white mica is 184 × 21 kJ mol^?1.     

Manganese loss during the oxygen refining of high-carbon ferromanganese melts

Decarburization tests of high-carbon ferromanganese melts by oxygen refining were successfully carried out in a model converter with 2-ton production capacity. During the oxygen refining, the manganese loss was inherently accompanied by oxidation and evaporation. The oxidation loss of manganese into slag was affected by slag composition, melt temperature and slag weight. The oxidation loss of manganese into slag was minimum at a slag basicity of about 1.5 and it increased with temperature and slag weight. The amount of manganese evaporation loss was comparable to that of oxidation loss. An empirical equation for the evaporation loss of manganese was derived as a function of process variables. The apparent vaporization coefficient, β, was significantly affected by the oxygen mixing ratio in bottom blowing gas and the fraction of top blown oxygen.     

Characterization of bimetallic NaY-supported Pt-Pd catalyst by EXAFS,TEM and TPR

NaY-supported bimetallic Pt-Pd catalysts have been studied by TEM, TPR and EXAFS. Small, randomly mixed particles are formed in the zeolite cages. When the Pt content is increased, a Pt core structure appears and the dispersion increases. Particle diameters are about 1–2 nm for bimetallic samples.