Structures and properties of chicken myofibrillar protein gel induced by microwave heating

Structures and properties of myofibrillar protein gel prepared at different power (300–800 W) were evaluated. Amino acid analysis demonstrated that changes in microwave power did not alter primary structure of gel. However, an increase in microwave power could change higher structures of gel. As microwave power increased, α-helix content decreased and β-sheet content increased. Increased microwave power probably facilitated protein to unfold and expose the internal groups, causing surface hydrophobicity and the formation of disulphide bonds were enhanced, which indicated changes in tertiary and quaternary structures of protein. At 500 W, gel had the best ultrastructure where surface morphology, springiness and water holding capacity reached the optimum. Our findings suggested that microwave at an appropriate power (500 W) could change higher structures of myofibrillar protein gel to achieve desired processing and quality protein gel characteristics.     

Porous sunflower plate-like NiFe2O4/CoNi–S heterostructure as efficient electrocatalyst for overall water splitting

Constructing high-efficient and nonprecious electrocatalysts is of primary importance for improving the efficiency of water splitting. Herein, a novel sunflower plate-like NiFe₂O₄/CoNi–S nanosheet heterostructure was fabricated via facile hydrothermal and electrodeposition methods. The as-fabricated NiFe₂O₄/CoNi–S heterostructure array exhibits remarkable bifunctional catalytic activity and stability toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. It presents a small overpotential of 219 mV and 149 mV for OER and HER, respectively, to produce a current density of 10 mA cm^?2. More significantly, when the obtained electrodes are used as both the cathode and anode in an electrolyzer, a voltage of 1.57 V is gained at 10 mA cm^?2, with superior stability for 72 h. Such outstanding properties are ascribed to: the 3D porous network structure, which exposes more active sites and accelerates mass transfer and gas bubble emission; the high conductivity of CoNi–S, which provides faster charge transport and thus promotes the electrocatalytic reaction of the composites; and the effective interface engineering between NiFe₂O₄ (excellent performance for OER) and CoNi–S (high activity for HER), which leads to a shorter transport pathway and thus expedites electron transfer. This work provides a new strategy for designing efficient and inexpensive electrocatalysts for water splitting.     

Microstructures and mechanical properties of B4C-TiB2-SiC composites fabricated by ball milling and hot pressing

B₄C-TiB₂-SiC composites were fabricated via hot pressing using ball milled B₄C, TiB₂, and SiC powder mixtures as the starting materials. The impact of ball milling on the densification behaviors, mechanical properties, and microstructures of the ceramic composites were investigated. The results showed that the refinement of the powder mixtures and the removal of the oxide impurities played an important role in the improvement of densification and properties. Moreover, the formation of the liquid phases during the sintering was deemed beneficial for densification. The typical values of relative density, hardness, bending strength, and fracture toughness of the composites reached 99.20%, 32.84?GPa, 858?MPa and 8.21?MPa?m^1/2, respectively. Crack deflection, crack bridging, crack branching, and microcracking were considered to be the potential toughening mechanisms in the composites. Furthermore, numerous nano-sized intergranular/intragranular phases and twin structures were observed in the B₄C-TiB₂-SiC composite.     

基于DSP的多元数据同步采集与存储系统的设计与实现

从硬件和软件两个角度出发,介绍基于DSP的多元数据同步采集与存储系统的组成、工作模式以及功能的测试。系统主要由上位机和数字采集与存储单元组成,其中数字采集与存储单元的硬件部分包括电源模块,值班电路模块,数据采集模块,数据存储模块,时钟同步模块。系统采用DSP作为中央处理芯片,利用经过同步后的秒脉冲作为触发信号,实现同步数据采集。以CF卡作为存储介质,实现数据自容式存储。软件部分实现自检、同步、数据采集存储功能。经过测试,系统工作稳定,功能正常,同步精度在100ns以内。     

Headspace fingerprinting approach to identify the major pathway influencing volatile patterns of vinasse-cured duck processed by high pressure,as well as its impact on physicochemical and sensory attributes

As a decisive attribute, flavour could be influenced by HP treatments through multiple physical and chemical pathways within the high pressure (HP)-assisted meat curing process. This investigation aimed to identify the major pathway influencing volatile flavour patterns of two representative vinasse-cured duck (VCD) products with HP treatments (150–300 MPa/15 min), including wet and dry types, by employing headspace fingerprinting as an untargeted approach. Results suggested that HP treatments greatly lowered moisture contents and increased Warner-Bratzler shear force and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances of the cured samples. According to multivariate models, the volatile flavour patterns of the HP-processed VCD could be clearly separated from the unprocessed samples, but the VCD pressurised at different intensities represented similar volatile fingerprinting, which was validated by e-nose analysis. The discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model outlined vinasse-derived ethanol, acetic acid, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, phenethyl alcohol and 2-methyl-3-octanone as the major discriminant aromas across the unpressurised and pressurised samples.     

Epigenetic Regulation of the Hippocampus,with Special Reference to Radiation Exposure

The hippocampus is crucial in learning, memory and emotion processing, and is involved in the development of different neurological and neuropsychological disorders. Several epigenetic factors, including DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs, have been shown to regulate the development and function of the hippocampus, and the alteration of epigenetic regulation may play important roles in the development of neurocognitive and neurodegenerative diseases. This review summarizes the epigenetic modifications of various cell types and processes within the hippocampus and their resulting effects on cognition, memory and overall hippocampal function. In addition, the effects of exposure to radiation that may induce a myriad of epigenetic changes in the hippocampus are reviewed. By assessing and evaluating the current literature, we hope to prompt a more thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie radiation-induced epigenetic changes, an area which can be further explored.