Novel pearl millet couscous process for West African markets using a low-cost single-screw extruder

Traditional West African pearl millet couscous products are popular; however, their preparation is laborious, time-consuming and energy-demanding, involving agglomeration, steaming, drying and sieving steps. In this study, a process was developed to produce millet couscous using a high pressure, high temperature and low-cost single-screw extruder. The innovation was to directly process the cooked low-moisture extrudate to a couscous product by drying and milling to the appropriate particle size (ranging between 1 and 2 mm). Throughput for the traditional process as prepared for commercial sale is 50 kg per day, but with the same amount of labour, the extrusion process yields ~350 kg per day. A consumer sensory study held in Niamey (Niger) showed that the extruded millet couscous was comparable to traditional couscous, though this was dependent on selection of the proper millet variety. This novel extrusion process could stimulate small- to medium-scale manufacturing of couscous and couscous-type products in West Africa.     

Towards a Better Prediction of Cell Settling on Nanostructure Arrays—Simple Means to Complicated Ends

Vertical arrays of nanostructures (NSs) are emerging as promising platforms for probing and manipulating live mammalian cells. The broad range of applications requires different types of interfaces, but cell settling on NS arrays is not yet fully controlled and understood. Cells are both seen to deform completely into NS arrays and to stay suspended like tiny fakirs, which have hitherto been explained with differences in NS spacing or density. Here, a better understanding of this phenomenon is provided by using a model that takes into account the extreme membrane deformation needed for a cell to settle into a NS array. It is shown that, in addition to the NS density, cell settling depends strongly on the dimensions of the single NS, and that the settling can be predicted for a given NS array geometry. The predictive power of the model is confirmed by experiments and good agreement with cases from the literature. Furthermore, the influence of cell‐related parameters is evaluated theoretically and a generic method of tuning cell settling through surface coating is demonstrated experimentally. These findings allow a more rational design of NS arrays for the numerous exciting biological applications where the mode of cell settling is crucial.     

冷轧平整机机前甩尾轧制工艺的开发与应用

本文介绍了柳钢冷轧板带厂1550 mm单机架平整机机前甩尾轧制的工艺。改进前轧制每卷钢卷生产效率低,钢卷成材率低,改进后生产效率、成材率明显提高,部分规格的钢卷能实现带尾剪切长度为零。     

Biodegradation of poly(lactic acid)—cassava bagasse composites produced by injection molding

Neat poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and PLA/cassava bagasse (CB) composites were used to produce seedling tubes by extrusion and injection molding. The tubes were buried in simulated soil, and their biodegradation was investigated by weight loss, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). After 180 days, the composites' biodegradation was higher than neat PLA material, and the higher the CB content, the higher the biodegradation, which caused fissures and voids in the material. The biodegradation of PLA/CB composites increased the phosphorus content in the soil after 180 days. Composites of PLA with CB, an abundant agro-industrial residue in Brazil, are promising because they can reduce the environmental impact due to CB's proper destination, and the composites' costs and biodegradation are faster than pure PLA material. Both the faster biodegradation of the tube and the higher P content are advantageous for seedling tubes.     

Science in High Magnetic Fields: What Could Be Learned?

High magnetic fields are one of the most powerful tools available to scientists for the study, modification and control of matter. This includes the knowledge on correlations effects, interaction mechanisms, structural information and understanding of mesoscopic effects. In this context, a review of recent scientific achievements at the Grenoble High Magnetic Laboratory is given to illustrate, on specific examples, the power of the Magnetic Field probe.     

用Delphi实现快速删除TList的批连续结点算法的探讨

在编制遥测数据处理软件的过程中，面对大量的测试数据，经常需要编写高效率的数据过滤器。本文讨论了一种通过采用跨单元、跨类访问Delphi类的私有域的方法实现快速删除TList批连续结点的新算法，并通过测试结果得到验证。     

高温氨化合成GaN微晶

分别利用Ga2O3粉末和Ga2O3凝胶作为Ga源,采用NH3为N源,在950℃下,分别将两种反应物与流动的NH3反应20 min合成了GaN微晶。用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、选择区电子衍射(SAED)对微晶进行结构、形貌的分析,特别是对两种不同途径合成GaN微晶的XRD进行了分析比较。结果表明,当Ga源温度为950℃时两种不同的合成途径均可得到六方纤锌矿结构的GaN单晶颗粒,在氮化温度为850℃和900℃时,利用Ga2O3粉末作为Ga源,仅有少量的Ga2O3转变为GaN;而采用Ga2O3凝胶作为Ga源,在相同的温度下,大部分凝胶经过高温氨化反应均可转化为GaN。