Characterization of edible oils,butters and margarines by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance

The combination of attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) with statistical multidimensional techniques made it possible to extract relevant information from MIR spectra of lipid-rich food products. Wavenumber assignments for typical functional groups in fatty acids were made for standard fatty acids: Absorption bands around 1745 cm⁻¹, 2853 cm⁻¹, 2954 cm⁻¹, 3005 cm⁻¹, 966 cm⁻¹, 3450 cm⁻¹ and 1640 cm⁻¹ are due to absorption of the carbonyl group, C−H stretch, =CH double bonds of lipids and O−H of lipids, respectively. In lipid-rich food products, some bands are modified. Water strongly absorbs in the region of 3600–3000 cm⁻¹ and at 1650 cm⁻¹ in butters and margarines, allowing one to rapidly differentiate the foods as function of their water content. Principal component analysis was used to emphasize the differences between spectra and to rapidly classify 27 commercial samples of oils, butters and margarines. As the MIR spectra contain information about carbonyl groups and double bonds, the foods were classified with ATR-MIR, in agreement with their degree of esterification and their degree of unsaturation as determined from gas-liquid chromatography analysis. However, it was difficult to differentiate the studied food products in terms of their average chainlength.     

基于中红外QCL的痕量CO气体传感器

为了减少CO爆炸给国民经济造成的巨大损伤,提出了一种能够快速地监测环境空气中痕量CO的气体传感器。由于CO分子基频吸收谱带的吸收线强要比泛频带和组合频带的吸收线强高出2～3个数量级,选择激射中心波长为4.65μm中红外量子级联激光器（QCL）作为光源,同时再配合长光程Herriott气室提高了CO体积分数检测下限。同时,该传感器采用单光源双探测器差分光学结构,消除了电调制光源所带来的不稳定性。实验表明：该传感器CO体积分数检测下限为2×10-6,并且操作人员可以通过替换在不同波长下运行的中红外QCL来测量其它气体。     

Invited review: Genetics and modeling of milk coagulation properties

Milk coagulation properties (MCP) are conventionally measured using computerized renneting meters, mechanical or optical devices that record curd firmness over time (CF_t). The traditional MCP are rennet coagulation time (RCT, min), curd firmness (a₃₀, mm), and curd-firming time (k₂₀, min). The milk of different ruminant species varies in terms of CF_t pattern. Milk from Holstein-Friesian and some Scandinavian cattle breeds yields higher proportions of noncoagulating samples, samples with longer RCT and lower a₃₀, and samples for which k₂₀ is not estimable, than does milk from Brown Swiss, Simmental, and other local Alpine breeds. The amount, proportion, and genetic variants (especially κ-casein) of milk protein fractions strongly influence MCP and explain variable proportions of the observed differences among breeds and among individuals of the same breed. In addition, other major genes have been shown to affect MCP. Individual repeatability of MCP is high, whereas any herd effect is low; thus, the improvement of MCP should be based principally on selection. Exploitable additive genetic variation in MCP exists and has been assessed using different breeds in various countries. Several models have been formulated that either handle noncoagulating samples or not. The heritability of MCP is similar to that of other milk quality traits and is higher than the heritability of milk yield. Rennet coagulation time and a₃₀ are highly correlated, both phenotypically and genetically. This means that the use of a₃₀ data does not add valuable information to that obtainable from RCT; both traits are genetically correlated mainly with milk acidity. Moreover, a₃₀ is correlated with casein content. The major limitations of traditional MCP can be overcome by prolonging the observation period and by using a novel CF_t modeling, which uses all available information provided by computerized renneting meters and allows the estimation of RCT, the potential asymptotic curd firmness, the curd-firming rate, and the syneresis rate. Direct measurements of RCT obtained from both mechanical and optical devices show similar heritabilities and exhibit high phenotypic and genetic correlations. Moreover, mid-infrared reflectance spectroscopy can predict MCP. The heritabilities of predicted MCP are higher than those of measured MCP, and the 2 sets of values are strongly correlated. Therefore, mid-infrared reflectance spectroscopy is a reliable and cheap method whereby MCP can be improved at the population level; this is because such spectra are already routinely acquired from the milk of cows enrolled in milk recording schemes.     

Invited review: Mid-infrared spectroscopy as phenotyping tool for milk traits

Interest in methods that routinely and accurately measure and predict animal characteristics is growing in importance, both for quality characterization of livestock products and for genetic purposes. Mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) is a rapid and cost-effective tool for recording phenotypes at the population level. Mid-infrared spectroscopy is based on crossing matter by electromagnetic radiation and on the subsequent measure of energy absorption, and it is commonly used to determine traditional milk quality traits in official milk laboratories. The aim of this review was to focus on the use of MIRS to predict new milk phenotypes of economic relevance such as fatty acid and protein composition, coagulation properties, acidity, mineral composition, ketone bodies, body energy status, and methane emissions. Analysis of the literature demonstrated the feasibility of MIRS to predict these traits, with different accuracies and with margins of improvement of prediction equations. In general, the reviewed papers underlined the influence of data variability, reference method, and unit of measurement on the development of robust models. A crucial point in favor of the application of MIRS is to stimulate the exchange of data among countries to develop equations that take into account the biological variability of the studied traits under different conditions. Due to the large variability of reference methods used for MIRS calibration, it is essential to standardize the methods used within and across countries.     

3.705 μm紧凑型光参量振荡器

报道了一种基于工程应用的3.705 μm紧凑型高稳定性光参量振荡器。采用半导体制冷、强制气体对流冷却和热管导热技术相结合的方式,对主振荡功率放大结构的掺Yb光纤泵浦模块泵浦过程中产生的废热进行有效管理,再将经过耦合后的泵浦光注入到使用温控炉精确控温的PPMgLN晶体,在重复频率为55.56 kHz时,获得了功率不稳定度优于1.5%的1.78 W,脉冲宽度120 ns,峰值波长3.705 μm的线偏中红外激光输出,光光转换效率为12.6%。     

In situ monitoring of the biocatalysed partial hydrolysis of cocoa butter and palm oil fraction

Partial glycerides are widely used ingredients in confectionery products that can be produced from natural fats. In a biocatalytic partial hydrolysis of cocoa butter and palm oil fractions, a product mixture containing 1.5% monoglycerides and 5.5% diglycerides intended for the use in confectionery products was created. This study is a proof of principle that shows the feasibility of monitoring the biocatalytic partial hydrolysis of these two natural fats in situ with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. An economic approach was utilised for calibration since partial glyceride calibration standards are costly and poorly available. The released compounds were quantified by means of chemometric modelling, and the model was validated with gas chromatography. Resulting root mean square errors were in the low per cent range. Additionally, the results indicate that distinction of the released free fatty acids is possible with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy.     

中红外大气甲烷乙烷双组分气体的同步移动监测

为了实现大范围、长距离的大气烷烃气体检测,将研制的中红外双组分甲烷、乙烷传感器以车载方式,对某一地区的大气甲、乙烷含量进行了移动探测。该传感器系统采用中红外室温连续的带间级联激光器(ICL)作为光源,采用高速数据采集卡采集信号,利用上位机LabVIEW平台编写程序产生激光器扫描及调制信号、获取探测器信号并提取二次谐波,通过计算,确定大气烷烃气体浓度。根据气体采样时间、实时风速及车速,计算得到系统的响应时间为82.5s,实验测量为85~95s,与理论一致。对系统噪声水平进行测试,实验室中甲烷浓度波动为±40nL/L,乙烷波动为±2nL/L,车载过程甲烷浓度波动为+40至-80nL/L,乙烷波动为±4nL/L。为验证传感器性能,与美国Aeries公司的商用传感器结果做了对比,二者呈现较好的一致性。最后,给出了车载传感器系统在某条线路上的甲烷、乙烷浓度移动探测结果,以及某小区甲烷、乙烷浓度的二维分布测绘结果,分析了二种烷烃气体的变化关系。本文所开展的工作为探测烷烃气体泄漏并监测大气质量提供了技术保障。     

基于夹层氮化硅波导的可见-中红外超连续谱特性研究

提出一种低厚度氮化硅-蓝宝石-氮化硅夹层波导结构。利用其色散波辐射现象和中红外相位匹配条件,结合波导脉冲传输模型,讨论了夹层波导不同物理尺寸对相位匹配点和光谱展宽的影响,数值模拟获得了0.5~4 μm的超连续谱展宽,并且在-40 dB水平下具有更远中红外色散波产生。通过该模型,详细解释了非线性波导脉冲传输的潜在机制。理论模型分析表明,通过优化氮化硅及蓝宝石夹层的物理尺寸,进而改变相位匹配条件,可以在较宽的波长范围内控制色散波的位置。     

Er3+-doped CaF2 polycrystalline ceramic with perfect transparency for mid-infrared laser

Er³⁺-doped CaF₂ transparent ceramics are promising mid-infrared gain materials because of their utra-low phonon energy as well as excellent physical, chemical, and optical properties. However, existing hot-pressed and hot-formed CaF₂ ceramics are very difficult to be used in practical applications due to residual pores and weak polycrystallization, respectively. Here, we developed the high quality Er³⁺-doped CaF₂ transparent polycrystalline ceramic by single crystal ceramization. The sample exhibits obvious polycrystalline structure, good mechanical properties, perfectly transmittance, and excellent mid-infrared performance, which provides significant and wide-ranging opportunities for advanced mid-infrared gain materials.     

超短中红外激光脉冲的产生及其发展状况

超短中红外脉冲对研究物理、化学、生物学和半导体内的超快过程等有非常重要的作用。介绍了参量振荡、差频产生、参量放大产生超短中红外激光脉冲的方法,及国内外相关研究的最新进展。