Effects of combination treatments of lysozyme and high power ultrasound on the Salmonella typhimurium inactivation and quality of liquid whole egg

An investigation was conducted into the utilization of treatments combining ultrasound and lysozyme (US + Lys) to deactivate Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) in the liquid whole egg (LWE). Furthermore, US + Lys and heat treatment (HT) with a similar microbial inactivation effect were comparatively evaluated by examining their impact on the quality attributes of LWE. The LWE was treated with US at 35–45 °C and 605–968 W/cm² for 5–35 min, and with HT at 58–64 °C for 3–4 min. Lysozyme (Lys) alone achieved a minimal degree of inactivation in S. typhimurium, while it was enhanced with the application of US alone when the treatment temperature, time, and energy were increased. Furthermore, US and US + Lys caused a reduction of 3.31 and 4.26 log₁₀ cycles in S. typhimurium, respectively at 968 W/cm² and 35 °C for 20 min, indicating a synergistic relationship between US and Lys for the effective inactivation of S. typhimurium. Similarly, HT and HT + Lys achieved a reduction of 4.10 and 4.75 log₁₀ cycles at 64 °C/3 min, respectively. The L* and b* values of the LWE following US and US + Lys application were significantly higher than untreated and heat-treated LWE, indicating that US treated LWE had a brighter and yellower appearance. The protein solubility (PS) slightly decreased after all treatments, while the pH increased. Furthermore, the foaming capacity (FC) and foam stability (FS) were decreased, revealing that LWE had a lower FC and unstable foam after all treatments. Therefore, US and US + Lys could increase the viscosity and gelation temperature (Tg) of LWE, indicating that LWE exhibited higher heat resistance after US treatment. These results indicated that US + Lys might be a promising pasteurization technology in the processing of LWE.     

Laccase cross-linking of sonicated α-Lactalbumin improves physical and oxidative stability of CLA oil in water emulsion

α-lactalbumin was modified by ultrasound (US, 20 kHz, 43 ± 3.4 W/cm⁻²) pre-treatments (0, 15, 30 and 60 min) and laccase cross-linking of sonicated α-lactalbumin was used to evaluate the physical and oxidative stability of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) emulsions. The emulsions prepared with laccase cross-linking US-α-lactalbumin (α-lactalbumin treated with US pre-treatment) and US-α-lactalbumin were scrutinized for oxidative and physical stability at room temperature for two weeks of storage. Laccase cross-linking US-α-lactalbumin (Lac-US-α-lactalbumin) revealed improved physical stability in comparison with US-α-lactalbumin, specified by droplet size, structural morphology, adsorbed protein, emulsifying properties and creaming index. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that there was formation of polymers in Lac-US-α-lactalbumin emulsion. Surface hydrophobicity of Lac-US-α-lactalbumin was higher than that of US-α-lactalbumin, and gradually enhanced with the increase of ultrasound time. More importantly, the measurements of peroxide values and conjugated dienes were used to study the oxidative stability of the CLA emulsions. The Lac-US-α-lactalbumin emulsion proved to be reducing the synthesis of fatty acid hydroperoxides and less conjugated dienes compared to the native and US-α-lactalbumin emulsions. This study revealed that the combination of US pre-treatment and laccase cross-linking might be an effective technique for the modification of CLA emulsions.     

The effect of high-power ultrasound on the rheological properties of strawberry pulp

This study investigated the effects of high-power ultrasound (HPU, 0–45 °C, 242–968 W/cm², 2–16 min) on the rheological properties of strawberry pulp. Following the HPU treatment, the strawberry pulp exhibited an increase in apparent viscosity, storage modulus (G′), and loss modulus (G″). The water-soluble pectin (WSP), pectin methylesterase (PME) activity, and free calcium ions (Ca²⁺) of the strawberry pulp after HPU treatment were investigated to determine a possible reason for this phenomenon. HPU caused a significant decrease in the degree of esterification (DE), molecular weight (Mw), and particle size of strawberry WSP, but no significant changes were evident in the galacturonic acid (GalA) content and the zeta (ζ)-potential (P > 0.05), resulting in decrease in the apparent viscosity. Moreover, the largest reduction of PME activity was 22.6% after HPU treatment at 605 W/cm² and 45 °C for 16 min, indicating that the PME was resistant to the HPU treatments. The free Ca²⁺ content in the strawberry pulp was significantly decreased after exposure to HPU (P < 0.05). The maximal reduction of 52.01% in the free Ca²⁺ was achieved at 605 W/cm² and 45 °C for 16 min. The overall results indicated that the high residual activity (RA) of PME after HPU might induce the low esterification of WSP, while HPU promoted the interaction of free Ca²⁺ and low-methylated pectin, to form the network structure of Ca²⁺-low-methylated pectin, resulting in an increase in viscosity in the complex strawberry system.     

Design consideration and modelling studies of ultrasound and ultraviolet combined approach for shelf-life enhancement of pine apple juice

Although both ultraviolet (UV) radiation and ultrasound (US) treatment have their capabilities in microbial inactivation, applying any one method alone may require a high dose for complete inactivation, which may affect the sensory and nutritional properties of pineapple juice. Hence, this study was intended to analyse and optimise the effect of combined US and UV treatments on microbial inactivation without affecting the selected quality parameters of pineapple juice. US treatment (33 kHz) was done at three different time intervals, viz. 10 min, 20 min and 30 min., after which, juice samples were subjected to UV treatment for 10 min at three UV dosage levels, viz. 1 J/cm², 1.3 J/cm², and 1.6 J/cm². The samples were evaluated for total colour difference, pH, total soluble solids (TSS), titrable acidity (TA), and ascorbic acid content; total bacterial count and total yeast count; and the standardization of process parameters was done using Response Surface Methodology and Artificial Neural Network. The results showed that the individual, as well as combined treatments, did not significantly impact the physicochemical properties while retaining the quality characteristics. It was observed that combined treatment resulted in 5 log cycle reduction in bacterial and yeast populations while the individual treatment failed. From the optimization studies, it was found that combined US and UV treatments with 22.95 min and1.577 J/cm² ensured a microbiologically safe product while retaining organoleptic quality close to that of fresh juice.     

Synergistic antibacterial effects of ultrasound and thyme essential oils nanoemulsion against Escherichia coli O157:H7

Essential oil nanoemulsions have been proven to have stronger antimicrobial effects compared to the essential oil alone or coarse emulsion. Sonoporation could be the promising candidate to trigger a synergistic effect with thyme essential oil nanoemulsion (TEON) and produce a more effective antibacterial efficacy. Therefore, in this study, the bactericidal effects of ultrasound (US) in combination with TEON treatments against Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 were investigated. The remarkable synergistic effects of US (20 kHz, 255 W/cm², 9 min) and TEON (0.375 mg/mL) treatments at 22 °C reduced E. coli O157:H7 populations by 7.42 ± 0.27 log CFU/mL.The morphological changes of cells exposed to different treatments were observed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the synergistic effects of the ultrasound and TEON treatments altered the morphology and interior microstructure of organism cells. Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) images revealed that the combination treatments of ultrasound and TEON altered the permeability of cell membranes, and this affected the integrity of E. coli O157:H7 cells. This was further indicated by the high amounts of nucleic acids and proteins released from these cells following treatment.The results from this study illustrated the mechanisms of the synergistic effects of sonoporation and TEON treatments and provided valuable information for their potential in food pasteurization.     

Measurement of integrated intensities of acetylene bands at 3·04, 7·53 and 13·7 μm

Integrated intensities of acetylene bands at 3·04, 7·53 and 13·7 μm have been measured at 300°K using the Wilson-Wells-Penner-Weber technique and a spectral resolution of 0·6 cm^?1. Our best estimates of the intensities are 294 ± 6 cm^?2atm^?1 for the 3·04 μ bands, 87 ± 2 cm^?2atm^?1forthe 7·53 μband and 729 ± 28 cm^?2atm^?1 for the 13·7 μ band at 300°K.     

Removal of microbial biofilm on Water Hyacinth plants roots by ultrasonic treatment

The capacity of floating aquatic plants to purify sewage effluents drops rapidly as a result of biofouling processes that occur on the plant roots. This is due to the high concentration of microorganisms (MO) present in the wastewater. The possibility to apply low frequency (20 kHz) in sonification was examined under laboratory conditions. The ability of US to remove MO from the roots was studied using commercially available sonicators at intensity levels ranging from 2.7 W/cm² to 81.4 W/cm², (corresponding power levels ranging from 75 W to 500 W) while varying application periods between 5 and 60 min.The results show that MO can be removed effectively (up to 98%) by exposing the Eichhornia crassipes roots to US for 5 min at the intensity level of 64.5 W/cm². The efficiency of the wastewater treatment increased with exposure time and power input. The study proved that the US treatment is effective in removing MO that otherwise adhere to the roots, by more then two orders of magnitude.     

Resistant starch type 2 from lotus stem: Ultrasonic effect on physical and nutraceutical properties

Resistant starch type 2 (RS) was isolated from lotus stem using enzymatic digestion method. The isolated RS was subjected to ultrasonication (US) at different sonication power (100–400 W). The US treated and untreated RS samples were characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), light microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). DLS revealed that particle size of RS decreased from 12.80 µm to 413.19 nm and zeta potential increased from −12.34 mV to −26.09 mV with the increase in sonication power. SEM revealed smaller, disintegrated and irregular shaped RS particles after ultrasonication. FT-IR showed the decreased the band intensity at 995 cm⁻¹ and 1047 cm⁻¹ signifying that US treatment decreased the crystallinity of RS and increased its amorphous character. The bile acid binding, anti-oxidant and pancreatic lipase inhibition activity of samples also increased significantly (p < 0.05) with the increase in sonication power. Increase in US power however increased the values of hydrolysis from 23.11 ± 1.09 to 36.06 ± 0.13% and gylcemic index from 52.39 ± 0.38 to 59.50 ± 0.11. Overall, the non-thermal process of ultrasonic treatment can be used to change the structural, morphological and nutraceutical profile of lotus stem resistant starch which can have great food and pharamaceutical applications.     

Thermochemical properties of small open-shell systems: experimental and high-level ab initio results for NH2 and

The first adiabatic ionization energy and the first singlet–triplet splitting of the amidogen radical (NH₂) have been determined by high-level ab initio quantum chemistry based on the coupled-cluster approach (90?041 and 10?319?cm^?1, respectively) and by high-resolution pulsed-field-ionization zero-kinetic-energy (PFI-ZEKE) photoelectron spectroscopy (90 083.8 ± 1.0 and 10 222.0 ± 1.3?cm^?1, respectively). A comparison between the theoretical and experimental values demonstrates the predictive powers of high-level ab initio theory in the derivation of the thermochemical properties of small molecular systems. The absolute accuracy of better than 100?cm^?1 alleviates the experimental search for the relevant spectral features.     

Effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on the emulsification properties of Clanis Bilineata Tingtauica Mell protein

Clanis Bilineata Tingtauica Mell Protein (CBTMP) is a naturally high-quality insect protein resource, while its poor emulsification has limited its application in food industry. In order to change the present situation, in this research, the ultrasonic pretreatment (0 W, 200 W, 400 W, 600 W, and 800 W) method was used to improve the emulsification properties of CBTMP. Results indicated that ultrasound treatment especially at 400 W could significantly change the particle sizes, further increase the content of sulfhydryl group and surface hydrophobicity. The emulsification properties of emulsions were enhanced (from 4.16 ± 1.07 m²/g to 27.62 ± 2.20 m²/g) by sonicated CBTMP solution. Moreover, the physical stability of the emulsions to salt stress and centrifugation treatment was also promoted. Additionally, rheology revealed that a stronger network was formed at 400 W and all samples exhibited frequency-dependent and amplitude-dependent properties. The experiment demonstrated that ultrasound pretreatment was an effective means to improve the emulsification properties of CBTMP and it could provide a promising perspective for the application of CBTMP in food industry.     

Experimental study of the decay of81gSe and81mSe

The decay of^81gSe and^81mSe was investigated with Ge(Li) spectrometers and Ge(Li) gamma-gamma coincidences. Accurate energies, intensities and half-lives have been measured for 11 gamma-rays. These gamma-rays fit into a⁸¹Br level scheme with levels at: 275.9, 535.9, 538.2, 565.9, 649.7 and 828.2 keV. Beta component intensities were deduced from measured gamma intensities. The half-life is found to be (17.9±0.5) min for^81gSe, and (57.28±0.05) min for^81mSe.     

Thermoelectric and optical properties of CuAlO2 synthesized by direct microwave heating

A single phase of delafossite CuAlO₂ (CAO) was successfully synthesized by a 600 W microwave radiation for 20 min. The CAO sample was composed of quite distorted single-crystalline plates with 200–350 nm thick. Its atomic vibrations were detected at 760 and 550 cm⁻¹ belonging to Al–O and Cu–O stretching, respectively. The direct and indirect energy gaps were respectively determined to be 3.9 and 2.9 eV. The photoluminescence (PL) at room temperature was at 585 nm (2.12 eV) corresponding to the indirect energy gap and at 760 nm (1.63 eV) corresponding to the p-type native defect. For its thermoelectric (TE) properties, the Seebeck coefficient (S) was positive value, with holes as the majority of charge carriers. By increasing of the test temperature, both the electrical resistivity and absolute value of Seebeck coefficient were decreased, but the power factor was in the opposite manner. The dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) of the crystalline CAO was evaluated to be the maximum of 9 × 10⁻³ at 1073 K.     

Spectroscopic diagnostics of carbon and aluminum laser-produced plasmas

VUV emission spectra of plasmas produced by focusing laser radiation with intensity of 10¹⁰–10¹¹ W/cm² on carbon and aluminum targets were studied. Using the partial local thermodynamic equilibrium model for an electron density exceeding 10¹⁷ cm^?3, the spectroscopic diagnostics and the analysis of ion composition of plasmas were carried out. The electron temperatures determined for carbon and aluminum plasmas from the ratio of intensities of ionic lines were found to be 8±3 eV and 11±4 eV, respectively. Stark broadening of aluminum lines was measured and parameters of electron broadening were determined. Using the spatially resolved measurement of Stark line broadening, the spatial density distribution and the law of electron gas expansion were found. The electron gas in the hot region of size 5 mm with an average density of (5±2) 10₁₇cm ^?3 experienced one-dimensional expansion according to the law 1/z ^1.1 with increasing distance z from the target.     

Intensity measurements in freon bands of atmospheric interest

The absolute intensities of the i.r. absorption bands, which are located in the atmospheric window region, of CFCl₃ (“Freon-11”) and CF₂Cl₂ (“Freon-12”) have been measured at 300°K. Our best estimates for these parameters are: for CFCl₃ (“Freon-11”), S_v = 635±36 cm^-2atm^-1 (9.2μ band), S_v = 1536±45 cm^-2atm^-1 (11.8μ band); for CF₂Cl₂ (“Freon-12”), S_v = 718±14 cm^-2atm^-1 (8.7μ band), S_v = 1136±22 cm^-2atm^-1 (9.1μ band), and S_v = 1302±40 cm^-2atm^-1 (10.9μ band).     

Integrated infrared intensities in NH3

The integrated infrared intensities of the fundamental modes of NH₃ have been measured by the Wilson-Wells-Penner-Weber method. The intensities were found to be 43.9 ± 0.6, 567.6 ± 9.4 and 110.5 ± 2.0 atm^-1 cm^-2 (standard temperature and pressure) for the ν₁ + ν₃, ν₂ and ν₄ bands, respectively.     

CW CO2-laser annealing of arsenic implanted silicon

CW CO₂-laser annealing of arsenic implanted silicon was investigated in comparison with thermal annealing. Ion channeling, ellipsometry, and Hall effect measurements were performed to characterize the annealed layers and a correlation among the different methods was made. The laser annealing was done with power densities of 100 to 640 W cm⁻² for 1 to 20 s. It was found that the lattice disorder produced during implantation can be completely annealed out by laser annealing with a power density of 500 W cm⁻² and the arsenic atoms are brought on lattice sites up to 96±2%. The maximum sheet carrier concentration of 6×10¹⁵ cm⁻² was obtained for 1×10¹⁶ cm⁻² implantation after laser annealing, which was up to 33% higher than that after thermal annealing at 600 to 900°C for 30 min.     

Three-photon absorption and subsequent excited-state absorption in CdS

The nonlinear absorption of single picosecond light pulses (λ = 1.06 μm) in CdS is investigated at very high light intensities. Three-photon absorption and subsequent excited-state absorption of the generated electrons and holes explain the rapid decrease of transmission with increasing intensity. A three-photon absorption cross-section of σ⁽³⁾ = (2±0.5) × 10^-80 cm⁶ s² and an average excited state absorption cross-section of σ_ex = (7 ± 3) × 10^-18 cm² was determined.     

Interaction of CdSe/ZnS core-shell semiconductor nanocrystals in solid thin films

The optical properties of CdSe/ZnS semiconductor nanocrystals with the core-shell structure are studied upon visible-laser excitation in a wide range of flux densities. It is demonstrated that the dimensional quantization effect is preserved in the films with a limiting high concentration of nanocrystals. A strong bathochromic shift of the absorption and luminescence peaks relative to the peak positions in the corresponding spectra of nanocrystals in films with a relatively low concentration of nanocrystals and solutions is caused by a high concentration of nanocrystals and the dipole moment related to the asymmetry of the nanoparticles. The shift is varied from 35 to 50 nm depending on the film thickness. The luminescence spectra of the films remain unchanged upon an increase in the laser intensity to 1 × 10⁶ W/cm². The laser action on the nanoparticle films is studied at intensities (5 × 10⁶?1 × 10⁹ W/cm²) higher than the damage threshold.     

Intensity clamping during laser filamentation by TW level femtosecond laser in air and argon

A systematic research on intensity clamping phenomenon was conducted both in air and argon by using a TW level femtosecond laser. Though the laser peak power was increased from 0.1 up to 1.5 TW in the experiment, highly stabilized peak intensity inside the filament was observed in both gases. The peak intensities inside filaments were experimentally determined to be about 6.4 × 10¹³ W/cm² (f = 20 cm) in air and 1.2, 1.3, and 1.7 × 10¹⁴ W/cm² when different focal lenses (f = 100, 60, and 20 cm) were used in argon, respectively.     

Impact of high-intensity thermosonication treatment on spinach juice: Bioactive compounds,rheological, microbial,and enzymatic activities

To study the impacts of thermosonication (TS), the spinach juice treated with TS (200 W, 400 W, and 600 W, 30 kHz, at 60 ± 1 °C for 20 mint) were investigated for bioactive compounds, antioxidant activities, color properties, particle size, rheological behavior, suspension stability, enzymatic and microbial loads. As a result, TS processing significantly improved the bioactive compounds (total flavonols, total flavonoids, total phenolic, carotenoids, chlorophyll, and anthocyanins), antioxidant activities (DPPH and FRAP assay) in spinach juice. Also, TS treatments had higher b*, L*, hue angle (h⁰), and chroma (C) values, while minimum a* value as compared to untreated and pasteurized samples. TS processing significantly reduced the particle size, improved the suspension stability and rheological properties (shear stress, apparent viscosity, and shear rate) of spinach juice as compared to the untreated and pasteurized sample. TS plays a synergistic part in microbial reduction and gained maximum microbial safety. Moreover, TS treatments inactivated the polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase from 0.97 and 0.034 Abs min⁻¹ (untreated) to 0.31 and 0.018 Abs min⁻¹, respectively. The spinach juice sample treated at a high intensity (600 W, 30 kHz, at 60 ± 1 °C for 20 mint, TS3) exhibited complete inactivation of microbial loads (<1 log CFU/ml), the highest reduction in enzymatic activities, better suspension stability, color properties, and highest bioactive compounds. Collectively, the verdicts proposed that TS processing could be a worthwhile option to pasteurize the spinach juice to enhance the overall quality.