High hydrostatic pressure inactivation of Lactobacillus plantarum cells in (O/W)-emulsions is independent from cell surface hydrophobicity and lipid phase parameters

Inactivation efficiency of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing of food is strongly affected by food matrix composition. We investigated effects of fat on HHP inactivation of spoilage-associated Lactobacillus (L.) plantarum strains using defined oil-in-water (O/W)-emulsion model systems. Since fat-mediated effects on HHP inactivation could be dependent on interactions between lipid phase and microbial cells, three major factors possibly influencing such interactions were considered, that is, cell surface hydrophobicity, presence and type of surfactants, and oil droplet size. Pressure tolerance varied noticeably among L. plantarum strains and was independent of cell surface hydrophobicity. We showed that HHP inactivation of all strains tended to be more effective in presence of fat. The observation in both, surfactant-stabilized and surfactant-free (O/W)-emulsion, indicates that cell surface hydrophobicity is no intrinsic pressure resistance factor. In contrast to the presence of fat per se, surfactant type and oil droplet size did not affect inactivation efficiency.     

Multiscale modeling of the effect of carbon nanotube orientation on the shear deformation properties of reinforced polymer-based composites

A combination of molecular dynamics (MD), continuum elasticity and FEM is used to predict the effect of CNT orientation on the shear modulus of SWCNT-polymer nanocomposites. We first develop a transverse-isotropic elastic model of SWCNTs based on the continuum elasticity and MD to compute the transverse-isotropic elastic constants of SWCNTs. These constants are then used in an FEM-based simulation to investigate the effect of SWCNT alignment on the shear modulus of nanocomposites. Furthermore, shear stress distributions along the nanotube axis and over its cross-sectional area are investigated to study the effect of CNT orientation on the shear load transfer.     

纳米晶复合永磁材料的交换耦合相互作用和磁性能

本介绍了纳米磁性材料晶粒交换耦合相互作用的有关理论。采用不同模型讨论了晶粒交换耦合相互作用对纳米单相软磁材料、永磁材料及双相复合永磁材料磁性能的影响。简述了用δM（H）曲线和不可逆磁导率的变化研究晶粒交换耦合相互作用及反磁化过程的方法。讨论了合金分配比、添加元素、制备及热处理工艺对磁体硬磁性能的影响。从理论和实验两方面分析、研究了纳米复合永磁材料的反磁化过程和矫顽力机制。     

Effect of ultrasonic power on the stability of low-molecular-weight oyster peptides functional-nutrition W1/O/W2 double emulsion

Ultrasonic-assisted treatment is an eco-friendly and cost-effective emulsification method, and the acoustic cavitation effect produced by ultrasonic equipment is conducive to the formation of stable emulsion. However, its effect on the underlying stability of low-molecular-weight oyster peptides (LOPs) functional-nutrition W₁/O/W₂ double emulsion has not been reported. The effects of different ultrasonic power (50, 75, 100, 125, and 150 W) on the stability of double emulsions and the ability to mask the fishy odor of LOPs were investigated. Low ultrasonic power (50 W and 75 W) treatment failed to form a well-stabilized double emulsion, and excessive ultrasound treatment (150 W) destroyed its structure. At an ultrasonic power of 125 W, smaller particle-sized double emulsion was formed with more uniform distribution, more whiteness, and a lower viscosity coefficient. Meanwhile, the cavitation effect generated by 125 W ultrasonic power improved storage, and oxidative stabilities, emulsifying properties of double emulsion by reducing the droplet size and improved sensorial acceptability by masking the undesirable flavor of LOPs. The structure of the double emulsion was further confirmed by optical microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The ultrasonic-assisted treatment is of potential value for the industrial application of double emulsion in functional-nutrition foods.     

Structural,thermal and ion transport studies on nanocomposite polymer electrolyte-{(PEO + SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>):NH<Subscript>4</Subscript>SCN} system

Development and characterisation of polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based nanocomposite polymer electrolytes comprising of (PEO-SiO₂): NH₄SCN is reported. For synthesis of the said electrolyte, polyethylene oxide has been taken as polymer host and NH₄SCN as an ionic charge supplier. Sol–gel-derived silica powder of nano dimension has been used as ceramic filler for development of nanocomposite electrolytes. The maximum conductivity of electrolyte ∼2.0 × 10⁻⁶ S/cm is observed for samples containing 30 wt.% silica. The temperature dependence of conductivity seems to follow an Arrhenius-type, thermally activated process over a limited temperature range.     

Effect of Butyl α-Hydroxymethyl Acrylate Monomer Structure on the Morphology Produced via Aqueous Emulsion Polymerization-induced Self-assembly

Polymerization-induced self-assembly(PISA) is an efficient and versatile method to afford polymeric nano-objects with polymorphic morphologies. Compared to dispersion PISA syntheses based on soluble monomers, the vast majority of emulsion PISA formulations using insoluble monomers leads to kinetically-trapped spheres. Herein, we present aqueous emulsion PISA formulations generating worms and vesicles besides spheres. Two monomers with different butyl groups, n-butyl(n BHMA) and tert-butyl(t BHMA) α-hydroxymethyl acrylate, and thus possessing different water solubilities were synthesized via Baylis-Hillman reaction. Photoinitiated aqueous emulsion polymerizations of n BHMA and t BHMA employing poly(ethylene glycol) macromolecular chain transfer agents(macro-CTAs, PEG45-CTA, and PEG113-CTA) at 40 °C were systematically investigated to evaluate the effect of monomer structure and solubility on the morphology of the generated block copolymer nano-objects. Higher order morphologies including worms and vesicles were readily accessed for t BHMA, which has a higher water solubility than that of n BHMA. This study proves that plasticization of the core-forming block by water plays a key role in enhancing chain mobility required for morphological transition in emulsion PISA.     

Biologically and environmentally benign approach for PHB-silver nanocomposite synthesis and its characterization

PHB-silver nanocomposite (PHB-AgNc) was synthesized biologically by utilizing a dairy-industry by-product, cheese whey permeate as a substrate for Bacillus megaterium. The single-step synthesis of PHB-AgNc was further confirmed by UV–vis spectroscopy and GC-MS analysis. Further, the extracted PHB-Ag Nc was characterized by employing various techniques such as TEM, SEM, FTIR, NMR, Zeta Potential, and DLS analysis. Mechanical properties such as elongation at break, tensile strength, and Young's Modulus were found to be 1.305%, 35.42, and 1.058 N/mm², respectively. The nanocomposite was found to be stable, polydispersive, and hydrophobic. It exhibited a degradation temperature of 340 °C and portrayed significant antimicrobial resistance against common food pathogens such as E.coli and Pseudomonas spp. Batch fermentation study was carried out for a period of 96 h in a 14 L bioreactor. The highest biomass and nanocomposite yield obtained was 5.8 and 2.4 g/L, respectively. The highest product productivity concerning biomass was found to be 0.012 h⁻¹ at 12 h. The film's migration properties were tested for various food stimulants, and the values obtained were less than the overall migration limit established for food contact materials; hence, the film was found to be appropriate for food packaging applications.     

Humic-based bionanocomposites containing stable paramagnetic gold nanoparticles for prospective use in pharmaceuticals

Structural peculiarities and supramolecular organization of medicinally promising nanocomposites, synthesized from humic substances, which essentially differ depending on decomposition degree, have been studied using electron spin resonance, transmission electron, and confocal laser scanning microscopy techniques and some other modern physical–chemical methods. It is shown that stable zero-valent gold nanoparticle of about 10–17?nm in size are formed in a natural macromolecular matrix. The nanocomposites obtained turn out to be stable in aggregative state for a long time and preserve their properties that are extremely important for prospective medicinal substances.     

超声衰减和速度谱测量亚微米乳液的粒径

研究了超声衰减谱法和相速度测量高浓度多分散脂肪两相乳浊液的粒径分布问题.在理论分析基础上,实验测量了多个浓度(2%～20%)脂肪乳试样在2～13 MHz频带下超声衰减和相速度谱,结合反演算法由实验数据计算出乳浊液颗粒的粒径分布,并讨论了相速度法的意义和特点.将原始浓度(20%)下测得粒径分布与消光法在稀释条件下相同试样测量结果作对比,二者比较吻合,表明超声谱法可在无稀释的高浓度条件下作乳浊液粒径分布的表征.     

三组元乳化液雾化特性的研究

采用Malvern粒度仪对柴油、甲醇和水三组元乳化液的雾化特性进行了研究。实验发现:对于压力雾化喷嘴来说,本文所涉及的乳化液由于粘度高于纯柴油,因此雾化效果比纯柴油差,而且喷射压力、乳化剂的粘度和乳化液的组份对乳化液的雾化特性具有显著的影响。随着喷射压力的升高,乳化液喷雾粒径将随之减小;若乳化液中柴油的含量(柴油不少于50％)降低,乳化液的雾化粒径将随之增加;若采用高粘度的乳化剂,相应乳化液喷雾的粒径也大。