Effect of pre-treatments on drying characteristics of Chinese jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Miller)

Chinese jujube is delicious and nourishing fruit.However,fresh Chinese jujube is liable to rot and drying is a necessary process.Traditional drying is a time-consuming task due to the thick cuticle of Chinese jujube.To improve its drying efficiency,fresh Chinese jujube was pretreated with nine different methods prior to hot-air drying.Among these methods,dipping in 2%ethyl oleate plus 5%K_(2)CO_(3) for 10 min(alkaline emulsion of ethyl oleate,AEEO)was recommended for its time-saving effect,which was found more significant at lower drying temperatures.The beneficial effect was considered based on its cuticle destruction by AEEO pre-treatment.In the meantime,the drying process was divided into three stages;each of them obeyed the first order reaction kinetics.Activation energies for the first,second and third stages of control over jujube drying were 41.45 kJ/mol,35.24 kJ/mol and 49.52 kJ/mol,and reduced by 20.9%,22.1%and 29.0%,respectively,after AEEO pre-treatment,and the drying process was well predicted by Midilli et al.model.In view of browning during drying at higher temperatures,AEEO pretreated jujube was suggested to be dried at 60°C.This finding was considered to be helpful to the industrial drying of Chinese jujube.

Effects of thrombopoietin pre-treatment on peri-liver transplantation thrombocytopenia in a mouse model of cirrhosis with hypersplenism

BACKGROUND During cirrhosis,the liver is impaired and unable to synthesize and clear thrombopoietin properly.At the same time,the spleen assumes the function of hemofiltration and storage due to liver dysfunction,resulting in hypersplenism and excessive removal of platelets in the spleen,further reducing platelet count.When liver function is decompensated in cirrhotic patients,the decrease of thrombopoietin(TPO)synthesis is the main reason for the decrease of new platelet production.This change of TPO leads to thrombocytopenia and bleeding tendency in cirrhotic patients with hypersplenism.AIM To investigate the clinical efficacy of recombinant human TPO(rhTPO)in the treatment of perioperative thrombocytopenia during liver transplantation in cirrhotic mice with hypersplenism.METHODS C57BL/6J mice and TPO receptor-deficient mice were used to establish models of cirrhosis with hypersplenism.Subsequently,these mice underwent orthotopic liver transplantation(OLT).The mice in the experimental group were given rhTPO treatment for 3 consecutive days before surgery and 5 consecutive days after surgery,while the mice in the control group received the same dose of saline at the same frequency.Differences in liver function and platelet counts were determined between the experimental and control groups.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to assess the expression of TPO and TPO receptor(c-Mpl)in the blood.RESULTS Preoperative administration of rhTPO significantly improved peri-OLT thrombocytopenia in mice with cirrhosis and hypersplenism.Blocking the expression of TPO receptors exacerbated peri-OLT thrombocytopenia.The concentration of TPO decreased while the concentration of c-Mpl increased in compensation in the mouse model of cirrhosis with hypersplenism.TPO pre-treatment significantly increased the postoperative TPO concentration in mice,which in turn led to a decrease in the c-Mpl concentration.TPO pre-treatment also significantly enhanced the Janus kinase(Jak)/signal transducers and activators of transcription pathway protein expressions in bone marrow stem cells of the C57BL/6J mice.Moreover,the administration of TPO,both before and after surgery,regulated the levels of biochemical indicators,such as alanine aminotransferase,alkaline phosphatase,and aspartate aminotransferase in the C57BL/6J mice.CONCLUSION Pre-treatment with TPO not only exhibited therapeutic effects on perioperative thrombocytopenia in the mice with cirrhosis and hypersplenism,who underwent liver transplantation but also significantly enhanced the perioperative liver function.

Comparison of pre-treatment and post-treatment use of selenium in retinal ischemia reperfusion injury

AIM: To investigate the effects of selenium in rat retinal ischemia reperfusion(IR) model and compare pretreatment and post-treatment use.METHODS: Selenium pre-treatment group(n =8) was treated with intraperitoneal(i.p.) selenium 0.5 mg/kg for7 d and terminated 24 h after the IR injury. Selenium posttreatment group( n = 8) was treated with i. p. selenium0.5 mg/kg for 7d after the IR injury with termination at the end of the 7d period. Sham group(n =8) received i.p.saline injections identical to the selenium volume for 7d with termination 24 h after the IR injury. Control group(n =8) received no intervention. Main outcome measures were retina superoxide dismutase(SOD), glutathione(GSH),total antioxidant status(TAS), malondialdehyde(MDA),DNA fragmentation levels, and immunohistological apoptosis evaluation.RESULTS: Compared to the Sham group, selenium pre-treatment had a statistical difference in all parameters except SOD. Post-treatment selenium also resulted in statistical differences in all parameters except the MDA levels. When comparing selenium groups, the pre-treatment selenium group had a statistically higher success in reduction of markers of cell damage such as MDA and DNA fragmentation. In contrast, the post-selenium treatment group had resulted in statisticallyhigher levels of GSH. Histologically both selenium groups succeeded to limit retinal thickening and apoptosis. Pre-treatment use was statistically more successful in decreasing apoptosis in ganglion cell layer compared to post-treatment use.CONCLUSION: Selenium was successful in retinal protection in IR injuries. Pre-treatment efficacy was superior in terms of prevention of tissue damage and apoptosis.

Effect of microwave pre-treatment on physical quality,bioactive compounds,safety risk factor,and storage stability of peanut butter

Microwave,as a new heat treatment technology,has the characteristics of uniform and fast heating speed.It is an energy-saving technology known for improving oilseed product quality.Its efficiency mainly depends on the roasting power and time.However,the production of high-quality peanut butter using short-time roasting con-ditions are limited.Herein,we determined an appropriate microwave roasting power and time for peanuts and evaluated its impacts on the quality of peanut butter.Different roasting powers(400 W,800 W and 1200 W)and times(4,4.5,5,and 5.5 min)were preliminarily tested.Among them,800 W at 5 min was the most suitable.The roasting efficiency was further evaluated using color,sensory,bioactive compounds,storage stability,and safety risk factors of peanut butter produced from four peanut cultivars(Silihong,Baisha-1016,Yuanza-9102,and Yuhua-9414).The pre-treated butter obtained from three cultivars(Silihong,Yuanza-9102,and Yuhua-9414)with moisture content between 5%and 7.2%had a similar sensory score(6-7)as the commercial on a 9-point hedonic scale compare to the other.The color of the pre-treated peanut butter varies statistically with the commercial but remained in the recommended range of Hunter L*values of 51-52,respectively,for high initial moisture peanut cultivars.The total polyphenol(35.20-31.59±0.59μmol GAE/g)and tocopherol(19.05±0.35 mg/100 g)content in the butter obtained from three cultivars(Yuahua-9102,Yuhua,and Baisha-1016)and Silihong respectively,were significantly(P<0.05)higher than those in the commercial butter.The induction times of all pre-treated butter(19.80±0.99-7.84±0.07 h)were significantly(P<0.05)longer during storage at accelerated temperature than commercial samples.In addition,no benzo[a]pyrene was found in the pre-treated samples.Collectively,the microwave pretreated peanut butter was superior to the commercial one.These findings provided data support and a reference basis to promote microwave use for peanut butter production.

Tree-ring δ^(15)N of Qinghai spruce in the central Qilian Mountains of China:Is pre-treatment of wood samples necessary?

A knowledge of the tree-ring stable nitrogen isotope ratio(δ^(15)N)can deepen our understanding of forest ecosystem dynamics by indicating the long-term availability,cycling and sources of nitrogen(N).However,the radial mobility of N blurs the interannual variations in the long-term N records.Previous studies of the chemical extraction of tree rings before analysis had produced inconsistent results and it is still unclear whether it is necessary to pre-treat wood samples from specific tree species to remove soluble N compounds before determining theδ^(15)N values.We compared the effects of pre-treatment with organic solvents and hot ultrapure water on the N concentration andδ^(15)N of tree rings from endemic Qinghai spruce(Picea crassifolia)growing in the interior of the central Qilian Mountains,China,during the last 60 a.We assessed the effects of different preparation protocols on the removal of the labile N compounds and investigated the need to pre-treat wood samples before determining theδ^(15)N values of tree rings.Increasing trends of the tree-ring N concentration were consistently observed in both the extracted and unextracted wood samples.The total N removed by extraction with organic solvents was about 17.60%,with a significantly higher amount in the sapwood section(P<0.01).Theδ^(15)N values of tree rings decreased consistently from 1960 to 2019 in both the extracted and unextracted wood samples.Extraction with organic solvents increased theδ^(15)N values markedly by about 5.2‰and reduced the variations in theδ^(15)N series.However,extraction with hot ultrapure water had little effect,with only a slight decrease in theδ^(15)N values of about 0.5‰.Our results showed that the radial pattern in the inter-ring movement of N in Qinghai spruce was not minimized by extraction with either organic solvents or hot ultrapure water.It is unnecessary to conduct hot ultrapure water extraction for the wood samples from Qinghai spruce because of its negligible effect on the removal of the labile N.Theδ^(15)N variation trend of tree rings in the unextracted wood samples was not influenced by the heartwood-sapwood transition zone.We suggest that theδ^(15)N values of the unextracted wood samples of the climate-sensitive Qinghai spruce could be used to explore the ecophysiological dynamics while focusing on the long-term variations.

Effect of Pre-Sowing Treatments on Mamalis (Pittosporum pentandrum Blanco Merr.) Seeds Germination under Nursery Condition

Seeds were subjected to three different pre-sowing seed treatments: immersion in lukewarm water for 2 hours, immersion in concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) for 5 minutes, hilar removal, and a control in which the seeds were sown without being treated. The experiment was laid out in the Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replicates and 60 seeds per treatment. Seeds were sown in an improvised Seedbox in October 2019. Germination was monitored daily for one month. The results showed that Mamalis seeds treated with lukewarm water have the earliest germination of twelve days, with a germination percentage of 66.67%. The germination rate of another treatment ranges from 0 - 44 percent, compared to 45 percent for the control treatment. It seems prudent to conclude that to enhance the vegetative propagation methods is to soaking in warm water at 37.5˚C for 2 hours could provide the best growth.

Potential role of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides in glaucoma management:evidence from preclinical in vivo studies

In recent years,the pharmacological benefits of herbal extracts have been revisited for their potential neuroprotective effects in glaucoma.The polysaccharides extracted from the fruits of Lycium barbarum L.,or Lycium barbarum polysaccharides,exert their anti-aging effect through reducing oxidative stress,modulating the immune response,enhancing neuronal responses,and promoting cytoprotection.The therapeutic efficacy of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides in preserving retinal ganglion cells and their functions was demonstrated in a range of experimental models of optic neuropathies.These include the acute and chronic ocular hypertension models,the partial optic nerve transection model,and the ischemic-reperfusion injuries model.Based on these findings,Lycium barbarum polysaccharides appear to be a good candidate to be developed as a neuroprotective agent for treating multifactorial diseases.This review aims to present a comprehensive review on the latest preclinical evidence on the pre-and post-treatment benefits of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides in retinal ganglion cell neuroprotection.The possible mechanisms of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides mediating retinal ganglion cell neuroprotection will also be described.Moreover,the potential research gaps in the effective translation of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides treatment into clinical glaucoma management will be discussed.

Design and Research of High-throughput Automation System for Food Testing Laboratory

In the process of food testing,human operation is an important variable affecting the experimental results.In order to reasonably avoid the influence of human subjective operation behavior on the accuracy of detection results,the laboratory information management system was used as the information platform to design a high-throughput laboratory automation pre-treatment system based on the deep integration of mechanical principles,visual analysis,high-speed conduction,intelligent storage and other technical systems.The experimental results showed that the system could shorten the sample circulation cycle,effectively improve the laboratory biosafety,and meet the requirements of high-throughput processing of samples.

Corrosion Performance of Conversion Treatments for Electrogalvanised Steel Sheet

Chromate conversion treatments have been widely used due to their excellent corrosion resistance properties;however, their use is increasingly restricted because of the highly toxic chromic acid solutions required, with consequent effluent disposal and ecological problems. The removal of these toxic chemicals is considered a priority within most of the developed countries. In this work, the corrosion resistance of different alternative pretreatments applied on electrogalvanised steel sheet: 1) Cr(III) and Zr complexes layer, 2) Ce(III) layer, 3) Ce(III)/Ce(IV) double layer, 4) Cr(VI) chromating was investigated, and its results compared with those from the tests performed using bare electrogalvanized steel sheets as a substrate. These samples were exposed to aerated 0.05 mol/L NaCl or 0.1 mol/L Na2SO4 solutions. The electrochemical behavior of samples was studied by electrochemical techniques. For three days of immersion in the solution test, the experimental results have shown that, compared with the Cr(VI) protective properties, the Cr(III) + Zr complex layer presented similar performance. Even though the initial corrosion resistance was offered by the Ce(III) and Ce(VI)/Ce(III) conversion coatings was relatively good, it quickly decreased as a function of the exposure time.

Silver Nanowire Electrodes: Conductivity Improvement Without Post-treatment and Application in Capacitive Pressure Sensors

Transparent electrode based on silver nanowires(Ag NWs) emerges as an outstanding alternative of indium tin oxide film especially for flexible electronics. However, the conductivity of Ag NWs transparent electrode is still dramatically limited by the contact resistance between nanowires at high transmittance. Polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP) layer adsorbed on the nanowire surface acts as an electrically insulating barrier at wire–wire junctions, and some devastating post-treatment methods are proposed to reduce or eliminate PVP layer, which usually limit the application of the substrates susceptible to heat or pressure and burden the fabrication with high-cost, time-consuming, or inefficient processes. In this work, a simple and rapid pre-treatment washing method was proposed to reduce the thickness of PVP layer from 13.19 to0.96 nm and improve the contact between wires. Ag NW electrodes with sheet resistances of 15.6 and 204 X sq-1have been achieved at transmittances of 90 and 97.5 %, respectively. This method avoided any post-treatments and popularized the application of high-performance Ag NW transparent electrode on more substrates. The improved Ag NWs were successfully employed in a capacitive pressure sensor with high transparency, sensitivity, and reproducibility.

The influence of four dual-cure resin cements and surface treatment selection to bond strength of fiber post

In this study, we evaluate the influence of post surface pre-treatments on the bond strength of four different cements to glass fiber posts. Eighty extracted human maxillary central incisors and canines were endodontically treated and standardized post spaces were prepared. Four post pre-treatments were tested： （i） no pre-treatment （NS, control）, （ii） sandblasting （SA）, （iii） silanization （SI） and （iv） sandblasting followed by silanization （SS）. Per pre-treatment, four dual-cure resin cements were used for luting posts： DMG LUXACORE Smartmix Dual, Multilink Automix, RelyX Unicem and Panavia F2.0. All the specimens were subjected to micro push-out test. Two-way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc tests were performed （α=0.05） to analyze the data. Bond strength was significantly affected by the type of resin cement, and bond strengths of RelyX Unicem and Panavia F2.0 to the fiber posts were significantly higher than the other cement groups. Sandblasting significantly increased the bond strength of DMG group to the fiber posts.

Does the intrathecal propofol have a neuroprotective effect on spinal cord ischemia?

The neuroprotective effects of propofol have been confirmed. However, it remains unclear whether intrathecal administration of propofol exhibits neuroprotective effects on spinal cord ischemia. At 1 hour prior to spinal cord ischemia, propofol（100 and 300 μg） was intrathecally administered in rats with spinal cord ischemia. Propofol pre-treatment greatly improved rat pathological changes and neurological function deficits at 24 hours after spinal cord ischemia. These results suggest that intrathecal administration of propofol exhibits neuroprotective effects on spinal cord structural and functional damage caused by ischemia.

Sucrose Secreted by the Engineered Cyanobacterium and Its Fermentability

The unicellular cyanobacterium, Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942(Syn7942), synthesizes sucrose as the only compatible solute under salt stress. A series of engineered Syn7942 strains for sucrose production were constructed. The overexpression of the native sps(encoding a natively fused protein of sucrose phosphate synthase SPS and sucrose phosphate phosphatase SPP) in Syn7942 wild type caused a 93% improvement of sucrose productivity. The strain FL130 co-overexpressing sps and csc B(encoding a sucrose transporter) exhibited a 74% higher extracellular sucrose production than that overexpressing csc B only. Both results showed the significant improvement of sucrose productivity by the double functional protein SPS-SPP. Afterwards, FL130 was cultivated under a modified condition, and the cell-free culture medium containing 1.5 g L-1 sucrose was pre-treated with an acid hydrolysis technique. Cultivated with the neutralized hydrolysates as the starting media, two widely used microorganisms, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, showed a comparable growth with that in the control media supplemented with glucose. These results clearly demonstrated that the cell-free culture of sucrose-secreting cyanobacteria can be applied as starting media in microbial cultivation.

Design of experiments to optimize the extraction parameters of a power grade Indian coal

Low grade high ash coals with difficult physical washability characteristics require chemical cleaning techniques such as solvent extractio n to obtain super clean coal with lower ash conte nts.Kedla,an In di an low grade coal has ash con tent around 44%-50%and there is a need to maximize its solvent extraction yield so as to make this power grade coal industrially useful.This paper highlights the use of definitive screening design and response surface methodology to extract the maximum organic matter from Kedla coal using ethylenediannnine(EDA)and N-methyl pyrollidone(NMP)as solvents under mild atmospheric pressure conditions.The coal was pre-treated with acetic acid before extractions were carried out.The parameters such as the acid pre-treatment time,acid concenmion,particle size,the co-solvent concentratio n and the solvent concentration were optimized in this paper.With this design of experimenls technique about 40%of the organic matter with minimal ash(less than 2%)content was「endered extractable unlike the already postulated designer solvent system—e,N system(i.e.NMP containing small amount of EDA)that uses coal to solve nt ratio as 1:17(wt/vol)and coal to co-solvent ratio as 1:l(wt/vol)thus only giving 19%extraction yield.Therefore,the present design of experimetechnique helps in conserving the number of experimems for process intensification.

Primary prevention of posttraumatic stress disorder: drugs and implications

Because posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD) is a highly debilitating condition, prevention is an important research topic. This article reviews possible prevention approaches that involve the administration of drugs before the traumatic event takes place. The considered approaches include drugs that address the sympathetic nervous system, drugs interfere with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis, narcotics and other psychoactive drugs, as well as modulators of protein synthesis. Furthermore, some thoughts on potential ethical implications of the use of drugs for the primary prevention of PTDS are presented. While there are many barriers to overcome in this field of study, this paper concludes with a call for additional research, as there are currently no approaches that are well-suited for regular daily use.

The Cotton Stalk and Its Utilization as Ruminant Feed Resource in Xinjiang

Two separate experiments were carried out: the first one involved a study of the chemical and some intrinsic feed characteristics of raw cotton stalk( CS) and the efficiency of chemical,biological treatments on the improvement of the feed value of CS. CS was treated with chemical treatment by mixing 3% Ca( OH)2( CS + Ca),3% urea( CS + U),3% urea +3% Ca( OH)2( CS + Ca + U). Moreover,CS was treated with biological treatment by inoculation of either Lentinus edodes( CS + Po) or Pleurotus ostreatus( CS + Pl) or crushing CS by adding minor ingredient processed into pellet feed,samples from all treatment were analyzed for the nutrients,In vitro dry matter digestibility( INDMD) and free gossypol detoxification rate. The second investigated was the use of crushed or granulation CS as a test feed followed by voluntary feed intake and preference test with sheep. CS + Ca + U treatment can reach up the CP and IVDMD to 9% and 36%,respectively. CS + Po decreased the fiber component and improved CP content and IVDMD. The free gossypol content declined and the free gossypol detoxification rate reached more than 50%. By feeding sheep under the same level of concentrate and corn silage,the voluntary feed intake and daily weight gain in granulation group is higher than in crushing group( P < 0. 05). Crushing CS by adding minor ingredient processed into a pellet feed was best in terms of improved nutritional quality,feed intake and preference,and it was safe and practical method that can be widely used in sheep production systems,to promote the CS feed utilization in similar areas.

Fabrication of Hierarchically Porous FAU/α-Al_(2)O_(3) Monoliths via Gel Pre-aging Routes Using Seed Gel as Directing Agent

Hierarchically porous FAU monoliths were synthesized via the gel pre-aging route using seed gel as directing agent andα-Al2O3 as monolithic carrier.The as-synthesized samples were characterized by means of the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),X-ray powder diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and N2 adsorption techniques.The effects of seed gel,gel pre-treatment,and gel pre-aging step were determined,while the possible mechanism for formation of alumina composites via different synthesis processes were discussed.The results showed that the crystal size,the shape,and the loading of the supported FAU could be readily tuned by varying the composition of the crystallization gel without notably changing the structure ofα-Al2O3.The proposed seed gel pre-treating and gel pre-aging route are simple,reproducible,and practically easy to integrate triple porous structures into large-dimension monoliths,which are proved to be very effective in depositing pure FAU crystals on theα-Al2O3 skeleton surface and strengthening the interfacial interaction between them.Moreover,it may provide inspiration to the synthesis of other hierarchical zeolites.

Leaching of nickel laterite ore assisted by microwave technique

The application of microwave technique in the hydrometallurgy of nickel laterite ores was described.The mixture of nickel laterite ores and sulfuric acid was pre-treated by microwave irradiation.The dissolving of nickel was conducted in hot water at the atmospheric pressure.The effects of factors,such as microwave power,microwave irradiation time,and sulfuric acid dosage, were investigated.In microwave field,the migration of ionic species and/or rotation of dipolar species promote the liquid?solid reaction process due to the increased contact area of reactants and leaching reaction rate constant.Thanks to the strengthening action of microwave,the microwave-assisted leaching process has its advantages,such as higher extracting rate than conventional atmospheric leaching,and no need for high-pressure operation as high pressure acid leaching(HPAL).The ferric iron in leaching solution could be effectively removed by sodium jarosite process with a little loss of nickel in the jarosite precipitate.

Differential Catalysis of Depolymerisation and Dehydration Reactions: Producing Furfural from Plant Biomass

The main principles of the technological realisation of the furfural obtaining process have been formulated by Ricard[1].Based on his recommendations,all investigators proceeded from the assumption that the depolymerisation of pentosans and the dehydration of pentoses in the one-step production of furfural from raw plant material must be accelerated with diluted catalyst solutions.According to this theory,uniform impregnation of the raw material with a catalyst solution is considered necessary.The reduction in the amount of the catalyst solution down to 30–40%of the mass of the dry raw material,suggested by Miner et al.[2],made the process of furfural production profitable and it prompted industrial production.Their technology is being successfully using also now at more than 140 furfural plants in China,where the furfural yield is only 45%of the theoretical yield and 50%of the cellulose in the lignocellulosic residue is destroyed during the process of obtaining furfural.Therefore,the residue of the raw material after furfural production may only be used as fuel or fertiliser.A simultaneous solution to these two problems has not been possible without changing the chemical mechanism of the depolymerisation and dehydration reactions during the furfural formation process.Using birch wood as a raw material,we simultaneously addressed these two problems using the following two catalysts:acetic acid for the depolymerisation of pentosans and concentrated sulfuric acid for the dehydration of pentoses,producing furfural.As a result,the furfural yield increased and the new furfural production technologies from hardwood and other raw plant materials were realised at 10 plants in 3 countries.A licence was sold,and contracts with companies in Slovenia,Hungary and Russia were successfully performed.