Online quantitative analysis of soluble solids content in navel oranges using visible-nearinfrared spectroscopy and variable selection methods

Variable selection is applied widely for visible-near infrared(Vis-NIR)spectroscopy analysis of internal quality in fruits.Different spectral variable selection methods were compared for online quantitative analysis of soluble solids content(SSC)in navel oranges.Moving window partial least squares(MW-PLS),Monte Carlo uninformative variables elimination(MC-UVE)and wavelet transform(WT)combined with the MC-UVE method were used to select the spectral variables and develop the calibration models of online analysis of SSC in navel oranges.The performances of these methods were compared for modeling the Vis NIR data sets of navel orange samples.Results show that the WT-MC-UVE methods gave better calibration models with the higher correlation cofficient(r)of 0.89 and lower root mean square error of prediction(RMSEP)of 0.54 at 5 fruits per second.It concluded that Vis NIR spectroscopy coupled with WT-MC-UVE may be a fast and efective tool for online quantitative analysis of SSC in navel oranges.

Achieving robustness to temperature change of a NIR model for apple soluble solids content

The temperature difference of fruit itself will affect its near infrared spectrum and the accuracy of its soluble solids content(SSC)prediction model.To eliminate the influence of apple temperature difference on the SSC model,a diffuse transmission dynamic online detection device was used to collect the spectral data of apples at different temperatures,and four methods were used to establish partial least squares correction models:global correction,orthogonal signal processing,generalized least squares weighting and external parameter orthogonal(EPO).The results show that the temperature has a strong influence on the diffuse transmission spectrum of apples.The 20ºC model can get a satisfactory prediction result when the temperature is constant,and there will be great errors when detecting samples at other temperatures.The effect of temperature must be corrected to establish a more general model.These methods all improve the accuracy of the model,with the EPO method giving the best results;the prediction set correlation coefficient is 0.947,the root mean square error of prediction is 0.489%,and the prediction bias is 0.009%.The research results are of great significance to the practical application of SSC prediction of fruits in sorting workshops or orchards.

High-gravity-assisted emulsification for continuous preparation of waterborne polyurethane nanodispersion with high solids content

In this work,we developed a continuous preparation strategy for the production of high-solidscontent waterborne polyurethane(WPU)emulsions via high-gravity-assisted emulsification in a rotating packed bed(RPB)reactor.By adjusting the experimental parameters and formula,WPU emulsions with a high solids content of 55%and alow viscosity were prepared.Preliminary applications of the high-solids-content WPU as a thermally insulating material were demonstrated.RPB emulsification is an economical and environmentally friendly production strategy because of the low energy consumption,short emulsification time,and effective devolatilization.This study demonstrated an effective method for preparation of high-solids-content WPU,moving toward commercialization and industrialization.

Nondestructive determining the soluble solids content of citrus using near infrared transmittance technology combined with the variable selection algorithm

Nondestructive determination the internal quality of thick-skin fruits has always been a challenge.In order to investigate the prediction ability of full transmittance mode on the soluble solid content(SSC)in thick-skin fruits,the full transmittance spectra of citrus were collected using a visible/near infrared(Vis/NIR)portable spectrograph(550–1100 nm).Three obvious absorption peakswere found at 710,810 and 915 nmin the original spectra curve.Four spectral preprocessing methods including Smoothing,multiplicative scatter correction(MSC),standard normal variate(SNV)and first derivativewere employed to improve the quality of the original spectra.Subsequently,the effective wavelengths of SSC were selected from the original and pretreated spectra with the algorithms of successive projections algorithm(SPA),competitive adaptive reweighted sampling(CARS)and genetic algorithm(GA).Finally,the prediction models of SSC were established based on the full wavelengths and effectivewavelengths.Results showed that SPA performed the best performance on eliminating the useless information variable and optimizing the number of effective variables.The optimal predictionmodel was established based on 10 characteristic variables selected from the spectra pretreated by SNV with the algorithmof SPA,with the correlation coefficient,root mean square error,and residual predictive deviation for prediction set being 0.9165,0.5684°Brix and 2.5120,respectively.Overall,the full transmittance mode was feasible to predict the internal quality of thick-skin fruits,like citrus.Additionally,the combination of spectral preprocessing with a variable selection algorithmwas effective for developing the reliable predictionmodel.The conclusions of this study also provide an alternative method for fast and real-time detection of the internal quality of thick-skin fruits using Vis/NIR spectroscopy.

Nondestructive determination of soluble solids and firmness in mix-cultivar melon using near-infrared CCD spectroscopy

Nondestructive evaluation of melon quality is in great need of comprehensive study.Soluble solids content(SSC)and firmness are the two indicators of melon internal quality that mostly a®ect consumer acceptance.To provide guidance for fruit classification,internal quality standards was preliminarily established through sensory test,as:Melon with SSC over 12
Brix,firmness 4–5.5 kgf·cm^(-2)2 were considered as satisfactory class sample;and SSC over 10
Brix,¯rmness 3.5–6.5 kgf·cm^(-2) as average class sample.The near infrared(NIR)nondestructive detection program was set as spectra collected from the stylar-end,Brix expressed by the average SSC of inner and outer mesocarp,each cultivar of melon was detected with its own optimum integration time,and the second derivative algorithm was used to equalize them.Using wavelength selected by genetic algorithms(GA),a robust SSC model of mix-cultivar melon was established,the root mean standard error of cross-validation(RMSECV)was 0.99 and the ratio performance deviation(RPD)nearly reached 3.0,which almost could meet the accuracy requirement of 1.5
Brix.Firmness model of mix-cultivar melon was acceptable but inferior.

Destabilization of bitumen-coated fine solids in oil through water-assisted flocculation using biomolecules extracted from guar beans

Non-aqueous extraction(NAE)of bitumen from oil sands has been gaining great attention from both the industry and academia as an alternative to the water-based extraction.A fine solids removal step is important for a NAE process in order to obtain high-quality bitumen product,which,however,remains a great challenge to reduce the fine solids content to the desired level.Here,we introduce a strategy of destabilizing the bitumen-coated silica particles in toluene with the addition of water and biomolecules extracted from Cyamopsiste tragonolobuosr L.Taup.,i.e.,high molecular weight guar gum(HGG)and low molecular weight guar gum(LGG),respectively.By virtue of sedimentation tests and focused beam reflectance measurement analysis,we demonstrate that the introduced water droplets modified with these biomolecules can facilitate the settling of the solid particles in toluene although the underlying mechanisms differ between these two biomolecule cases.Specifically,in the case of LGG,the added water droplets with the interfacial amphiphilic LGG can strengthen the attachment of solid particles from bulk toluene to the LGG surface.This research work provides useful insight into the development of effective approaches for destabilization and removal of bitumen-coated fine solids from NAE bitumen.

Preparation of Thermal Insulation Ceramics Using Felsic Tailings as Main Raw Material and Soda-ash Dregs as Flux

Low-cost thermal insulation porous ceramics with uniform pore diameter and low bulk density were prepared with soda-ash dregs and felsic tailings.We investigated the effect of temperature,foaming agent,fluxing agent,Al_(2)O_(3)and CaO content on the pore structure and crystal phase of porous ceramics.The effect of Ca^(2+)in soda-ash dregs on the preparation of quartz-feldspar based porous ceramics was studied.The results showed that the contribution of Ca^(2+)to the preparation of porous ceramics in this system was mainly to accelerate the Si-O bond fracture and reduce the sintering temperature at the initial stage of sintering,which destroyed the needle-like feldspar in the high temperature melt and reduced the melt viscosity,thus reduced the foaming resistance and promoted the porous products with uniform pore size distribution.The Ca^(2+)content on the high side can participate in the formation of crystals in sintering.The generated needle-like diopside and augite,which have small length-diameter ratio,will negligibly change in the viscosity of melt at high temperatures,and their inhibition effect on pores is not as good as that of feldspar with large length-diameter ratio,resulting in the merger and collapse of pores.But the increase of diopside and augite can improve the compressive strength of porous products to some extent.Porous ceramic products containing needle-like feldspar phase can be prepared by using two kinds of solid waste,which can improve the compressive strength of the products and reduce the raw material cost and energy consumption while comprehensively utilizing the double solid waste.The optimal product has a bulk density of 0.45 g/cm^(3),a compressive strength of 3.17 MPa,and a thermal conductivity of 0.11 W/(m·K).

Changes in underflow solid fraction and yield stress in paste thickeners by circulation

The trouble-free and efficient operation of paste thickeners requires an optimal design and the cooperation of each component.When underflow discharging is suspended,alleviating the vast torque that the remaining solids within the thickeners may place on rakes mainly lies in the circulation unit.The mechanism of this unit was analyzed,and a mathematical model was developed to describe the changes in underflow solid content and yield stress.The key parameters of the circulation unit,namely,the height and flow rate,were varied to test its performance in the experiments with a self-designed laboratorial thickening system.Results show that the circulation unit is valid in reducing underflow solid fraction and yield stress to a reasonable extent,and the model could be used to describe its efficiency at different heights and flow rates.A suitable design and application of the circulation unit contributes to a cost-effective operation of paste thickeners.

Review on Effects of Nitrogen on the Internal Quality of Peach Fruit

On the basis of referring plenty of literatures, we summarized the research advance in effects of nitrogen on the internal quality of peach fruit. Most studies have shown that proper nitrogen application can improve internal quality of fruit, and excessive nitrogen application can reduce soluble solid and sugar contents of fruit, increase organic acid content, reduce fruit aroma, increase protein and amino acid contents, and increase or reduce vitamin C content. Relevant issues were discussed.

Review on Effects of Sunlight on the Internal Quality of Peach Fruit

On the basis of referring plenty of literatures, we summed up the research advance in effects of sun light on the internal quality of peach fruit. This paper discussed the effect of light on the internal quality of peach fruit under the conditions of open cultivation, protected cultivation, bagging and surface covering with reflective film, the mechanism of occurrence and the technical measures to improve the utilization rate of light and light energy, and prospected the future research work.

Research Progress of Soybean Protein Adhesive:A Review

Traditional formaldehyde-based adhesives rely excessively on petrochemical resources,release toxic gases,and pollute the environment.Plant-derived soybean protein adhesives are eco-friendly materials that have the potential to replace the formaldehyde-based adhesives used to fabricate wood-based panels.However,the poor water resistance,high brittleness,and poor mildew resistance of soybean protein adhesives limit their industrial applications.This article reviews recent research progress in the modification of soybean protein adhesives for improving the bonding performance of adhesives used for wood-based panel fabrication.Modification methods were summarized in terms of water resistance,solid content,and mildew resistance.The modification mechanisms and remaining problems were also discussed.Finally,the current industrial applications and the future research direction of soybean protein adhesives are discussed.

Effect of solid contents on the controlled shear stress rheological properties of different types of sludge

Controlled shear stress （CSS） test was used to study the effect of solid contents on the corresponding rheological parameters for sludge. Three types of sludge with or without conditioning, including activated sludge （AS）, anaerobic digested sludge （ADS）, and water treatment residuals （WTRs）, were collected for the CSS test. Results showed that the yield stress and the cohesion energy of the sludge networks were improved with increased total suspending solid （TSS） contents in most cases. For the conditioned AS/ADS and the raw WTRs, exponential law was observed in the relationships between cohesion energy of material networks or yield stress and the TSS contents, whereas for the conditioned WTRs, only exponential law dependence was found between the parameters of shear modulus or critical strain and the TSS contents.

Ruminal bacterial community is associated with the variations of total milk solid content in Holstein lactating cows

Total milk solid(TMS)content directly reflects the quality of milk.Rumen bacteria ferment dietary components,the process of which generates the precursors for the synthesis of milk solid,therefore,the variation in rumen bacterial community could be associated with milk solid in dairy cows.In this study,45 healthy mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows with the similar body weight,lactation stage,and milk yield were initially used for the selection of 10 cows with high TMS(HS)and 10 cows with low TMS(LS).All those animals were under the same feeding management,and the individual milk yield was recorded for 14 consecutive days before milk and rumen fluid were sampled.Rumen fluid was used to determine bacterial community by 16S rRNA gene sequencing technique.The HS cows had significantly greater feed intake and milk TMS,fat,protein content than LS cows(P<0.05).Among the volatile fatty acids(VFA),propionic acid and valeric acid concentrations were significantly greater in HS cows than those in LS cows(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the concentrations of acetate,butyrate,isobutyrate,valerate,and the total VFA(P>0.05),nor was the acetate-to-propionate ratio,pH value,ammonia nitrogen and microbial crude protein concentrations(P>0.05).Significant differences in the relative abundances of some bacterial genera were found between HS and LS cows.Spearman’s rank correlation analysis revealed that TMS content was correlated positively with the abundances of Ruminococcaceae UCG-014,Ruminococcaceae NK4A214 group,Prevotellaceae UCG-001,Butyrivibrio 2,Prevotellaceae UCG-003,Candidatus Saccharimonas,Ruminococcus 2,Lachnospiraceae XPB1014 group,probable genus 10,Eubacterium ventriosum group,but negatively correlated with Pyramidobacte.In addition,Ruminococcaceae UCG-014,Ruminococcus 2,Ruminococcaceae UCG001,probable genus 10 and Eubacterium ventriosum group might boost the total VFA production in the rumen.In conclusion,the dry matter intake of dairy cows and some special bacteria in rumen were significantly associated with TMS content,which suggests the potential function of rumen bacteria contributing to TMS content in dairy cows.

Microbial fuel cell with high content solid wastes as substrates： a review

With the increasing concern about the serious global energy crisis and high energy consumption during high content solid wastes （HCSWs） treatment, microbial fuel cell （MFC） has been recognized as a promising resource utilization approach for HCSW stabilization with simultaneous electrical energy recovery. In contrast to the conventional HCSW stabilization processes, MFC has its unique advantages such as direct bio-energy conversion in a single step and mild reaction conditions （viz., ambient temperature, normal pressure, and neutral pH）. This review mainly introduces some important aspects of electricity generation from HCSW and its stabilization in MFC, focusing on： （1） MFCs with different fundamentals and configurations designed and constructed to produce electricity from HCSW; （2） performance of wastes degradation and electricity generation; （3） prospect and deficiency posed by MFCs with HCSWas substrates. To date, the major drawback of MFCs fueled by HCSW is the lower power output than those using simple substrates. HCSW hydrolysis and decomposition would be a major tool to improve the performance of MFCs. The optimization of parameters is needed to push the progress of MFCs with HCSW as fuel.

Cationic CO_(2)-based Waterborne Polyurethane with High Solid Content and Excellent Ageing Resistance

High solid content CO_(2)-based cationic waterborne polyurethanes(CWPUs)were prepared using CO_(2)-polyols as soft segment and Nmethyl diethanolamine(MDEA)as hydrophilic group.The resulting stable aqueous dispersion displayed a high solid content of 52%with a low MDEA loading of 3.52 wt%.This novel structural CWPU can provide excellent adhesive strength,whose T-peel strength could reach 173.48N/5cm,20%higher than that of ester-based cationic waterborne polyurethane(87.55 N/5cm).The CO_(2)-based CWPU film showed only 2 wt%swelling percentage after 240 min immersion in water,and no change was observed during its immersion in 5 wt%sodium hydroxide solution.The tensile strength of CO_(2)-WPUs dropped slowly to 91.2%after 480 min immersion in a 5 wt%sodium hydroxide solution,whereas that of esterbased CWPUs dropped quickly to 32%after 240 min and their mechanical properties were lost after 360 min immersion.Meanwhile,the retention of the tensile strength of the CO_(2)-CWPUs was 81.5%even after 720 min immersion in 10 wt%H_(2)O_(2) solution,while it was only ca.38%for the ester-based CWPUs.These results indicated that the cationic CO_(2)-based CWPU may be promising waterborne adhesive with outstanding ageing resistance due to its synergistic effect from carbonate and ether groups of CO_(2)-polyol structure.

Impact of greenhouse whitefly management on strawberry fruit quality

The greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum （Westwood）, is an important pest of strawberries in California, USA. The adults and nymphs feed on phloem sap of leaves to remove the photo-assimilates. The objective of this study is to test the impact of whitefly management with insecticides on strawberry fruit quality. Applications of imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, buprofezin and pyriproxyfen decreased the mean adult whitefly numbers by 2.80-, 2.17-, 1.69- and 1.39-fold, respectively, compared to the untreated control, Similarly, the mean numbers of first and second instar whiteflies were reduced 4.36-, 2.20-, 1.90- and 2.02-fold, respectively, while the mean numbers of third and fourth instars were reduced 5.48-, 2.28-, 2.71- and 1.43-fold, respectively, in plants treated with imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, buprofezin and pyriproxyfen. The mean soluble solids content in imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, buprofezin and pyriproxyfen treatments was 1.04-, 1.06-, 1.03- and 1.04-fold greater, respectively, than that in the control. The whitefly reduction enhanced the mean fruit titratable acidity by 4%-6%. Mean glucose levels in imidacloprid and thiamethoxam treatments were significantly higher than in other treatments. However, the whitefly management did not affect the mean fructose levels, lmidacloprid, thiamethoxam and pyriproxyfen treatments boosted the ascorbic acid levels by up to 4%. The impact of whitefly management on strawberry fruit nutrition and antioxidant capacity is discussed.

Effects of regulated deficit irrigation on soil salinity,physiological processes and fruit quality of gray jujube under desert conditions

Regulated deficit irrigation(RDI)was applied to gray jujube trees in an oasis region,to determine the effects of this irrigation system on soil salinity,gray jujube physiological processes,fruit yield,and fruit quality.Treatments consisted of severe,moderate and low deficit irrigation(irrigated with 85%,70%and 55%of CK,respectively)at the flowering stage to fruit set stage.During the other growth stages,all treatments were irrigated with 80%of pan evaporation,which was the same as that in control.The results indicated that soil salinity was enhanced during the periods of water stress,but the high value of soil salinity declined by 3.48%-37.27%,at each depth,after irrigation was resumed.RDI caused a decline in the photosynthetic rate,transpiration rate,and stomatal conductance,but enhanced the water use efficiency of the leaves.However,the leaf photosynthetic rate was effectively enhanced after the recovery of irrigation,especially in the moderate deficit irrigation treatment,which exceeded the control.This led to an improved fruit yield,which was 9.57%higher than that of the control.The deficit treatments caused a significant increase in the soluble solid content,soluble sugar content,single fruit weight and sugar/acid ratio.Enhanced vitamin C content,resulting from deficit treatments,has also been observed in the gray jujube.Therefore,this research shows that RDI provides some benefits in the production of gray jujube trees in desert conditions.

Sewage sludge disintegration by high-pressure homogenization: A sludge disintegration model

High-pressure homogenization （HPH） technology was applied as a pretreatment to disintegrate sewage sludge. The effects of homogenization pressure, homogenization cycle number, and total solid content on sludge disintegration were investigated. The sludge disintegration degree （DDCOD）, protein concentration, and polysaccharide concentration increased with the increase of homogenization pressure and homogenization cycle number, and decreased with the increase of sludge total solid （TS） content. The maximum DDCOD of 43.94% was achieved at 80 MPa with four homogenization cycles for a 9.58 g/L TS sludge sample. A HPH sludge disintegration model of DDCOD= kNaPb was established by multivariable linear regression to quantify the effects of homogenization parameters. The homogenization cycle exponent a and homogenization pressure exponent b were 0.4763 and 0.7324 respectively, showing that the effect of homogenization pressure （P） was more significant than that of homogenization cycle number （N）. The value of the rate constant k decreased with the increase of sludge total solid content. The specific energy consumption increased with the increment of sludge disintegration efficiency. Lower specific energy consumption was required for higher total solid content sludge.