-
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Iron red, a traditional Jingdezhen overglaze color, is primarily colored with iron oxide (FeO). In traditional processes, the main ingredient for the iron red overglaze...
Iron red, a traditional Jingdezhen overglaze color, is primarily colored with iron oxide (FeO). In traditional processes, the main ingredient for the iron red overglaze color, raw iron red, is produced by calcining iron vitriol (FeSO·7HO). Analysis of ancient iron red porcelain samples indicates that the coloration is unstable, ranging from bright red to dark red and occasionally to black. Addressing this, the present study, from a ceramic technology standpoint, conducts a series of calcination experiments on industrial iron vitriol at varying temperatures. Utilizing methodologies such as differential scanning calorimetry-thermogravimetry (DSC-TG), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), and optical microscopy (OM), this research scientifically explores the impact of iron vitriol's calcination temperature on the coloration of traditional Jingdezhen iron red overglaze color. The findings indicate that from room temperature to 550 °C, the dehydration of iron vitriol resulted in the formation of Fe(SO) and a minimal amount of α-FeO, rendering the iron red overglaze color a yellowish-red shade. At 650 °C, the coexistence of Fe(SO) and α-FeO imparted a brick-red color to the iron red. As the temperature was elevated to 700 °C, the desulfurization of Fe(SO) produced α-FeO, transitioning the iron red to an orange red. With further temperature increase to 750 °C, the particle size of α-FeO grew and the crystal reflectivity decreased, resulting in a purplish-red hue. Throughout this stage, the powder remained in a single α-FeO phase. Upon further heating to 800 °C, the crystallinity of α-FeO enhanced, giving the iron red overglaze color a dark red or even black appearance.
PubMed: 38930171
DOI: 10.3390/ma17122800 -
Journal of Personalized Medicine Jun 2024Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is the most frequent cause of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTSs) in elderly populations. Minimally invasive treatments of BPH are...
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is the most frequent cause of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTSs) in elderly populations. Minimally invasive treatments of BPH are safe and effective and are gaining popularity among both professionals and patients. Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) has proven to be effective in Trans-Urethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) in terms of prostate volume reduction and LUTS relief. PAE entails the selective catheterization of the prostatic artery and later embolization of distal vessels with beads of various calibers. Universal consensus regarding the ideal particle size is yet to be defined. We retrospectively evaluated 24 consecutive patients (median age: 75 years; range: 59-86 years) treated with PAE at our institution from October 2015 to November 2022. Particles of different sizes were employed; 12 patients were treated with 40-120 µm particles, 5 with 100 µm, 5 with 100-300 µm and 2 with 250 µm. Technical success, defined as selective prostate artery catheterization and controlled release of embolizing beads, was achieved in all patients. Removal vs. retention of the urinary catheter at the first post-procedural urological visit was the main clinical objective. No major peri-procedural complications were recorded, with 56% of patients successfully removing the urinary catheter.
PubMed: 38929834
DOI: 10.3390/jpm14060613 -
Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Cushuro () polysaccharide was used to co-microencapsulate sacha inchi oil, natural antioxidant extracts from the oleoresin of charapita chili peppers ( L.) and grape...
Cushuro () polysaccharide was used to co-microencapsulate sacha inchi oil, natural antioxidant extracts from the oleoresin of charapita chili peppers ( L.) and grape orujo ( L.). Encapsulation efficiency, moisture, particle size, morphology, oxidative stability, shelf-life, solubility, essential fatty acid profile, sterol content and antioxidant capacity were evaluated. The formulations with grape orujo extract showed higher oxidative stability (4908 ± 184 h), antioxidant capacity (4835.33 ± 40.02 µg Trolox/g ms), higher phenolic contents (960.11 ± 53.59 µg AGE/g ms) and a smaller particle size (7.55 µm) than the other formulations, as well as good solubility and a low moisture content. Therefore, grape orujo extracts can be used as natural antioxidants. The fatty acid composition (ω-3) remained quite stable in all the formulations carried out, which also occurred for sterols and tocopherols. In combination with gum arabic, grape orujo extract offered oxidative protection to sacha inchi oil during the first week of storage.
PubMed: 38929119
DOI: 10.3390/antiox13060680 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2024Engineered stone (ES) is a popular building product, due to its architectural versatility and generally lower cost. However, the fabrication of organic resin-based ES... (Review)
Review
Engineered stone (ES) is a popular building product, due to its architectural versatility and generally lower cost. However, the fabrication of organic resin-based ES kitchen benchtops from slabs has been associated with alarming rates of silicosis among workers. In 2024, fifteen years after the first reported ES-related cases in the world, Australia became the first country to ban the use and importation of ES. A range of interacting factors are relevant for ES-associated silicosis, including ES material composition, characteristics of dust exposure and lung cell-particle response. In turn, these are influenced by consumer demand, work practices, particle size and chemistry, dust control measures, industry regulation and worker-related characteristics. This literature review provides an evidence synthesis using a narrative approach, with the themes of product, exposure and host. Exposure pathways and pathogenesis are explored. Apart from crystalline silica content, consideration is given to non-siliceous ES components such as resins and metals that may modify chemical interactions and disease risk. Preventive effort can be aligned with each theme and associated evidence.
Topics: Silicosis; Humans; Occupational Exposure; Construction Materials; Dust
PubMed: 38928930
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060683 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024To decrease the lipid content in water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions, high internal phase Pickering W/O emulsions (HIPPE) were fabricated using magnetic stirring using a...
To decrease the lipid content in water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions, high internal phase Pickering W/O emulsions (HIPPE) were fabricated using magnetic stirring using a combination of monoglyceride (MAG) oleogel and polyglycerol polyacrylate oleate (PGPR) as stabilizers. Effects of MAGs (glyceryl monostearate-GMS, glycerol monolaurate-GML and glycerol monocaprylate-GMC) and internal phase components on the formation and properties of HIPPEs were investigated. The results showed that milky-white stabilized W/O HIPPE with up to 85 wt% aqueous phase content was successfully prepared, and the droplet interfaces presented a network of MAG crystals, independent of the MAG type. All HIPPEs exhibited great stability under freeze-thaw cycles but were less plastic. Meanwhile, GML-oleogel-based HIPPEs had larger particle size and were less thermal stable than GMS and GMC-based HIPPEs. Compared to guar gum, the internal phase components of sodium chloride and sucrose were more effective in reducing the particle size of HIPPEs, improving their stability and plasticity, and stabilizing them during 100-day storage. HIPPEs presented great spreadability, ductility and plasticity after whipping treatment. This knowledge provides a new perspective on the use of oleogels as co-stabilizers for the formation of W/O HIPPEs, which can be used as a potential substitute for creams.
PubMed: 38928884
DOI: 10.3390/foods13121944 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Pancakes prepared with sorghum flour possess a high nutritional value, yet their quality is unstable and prone to degradation during storage. This instability can be...
Pancakes prepared with sorghum flour possess a high nutritional value, yet their quality is unstable and prone to degradation during storage. This instability can be attributed to the particle size of coarse cereal powder, which significantly influences the quality of flour products during storage. In this study, changes in the quality of these pancakes, prepared with varying particle sizes of sorghum flour, were meticulously analyzed during cold storage using advanced instruments such as a texture analyzer, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, differential scanning calorimeter, X-ray diffractometer, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. Findings revealed that the hardness of leavened pancakes significantly increased over time. After a refrigeration period of 7 days, the hardness of wheat flour leavened pancakes increased by 56.60%. However, with a decrease in the particle size of sorghum flour, the increase in hardness diminished, thereby delaying the aging process of the pancakes. As the storage duration was extended, moisture migration within the pancakes occurred, and the sorghum flour pancakes with a smaller particle size exhibited a reduced moisture change rate, indicating an enhanced water holding capacity. In comparison to their wheat flour counterparts, sorghum flour leavened pancakes exhibited a substantial reduction in retrogradation enthalpy and crystallinity. The inclusion of sorghum flour effectively inhibited amylopectin recrystallization, thus slowing down the aging process of the pancakes. This inhibitory effect was more evident with decreasing sorghum flour particle sizes. Fourier transform infrared data indicated no significant alterations in absorption peaks across various wavelengths during cold storage. Although starch short-range orderliness increased with storage time, the use of sorghum flour with smaller particles reduced the degree of short-range orderliness in starch molecules throughout the cold storage period. Sorghum flour with a smaller particle size can inhibit water migration and amylopectin recrystallization, which subsequently delays pancake aging and enhances its quality stability during storage.
PubMed: 38928873
DOI: 10.3390/foods13121934 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The objective of this study was to investigate granule size and distribution and deformability of granules and their effect on the rheological properties of waxy starch...
The objective of this study was to investigate granule size and distribution and deformability of granules and their effect on the rheological properties of waxy starch gels. Native (granular) waxy rice gels (10%) were prepared, and their response in oscillatory shear was investigated in the linear and non-linear viscoelastic regime. The results show the gels were mainly composed of aggregated and deformed swollen granules. Significance of granule size and its distribution, deformability of granules, and the molecular characteristics of amylopectin (AP) on storage modulus of those gels was demonstrated. A low degree of deformability of granules, typical for small granules with a broad size distribution and small molecular size of AP with short external chains, resulted in rigid and brittle gels. Highly deformed granules and high AP leachates, however, yielded soft gels. It was found that the transition of elastic to plastic behavior in the non-linear regime (LAOS) was gradual when AP had long external chains, but an abrupt transition was observed with the gel with short exterior chains of AP. Differences in rheological properties of cohesive waxy starch gels appear to be mainly impacted by the varying degrees of granule deformability and rigidity, which is further attributed to a combination of factors, including granule size, particle size distribution, molecular size, the external chain length of amylopectin (AP), and lipid content. The significance of this study is that it will assist the food industry in selecting suitable waxy rice starches to gain desired textural properties of end products.
PubMed: 38928806
DOI: 10.3390/foods13121864 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Despite its importance as an undesirable food texture, the phenomenon of chalkiness remains understudied. sensations presumably arise from fine particulates found in...
Despite its importance as an undesirable food texture, the phenomenon of chalkiness remains understudied. sensations presumably arise from fine particulates found in foods, but semantic overlap with other common descriptors of small particles, like gritty or sandy, is unclear. Here, we compare the usage of with related descriptors, and determine the effect of particle size, concentration, and xanthan content on ratings in a model beverage. A 2 factorial design with starch particle size (D = 33.8 and 64.6 µm), starch concentrations (10 and 20% /), and xanthan content (0.075 and 0.15% /) was used. Participants' salivary flow rate was also assessed. A multi-sip taste test was performed where naïve consumers (n = 82; 39% men, 60% women; age range = 18-79 years) rated the intensity of , , , , , and at 0, 30, and 60 s after each of three consecutive sips. All attribute ratings were highly correlated, with , , and being more closely correlated with each other than or . Although was still reported 60 s after consumption, no evidence of build-up was found with repeated sips. A larger size and higher concentration increased ratings, with the low-salivary-flow group reporting greater ratings for relative to the high-flow group. Our results suggest consumer percepts of small particles are overlapping but not entirely redundant. This suggests researchers and product developers should carefully distinguish between these descriptors when trying to understand consumer perception of food products containing fine particles.
PubMed: 38928793
DOI: 10.3390/foods13121852 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Sea buckthorn juice has high nutritional value and a rich flavor that consumers enjoy. Traditional sea buckthorn thermal processing (TP) technology has problems such as...
Sea buckthorn juice has high nutritional value and a rich flavor that consumers enjoy. Traditional sea buckthorn thermal processing (TP) technology has problems such as low juice yield, poor quality, and poor flavor. Sea buckthorn berries are processed using a technique combining pulsed electric field (PEF) and high-pressure processing (HPP) to increase juice yield and study its impact on the quality and volatile aroma of sea buckthorn juice. Results have show that, compared with TP, under the condition of PEF-HPP, the juice yield of sea buckthorn significantly increased by 11.37% ( > 0.05); TP and PEF-HPP treatments could effectively kill microorganisms in sea buckthorn juice, but the quality of sea buckthorn juice decreased significantly after TP treatment ( > 0.05), whereas PEF-HPP coupling technology could maximally retain the nutrients of sea buckthorn juice while inhibiting enzymatic browning to improve color, viscosity, and particle size. The flavor of sea buckthorn juice is analyzed using electronic nose (E-nose) and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometer (GC-IMS) techniques, and it has been shown that PEF-HPP retains more characteristic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of sea buckthorn while avoiding the acrid and pungent flavors produced by TP, such as benzaldehyde, (E)-2-heptenal, and pentanoic acid, among others, which improves the sensory quality of sea buckthorn juice. PEF-HPP technology is environmentally friendly and efficient, with significant economic benefits. Research data provide information and a theoretical basis for the sea buckthorn juice processing industry.
PubMed: 38928771
DOI: 10.3390/foods13121829 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The low rehydration properties of commercial soy protein powder (SPI), a major plant-based food ingredient, have limited the development of plant-based foods. The...
The low rehydration properties of commercial soy protein powder (SPI), a major plant-based food ingredient, have limited the development of plant-based foods. The present study proposes a treatment of soy lecithin modification combined with Alcalase hydrolysis to improve the rehydration of soy protein powder, as well as other processing properties (emulsification, viscosity). The results show that the soy protein-soy lecithin complex powder, which is hydrolyzed for 30 min (SPH-SL-30), has the smallest particle size, the smallest zeta potential, the highest surface hydrophobicity, and a uniform microstructure. In addition, the value of the ratio of the α-helical structure/β-folded structure was the smallest in the SPH-SL-30. After measuring the rehydration properties, emulsification properties, and viscosity, it was found that the SPH-SL-30 has the shortest wetting time of 3.04 min, the shortest dispersion time of 12.29 s, the highest solubility of 93.17%, the highest emulsifying activity of 32.42 m/g, the highest emulsifying stability of 98.33 min, and the lowest viscosity of 0.98 pa.s. This indicates that the treatment of soy lecithin modification combined with Alcalase hydrolysis destroys the structure of soy protein, changes its physicochemical properties, and improves its functional properties. In this study, soy protein was modified by the treatment of soy lecithin modification combined with Alcalase hydrolysis to improve the processing characteristics of soy protein powders and to provide a theoretical basis for its high-value utilization in the plant-based food field.
PubMed: 38928742
DOI: 10.3390/foods13121800