DASUNet: a deeply supervised change detection network integrating full-scale features.

The change detection (CD) technology has greatly improved the ability to interpret land surface changes. Deep learning (DL) methods have been widely used in the field of CD due to its high detection accuracy and application range. DL-based CD methods usually cannot fuse the extracted feature information at full scale, leaving out effective information, and commonly use transfer learning methods, which rely on the original dataset and training weights. To address the above issues, we propose a deeply supervised (DS) change detection network (DASUNet) that fuses full-scale features, which adopts a Siamese architecture, fuses full-scale feature information, and realizes end-to-end training. In order to obtain higher feature information, the network uses atrous spatial pyramid pooling (ASPP) module in the coding stage. In addition, the DS module is used in the decoding stage to exploit feature information at each scale in the final prediction. The experimental comparison shows that the proposed network has the current state-of-the-art performance on the CDD and the WHU-CD, reaching 94.32% and 90.37% on F1, respectively.

Hypoglycemic effect of recrystallized resistant starch on high-fat diet- and streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic mice via gut microbiota modulation.

The hypoglycemic effects of two recrystallized resistant starches, A-type (ARS) and B-type (BRS), were investigated in type 2 diabetic mice. Mice were treated with low-, medium-, or high-dose ARS, high-dose BRS, or high-dose ARS combined with BRS (ABRS). After 10 weeks of continuous intervention, the medium-dose ARS group showed a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose, area under the curve of glucose, triglyceride (P < 0.01), and low-density lipoprotein (P < 0.05) levels compared to the model group and an increase in high-density lipoprotein levels (P < 0.01). The peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide-1 levels in the high-dose ARS, BRS, and ABRS groups and the butyric acid yield in the medium-dose ARS and BRS groups were significantly increased (P < 0.01) compared to those in the model group. Medium- and high-dose ARS intervention efficiently increased the relative abundance of beneficial Bacteroidetes, Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, and Faecalibaculum, and lowered the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. Overall, ARS exhibited greater advantages than BRS in lowering blood sugar levels.

Recrystallized resistant starch by encapsulation with konjac glucomannan: Structural changes, digestibility, and its effect on glucose response and short-term satiety in mice.

The effects of the structure and digestibility of konjac glucomannan (KGM)-recrystallized resistant starch complex (KRS3) on the glycemic response and short-term satiety in mice were investigated. KRS3 samples were prepared by recrystallized debranched starch (RS3) at 50 °C, and then combined with KGM. The RS3 and KRS3 samples displayed an A-type pattern and maintained peak temperature values above 110 °C. With an increase in KGM, the swelling power and apparent viscosity of KRS3 increased. The results of in vitro and in vivo digestion revealed that KRS3 with a resistant starch content ranging from 69.4 % to 78.8 % could effectively maintain postprandial blood glucose levels. KRS3, particularly with 0.5 % KGM, slowed gastric emptying of mice from 82.7 % to 36.6 % and intestinal propulsion rate from 60.9 % to 35.3 %, resulting in strong satiety. RS3 combined with KGM could serve as a new approach to develop RS3 based foods with low glycemic responses and high-satiety.

Recrystallized Resistant Starch: Structural Changes in the Stomach, Duodenum, and Ileum and the Impact on Blood Glucose and Intestinal Microbiome in Mice.

The structure and properties of resistant starch (RS) and its digestive products were assessed in mice. Digestion of recrystallized (group RS3, including RS3a and RS3b) and control RS (RS2, RS4, and RS5) in the stomach, duodenum, and ileum of mice was systematically analyzed along with in vivo digestive degradation of RS3. RS3a and RS3b significantly reduced the release of blood glucose. During in vivo digestion, the proportion of ultrashort and A chains in the RS3a and RS3b digestive residues gradually increased, whereas the proportion of B1 and B2 chains gradually reduced. B3+ chain proportions did not change. The final digestive residues in the ileum (RS3a-I90 and RS3b-I90) maintained a high proportion of suitable chain length, accounting for more than 60%. The crystalline structure of RS3a-I90 was weakened, indicating the hydrolysis of partial crystal structure. In comparison, RS3b-I90 maintained an orderly crystalline structure, indicating its higher resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis. In vivo experiments showed that RS could maintain the normal growth of mice and effectively control weight gain. RS3a significantly increased the concentrations of acetic, propionic, and butyric acids, while reducing the abundance of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio, further confirming the benefits of RS3 in gastrointestinal health.

Preparation and characterization of non-crystalline granular starch with low processing viscosity.

Non-crystalline granular starch (NCGS) has advantages in the deep processing of starch owing to its unique structure and function. In this study, NCGS was successfully prepared at a baking temperature of 210 °C, and the morphology, structure, pasting properties, and rheological properties of the NCGS were systematically studied. Compared with native starch, NCGS showed a lower processing viscosity and rapid reduction in the peak viscosity from 3795 to 147 cP. Furthermore, NCGS exhibited impaired short- and long-range ordered structures, as indicated by the lower ratio of absorbance at 1047/1015 cm-1 and decreased crystallinity compared to native starch. Additionally, amylose and amylopectin with long and medium chains in NCGS were degraded into short chains, resulting in an increase in amylose content and branch density. The analysis of the physicochemical properties of NCGS, especially the low processing viscosity, is of great importance for the industrial application of starch, particularly in terms of improving the yield, saving energy, and reducing environmental pollution.

Eco-friendly and superhydrophobic nano-starch based coatings for self-cleaning application and oil-water separation.

High-performance nano-based superhydrophobic coatings have attracted tremendous attention in a wide range of sectors. As a biodegradable and low-cost natural polymer, starch nanoparticles (SNPs) exhibit significant potential for use in many advanced materials. However, nano-starch based superhydrophobic coatings have not yet been reported. Herein, SNPs/polydimethylsiloxane composites were applied to fabricate these coatings using an environmentally friendly approach. The coating exhibited superhydrophobic (water contact angle >152.0° and sliding angle <9.0°) and self-cleaning properties owing to the hierarchical micro and nanostructures formed by coralloid SNP aggregates combined with the low surface energy of the PDMS covering. Meanwhile, the strong adhesion of PDMS and chemical bonding of SNPs with PDMS endowed the coatings with mechanical and chemical robustness. The excellent oil-water separation abilities of the coating were also comprehensively confirmed. This coating shows the potential application in the development of eco-friendly self-cleaning materials and oily wastewater treatment.

Type III Resistant Starch Prepared from Debranched Starch: Structural Changes under Simulated Saliva, Gastric, and Intestinal Conditions and the Impact on Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production.

Type III resistant starch (RS3) has high resistance to enzymatic digestibility and benefits colonic bacteria by producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) via fermentation. Studies have delineated RS preparation and the description of RS fractions with different types of starch, but the digestion process has received little attention. The molecular and crystalline structure changes, thermal properties, and SCFA content of RS3 obtained from debranched starch were investigated in simulated salivary, gastric, and intestinal digestion systems. The average degree of polymerization and the melting enthalpy change of the digested RS3 residues increased; a high molecular order was reflected by the higher relative crystallinity. Fine structural changes suggested that enzyme-resistant starch might form during digestion by the rearrangement of short amylose chains into enzyme-resistant structures with higher relative crystallinity. After fermentation of human feces, RS3 increased the SCFA content, especially of butyric acid, indicating that this recrystallized RS3 could be a new prebiotic product.

Fabrication and characterization of hollow starch nanoparticles by heterogeneous crystallization of debranched starch in a nanoemulsion system.

The development of hollow nanoparticles has attracted widespread interest due to their potential commercial applications. This work aimed to prepare a novel hollow starch nanoparticles (HSNPs) from debranched waxy corn starch (DBS) via an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion templating method. The effects of different concentrations of DBS on the formation of HSNPs at 4 °C and 25 °C were investigated. The monodispersed HSNPs obtained with 0.5% concentrations of DBS at 25 °C had spherical shapes, ranging between 200 and 800 nm. HSNPs with relative crystallinities of 16.9%-29.7% exhibited V-type or B + V-type structures, which indicated that DBS at low concentrations (0.5%-2.0%) could recrystallize and concomitantly form starch-lipid complexes around emulsion droplets. This novel approach of preparing HSNPs is viable and simple. The developed HSNPs could have great potential for delivering drugs or active ingredients.

Interactions between debranched starch and emulsifiers, polyphenols, and fatty acids.

Debranching modifications of waxy corn starch with pullulanase can generate short-chain amylose or debranched starch (DBS), which is easy to recrystallize. Herein, we firstly investigated the regulation of recrystallization behaviors of DBS by studying the interactions between DBS and emulsifiers, polyphenols, and fatty acids. Sodium dodecyl sulfate at the 3.0% level had strong interactions with DBS. When the concentration of epigallocatechin gallate was 15%, the enthalpy change (ΔH) of DBS was close to 0 J/g and the relative crystallinity of DBS was 0, clearly indicating the strong interactions between epigallocatechin gallate and DBS. When the concentration of caproic acid, caprylic acid, and capric acid increased from 0 to 20.0%, the ΔH of DBS decreased from 11.38 ± 0.01 to 3.90 ± 0.63, 1.39 ± 0.21, and 3.98 ± 0.83 J/g, respectively. The interactions between emulsifiers, polyphenols, and fatty acids and DBS could affect physiochemical properties of DBS in varying degrees.

Preparation and characterization of zwitterionic functionalized starch nanoparticles.

Zwitterionic polymers have attracted great attention due to their unique structure, which can be used for various applications, such as the improvement of nanoparticle stability, ion exchange, sewage treatment, and biomedicine. Here, zwitterionic functionalized starch nanoparticles (SNPs) were successfully prepared in two steps by carboxymethylation and quaternization. The structure of the modified SNPs was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The zwitterionic SNPs with a size of 30-100 nm were well dispersed without aggregation. The relative crystallinity of zwitterionic SNPs (35.2%) was increased compared to that of SNPs (31.7%). The zwitterionic SNPs could be used effectively to absorb dyes, and its isoelectric point was around pH 9.4. The zwitterionic SNPs may be used as nontoxic adsorption carriers that can be used in health foods or drug delivery applications.

Structural modification and functional improvement of starch nanoparticles using vacuum cold plasma.

Starch nanoparticles (SNPs) have become one of the most interesting nanocarriers due to their relatively easy synthesis, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. However, the practical applications of SNPs are limited, as their aggregation reduce their functionality. Here, SNPs obtained by recrystallizing debranched waxy maize starch were modified using oxygen and ammonia vacuum cold plasma (CP). The modified SNPs were measured using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, showing a new carbonyl or carboxyl peak at 1720 cm-1. SNPs modified with oxygen CP treatment have negative charges (-21.6 to -15.1 mV). Modified SNPs with diameter ranging from 75.94 to 159.72 nm had good dispersibility without much aggregation. The relative crystallinity of modified SNPs decreased from 44.13% to 33.80%. Moreover, modified SNPs showed high absorption of tea polyphenols, indicating that as nanocarriers, they can accommodate more cargo molecules than primary SNPs. CP modification of SNPs is simple, green, and inexpensive. Modified SNPs can be used as nanocarriers to deliver drug or food components in the food and pharmaceuticals industries.

Green preparation and characterization of starch nanoparticles using a vacuum cold plasma process combined with ultrasonication treatment.

In this study, starch nanoparticles (SNPs) were fabricated via a facile and green method involving a vacuum low-temperature plasma process combined with rapid ultrasonication treatment using waxy corn starch (WCS) and potato starch (PS). Morphology, size, crystalline structure, thermal property, and stability analyses of the SNPs were systematically performed. The obtained SNPs exhibited good uniformity and almost perfect spherical and square shapes. The zeta potential and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results confirmed that the SNPs were covered with negative carboxyl groups (zeta potential ranging from -21.8 ±â€¯1.06 to -9.78 ±â€¯0.89 mV). The gelatinization enthalpy of SNPs from PS significantly decreased, changing from 16.63 ±â€¯0.91 to 9.81 ±â€¯0.19 J/g. However, the crystal patterns of SNPs from the WCS and PS after plasma and ultrasonic treatments did not change. The crystallinity of SNPs from PS decreased from 45.2% to 16.5%. This novel approach to preparing SNPs is low cost, simple and green. The developed SNPs could have great potential in the food, biomedical, and material industries.

Retrogradation behavior of debranched starch with different degrees of polymerization.

Retrogradation is inevitable during the storage of starchy products. Retrogradation behavior of starches (e.g., amylopectin and amylose) has been widely investigated. We firstly studied the retrogradation behavior of short linear glucan debranched from amylopectin with different degrees of polymerization (DP). With increasing DP, the retrogradation enthalpy change (ΔH) of debranched starch (DBS) increased. At a DBS to water ratio of 1:2 and a storage time of 0 min, the retrogradation ΔH of DBS samples (DP 11.96, 12.62, and 13.36) reached up to 6.03 ±â€¯0.41, 8.03 ±â€¯0.53, and 12.80 ±â€¯1.57 J/g, respectively. The greater the short-chain length, the more rapid the retrogradation of DBS. The peak temperature of retrograded DBS (101.95-111.53 °C) with a DBS to water ratio of 1:2 stored at 50 °C was greater than that stored at 4 °C. The retrogradation of DBS was rapid, taking only 0-120 min, corresponding to ultra-short-term retrogradation.

Preparation of extra-small nisin nanoparticles for enhanced antibacterial activity after autoclave treatment.

Nisin is applied broadly in the food industry as an antimicrobial peptide. The objective of this study is to prepare nisin nanoparticles using free nisin by a facile nanoprecipitation technique and to investigate their antimicrobial activity after high-temperature processing. Transmission electron microscopic images showed that the size of extra-small nisin nanoparticles with different initial concentrations of nisin (0.1%, 0.3% and 0.5%) was 5, 10 and 15 nm, respectively. The nisin nanoparticles were stable at pH 5.0 with the smallest size. Moreover, nisin nanoparticles exhibited a higher antimicrobial activity than free nisin at a concentration below 2.0 mg/ml after autoclave treatment. These results suggested that nisin nanoparticles could serve as a potential food preservative.

In vitro inhibition of pancreatic α-amylase by spherical and polygonal starch nanoparticles.

Nanoparticles are novel and fascinating materials for tuning the activities of enzymes. In this study, we investigated the influence of spherical and polygonal starch nanoparticles (SNPs) on α-amylase activity and revealed the reaction mechanisms by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. We discovered that both spherical and polygonal SNPs could inhibit the α-amylase activity, with half-inhibitory concentration values of 0.304 and 0.019 mg mL-1, respectively. Furthermore, spherical and polygonal SNPs followed competitive and mixed competitive inhibition mechanisms, respectively. The fluorescence data indicated that static quenching was dominant in the interaction between SNPs and α-amylase. The CD results demonstrated that the inhibition of α-amylase by SNPs was accompanied by the decreased intensity of the CD spectra of α-amylase. Our findings provide a novel strategy to inhibit α-amylase to reduce the digestion of starch, thus managing blood glucose levels.

Synergistic effect of glycerol and ionic strength on the rheological behavior of cellulose nanocrystals suspension system.

To broaden the application of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) in the field of biopolymer nanocomposites, a systematic assessment of the viscoelastic properties of CNC suspensions in the presence of glycerol (Gly) and/or sodium chloride (NaCl) was conducted. The viscosity, storage modulus (G'), and loss modulus (G'') increased with increasing concentrations of CNCs and Gly, respectively. Dramatically, the G' and G'' values were raised and tanδ (<1) decreased with the increasing addition of NaCl, indicating that the elastic properties of CNCs in NaCl solutions continuously strengthened, thereby the gel-like response of the network was enhanced. Moreover, the addition of 40% Gly significantly increased the values of G' and G'' for CNCs in NaCl solutions. This work demonstrates new findings related to the rheological properties of CNC gels with Gly/NaCl, and accounts for the interaction mechanisms between CNCs and CNCs/Gly/NaCl, with electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, and Na+ bridging. We wish our study could better serve for future works based on design of CNCs in biomedical and packaging materials industries.

Characterizations of Pickering emulsions stabilized by starch nanoparticles: Influence of starch variety and particle size.

Pickering emulsions were first successfully fabricated by different types and sizes of corn, tapioca, sweet potato, and waxy corn starch nanoparticles as stabilizers. Photography, optical microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and rheology measurements were used to characterize Pickering emulsions stabilized by various starch nanoparticles. The results showed that tapioca, sweet potato, and corn starch nanoparticles were appropriate for Pickering emulsion stabilization because the three nanoparticles have nearly neutral wettability (θow ∼90°). Confocal microscopy revealed that intact and thick nanoparticle shells coated the surface of oil droplets. The Pickering emulsions stabilized by sweet potato and corn starch nanoparticles with a diameter that ranged from 100 to 220nm had better stability than those with a diameter either less than 100nm or more than 220nm. These results suggested that starch nanoparticles could be used as promising particulate emulsifiers to fulfill the demands of Pickering emulsions with stable characteristics.

Synthesis and study the properties of StNPs/gum nanoparticles for salvianolic acid B-oral delivery system.

To fabricate stable sized and shaped controlled release delivery systems for salvianolic acid B (Sal B), different food gums were individually added to short-chain glucan solution to prepare starch nanoparticles (StNPs)/gum nanocomposites by self-assembly, and Sal B was embedded in situ. The results showed that size of StNPs was reduced to ca. 45nm with the addition of chitosan and rosin, which decreased by over 50% than that of StNPs without the gum. The StNPs/guar gum nanocomposites had the largest size (109.2nm) among samples of StNPs with gums. The StNPs with chitosan and gum arabic exhibited an obvious core-shell structure. The loading capacities of Sal B in StNPs, StNPs/chitosan, and StNPs/gum arabic nanocomposites were 5.2, 8.26 and 8.08%, respectively. The in vitro release of Sal B from StNPs/gum nanocomposites were sustained and prolonged for over 12h, indicating that StNPs/gum nanocomposites are good candidates to control Sal B release.

Preparation and characterization of essential oil-loaded starch nanoparticles formed by short glucan chains.

Essential oils (EOs), including menthone, oregano, cinnamon, lavender, and citral, are natural products that have antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. However, extremely low water solubility, and easy degradation by heat, restrict their application. The aim of this work was to evaluate the enhancement in antioxidative and antimicrobial activities of EOs encapsulated in starch nanoparticles (SNPs) prepared by short glucan chains. For the first time, we have successfully fabricated menthone-loaded SNPs (SNPs-M) at different complexation temperatures (30, 60, and 90°C) by an in situ nanoprecipitation method. The SNPs-M displayed spherical shapes, and the particle sizes ranged from 93 to 113nm. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) of SNPs-M increased significantly with an increase in complexation temperature, and the maximum EE was 86.6%. The SNPs-M formed at 90°C had high crystallization and thermal stability. The durations of the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of EOs was extended by their encapsulation in the SNPs.

The inhibition effect of starch nanoparticles on tyrosinase activity and its mechanism.

The objective of the current research was to investigate the effects of starch nanoparticles (SNPs) prepared from waxy maize, potato, normal corn, and tapioca starches on the activity of tyrosinase. As a main polyphenol oxidase, tyrosinase not only induces fruit and vegetable browning but also causes skin diseases by overproducing melanin. Herein, for the first time, we evaluated the inhibitory kinetics of SNPs on tyrosinase. It turned out that SNPs inhibited tyrosinase activity reversibly. The IC50 values of hollow nanoparticles, amylopectin nanoparticles, corn starch nanoparticles, and tapioca starch nanoparticles were 0.308, 0.669, 1.490, and 4.774 µM, respectively. Assay of fluorescence spectra demonstrated that SNPs quenched the tyrosinase intrinsic fluorescence. Moreover, binding constant and binding sites found that SNPs were bound to tyrosinase through van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonds, as well as electrostatic interactions. Analysis of circular dichroism indicated that the incorporation of SNPs into tyrosinase prompted conformational alteration of the enzyme. Furthermore, inhibition of browning by SNPs loading with l-dopa compound indicated that not only the tyrosinase activity was inhibited, but also SNPs decreased free dopa content by adsorption. This research on SNPs as potential inhibitors could give rise to advancement in the realm of anti-tyrosinase and have versatile applications in medicine, food, cosmetics, materials and drugs.