Construction of one-dimensional ZnCdS(EDA)/Ni@NiO for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

The development of photocatalysts plays a pivotal role in facilitating the production of green hydrogen energy through water splitting. In this study, one-dimensional (1D) organic-inorganic ZnCdS(EDA)/Ni@NiO (EDA: ethylenediamine) nanorods were prepared by combining organic molecules of EDA into ZnCdS. The EDA molecule possesses two amino functional groups with strong electron-donating capacity, thereby facilitating electron transfer to ZnCdS(EDA)/Ni@NiO and enabling efficient hydrogen evolution through photocatalytic water splitting. The H2 evolution rate of ZnCdS(EDA)/Ni@NiO was 159 µmol g-1 h-1 in the absence of sacrificial agents, and its H2 evolution rate in the system with EDA as the sacrificial agent can reach 5760 µmol g-1 h-1. The combination of EDA, a S vacancy, and heterojunction was proved to be the main factor for improving the separation and transfer rate of photogenerated carriers. The incorporation of ZnCdS(EDA)/Ni@NiO enhances the participation of photogenerated electrons in the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction, thereby improving the overall photocatalytic activity. The synthesis of this one-dimensional composite catalyst holds great potential for advancing the development of efficient photocatalytic materials.

Effect of the substitution of butter by double cross-linked egg yolk granules/sodium alginate emulsion gel on properties of baking dough during frozen storage.

In this study, double cross-linked egg yolk granules (EYGs)/sodium alginate (SA) emulsion gel was constructed and used as butter substitute. The water binding capacity, rheology properties and microstructure of EYGs/SA emulsion gel showed that the network structure tended to be complete when the concentration of SA reached 1% (m/v). SA stabilized the EYGs/SA droplets and enhanced the spatial network structure of emulsion gel. After substitution for butter, the network structure of EYGs/SA emulsion gel with more water bounded and the polyhydroxy structure of SA molecules endowed dough with more water retention capacity. Meanwhile, the destruction of the microstructure of the replaced dough with EYGs/SA emulsion gel was significantly inhibited compared with the un-substituted dough after freezing. The baking ability results showed a satisfactory baking effect after substitution. Overall, this study provides a new avenue in the field of fat replacement and the application of EYGs/SA emulsion gels.

Changes in structural, rheological, and gel properties of egg white protein induced by preheating in the dry state.

The knowledge of fundamental rheological concepts is essential to understand the gelling process of egg white proteins (EWP), which can be used to further manipulate the gel performance with desired sensorial attributes. In this study, the rheological and gel properties of EWP as influenced by heating in the dry state were investigated. The structural changes in dry heated EWP (DEWP) were also characterized in terms of morphology, protein stability, and protein microenvironment. The results showed that moderate dry heating induced linear aggregation of DEWP and decreased the denaturation temperature (Td) and enthalpy of denaturation (ΔH). Furthermore, the cross-linking on protein surface led to nonpolar microenvironment of hydrophobic groups, which lays the foundation of improved gel properties. The specific outcomes include the increase in the G'max and the G''max values, k'/k'' values of DEWP dispersions, gel hardness and gumminess of DEWP gels and a decrease in gelation temperature of DEWP dispersions. However, few changes were found in the springiness and cohesiveness of the DEWP gels with increasing dry heating time. Notably, gels prepared with DEWP also had better digestibility. Overall, these results can provide theoretical basis for quality control and sensory evaluation of DEWP in the food industry.

Effect of Mortise and Tenon Structure on the Properties of Wood Flour Polyvinyl Chloride-Laminated Veneer Lumber Co-Extruded Composites.

Core-shell composites with strong weather resistance, mechanical strength and creep resistance can be prepared using co-extrusion technology. Considering the weak bonding strength between core-shell interfaces, this study started from the concept of a mortise and tenon combination; three types of conical, rectangular and trapezoidal mortise and tenon joints were prepared, and their bending properties, long-term creep properties, interfacial bonding properties, and dimensional stability properties were tested. Results showed that the mortise and tenon structure could form a mechanical interlock between the outer-shell-layer polyvinyl chloride (PVC) wood-plastic composite (WPVC) and the inner-core-layer laminated veneer lumber (LVL), which could effectively improve the interface bonding property between the two layers. Among them, the trapezoidal mortise and tenon structure had the largest interface bonding force compared with the tapered and rectangular mortise and tenon structure, where the interface bonding strength reached 1.01 MPa. Excellent interface bonding can effectively transfer and disperse stress, so the trapezoidal mortise and tenon structure had the best bending properties and creep resistance, with a bending strength of 59.54 MPa and a bending modulus of 5.56 GPa. In the long-term creep test, the deformation was also the smallest at about 0.2%, and its bending properties, creep resistance and interface bonding performance were also the best. The bending strength was 59.54 MPa and the bending modulus was 5.56 GPa; in the long-term creep test, the strain curve was the lowest, about 0.2%. In addition, the mortise and tenon structure could disperse the stress of the inner shell LVL after water absorption and expansion, thus significantly improving the dimensional stability of the co-extruded composite after water absorption.

Effects of Heating Treatment on Functional and Structural Properties of Liquid Whole Egg.

Liquid whole egg (LWE) products have many advantages such as convenient transportation, easy production and are safe. However, LWE has a short shelf life and high thermal sensitivity, so suitable heating treatment is the key to the production of LWE products. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of heating treatments conditions (at 55-67 °C for 0-10 min) on the emulsification, foaming activity and rheological properties of LWE. The results indicated that the emulsifying activity of LWE had no significant change after 55-64 °C heating treatment, while it decreased significantly after heating treatment at 67 °C. The foaming property of LWE increased significantly after 55 °C to the 64 °C heating treatment; while the foaming property showed a downward trend with the increase in heat treatment temperature, it can significantly improve the foam stability of LWE. The heating treatment thoroughly changed the molecular weight distribution of LWE protein, thus promoted the protein surface hydrophobicity, hydrophobicity activity and rheological properties. The heating treatment at 61 °C for 6 min had a better effect on the functional properties than that of the other heating groups. In addition, the results of this study provide the change in rules of LWE under different heating treatment conditions and provide theoretical guidance for the production and processing of LWE.

Structural and electronic properties of H2, CO, CH4, NO, and NH3 adsorbed onto Al12Si12 nanocages using density functional theory.

In this study, the adsorption of gases (CH4, CO, H2, NH3, and NO) onto Al12Si12 nanocages was theoretically investigated using density functional theory. For each type of gas molecule, two different adsorption sites above the Al and Si atoms on the cluster surface were explored. We performed geometry optimization on both the pure nanocage and nanocages after gas adsorption and calculated their adsorption energies and electronic properties. The geometric structure of the complexes changed slightly following gas adsorption. We show that these adsorption processes were physical ones and observed that NO adsorbed onto Al12Si12 had the strongest adsorption stability. The E g (energy band gap) value of the Al12Si12 nanocage was 1.38 eV, indicating that it possesses semiconductor properties. The E g values of the complexes formed after gas adsorption were all lower than that of the pure nanocage, with the NH3-Si complex showing the greatest decrease in E g. Additionally, the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital were analyzed according to Mulliken charge transfer theory. Interaction with various gases was found to remarkably decrease the E g of the pure nanocage. The electronic properties of the nanocage were strongly affected by interaction with various gases. The E g value of the complexes decreased due to the electron transfer between the gas molecule and the nanocage. The density of states of the gas adsorption complexes were also analyzed, and the results showed that the E g of the complexes decreased due to changes in the 3p orbital of the Si atom. This study theoretically devised novel multifunctional nanostructures through the adsorption of various gases onto pure nanocages, and the findings indicate the promise of these structures for use in electronic devices.

Addition of NaCl or Sucrose on the Protein Content, and Functional and Physicochemical Properties of Egg Whites Liquid under Heat Treatment.

In this study, differences in the protein content and functional and physicochemical properties of four varieties of egg white (EW) were studied by adding 4-10% sucrose or NaCl and then heating them at 70 °C for 3 min. According to a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, the percentages of ovalbumin, lysozyme and ovotransferrin rose with an increase in the NaCl or sucrose concentration; however, the percentages of ovomucin and ovomucoid decreased. Furthermore, the foaming properties, gel properties, particle size, α-helixes, ß-sheets, sulfhydryl groups and disulfide bond content also increased, whereas the content of ß-turns and random coils decreased. In addition, the total soluble protein content and functional and physicochemical properties of black bone (BB) chicken and Gu-shi (GS) EWs were higher than those of Hy-Line brown (HY-LINE) and Harbin White (HW) Ews (p < 0.05). Subsequently, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the changes in the EW protein structure in the four varieties of Ews. As the aggregations increased, the functional and physicochemical properties decreased. The protein content and functional and physicochemical properties of Ews after heating were correlated with the concentration of NaCl and sucrose and the EW varieties.

High-temperature glycosylation modifies the molecular structure of ovalbumin to improve the freeze-thaw stability of its high internal phase emulsion.

In this study, ovalbumins (OVAs) were glycosylated with fructo-oligosaccharide (FO) at different temperatures (80 °C, 100 °C, 120 °C, and 140 °C) and durations (1 h and 2 h) via wet-heating. The glycosylated OVAs (GOVAs) were characterized by the degree of glycosylation (DG), particle size, zeta potentials, and structural changes. GOVAs-stabilized high-internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs) were then prepared to compare their macro- and microstructure and freeze-thaw stability. The results showed that the DG of GOVAs increased with the increase in glycosylation temperature and the protein structure unfolded with it. Glycosylation decreased the particle size, zeta potential, and α-helical structures and increased the ß-sheets and surface hydrophobicity (H0) of GOVAs compared with unmodified OVAs. Moreover, GOVAs-stabilized HIPEs exhibited smaller particle sizes, zeta potentials, agglomeration indexes, oil loss rates, and freezing points and higher viscoelasticity, centrifugal stabilities, flocculation indexes, and freeze-thaw stabilities. Notably, HIPEs prepared by GOVAs (glycosylated higher than 120 °C) showed the least changes in macro- and microscopic appearances after freeze-thawing. These findings will provide a novel method for improving and broadening the functionalities of OVAs and potentially develop HIPEs with enhanced freeze-thaw stabilities.

Effects of rice vinegar treatment on the antioxidant activities and protein structures of whole egg liquid before and after gastrointestinal digestion.

In this study, the effects of vinegar treatment on the antioxidant and structural properties of whole egg proteins were investigated. The results showed that the degrees of hydrolysis (DH) of vinegar-treated egg liquid (VE) and digested VE (DVE) increased after vinegar addition. A similar trend was also found for the antioxidant activity of DVE but not for that of VE. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) results showed that vinegar treatment increased the gastrointestinal hydrolysis of whole egg protein compared with that of digested egg liquid (DEL) protein, which was in agreement with the free amino acid content results. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis results indicated that proteins from VE1:3 tended to form ß-sheet structures, whereas proteins from DVE1:3 accumulated α-helices and turns. Vinegar treatment has great potential as a nonthermal processing method for promoting gastrointestinal digestion and producing superior antioxidant peptides.

Glycosylation of egg white protein with maltodextrin in the dry state: Changes in structural and gel properties.

The glycosylation of egg white proteins (EWP) with maltodextrin (MD) was investigated by monitoring their gel properties and protein structure. The improved gel properties of glycosylated EWP (GEWP) were confirmed by the increase in gel hardness, gel water holding capacity (WHC), rheological parameters, and finer gel microstructures. The protein structures were characterized by monitoring changes in the content of sulfhydryl (SH) group, circular dichroism (CD) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The GEWP structures were unfolded due to extended glycosylation, as observed by increased content of exposed SH group and ß-sheet and decreased crystallinity, thermal denaturation temperature (Td), and enthalpy (ΔH). A correlation was also found between the gel properties and the protein structural changes. Overall, this study is beneficial for determining the mechanism of glycosylation and provides a convenient approach to improving the gel properties of EWP, which can further broaden the application of EWP in the food industry.

Molecular interactions in the dry heat-facilitated hydrothermal gel formation of egg white protein.

A comprehensive investigation was conducted regarding the molecular forces involved in the formation of dry heated egg white protein (DEWP) gels. From the preparation of DEWP powders to the formation of DEWP gels, multiple interactions are involved: the aggregation of DEWP powders in the dry state, the aggregation of DEWP solutions in the water state, and the subsequent gelling process of DEWP gels. The methods included analyses of zeta-potentials, surface hydrophobicity, reducing and nonreducing SDS-PAGE, sulfhydryl (SH) group content, molecular forces, particle size, and critical gel concentration. The results indicated that dry heat promoted the electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions in DEWP and DEWP aggregates. Disulfide (SS) bonds dominated the aggregation process of DEWP solutions in the water state, while hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions dominated the gel forming process. This phenomenon became even more obvious with a longer dry heat time. Furthermore, the intensified molecular interactions induced by dry heat resulted in the formation of smaller gel particles, and a relatively lower protein concentration was required for gel formation. All these factors contributed to the ultimate linear and fine-stranded DEWP gel network, which is more favorable in food processing and application.

Inhibiting effect of dry heat on the heat-induced aggregation of egg white protein.

This study investigated the effect of dry heat on the aggregation characteristics of egg white protein (EWP) solutions. Turbidity and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) results showed that dry heat hindered the subsequent bulk aggregation of dry heated EWP (DEWP) in aqueous solutions. A similar trend was also found in the particle size distribution of DEWP aggregates, where longer dry heating times resulted in smaller size distributions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations showed that native EWP tended to form bulk aggregates when heated in aqueous solutions, while DEWP aggregates presented linear and chain-like morphology. The α-helices of DEWP aggregates were converted to ß-sheets, and more chromogenic amino acids and hydrophobic groups were exposed owing to dry heat. Heat-induced aggregation of DEWP in water is more intense than that induced only by dry heat, but the hydrothermal aggregates with longer dry heating times were smaller in size and molecular weight.

Changes in Properties of Soy Protein Isolate Edible Films Stored at Different Temperatures: Studies on Water and Glycerol Migration.

Plasticizers and the water migration of edible protein films during storage can result in changes in film properties, while specific changing processes need to be further explored. In this study, glycerol-plasticized soy protein isolate (SPI) films were stored at 25 °C, 4 °C, and -18 °C for 6 weeks (relative humidity (RH), 40-50%). The glycerol migration was monitored by the glycerol migration rate and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Water content, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to analyze the water state. The results showed that significant pores and cracks were observed after storage at 25 °C. The proportion of bound water gradually increased, and the glycerol migration rate also reached 1.3% and 0.7% at 25 °C and 4 °C, respectively. The results proved that increasing the storage temperature accelerated the loss of water and glycerol, and decreased the mechanical properties of the SPI film.

Effect of dry heating on the aggregation behaviour and aggregate morphologies of ovalbumin.

Dried egg white powders are used in many segments of the food industry in place of traditional liquid egg materials. Dry heating during the processing of these products plays an essential role in obtaining their excellent functionalities, which are associated with protein aggregation. The objective of this study was to understand the aggregation behaviour of ovalbumin (OVA), the major component of egg-white proteins, during dry heating at 75 °C for 21 days. The results indicated that OVA aggregation increased from 28.7 ±â€¯1.23% to 57.5 ±â€¯2.45% as the reaction time increased, resulting in the generation of insoluble aggregates that were often 1-100 nm in diameter. However, a few soluble OVA aggregates became insoluble precipitates as their morphology changed from long strands to denser networks after 15 days of heat treatment. Moreover, covalent bonds, hydrophobic interactions and electrostatic repulsion played important roles in the formation of the small aggregates.

Histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A enhances the antitumor effect of the oncolytic adenovirus H101 on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

Replication-selective oncolytic virotherapy provides a novel modality to treat cancer by inducing cell death in tumor cells but not in normal cells. However, the utilization of oncolytic viruses as a stand-alone treatment is problematic due to their poor transduction efficiency in vivo. H101 was the first oncolytic adenovirus (Ads) to be approved by the Chinese FDA, and exhibits modest antitumor effects when applied as a single agent. The multiple histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) has been demonstrated to potently enhance the spread and replication of oncolytic Ads in several infection-resistant types of cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the antitumor effects of H101 in combination with TSA on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in vitro and in vivo, and determine the mechanisms underlying these effects. H101 and TSA in combination increased the survival of mice harboring human ESCC cell line-tumor xenografts, as compared with mice treated with these agents individually. Therefore, TSA may enhance the antitumor effects of H101 in ESCC.