Development of 3D printed k-carrageenan-based gummy candies modified by fenugreek gum: Correlating 3D printing performance with sol-gel transition.

Temperature-responsive inks were formulated using k-carrageenan, fenugreek gum (FG), rose extracts, and sugar, of which the first two were used as the gelling agents. The interactions among components in these mixed ink formulations were investigated. Sol-gel transition and rheological properties of these inks were also correlated with extrusion, shape formation, and self (shape)-supporting aspects of 3D printing. Results indicated that incorporating FG increased inks' gelation temperature from 39.7 °C to 44.7-49.6 °C, affecting the selection of printing temperature (e.g., 0 % FG: 40 °C, 0.15 % FG: 45 °C, 0.3 % FG-0.6 % FG: 50 °C). Inks in solution states with lower viscosity (<5 Pa·s) were amenable to ensure their smooth extrusion through the tip of the printing nozzle. A shorter sol-gel transition time (approximately 100 s) during the shape formation stage facilitated the solidification of inks after extrusion. The addition of FG significantly (p<0.05) improved the mechanical properties (elastic modulus, hardness, etc.) of the printed models, which facilitated their self-supporting behavior. Low field nuclear magnetic resonance indicated that the inclusion of FG progressively restricted water mobility, consequently reducing the water syneresis rate of the mixed inks by 0.86 %-3.6 %. FG enhanced hydrogen bonding interactions among the components of these mixed inks, and helped to form a denser network.

Impact of age and tumor size on the development of the Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon in patients with kaposiform hemangioendothelioma: a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: The Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP) is a severe complication of kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE). The risk factors for KMP need further investigation. Methods: The medical records of patients with KHE were reviewed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used for the risk factors for KMP, and the area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the predictive power of risk factors. Results: A total of 338 patients with KHE were enrolled. The incidence of KMP was 45.9%. Age of onset (P < 0.001, odds ratio [OR] 0.939; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.914-0.966), lesion size (P < 0.001, OR 1.944; 95% CI 1.646-2.296), mixed type (P = 0.030, OR 2.428; 95% CI 1.092-5.397), deep type (P = 0.010, OR 4.006; 95% CI 1.389-11.556), and mediastinal or retroperitoneal lesion location (P = 0.019, OR 11.864; 95% CI 1.497-94.003) were correlated with KMP occurrence through multivariate logistic regression. ROC curve analysis revealed that the optimal cutoffs were 4.75 months for the age of onset (P < 0.001, OR 7.206, 95% CI 4.073-12.749) and a lesion diameter of 5.35 cm (P < 0.001, OR 11.817, 95% CI 7.084-19.714). Bounded by a lesion size of 5.35 cm, we found significant differences in tumor morphology, age of onset, treatments, and hematological parameters. Using an onset age of 4.75 months as a cutoff, we found significant differences in tumor morphology, lesion size, hematological parameters, and prognosis. Conclusion: For KHE patients with an onset age <4.75 months and/or lesion diameter >5.35 cm, clinicians should be wary of the occurrence of KMP. Active management is recommended to improve the prognosis.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts facilitate DNA damage repair by promoting the glycolysis in non-small cell lung cancer.

Radiotherapy is an essential treatment modality for the management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Tumor radioresistance is the major factor limiting the efficacy of radiotherapy in NSCLC patients. Our study aimed to reveal whether cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), one main component of the tumor microenvironment, regulated DNA damage response of NSCLC cells following irradiation and clarify the involved mechanisms. We found CAFs inhibited irradiation-induced DNA damage while promoted DNA repair of NSCLC cells and caused cell cycle arrest in the radioresistant S phase. CAFs have the ability of up-regulating and stabilizing c-Myc, leading to the transcription activation of HK2 kinase, a key rate-limiting enzyme in glycolysis by activating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. Attenuation of glycolysis significantly reversed the effect of CAFs on DNA damage response of NSCLC cells. By high-throughput screening of human cytokines/chemokines array, we found CAFs-secreted midkine led to the promotion of glycolysis by activating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway in NSCLC cells. In vivo, CAFs caused the radioresistance of NSCLC cells also by promoting the glycolysis in a ß-catenin signaling-dependent manner. These findings may provide novel strategies for reversing the radioresistance of NSCLC cells.

Effects of lactic acid bacteria fermentation on the phytochemicals content, taste and aroma of blended edible rose and shiitake beverage.

In this research, five commercial lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were selected for the fermentation of blended edible rose and shiitake beverage for their frequent application and strong adaptability in plant-based beverages. The viable counts of all strains reached above 10.0 log CFU/mL in the blended beverage after fermentation (48 h). Meanwhile, higher contents of total phenols, total flavonoids, free amino acids, and flavor nucleotide as well as stronger antioxidant capacity were observed in the fermented samples than the control. The results of electronic tongue (E-tongue) analysis showed that LAB fermentation significantly (p＜0.05) lowered the signals of bitterness, astringency, aftertaste-A, and aftertaste-B, which ultimately improved the taste profiles of the fermented samples. Additionally, a total of 76 volatiles compounds were detected, among which alcohols were the dominant compounds. LAB fermentation also enriched the aroma complex of the fresh beverage, which resulted in new compounds, including 13 alcohols, 9 acids, 6 ketones, 4 esters, and 5 hydrocarbons in the fermented samples.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts: An emerging target against esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common human malignancies worldwide and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. More than 70% of ESCC patients are diagnosed at the intermediate or advanced stage. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment regimen for patients with advanced ESCC. However, ESCC patients show a poor 5-year survival rate of around 20%. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major component of the tumor microenvironment and control tumor initiation and progression. CAFs create a pro-survival and immunosuppressive microenvironment by crosstalk with cancer cells. Moreover, CAFs lead the collective invasion of cancer cells of the epithelial phenotype by remodeling the extracellular matrix. In this review, we highlight the impact of CAFs on ESCC, including induction of chemo- and radio-resistance, migration, invasion, and immune escape. The origin of CAFs and the influence of ESCC cells on CAF activation are also described. Furthermore, we highlight the clinical prospects and future trends of CAFs-targeted therapies in ESCC. A better understanding of the molecular biology of CAFs may contribute to the development of novel anti-ESCC strategies.

Somatic Alteration Characteristics of Early-Onset Gastric Cancer.

Gastric cancer is one of the most common and deadly cancer types worldwide, which brings millions of dollars of economic loss each year. Patients diagnosed with early-onset gastric cancer were reported to have a worse prognosis compared to other gastric cancer patients, while the mechanisms behind such phenomenon are unknown. To identify age-dependent somatic alternations in gastric cancer, next-generation sequencing targeting 425 genes was performed on 1688 gastric tumor tissues and corresponding plasma samples. In our study, the microsatellite instability (MSI) and chromosomal instability score (CIS) values increased along with the age of patients, which indicates that older patients display a less genomic stability pattern. The differences of somatic alternations between young and old groups were compared. Somatic mutations CDH1 and copy number gains of FGFR2 were identified to enrich in the younger gastric cancer patients, which may contribute to the worse prognosis of early-onset gastric cancer patients.

Molecular landscape and therapeutic alterations in Asian soft-tissue sarcoma patients.

BACKGROUND: Soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) is a rare solid malignant tumor with numerous histologic subtypes. Current studies on targeted therapy for STS are in preclinical and early-phase trials. Genomic differences largely influence the prognosis of patients even with the same subtype. To investigate the genomic alterations (GAs) and the potential of targeted therapy in STS, we analyzed the genomic landscape, the therapeutic GAs, and biomarkers of immunotherapy in Chinese STS patients. METHODS: Targeted sequencing covering 425 genes was performed, from which we obtained the results of tissue samples from 351 Chinese STS patients of all ages covering different histologic subtypes. Bioinformatics analysis of altered genes with nonsynonymous mutations, copy-number variations, and gene fusions were performed. OncoKB therapeutic GAs and relevant biomarkers including TMB, MSI, and HRD were further examined for potential targeted therapy. RESULTS: In total, 2743 GAs were identified in 330 genes with a median of 6 (1-38) per case. The top 11 frequently altered genes were: TP53, MCL1, MDM2, CDK4, MYC, CDKN2A, GNAS, RB1, ATRX, CDKN2B, and FGFR1. OncoKB defined therapeutic GAs were found in 23 genes in 43% of the patients. In general, 9.4% of the patients had high-TMB, 2.8% had MSI, and 13.7% had HRD. A significant difference in the percentage of patients with OncoKB therapeutic GAs were observed between the most frequent two subtypes, leiomyosarcoma and liposarcoma. Altogether, 54% of the patients had the potential to respond to a targeted therapy. CONCLUSION: This study indicated the potential efficacy of targeted therapy on many STS patients, and also provided insight for novel precision therapy. The clinical efficacy of combining targeted therapy and immunotherapy can be further investigated.

Emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from application of commercial pesticides in China.

Applying pesticides can result in emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but little is known about VOC emission characteristics and the quantities in particular regions. We investigated the use of pesticides in China based on a large-scale survey of 330 counties in 31 provinces and evaluated the national pesticide VOC emission potentials based on thermogravimetric analysis of 1930 commercial pesticides. The results showed that herbicides were the most extensively used pesticide category in China, accounting for 43.47%; emulsifiable concentrate (EC), suspension concentrate, and wettable powder were the dominant pesticide formulations, with proportions of 26.75%, 17.68%, and 17.31%, respectively. The VOC emission potential coefficient (EP) of the liquid formulations was higher than the solid formulations, and the maximum mean EP was 45.59% for EC and the minimum was 0.76% for WP. Among 437 high-VOC pesticide products used in China, EC accounted for 83.52%, and 16.93% of those contained abamectin. The total VOC emissions derived from commercial pesticides in China were 280 kt (kilotons) in 2018, and 65.35% of the contribution was derived from EC. Shandong, Hunan, and Henan were the three provinces with the highest pesticide VOC emissions (>21 kt/y). The emission rate of VOCs from pesticides was 24.80 t/d in China, which was higher than in San Joaquin Valley, California. These findings suggest that some comprehensive measures (e.g., perfecting pesticide management policy, strict supervision for pesticide production and use, and strengthening pesticide reduction publicity) should be taken to reduce VOC emissions from pesticide applications.

Effects of superfine grinding on the physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, and hygroscopicity of Rosa rugosa cv. Plena powders.

BACKGROUND: Rosa rugosa cv. Plena (RP) is a commercially significant crop with edible flowers. Due to its high medicinal and nutritional value, it has recently attracted increasing attention in the food industry. In this study, the physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, and hygroscopicity of four RP powders produced by ball milling were compared. RESULTS: The brightness, redness, and blueness of RP powders improved after superfine grinding. The water and oil holding capacity decreased with a reduction in the particle size but the water solubility index increased from 7.10% to 29.93%. The elements present in the powders were not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by particle size while phytochemicals were released and extracted more easily after superfine grinding, resulting in higher anthocyanin, polyphenol, and flavonoid content (3.06, 34.01, and 3.97 mg g-1 , respectively), and stronger antioxidant capacity than was found with other powders (ABTS (2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activities were 24.51 and 39.81 mM trolox equivalents (TE) g-1 , respectively). Superfine grinding also improved the water-absorption capacity of RP powders under a high-RH environment. CONCLUSION: Superfine grinding is a promising technique for the production of RP powders with stronger bioactive substances and bioactivity. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Shelf life extension of aquatic products by applying nanotechnology: a review.

Aquatic products are extremely perishable due to their biological composition. Conventional preservation methods such as freezing, chemical treatments, packaging, and so forth are unable to inhibit enzymatic and microbiological spoilage efficiently and/or energy intensive and/or potentially toxic. However, the demand of consumers for aquatic products with long shelf life and high quality has urged the food industries to pursuit highly effective preservation methods for shelf life extension of aquatic products. Nanotechnology-related shelf life prolongation process possess the ability to overcome the drawbacks of conventional preservation technologies due to its unique properties. In this article, the aquatic products spoilage mechanisms, recent application of nanotechnology-related preservation techniques for aquatic products as well as the risk and regulation of nanomaterials have been reviewed. It has been shown that nanotechnology-related preservation techniques can effectively extend the shelf life without impairing the quality of aquatic products. However, the safety of nanotechnology is still remained controversial, therefore, the application of nanotechnology should be considered cautiously.

Convenient use of near-infrared spectroscopy to indirectly predict the antioxidant activitiy of edible rose (Rose chinensis Jacq "Crimsin Glory" H.T.) petals during infrared drying.

Infrared drying (IRD) was used for the dehydration process of rose petals for the purpose of improving drying efficiency as well as retaining product quality. A methodology to predict the antioxidant capacities of rose petals which include DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging capacities and ferric-ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) values during infrared drying (IRD) was established in this study. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) and back propagation-artificial neural network (BP-ANN) modelling were used to establish the relationships between the near infrared (NIR) spectrum and the antioxidant capacities. Results of model fitting showed that BP-ANN model displayed higher prediction accuracy than PLSR model for determining the DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging capacities and FRAP of rose petals during IRD based on NIR spectral data. The results obtained indicate that NIR spectroscopic parameters combined with multivariate calibration could be used reliably to predict the antioxidant capacities of IR-dried rose petals via appropriate mathematical models.

A prospective multicenter study of sirolimus for complicated vascular anomalies.

OBJECTIVE: Complicated vascular anomalies (VAs) can be intractable and uncontrollable using conventional treatment and can result in lethal outcomes. We undertook a prospective, multicenter phase II trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sirolimus in pediatric patients with complicated VAs. METHODS: Eligible patients were required to be aged 0 to 14 years and to have a complicated VA. The patients were treated with daily oral sirolimus for 12 months. The primary endpoint was the response, which was measured using sequential volumetric magnetic resonance imaging. The secondary endpoints were the disease severity score and quality of life. RESULTS: Of 126 patients enrolled on an intention-to-treat basis, 98 (77.8%) had had an objective response to sirolimus, with a ≥20% decrease in lesion volume. Compared with those with arteriovenous malformations, the response rates were higher (>80%) for patients with common lymphatic malformations, venous malformations, kaposiform hemangioendothelioma, and combined malformations with a prominent venous and/or lymphatic component (P < .05). Improvements in the disease severity score and quality of life were obtained in 83.3% and 79.4% of patients, respectively. The most common adverse event was mucositis in 47 patients. More serious adverse events included reversible grade 4 pneumonitis in 3 patients and grade 4 upper respiratory infection in 1 patient. All these adverse events were considered at least possibly related to the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Sirolimus is an apparently effective option for pediatric patients with various types of complicated VAs. Close monitoring of possible adverse events is required. The results from the present trial are the basis for future prospective studies using new therapeutic approaches.

LncRNAs link cancer stemness to therapy resistance.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a cellular subpopulation accelerating cancer cell growth, invasion and metastasis and survival. After chemoradiotherapy, CSCs are enriched because of their survival advantages and lead to tumor relapse and metastasis. Elimination of CSCs is critically important for the radical treatment of human cancers. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a group of RNAs longer than 200 nucleotides and have no protein-coding potential. Aberrant expressions of lncRNAs are associated with human diseases including cancer. LncRNAs function as cancer biomarkers, prognostic factors and therapeutic targets. They induce cancer stemness by chromatin modification, transcriptional regulation or post-transcriptional regulation of target genes as a sponge or through assembling a scaffold complex. Several factors caused aberrant expressions of lncRNAs in CSCs such as genes mutations, epigenetic alteration and environmental stimuli. Targeting of lncRNAs has been demonstrated to significantly reverse the chemoradioresistance of CSCs. In this review, we have summarized the progress of studies regarding lncRNAs-mediated therapy resistance of CSCs and clarified the molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, we have for the first time analyzed the influences of lncRNAs on cell metabolism and emphasized the effect of tumor microenvironment on lncRNAs functions in CSCs. Overall, the thorough understanding of the association of lncRNAs and CSCs would contribute to the reversal of therapy resistance.

Epigenetic regulation of intestinal peptide transporter PEPT1 as a potential strategy for colorectal cancer sensitization.

Human intestinal peptide transporter PEPT1 is commonly repressed in human colorectal cancer (CRC), yet its relationship with sensitivity to the common CRC treatment ubenimex has not previously been elucidated. In this study, we confirmed PEPT1 suppression in CRC using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting and then investigated the underlying epigenetic pathways involved using bisulfite sequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation, siRNA knockdown, and reporter gene assays. We found that PEPT1 transcriptional repression was due to both DNMT1-mediated DNA methylation of the proximal promoter region and HDAC1-mediated histone deacetylation, which blocked P300-mediated H3K18/27Ac at the PEPT1 distal promoter. Finally, the effects of the epigenetic activation of PEPT1 on the CRC response to ubenimex were evaluated using sequential combination therapy of decitabine and ubenimex both in vitro and in xenografts. In conclusion, epigenetic silencing of PEPT1 due to increased DNMT1 and HDAC1 expression plays a vital role in the poor response of CRC to ubenimex.

Efficacy and Safety of Propranolol vs Atenolol in Infants With Problematic Infantile Hemangiomas: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Propranolol has become the first-line therapy for problematic infantile hemangiomas (IHs) that require systemic therapy. However, different adverse events have been reported during propranolol treatment. The positive efficacy and safety of atenolol raise the question of whether it could be used as a promising therapy for IH. Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of propranolol vs atenolol in infants (between age 5 and 20 weeks) with problematic IHs who required systemic therapy. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled, open-label clinical trial conducted in collaboration among 6 separate investigation sites in China from February 1, 2015, to December 31, 2018. A total of 377 patients met the criteria for inclusion and were randomized to the propranolol (190 [50.4%]) and atenolol (187 [49.6%]) groups. Data were analyzed in June 2020. Interventions: Participants were randomized to receive either propranolol or atenolol for at least 6 months. They completed efficacy assessments at 2 years after the initial treatment. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was any response or nonresponse at 6 months. The key secondary outcome was changes in the hemangioma activity score. Results: Of 377 participants, 287 (76.1%) were female, and the mean (SD) age was 10.2 (4.0) weeks in the propranolol group and 9.8 (4.1) weeks in the atenolol group. After 6 months of treatment, in the propranolol and atenolol groups, the overall response rates were 93.7% and 92.5%, respectively (difference, 1.2%; 95% CI, -4.1% to 6.6%). At 1 and 4 weeks after treatment, and thereafter, the hemangioma activity score in the atenolol group aligned with the propranolol group (odds ratio, 1.034; 95% CI, 0.886-1.206). No differences between the propranolol group and atenolol group were observed in successful initial responses, quality of life scores, complete ulceration healing times, or the rebound rate. Both groups presented a similar percentage of complete/nearly complete responses at 2 years (82.1% vs 79.7%; difference, 2.4%; 95% CI, -5.9% to 10.7%). Adverse events were more common in the propranolol group (70.0% vs 44.4%; difference, 25.6%; 95% CI, 15.7%-34.8%), but the frequency of severe adverse events did not differ meaningfully between the groups. Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, when compared with propranolol, atenolol had similar efficacy and fewer adverse events in the treatment of infants with problematic IHs. The results suggest that oral atenolol can be used as an alternative treatment option for patients with IH who require systemic therapy. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrial.gov Identifier: NCT02342275.

CYP2C9 inhibits the invasion and migration of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via downregulation of HDAC.

Cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) is involved in the metabolism of cancer drugs and exogenous carcinogens. In our study, CYP2C9 was downregulated in multiple cohorts of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Until now, its role and epigenetic regulation of CYP2C9 repression in ESCC remain poorly understood. CYP2C9 repression in collected ESCC patient tumor tissues was demonstrated by RT-qPCR and Western blot. The histone acetylation level was carried out by the treatment of histone deacetylase inhibitor TSA and RNA interference. Epigenetic analysis revealed that the increased expression of CYP2C9 in KYSE-150 and TE1 cells was characterized by inhibition of HDAC8 and HDAC1, respectively. TSA decreased the levels of HDAC occupancy around CYP2C9 promoter region greatly. Overexpression of CYP2C9 reduced the invasion and migration of ESCC cells.

Application of power ultrasound in freezing and thawing Processes: Effect on process efficiency and product quality.

Freezing is one of the most efficient preservation approaches applied to food products and thawing is the reverse process of freezing. However, traditional freezing / thawing methods have low process efficiency. The application of ultrasound is a potential supplementary technique to improve the performance of both freezing and thawing processes of foods. Application of power ultrasound is able to better maintain the microstructure, reduce drip loss, decrease color and texture changes and retain some natural nutrients of foods during freezing. Meanwhile, quality improvement is also observed in food items thawed by ultrasound-assisted thawing methods. The fundamentals and the influences of ultrasound on the freezing and thawing processes of foods are demonstrated in this review article, from the aspects of efficiency enhancement and quality improvement.

Effects of infrared freeze drying on volatile profile, FTIR molecular structure profile and nutritional properties of edible rose flower (Rosa rugosa flower).

BACKGROUND: Infrared freeze drying (IRFD) utilizes infrared radiation as a novel heating source in freeze drying (FD), leading to high-quality dehydrated products and less drying time. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of IRFD on the drying characteristics (drying time and energy consumption), volatiles, physical structure and nutritional properties of Rosa rugosa flower. In addition, freeze drying (FD) and hot air drying (HAD) were also evaluated in a comparison with the IFRD drying method with respect to product quality parameters. RESULTS: Fifty-six volatile compounds were identified in fresh samples, whereas 53, 51 and 46 volatile compounds were identified in FD, IRFD and HAD samples, respectively. FD and IRFD were relatively more effective than HAD for better retention of volatile compounds of Rosa rugose flower. E-nose analysis also exhibited similar flavor properties in FD and IRFD samples. The molecular structure properties of FD and IRFD samples measured by FTIR spectroscopy were also similar. As for nutritional properties, HAD dramatically (P < 0.05) reduced the nutritional values of R. rugosa flower after drying. The content of vitamin C (from 14.83 to 12.15 mg 100 g-1 ), flavonoids (from 478.00 to 333.33 mg 100 g-1 ) and anthocyanins (from 220.70 to 196.90 mg 100 g-1 ) in R. rugosa flower is well retained by IRFD and no significant difference (P < 0.05) was observed between FD and IRFD samples. CONCLUSION: IRFD was found to be effective in retaining the aroma, structure and nutrition of R. rugosa flower, as well as demonstrating a lower energy consumption and shorter drying time. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Innovative technologies for producing and preserving intermediate moisture foods: A review.

Intermediate moisture foods (IMF) or semi-dried foods (SDF) have gained more attention worldwide having features very similar to fresh food products, but with a longer shelf life. This review presents the recent developments in novel technologies and methods for the production and preservation of IMF. These include new drying methods, using agents to reduce water-activity, innovative osmotic dehydration technologies, electro-osmotic dewatering, thermal pasteurization, plasma treatments (PT), high pressure processing (HPP), modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), edible coating, active packaging (and energy efficiency, improve quality and extend the shelf life of the final food AP) and hurdle technologies (HT). Innovative methods applied to producing and preserving IMF can enhance both drying products. Yet more systematic research is still needed to bridge knowledge gaps, in particular on inactivation kinetics and mechanisms related to thermal and non-thermal pasteurization technologies for control of pathogens and spoilage micro-organisms in IMF.

ZIF-8 derived Ag-doped ZnO photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic activity.

Recently, zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) has been widely studied and used as a catalyst in various fields, due to its high specific surface area, tunable channels and thermal and chemical stability. In this paper, ZIF-8 was used as a precursor to fabricate a Ag/ZnO photocatalyst, and the influence of Ag on the photocatalytic activity of ZnO has been explored. All samples were characterised using XRD, SEM, TEM, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The photocatalytic activity of all samples was evaluated by the degradation of a rhodamine B solution under UV light. The results show that ZIF-8 was completely transformed into ZnO when it was calcined at 550 °C for 6 h, and Ag was well loaded onto ZnO. The photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO is 92.32%. When ZnO was doped with Ag, its photocatalytic efficiency was highly improved (99.64%). Furthermore, Ag/ZnO exhibited high photocatalytic stability. After five repeated cycles, the photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZnO was highly retained at 97.48%.