The soak-steam-dry approach was applied to prepare instant whole grain highland barley, elucidating the effects of different drying methods (hot-air, infrared, microwave-assisted hot-air, and freeze-drying) on its molecular structure, digestibility, and rehydration behavior. Dehydration significantly altered water mobility and disrupted microstructure, causing reduced viscosity, elevated pasting temperature, improved thermostability, and modified starch molecular order, which strengthened digestion resistance and shaped rehydration performance. Freeze-drying effectively preserved chemically bound water and endosperm integrity, reduced molecular order, and enhanced thermostability, while microwave-assisted hot-air and infrared drying promoted more ordered structure formation. Infrared drying caused the largest changes in pasting characteristics and increased resistant starch by 33.96% (p < 0.05). Upon rehydration (80 °C and 100 °C), all grains became chewier, with freeze-dried grains rehydrating fastest (∼66.67% time reduction), making it most suitable for instant product development. This study highlights the critical role of drying in shaping the functionality of instant whole grains.

Although spontaneous H2O2 accumulation by sacrificial oxidation of metal disulfides (FeS2, NiS2, etc.) under oxic conditions without external electrical/photonic input has been observed, the mechanistic understanding of HCO3- on the production of H2O2 is still not clear. In this study, HCO3- apparently accelerates the production of H2O2 on NiS2, and the produced H2O2 increases from 53.85 to 90.12 μM with increasing concentrations of HCO3- from 0 to 0.5 M at pH 9.0. Electrochemical analyses indicate that HCO3- effectively mediates the 2e reduction of O2 to H2O2 on the surface of NiS2. EPR and Raman analyses rule out the primary contributions of soluble •OH and O2•- to the production of H2O2 and reveal the presence of both ≡Ni-OO• superoxo and ≡Ni-OOH peroxo on NiS2, which are important precursors for H2O2. The presence of CO3•- also indicates that HCO3- is an important H-donor during the reduction of O2 to H2O2. DFT calculations further reveal that it is thermodynamically more favorable for ≡Ni-OO• and ≡Ni-OOH to abstract H from HCO3- than from H2O to produce H2O2, confirming that HCO3- is a better H-donor than H2O to produce H2O2 via the H-abstraction pathway. This study provides insight into the importance of HCO3- on spontaneous H2O2 accumulation by sacrificial oxidation of NiS2 under oxic conditions without external electrical/photonic input.

Roasted barley is traditionally valued as a tea ingredient for its flavor and health-promoting benefits, which are governed by steeping and roasting conditions. This study investigated the effects of particle size (>4.0 mm (S0), 1.0-4.0 mm (S1), 0.5-1.0 mm (S2), 0.25-0.5 mm (S3), 0.125-0.25 mm (S4), and <0.125 mm (S5)) on the release patterns of constituents, as well as the antioxidant and lipolysis inhibitory properties of black highland barley (BHB) roasted at different temperatures (180-240°C) during tea infusion preparation. Results revealed that constituent leaching generally increased with decreasing steeping particle size, with β-glucan, free glucose, and polyphenols peaking at S4, but total sugar and protein at S5. The release levels of constituents during steeping were mainly governed by roasting temperature, with BHB roasted above 200°C significantly enhancing their contents in the tea infusions (p < 0.05), whereas roasting at 240°C resulted in decreases in β-glucan, protein, and free glucose. Consequently, the steeping cycle and color characteristics were shaped by the interactive effect of grinding and roasting. Relatively higher radical scavenging activities were observed in tea infusions at S4, with the highest rates found in those roasted at 240°C. However, tea infusions of BHB roasted at 200°C exhibited the strongest lipolysis inhibition. These results suggested that steeping at S4 was preferred for roasted black highland barley (RBHB) beverages, with functional benefits primarily determined by roasting temperature.

Artificial sense technologies predominantly rely on visual and tactile input, which often prove inadequate in obscured or opaque environments. Inspired by the natural electrosensory capabilities of electrogenic fishes, we introduce an organic electrosense transistor designed to detect electric fields generated by nearby objects, facilitating the creation of impalpable perception systems. Unlike traditional sensors, our electrosense transistor perceives bipolar electric fields with high sensitivity and stability. We use compact models and device simulations to elucidate the mechanisms of charge induction and transport within organic electrosense transistors when exposed to spatial electric fields. Demonstrating its practical utility, we show that robots equipped with our electrosense transistor can successfully navigate and detect concealed objects without requiring direct contact. This work not only advances the understanding of charge dynamics in electrosensory systems but also establishes a platform for developing highly sensitive, noninvasive artificial sensing technologies applicable in surveillance, search and rescue, and other challenging environments.

Compared with conventional heterojunctions, direct Z-scheme heterojunctions can retain strong redox potentials while effectively accelerating the separation of photogenerated charge carriers. Herein, we report a flower-like direct Z-scheme heterojunction constructed from tris(4-aminophenyl)amine-based polyimide (TP) and BiOI, and investigate its photocatalytic activity using Cr(VI) reduction and rhodamine B (RhB) degradation as the target reactions. Under visible light, TP-BiOI(45 %) exhibited excellent Cr(VI) reduction performance and RhB degradation activity, achieving an apparent rate constant of 2.3207 min-1 for Cr(VI) reduction, approximately 4.6 and 4.3 times higher than those of pristine TP (0.5059 min-1) and BiOI (0.5364 min-1), respectively. Moreover, it still retained a certain degree of photocatalytic activity under 600 nm light irradiation. The enhanced performance is primarily attributed to the formation of the direct Z-scheme heterojunction, which significantly improves the separation efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers. Additionally, the flower-like morphology increases the specific surface area and number of active sites, further boosting catalytic performance. This study provides a green and simple method for preparing unique-shaped direct Z-scheme heterojunctions, which holds great promise for the removal of environmental pollutants under visible light.

Polysaccharides, the most abundant macromolecular polymers essential for organismal development, play crucial roles in fields such as food science, biology, and pharmacy due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and tunable functionality [...]

Organic crystal scintillators that convert X-rays to visible photons have broad application prospects in medical radiography and security screening as sustainable materials. Although molecules with high photoluminescence properties under UV excitation are usually transplanted as scintillators for X-ray detection, the development of scintillant materials is still far behind that of photoluminescent counterparts. Here, a hypothesis is proposed that chemical bond inversion induced by high-energy radiation is a key factor responsible for the suppression of scintillation in organic materials. A "methyl lock" strategy is presented to limit this inversion and successfully liberate its radioluminescence ability. As a result, 1,4-bis(2-methylstyryl)benzene (bis-MSB) crystals with "methyl lock" exhibit an 8.9-fold increase in relative light output compared to 1,4-distyrylbenzene (DSB) without "methyl lock," achieving a remarkably low minimum detectable dose rate of 14.9 nGy s-1. The detector, based on bis-MSB crystal scintillators, offers exceptional resolution (50 lp mm-1), enabling precise X-ray imaging and computed tomography scanning. The distinct photo- and radio-luminescence behaviors of bis-MSB and DSB molecules make them promising materials for applications in information security and smart, multi-level anti-counterfeiting measures.

Diabetic wound leads to numerous infections or deaths each year due to the prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infection. Herein, we constructed a hydrogen-bonded biohybrid organic framework (HOF) hydrogel (GOx@THHOF-Ce6(Fe)) by the hierarchical assembly of the rational designed carboxyl terminal ligand BTH and amidinium ligand TAM. The imidazolyl in BTH forms the axial coordination with Ce6(Fe), and the amide bonds in BTH promotes the structural flexibility of HOF. Upon involving glucose oxidase (GOx) and Ce6(Fe), GOx@THHOF-Ce6(Fe) hydrogel displayed high peroxidase-like activity, superior stability and biocompatibility, which exhibited better photodynamic therapy (PDT) and chemodynamic therapy (CDT) efficacy for enhanced antimicrobial diabetes wound treatment. This work developed a pioneering photo-assisted biocatalytic cascade strategy within HOF hydrogel, which provides new insights into the design and application of HOF materials in biomedical field.

Although various reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been suggested to take part in As(III) oxidation during pyrite-type disulfide dissolution, the corresponding mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, NiS2, instead of pyrite was used as the model disulfide in that the strong interactions between Fe(II,III) at the surface of pyrite and the produced H2O2 make the oxidation mechanism more complicated NiS2 shows high reactivity in As(III) oxidation by air, accompanied by the production of H2O2 under alkaline environments. In the quenching tests and ESR analysis, the contributions of •OH, O2•-, 1O2 and H2O2 are excluded in the oxidation of As(III), indicating that superoxo (≡Ni-OO•) and peroxo (≡Ni-OOH) on the surface of NiS2 are primary ROS in As(III) oxidation. The 850 and 1088 cm-1 bands in Raman analysis indicate that the corresponding Ni-peroxo and Ni-superoxo species have been produced on the surface of NiS2. The linear correlations were observed between the produced H2O2 and consumed As(III), as well as between increased production of H2O2 and decreasing BDEO-H values of various phenolic compounds. These correlations collectively reveal that hydrogen abstraction from phenolic compounds/As(III) by ≡Ni-OO• and ≡Ni-OOH is the central mechanism for As(III) oxidation. Electrochemical analyses indicate the enhanced electron-transfer on NiS2 in the presence of As(III), confirming the surface oxidation of As(III). DFT calculations further indicate that O2 is sequentially reduced to ≡Ni-OO• and then ≡Ni-OOH on NiS2, via a pathway that concurrently involves H-abstraction from As(III) to form As(V) and H2O2. This work provides insight into the central contribution of H-abstraction in As(III) oxidation by NiS2 and O2.

Photocatalytic technology is a popular research area for converting solar energy into environmentally friendly chemicals and is considered the greenest approach for producing H2O2. However, the corresponding reactive oxygen species (ROS) and pathway involved in the photocatalytic generation of H2O2 by the Bi2.15WO6-glucose system are still not clear. Quenching experiments have established that neither •OH nor h+ contribute to the formation of H2O2, and show that the formed surface superoxo (≡Bi-OO•) and peroxo (≡Bi-OOH) species are the predominant ROS in H2O2 generation. In addition, various characterizations indicate the enhanced electron-transfer on the surface of Bi2.15WO6 with increasing contents of glucose via the ligand-to-metal charge transfer pathway, confirming H-transfer from glucose to ≡Bi-OO• or ≡Bi-OOH. The increased production of H2O2 with decreasing bond dissociation energy (BDEO-H) values of various phenolic compounds again supports the H-transfer mechanism from phenolic compounds to ≡Bi-OO• and then to ≡Bi-OOH. DFT calculations further reveal that on the Bi2.15WO6 surface, oxygen is sequentially reduced to ≡Bi-OO• and ≡Bi-OOH, while H-transfer from H2O or glucose to ≡Bi-OO• and ≡Bi-OOH, resulting in the production of H2O2. The lower energy barrier of H-transfer from adsorbed glucose (0.636 eV) than that from H2O (1.157 eV) indicates that H-transfer is more favorable from adsorbed glucose. This work gives new insight into the photocatalytic generation of H2O2 by Bi2.15WO6 in the presence of glucose/phenolic compounds via the H-abstraction pathway.

This study prepared and characterized sodium alginate and carrageenan (SAC) composite films incorporated with peanut shell flavonoids (PSFs). PSFs compound identification research was implemented. The physicochemical features of PSFs-SAC composite films and their ability to preserve chilled pork in a 4 degrees C refrigerator were determined. PSFs consist of luteolin, eriodictyol, 5,7-dihydroxychromone, and 8 other components. They significantly improved the mechanical properties, barrier properties, thermal stability, and antioxidant properties of SAC composite films (P < 0.05). PSFs were also responsible for increasing the density of the film structure between the sodium alginate and carrageenan molecules. During storage, compared with the control group, the prepared PSFs-SAC composite films did not allow the total viable count (TVC), pH and total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) of the chilled pork to increase rapidly. Further, they were able to inhibit lipid oxidation more effectively (P < 0.05). For these reasons, the use of the PSFs-SAC composite films prolonged shelf life of chilled pork from 6 days to the 12 days. Therefore, PSFs-SAC composite films are expected to be used as bioactive substances in food preservation.

Polysaccharide is one of the main active ingredients in Lonicera japonica Thunb. (L. japonica). In this study, we examined the anti-aging activities of L. japonica polysaccharides (LJPs) and further explored the mechanisms. Polysaccharides from L. japonica including the crude LJP (CLJP) and the purified fraction (LJP-2-1) were characterized. The molecular weights of CLJP and LJP-2-1 were 1450 kDa and 1280 kDa, respectively. Meanwhile, CLJP was mainly composed of galacturonic acid (23.57 %), galactose (23.45 %) and arabinose (23.45 %). LJP-2-1 was mainly composed of galacturonic acid (51.25 %) and arabinose (22.89 %). In Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), LJPs maximally prolonged mean lifespan by 13.97 %, promoted fitness with increased motility by 40.92 % and pharyngeal pumping by 25.72 %, and decreased lipofuscin accumulation by 38.9 % with intact body length and fecundity. Moreover, CLJP extended the mean lifespan of nematodes under oxidative and heat stress by 16.76 % and 14.05 % respectively by activating stress-related genes and the antioxidant system. Further, CLJP required DAF-16 to prolong the lifespan of nematodes. CLJP upregulated the expression of daf-16 and its targeted downstream genes, including sod-3, gst-4 and hsp-16.2. Moreover, nuclear accumulation of DAF16 was promoted upon CLJP treatment. Together, our data uncover the role of LJPs in extending lifespan and healthspan through DAF-16.

Colored highland barley (CHB) contains various bioactive constituents and thus has excellent potential for roasting into functional beverages. This study aimed to investigate the differences in brewing characteristics, physicochemical components, and antioxidant activities of the infusions of CHB roasted at 6.0 min, 9.0 min, and 12.0 min. The roasted CHB (RCHB) components were primarily leaching after three steeping times, with the highest persistence of the roasted black cultivar during brewing. Roasting treatment of CHB endowed characteristic aromas and taste to their infusions, and the roasted white cultivar infusions showed relatively higher sensory quality scores. The infusions brewed with CHB roasted at 6.0 min generally revealed higher releases of beta-glucan and lower antioxidant activities, whereas 9.0 min and 12.0 min roasting of CHB were beneficial for leaching total sugar, protein, polyphenols, flavonoids, and free amino acids in their infusions, among which polysaccharides and polyphenols might contribute to their elevated antioxidant activities. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of the infusions brewed with white and black cultivars were susceptible to roasting, resulting in apparent increases and decreases in their abilities, respectively. These results suggested that the RCHB infusions were potential candidates for cereal beverages and functional foods.

This study aimed to investigate the differences in the physicochemical and structural characteristics, digestibility, and lipolysis inhibitory potential in vitro of highland barley resistant starches (HBRSs) prepared by autoclaving (HBSA), microwave-assisted autoclaving (HBSM), isoamylase (HBSI) and pullulanase (HBSP) debranching modifications. Results revealed that the resistant starch content of native starch was significantly elevated after modifications. HBSA and HBSM showed distinctly higher swelling power and water-binding capacities along with lower amylose amounts and solubilities than those of HBSI and HBSP (p < 0.05). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction exhibited that HBSP displayed the highest degree of the ordered crystalline region and crystallinity with a mixture of CB- and V-type polymorphs. Meanwhile, HBSA and HBSM were characterized by their high degree of the amorphous region with a mixture of B- and V-type polymorphs. Physical and enzymatic modifications resulted in different functionalities of HBRSs, among which HBSP showed the lowest digestibility and HBSM exhibited the highest inhibitory activity on lipolysis due to their structure and structure-based morphology and particle size. This study provided significant insights into the development of native starch from highland barley as an alternative functional food.

Selective oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol/cyclohexanone (KA-oil) is an important chemical process, which is still constrained by low conversion and selectivity and high energy consumption. In this study, Cu-doped mesoporous TiO2 (Cu-MT) has been successfully synthesized via calcinating MIL-125(Ti) doped with copper acetylacetonate, which shows high reactivity in selective oxidation of cyclohexane to KA-oil by persulfate (PS) with the desirable cyclohexane conversion of 16.8% and a selectivity of 98.0% under mild conditions and the low ratio of PS/cyclohexane of 1:1. A series of characterizations and density functional theory calculations reveal that the doped Cu(I,II) on Cu-MT is the reactive site for non-radical activation of PS with the moderate elongation of the O-O bond in PS, which then abstracts 1H (1H+ + 1e-) from cyclohexane to form Cy• and eventually KA-oil. This study gives new insight on the importance of moderately activated PS in selective oxidation of C-H.

To promote the stability and functionality of native starch from colored highland barley (CHBS), the cross-linked modifications with sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP)/sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) and citric acid were conducted to prepare CHB resistant starches (CHRSs), whose physicochemical characteristics, digestibility, and lipolysis inhibitory potential were also assessed. Results showed that the resistant starch amounts in CHBS were significantly increased after cross-linking and differed slightly among CHRSs. Citric acid modification of CHBS resulted in significantly higher amylose amounts, solubilities, swelling powers, and water-binding capacities than those under STMP/STPP modification within the cultivars (p < 0.05), with their crystalline patterns of A-type (white and blue) and CB-type (black). STMP/STPP modified CHBS exhibited higher degrees of crystalline regions with B-type crystalline patterns. Due to the differences in structural properties and structure-based morphology, STMP/STPP cross-linked CHBS showed lower digestibility and citric acid cross-linked CHBS exhibited higher lipolysis inhibitory activities. Besides, the cross-linked modifications demonstrated more enhancements in functionalities of starches from white and blue cultivars than black cultivar.

The goal of this study was to investigate the differences in the physicochemical characteristics, digestibility, and lipolysis inhibitory potential of blue highland barley resistant starches (BHRSs) produced by autoclaving (BHSA), microwave-autoclaving (BHSM), isoamylase (BHSI) and pullulanase (BHSP) debranching modifications. Results showed that the resistant starch amount of native starch was evidently elevated following modifications while remaining slightly variable across BHRSs. In comparison to BHSI and BHSP, BHSA and BHSM had noticeably larger swelling powers and water-binding capabilities with reduced amylose contents and solubilities (p < 0.05). BHSP, which had a combination of CB- and V- type polymorphs, demonstrated the highest degree of crystallinity and crystalline region. BHSA and BHSM, on the other hand, were distinguished by their substantial proportion of the amorphous region with a combination of B- and V- type polymorphs. Owing to the structure diversities, structure-based morphology, and particle sizes of BHRSs, the strongest inhibitory activities on lipolysis were found in BHSA and BHSM, while the lowest digestibility was observed in BHSP. This study provided significant insights into developing the modified native starch from blue highland barley as an alternative functional food.

[目的]研究外源壳聚糖对NaCl胁迫下菜用大豆根毛生长和根尖内源IAA积累的影响,为进一步研究壳聚糖提高菜豆抗盐性和结瘤能力提供理论基础.[方法]以菜用大豆品种'绿领八号'-慢生型根瘤菌USDA 122的共生体为试材进行了无土栽培试验.试验设 4 个处理:根部浇灌无氮营养液条件下,叶面喷蒸馏水(CK)、喷200 mg/L壳聚糖水溶液(T1);根部浇灌含 50 mmol/L NaCl的无氮营养液条件下,叶面喷蒸馏水(T2)、200 mg/L壳聚糖水溶液(T3).在NaCl胁迫处理后 2、3、4、5 天时,测定菜豆幼苗根毛数量、形态、变形根毛数,分析根尖内源IAA含量、吲哚乙酸氧化酶(IAAO)、过氧化物酶(POD)活性,分析根系丙二醛(MDA)含量.在NaCl处理 30 天时测定结瘤数、根瘤鲜重、植株含氮量及植株干重.[结果]外源壳聚糖处理(T1、T3)显著提高了NaCl胁迫和无胁迫下菜用大豆的结瘤数、根瘤重、植株含氮量和植株干重,T3 较T2 的增幅分别达84%、151%、20%和 54%,T1 处理较CK的增幅分别为 38%、18%、12%和 7%.外源壳聚糖处理(T1、T3)显著提高了NaCl胁迫和无胁迫下菜用大豆的根毛总数、根毛密度、根毛长度、变形根毛数以及根尖内源IAA含量,显著缩短了NaCl胁迫下根毛起始距离,降低了根尖IAAO和POD活性,同时显著降低了根系MDA含量.[结论]NaCl胁迫下,外源壳聚糖可通过降低IAAO和POD活性,减少IAA的氧化分解;通过缓解根系膜脂过氧化,维持生物膜的相对稳定性和完整性,促进IAA向根尖的极性运输,提高根尖内源IAA含量,诱导根毛形成和生长,进而提高变形根毛数,最终促进了NaCl胁迫下菜用大豆根系的生长和结瘤能力.

Low-molecular-weight poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) can be obtained by peroxydisulfate and Cu(ii)/metal-free catalyst, and high-molecular-weight PPO can be mediated to shorter ones by peroxydisulfate.

以纤维素纳米纤丝(CNFs)和十二烯基琥珀酸酐(DDSA)为原料,采用湿法工艺成功制备了十二烯基琥珀酸纳米纤维素酯(D-CNFs),采用傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)、Zeta电位、热重(TG)、水接触角和X射线衍射(XRD)等对D-CNFs的结构进行表征.结果表明,D-CNFs的最佳制备工艺条件为:反应体系温度、反应体系pH值、反应时间分别为40℃、8.5、6 h.制得的D-CNFs水接触角为83.2°,热稳定性良好,可形成体系稳定的悬浮液,为其今后在食品、医药等领域的应用提供更多的选择性,具有潜在的应用价值.