This study aimed to develop novel bigels as solid fat substitutes and compare the effects of three gelators on their physical properties. Bigels were prepared by mixing whey protein (WPI) hydrogel with glycerol monostearate (GMS), γ-oryzanol/β-sitosterol (SO), and beeswax (BW) based oleogels at different ratios. All bigels exhibited typical hydrogel-in-oleogel (HG/OG) structures as the oleogel content increased from O5:H5 to O8:H2. Among the three systems, GMS-based bigels showed better thermal stability, rheological properties, oil-binding capacity (>97%), and freeze–thaw stability. Their improved oxidative stability was related to the formation of a dense crystalline network, which reduced oil mobility, limited water migration, and slowed oxygen diffusion. In addition, the SVR model showed better prediction performance for POV and TBARS than the PLSR model, with R2 values above 0.95 and prediction errors below 10%. These findings offer critical structural insights into how different gelators modulate bigels properties, offering the way for the design of healthier solid fat substitutes.

Because of the high robustness, superior spatial resolution, and rapid thermal response, luminescence lifetime-based nanothermometry has presented great potential applications in biomedicine. However, conventional luminescence lifetime thermometry is implemented by thermally activated quenching processes, which deteriorate both emission intensity and lifetime at elevated temperatures, thereby compromising the signal quality and the measurement accuracy. In this work, we propose an alternative thermometric strategy based on engineered energy transfer. Using NaYF4: Nd3+ @NaYF4: Yb3+ core@shell nanoparticles as the sensing medium, a phonon-assisted interfacial energy transfer pathway from Yb3+ to Nd3+ is established, which competes with surface quenching to trap the migrated excitation energy of Yb3+ within the shell, leading to an abnormal thermal response in luminescence. Under 980 nm laser excitation, the luminescence of Yb3+ exhibits a simultaneous enhancement in lifetime and intensity with the increase of temperature. A relative thermal sensitivity of about 0.5% K-1 is achieved based on Yb3+ luminescence lifetime over the range of 303-353 K. This mechanism circumvents the intrinsic limitation in lifetime-based thermal sensing, paving a new, to the best of our knowledge, way for luminescence thermometry.

The poor stability and low bioavailability of quercetin (Que) have limited its application in the food industry. Que-loaded zein/sodium caseinate (SC) nanoparticles were prepared at different zein/SC mass ratios. The aggregated nanoparticles at low SC concentrations due to weak electrostatic repulsion, while a zein/SC ratio of 1:4 produced well-dispersed nanoparticles with high encapsulation efficiency and good stability. The hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and hydrophobic associations contributed to the successful encapsulation of Que. and the transformation of Que. into an amorphous form. Stability tests revealed that SC markedly improved the resistance of Que. to environmental stresses, with the best performance observed at zein/SC ratios of 1:4 and 1:8. Furthermore, an improved re-dispersibility of the nanoparticles was found after addition of SC. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion showed that higher SC levels modulated a sustained release of Que. Overall, zein-SC nanoparticles provided an effective delivery system for protecting and enhancing the functional properties of Que., offering potential applications in functional foods and nutraceutical formulations.

This study focused on the interfacial engineering of lycopene-loaded oil-in-water high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs). These emulsions were stabilized by dextran-epigallocatechin gallate-soybean protein amyloid fibrils ternary conjugates (US-SDE/US-SED) using radical-mediated covalent grafting and ultrasound-assisted Maillard reaction with controlled conjugation sequences. These ternary conjugates showed low interfacial tension, high adsorption rate, and oil-water contact angle near 90°. Confocal Raman microscopy confirmed the presence of intermolecular disulfide bonds (t-g-t mode) within the interfacial films, while secondary structure analysis revealed conformational changes in the proteins after the different treatments. Encapsulation of lycopene within the US-SDE-stabilized emulsion significantly enhanced its bioaccessibility (47.85 ± 0.21%) after in vitro simulated digestion, with a free fatty acid (FFA) release of 61.03 ± 0.44%, with notable sustained-release behavior. These findings highlight the potential of sequence-controlled ternary conjugates in modulating interfacial architecture and properties, thereby allowing enhanced delivery of lipophilic bioactive compounds in emulsion-based systems.

Although uranium trifluoride (UF3) holds promise for applications in molten salt reactors, its high-temperature physicochemical properties in molten salt systems have yet to be thoroughly explored. In this study, the solubility and dissolution kinetics of UF3 in molten 2LiF-BeF2 (66-34 mol %, FLiBe) eutectic salt were investigated using the isothermal saturation method within the temperature range of 823 K to 973 K. High-purity UF3 compacts (similar to 99.70 %) were synthesized via an optimized solid-phase reaction protocol and subsequent compacting. The UF3-saturated FLiBe molten salts were prepared by immerse dissolution of nickel mesh-wrapped UF3 compacts and bulk uranium in the molten salt, eliminating the filtration step. Experimental findings showed that the dissolution equilibrium of UF3 in the FLiBe salt was 120 h. The solubility of UF3 exhibited a linear increase (R-2 > 0.99) from 4.16 wt. % to 12.60 wt. % as the elevation of temperature. Crystallographic analysis confirmed that the typical UF3 phase was the only uranium-bearing phase throughout the dissolution process, while deconvolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) verified the exclusive presence of the U3+ species under all temperature conditions. Notably, the dissolution kinetics conformed to a mass transport control model.

The poor stability and low bioavailability of curcumin (CUR) have limited its application in the food industry. The incorporation of hydrophobic compounds into emulsion gels has been shown to enhance their stability and facilitate controlled release from the matrix. Therefore, this study aims to encapsulate CUR in sodium alginate (ALG)-whey protein (WPI)-based emulsion gels to improve its stability and bioavailability. In this study, gel beads were prepared by the oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by ALG and WPI for effective delivery of CUR. The addition of ALG increased the apparent viscosity and induced a Newtonian-like flow behavior, which helped to form a more compact network structure. As the ratio of ALG to WPI varied from 1:3 to 3:1, the swelling ratios of the gel beads were decreased to 44 % and 89 % at pH 1.2 and pH 7.4, respectively, which was attributed to electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds between ALG and WPI. In vitro digestion experiments showed that the emulsions-based gel beads could be used for sustained and controlled release of CUR and maintained the antioxidant activities. These results suggest that ALG-WPI emulsions-based gel beads could be effective encapsulation system for bioactive compounds in food industry.

The emulsifying properties of food proteins can often be enhanced by covalent conjugates with carbohydrates, meeting the safety and functionality requirements for Pickering emulsions in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. This study aimed to covalently link soybean protein amyloid fibrils (SAFs) and chitooligosaccharides (COSs) using genipin as a natural cross-linker and with the assistance of ultrasonic treatment (400 W, 5 min) to prepare novel protein-based emulsifiers. The effects of pH value and SAF:COS mass ratio on the microstructure, physicochemical properties, and emulsifying/foaming properties of these composite nanoparticles were systematically investigated. The optimal preparation conditions were determined to be a pH of 7 and a mass ratio of 1:2 (SAF:COS). The foams stabilized by the nanoparticles prepared under these conditions possess excellent plasticity, while the corresponding Pickering emulsions exhibit high encapsulation efficiency (83.9 %) for beta-carotene and remarkable storage stability. These research results indicate that genipin-crosslinked nanoparticles can serve as effective emulsifiers and foaming agents, capable of protecting hydrophobic nutrients and thus facilitating their wider application in commercial products.

This study explores Uranium Nitride (UN) fuel performance in Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs), focusing on thermal efficiency, mechanical stability, and fission product retention. UN fuels offer advantages like higher thermal conductivity and heavy metal density compared to traditional uranium oxide (UO2). Key findings include lower kernel temperatures (4.1-20.1 degrees C reduction) and 25 % longer fuel cycles for UN (85 % TD) versus UO2 (95 % TD). Reduced cladding strain and fission gas release further highlight UN's safety and economic potential. Challenges in MSR designs, such as fuel cycle complexity and material compatibility, are offset by innovations in fuel reprocessing and modular reactor concepts. This work suggests that UN fuel shows potential as a promising candidate for Molten Salt Reactors under modeled conditions, pending experimental validation as a function of burnup.

This study investigated the microstructure, thermal properties, and irradiation behavior of uranium nitride (UN) fuel pellets synthesized via Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). The highly densified UN pellets were successfully achieved by SPS at 1600 degrees C with a theoretical density above 96 % TD. The SPS-densified UN pellets exhibited good resistance to irradiation swelling, and the lattice constants, phase fractions, and surface roughness of the irradiated region demonstrated high stability. TEM results showed that dislocation loops and Ar bubbles were observed in the irradiated samples, with number densities of 4.74 x 1023 and 1.06 x 1024 /m3, respectively. Furthermore, the data analyzed by the Frequency Domain Thermal Reflection (FDTR) technique matched the data from Laser Flash Analyzer (LFA), confirming the suitability of FDTR for measuring the thermal conductivity of irradiated layers, which was found to be 20 % less than unirradiated values. It was inferred that the dislocation loops and Ar bubbles were the crucial reasons for the decreased thermal conductivity. The results provided valuable insights into the thermal properties and irradiation behaviors of SPS-sintered UN pellets.

Spacecraft operating in the geosynchronous orbital (GEO) environment often experience deep dielectric charging effects in their internal insulation materials, while researchers have attempted to optimize the internal electric field through material modification and internal grounding techniques. Therefore, this article combined the advantages of material modification and structural optimization to establish a glass fabric-modified polyimide structure. We employed a Geant4-COMSOL joint simulation method to obtain the electric field strength distribution under the flux model for internal charging (FLUMIC) electron radiation environment for both single-layer glass fabric modifications at different positions and multilayer glass fabric modifications at varying layer counts. The results indicate that under a single-layer glass fabric-modified structure, the modified glass fabric at Position 3 exhibits the lowest maximum electric field strength. Additionally, according to the glass fabric position, the charge transport behavior in the single-layer glass fabric-modified structure was analyzed through three typical cases by a charge transport model. Finally, the engineering value of the multilayer glass fabric-modified structure was assessed from three dimensions: process design, maximum electric field strength, and electric field distortion rate. For multilayer glass fabric structures, as the number of layers increases, the maximum electric field strength is progressively suppressed, but the mass and manufacturing complexity also increase, imposing an additional burden on the spacecraft. The comprehensive analysis suggests that for practical engineering applications, a three-layer glass fabric modification at Positions 1, 3, and 5 should be adopted to suppress the occurrence of charging phenomena in 1.6-mm polyimide under the GEO environment.

Integrated circuit chips, such as controllers for superconducting quantum computing and readout circuits for infrared astronomical detectors, need to operate in the cryogenic temperature region of liquid nitrogen and even in the deep cryogenic temperature region of liquid helium. However, as shown in Fig. 1 (top left), as the number of transistors increases, the power consumption of the chip increases and some overheated areas in the chip may cause it to fail. Therefore, there is a strong requirement for on-chip deep cryogenic CMOS temperature sensors for temperature monitoring. In Fig. 1 (bottom), CMOS temperature sensors are mainly categorized as BJT-based, resistor-based, and MOS-based. Unfortunately, in BJT-based sensors, the CTAT characteristics of VBE and the PTAT characteristics of $\Delta \mathrm{V}_{\text{BE}}$ lose linearity below approximately 60K [1]. In resistor-based sensors, the NWELL resistors exhibit high non-linearity in the whole temperature range while the unsilicided P-Poly resistors and other kinds of resistors perform resistance saturation below approximately 60K [2]. In MOS-based sensors, the threshold voltage of NMOS transistors exhibits saturation below approximately 50K [2]–[4]. Therefore, none of the above sensors can be used for temperature sensing at deep cryogenic temperatures. Fig. 1 (top right) shows the different characteristics of PMOS threshold voltage in different temperature ranges. Above the critical temperature $\mathrm{T}_{\mathrm{C}}$, the threshold voltage of the PMOS transistor shows a linear temperature dependence due to Fermi potential based on the theory of semiconductor device physics. Below $\mathrm{T}_{\mathrm{C}}$, as the temperature decreases, some experimental results have observed that the PMOS threshold voltage presents higher temperature sensitivity at deep cryogenic temperatures [3], [4]. Currently, the mechanism behind this phenomenon has not been clearly explained. One study models this phenomenon to the change in $\mathrm{C}_{0\mathrm{X}}$ with temperature, and proposes a temperature function of $\mathrm{C}_{0\mathrm{X}}$ that agrees with the experimental results [3]. Another study interprets that as the temperature decreases, the interface-trap charge density near the band edge follows an exponential increase, leading to the higher temperature sensitivity [4]. The sensitive relationship between threshold voltage and temperature is related to the process. Some results indicate that threshold voltage in advanced processes is not suitable for temperature sensing [4]. However, according to our experimental data, the threshold voltage in 0.18um and 0.13um processes exhibits excellent temperature sensing characteristics. Considering the good linearity of PMOS transistors using 0.13um process in the high-temperature region and the high sensitivity in the low-temperature region, in this paper, we design a deep cryogenic CMOS temperature sensor based on a PMOS transistor, with an operating range from 10K (-263°C) to 410K (137°C) and a relative inaccuracy of 0.5%) (3σ).

In this study, the effect of Torreya grandis protein enzymatic hydrolysates (TGPH)/alginate dialdehyde (ADA) complexes in the internal aqueous phase on the physical stability of the water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) emulsions was studied. In the case of TGPH/ADA emulsions, the presence of ADA decreased the apparent viscosity of the emulsions and changed the flow behavior from shear thinning to Newtonian, leading to a decrease in volume-weighted average droplet diameter (D43) of the emulsions. Additionally, the emulsions at the TGPH/ADA ratios of 1:1 showed a lower turbiscan stability index (TSI) value, and smaller change in delta backscattering signal, compared to the emulsions. The enhanced pH stability and storage stability of the emulsions at the TGPH/ADA ratios of 1:1 was due to the formation of Schiff bases between TGPH and ADA. These results suggested that the covalent cross-linking of TGPH with ADA could significantly improve the stability of the emulsions, which provided an effective means for the development of new food-grade protein-polysaccharide complexes stabilized emulsions.

In this study, electrospun zein/alginate dialdehyde (AD) nanofibers were prepared by green crosslinking. The degree of crosslinking could reach 50.72 %, and the diameter of electrospun fibers ranged from 446.2 to 541.8 nm. The generation of AD and the bonding of crosslinking were further confirmed by the changes on characteristic peaks and conformational ratios in the infrared spectroscopy and secondary structure analysis. High concentrations of AD led to improved thermal stabilities, mechanical properties, and hydrophobicity. And the highly crosslinked nanofibers (Z-8) owned the highest elastic modulus (24.92 MPa), tensile strength (0.28 MPa), and elongation at break (8.14 %) among five samples. Moreover, Z-8 possessed a high swelling ratio of 5.45 g/g, and a low weight loss of 6.09 %. The samples could encapsulate curcumin efficiently and show controllable release behaviors based on different AD addition. And the oxidation resistance of nanofibers gradually improved, consistent with the release performances. This study indicated AD crosslinking favored the preparation and application of zein nanofibers, and the oxidized polysaccharide acted as the green crosslinking agent, which provided reference value for the application of polysaccharides in food-related electrospun materials.

To increase the electrical conductivity of nickel electrodes used in solar cells, this study investigated the effects of six different alcohol-based brighteners on nickel electrodeposition and elucidated their mechanisms during the deposition process. Nickel electrodeposition was conducted on a single-crystal silicon (c-Si) substrate in a Watts nickel plating bath with the addition of various additives at 1 g/L. Surface analysis and microstructure characterization were employed, alongside density functional theory calculations and molecular dynamics simulations, to analyze the influence of brightener molecule adsorption on metal grain growth and conductivity properties. These results indicate that alcohol-based additives can be automatically absorbed on the surface of the deposit, whereas long-chain polyhydroxy additives result in a smaller energy gap ( Δ E ) and more active adsorption sites than do short-chain additives, facilitating greater reactivity on the Ni surface. This resulted in a preferred orientation shift of the crystal structure from the (200) plane to the (111) plane, along with a refined grain size and conical morphology growth. Among the studied additives, long-chain molecules increased the Ni0 content in the plating layer and increased its conductivity. In particular, sorbitol effectively reduced the resistivity and grain growth rate of the coating, underscoring its potential as an additive for fabricating high-performance electrodes on c-Si substrates.

As a candidate material for metallic fuel, U-Mo metal fuel pellets are the most promising. U-Mo and U-Mo-Nb alloy pellets with a certain porosity were successfully prepared by the process of hydrogenation/dehydrogenation-compression molding-argon liquid-phase sintering. In order to study the effect of Nb addition on gamma phase uranium alloy fuel pellets, microstructure and thermophysical properties of the samples were investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM), in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD), and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) measurements. Results showed that with the increase of Nb content in the pellets from the nonadd to micro-adding, Nb can facilitate the diffusion of Mo into the U matrix, resulting in the formation of a metastable gamma-U phase. Meanwhile, during the same liquid phase sintering process of U-Mo fuel pellets, with the increase of Nb content, the number of secondary phases in U-Mo fuel pellets gradually decreased, while the size and number of voids of the secondary phases decreased. The specific heat capacity and thermal diffusivity of porous gamma phase uranium alloys fuel pellets with different density were measured and thermal conductivity from 100 degrees C to 600 degrees C were calculated according to the experiment results. It is suggested that the thermal conductivity will increase with the density of pellets increasing.

The minimum spouting velocity (Ums) of heavy particles in conical spouted bed at high temperatures are critical importance for nuclear fuel coating, which are different from that at room temperature. However, current re-searches on the Ums were concentrated on the Cold Mockup spouted bed. There were few studies about the Ums of heavy particles in conical spouted bed at high temperatures. In this study, the effect of temperature (373-1273 K) on the Ums is systematically investigated. A new Ums correlation with temperature, cone angle, static bed height, particle diameter and particle density is obtained:Ums = 3.30 x 10(8) center dot (dp)(1.63) center dot pp)0.57 center dot (tan gamma)(1.18) center dot (H0)(1.45)center dot 2Dc (T)- (1.44). The equation extends the application of the Ums at high temperatures and can be applied to determine the Ums value well under different temperature. Besides, the influence mechanism of temperature, cone angle, static bed height, particle diameter and particle density on the Ums has been discussed. This correlation is rec-ommended for the determination of the Ums well at high temperatures and thus provides significant reference for producing coated fuel particles of high quality.

BackgroundInert matrix fuel (IMF) can efficiently convert plutonium and long-lived minor actinides used for preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and improving spent fuel disposal, hence has been becoming a hot research topic in recent years. The sol-gel method has the advantage of uniform elemental distribution of the products and the wet operation process is less likely to produce radioactive dust, therefore, it has been used to prepare zirconium-based IMF in the research.PurposeThis study aims to prepare a colloidal solution with good dispersive properties and to obtain IMF microspheres with good sphericity, uniform size, and homogeneous elemental distribution.MethodsFirst of all, ThxZr1-xO2 inert matrix fuel was prepared by an external gelation process, and the sol-gel viscosity was used as the main gelation index. Then, the variation tendency of sol viscosity with c(NH4+)/c(NO3-) was investigated for different metal ions concentrations and different temperatures. Finally, the statistical distributions of colloidal particle sizes were obtained for different metal ions and reaction temperatures by laser particle sizing tests, and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to study the structure of IMF after heat treatment at different temperatures.ResultsThe results showed that the complex gelation parameters and properties can be categorized and quantified using gelation field diagrams. In addition, ThxZr1-xO2 IMF kernels with uniform element distribution, good sphericity, and integral appearance were obtained by optimizing the process parameters. Zirconia showed low solubility behavior in the thorium-oxide system, leading to the generation of a biphasic structure.ConclusionsThe results of this study indicate that zirconium-based spherical IMF microspheres with good performance can be prepared by external gelation method.

To investigate the temperature and humidity stability of melt-blown polylactide (PLA) electret nonwovens with different crystallinity, PLA nonwovens were annealed at 70 ℃ for different time followed by the corona charging process, and decay experiments were carried out under different temperature and humidity conditions. It was found that the crystallinity of the PLA nonwovens increased from 14.0 to 50.8

In this study, U3Si2 pellets were fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) of U3Si2 clinkers generated by a high-temperature solid reaction between U and Si powders. The influences of SPS operating parameters (dwell temperature from 1000 to 1300 degrees C and pressure from 30 to 90 MPa) on the microstructure (porosity, normal and distorted U3Si2 phase, grain size and shape) of U3Si2 pellets were analyzed. The density of U3Si2 pellets enhanced with increasing temperature and pressure and it reached of the 97.9% theoretical density (TD) at 1300 degrees C/60 MPa. The residual stress caused the generation of a distorted U3Si2 phase in the pellets, and low-temperature annealing at 300 degrees C effectively released the residual stress and eliminate the lattice distortion of U3Si2. The U3Si2 grain size increased with increasing dwell temperature and showed an opposite trend with increasing pressure. The grain growth mechanisms of the SPS-sintered U3Si2 pellets involved temperature-dependent sur-face diffusion and pressure-induced grain growth inhibition. The evolution of the U3Si2 grain morphology from equiaxed to columnar grains was due to plastic strain under SPS conditions.

In this study, a hydrothermal treatment (HT) at 200 °C was used to deal with the cracking of the external gelation-made thorium oxide (ThO2) microspheres and the effects of HT on the composition, microstructure, and cracking fraction of the microspheres were investigated. The results showed that HT removed the light weight impurities such as ammonium nitrate, degraded polyvinyl alcohol with light weight as well as absorbed and bonded water, thus resulting in a reduction of the weight loss of the gel microsphere by 26%. Owing to the removal of the impurities, HT led to the improvement of the crystallinity of the dried microspheres and the increase of specific surface area and pore size of the dried ones. Further, HT had distinct effect on the heat treatment of the microspheres: (1) For the drying process (240 °C) where an atmosphere of humidified air and wet microspheres were essential, the cracking fraction of the treated microspheres was only one-tenth of that of the original ones due to the removal of the bonded water by the HT. (2) In the case of elevated temperature treatment (650 and 1350 °C), the removal of residual polyvinyl alcohol by thermal oxidation was easy for the treated microspheres without obvious occurrence of cracking, however, it was not the case for the original counterparts. With the aid of HT, high-quality crack-free ThO2 microspheres were available after the heat treatment and would be potentially used as nuclear fuel for a solid-fueled thorium molten salt reactor.