Effects of lactic acid and ascorbic acid electrostatic spraying on the physicochemical attributes and microbial diversity of beef aged at mild temperature (10 °C).

This study aimed to clarify the effect of electrostatic spraying of lactic acid (LE) and ascorbic acid (AE) on vacuum-packaged beef aged at 10 °C. The physicochemical attributes, flavor profiles, and microbial diversities were evaluated. Beef steaks were electrostatically sprayed twice with 4% LE, 0.5% AE, or a mixture of them (LAE). Afterward, the beef was vacuum-packaged and aged. All treated beef exhibited a decrease in quality and sensory scores over time. At the end of the study period, the total viable count (TVC) and the total volatile basic nitrogen values in the control group (7.34 log CFU/g and 15.52 mg/100 g, respectively) were higher than those in the acid-treated groups. The LAE group exhibited the best color stability and the lowest TVC and Enterobacteriaceae counts after aging. High-throughput sequencing analysis revealed that acid types and electrostatic spray could change the microbiota structure. Leuconostoc was the dominant bacteria in the AE and LAE groups, while Enterococcus became the predominant bacteria in the NLE and LE groups with aging. This indicates that electrostatic spray combined with acid treatment can ensure beef quality and microbiological safety at mild temperatures.

Understanding Propofol's Protective Mechanism in Tubular Epithelial Cells: Mitigating Pyroptosis via the miR-143-3p/ATPase Na + /K + Transporting Subunit Alpha 2 Pathway in Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion.

Propofol (Pro), a prevalent intravenous anesthetic, has recently been recognized for its potential in mitigating ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injuries. Despite a plethora of evidence suggesting the beneficial effects of low-dose Pro in renal I/R injury (RI/R), its role in modulating pyroptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells consequent to RI/R has not been thoroughly elucidated. In our investigation, we explored the therapeutic potential of Pro against pyroptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells under the duress of RI/R, employing both in vivo and in vitro models, while deciphering the intricate molecular pathways involved. Our results demonstrate an elevation in the expression of miR-143-3p, contrasted by a diminution in ATPase Na + /K + Transporting Subunit Alpha 2 (ATP1A2) under RI/R conditions. Pro effectively mitigates apoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells induced by RI/R, principally characterized by the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL-)-1ß and IL-18, enhancement of cellular viability, reduction in the ratio of pyroptotic cells, and suppression of nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat-related family, pyrin domain containing 3 inflammasome activation along with the expression of cleaved caspase-1, and gasdermin D. Both knockdown and overexpression studies of miR-143-3p revealed its pivotal role in modulating RI/R-induced tubular cell pyroptosis. Notably, Pro's capacity to inhibit pyroptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells was found to be reversible following ATP1A2 knockdown. Furthermore, our study unveils miR-143-3p as a targeted regulator of ATP1A2 expression. From a mechanistic standpoint, Pro's therapeutic efficacy is attributed to its regulatory influence on miR-143-3p and ATP1A2 expression levels. In conclusion, our findings pioneer the understanding that Pro can significantly ameliorate pyroptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells in the context of RI/R, predominantly through the modulation of the miR-143-3p/ATP1A2 axis. This novel insight furnishes robust empirical support for the development of targeted therapeutics and clinical strategies in addressing RI/R.

Characteristics of Lactic Acid Bacteria as Potential Probiotic Starters and Their Effects on the Quality of Fermented Sausages.

The aim of this study was to explore the potential of commercial lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as probiotic starters in fermented sausages. We initially investigated the growth activity, acid production capability, and tolerance to fermentation conditions of Lactobacillus sakei, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, and Pediococcus pentosaceus. All three LAB strains proved viable as starters for fermented sausages. Subsequently, we explored their potential as probiotics based on their antibacterial and antioxidant capabilities. L. plantarum exhibited stronger inhibition against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. All three strains displayed antioxidant abilities, with cell-free supernatants showing a higher antioxidant activity compared to intact cells and cell-free extracts. Moreover, the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase were stronger in the cell-free supernatant, cell-free extract, and intact cell, respectively. Finally, we individually and collectively inoculated these three LAB strains into sausages to investigate their impact on quality during the fermentation process. External starters significantly reduced pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and sodium nitrite levels. The improvements in color and texture had positive effects, with the L. plantarum inoculation achieving higher sensory scores. Overall, all three LAB strains show promise as probiotic fermentation starters in sausage production.

Effect of chitosan-gelatine edible coating containing nano-encapsulated clove ethanol extract on cold storage of chilled pork.

Meat safety and quality are the main concerns of consumers in the present food market. Chitosan-gelatin edible coatings containing nano-encapsulated clove ethanol extracts (CNPs), designated as CHI-GEL-CNPs, on the quality preservation of chilled pork were studied. Results showed that the mean particle diameters of CNPs were 346.15 ± 37.30 nm. Nano-modification improved the antibacterial activity of free clove ethanol extract. The increasing rate order of TVB-N and TBARS was CHI-GEL-CNPs < CHI-GEL-Clove < CHI-GEL < CHI < CON group. The CHI-GEL-CNPs coating inhibited the elevation of pH and total viable count (TVC) of chilled pork. The TVB-N and TVC values demonstrated that the CHI-GEL-CNPs coating effectively extended the shelf life of chilled pork up to 13 days. In addition, the sensory properties of CHI-GEL-CNPs chilled pork loins were superior to that of control samples. Therefore, the developed CHI-GEL-CNPs coatings have great promise as a nanocomposite for meat preservation.

The retail color characteristics of vacuum-packaged beef m. longissimus lumborum following long-term superchilled storage.

This study investigated whether beef m. longissimus lumborum (LL) can be merchandised under retail conditions, following long-term superchilled storage (-1 °C). At 24 h post-mortem, the LL from left side of beef carcasses (n = 5) were fabricated into vacuum packaged beef thick-cuts, and then stored for 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, or 20 weeks under superchilled conditions (-1 °C). Following storage, beef cuts were fabricated into steaks and aerobically displayed (0- 4 °C) for 5 days. Instrumental color, percentage of myoglobin redox forms, metmyoglobin reducing activity, oxygen consumption, and lipid oxidation were evaluated. After 4 weeks, the steaks had the highest a*, b* and chroma values between 1 and 3 days of display. Longer superchilled storage resulted in a rapid increase in discoloration and lipid oxidation which were observed in samples during display. Specifically, the a* values of steaks superchilled for 16 and 20 weeks approached the unacceptability threshold (a* ≥ 14.5) after 3 days of display.

The Effect of Different Induction Methods on the Structure and Physicochemical Properties of Glycosylated Soybean Isolate Gels.

Soybean protein isolate (SPI), as a full-valued protein, is rich in nutrients, such as amino acids. However, the isolated structure of soybeans makes it difficult to react and thus prepare good gels. In order to further improve the properties of SPIs and to prepare plant-based gels with good performance, this experiment was conducted to prepare maltodextrin glycosylated soybean isolate (MGSI) by the glycosylation of SPI and maltodextrin (MD), and the gels were prepared by thermal induction, transglutaminase (TGase) induction, and TG-MgCl2 co-induction of this glycosylated protein to investigate the effects of different induction methods on the structure and properties of the gels produced by MGSIs. Moreover, the effects of different induction methods on the structure and properties of the gels produced by MGSI were investigated. SDS-PAGE protein electrophoresis, FTIR spectroscopy, and endogenous fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that all three inductions result in the covalent bond cross-linking of MGSI during the gel formation process. Compared with thermal induction, the TGase-induced MGSI secondary structure had a higher content of ß-folded structures, increased fluorescence intensity of tertiary structures, and produced a red shift. The gel induced by TGase in collaboration with MgCl2 contains a more ß-folded structure and irregular curl and increases the ß-turned angle and α-helix content further, the endogenous fluorescence λmax is significantly red-shifted, and the fluorescence intensity increases, demonstrating that the tertiary structure of MGSI unfolds the most, forming multilayered gels with the tightest structures. The three gels were analyzed by rheology and SEM, showing that the TGase-MgCl2 synergistically induced gel had the highest energy-storage modulus G', viscoelasticity, and water-holding capacity, as well as the densest gel structure. In conclusion, the combined treatment of enzyme and MgCl2 might be an effective way of improving the structure and gel properties of SPI. This study helps to promote the high-value utilization of SPI and the development of plant protein gels.

Effects of Chitosan/Collagen Peptides/Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil Composite Coating on the Quality of Dry-Aged Beef.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the chitosan/collagen peptides/cinnamon bark essential oil composite coating on dry-aged beef. Chitosan (2%, w/v), collagen peptides (1%, w/v), and cinnamon bark essential oil (1%, v/v) were homogenized to obtain the coating. Beef samples were divided into three groups (traditional dry-ageing, in-bag dry-ageing, and coating and then dry-ageing) and dry-aged for 42 days. Physiochemical, microbial, and sensorial parameters of samples were determined during the dry-ageing process. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in pH values, shear force values, cooking loss, color, juiciness, tenderness, and flavor across groups. The total volatile base nitrogen value of the coating group was lower than those of the other two groups. Compared to traditional dry-ageing, in-bag and coating dry-ageing reduced (p < 0.05) many volatile compounds such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and acetate. In-bag and coating dry-ageing had no impact on the fungal community, but changed the bacterial community by inhibiting Pseudomonas. This study demonstrates that the chitosan/collagen peptides/cinnamon bark essential oil coating reduces microbial spoilage during dry-ageing, and has a small influence on product quality.

Characterization of Volatile Profiles and Correlated Contributing Compounds in Pan-Fried Steaks from Different Chinese Yellow Cattle Breeds through GC-Q-Orbitrap, E-Nose, and Sensory Evaluation.

This study focused on characterizing the volatile profiles and contributing compounds in pan-fried steaks from different Chinese yellow cattle breeds. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of six Chinese yellow cattle breeds (bohai, jiaxian, yiling, wenshan, xinjiang, and pingliang) were analyzed by GC-Q-Orbitrap spectrometry and electronic nose (E-nose). Multivariate statistical analysis was performed to identify the differences in VOCs profiles among breeds. The relationship between odor-active volatiles and sensory evaluation was analyzed by partial least square regression (PLSR) to identify contributing volatiles in pan-fried steaks of Chinese yellow cattle. The results showed that samples were divided into two groups, and 18 VOCs were selected as potential markers for the differentiation of the two groups by GC-Q-Orbitrap combined multivariate statistical analysis. YL and WS were in one group comprising mainly aliphatic compounds, while the rest were in the other group with more cyclic compounds. Steaks from different breeds were better differentiated by GC-Q-Orbitrap in combination with chemometrics than by E-nose. Six highly predictive compounds were selected, including 3-methyl-butanal, benzeneacetaldehyde, 2-ethyl-6-methyl-pyrazine, 2-acetylpyrrole, 2-acetylthiazole, and 2-acetyl-2-thiazoline. Sensory recombination difference and preference testing revealed that the addition of highly predictive compounds induced a perceptible difference to panelists. This study provides valuable data to characterize and discriminate the flavor profiles in pan-fried steaks of Chinese yellow cattle.

Comparison of physiochemical attributes, microbial community, and flavor profile of beef aged at different temperatures.

Beef aging for tenderness and flavor development may be accelerated by elevated temperature. However, little to no research has been undertaken that determines how this affects other important meat quality characteristics and microbial community. This study aims to decrease aging time by increasing temperature. Beef were aged and vacuum packaged at 10 and 15°C, and the effects of increased temperature on meat physiochemical attributes, microbial community, and flavor profile were monitored. The shear force decreased with aging in all temperature and showed the higher rate at elevated temperatures compare to 4°C. The beef aged at elevated temperatures (10 or 15°C) for 5 days showed equivalent shear force value to the beef aged at 4°C for 10 days (p  >  0.05), however, the final tenderness was not affected by the elevated temperature. The beef aged at elevated temperatures showed a significantly higher cooking loss and less color stability compared to 4°C (p  <  0.05). The total volatile basic nitrogen and aerobic plate count increased (p  <  0.05) faster at elevated temperatures compare to 4°C. Carnobacterium, Lactobacillus and Hafnia-Obesumbacterium were the dominant genus in the beef samples aged at 4, 10, and 15°C, respectively. In addition, the contents of isobutyraldehyde, 3-methylbutyraldehyde, 2-methylbutyraldehyde, and 3-methylbutanol were higher than aged at 4°C (p  <  0.05). Therefore, these results suggest that application of elevated aged temperatures could shorten required aging time prior while not adversely affecting meat quality. In turn, this will result in additional cost savings for meat processors.

Dietary Supplementation with Microalgae (Schizochytrium sp.) Improves the Antioxidant Status, Fatty Acids Profiles and Volatile Compounds of Beef.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with microalgae (Schizochytrium sp.) containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the antioxidant enzyme activity, physicochemical quality, fatty acid composition and volatile compounds of beef meat. Eighteen male Qaidamford cattle were randomly allocated into three treatments (n = 6): no micro-algae supplementation (Control group, C), 100 g microalgae supplementation per bull per day (FD1), and 200 g microalgae supplementation per bull per day (FD2), and fed for 49 days before slaughter. The results showed that, compared with the C group, the addition of DHA-rich microalgae to the diet could significantly increase the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in meat. In the FD2 group, it was found that the concentration of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) was significantly higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). DHA-rich microalgae supplementation increased polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; C20:5 n-6), DHA, EPA + DHA, and n-3 PUFA and reduced n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratio. Twenty-four volatile compounds identified in beef were mainly aldehydes, alcohols and ketones from the fingerprints. The contents of short-chain fatty aldehydes, 1-octen-3-ol and 2-pentylfuran, were higher in the FD2 group than in the other two groups. The microalgae diet improved the sensory attribute score of beef. The results demonstrated that dietary supplementation of DHA-rich microalgae improved the antioxidant status, increased the deposition of DHA and enhanced the characteristic flavor of beef.

Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals a Dependent Relationship Between Rumen Bacteria and Diet of Grass- and Grain-Fed Yaks.

Current information on the differences between rumen bacteria and metabolites of the grass-fed and grain-fed yaks is limited. Understanding the composition and alterations of rumen microbial metabolites is important to clarify its potential role in grass-fed and grain-fed systems. The aim of this research was to explore the influence of different production systems on the functional attributes and metabolites in the rumen microbiota of yak using genomics (Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene) and untargeted metabolomics (UHPLC-QTOF-MS). Rumen samples were obtained from grass-fed (C), grain-fed for 3-month (G3), and grain-fed for 6-month yaks (G6). Results showed that the grain-fed yaks presented a lower rumen bacterial richness and diversity when compared to grass-fed yaks. Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, and Fibrobacterota were the main bacterial phyla. At the phylum and genus level, the grass-fed yaks significantly increased the abundance of Fibrobacterota and Fibrobacter (p < 0.05), respectively. The metabolomics analysis revealed that the metabolite profiles differed among the three groups. Compared with the grass-fed group, grain feeding significantly increased azelaic acid, hypoxanthine, uridine, L-phenylalanine, anserine, and decreased alpha-linolenic acid, adenine. Pathway enrichment analysis showed significant differences in metabolic pathways among all comparison groups, but the glycerophospholipid metabolism and alpha-linolenic acid metabolism pathway were common key metabolic pathways. This study showed that the combined analysis of microbiota and metabolites could distinguish different production systems and the fattening time of yaks, providing novel insights for us to understand the function of the rumen bacteria.

Electromagnetic Wave-Absorbing and Bending Properties of Three-Dimensional Honeycomb Woven Composites.

To avoid the delamination of the traditional three-dimensional (3-D) honeycomb electromagnetic (EM) absorbing composites and improving the defects of low mechanical properties, the 3-D honeycomb woven fabrics were woven on the ordinary loom by practical design. The fabrication of 3-D honeycomb woven EM absorbing composites was based on carbon black/carbonyl iron powder/basalt fiber/carbon fiber/epoxy resin (CB/CIP/BF/CF/EP) by the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process. A CB/CIP composite absorbent study showed that CB/CIP composite absorbent belongs to a magnetic loss type absorbent. Adding CB/CIP significantly improved the absorption performance of composite, increased the absorption peak and the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB), but the bending performance decreased. The normalization analysis results showed that when the thickness was 15 mm, the mechanical properties and EM wave-absorbing properties of the 3-D honeycomb woven composite were the best matches. The morphological characteristics and displacement load curves of the composite after fracture were analyzed. The bending failure modes were brittle fracture of the fiber bundle, matrix cracking, and typical shear failure. Despite the above failure mechanism, the 3-D honeycomb woven EM absorbing composites still has good integrity without delamination.

Muscle fiber characteristics and postmortem quality of longissimus thoracis, psoas major and semitendinosus from Chinese Simmental bulls.

Using Chinese Simmental cattle semitendinosus, psoas major, and longissimus thoracis samples, we assessed muscle fiber characteristics and postmortem quality. The type I, IIA, and IIB fiber diameters were greater in semitendinosus and longissimus thoracis relative to psoas major, with psoas major, semitendinosus, and longissimus thoracis having the highest respective percentages of type I, IIB, and IIA fibers. Psoas major had the highest R 248 and R 250 values and lowest R 258 values at 1- and 6-hr postmortem. Psoas major had the lowest Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), hardness, and chewiness values. The trends of WBSF, hardness, and chewiness changes decreased with increasing aging time. Semitendinosus had higher changes in WBSF than psoas major, and the number % type I fibers was correlated negatively with % changes of WBSF. Therefore, muscles with a high proportion of type IIB fibers and a low proportion of type I had lower tenderness and higher tenderization rate. Further research should be done to seek the optimal composition of muscle fiber type in order to improve beef quality, as muscle fiber type has opposite effect of tenderness background and tenderization rate.

Surface Structured Polymer Blend Fibers and Their Application in Fiber Reinforced Composite.

Melt-spun surface structured fiber could be a large-scale versatile platform for materials with advanced surface function and local properties. Fibers with distinct surface and bulk structures are developed by tailoring the viscosity ratio and blend ratio of polymer component using the melt-spinning method. Spherical bulge and fibril groove structured fibers are obtained in different viscosity ratio and blend ratio systems. The interfacial bonding between fiber and matrix is improved due to the mechanical interlocking between the structured surface and matrix. The low-viscosity second phase stays as a spherical droplet even in high content. The second phase in matched- and high-viscosity ratio cases is deformed into fibril like droplet which causes an in-situ fibration of the second phase in polymer blend fiber with an enhanced mechanical property. This method provides a simple route to developing polymer materials with surface structure and appropriate mechanical properties to apply in textile and polymer fiber-reinforced composite materials.

Shape adaptable and highly resilient 3D braided triboelectric nanogenerators as e-textiles for power and sensing.

Combining traditional textiles with triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) gives birth to self-powered electronic textiles (e-textiles). However, there are two bottlenecks in their widespread application, low power output and poor sensing capability. Herein, by means of the three-dimensional five-directional braided (3DB) structure, a TENG-based e-textile with the features of high flexibility, shape adaptability, structural integrity, cyclic washability, and superior mechanical stability, is designed for power and sensing. Due to the spatial frame-column structure formed between the outer braided yarn and inner axial yarn, the 3DB-TENG is also endowed with high compression resilience, enhanced power output, improved pressure sensitivity, and vibrational energy harvesting ability, which can power miniature wearable electronics and respond to tiny weight variations. Furthermore, an intelligent shoe and an identity recognition carpet are demonstrated to verify its performance. This study hopes to provide a new design concept for high-performance textile-based TENGs and expand their application scope in human-machine interfacing.

High-energy diet improves growth performance, meat quality and gene expression related to intramuscular fat deposition in finishing yaks raised by barn feeding.

This research aimed to investigate the effects of dietary energy concentration (combined net energy, Nemf) on growth performance and meat quality of yaks raised by barn feeding. In all, 30 male yaks (3-year old and 114.57 ± 21.56 kg of body weight) were allocated to one of three isonitrogenous dietary treatments that had different Nemf concentrations (low 3.72 MJ/kg, middle 4.52 MJ/kg and high 5.32 MJ/kg, respectively). The yaks were fed for 120 days. The results showed that the final weight, average daily gain, dressing percentage, backfat thickness and loin muscle area were significantly improved (p < .05) with the increase in dietary energy concentration. However, an opposite trend of feed:gain ratio, cooking loss, driage, shear force and moisture content was found. A significant improvement (p < .05) of intramuscular fat content was observed in the high-energy group. Additionally, the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acid was increased (p < .05) at the expense of the saturated fatty acids. The mRNA expressions of lipogenic genes fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1, stearoyl-CoA desaturase, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, lipoprotein lipase and heart fatty acid-binding proteins increased (p < .05) in a dose-dependent manner. However, the mRNA expressions of lipolytic genes carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 and hormone-sensitive lipase correspondingly decreased (p < .05) with increased dietary energy level. In summary, the growth performance, meat production and meat quality improvement of finishing yaks can be achieved by increasing the dietary energy concentration. The intramuscular fat accumulation of yaks was achieved through up-regulation of intramuscular lipogenic gene expression as well as fatty acid transport gene expression and down-regulation of lipolytic gene expression by promoting dietary energy concentration.

Changes in Physical Meat Traits, Protein Solubility, and the Microstructure of Different Beef Muscles during Post-Mortem Aging.

This study was performed to compare the differences in pH, myofibril fragmentation index (MFI), total protein solubility (TPS), sarcoplasmic protein solubility (SPS), myofibrillar protein solubility (MPS), and the microstructure of seven beef muscles during aging. From the six beef carcasses of Xinjiang brown cattle, a total of 252 samples from semitendinosus (ST), longissimus thoracis (LT), rhomboideus (RH), gastrocnemius (GN), infraspinatus (IN), psoas major (PM), and biceps femoris (BF) muscles were collected, portioned, and assigned to six aging periods (1, 3, 7, 9, 11, and 14 day/s) and 42 samples were used per storage period. IN muscle showed the highest pH (p < 0.05) from 1 to 14 days and the lowest TPS (p < 0.01) from 9 to 14 days with respect to the other muscles. Moreover, the changes in IN were further supported by transmission electron microscopy due to the destruction of the myofibril structure. The highest value of MFI was tested in ST muscle from 7 to 14 days. The total protein solubility in PM, RH, and GN muscles were not affected (p > 0.05) as the aging period increased. The lowest TPS was found in the RH muscle on day 1, 3, and 7 and in the IN muscle on day 9, 11, and 14. The pH showed negative correlations with the MFI, TPS, and MPS (p < 0.01). The results suggest that changes in protein solubility and muscle fiber structure are related to muscle location in the carcass during aging. These results provide new insights to optimize the processing and storage of different beef muscles and enhance our understanding of the biological characteristics of Xinjiang brown cattle muscles.

Influence of Electrostatic Field on the Quality Attributes and Volatile Flavor Compounds of Dry-Cured Beef during Chill Storage.

The purpose was to investigate the quality characteristics of dry-cured beef with different storage times under a high-voltage electrostatic field (HVEF) condition. The pH, moisture content, meat color, and volatile compounds of dry-cured beef samples treated with HVEF (3 kV) were compared with those of a common refrigerator (CON) at days 0, 3, 7, 10, and 14. The results showed that, compared with CON group, the decline rates of the pH and moisture content of beef and ∆E values were lower under HVEF storage condition. From the fingerprints, the 42 volatile compounds identified were mainly aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, and esters. The benzaldehyde, trimethyl pyrazine, and maltol contents in the HVEF group exhibited a dramatic increase after 10 days of storage. Principal component analysis revealed clustering of compound classes, distributed in a separate time. Based on the above findings, we concluded that HVEF treatment could promote color stability and enhance characteristic flavor during the storage of dry-cured beef. These results suggested that HVEF might be applicable for dry-cured meat storage techniques.

Wet-spinning assembly and in situ electrodeposition of carbon nanotube-based composite fibers for high energy density wire-shaped asymmetric supercapacitor.

Wire-shaped supercapacitors (WSC) have attracted tremendous attention for powering portable electronic devices. However, previously reported WSC suffered from a complicated fabrication process and high cost. The objective of this study is to develop a facile and scalable process for the fabrication of high energy density WSC. We coupled the wet-spinning assembly with an in situ electrodeposition technique to prepare carbon nanotube (CNT)-based composite fibers. The charge balance between the electrodes was realized by controlling the deposition time of the pseudocapacitive materials. A wire-shaped asymmetric supercapacitor (WASC) was fabricated by twisting MnO2/CNT fiber cathode and PPy/CNT fiber anode with LiCl/PVA electrolyte. The flexible MnO2/CNT//PPy/CNT WASC operated in a broadened voltage range of 0-1.8 V exhibited a high capacitance of 17.5F cm-3 (10.7F g-1). In addition, it delivered a maximum energy and power densities of 7.88 mWh cm-3 (4.82 Wh kg-1) and 2.26 W cm-3 (1382 W kg-1), respectively. The WASC device demonstrated satisfactory cycling stability with 86% capacitance retention, and its Coulombic efficiency remained at 96% after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. The contributions of the diffusion-controlled insertion and the surface capacitive effect were theoretically quantified to investigate the energy storage mechanism. The fabrication approaches hold potential for the construction of cost-effective and high-performance WSC.

A Stretchable Yarn Embedded Triboelectric Nanogenerator as Electronic Skin for Biomechanical Energy Harvesting and Multifunctional Pressure Sensing.

Flexible and stretchable physical sensors capable of both energy harvesting and self-powered sensing are vital to the rapid advancements in wearable electronics. Even so, there exist few studies that can integrate energy harvesting and self-powered sensing into a single electronic skin. Here, a stretchable and washable skin-inspired triboelectric nanogenerator (SI-TENG) is developed for both biomechanical energy harvesting and versatile pressure sensing. A planar and designable conductive yarn network constructed from a three-ply-twisted silver-coated nylon yarn is embedded into flexible elastomer, endowing the SI-TENG with desired stretchability, good sensitivity, high detection precision, fast responsivity, and excellent mechanical stability. With a maximum average power density of 230 mW m-2 , the SI-TENG is able to light up 170 light-emitting diodes, charge various capacitors, and drive miniature electronic products. As a self-powered multifunctional sensor, the SI-TENG is adopted to monitor human physiological signals, such as arterial pulse and voice vibrations. Furthermore, an intelligent prosthetic hand, a self-powered pedometer/speedometer, a flexible digital keyboard, and a proof-of-concept pressure-sensor array with 8 × 8 sensing pixels are successively demonstrated to further confirm its versatile application prospects. Based on these merits, the developed SI-TENG has promising applications in wearable powering technology, physiological monitoring, intelligent prostheses, and human-machine interfaces.