Preparation and characterization of active films based on oregano essential oil microcapsules/soybean protein isolate/sodium carboxymethyl cellulose.

This study aimed to prepare oregano essential oil microcapsules (EOMs) by the active coalescence method using gelatin and sodium alginate as wall materials and oregano essential oil (OEO) as the core material. EOMs were added to the soybean protein isolate (SPI)/sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) matrix to prepare SPI-CMC-EOM active films, and the physical and chemical features of the active films and EOMs were characterized. The results showed that the microencapsulated OEO could protect its active ingredients. Scanning electron microscopy results showed that EOMs were highly compatible with the film matrix. The solubility of active films decreased upon adding EOMs, and their ultraviolet resistance and thermal stability also improved. When the added amount of EOMs was 5 %, the active films had the best mechanical properties and the lowest water vapor permeability. The active films prepared under this condition had excellent comprehensive performance. Also, adding EOMs considerably enhanced the antioxidant of the active films and endowed them with antibacterial properties. The application of the SPI-CMC-EOM films to A. bisporus effectively delayed senescence and maintained the freshness of the postharvest A. bisporus. This study provided a theoretical foundation for the incorporation of EOMs into active films based on biological materials.

Designing a resilient retail supply network for fresh products under disruption risks.

The retail sector supplies the daily fresh products and increasingly plays a key role in the stability and livability of cities. However, public health events such as COVID-19 have caused frequent product shortages in recent years. The risk of fresh product shortages not only causes retailers to lose profits, but also affects the normal life of residents. In this paper, we address the problem of designing a resilient retail supply network for fresh products under the supply disruption risks and propose a bi-objective mixed-integer programming model. This model can help retailers to select suppliers, distribution centers and transportation routes under different scenarios and implement three resilience strategies, namely, priority supply, multiple sourcing and lateral transshipment. We use the ε -constraint method to transform the multi-objective problem into a single objective model and develop a Lagrangian relaxation algorithm to solve the different scale instances. This model is solved for a real-life case of a supermarket to obtain managerial insights. In the case study, this paper shows the set of Pareto fronts with different inventory periods, maximum allowed decay and decay rate. We calculate the expected total cost under targeted disruption scenarios and evaluate the effectiveness of these resilience strategies when implemented concurrently or separately. Our results identify the most critical suppliers and distribution centers that should be fortified. We elaborate that more resilience strategies are not always better and managers need to take appropriate resilience strategies according to their own problems.

Design of carboxymethyl chitosan-reinforced pH-responsive hydrogels for on-demand release of carvacrol and simulation of release kinetics.

pH-responsive carboxymethyl chitosan (CC)/sodium alginate (SA)/carvacrol (CA) hydrogels were prepared using CC and SA as wall materials. The formation of hydrogels is attributed to electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding. The thermostability of the hydrogels was improved with increasing CC content. The swelling degree of the hydrogels increased with increasing pH of the buffer solution. The mechanism of CA release was mainly controlled by Fickian diffusion. Notably, the release rate of CA was positively correlated with temperature and environmental pH, thus the on-demand release of CA can be achieved through pH stimulation. The hydrogels showed good storage stability via determination of antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Furthermore, the C4S1-CA hydrogels (CC/SA blends with dry mass ratios of 4:1, w/w) have good biocompatibility and biosafety. The CC/SA/CA hydrogels provide a unique route for environmentally-responsive preservatives and present new avenues for precise release and intelligent preservation.

Preparation, characterization and application of poly(lactic acid)/corn starch/eucalyptus leaf essential oil microencapsulated active bilayer degradable film.

This study aimed to develop a composite bilayer film based on corn starch (CS)/polylactic acid (PLA). The film had a hydrophobic outer layer and an absorbent inner layer. A natural bioactive substance was incorporated into the inner layer, namely, eucalyptus essential oil microcapsules (EOM). This allowed most of the bioactive substance to be released inside the storage environment. The effects of different amounts of EOM on the physical, mechanical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of the films were investigated. Based on the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the addition of 10-15 mL/100 mL of EOM could be uniformly distributed in the film. The addition of less than 15 mL/100 mL of EOM to the film improved its tensile strength, barrier properties, and elongation at break. The addition of too much EOM led to cracks in the film. The addition of EOM also greatly improved the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the bilayer film. The best performance was obtained when the added amount was 15 mL/100 mL. Films with the best overall properties were used for preserving Agaricus bisporus. In preservation experiments, this film inhibited the respiration rate of A. bisporus, slowed down the consumption of organic matter, and maintained its moisture content. Compared with other cling films, the shelf life of A. bisporus was greatly extended.

Analyses of crime patterns in NIBRS data based on a novel graph theory clustering method: Virginia as a case study.

This paper suggests a novel clustering method for analyzing the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data, which include the determination of correlation of different crime types, the development of a likelihood index for crimes to occur in a jurisdiction, and the clustering of jurisdictions based on crime type. The method was tested by using the 2005 assault data from 121 jurisdictions in Virginia as a test case. The analyses of these data show that some different crime types are correlated and some different crime parameters are correlated with different crime types. The analyses also show that certain jurisdictions within Virginia share certain crime patterns. This information assists with constructing a pattern for a specific crime type and can be used to determine whether a jurisdiction may be more likely to see this type of crime occur in their area.

[Effect of danhong injection on ET-1, sP-sel, and hs-CRP in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect and explore the action mechanism of Danhong Injection (DHI) on serum levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1), soluble P-selectin (sP-sel) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: Seventy ACS patients scheduled to receive PCI were assigned to two groups. Around PCI, the 34 patients in the control group were treated with conventional therapy and the 36 in the DHI group treated with conventional therapy combined with DHI treatment given from the day of PCI to the 14th day after operation at the dose of 40 mL per day by dissolving in 250 mL of 5% glucose for venous dripping. Plasma levels of ET-1, sP-sel and hs-CRP were detected using ELISA at various time points: before PCI (T0), after PCI (T1), 24 h (T2) and 2 weeks (T3) after PCI. The outcomes were compared between the two groups, and compared with those obtained from 20 healthy persons set as the normal control. RESULTS: All the three indices in the two patients' group at T0, T1 and T2 were higher than those in the normal control respectively (P < 0.01), while at T3, the indices in the DHI group were lower than the normal control (P > 0.05). Comparisons between the two patients' group showed that the indices were not different at TO, T1 and T2, but at T3, all were lower in the DHI group than in the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Combined conventional therapy with DHI for 2 weeks can significantly reduce the plasma levels of ET-1, sP-sel and hs-CRP in ACS patients after PCI, suggesting that DHI has certain effects in protecting the endothelial function, inhibiting platelet activation and suppressing inflammatory reaction.