Effects of different packaging methods on microbial, [chemical] and sensory properties of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus Linnaeus, 1758) fillets during refrigerator storage

The effect of three different packaging methods including Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), Vacuum Packaging and normal Packaging was investigated on the quality of Nile tilapia fresh fillets stored in the refrigerator's temperature. The packaged samples were examined for 10 days with regard to the changes in chemical (TVN, PV, pH), microbial (total viable count) and sensory evaluations. The results indicated that the samples packed in MAP condition had higher quality than that of other methods at the end of the storage period. In addition, the slower destructive impacts and microbial growth was observed in MAP. The results of present study suggest that packaging tilapia under MAP conditions results in the increase in the durability, storing, and distribution period for fillets

Trace-gas metabolic versatility of the facultative methanotroph Methylocella silvestris

The climate-active gas methane is generated both by biological processes and by thermogenic decomposition of fossil organic material, which forms methane and short-chain alkanes, principally ethane, propane and butane1, 2. In addition to natural sources, environments are exposed to anthropogenic inputs of all these gases from oil and gas extraction and distribution. The gases provide carbon and/or energy for a diverse range of microorganisms that can metabolize them in both anoxic3 and oxic zones. Aerobic methanotrophs, which can assimilate methane, have been considered to be entirely distinct from utilizers of short-chain alkanes, and studies of environments exposed to mixtures of methane and multi-carbon alkanes have assumed that disparate groups of microorganisms are responsible for the metabolism of these gases. Here we describe the mechanism by which a single bacterial strain, Methylocella silvestris, can use methane or propane as a carbon and energy source, documenting a methanotroph that can utilize a short-chain alkane as an alternative to methane. Furthermore, during growth on a mixture of these gases, efficient consumption of both gases occurred at the same time. Two soluble di-iron centre monooxygenase (SDIMO) gene clusters were identified and were found to be differentially expressed during bacterial growth on these gases, although both were required for efficient propane utilization. This report of a methanotroph expressing an additional SDIMO that seems to be uniquely involved in short-chain alkane metabolism suggests that such metabolic flexibility may be important in many environments where methane and short-chain alkanes co-occur

New type of microengine using internal combustion of hydrogen and oxygen

Microsystems become part of everyday life but their application is restricted by lack of strong and fast motors (actuators) converting energy into motion. For example, widespread internal combustion engines cannot be scaled down because combustion reactions are quenched in a small space. Here we present an actuator with the dimensions 100x100x5 um^3 that is using internal combustion of hydrogen and oxygen as part of its working cycle. Water electrolysis driven by short voltage pulses creates an extra pressure of 0.5-4 bar for a time of 100-400 us in a chamber closed by a flexible membrane. When the pulses are switched off this pressure is released even faster allowing production of mechanical work in short cycles. We provide arguments that this unexpectedly fast pressure decrease is due to spontaneous combustion of the gases in the chamber. This actuator is the first step to truly microscopic combustion engines.Comment: Paper and Supplementary Information (to appear in Scientific Reports

Perspectives for a mixed two-qubit system with binomial quantum states

The problem of the relationship between entanglement and two-qubit systems in which it is embedded is central to the quantum information theory. This paper suggests that the concurrence hierarchy as an entanglement measure provides an alternative view of how to think about this problem. We consider mixed states of two qubits and obtain an exact solution of the time-dependent master equation that describes the evolution of two two-level qubits (or atoms) within a perfect cavity for the case of multiphoton transition. We consider the situation for which the field may start from a binomial state. Employing this solution, the significant features of the entanglement when a second qubit is weakly coupled to the field and becomes entangled with the first qubit, is investigated. We also describe the response of the atomic system as it varies between the Rabi oscillations and the collapse-revival mode and investigate the atomic inversion and the Q-function. We identify and numerically demonstrate the region of parameters where significantly large entanglement can be obtained. Most interestingly, it is shown that features of the entanglement is influenced significantly when the multi-photon process is involved. Finally, we obtain illustrative examples of some novel aspects of this system and show how the off-resonant case can sensitize entanglement to the role of initial state setting.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figure

11.4% Efficiency non-fullerene polymer solar cells with trialkylsilyl substituted 2D-conjugated polymer as donor

Simutaneously high open circuit voltage and high short circuit current density is a big challenge for achieving high efficiency polymer solar cells due to the excitonic nature of organic semdonductors. Herein, we developed a trialkylsilyl substituted 2D-conjugated polymer with the highest occupied molecular orbital level down-shifted by Si-C bond interaction. The polymer solar cells obtained by pairing this polymer with a non-fullerene acceptor demonstrated a high power conversion efficiency of 11.41% with both high open circuit voltage of 0.94 V and high short circuit current density of 17.32 mA cm(-2) benefitted from the complementary absorption of the donor and acceptor, and the high hole transfer efficiency from acceptor to donor although the highest occupied molecular orbital level difference between the donor and acceptor is only 0.11 eV. The results indicate that the alkylsilyl substitution is an effective way in designing high performance conjugated polymer photovoltaic materials.open

Elliptic flow of electrons from heavy-flavor hadron decays in Au+Au collisions at sNN=\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 200, 62.4, and 39 GeV

We present measurements of elliptic flow ($v_2$) of electrons from the decays of heavy-flavor hadrons ($e_{HF}$) by the STAR experiment. For Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} =$ 200 GeV we report $v_2$, for transverse momentum ($p_T$) between 0.2 and 7 GeV/c using three methods: the event plane method ($v_{2}${EP}), two-particle correlations ($v_2${2}), and four-particle correlations ($v_2${4}). For Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 62.4 and 39 GeV we report $v_2${2} for $p_T< 2$ GeV/c. $v_2${2} and $v_2${4} are non-zero at low and intermediate $p_T$ at 200 GeV, and $v_2${2} is consistent with zero at low $p_T$ at other energies. The $v_2${2} at the two lower beam energies is systematically lower than at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} =$ 200 GeV for $p_T < 1$ GeV/c. This difference may suggest that charm quarks interact less strongly with the surrounding nuclear matter at those two lower energies compared to $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 200$ GeV.Comment: Version accepted by PR