Nutrient Content Prediction and Geographical Origin Identification of Bananas by Combining Hyperspectral Imaging with Chemometrics.

The nutritional quality of bananas and their geographical origin authenticity are very important for trade. There is an urgent need for rapid, non-destructive testing to improve the origin and quality assurance for importers, distributors, and consumers. In this study, 99 banana samples from a range of producing countries were collected.

Shallow defects and optical properties of CsPbBrthin films through noble gas ion beam defect engineering.

Ion implantation is widely utilised for the modification of inorganic semiconductors; however, the technique has not been extensively applied to lead halide perovskites. In this report, we demonstrate the modification of the optical properties of caesium lead bromide (CsPbBr) thin films via noble gas ion implantation. We observed that the photoluminescence (PL) lifetimes of CsPbBrthin films can be doubled by low fluences (<1 × 10at·cm) of ion implantation with an acceleration voltage of 20 keV.

Identifying the vintage of French wine using stable isotopes, elemental fingerprints, and a data-driven but explainable approach.

Stable isotopes and elemental fingerprints were employed as indicators to evaluate the vintage of French wine using climate factors and data-driven models. δC of wine ethanol and glycine, and δO of wine water and 16 elements were determined in wine from Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Languedoc-Roussillon. Results revealed that isotopic and elemental signatures from various vintages were influenced by precipitation and temperature.

Similarity recognition approach to identify zero-added MSG soy sauce using stable isotopes and amino acid profiles.

Seasonings such as naturally fermented soy sauce without added monosodium glutamate (MSG), are currently a growth market in China. However, fraudulent and mislabeled zero-added MSG soy sauce may cause a risk of excessive MSG intake, increasing food safety issues for consumers. This study investigates stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes and 16 amino acids in typical Chinese in-market soy sauces and uses a similarity method to establish criteria to authenticate MSG addition claims.

Fertilizer Effects on the Nitrogen Isotope Composition of Soil and Different Leaf Locations of Potted over a Growing Season.

The nitrogen-stable isotopes of plants can be used to verify the source of fertilizers, but the fertilizer uptake patterns in tea () plants are unclear. In this study, potted tea plants were treated with three types of organic fertilizers (OFs), urea, and a control. The tea leaves were sampled over seven months from the top, middle, and base of the plants and analyzed for the N and nitrogen content, along with the corresponding soil samples.

Assessing Seasonal Effects on Identification of Cultivation Methods of Short-Growth Cycle L. Using IRMS and NIRS.

Seasonal (temporal) variations can influence the C, H, O, and N values and nutrient composition of organic (ORG), green (GRE), and conventional (CON) vegetables with a short growth cycle. Stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) combined with the partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) method were used to investigate seasonal effects on the identification of ORG, GRE, and CON L. samples (s).

Effects of Water Isotope Composition on Stable Isotope Distribution and Fractionation of Rice and Plant Tissues.

Rice origin authenticity is important for food safety and consumer confidence. The stable isotope composition of rice is believed to be closely related to its water source, which affects its origin characteristics. However, the influence of water availability on the distribution of rice stable isotopes (δH and δO) is not clear.

Bridging Together Theoretical and Experimental Perspectives in Single-Atom Alloys for Electrochemical Ammonia Production.

Ammonia is an essential commodity in the food and chemical industry. Despite the energy-intensive nature, the Haber-Bosch process is the only player in ammonia production at large scales. Developing other strategies is highly desirable, as sustainable and decentralized ammonia production is crucial.

Towards Verifying the Imported Soybeans of China Using Stable Isotope and Elemental Analysis Coupled with Chemometrics.

Verifying the geographical origin of soybeans ( [Linn.] Merr.) is a major challenge as there is little available information regarding non-parametric statistical origin approaches for Chinese domestic and imported soybeans.

In Situ Incorporation of Atomically Precise Au Nanoclusters within Zeolites for Ambient Temperature CO Oxidation.

Preserving ultrasmall sizes of metal particles is a key challenge in the study of heterogeneous metal-based catalysis. Confining the ultrasmall metal clusters in a well-defined crystalline porous zeolite has emerged as a promising approach to stabilize these metal species. Successful encapsulation can be achieved by the addition of ligated metal complexes to zeolite synthesis gel before hydrothermal synthesis.

Volcanic glass from the 1.8 ka Taupō eruption (New Zealand) detected in Antarctic ice at ~ 230 CE.

Chemical anomalies in polar ice core records are frequently linked to volcanism; however, without the presence of (crypto)tephra particles, links to specific eruptions remain speculative. Correlating tephras yields estimates of eruption timing and potential source volcano, offers refinement of ice core chronologies, and provides insights into volcanic impacts. Here, we report on sparse rhyolitic glass shards detected in the Roosevelt Island Climate Evolution (RICE) ice core (West Antarctica), attributed to the 1.

Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotope Fractionation Effects in Different Organ Tissues of Grapes under Drought Conditions.

A study of different grapevine tissues and organs (root, stem, leaf, fruit) water isotope fractionation models from high-quality wine grapes produced in the Helan Mountains, a key wine-producing area in northwestern China, was undertaken. Results showed that δH values of local groundwater sources were more negative than rivers and precipitation. Soil water δH and δO values were significantly higher than those of other environmental water sources.

Increased Amazon carbon emissions mainly from decline in law enforcement.

The Amazon forest carbon sink is declining, mainly as a result of land-use and climate change. Here we investigate how changes in law enforcement of environmental protection policies may have affected the Amazonian carbon balance between 2010 and 2018 compared with 2019 and 2020, based on atmospheric CO vertical profiles, deforestation and fire data, as well as infraction notices related to illegal deforestation. We estimate that Amazonia carbon emissions increased from a mean of 0.

Room Temperature Ion Beam Synthesis of Ultra-Fine Molybdenum Carbide Nanoparticles: Toward a Scalable Fabrication Route for Earth-Abundant Electrodes.

Molybdenum carbides are promising low-cost electrocatalysts for electrolyzers, fuel cells, and batteries. However, synthesis of ultrafine, phase-pure carbide nanoparticles (diameter < 5 nm) with large surface areas remains challenging due to uncontrollable agglomeration that occurs during traditional high temperature syntheses. This work presents a scalable, physical approach to synthesize molybdenum carbide nanoparticles at room temperature by ion implantation.

Effects of Light Shading, Fertilization, and Cultivar Type on the Stable Isotope Distribution of Hybrid Rice.

The effect of fertilizer supply and light intensity on the distribution of elemental contents (%C and %N) and light stable isotopes (C, N, H, and O) in different rice fractions (rice husk, brown rice, and polished rice) of two hybrid rice cultivars (maintainer lines You-1B and Zhong-9B) were investigated. Significant variations were observed for C (-31.3 to -28.

A review of recent compound-specific isotope analysis studies applied to food authentication.

Compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) of food products is a relatively new and novel technique used to authenticate food and detect adulteration. This paper provides a review of recent on-line and off-line CSIA applications of plant and animal origin foods, essential oils and plant extracts. Different food discrimination techniques, applications, scope, and recent studies are discussed.

Stable isotope and elemental profiles determine geographical origin of saffron from China and Iran.

Origin verification of high-value saffron is essential for fair trade and to protect consumers' interests and rights. A traceability method using elemental content (% C and % N) and stable isotopes (δC, δH, δO, and δN) combined with chemometrics was developed to discriminate saffron from Iran and China and classify major domestic production areas in China. Results showed that Iranian samples had lower % C and % N contents but higher δC values than Chinese origin saffron, with δC acting as an important variable for origin discrimination.

Geographical origin classification of peanuts and processed fractions using stable isotopes.

This study investigates the use of stable isotopes (C, N, H, and O) to characterize the geographical origin of peanuts along with different peanut fractions including whole peanut kernel, peanut shell, delipidized peanuts and peanut oil. Peanut samples were procured in 2017 from three distinctive growing regions (Shandong, Jilin, and Jiangsu) in China. Peanut processing significantly influenced the C, H, and O values of different peanut fractions, whereas N values were consistent across all fractions and unaffected by peanut processing.

Effect of TiO Film Thickness on the Stability of Au Clusters with a CrO Layer.

Radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering allows the fabrication of TiO films with high purity, reliable control of film thickness, and uniform morphology. In the present study, the change in surface roughness upon heating two different thicknesses of RF sputter-deposited TiO films was investigated. As a measure of the process of the change in surface morphology, chemically -synthesised phosphine-protected Au clusters covered by a photodeposited CrO layer were used as a probe.

Recent Advances in Self-Supported Semiconductor Heterojunction Nanoarrays as Efficient Photoanodes for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.

Growth of semiconductor heterojunction nanoarrays directly on conductive substrates represents a promising strategy toward high-performance photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. By controlling the growth conditions, heterojunction nanoarrays with different morphologies and semiconductor components can be fabricated, resulting in greatly enhanced light-absorption properties, stabilities, and PEC activities. Herein, recent progress in the development of self-supported heterostructured semiconductor nanoarrays as efficient photoanode catalysts for water oxidation is reviewed.

Recent advances in Chinese food authentication and origin verification using isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

Over the last decade, isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) using up to 5 light stable isotopes (C/C, H/H, N/N, O/O, S/S) has become more widely applied for food origin verification as well as food authentication in China. IRMS technology is increasingly used to authenticate a range of food products including organic foods, honey, beverages, tea, animal products, fruits, oils, cereals, spices and condiments that are frequently unique to a specific region of China. Compared to other food authenticity and traceability techniques, IRMS has been successfully used to characterize, classify and identify many Chinese food products, reducing fraud and food safety problems and improving consumer trust and confidence.