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Introduction: Extraction of antioxidants from mangrove fruit powder Sonneratia alba using boiling water as a solvent is very beneficial, because in addition to using a solvent that is safe for consumers, the results of this study can also be developed in the future as antioxidant functional foods. Aims and Methods: The purpose of this study was to study the antioxidant activity of boiling water extract of mangrove fruit S. alba kindly in-vitro nor in-silico pharmacoinformatics. Results: The best results in this first stage were found in the treatment of mangrove fruit S. alba Sun drying extracted with boiling water for 5 minutes had the best antioxidant activity, namely IC50DPPH = 2.69 ± 0.32 µg/ml which is smaller than the positive control, namely vitamin C, which has IC50DPPH= 5.04 ± 0.16µg/ml. The best treatment in the first stage is continued in the second stage, namely GC-MS analysis to determine the type of compounds in the extract, and then do the analysis insilico by means of molecular docking. The results of the GC-MS characterization showed 39 compounds that were in the category to be continued in the pharmaco-informatics via molecular docking process, with the docking results showing the bioactive compound Ergosterol; Estra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17ß-ol; Ergosta5,8,22-trien-3-ol, (3ß,22E)-; 9(11)-Dehydroergosterol tosylate; Dasycarpidan-1-methanol, acetate (ester) shows a very promising value of binding affinity towards 4 protein targets, namely Cytochrome c peroxidase, Fibroblast collagenase, Human ROS1 Kinase Domain and Hyaluronidase with vitamin C as a control. Conclusion: Based on these findings, boiling water extract of mangrove fruit S. alba this can provide a good potential in the discovery and development of candidate new antioxidant compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractOur study described in this paper sought to show that the fibers of the midrib of the leaves of cavendish variety banana plants from Cameroon can be extracted by boiling water and to compare their properties (chemical, physical, thermal, and mechanical) with those obtained by cold water extraction. The standard tests for the various characterizations were respected. This study showed that the fibers extracted with boiling water contained 64.3% cellulose, 18.1% hemicellulose, 4.5% lignin, and 12.9% pectin, while the fibers extracted by the cold water technique contained 65% cellulose, 19% hemicellulose, 5% lignin, and 11% pectin. The extraction of fibers by the boiling water technique gave a 9.35% extraction yield, 0.94 g.cm−3 density, 15.23 tex linear mass, 11.10% water content, 169.78% water absorption degree, and 36.02% humidity at a relative humidity of 75%, while the fibers extracted by the cold water technique had a 12.35% extraction yield, 0.91 g.cm−3 density, 14.23 tex linear mass, 10.73% water content, 102.4% water absorption degree, and 34.45% humidity at a relative humidity of 75%. The boiling water extracted fibers had a thermal stability temperature of 268.5 °C. The student’s t-test showed that the fibers obtained by the boiling water extraction technique and the cold water extraction technique had identical mechanical properties. Thus, we suggest that the fibers of the midrib of the leaves of banana plants can be extracted with boiling water and used in textiles and composite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boiling water (BW) is a common global practice, especially in Asia, for ensuring safe drinking water, though it does not remove chemical contaminants. The World Health Organisation recommends BW as an emergency measure against microbial contamination. In Hong Kong, the Water Supplies Department ensures water quality through strict regulations and extensive monitoring. Comparisons with Norway and Canada reveal effective practices such as water safety planning and risk-based advisories. Norway mandates water safety planning and uses messaging notifications for water advisories, ensuring high compliance, while Canada issues site-specific BW advisories based on risk assessments. Hong Kong faces unique challenges, such as a warm climate and complex building infrastructure, which impact water quality. Many buildings lack proper maintenance, leading to potential health risks and necessitating regular maintenance. Health management, public health education and expert guidance are essential for promoting efficient practices and ensuring safe drinking water.

Boiling water (BW) is a common global practice, especially in Asia, for ensuring safe drinking water, though it does not remove chemical contaminants. The World Health Organisation recommends BW as an emergency measure against microbial contamination. In Hong Kong, the Water Supplies Department ensures water quality through strict regulations and extensive monitoring. Comparisons with Norway and Canada reveal effective practices such as water safety planning and risk-based advisories. Norway mandates water safety planning and uses messaging notifications for water advisories, ensuring high compliance, while Canada issues site-specific BW advisories based on risk assessments. Hong Kong faces unique challenges, such as a warm climate and complex building infrastructure, which impact water quality. Many buildings lack proper maintenance, leading to potential health risks and necessitating regular maintenance. Health management, public health education and expert guidance are essential for promoting efficient practices and ensuring safe drinking water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, effects of curing methods (i.e. curing at ambient temperature (A), in oven (O) and in boiling water (BW)), NaOH solution concentration (i.e. 8 and 12 moles/liter) and disc thickness (i.e. 1, 2 and 3 cm) on pull-off strength (POS) of the geopolymer concrete containing Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) and Natural Zeolite Powder (NZP) have been investigated. The results show that the value of the POS obtained from the 3 cm thickness disc is on average 2.6% higher than that obtained from the 2 cm thickness disc. This implies that the discs with thicknesses of 2 and 3 cm have given approximately equal values of the POSs. Moreover, the value of the POS obtained from the 2 cm thickness disc is on average 28.4% higher than that obtained from the 1 cm thickness one. Based on the results obtained from the 2 cm thickness disc: a) the ratios of the POSs of the samples cured in boiling water and oven to that of the specimen cured at ambient temperature have been obtained on average equal to 1.383 and 1.089, respectively. b) as 20% wt. of the GGBFS is substituted by the NZP, the value of the POS reduces by an average of 16.29%. c) as the NaOH solution concentration increases from 8 to 12 mole/liter, the value of the POS increases by an average of 14.48%. From the results, there is a strong nonlinear relationship between the compressive and pull-off strengths of the geopolymer concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fiber of the empty date fruit is one of the waste products left after the date fruit is harvested from the date palm. Optimization of the treatment parameters as well as the economics of the treatment process are critical to the successful commercialization of the treatment of natural fibers for the production of biocomposites. Of the natural fiber treatment methods described in previous work, hot water and alkali treatments are the most cost-effective, which justified the choice of these treatment methods in this work. Here, date empty fruit bunch fibers were pulverized to a particle size of 0–500 µm and then treated with boiling water at 100 °C for 3 h or with sodium hydroxide at different concentrations (2, 5, 10%) for 3 h at room temperature with constant stirring at 800 rpm. To confirm the effect of temperature on the fiber treatment, another fiber sample was treated at a 5% concentration of sodium hydroxide solution at an elevated temperature of 80 °C for the same period and stirring condition. The untreated and treated DEFB fibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Chemical analysis of the fibers showed that DEFB fiber treated with 5% sodium hydroxide solution at room temperature had the highest cellulose content (52.0%), which was also confirmed by the XRD analysis. The DEFB fiber treated with boiling water exhibited higher thermal stability while the sodium hydroxide-treated fiber exhibited higher crystallinity index and cellulose content. Apparently, DEFB fiber treated with sodium hydroxide solution at 5% concentration for 3 h at room temperature for continuous stirring at 800 rpm offered the best properties. The treated fibers are expected to be viable reinforcement in the production of biocomposites with the goal of achieving energy efficiency. The developed materials could be used in industrial applications such as insulating building systems, automotive parts, and home furniture.

[Display omitted] Superhydrophilic coatings have incomparable advantages in anti-fogging and self-cleaning but are limited to poor abrasion resistance and water resistance. Consequently, the research on the contradiction between hydrophilicity and water resistance, as well as abrasion resistance and visible transmittance, has become a focus of superhydrophilic coatings. Herein, we design a ceramic-polymer superhydrophilic composite coating with a high density, strong cross-linking structure, and smooth surface. Because of its static water contact angle (WCA = 3.2°) and short water spreading time (ST = 1878 ms), the transparent composite coating exhibits anti-fogging performance. Meanwhile, it exhibits anti-fogging durability even after 400 Taber abrasion cycles under a 250 g load or immersion in boiling water for 30 min. Furthermore, the result of self-cleaning characterization and theoretical analysis demonstrate that the low surface roughness endows the composite coating with excellent self-cleaning properties. The composite coating can effectively scavenge oil and dust pollution on its surface in a humid environment. Thus, the developed composite coating in this work is potential in the anti-fogging and self-cleaning fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our country IRAN have long coastal area with length of more than 1830 km. Utility companies with 30 years of experience in using polymeric insulators in this very heavy polluted area. Operational history in these areas indicates many insulating problems. With the advancement of polymer insulation technology, the utilities want to select the longest life insulators for these areas. Laboratory studies accelerated testing of polymer insulators is the only available method to investigate the trend of insulator degradation during the aging process, because it takes a long time for noticeable changes and signs of aging to appear on insulators in the power grid. Different methods such as salt-fog, UV and boiling water are used to test artificial aging, each method has advantages and disadvantages. In our experience, boiling water is used as a low-cost method in compared to the other methods especially salt fog test. The aim of this research was to determine a shorter method for evaluation of SR insulators. In this paper, the accelerated aging of polymer insulators using salt-fog and boiling water immersion tests are investigated. During and after the aging test, the polymer insulator's electrical quality is analysed using leakage current measurement tools, partial discharge, and hydrophobicity. Surface changes are also analysed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Thermo Gravimetrical Analysis (TGA), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) both qualitatively and quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed dormancy is a mechanism of long survival that is ecologically important for seed propagation and dispersal and the expansion of plant populations. The impermeability of the seed coat in the Fabaceae family is due to a layer of sclerotic cells. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of different seed treatment on germination parameters and seedling growth in Cercis siliquastrum and Spartium junceum. Experimental treatments comprised of chemical and thermal scarification treatment consisting of boiling water (2, 5, 10 min), H2SO 4 (30, 60 min) and GA (0, 500 and 1,000 mg L−1) in C. siliquastrum and boiling water (2, 5, 10 min), H2SO 4 (2, 5 min) in S. junceum. The results presented here indicate that chemical scarification by soaking in sulfuric acid for 30 min and 2 min in C. siliquastrum and S. junceum, respectively were the most efficient methods to breaking the seed dormancy. The application of these methods promoted the highest values of indices seedlings. In the light of the found results, it revealed that C. siliquastrum and S. junceum seeds are affected by a coat dormancy, which can be removed by a chemical-thermal scarification with sulfuric acid and boiling water. The data obtained contribute to a better comprehension of propagation and establishment of these shrubs ornamental by seedling.

Isolated ultrasonic vibrations were used to treat feed water from a 20 bar steam-producing water tube boiler. Physical treatments such as ultrasounds and reverse osmosis (RO) are recommended as the most eco-friendly for this purpose. A novel bench-scale prototype delivering 6 L/h of treated water was designed and built. The ultrasonic atomization of raw water with 1.7 MHz piezoelectric transducers and subsequent humidification and dehumidification of drag airflow was the innovating sequence of operations used as a treatment technique. To ensure greater humidification capacity to the drag air, the energy available from the thermal inertia of the liquid column (raw water) in the prototype vaporization chamber was used to heat this air flow. After a single pass of raw water through the bench-scale prototype, a 98.0% reduction in conductivity and a 99.0% decrease in the content of total dissolved solids were obtained at a drag air temperature of 70 °C. Compared to RO, two of the main advantages of the proposed ultrasonic wave method are the elimination of the use of chemical agents in the pre-treatment phase and a significant reduction in maintenance costs by membrane replacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contact electrification (CE) has been utilized in various energy conversion systems in recent years. This work presents a constant electric energy output that was generated based on the CE at the water–metal interface. When a grounded Pt mesh is placed in water that is heated to boil, a continuous flow of electrons between the Pt mesh and the ground is generated. A possible mechanism for the generation of such electric current is based on the CE between the surface of the Pt mesh and water molecules. The local high-pressure thin liquid film regions between vapor bubbles and surface of Pt mesh promote this CE process. The constant water evaporation and bubble detachment enable the continuous electric current output. In this work, the impact of the heating temperature and the bias voltages on the generation of the current was also studied. This work provides an alternative approach to generate unidirectional current on the basis of CE at the water–metal interface, and it also offers new insights in the design of CE-based systems for the generation of electricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolated ultrasonic vibrations were used to treat feed water from a 20 bar steam-producing water tube boiler. Physical treatments such as ultrasounds and reverse osmosis (RO) are recommended as the most eco-friendly for this purpose. A novel bench-scale prototype delivering 6 L/h of treated water was designed and built. The ultrasonic atomization of raw water with 1.7 MHz piezoelectric transducers and subsequent humidification and dehumidification of drag airflow was the innovating sequence of operations used as a treatment technique. To ensure greater humidification capacity to the drag air, the energy available from the thermal inertia of the liquid column (raw water) in the prototype vaporization chamber was used to heat this air flow. After a single pass of raw water through the bench-scale prototype, a 98.0% reduction in conductivity and a 99.0% decrease in the content of total dissolved solids were obtained at a drag air temperature of 70 °C. Compared to RO, two of the main advantages of the proposed ultrasonic wave method are the elimination of the use of chemical agents in the pre-treatment phase and a significant reduction in maintenance costs by membrane replacement.

The species Astragalus podolobus is one of the endemic species of winter pastures that grows in arid and semi-arid areas in the north of Gonbad-e Kavous. To investigate effective methods of breaking seed dormancy of Astr-agalus podolobus, an experiment was carried out in the framework of a completely randomized design with 15 treatm-ents and 3 replications. Treatments included controls, 98% sulfuric acid, dry chilling for 10 and 15 days, wet chilling for 10 and 15 days, and boiling water 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 minute, respectively. Analysis of variance showed that the perc-entage and speed of germination were significant in different groups while the average time of germination in different treatments was not significant. The results of comparing mean values showed that the percentage and the speed of germination in boiling water treatments were best in comparison with other treatments with significant differences. The results of this experiment also showed that reducing the exposure time of seeds to boiling water increases the germination percentage and speed, consequently, the highest percentage and speed of germination was observed in boil-ing water 1 minute. Boiling water 1 minute treatment can increase the germination percentage up to 47% and the seed germination speed from 0.43 to 3.09 seeds per day

Chlorinated water samples were used to determine the effect of handling modes on disinfection byproducts (DBPs). The DBPs studied were trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetonitriles (HANs), chloral hydrate (CH), chloropicrin (CP) and 1,1,1-trichloropropanone (TCP). Tap water samples were collected from the distribution system in Damanhour City (Egypt). The investigated strategies included storing water in covered and uncovered bottles in a refrigerator up to 9 hours, with and without previous short boiling. Water quality parameters were not affected by storage or boiling except for electrical conductivity (EC), which decreased after boiling. 90% of THMs were removed by boiling and storage for 9hrs.HANs, including dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN), dibromoacetonitrile (DBAN) and trichloroacetonitrile (TCAN), were not affected by storage, but they were not detected after boiling for 30 seconds. CH and TCP, like the HANs, were affected by boiling rather than storage.

Neste trabalho, objetivou-se quantificar a produção de matéria seca e os conteúdos de B, Ca e Mg na cultura da soja cultivada em solos com diferentes texturas que receberam doses crescentes de B e calagem, e correlacionar o conteúdo de B absorvido pela planta com o teor de B recuperado com água e CaCl2 ferventes sob influência de doses de boro e a calagem aplicadas em três solos distintos. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação em esquema fatorial 3 x 2 x 6, consistindo de três solos: textura arenosa (RQ), textura média (LVA1) e textura argilosa (LVA2), com e sem calagem, e seis doses de B (0; 1,5; 3; 6; 9 e 15 mg dm-3), em blocos casualizados com três repetições. Determinou-se o teor de B no solo extraível com água e CaCl2 ferventes após 45 dias da adição das doses de B aos solos, massa de matéria seca da parte aérea e os teores de B, Ca e Mg na soja. Os teores de B recuperado, tanto pela água fervente, quanto pelo CaCl2 fervente foram semelhantes nos três solos estudados e, apresentaram altas correlações com o conteúdo de B e o peso de matéria seca. As doses de B adicionadas aumentaram a sua absorção pelas plantas, mas causaram redução na produção de matéria seca da parte aérea nos solos RQ (textura arenosa), LVA1 (textura média) e o LVA2 (textura argilosa) com calagem, neste último solo, o efeito é minimizado na presença de maior teor de argila.This work aimed to quantify the dry matter production and the contents of B, Ca and Mg in soybean plants grown in soils with different textures, which received increasing doses of B, and liming. Additionally, it was correlated the B contents in the plants with the B recovered from the soil with boiling water and CaCl2. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse in a factorial 3 x 2 x 6 (three soils: sand texture (RQ), loamy sand (LVA1) and clayey (LVA2) textures; with and without liming; and six B doses: 0; 1,5; 3; 6; 9 and 15 mg dm-3) arranged in a entirely randomized block design with three replications. It was determined the soil B extracted with boiling water and CaCl2 45 days after the addition of the B doses to the soil. The shoots dry matter weight and theer B contents in the soybean plants were determined. The mean concentrations of B recovered by both boiling water and boiling CaCl2 were similar for the three soils and were highly correlated with the B contents in the plants and with the dry matter production. The B doses added increased B concentration in the plants, but they decreased dry matter production in the RQ soil, and in the LVA 1 and LVA2 soils with liming. The detrimental effect of high B in the dry matter production was lowered in the soils with higher clay and organic matter concentrations.

[Display omitted] • Oat dough gradually formed a honeycomb structure induced by gelatinized starch. • The dough kneaded by gelatinized oat flour had higher bound water (9.39 %-12.89 %). • The dough made with gelatinized oat flour had higher storage modulus and lower tanδ. • The dough of 50 % gelatinized oat flour had better stress relaxation rate (34.55 %). • Hydrogen bond was the dominant chemical interaction in gluten-free oat dough. The effects of gelatinization degree of oat flour and boiling water on the rheological characteristics of oat dough were investigated. Gelatinized oat flour had higher water absorption (2.25–3.83 g/g) and swelling (2.40–4.19), but lower solubility (6.20–8.60 %) at 25 °C. Oat dough gradually developed a honeycomb-like structure with the increase of gelatinization degree. Gelatinization treatment and boiling water kneading increased bound water content (9.39–12.89 %) and enhanced the elastic behavior of oat dough, with moderate G′, lower tan δ, and higher relative elastic portion (77.40 %) and stress relaxation percentage (34.55 %) in the dough prepared by 50 % or 65 % gelatinized oat flour. Chemical interactions showed hydrogen bond and covalent bond were the main interactions in oat dough made from moderately gelatinized oat flour. Moderately gelatinization and boiling water kneading could modify the rheological characteristics and improve the texture and processing adaptability (lower adhesiveness) of oat dough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative effectiveness of wet- and dry-heat treatments on alleviating physical dormancy (PY) of seeds of seven species of Fabaceae and five species of Malvaceae was determined to optimise seed handling procedures for ecological restoration. Seeds of all species were treated at different temperatures (40 -- 100°C) for various durations (2 and 5min of wet heat, and 5, 10 and 30min of dry heat). Prior to treatment, seeds of all species exhibited low germination (0-38%). As hypothesised, there was variation among species with respect to the efficacy of the heat treatments. In general, wet-heat treatments at temperatures >70°C for 2 or 5 min were effective in breaking PY for all Fabaceae species, and two Malvaceae species, with resultant germination typically >75%. For dry-heat treatments, higher temperatures and longer durations were required to achieve similar germination results. In the three Malvaceae species that were least responsive to heat (Abutilon otocarpum, Hibiscus haynaldii and Sida echinocarpa), there was a trade-off between treatment temperature and duration; lower temperatures (<70°C) failed to alleviate PY, whereas higher temperatures either rendered seeds permeable but not germinable (70 -- 90°C), or resulted in seeds losing viability (e.g. 100°C). Therefore, combinational dormancy (PY + physiological dormancy) appears to be present in a proportion of the seeds of these Malvaceae species (i.e. those that imbibed and remained viable, but did not germinate). Scanning electron imagery established that the majority of wet-heat treatments resulted in the rupture of the water gap in the seed testa of all species. The results clearly demonstrate that optimal heat treatments for the alleviation of PY are species-specific. Restoration practitioners handling seeds of diverse species should be mindful of treating seeds at the lowest effective temperature (70 -- 90°C) to avoid injury through inadvertent exposure to temperatures that are higher and longer than necessary to break dormancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

γ-radiolysis of boiling water has been investigated. The G -value of H 2 evolution was found to be very sensitive to the purity of water. In high-purity water, both H 2 and O 2 gases were formed in the stoichiometric ratio of 2:1; a negligible amount of H 2 O 2 remained in the liquid phase. The G -values of H 2 and O 2 gas evolution depend on the dose rate: lower dose rates produce larger yields. To clarify the importance of the interface between liquid and gas phase for gas evolution, the gas evolution under Ar gas bubbling was measured. A large amount of H 2 was detected, similar to the radiolysis of boiling water. The evolution of gas was enhanced in a 0.5 M NaCl aqueous solution. Deterministic chemical kinetics simulation elucidated the mechanism of radiolysis in boiling water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a route boiling water served as reaction medium, a stoichiometric amount of rare-earth compound and fluoride are put into this system to form α-NaYF:Yb, Er nuclei. Then prepared sample is heated at elevated temperature to improve the fluorescence intensity, and next a NaGdF shell grows on the surface of NaYF nuclei. NaYF:Yb,Er/NaGdF core-shell structured upconversion nanoparticles (CSUCNPs) have been successfully synthesized by above route. The use of boiling water decreases the cubic-to-hexagonal phase transition temperature of NaYF:Yb,Er to 350°C and increases its upconversion (UC) luminescence intensity. A heterogeneous NaGdF epitaxially growing on the surface of Ln-doped NaYF not only improves UC luminescence, but also creates a paramagnetic shell, which can be used as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The solution of CSUCNPs shows bright green UC fluorescence under the excitation at 980 nm in a power density only about 50 mW·cm. A broad spectrum with a dominant resonance at g of about 2 is observed by the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum of CSUCNPs. Above properties suggest that the obtained CSUCNPs could be potential candidates for dual-mode optical/magnetic bioapplications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most Lupinus spp. (Fabaceae) grow in pine and pine-oak forests with natural and induced fires, and their seeds have physical dormancy, which could be broken in response to appropriate environmental signals, such as high temperatures, humidity and fire. We applied heat treatments to break seed dormancy of L. elegans and L. rotundiflorus from the State of Jalisco, México, with different storage times (0, 1 and 2 yr for L. elegans and 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 yr for L. rotundiflorus). Seeds were immersed in boiling water for 5, 10, and 15 s and incubated in wet and dry sand at 100 °C, 120 °C, and 150 °C during 60 min and 90 min. Germination trials were set at 25 °C with 12 h of irradiance per day. For both species, no germination resulted after incubation at 120 °C and 150 °C. For L. rontundiflorus, germination was higher for seeds incubated in wet sand for 60 m than for those incubated for 90 m. After scarification with boiling water, fresh seeds of L. elegans, germinated more than those stored for 1 and 2 yr, whereas incubation in wet and dry sand resulted in higher germination for 1 and 2 yr old seeds than for fresh seeds. Fresh seeds of L. rotundiflorus showed higher germination than stored seeds across treatments. Our results may be useful for further studies to understand and predict ecological plant responses in Mexican forests.

A superhydrophobic Al surface was successfully fabricated by a facile and environmentally friendly method as the boiling water treatment and 3-glycidoxypropyl trimethoxysilane (GPS) as well as carboxyl-terminated polystyrene (PS-COOH) modification. The fabrication procedure, morphology, composition, and corrosion resistance of the superhydrophobic Al surface were investigated. Results show that the treatment in the boiling water endows the Al surface with the porous and roughened structure, while the modification with GPS as well as PS-COOH grafts the long PS chains onto the micro-scale and nano-scale hierarchical structure. Consequently, a superhydrophobic Al surface with a contact angle of 153.6° and a rolling angle of 3° is obtained. Additionally, a vast majority of surface area is covered by the air in the solid-liquid contact area for the superhydrophobic Al surface, and which can prevent the corrosive ions entering into the Al surface. As a result, the corrosion resistance is improved greatly. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beef jerky is a convenient, ready-to-eat meat product, but requires processing lethality steps to ensure the safety of the product. Previous outbreaks involving various jerky products have highlighted the risks associated with jerky and the importance of utilizing pathogen interventions during processing. In this study, two alternative interventions were evaluated for reducing pathogen populations during jerky processing. Results demonstrated that high pressure processing (HPP; two treatments of 550 MPa, 60 s) could produce significant (p < 0.05), but variable reductions (6.83 and 4.45 log10 CFU/strip) of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli O157:H7, respectively, on resulting beef jerky. HPP treatments, however, produced minor reductions (p < 0.05) of Gram-positive pathogens, resulting in reductions of 1.28 and 1.32 log10 CFU/strip of Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Alternatively, boiling water (100 ± 2 °C) treatments (20–30 s) used after marination and prior to dehydration, reduced Salmonella spp., E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes, and S. aureus populations >5.0 log10 CFU/strip in resulting beef jerky. Thus, 20 or 30 s boiling water (100 ± 2 °C) treatments could be effective interventions for commercial jerky processors or home food preservers. Future validation of these processes in-plant could provide processors and regulators with alternative strategies for safe and shelf-stable jerky products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The superhydrophobic surface is fabricated by a simple and environment-friendly method. [•] The superhydrophobic aluminum alloy surface presents binary-scale structure. [•] The corrosion rate decreases with the increase of the water contact angle. [•] The superhydrophobic aluminum alloy has better corrosion resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A novel method for fabricating the superhydrophobic surface is developed. [•] The process of superhydrophobic surface fabrication is environment-friendly. [•] The superhydrophobic aluminum alloy surface has the excellent corrosion resistance. [•] The superhydrophobic surface is quite stable for long-term. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) lacks cell binding sites and requires additional treatments such as a routine extracellular matrix coating process to culture cells on it. Here we propose a simple method to improve the cytophilicity of hydrosilylation cured PDMS elastomers by using boiling water; placing the crosslinked PDMS substrate in boiling deionized water for about 1h generates hydroxyl groups on the surface derived from residual SiH functional groups present in the cured elastomers that act as good binding sites for cell attachment. Modified chemistry of the PDMS surface was confirmed by using attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) analysis. The beneficial biological effects were demonstrated through enhanced attachment/spreading of human mesenchymal stem cells on the boiling-treated surface of PDMS. The results show that boiling water treatment offers a mild, convenient, and cost-effective method to improve the surface cytophilicity of PDMS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Superhydrophobic boehmite film has been successfully prepared on a glass substrate by a sol-gel method. A chelated Aluminum-sec-butoxide (Al(OBus)3) solution, instead of aluminum hydroxide collosol, was used for the film coating. By immersing the film in boiling water, boehmite crystal was formed on a glass substrate. Subsequently, the rough surface was modified with fluoroalkylsilane (FAS). The result shows that the water droplet contact angle on the surface is 168.3°. The superwater-repellency is caused by the micro-nano structure and the low surface energy of the fluorinated surface. The reaction mechanism is proposed with the help of SEM, XRD and FT-IR analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between bacteria destruction on poultry carcass skin and bacteria in raw ground poultry meat from the same carcasses. Immersion time in boiling water of broiler chicken whole carcasses required for maximum reduction of naturally occurring aerobic bacterial count on skin was measured. Treatments for chicken carcasses consisted of immersion in boiling water (∼95°C) for 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, and 4 min. Four skin samples taken following treatment and three taken from subsequently ground carcass meat were analyzed for total aerobic plate counts (APC). Analysis of the data indicated a linear increase in bacterial destruction on skin with increased boiling water immersion time from 0 to 4 min. Reduction of skin bacteria to less than 1 log10 occurred at 3 min carcass immersion or longer. The analysis also indicated that treatment with boiling water and removal of skin was effective in reducing bacterial counts in ground meat to similar levels at all treatment times from 0.5 to 4.0 min. Findings from this study indicated that a boiling water immersion intervention and removal of skin could reduce subsequent bacteria contamination of ground meat. This intervention could minimize the risk of pathogen-contaminated primary processed poultry carcasses used in further processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The germination rate in the nursery of Pomaderris hamiltonii and P. kumeraho has been observed to be low. Poor germination for a number of species can be due to a range of seed dormancy mechanisms. Five different dormancy-breaking treatments were trialled. Scarification using boiling water and sulphuric acid significantly improved germination in both species (for P. hamiltonii the germination percentages were 9.3 for the control, 14 for boiling water, and 32.6 for acid: for P. kumeraho the germination percentages were 3.4 for the control, 27.3 for boiling water, and 59.3 for acid), by breaking the impervious coat. The most successful treatments achieved 97% germination (acid plus warmth during germination) for P. kumeraho and 50% germination (boiling water plus warmth during germination) for P. hamiltonii. Smoke exposure followed by pre-sowing heat significantly (P < 0.011 ) improved germination for P. hamiltonii, but not for P. kumeraho, suggesting different dormancy-breaking stimuli. The response of both species to treatments which break physical dormancy may indicate an ecological role for high heat events such as fire. Embryo viability for both species is high (94%) while germination percentages were low (5.9% and 10.3%, respectively). It is possible there are other barriers to germination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, different tap water handling strategies were investigated to evaluate the effects on two principal chlorinated DBPs, trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). Tap water samples collected in the Quebec City (Canada) distribution system on a spatio-temporal basis were subjected to diverse indoor handling scenarios: storing water in the refrigerator, boiling water followed by storage and, finally, filtering water with a point-of-use commercial pitcher also followed by storage. In the first two cases, the use of covered and uncovered pitchers was investigated separately, while in the last case, both the use of new and used filters was compared. In all cases, maximum storage time was 48h. Results demonstrated that in some cases, water handling scenarios have considerable effect, and in other cases, little or no effect. Removal of THM concentrations by simple storage was high (on average 30%) and very high by boiling and filtering with subsequent storage in the refrigerator (on average, 87% and 92%, respectively). In scenarios where water was stored in uncovered pitchers (with or without previous boiling and filtering), the THM decrease was higher for increased storage times. However, storage did not have any effect on HAAs, whereas boiling decreased levels of trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) (on average 42%) and increased levels of dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) (on average 35%), resulting in unchanged average levels of total HAAs. The use of the filtration pitcher decreased HAA levels dramatically (on average 66%). Percentages of change in chlorinated DBPs in the different scenarios varied according to initial concentrations in tap water (baseline water), that is, according to the spatio-temporal variations of these substances in the distribution system. On the basis of these results, the paper discusses implications regarding public health protection and exposure assessment for epidemiological studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Chloraminated and chlorinated waters containing bromide were used to determine the impact of boiling on disinfection by-product (DBP) concentrations. No significant changes were detected in the concentrations of the dihalogenated haloacetic acids (DXAAs) (i.e., dichloro-, bromochloro-, dibromoacetic acid) upon boiling of chloraminated water, whereas the levels of the trihalogenated haloacetic acids (TXAAs) (i.e., trichloro- (TCAA), bromodichloro- (BDCAA), dibromochloroacetic acid (DBCAA)) decreased over time (e.g., 9–37% for TCAA). Increased DXAA concentrations (58–68%) were detected in the boiled chlorinated sample, which likely resulted from residual chlorine reacting with DXAA precursors. TCAA concentration was unchanged after boiling chlorinated water for 1min, but a 30% reduction was observed after 5min of boiling. BDCAA concentrations decreased 57% upon boiling for 1min and were completely removed after 2min of boiling, whereas DBCAA was removed after boiling chlorinated water for 1min. Trihalomethane concentrations were reduced in both chloraminated (74–98%) and chlorinated (64–98%) water upon boiling. Boiling chloraminated water for 1min reduced chloroform concentration by 75%. Chloroform was reduced by only 34% in chlorinated water after a 1min boil, which indicates that simultaneous formation and volatilization of chloroform was occurring. Most of the remaining DBPs (e.g. haloketones, chloral hydrate, haloacetonitriles) were removed by at least 90% after 1min of boiling in both samples. These data suggest that other mechanisms (e.g., hydrolysis) may have been responsible for removal of the non-volatile DBPs and further highlight the importance of examining individual species when estimating thermal effects on DBP concentrations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A thermal destruction end point of <10 aerobic microbes per cm2 was achieved on broiler chicken carcass skin by boiling water (95 °C) immersion or flowing steam (96–98 °C) at 3 min, beyond which increasing exposure time up to 8 min did not further decrease estimated aerobic plate count (EAPC). Cross-contamination of deboned subcutaneous meat was not significantly (P>0.05) affected by exposure time of whole carcasses to boiling water or flowing steam. EAPC of deboned subcutaneous meat was positively correlated (P<0.05) with EAPC of carcass skin heat treated with boiling water (R2=0.751) and flowing steam (R2=0.857). These processing intervention procedures would provide whole poultry carcasses for commercial further processing that would not be a source of cross-contamination of further processed, value-added poultry meat products and would enhance the food safety of these products. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]