Comparative Study on the Origin and Characteristics of Chinese (Manas) and Russian (East Sayan) Green Nephrites

Green nephrites are widely pursued for their mild texture and vivid color. In recent years, many Russian green nephrites appeared in China (the world’s largest nephrite market) and competed with the Chinese Manas green nephrites, which are traditionally highly valued. In this study, we compared the appearance, mineralogy and geochemical features (with EPMA and LA-ICP-MS) of Chinese (Manas) and Russian (East Sayan) green nephrites to objectively characterize and distinguish between these two nephrites. Chinese (Manas) and Russian (East Sayan) green nephrites are mined from serpentinized ultramafic units in the northern Tian Shan and East Sayan orogen, respectively. In terms of appearance, the Manas green nephrites are slightly bluish or grayish, whilst their East Sayan counterparts are brighter (duck-egg cyan). The Manas nephrites commonly have a caramel color, crumple structure, characteristic white globules and sinuous veins, green stains and yellow–green veins, together with a local fibrous structure. The East Sayan green nephrites are more transparent, with a gentler fine texture, uniform color, many black spots and a few green spots. Some green nephrites from the Arahushun mine of East Sayan have an ice-like appearance. Microscopic petrography and EPMA analysis indicate that both the Manas and East Sayan green nephrites comprise mainly tremolite with minor actinolite. Minor minerals in the Manas samples include chromite, chlorite-group minerals, and uvarovite; whilst those in the East Sayan samples include actinolite, chromite, chlorite-group minerals, and bornite. Bornite is not found in any other sources of green nephrite, and thus is characteristic of Russian (East Sayan) green nephrites. LA-ICP-MS trace element data in their amphiboles and Single-Factor Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) results suggest that the differences in Cr, Zn, Y, Ba, and Sr contents and values of δEu, Eu/Sm, (La/Yb)N, (La/Sm)N, (Gd/Yb)N, ∑HREE, ∑LREE/∑HREE between the two nephrites are present, and can be used as their origin trace.

Ceratozamia dominguezii (Zamiaceae): A New Cycad Species from Southeastern Mexico

Ceratozamia dominguezii (Zamiaceae), a new species endemic to the lowland karstic tropical rainforests of southeastern Veracruz, Mexico, is described. The new species is part of the C. robusta species complex, a group of closely related species that share unique characteristics in the genus, such as robust trunks, large strobili, and long leaves. Compared with the other species in the complex (i.e., C. robusta, C. leptoceras, C. aurantiaca and C. subroseophylla), C. dominguezii has the longest rachides, and is characterized by having papyraceous leaflets, a unique caramel color in emerging leaves, and a dark-violet color in the central portion of distal faces of male and female sporophylls. Ceratozamia dominguezii occurs within the Uxpanapa floristic refuge, which is hypothesized to have sheltered a numerous group of tropical elements during the Neogene glaciations. The recognition of C. dominguezii contributes to clarifying the present diversity of cycads in the genus Ceratozamia, and adds discussion on the role of floristic refugia in the divergence of Neotropical plants in Mexico.

Top Sweeteners in Top Contributors of Commercially Processed Foods With Added Sugars in the U.S.: Application of the IngID Program

Objectives Added sugars should be limited to help achieve healthy dietary patterns within calorie limits. According to What We Eat in America Data Briefs 2015–2018, beverages and sweet foods provided 90% of added sugars intake combined. However, there is a knowledge gap in the type of sweetener used in these foods. A framework for parsing and reporting of ingredients used in commercially packaged foods (IngID) was recently developed to make this analysis possible. This study aims to analyze top types of added sugars and most frequently appearing concurrent ingredients in the top sugar contributing categories. Methods Two categories, carbonated beverages and cookies, were selected as examples to demonstrate the analyses of ingredients. Universal Product Codes (UPC) of foods in these categories were obtained from IRI's (Information Resources Incorporated) scanner data covering over 80% of the total sold products in the category. Ingredient statements were obtained from USDA's Global Branded Food Products Database (BFPD) and manufacturer or distributor websites. A program developed for IngID was applied to parse the ingredient text strings for each product (unique UPC). A thesaurus was applied to assign preferred descriptors (PDs) to equivalent ingredient terms such as synonyms and spellingy errors. Results In the 982 carbonated beverages with unique UPCs aside from carbonated water and flavor, the top 5 ingredients were citric acid, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), caramel color, sodium benzoate and caffeine. The order of sweeteners most frequently used among the 21 sweeteners used in carbonated beverages were HFCS, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucrose and sucralose. In the 1718 cookie products included, aside from flavor, the top ingredients were sucrose, sodium chloride, soy lecithin, and wheat flour and. Majority of the 70 sweeteners used in cookies were nutritive sweeteners. The order of sweeteners most frequently used is sucrose, HFCS, dextrose, corn syrup and molasses. Conclusions Multiple kinds of sweeteners were used in packaged foods with added sugars. The analyses offer policy makers and consumers information to understand the current sweeteners used in packaged foods. Importantly, BFPDB and IgnID program provided valuable tools for up-to-date ingredient analysis. Funding Sources USDA.

Aspectos Sobre a Qualidade da Matéria-Prima de Doce de Leite e suas Implicações nas Propriedades Sensoriais do Produto: um Estudo em Aula Prática

O doce de leite é consumido em países do Mercosul e composto de água, proteínas, lipídeos, minerais e açúcar. A acidez titulável (AT) do leite, teor de lactose e de gordura alteram as características sensoriais e de coloração do produto. O objetivo foi evidenciar, em aula prática, a importância da qualidade da matéria-prima na elaboração do doce de leite. Os leites pasteurizados (integral, desnatado ou zero lactose) foram avaliados quanto a AT antes e após adição de ácido lático ou bicarbonato de sódio. Após, foi adicionado 20% de açúcar (seis formulações diferentes), seguido de aquecimento até o ponto final. Na avaliação dos produtos foi observada textura, coloração e grau de doçura (56 alunos). F1(controle) apresentou coloração caramelo média, textura lisa, sem grumos, e sabor doce característico. Em F2 havia um excesso de AT no leite, com doce de leite de uma tonalidade mais clara e granuloso. F3 foi elaborada com excesso de bicarbonato de sódio, produzindo um doce escuro, sem chegar ao ponto final, e sabor amargo. Em F4 foi utilizado creme de leite (17% de gordura), com cor caramelo médio, liso e menos doce. Na F5 foi utilizado leite desnatado, produzindo um doce de leite caramelo médio, liso e sabor doce um pouco mais acentuado. Já F6 utilizou leite zero lactose, produzindo um doce de leite marrom escuro, firme, com grumos e doçura marcante. Esta aula prática evidenciou a importância da qualidade da matéria-prima para o doce de leite e trouxe a realidade das Indústrias beneficiadoras, que a recebem com qualidade variada. Palavras-chave: Pós-Graduação. Leite e Derivados. Acidez. Abstract Dulce de leche is consumed in the Mercosul countries, and it is composed by water, proteins, lipids, minerals and sugar. Milk titratable acidity, lactose and fat contents change the product sensorial and color characteristic. The objective was to evidence, in a practical class, to Master level students, the importance of raw material in the dulce de leche manufacture. Pasteurized milk (whole, skimmed or lactose free) were evaluated for titratable acidity, before and after the lactic acid or sodium bicarbonate addition. Then, 20% of sugar was added to the milk (six different formulations), and it was heated until dulce de leche final point. In the products evaluation, texture, coloration and sweetness degree were evaluated by 56 students. F1 (control) presented medium caramel color, smooth texture, and characteristic sweet flavor. F2 presented an excess of titratable acidity, with lighter and grainy dulce de leche. F3 was elaborated with sodium bicarbonate excess, producing a dark dulce de leche, without reaching the final point, and bitter taste. F4 was produced with cream (17% fat), and presented a medium caramel color, smooth and less sweet. In F5 skimmed milk was used, resulting in a dulce de leche with medium caramel color, smooth and a slightly more pronounced sweet flavor. F6 was produced with lactose free milk, producing a dark brown dulce de leche, with lumps and marked sweetness. This practical class highlighted the importance of the raw material quality for dulce de leche production and brought the reality of the beneficiary industries, which receive raw materials of varying quality. Keywords: Post Graduation. Milk and Derivatives. Titratable Acidity.