Synthetic biodegradable polyesters tend to undergo slow biodegradation under ambient natural conditions and, hence, have been rejected or even banned recently in ecofriendly applications. Here, we demonstrate the preparation of polyesters exhibiting enhanced biodegradability, which were generated through a combination of old controversial macromolecules and aggregate theories. H 3 PO 4 -catalyzed diacid/diol polycondensation afforded polyester chains bearing chain-end −CH 2 OP(O)(OH) 2 and inner-chain (−CH 2 O) 2 P(O)(OH) groups, which were subsequently treated with M(2-ethylhexanoate) 2 (M = Zn, Mg, Mn, and Ca) to form ionic aggregates of polyesters. The prepared ionic aggregates of polyesters, which were constructed with fertilizer ingredients (such as M 2+ and phosphate), exhibit much faster biodegradability than that of the conventional polyesters under controlled soil conditions at 25 °C, while displaying comparable or superior rheological and mechanical properties.

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Fermented foods with probiotics having functional properties may provide beneficial effects on health. These effects are varied, depending on the type of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Different probiotic LAB might have different functional properties. Thus, this study was performed to evaluate the quality of fermented sausages manufactured with functional starter cultures (Lactobacillus plantarum 115 and 167, and Pediococcus damnosus L12) and different fat levels, and to determine the optimum condition for the manufacture of these products. Medium-fat (~15%) fermented sausages reduced the drying time and cholesterol contents, as compared to regular-fat counterparts. In proximate analysis, the contents of moisture and protein of regular-fat products were lower than medium-fat with reduced fat content. The regular-fat products also had a lighter color and less redness, due to reduced fat content. Approximately 35 volatile compounds were identified in functional fermented sausages, and hexanal, trans-caryophyllene, and tetradecanal were the major volatile compounds. Selected mixed starter culture showed the potential possibility of replacing the commercial starter culture (LK30 plus) in flavor profiles. However, medium-fat fermented sausage containing selected mixed starter culture tended to be less acceptable than their high-fat counterparts, due to excess dry ring developed in the surface. These results indicate that the use of combinations of L. plantarum 115 and 167, and P. damnosus L12 as a starter culture, will prove useful for manufacturing the fermented sausage.

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Hydroxyapatite (HA) / Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube (MWCNT) composites were sintered by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). The adhesion characteristics of the composite are measured with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) at the different volume percent of MWCNT and the temperature. Experimental results have shown that the addition of MWCNT has caused the meaningful change in the adhesive force.