Latest news with #ShaanxiNormalUniversity
South China Morning Post
11 hours ago
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Chinese scientists create edible fruit coating that ‘more than doubles' shelf life
Chinese scientists have developed an edible, washable protein-based coating that can extend the shelf life of fruits by 2½ times, by reducing moisture loss and microbial growth. Advertisement The low-cost coating was tested across 17 varieties of whole and cut fruits, including strawberry, tomato, kiwi and mango. It was shown to effectively delay rot by almost a week or more, at a cost of just 9 US cents per kilogram of fruit, according to a recent paper in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications. The new strategy is as effective as existing preservation methods but reduces carbon dioxide emissions and the potential for toxicity, offering a promising solution to a major factor in global food waste 'Addressing critical challenges in perishable fruit preservation…we present an eco-friendly amyloid-like protein coating strategy developed through computer-aided molecular simulation,' the team led by researchers at Shaanxi Normal University said in their paper published on May 31. 'With edible properties, easy washability, and low cost, the coating demonstrates universal applicability for post-harvest and fresh-cut fruits.' Advertisement Around a third of all food produced globally is wasted, most of it perishable items like fruits and vegetables.
South China Morning Post
09-02-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Are China's rural poor losing faith in education's power to transform lives?
A sociologist has suggested that people in China's rural areas are losing faith in higher education to improve their lives, prompting widespread discussion among academics and the media over the Lunar New Year holiday. 'A new 'education is useless' sentiment has emerged in rural areas,' Huang Lifen, a lecturer at Shaanxi Normal University in the western city of Xian, wrote in the article that appeared on Chinese news website late last month. Based on observations of her hometown, a county in the central province of Hubei with a population of 1.1 million, Huang said some farmers were choosing not to send their children on to higher education. According to Huang, this was not because the farmers thought knowledge was useless, but because they felt that the 'form, content and cost' of Chinese schooling did not suit their needs. There are nine years of compulsory education in China – six at primary level and three years of junior high school – followed by fierce competition for places in high school and higher education institutes, as well as vocational training opportunities. For decades, especially since late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping initiated the process of reform and opening up, Chinese society has encouraged individual effort, with many people believing that hard work and study can lead to social mobility.
