Fast Full-Band Device Simulator for Wurtzite and Zincblende GaN MESFET Using a Cellular Monte Carlo Method

A fast full-band device simulator for wurtzite and zincblende GaN using a Cellular Monte Carlo (CMC) approach is reported for wurtzite and zincblende GaN. The full-phonon dispersion relationship including anisotropic polar-optical phonon scattering is taken into account for the wurtzite GaN calculation. In the bulk simulation, the CMC model is about 30–100 times faster than the conventional Ensemble Monte Carlo model at high electric field region. This CMC model is applied to the simulator of MESFET devices, and the calculation speed is significantly improved.     

Drying of persimmons (Diospyros kaki L.) and the following changes in the studied bioactive compounds and the total radical scavenging activities

Fresh persimmons were subjected to two different processes: sun-drying during 1 month and dehydration at 60 °C during 12 h. To assess the effect of this process on nutritional and health-related properties of persimmons dietary fibers, minerals, trace elements, polyphenols and the total radical scavenging activities (TRSAs) were determined before and after processing. It was found that the contents of dietary fibers, minerals and trace elements in fresh and dried persimmons fruits were comparable. Total polyphenols in fresh persimmons was higher than in dried fruits (1.3 vs. 0.9 and 0.8 mg/100 g FW, respectively) and percentage of inhibition was higher than in dried fruits (70% vs. 59% and 55% and 58% vs. 53% and 46% for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) [ABTS] radicals, respectively (P>0.05 in all cases). In conclusion: (1) the differences in the contents of dietary fibers, minerals and trace elements in fresh and dried persimmons are not significant; (2) the contents of polyphenols and the level of the TRSA are higher in fresh persimmons than in dried fruits; however, both variables are also high in dried persimmons; (3) when fresh fruits are not available, proper dried persimmons could be used as a valuable substitute.     

Partial characterization of white cabbages (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. alba) from different regions by glucosinolates, bioactive compounds, total antioxidant activities and proteins

Glucosinolates (GLS), antioxidative compounds, total radical scavenging activities (TRSAs) and proteins of white cabbage samples derived from different regions of Europe, collected in the spring and autumn, were studied. Glucobrassicin and sinigrin were the dominating GLS in all analyzed cabbage samples. Depending on origin, these two GLS accounted for ∼30% to ∼70% of the total. The total GLS content ranged from 3.3 to 7.7 μmol/g dw in lyophilized vegetables. Assays based on electron transfer [total phenols by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent (FCR), 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] radical cation (ABTS) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)] were used to compare the TRSAs and the main bioactive compounds in cabbage. Total polyphenols varied from 2.4 to 4.9 GAE/g dw. The TRSAs ranged from 2.7 to 8.2 μmol TE/g dw in ABTS test and from 2.4 to 5.4 μmol TE/g dw in DPPH assay. The maximum amount of polyphenol compounds, antioxidant activity, as well as total GLS content, were recorded in Belgian cabbage harvested in the autumn and the lowest ones were found for Poland 2 cabbage harvested in the spring. In extracted and separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) proteins from cabbage leaves only in samples from England and Belgium some differences in patterns were found in the regions of 60 and 97 kDa. The calculated correlations between antioxidative potency and the abundance of bioactive compounds were highly statistically significant. This suggests that TRSA could serve as a means of standardization of natural mixtures, at least in the case of cabbage, necessary to compare results of biological studies carried out for vegetable derived samples.     

Anthocyanins,total polyphenols and antioxidant activity in amaranth and quinoa seeds and sprouts during their growth

Total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic contents (TP) and anthocyanins contents (ANT) were determined in Amaranthus cruentus and Chenopodium quinoa seeds and sprouts. Antioxidant activity of the investigated seeds decreased in the following order: quinoa, amaranth v. Rawa, amaranth v. Aztek for FRAP and quinoa, amaranth v. Aztek, amaranth v. Rawa for both ABTS and DPPH. Sprouts activity depended on the length of their growth, and the peak values were reached on the fourth day in the case of amaranth and on the sixth day in the case of quinoa. The data obtained by the three methods showed significant correlation between TP content in seeds and sprouts. In sprouts grown in the daylight and in the darkness we observed some significant changes of TP, ANT and antioxidant activity. Amaranth and quinoa seeds and sprouts can be used in food, because it is a good source of ANT and TP with high antioxidant activity.     

The thermostability, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of some vegetables subjected to different durations of boiling: Investigation in vitro

This research was performed in order to compare the water and acetone extracts of raw and boiled for 10, 20, 40 and 60 min Korean lotus roots (KLR) and Polish white onion (PWO) in the contents of their bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity and thermostability.It was found that polyphenols (mg GAE/g), flavanols (μg GAE/g), flavonoids (mg CE/g), anthocyanins (mg CGE/kg) and tannins (mg CE/g) in water extract of raw lotus roots were 14.18 ± 0.7, 8.41 ± 0.5, 1.09 ± 0.06, 21.3 ± 1.2 and 7.29 ± 0.4, and of white onion - 11.11 ± 0.6, 6.78 ± 0.3, 0.71 ± 0.03, 17.00 ± 0.9 and 1.64 ± 0.08, respectively, and significantly higher in KLR (P < 0.05). The antioxidant activity of raw KLR water extract (139.4 ± 6.1, 53.1 ± 3.6 and 89.3 ± 4.6 μmol TE/g for DPPH, CUPRAC and ABTS, respectively) was significantly higher than in white onion (23.84 ± 1.8, 31.9 ± 2.1 and 38.14 ± 2.6 for DPPH, CUPRAC and ABTS, respectively, P < 0.05).The thermostability of the water KLR extract’s of polyphenols, flavanols, flavonoids, anthocyanins and tannins was high and even after 60 min of boiling remains as 40.0, 42.3, 50.5, 41.4 and 41.0%, respectively. After 60 min of boiling the most thermostable compounds were flavonoids - remaining at 50.5% in water extract of KLR. Also after 60 min of boiling the thermostability of the antioxidant activity of water extracts of KLR remained significantly high: 40.6, 42.3, 46.3 and 43.6%, according to DPPH, FRAP, ABTS and CUPRAC assays, respectively.Similar relationship was obtained with acetone extracts, but the value was lower than with the water ones. In conclusion, the contents of some bioactive compounds, the antioxidant activity and the thermostability in water and acetone extracts of KLR are significantly higher than the same indices in PWO. FTIR and fluorimetry can be used as additional markers for the characterization of bioactive compounds in vegetables.     

Analytical Methods for Enzyme and DPPH Radical Scavenging Activities of Natural Pigments from Some Plants

The enzyme activities in different fractions of Dioscorea japonica Thunb. and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical scavenging activity in 15 natural plant pigments from black rice, purple sweet potato, yellow bitter melon, yellow paprika, red cabbage, yellow gardenia, blue gardenia, Chinese foxglove, mulberry leave, onion peel, grape peel, mulberry, red beet, gromwell, and cactus were determined. The antioxidant activity in the cosmetic composition of mulberry leaves, grape peel, mulberry, and red cabbage pigments was relatively high in comparison with all other studied plants. Enzyme activities in investigated plants were evaluated as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). The cosmetic composition of mulberry leaf pigment had the highest SOD enzyme activity of 67.1% while onion peel pigment showed the lowest SOD enzyme activity of 15.3%. The activity of CAT and APX from cosmetic composition of natural plant pigments has also been investigated. Both CAT and APX showed higher values in the cactus, mulberry, and red cabbage cosmetic compositions in comparison with other plant pigments. The cosmetic composition in EtOAc extract of D. japonica Thunb. had the highest SOD enzyme activity while the BuOH and EtOH extracts were comparatively low. CAT and APX activities showed significantly high values in EtOH and EtOAc extracts. The antioxidant enzyme activities of D. japonica Thunb. differ significantly in different plant pigments during their extraction. In conclusion, we showed that the plant pigments and D. japonica Thunb. had the potent biological activities. Therefore, these plant resources having anti-aging components could be good materials for development of source of natural cosmetics.     

Comparative control of the bioactivity of some frequently consumed vegetables subjected to different processing conditions

The main aim of this investigation was to find processing conditions and to control them, which maximally preserve bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of garlic and onions. Garlic, white and red onions were subjected to bleaching and boiling. The contents of polyphenols, flavonoids, flavanols, tannins, corresponding antioxidant activities and their correlation coefficients were determined in various methanol and acetone extracts. The antioxidant activity was determined by 2, 2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Ferric-reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) and Cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) antioxidant assays. It was found that bleaching for 90″ most fully preserves polyphenols (8.25, 9.75 and 11.98 vs. 9.00, 10.52 and 15.87 mg GAE/g DW and the level of antioxidant activity – 8.82, 22.50 and 23.90 vs. 9.00, 23.05 and 24.30 μM TE/g DW of DPPH in extracts of treated samples with 100% of methanol vs. raw garlic, white and red onions, respectively. In conclusion, comparative control shows that bleaching for 90″ of all studied vegetables most fully preserves contents of bioactive compounds and the level of antioxidant activity. Extraction of bioactive compounds with 100% methanol was more effective than with 50% methanol and 100% acetone.     

Particle-based simulation: An algorithmic perspective

This article reviews some of the latest advances of the algorithmic aspects of particle-based methods for the simulation of both solid-state devices and biological systems. After a brief historical introduction, a discussion will be offered about the recent evolution of numerical methods used by both Full-Band Ensemble Monte Carlo (EMC) and Molecular Dynamics (MD) algorithms. A discussion of some relevant applications of both simulative approaches is accompanied by a critical analysis of the main limitations of the methods. Several needed improvements are discussed as well, and the potential of the algorithms for modeling systems of higher complexity.     

Effect of amaranth seeds in diet on oxidative status in plasma and selected tissues of high fructose-fed rats

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of amaranth seeds in different doses, under conditions of oxidative stress induced by dietary fructose, on antioxidant status of selected rat tissues, erythrocytes and plasma. Fructose administration caused oxidative stress that was manifested by the increase in plasma malondialdehyde and by the decrease in the enzymatic antioxidant activity. Co-administration of amaranth seeds influenced the oxidative stress, as was evidenced by decreasing malondialdehyde in plasma and changing the activities of antioxidant enzymes (erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, catalase, and plasma glutathione peroxidase). Our findings demonstrate that amaranth seeds can act as a moderate protective agent against fructose-induced changes. Our results suggest that the antioxidative system of plasma, heart and lungs is more efficient when amaranth seeds are present in the diet.