Prediction of traditionally utilised wheat dough technological quality parameters from Mixolab values: development and evaluation of regression models

The research was conducted with the aim to investigate the possibility of Farinograph, Extensograph and Amylograph values prediction with linear and/or multiple Mixolab regression models. In total, 163 flour samples were divided based on Machalanobis distances into three sets: prediction, validation and external sample set. Determination coefficients ranged from 0.145 to 0.640 for linear regression models and from 0.279 to 0.739 for multiple regression models. Internal and external validation of developed regression models was conducted. Testing of developed models resulted in a high share of samples for which predicted values were out of the ranges of method official reproducibility and a high share of samples for which predicted values were out of the quality level range obtained by analytical measurement. It was concluded that it is impossible to develop applicable regression models for prediction of Farinograph, Extensograph and Amylograph parameters on the basis of Mixolab values from standard protocol.     

Outage performance of dual‐hop relaying systems over extended generalized‐K fading channels

The outage performance of the amplify‐and‐forward relaying strategies over mutually uncorrelated extended generalized‐K fading channels is addressed in this paper. The attention is dedicated to the analyses of the noise‐limited and also interference‐limited environment. The new analytical expression for outage probability of observed relaying system in the presence of thermal noise is derived using the method for approximating equivalent signal‐to‐noise ratio. In addition, the outage performance is studied for the dual‐hop system when only the single dominant co‐channel interference is inherent at the relay and destination node. The correctness of the proposed mathematical derivations is verified by simulations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Viscoelastic properties of poly(ε‐caprolactone)/clay nanocomposites in solid and in melt state

Viscoelastic properties in solid and in melt state of poly(ε‐caprolactone), PCL, nanocomposites with organomodified clays (Cloisite30B and Cloisite15A) are thoroughly investigated. Although WAXD is insensitive to the difference in the nanocomposites structure, the melt rheology reveals pronounced differences between the two series. Melt yield stress values, obtained from fittings by the Carreau–Yasuda model, are used as a measure of partial exfoliation of the clay. Temperature dependence of the shift factors, used for time–temperature superposition of the modulus curves, yields similar values of the flow activation energies for all the samples. Temperature dependences of the dynamic modulus and loss factor of solid nanocomposites were correlated to the structural differences deduced from the melt rheology. The increase in the storage modulus is compared to the theoretical predictions from the Halpin–Tsai model. The effective aspect ratio obtained from this comparison agrees reasonably with the value estimated from the melt rheology. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42896.     

Functional Properties of Gelatin/Polyvinyl Alcohol Films Containing Black Cumin Cake Extract and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Produced via Casting Technique

This study aimed to develop and characterize gelatin/polyvinyl alcohol (G/PVA) films loaded with black cumin cake extract (BCCE) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs). The BCCE was also applied for the green synthesis of ZnONPs with an average size of less than 100 nm. The active films were produced by a solvent-casting technique, and their physicochemical and antibacterial properties were investigated. Supplementation of G/PVA film in ZnONPs decreased the tensile strength (TS) from 2.97 MPa to 1.69 MPa. The addition of BCCE and ZnONPs increased the elongation at the break (EAB) of the enriched film by about 3%. The G/PVA/BCCE/ZnONPs film revealed the lowest water vapor permeability (WVP = 1.14 × 10⁻⁹ g·mm·Pa⁻¹·h⁻¹·mm⁻²) and the highest opacity (3.41 mm⁻¹). The QUick, Easy, New, CHEap and Reproducible (QUENCHER) methodologies using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6- sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) were applied to measure antioxidant capacity (AC) of the prepared films. The incorporation of BCCE and ZnONPs into G/PVA films enhanced the AC by 8–144%. The films containing ZnONPs and a mixture of BCCE and ZnONPs inhibited the growth of three Gram-positive bacterial strains. These nanocomposite films with desired functional properties can be recommended to inhibit microbial spoilage and oxidative rancidity of packaged food.     

Impact of Rutin and Other Phenolic Substances on the Digestibility of Buckwheat Grain Metabolites

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) is grown in eastern and central Asia (the Himalayan regions of China, Nepal, Bhutan and India) and in central and eastern Europe (Luxemburg, Germany, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina). It is known for its high concentration of rutin and other phenolic metabolites. Besides the grain, the other aboveground parts of Tartary buckwheat contain rutin as well. After the mixing of the milled buckwheat products with water, the flavonoid quercetin is obtained in the flour–water mixture, a result of rutin degradation by rutinosidase. Heating by hot water or steam inactivates the rutin-degrading enzymes in buckwheat flour and dough. The low buckwheat protein digestibility is due to the high content of phenolic substances. Phenolic compounds have low absorption after food intake, so, after ingestion, they remain for some time in the gastrointestinal tract. They can act in an inhibitory manner on enzymes, degrading proteins and other food constituents. In common and Tartary buckwheat, the rutin and quercetin complexation with protein and starch molecules has an impact on the in vitro digestibility and the appearance of resistant starch and slowly digestible proteins. Slowly digestible starch and proteins are important for the functional and health-promoting properties of buckwheat products.     

Galectins in Early Pregnancy and Pregnancy-Associated Pathologies

Galectins are a family of conserved soluble proteins defined by an affinity for β-galactoside structures present on various glycoconjugates. Over the past few decades, galectins have been recognized as important factors for successful implantation and maintenance of pregnancy. An increasing number of studies have demonstrated their involvement in trophoblast cell function and placental development. In addition, several lines of evidence suggest their important roles in feto-maternal immune tolerance regulation and angiogenesis. Changed or dysregulated galectin expression is also described in pregnancy-related disorders. Although the data regarding galectins’ clinical relevance are still at an early stage, evidence suggests that some galectin family members are promising candidates for better understanding pregnancy-related pathologies, as well as predicting biomarkers. In this review, we aim to summarize current knowledge of galectins in early pregnancy as well as in pregnancy-related pathologies.     

Three Microbial Musketeers of the Seas: Shewanella baltica,Aliivibrio fischeri and Vibrio harveyi,and Their Adaptation to Different Salinity Probed by a Proteomic Approach

Osmotic changes are common challenges for marine microorganisms. Bacteria have developed numerous ways of dealing with this stress, including reprogramming of global cellular processes. However, specific molecular adaptation mechanisms to osmotic stress have mainly been investigated in terrestrial model bacteria. In this work, we aimed to elucidate the basis of adjustment to prolonged salinity challenges at the proteome level in marine bacteria. The objects of our studies were three representatives of bacteria inhabiting various marine environments, Shewanella baltica, Vibrio harveyi and Aliivibrio fischeri. The proteomic studies were performed with bacteria cultivated in increased and decreased salinity, followed by proteolytic digestion of samples which were then subjected to liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis. We show that bacteria adjust at all levels of their biological processes, from DNA topology through gene expression regulation and proteasome assembly, to transport and cellular metabolism. The finding that many similar adaptation strategies were observed for both low- and high-salinity conditions is particularly striking. The results show that adaptation to salinity challenge involves the accumulation of DNA-binding proteins and increased polyamine uptake. We hypothesize that their function is to coat and protect the nucleoid to counteract adverse changes in DNA topology due to ionic shifts.     

Bifunctional Opioid/Melanocortin Peptidomimetics for Use in Neuropathic Pain: Variation in the Type and Length of the Linker Connecting the Two Pharmacophores

Based on the mechanism of neuropathic pain induction, a new type of bifunctional hybrid peptidomimetics was obtained for potential use in this type of pain. Hybrids consist of two types of pharmacophores that are connected by different types of linkers. The first pharmacophore is an opioid agonist, and the second pharmacophore is an antagonist of the pronociceptive system, i.e., an antagonist of the melanocortin-4 receptor. The results of tests in acute and neuropathic pain models of the obtained compounds have shown that the type of linker used to connect pharmacophores had an effect on antinociceptive activity. Peptidomimetics containing longer flexible linkers were very effective at low doses in the neuropathic pain model. To elucidate the effect of linker lengths, two hybrids showing very high activity and two hybrids with lower activity were further tested for affinity for opioid (mu, delta) and melanocortin-4 receptors. Their complexes with the target receptors were also studied by molecular modelling. Our results do not show a simple relationship between linker length and affinity for particular receptor types but suggest that activity in neuropathic pain is related to a proper balance of receptor affinity rather than maximum binding to any or all of the target receptors.