Phenolic profile,antioxidant and antiproliferative activity of black and red currants (Ribes spp.) from organic and conventional cultivation

The effect of cultivation system on phenolic profile, antioxidant capacity and antiproliferation activity in black and red currants was evaluated. Results from this study showed that Ribes fruit grown in organic system posses significantly higher total phenolics, especially anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP) than fruit grown in conventional system. Phenolic compounds were systematically identified and characterised by UPLC/MS Q‐TOF. The mean value of total polyphenol content in organically grown currants was similar but statistically higher compared with the conventional cultivation (11831.0 and 1543.0 mg/kg of d.m., respectively). The total values of the anthocyanins in ‘Ben Hope’, ‘Ben Alder’, ‘Titania’ and ‘Rondom’ from organic and conventional farms were 1044.5 vs. 1012.4; 1568.3 vs. 1260.4; 1417.2 vs. 1382.2; and 51.8 vs. 57.9 mg kg^?1 of d.m., respectively. Conventionally grown red currant had higher anthocyanin content than organically grown red currant (11.8%) but, however, organic fruits of red currant had 2.7 times higher content of oligomeric procyanidins than fruits coming from conventional cultivation. DPPH radical scavenging activity of currant varied from 28.29 to 37.08 mmol Trolox kg^?1 (mean 31.20) for organic fruits and from 12.67 to 31.18 mmol Trolox kg^?1 (mean 25.76) for conventional fruits. Moreover, all currants from organic cultivation possess higher ferric reducing capacity than conventionally grown fruits. It appeared that extracts of red Ribes cv. ‘Rondom’ coming from organic cultivation revealed stronger antiproliferative effect in comparison with conventional cultivation. However, a similar profile of activity was observed for ‘Ben Hope’, ‘Ben Alder’ and ‘Titania’ independently of the type of cultivation. These results indicate that the cultivation technique had important effect on the ranking of the cultivar systems.     

Assessment of electromechanical properties of screen printed polymer nanopastes

Printed electronics has provided different printing techniques as environmentally friendly and cost-effective manufacturing methods of electronic components. The printed items can be produced on low cost, different types of flexible substrates, even when their surface is corrugated. This opens a new application range of printed electronics and makes them competitive with traditionally manufactured electronics. However, it is necessary to investigate new materials to continue the rapid progress in printed electronics. In our study, the electromechanical properties of polymer nanopastes consisted of carbon nanotubes and graphite platelet nanofibers mixed with a conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) were investigated. Their microstructure and the layer morphology were observed using a scanning electron microscope and an optical microscope. The thickness and average roughness of the layers printed on the foil and paper were determined with a contact profilometer. The mechanical durability of the screen printed layers was verified in a cyclic bending test. The highest mechanical durability was exhibited by the polymer pastes containing carbon nanotubes.     

Satiety value of groats in healthy women as affected by selected physicochemical parameters

The aim of the study was to investigate the satiety levels following the consumption of groats and to analyze the relationships between selected nutrients found in the groats. A total of 54 women were enrolled in a crossover, single-blind study. The participants tested five types of groats (a 240-kcal portion for 180 min). The highest satiety was determined for oat groats and barley groats. The correlation analysis indicated that the satiety of the examined groats was correlated to the highest extent with the content of dietary fiber and hydration degree. Studies showed that the key role in the regulation of satiety could be played by the presence of soluble dietary fiber (SDF). The results of the study indicated that all studied types of groats are a good source of high satiety food. Due to their high satiety value, groats should be used in the prevention and dietary treatment of people with excess body weight.     

Crystal structure,band structure and electrical properties of κ-(BEDT-TTF)2SbF6 grown on a Si(0 0 1) electrode

The new κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂SbF₆ phase was grown by electrodeposition on a Si(0 0 1) electrode. This new phase was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electronic conductivity measurements, accompanied by calculations of electronic band structures and Fermi surfaces. Below T = 120 K, a decrease in the electronic conductivity suggests a phase transition, attributed to anion ordering.     

Analysis of Macrobenthic Communities in a Post-Mining Sulphur Pit Lake (Poland)

The objective of the study was to define the primary environmental factors affecting the composition of the macrobenthic community in an abandoned open cast sulphur mine pit lake that had been filled with water from a nearby river. We investigated habitats at various depths and the macrobenthic communities; samples were collected by scuba divers. Although rush and submerged vegetation in the subsaline pit lake was abundant and provided potentially good habitat conditions for mayflies, caddisflies, coleopterans, or damselflies, the native insects were scarce. The taxa do not have many representatives in waters with elevated salinity, so those present in the Machów pit lake were mainly euryhaline species. Chironomids were the most abundant macroinvertebrates in shallower zones, whereas non-native zebra mussels were the quantitatively dominant taxon in deep-water zones. Moreover, these non-native mussels were the dominant biomass of invertebrates at all sites in all seasons. The current composition of the invertebrate assemblage was probably primarily determined by the salinated water, which limited the abundance of native species and gave non-native species an edge.

     

Cellular,Extracellular and Extracellular Vesicular miRNA Profiles of Pre-Ovulatory Follicles Indicate Signaling Disturbances in Polycystic Ovaries

Cell-free RNAs have the potential to act as a means of gene expression regulation between cells and are therefore used as diagnostic markers describing the state of tissue environment. The origin and functions of such RNAs in human ovarian follicle, the environment of oocyte maturation, are unclear. The current study investigates the difference in the microRNA profiles of fertile women and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients in three compartments from the same preovulatory follicle: mural granulosa cells (MGC), cell-free follicular fluid (FF), and extracellular vesicles (EV) of the FF by small RNA sequencing. In silico analysis was used for the prediction and over-representation of targeted pathways for the detected microRNAs. PCOS follicles were distinguished from normal tissue by the differential expression of 30 microRNAs in MGC and 10 microRNAs in FF (FDR < 0.1) that commonly regulate cytokine signaling pathways. The concentration of EV-s was higher in the FF of PCOS patients (p = 0.04) containing eight differentially expressed microRNAs (p < 0.05). In addition, we present the microRNA profiles of MGC, FF, and EV in the fertile follicle and demonstrate that microRNAs loaded into EVs target mRNAs of distinct signaling pathways in comparison to microRNAs in FF. To conclude, the three follicular compartments play distinct roles in the signaling disturbances associated with PCOS.     

Chemical composition and mass emission factors of candle smoke particles

The aim of this study is to investigate the physical and chemical properties of particle emissions from candle burning in indoor air. Two representative types of tapered candles were studied during steady burn, sooting burn and smouldering (upon extinction) under controlled conditions in a walk-in stainless steel chamber. Steady burn emits relatively high number emissions of ultrafine particles dominated by either phosphates or alkali nitrates. The likely source of these particles is flame retardant additives to the wick. Sooting burn in addition emits larger particles mainly consisting of agglomerated elemental carbon. This burning mode is associated with the highest mass emission factors. Particles emitted during smouldering upon extinction are dominated by organic matter. A mass closure was illustrated for the total mass concentration, the summed mass concentration from chemical analysis and the size-integrated mass concentration assessed from number distribution measurements using empirically determined effective densities for the three particle types.     

The role of hydrogen in weld cracking processes – a new look at the problem

The new welding method known as F-MAG, which has been developed based on the CO₂ gas-shielded arc welding method (MAG), increases deposition rate of weld metal. The F-MAG welding method is combined with hot-wire, as has been used in TIG arc- and laser-welding methods. F-MAG is performed using hot-wire which is inserted into the rear part of the weld pool made with the leading electrode. Hot-wire melts by both electrical heating of itself and heat of the weld pool. Multi-layered weld metals were prepared using F-MAG and MAG. Microstructures and mechanical properties of both as-weld and reheated zones in the uppermost layer of the multi-layered weld metals formed with F-MAG and MAG were examined and the effects of hot-wire on microstructures and mechanical properties were analysed. Both the as-weld and reheated zones of the weld metal formed with F-MAG consisted of acicular ferrite (AF), equiaxed ferrite and so on. Both strength and elongation in as-weld and reheated zones formed with F-MAG were superior compared with those formed with MAG. It could be suggested that strength increased by refinement of AF due to increase in the concentration of alloying elements being contained in the hot-wire. Larger elongation of the weld metal in F-MAG compared with that in MAG could be analysed in terms of the Aggregate of AF Laths with nearly Parallel Slip systems between neighboring AF laths (ALPS). The number of AFs contained in an ALPS formed with FMAG is larger than that with MAG, in spite of the sizes of ALPSs formed with MAG and F-MAG being almost same. Deformation occurs over a lot of AFs in the case of finer AF formed with F-MAG through the rotation of the tensile test piece during deformation, resulting in the larger elongation.     

Total phenolic and total flavonoid content,antioxidant activity and sensory evaluation of pseudocereal breads

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of adding (in two different doses 15% and 30%) pseudocereal (buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa) flour on the antioxidant properties and sensory value of breads. Buckwheat flour had the highest phenolic content (7.25 ± 0.23 mg/g dw). The content of total flavonoids in flours was about 2–4 fold higher when compared to breads. The addition of buckwheat flour to wheat bread, particularly in higher dose, was more effective in enhancing antioxidant activity, as evaluated by means of FRAP and DPPH, which increased by 2.36 fold, and 3.64 fold respectively, in comparison with other pseudocereal flours (amaranth, quinoa), which caused, in higher doses, the changes of above parameters within the ranges 1.20–1.79 fold, and 0.60–1.71 fold. Analysis of sensory results of breads showed that addition of buckwheat flour to the dough might improve subjective properties of bread and increase acceptable quality attributes such as taste, colour or odour. All these observations suggest that addition of buckwheat flour into bread can improve antioxidant as well as sensory properties of bread. Bread fortified with pseudocereal flours, and especially with buckwheat flour, may be placed on the market as a functional food.     

Contamination of commercial cane sugars by some organic acids and some inorganic anions

The aim of the paper was the identification and the quantitative evaluation of the following inorganic anions: chloride, phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, sulphate and the following organic acids: lactic, acetic, formic, malic and citric in commercial “unrefined” brown cane sugars and in cane raw sugars. The determination was carried out by high performance anion exchange chromatography with conductivity detector HPAEC-CD. The conducted analyses have shown that the content of some inorganic anions and organic acids in cane sugars may be an important criterion of the quality of commercial “unrefined” brown cane sugars.