Comparison of Lupinus angustifolius protein digestibility in dependence on protein,amino acids,trypsin inhibitors and polyphenolic compounds content

Lupine seeds are proposed as a source of valuable protein in human and animal nutrition. However, not only protein content but its bioavailability is important. Thus, the protein digestibility of twenty Lupinus angustifolius varieties seeds and the impact of some factors (protein and polyphenols content, trypsin inhibition and amino acids composition) on the protein digestion were discussed. Composition as well as the digestibility of these seeds was influenced by variety, weather conditions (precipitations) and place of cultivation (soil quality). The average digestibility of the seeds was 46%. The positive impact on the digestibility had the extractivity of the protein. Higher than it was expected activity of trypsin inhibitors (even up to ~32%) in some varieties influenced the protein availability, while the lysine and phenolic compounds content did not affect digestibility. The content of compounds influencing protein digestibility depends both on variety as well as on agronomical conditions.     

Central Apparatus,the Molecular Kickstarter of Ciliary and Flagellar Nanomachines

Motile cilia and homologous organelles, the flagella, are an early evolutionarily invention, enabling primitive eukaryotic cells to survive and reproduce. In animals, cilia have undergone functional and structural speciation giving raise to typical motile cilia, motile nodal cilia, and sensory immotile cilia. In contrast to other cilia types, typical motile cilia are able to beat in complex, two-phase movements. Moreover, they contain many additional structures, including central apparatus, composed of two single microtubules connected by a bridge-like structure and assembling numerous complexes called projections. A growing body of evidence supports the important role of the central apparatus in the generation and regulation of the motile cilia movement. Here we review data concerning the central apparatus structure, protein composition, and the significance of its components in ciliary beating regulation.     

Analysis and Automatic Classification of Breath Sounds

Analysis of breath sounds (auscultation) is an important part of the diagnosis of pulmonary diseases. An automatic breathsounds classification scheme is suggested. Types of normal and abnormal breath sounds are classified, with the goal of providing the physician with a diagnostic assist device. The classification is performed in two levels. The first level is based on the linear prediction coefflcients, and the second level on energy envelope features. Seven types of breath sounds were classified. Out of 105 trials, the system exhibited only five errors The system can be implemented on a microprocessor and thus can be offered as a low-cost clinical instrument.     

New calcium‐free Na2O–Al2O3–P2O5 bioactive glasses with potential applications in bone tissue engineering

Sodium aluminophosphate glasses were evaluated for their bone repair ability. The glasses belonging to the system 45Na₂O–xAl₂O₃‐(55‐x)P₂O₅, with x = (3, 5, 7, 10 mol%) were prepared by a melt‐quenching method. We assessed the effect of Al₂O₃ content on the properties of Na₂O–Al₂O₃–P₂O₅ (NAP) glasses, which were characterized by density measurements, DSC analyses, solubility, bioactivity in simulated body fluid and cytocompatibility with MG‐63 cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first investigation of calcium‐free Na₂O–Al₂O₃–P₂O₅ system glasses as bioactive materials for bone tissue engineering.     

How do Attitudes Toward Globalization Influence Human Functioning?

ABSTRACT

This study shows the results of the research into the relationships between attitudes toward globalization (accepting, critical, fearful) and psychological factors: identity styles, attitudes toward the Internet, and the quality of friendship. The survey conducted among Polish adolescents and young adults revealed that attitudes toward globalization had a stronger influence on psychological functioning for young adults than for adolescents. The results may help to understand social acceptance factors or disapproval of technological and globalizational changes.     

Recovery of uranium and other valuable metals from substrates and waste from copper and phosphate industries

ABSTRACT

Recovery of heavy metals and other useful materials from industrial waste is crucial because it reduces the environmental impact of the production facilities. The selective separation of uranium from such waste might be very important in the context of future energy production and the still essential role of nuclear power in the energy mix. The copper ores, waste from the copper industry, phosphate rocks and phosphogypsum were considered as sources of uranium in these studies. Apart from uranium, these materials also contain other valuable metals, e.g. rare earth elements. In the present work the procedures of extraction of uranium and accompanying metals designed for specific materials – the potential sources of metals, were reported.     

Wetting of fat crystals by triglyceride oil and water. 1. The effect of additives

Wetting of fat crystals has been extensively examined in this work by contact angle (θ) measurements of fat crystal, oil, and water in three-phase contact. Contact angle was measured in oil. The crystals were nonpolar and wetted by oil for a contact angle equal to 0°, and polar and wetted by water for an angle equal to 180°. Fat crystals are expected to contribute to the stability of margarine emulsions if they are preferentially wetted by the oil phase (0°<θ<90°), but result in instability if they are preferentially wetted by the water phase (90°<θ<180°). In the absence of oil and water additives, fat crystals in α and β' polymorphs were introduced to the oil/water interface from the oil side (contact angle θ ∼ 30°). β Polymorphs were completely wetted by oil (θ ≈ 0°). The contact angle for β' crystals decreased with increasing temperature and was slightly lower in butter oil than in soybean oil. Emulsifiers in the oil phase (lecithins, monoglycerides and their esters, ethoxylated emulsifiers) and surface-active proteins in the water phase (milk proteins) made the crystals more polar (higher θ). Nonsurface-active proteins, sugar, and citric acid had no significant effect, although concentrations of salt lowered θ. Contact angle increased with temperature for emulsifiers of limited solubility in the oil, e.g., saturated monoglyceride.     

How dense are cylindrical brushes grafted from a multifunctional macroinitiator?

A series of cylindrical brushes with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PBA) side chains of different lengths was studied to understand the grafting density of brush molecules prepared by the ‘grafting from’ approach. Molecules with PMMA side chains were prepared by grafting MMA from a multifunctional macroinitiator, poly(2-(2-bromoisobutyryloxy)ethyl methacrylate). Molecules with PBA side chains were prepared with poly(2-(2-bromopropionyloxy)ethyl methacrylate) as a macroinitiator. Analysis of the detached side chains showed an incomplete initiation process resulting in longer side chains than expected for complete initiation. Limited initiation (40-80%) was also observed for short PMMA chains using a low molar mass initiator ethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate with CuCl catalyst systems. The lower initiation efficiency was confirmed via visualization of individual molecules by atomic force microscopy. The larger distance between adsorbed brush molecules was consistent with <50% initiation efficiency.