Identification and changes in the higher fatty acids of dried red pepper and red pepper powder

Summary The higher fatty acids of dried red pepper of the variety of Gorogled were identified by gas chromatography with using help of authentic compounds. Their amounts were determined using on absolute calibration method.The following acids were established: lauric, myrastic, palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic,arachidic and behenic acids. The results obtained from the quantitative measurements showed that linoleic, linolenic and palmitic acids amounted to 80% of the total acids.The quantitative changes of identified acids in red pepper, of dried at 60°, 70°, 80° and 90 °C red pepper and stored as dried red pepper and red pepper powder over a 6-months period investigated.The results show that under the drying temperatures applied the amount of all fatty acids decreased with an increase in the temperature. During a storage a period of 3 months the amount of the respective acids decreased while the process was the most expressed in red pepper dried at a temperature of t = 70 °C.After a 6-months storage period under the drying condition applied the dried red pepper contained a greater amount of fatty acids compared with stored for 3 months.

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Identifikation und Veränderungen der höheren Fettsäuren von gemahlenem Paprika und von getrockneten ungemahlenen Paprikaschoten

Zusammenfassung Es wurden gaschromatographisch mit Hilfe von Vergleichsubstanzen die höheren Fettsäuren, die im gemahlenen Paprika (Sorte Gorogled) enthalten sind, identifiziert. Die Mengen wurden nach der Methode der absoluten Kalibrierung bestimmt. Es wurden folgende Säuren festgestellt: Laurinsäure, Myristin-, Palmitin-, Palmitoolein-, Stearin-, Olein-, Linol-, Linolen-, Arachin- und Behensäure. Die quantitativen Ergebnisse zeigen, daß die Menge der Linolen-, Linol- und Palmitinsäure 80% der Gesamtsäurenmenge darstellt. Es wurden die quantitativen Veränderungen der Fettsäuren von Paprika (Sorte Gorogled) bei Temperaturen von 60 °, 70 °, 80 ° und 90 °C, getrocknet und als getrockneter ungemahlener bzw.gemahlener Paprika, gelagert und innerhalb von 6 Monaten in Abständen von 3 Monaten verfolgt. Bei den angewendeten Trocknungstemperaturen nimmt die Menge der einzelnen Fettsäuren in dem getrockneten ungemahlenen Paprika mit Erhöhung der Trocknungstemperatur ab. Die Lagerung des getrockneten ungemahlenen Paprikas innerhalb von 3 Monaten führt zur Abnahme der einzelnen Fettsäuren, wobei dieser Prozeß am stärksten bei einer Trocknungstemperatur von 70 °C verläuft. Nach einer 6monatigen Lagerung des getrockneten und ungemahlenen Paprikas, nach Trocknung und bei den o. g. vier Temperaturen, ist die Menge der Fettsäuren höher im Vergleich zu jener der Fettsäuren in getrocknetem ungemahlenem Paprika nach 3 Monaten. Nach 3 Monaten enthält der gemahlene Paprika weniger Fettsäuren als der getrocknete und ungemahlene Paprika.

     

Forming post-socialist urban identities through small-scale heritage-based regeneration: a role for intangibles?

While the issue of socialist heritage in Central and Eastern Europe has been extensively researched by scholars, this paper addresses an existing gap in theory and practice ? how safeguarding socialist cultural heritage (tangible and intangible) can be used in post-socialist towns that have little emblematic resources available today to pursue urban progress and prosperity. The paper focuses on the city of Velenje in Slovenia and its collectivist means of original production. Attention is drawn to both the importance of this aspect of its intangible cultural heritage, and the problematic nature of appealing to it, to underpin citizens’ engagement in a small-scale urban regeneration project. The paper offers insights about how using cultural heritage can be called upon to motivate citizens to participate in urban development and reform their urban identity, drawing on the recent past and living memory, through volunteered labour.     

Reactor dosimetry for VVERs RPV lifetime assessment

A state of the art review of Reactor Dosimetry used for reactor pressure vessel irradiation damage assessment and lifetime evaluation of the Russian type VVER reactors is presented. The necessity of prospective studies in Reactor Dosimetry for improvements that will reduce the neutron fluence uncertainty and in this way to substantiate the extension of NPP lifetime is summarized by specialists in Reactor Dosimetry from countries operating VVER reactors such as Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, and Bulgaria, together with specialists from Western European countries such as France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, and UK, operating PWR and BWR type reactors.     

Differential Regulation of cGMP Signaling in Human Melanoma Cells at Altered Gravity: Simulated Microgravity Down-Regulates Cancer-Related Gene Expression and Motility

Altered gravity is known to affect cellular function by changes in gene expression and cellular signaling. The intracellular signaling molecule cyclic guanosine-3^′,5^′-monophosphate (cGMP), a product of guanylyl cyclases (GC), e.g., the nitric oxide (NO)-sensitive soluble GC (sGC) or natriuretic peptide-activated GC (GC-A/GC-B), is involved in melanocyte response to environmental stress. NO-sGC-cGMP signaling is operational in human melanocytes and non-metastatic melanoma cells, whereas up-regulated expression of GC-A/GC-B and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) are found in metastatic melanoma cells, the deadliest skin cancer. Here, we investigated the effects of altered gravity on the mRNA expression of NOS isoforms, sGC, GC-A/GC-B and multidrug resistance-associated proteins 4/5 (MRP4/MRP5) as selective cGMP exporters in human melanoma cells with different metastatic potential and pigmentation. A specific centrifuge (DLR, Cologne Germany) was used to generate hypergravity (5 g for 24 h) and a fast-rotating 2-D clinostat (60 rpm) to simulate microgravity values ≤?0.012 g for 24 h. The results demonstrate that hypergravity up-regulates the endothelial NOS-sGC-MRP4/MRP5 pathway in non-metastatic melanoma cells, but down-regulates it in simulated microgravity when compared to 1 g. Additionally, the suppression of sGC expression and activity has been suggested to correlate inversely to tumor aggressiveness. Finally, hypergravity is ineffective in highly metastatic melanoma cells, whereas simulated microgravity down-regulates predominantly the expression of the cancer-related genes iNOS and GC-A/GC-B (shown additionally on protein levels) as well as motility in comparison to 1 g. The results suggest that future studies in real microgravity can benefit from considering GC-cGMP signaling as possible factor for melanocyte transformation.     

Kinetics of Thermal Degradation of the Anthocyanins Delphinidin-3-rutinoside and Malvidin-3-glucoside

The kinetics of the thermal degradation of the two anthocyanins delphinidin-3-rutinoside and malvidin-3-glucoside at 78, 88, 98 and 108 °C, depending on the pH and the type of solvent has been investigated. The first order reaction of delphinidin-3-rutinoside and malvidin-3-glucoside degradation has been established. The rate constants (K ± 10^?5s^?1), the activation parameters, factor Q₁₀ and the half-decay period have been calculated. The rate of delphinidin-3-rutinoside degradation is higher than that of malvidin-3-glucoside.     

Citizens' expectations of information cities: implications for urban planning and design

The European Union has made the development of a vibrant knowledge-based economy a key policy objective, and increasingly national and local governments worldwide are seeking to harness information and communication technologies to provide government services more effectively and for the benefit of their citizenry. The paper reports on the first phase of the ongoing European Union IntelCities integrated project that seeks to integrate electronic governance of cities and urban planning. The background to the project in terms of the e-Europe Action Plan is explored and the outcome of surveys of user needs and requirements carried out in the cities of Marseilles (France), Siena and Rome (Italy), Helsinki (Finland), Leicester and Manchester (UK), and Dresden and Berlin (Germany) are explained. The outcomes identify a range of implications for digital or electronic planning in terms of increasing the efficiency in e-urban planning and the need to develop digital methodologies for widening public participation. Thus, the importance of e-skills development in new forms of e-planning for planners, developers and citizens is highlighted and shown to be important for achieving a wider e-enabled sustainable knowledge society.     

Effect of ethanol on microbial community structure and function during natural attenuation of benzene, toluene, and o-xylene in a sulfate-reducing aquifer

Ethanol (EtOH) is a commonly used fuel oxygenate in reformulated gasoline and is an alternative fuel and fuel supplement. Effects of EtOH release on aquifer microbial ecology and geochemistry have not been well characterized in situ. We performed a controlled field release of petroleum constituents (benzene (B), toluene (T), o-xylene (o-X) at approximately 1-3 mg/L each) with and without EtOH (approximately 500 mg/L). Mixed linear modeling (MLM) assessed effects on the microbial ecology of a naturally sulfidic aquifer and how the microbial community affected B, T, and o-X plume lengths and aquifer geochemistry. Changes in microbial community structure were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) targeting Bacteria, Archaea, and sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB); SRB were enumerated using a novel qPCR method targeting the adenosine-5'-phosphosulfate reductase gene. Bacterial and SRB densities increased with and without EtOH-amendment (1-8 orders of magnitude). Significant increases in Archaeal species richness; Archaeal cell densities (3-6 orders of magnitude); B, T, and o-X plume lengths; depletion of sulfate; and induction of methanogenic conditions were only observed with EtOH-amendment MLM supported the conclusion that EtOH-amendment altered microbial community structure and function, which in turn lowered the aquifer redox state and led to a reduction in bioattenuation rates of B, T, and o-X.     

Sympathetic nervous activity decreases during head down bed rest but not during microgravity

Platelet norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E) were measured as indices of long-term changes in sympathoadrenal activity. Ten normal healthy subjects were studied before and during head-down bed rest (HDBR) of 2 weeks duration, as well as during an ambulatory study period of a similar length. Platelet NE and E concentrations were studied in 5 cosmonauts, who participated in three different Soyuz missions to the International Space Station, 2 weeks before launch, within 12 hours after landing following 11 to 12 days of flight and at least 2 weeks after return to earth. Due to the long half-life of NE and E in platelets (approximately 2 days), data obtained early after landing would still reflect the microgravity state. Platelet NE decreased markedly during HDBR (p<0.001). During micro-gravity platelet NE and E increased in 4 of the 5 cosmonauts. Platelet NE and E concentrations expressed in percentage of pre-flight and pre-HDBR values, respectively, were significantly increased during microgravity as compared to HDBR (NE: 153±28% (mean±SEM) vs. 60±6%, p<0.004; E: 293±85% vs. 90±12%, p<0.01). The increase in platelet NE and E during microgravity is most likely due to an increase in sympathoadrenal activity. The reason why sympathoadrenal activity does not decrease to low levels during microgravity as one would expect remains to be elucidated. HDBR cannot be applied to simulate changes in sympathoadrenal activity during microgravity.     

Verification of the VVER-440 pressure vessel neutron fluence calculation by activity measurement

To qualify the calculation methodology, measurements of neutron flux responses of a VVER-440/230 reactor pressure vessel have been carried out.The activity of shavings sampled out from the inner pressure vessel wall of Unit 1 of Kozloduy NPP after the 14th cycle has been measured. Calculation of the expected activity at the shaving positions has been carried out, taking into account the local power distribution. Comparison of calculated and measured activity values has indicated that the computed value for the fast neutron fluence is underestimated by up to 20%.     

ASYNT — An adjoint synthesis method for neutron irradiation estimation on the vessels of VVER/PWR reactors

The new ASYNT method is developed and proposed for neutron fluence calculations. This method uses the solution of adjoint neutron transport equation for flux/responses evaluation. The evaluation of flux/responses is reduced to the space and energy integration of the product of 3D adjoint solution and the neutron source distribution, determined by realized loading patterns and operational regimes. The adjoint solution does not depend on the neutron source distribution and is obtained only once for every surveillance site, response and type of reactor. The application of this method results in separability of azimuthal and axial dependence in the 3D adjoint solution. That is why the 3D adjoint solution could be synthesised from the 2D and 1D adjoint solutions. The circular cylinder reactor core presentation of the solution axial dependence is the only approximation used in the ASYNT method.