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.

     

Stability of rigid blocks exposed to single-pulse excitation

This paper proposes a numerical procedure that can predict the minimum duration of a rectangular, half-cycle sine wave, linearly increasing and triangular single-pulse excitation required to overturn the rigid block resting on a moving base. Since the linearization assumption in the derivation of an analytical solution, which has already been used by Housner and other researchers, cannot be valid for a block with various slenderness ratios and dimensions, a derivation of numerical solutions which would be valid for all types of block is necessary. The proposed numerical procedure takes into account the possibility of sliding and uplifting of the block from the base. The numerical algorithm for the proposed numerical procedure in a commercial code C++ is given in the “Appendix.”     

Genome-Wide Association Analysis and Genomic Prediction of Thyroglobulin Plasma Levels

Thyroglobulin (Tg) is an iodoglycoprotein produced by thyroid follicular cells which acts as an essential substrate for thyroid hormone synthesis. To date, only one genome-wide association study (GWAS) of plasma Tg levels has been performed by our research group. Utilizing recent advancements in computation and modeling, we apply a Bayesian approach to the probabilistic inference of the genetic architecture of Tg. We fitted a Bayesian sparse linear mixed model (BSLMM) and a frequentist linear mixed model (LMM) of 7,289,083 variants in 1096 healthy European-ancestry participants of the Croatian Biobank. Meta-analysis with two independent cohorts (total n = 2109) identified 83 genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the ST6GAL1 gene (p<5×10−8). BSLMM revealed additional association signals on chromosomes 1, 8, 10, and 14. For ST6GAL1 and the newly uncovered genes, we provide physiological and pathophysiological explanations of how their expression could be associated with variations in plasma Tg levels. We found that the SNP-heritability of Tg is 17% and that 52% of this variation is due to a small number of 16 variants that have a major effect on Tg levels. Our results suggest that the genetic architecture of plasma Tg is not polygenic, but influenced by a few genes with major effects.     

Application of Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion and Liquid Chromatography–Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry for the Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Fruits

This study presents an application of rapid and sensitive multiresidue method for the analysis of acephate, acetamipride, atrazine, carbendazim, carbaryl, carbofuran, dimethoate, imidacloprid, linuron, malathion, monocrotophos, monuron, propazine, simazine, and tebufenozide in fruits. The method involves an extraction procedure based on matrix solid-phase dispersion using diatomaceous earth as a dispersant and dichloromethane as the eluent. The target pesticides were determined using liquid chromatography–ion trap mass spectrometry. Quantification of the analytes was carried out using the most sensitive ion transition. Ion trap parameters, like activation q and time, were found to have a prominent influence on method sensitivity for some pesticides and they were optimized accordingly. The confirmation of residues detected in real samples was performed by repeated injection and acquiring additional ion transitions besides the ones used for quantification. The method was validated for accuracy, linearity, reproducibility, and sensitivity. Mean values for recoveries were in the range of 70–120 % for all tested matrices. Repeatability of the method, expressed as the relative standard deviation, was in general lower than 20 %. The applicability of the method to routine analysis was tested in real fruit samples with good performance.     

Kinetik des thermischen Abbaues von Pelargonidin-3-sophorosid

Zusammenfassung Es wurde die Kinetik des Abbaues des Anthocyans Pelargonidin-3-sophorosid in Abhängigkeit von Temperatur, pH-Wert und biochemischer Zusammensetzung des Lösungsmittels untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß die Temperatur und der pH-Wert des Milieus einen starken Einfluß auf dieKinetik desAbbaues ausüben, eine Reaktion erster Ordnung. Weiterhin wurden die Geschwindigkeitskonstante (K · 10^–5 sec^–1), die Halbwertzeit,Q ₁₀, die Aktivierungs-Energie, -Enthalpie und -Entropie berechnet.

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Kinetics of the thermal degradation of Pelargonidin-3-sophoroside

Summary The kinetics of the degradation of anthocyanin pelargonidin-3-sophoroside, depending on the temperature, pH and the biochemical composition of the solvent has been investigated. The results obtained indicate that the temperature and the pH of the medium exert strong influence on the kinetics of the degradation. The reactions of degradation represents a first order reactions.The rateconstants (K · 10^–5 sec^–1), the period of halfdecay,Q ₁₀, the energy, the enthalpy and entropy of activation have been calculated.

     

Freeway traffic estimation within particle filtering framework

This paper formulates the problem of real-time estimation of traffic state in freeway networks by means of the particle filtering framework. A particle filter (PF) is developed based on a recently proposed speed-extended cell-transmission model of freeway traffic. The freeway is considered as a network of components representing different freeway stretches called segments. The evolution of the traffic in a segment is modelled as a dynamic stochastic system, influenced by states of neighbour segments. Measurements are received only at boundaries between some segments and averaged within possibly irregular time intervals. This limits the measurement update in the PF to only these time instants when a new measurement arrives, while in between measurement updates any simulation model can be used to describe the evolution of the particles. The PF performance is validated and evaluated using synthetic and real traffic data from a Belgian freeway. An unscented Kalman filter is also presented. A comparison of the PF with the unscented Kalman filter is performed with respect to accuracy and complexity.     

Mobility Tracking in Cellular Networks Using Particle Filtering

Mobility tracking based on data from wireless cellular networks is a key challenge that has been recently investigated both from a theoretical and practical point of view. This paper proposes Monte Carlo techniques for mobility tracking in wireless communication networks by means of received signal strength indications. These techniques allow for accurate estimation of mobile station's (MS) position and speed. The command process of the MS is represented by a first-order Markov model which can take values from a finite set of acceleration levels. The wide range of acceleration changes is covered by a set of preliminary determined acceleration values. A particle filter and a Rao-Blackwellised particle filter are proposed and their performance is evaluated both over synthetic and real data. A comparison with an extended Kalman filter (EKF) is performed with respect to accuracy and computational complexity. With a small number of particles the RBPF gives more accurate results than the PF and the EKF. A posterior Cramer Rao lower bound (PCRLB) is calculated and it is compared with the filters' root- mean-square error performance.     

Plastic Degradation by Extremophilic Bacteria

Intensive exploitation, poor recycling, low repeatable use, and unusual resistance of plastics to environmental and microbiological action result in accumulation of huge waste amounts in terrestrial and marine environments, causing enormous hazard for human and animal life. In the last decades, much scientific interest has been focused on plastic biodegradation. Due to the comparatively short evolutionary period of their appearance in nature, sufficiently effective enzymes for their biodegradation are not available. Plastics are designed for use in conditions typical for human activity, and their physicochemical properties roughly change at extreme environmental parameters like low temperatures, salt, or low or high pH that are typical for the life of extremophilic microorganisms and the activity of their enzymes. This review represents a first attempt to summarize the extraordinarily limited information on biodegradation of conventional synthetic plastics by thermophilic, alkaliphilic, halophilic, and psychrophilic bacteria in natural environments and laboratory conditions. Most of the available data was reported in the last several years and concerns moderate extremophiles. Two main questions are highlighted in it: which extremophilic bacteria and their enzymes are reported to be involved in the degradation of different synthetic plastics, and what could be the impact of extremophiles in future technologies for resolving of pollution problems.