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Red raspberries, which contain a variety of nutrients and phytochemicals that are beneficial for human health, can be utilized as a raw material in the creation of several supplements. This research suggests micronized powder of raspberry pomace production. The molecular characteristics (FTIR), sugar, and biological potential (phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity) of micronized raspberry powders were investigated. FTIR spectroscopy results revealed spectral changes in the ranges with maxima at ~1720, 1635, and 1326, as well as intensity changes in practically the entire spectral range analyzed. The discrepancies clearly indicate that the micronization of the raspberry byproduct samples cleaved the intramolecular hydrogen bonds in the polysaccharides present in the samples, thus increasing the respective content of simple saccharides. In comparison to the control powders, more glucose and fructose were recovered from the micronized samples of the raspberry powders. The study’s micronized powders were found to contain nine different types of phenolic compounds, including rutin, elagic acid derivatives, cyanidin-3-sophoroside, cyanidin-3-(2-glucosylrutinoside), cyanidin-3-rutinoside, pelargonidin-3-rutinoside, and elagic acid derivatives. Significantly higher concentrations of ellagic acid and ellagic acid derivatives and rutin were found in the micronized samples than in the control sample. The antioxidant potential assessed by ABTS and FRAP significantly increased following the micronization procedure.

The paper reviews the state of research of wave processes in hydraulic systems of machines, and their impact on the quality and stability of hydraulic drives. As noted in the works of previous researchers, these phenomena occur in hydraulic systems and adversely affect the quality and stability of their work, significantly reducing reliability. The method of construction of mathematical models is offered. A mathematical model of the hydraulic system with two series-connected hydraulic motors is built, taking into account transients. The Runge-Kutta-Feldberg method with automatic change of the integration step was used to solve this model. The application of this method makes it possible to estimate the amplitude and frequency of the pressure wave in real time for each part of the pipeline. As a result of the analysis of the obtained transients it was concluded that at the length of the pressure line in a group hydraulic drive with 2 series-connected hydraulic motors up to 1.5 m, wave processes do not significantly affect the system and in the mathematical model they can be ignored. With the length of the pressure line from 1.5 m to 9 m, the wave processes in the cavity do not affect the stability of the system, although significantly impair the quality of its work. Hydraulic systems with a pressure line length of more than 9 m are not recommended for implementation, because the wave processes in the cavity lead to vibrations and noise in the hydraulic system and require additional measures to eliminate the impact of this phenomenon.

The objective of the paper was to describe the impact of freeze-drying conditions on hardness of lyophilizates obtained based on soft fruit pomace. Raspberry, cherry, and grape pomace from the pressing process carried out with a low-speed rotary press constituted a research material. Immediately after the pressing process, pomaces were placed in forms, frozen, and after freezing they were freeze-dried in the pressure of 20, 42, 63, 85 and 110 Pa. The obtained lyophilizates were subjected to the measurement of hardness with the use of texture meter equipped with a penetrometer in the form of a cone with a vertical angle of 30°. The increase of pressure during freeze-drying of samples was accompanied by the increase of hardness of the obtained lyophilizates, which may affect the energy consumption of the grinding process and the nature of rehydration of the final product. Moreover, the water content of raw material, pomaces, and lyophilizates was determined. The obtained results of measurements were subjected to a statistical analysis which showed that the pressure of freeze-drying significantly diversifies the hardness of the obtained lyophilizates.

The objective of the paper herein, on the 30th anniversary of the first democratic and free elections after the fall of the totalitarian regime in Slovakia, is to assess whether or not the right to vote in the Slovak Republic really belongs to everyone. The subject of the examination are four categories of persons whom the Constitution of the Slovak Republic and the laws formally grant the right to vote, but in various ways restricted or still resctrict the practical exercise of this right. These groups are as follows: prisoners, intellectually disabled people, persons located abroad and persons who may pose a risk to public health. Not only the valid legal regulation, but also the decisionmaking activity of the Slovak Constitutional Court, will be the subject of the analysis of the first two categories. The conclusion of the article also includes suggestions and recommendations aimed at ensuring that the right to vote in Slovakia to be truly universal, or in other words, recommendations aimed at ensuring an opportunity to vote to everyone whom the Constitution and laws grant the very right.

Heterologous expression of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) and adenylyl cyclases (ACs) in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe can be used in combination with PKA-repressed reporters to either carry out high throughput screens for small molecule inhibitors of these target enzymes or to assess hit compounds and their analogs from such screens. Here, we describe two methods for testing panels of such compounds. The first uses a growth assay for which growth in medium containing the pyrimidine analog 5-fluoro orotic acid (5FOA) occurs in response to inhibiting PDE activity to activate PKA. The second uses mass spectrometry to directly measure the impact of compound treatment to study compounds that modulate either PDE or AC activity.

Myelin is a natural and dynamic multilamellar membrane structure that continues to be of significant biological and neurological interest, especially with respect to its biosynthesis and assembly during its normal formation, maintenance, and pathological breakdown. To explore the usefulness of neutron diffraction in the structural analysis of myelin, we investigated the use ofin vivolabeling by metabolically incorporating non-toxic levels of deuterium (2H; D) via drinking water into a pregnant dam (D-dam) and her developing embryos. All of the mice were sacrificed when the pups (D-pups) were 55 days old. Myelinated sciatic nerves were dissected, fixed in glutaraldehyde and examined by neutron diffraction. Parallel samples that were unfixed (trigeminal nerves) were frozen for mass spectrometry (MS). The diffraction patterns of the nerves from deuterium-fed mice (D-mice) vs. the controls (H-mice) had major differences in the intensities of the Bragg peaks but no appreciable differences in myelin periodicity. Neutron scattering density profiles showed an appreciable increase in density at the center of the lipid-rich membrane bilayer. This increase was greater in D-pups than in D-dam, and its localization was consistent with deuteration of lipid hydrocarbon, which predominates over transmembrane protein in myelin. MS analysis of the lipids isolated from the trigeminal nerves demonstrated that in the pups the percentage of lipids that had one or more deuterium atoms was uniformly high across lipid species (97.6% ± 2.0%), whereas in the mother the lipids were substantially less deuterated (60.6% ± 26.4%) with levels varying among lipid species and subspecies. The mass distribution pattern of deuterium-containing isotopologues indicated the fraction (in %) of each lipid (sub-)species having one or more deuteriums incorporated: in the D-pups, the pattern was always bell-shaped, and the average number of D atoms ranged from a low of ∼4 in fatty acid to a high of ∼9 in cerebroside. By contrast, in D-dam most lipids had more complex, overlapping distributions that were weighted toward a lower average number of deuteriums, which ranged from a low of ∼3–4 in fatty acid and in one species of sulfatide to a high of 6–7 in cerebroside and sphingomyelin. The consistently high level of deuteration in D-pups can be attributed to theirde novolipogenesis during gestation and rapid, postnatal myelination. The widely varying levels of deuteration in D-dam, by contrast, likely depends on the relative metabolic stability of the particular lipid species during myelin maintenance. Our current findings demonstrate that stably-incorporated D label can be detected and localized using neutron diffraction in a complex tissue such as myelin; and moreover, that MS can be used to screen a broad range of deuterated lipid species to monitor differential rates of lipid turnover. In addition to helping to develop a comprehensive understanding of thede novosynthesis and turnover of specific lipids in normal and abnormal myelin, our results also suggest application to studies on myelin proteins (which constitute only 20–30% by dry mass of the myelin, vs. 70–80% for lipid), as well as more broadly to the molecular constituents of other biological tissues.

Grain viability is of key importance in the production of malt. This paper presents the results of research on the influence of vacuum impregnation of grains of various cereals on theirservice life. One malting barley cultivar, two wheat cultivars, and a rye cultivar mix were tested. The grain was subjected to wet vacuum impregnation and wet vacuum impregnation carried out cyclically under the pressure of 5 kPa. Then, samples of the impregnated grain were sown and its germination capacity was tested every 24 h to 120 h. The control sample was grain soaked under atmospheric pressure. Vacuum impregnation did not cause any significant changes in the germination capacity of the examined cereal varieties. The vacuum-impregnated grain displayed a higher initial water content and germinated faster. It was found that the impregnation did not disturb the internal structure of the grain, indicated by the fact that the most delicate part of the grain, i.e., the embryo, retained its vital functions in every examined case.

The study tested how the cooking process can change the dimensions of rice grains. The impact of set times of cooking or steaming process on the characteristics such as length, width, and height of two varieties of rice, namely, long-grain white and parboiled, was investigated. The measurements of the dimension characteristics obtained at different times of the cooking process were converted to functional data. Different methods of multivariate functional data analysis, namely, functional multivariate analysis of variance, functional discriminant coordinates, and cluster analysis, were applied to discover the differences between the two varieties and the two heat treatment methods.

The aim of this work was to study the influence of freeze-drying conditions of kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa) on physicochemical properties and grinding characteristics of dried fruits. Whole kiwi fruits were freeze-dried with the different pressure: 12, 20, 42, 63, 85, and 103 Pa. Dried fruit properties that underwent evaluation included color, texture, rehydration, total phenolics content, antioxidant properties and sensory analysis. Moreover, the grinding energy indices of dried kiwi were determined. The results showed that an increase in the pressure caused decreased lightness, but increased yellowness and greenness of freeze-dried kiwi. The force of kiwi penetration increased and the rehydration ability decreased with the increase in the pressure. The specific grinding energy of dried kiwi ranged from 10.1 to 13.6 kJ⋅kg−1, whereas the average particle size of kiwi powder changed from 0.331 to 0.337 mm. The highest values of these parameters were obtained for kiwi freeze-dried with the highest pressure.

The paper draws attention to possibilities of excercising the right to vote from abroad in the conditions of the Slovak Republic. After a brief overview of known methods of voting from abroad, the paper presents current possibilities of Slovak voters regarding voting from abroad. Subsequently, the paper analyzes several legislative proposals that have been submitted to the legislative procedure in the last term of Slovak parliament in order to improve possibilities of voting from abroad. The paper assesses the constitutionality of the existing legal frame of voting from abroad in the Slovak Republic and in its conclusion also outlines possible future development of the voting from abroad issue.

Considering the need for sustainable development in packaging production and environmental protection, a material based on lyophilized protein structures intended for frozen food packaging was produced and its selected thermophysical properties were characterized. Analyses of density, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity were performed and strength tests were carried out for lyophilized protein structures with the addition of xanthan gum and carboxymethyl cellulose. Packagings were made of new materials for their comparative assessment. Then, the surface temperature distribution during thawing of the deep-frozen product inside the packaging was tested. In terms of thermal insulation capacity, the best properties were obtained for sample B4 with a thermal conductivity of &lambda, = 0.06 W∙(mK)&minus, 1), thermal capacity C = 0.29 (MJ∙(m3K)&minus, 1) and thermal diffusivity a = 0.21 (mm2∙s&minus, 1). The density and hardness of the obtained lyophilized protein structures were significantly lower compared to foamed polystyrene used as a reference material. Thermal imaging analysis of the packaging showed the occurrence of local freezing. Lyophilized protein structures obtained from natural ingredients meet the needs of consumers and are environmentally friendly. These were made in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and can be an alternative material used for the production of frozen food packaging.

The study provides comprehensive information on the vacuum impregnation process applied to plant materials. It aims (in traditional applications) to ensure impermeability and elimination of porosity of various materials. The process substantially accelerates mass transfer in the liquid&ndash, solid system. The study describes the course of the process and accompanying phenomena as well its effects on plant tissues. The aim of the investigations was to determine the impact of some impregnation parameters (pressure, pressure change rate, vacuum maintenance time, relaxation time, and the coefficient of impregnating liquid viscosity) and the mode of impregnation (wet, dry, cyclic wet) on the degree of filling the plant tissue with the impregnating solution. Jonagold apples were used as the study material. The investigations have revealed that changes in the vacuum impregnation parameters (vacuum maintenance time, relaxation time, pressure change rate in the system) and the impregnation method do not exert a significant impact on the effectiveness of the process as expressed by the degree of permeation of the impregnating solution into the tissue. The pressure value and the viscosity coefficient were the only parameters that had a significant effect on the impregnation yield.

The present research attempts to characterize the effect of low temperatures, and the moisture content of maize (Kosmo 230) meant for sowing on its energy and capacity to germinate. Seeds were moistened to varying degrees and stored under various conditions, then, their germination energy and capacity were assessed. Sowing material with 15% moisture content showed slightly declined germination ability when stored at −25–−20 °C for over three days, while the storage of seeds with a 25 and 30% moisture content at −5–0 °C for 1–3 days had the effect of seed conditioning. Seedlings obtained from conditioned seeds showed sustainability characterized by faster growth, and demonstrated nearly twice the size as other plants. Warehousing and storage of maize grains with a 11.12% moisture content at temperatures up to −25 °C did not significantly affect seed germination capacity or energy, irrespective of storage time.

Celem badań była ocena stopnia skleikowania skrobi zawartej w ziarnach ryżu podczas immersyjnego gotowania oraz zamrażalniczego przechowywania. Do badań wykorzystano ryż biały długoziarnisty i ryż parboiled. Ryż gotowano przez 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 i 30 minut w nadmiarze wody, po czym ziarna schładzano i osuszano, a następnie zamrażano i przechowywano w temperaturze -30°C przez okres do 100 dni. Próby do badań pobierano bezpośrednio po gotowaniu oraz po 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 14, 20, 30, 60, 100 dniach zamrażalniczego przechowywania. Wykazano istotny statystycznie wpływ czasu gotowania ryżu przed zamrażaniem oraz czasu jego zamrażalniczego przechowywania na stopień skleikowania zawartej w nim skrobi. Zmiany stopnia skleikowania skrobi podczas gotowania i przechowywania przebiegają według logarytmicznych zależności od czasu i dają się opisać równaniami regresji o wysokich współczynnikach korelacji.

Stosowanie tradycyjnych metod oczyszczania i zatężania ścieków przemysłowych nie zawsze jest skuteczne. Użycie w tym celu metod parowania i odwróconej osmozy może generować wysokie koszty. Alternatywą może być zastosowanie kriokoncentracji. W pracy przedstawiono podstawy fizyczne procesu oraz możliwość praktycznego zastosowania kriokoncentracji do przemysłowego oczyszczania i zatężania ścieków. Szczegółowo zaprezentowano metody Niro GEA oraz metody bezpośredniej krystalizacji wody w rurowym i bębnowym wymienniku ciepła. Stwierdzono, że technologię oczyszczania ścieków przy wykorzystaniu zamrażania cechuje wiele zalet zarówno ekonomicznych, jak i praktycznych oraz wskazano na fakt, że wykorzystanie naturalnych warunków zimą może być przełomem w szerszym zastosowaniu kriokoncentracji do oczyszczania ścieków w Polsce.