The amino acid composition of kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala), fresh and after culinary and technological processing

The aim of the investigation was to evaluate the level of amino acids and the quality of protein in fresh and cooked leaves of kale and in two types of frozen product prepared for consumption after 12-months storage at −20 °C. Kale blanched before freezing (the traditional method) was cooked after refrigerated storage, while that cooked before freezing (the modified method) was defrosted and heated in a microwave oven. Both fresh and processed leaves of kale were a good source of amino acids. In all the samples, glutamic acid, proline and aspartic acid were the dominant, while lysine and leucine were the limiting amino acids. Cooked leaves contained 78% of the total amino acid content found in fresh leaves, while the traditional and modified frozen products contained 76% and 78%, respectively. The proportion of essential amino acids in total amino acids was 44% and 43%, respectively for fresh and cooked leaves and 46% for the frozen products. The lowest EAA index was found for the traditional frozen product (99); it was higher for the remaining samples, which were broadly similar to each other (105–106).     

Earthworm lipids: Occurrence of phytanic,pristanic and 4,8,12-trimethyltridecanoic acids

Lipids - Phytanic, pristanic, and 4,8,12-trimethyltridecanoic acids were found to comprise from 2.7% (winter) to 13.3% (spring) of the fatty acids of the neutral lipids of earthworms collected in...     

Problem of homogeneity of natural aggregates

Natural aggregates are characterized by considerable variability in their technical properties/sand, silt and clay fractions. The statistical estimation of the homogeneity of domestic natural aggregates was carried out at the Institute of Technology and Organization of Building Production in Warsaw Technical University. Total number of results amounted two thousand. A calculation has been made by EMC “Odra 204” for a program in algoritmic language Algol. Equations derived permit the forecast with 95% probability of the compressive strength of Portland—cement concrete on the basis of the variability of features of the aggregates.     

Surface Tension in Polymer Blends of Isotactic Poly(propylene) and Atactic Polystyrene

The surface tension of atactic polystyrene (PS), isotactic poly(propylene) (PP) and PS/PP‐blends, and additionally the interfacial tension between PP/PS have been measured in the temperature range between 200 and 280°C using the pendant drop method. Within the temperature range studied, the surface tension decreased linearly with increasing temperature for all systems whereas the surface tension of neat PP is approximately 7 mN/m smaller than the value of PS. The interfacial tension between PS and PP is in the range of approximately 4 mN/m and this indicates a strong incompatibility. It results a heterogeneous PP/PS blend morphology. A significant increase of the surface tension of the blends as a function of composition is observed only when the PS content exceeds 60 wt.‐%. Furthermore, microscopic observations indicate that even if the bulk matrix material is PS, a thin layer of PP can be detected by atomic force microscopy on the droplet surface used for surface tension measurements.     

Discolouration of raw and cooked coloured fleshed potatoes differing in anthocyanins and polyphenols content

Despite variations in the content of polyphenols, the tested potato varieties with red and purple flesh contained similar amounts of anthocyanins. Potatoes of the red-fleshed HBr variety were distinguished by a significant content of pelargonidin-3-feruloylrutinoside-5-glucoside, and those of the purple-fleshed Vitelotte variety were characterised by a significant cyanidin-3-rutinoside content. Immediately after cutting, raw potatoes with red flesh showed a small share of yellow (b* parameter) and double the share of red (a*) as compared to purple-fleshed tubers. A reduction in the share of red dye was observed in purple- and red-fleshed potatoes except Vitelotte and Rosalinde tubers, at both 1 and 4 h after being cut. The flesh colour of cooked potatoes was characterised by low susceptibility to darkening, and purple-fleshed tubers were more saturated by chroma than tubers of red-fleshed varieties.     

EPR/alanine dosimetry in LDR brachytherapy--a feasibility study

In this study, we present the results of in vivo dosimetry, using electron paramagnetic resonance in l-alanine, performed on 13 patients treated for gynaecological cancers. The doses from (137)Cs (12 samples) and (192)Ir (one sample) brachytherapy sources were determined inside vagina. The detectors had a form of small cellulose capsules tightly filled with crystalline alanine. The positions of the detectors were reconstructed from two orthogonal radiographs. The planned doses were calculated with a computer planning system (PLATO, Nucletron). The relative deviations between planned and measured doses ranged from -23 to +14%. The mean deviation from the prescribed dose was relatively low (-5%) with SD of 10%. The main sources of differences between the measured and calculated doses were attributed to uncertainty in the determination of the detector position inside the patient's body and to uncontrolled changes in the detector position during the treatment.     

Content of amino acids in fresh and preserved physiologically immature grass pea (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lathyrus sativus</Emphasis> L.) seeds

The aim of the work was to determine the level of amino acids in fresh and preserved physiologically immature grass pea seeds. Seeds of the grass pea cv. Krab at five stages of maturity, corresponding to dry matter content from 26 to 50%, were evaluated. The estimation was conducted at the stages of the raw material, the frozen product after 6 months storage cooked to consumption consistency, and the canned product within 6 months of production. In the later stages of seed maturity the content of total amino acids and of total non-essential, essential, and sulphuric amino acids computed per 100 g fresh matter increased. The computation per 16 g N showed increasing amounts of sulphuric amino acids and variation depending on the degree of maturity in the content of the remaining amino acids. Cystine with methionine were amino acids limiting the biological value of the first order, irrespective of the degree of maturity, leucine playing the same role with regard to the second order. For these amino acids the index of the limiting amino acid was 64–82 and 83–95 for the raw material, 72–77 and 91–99 for frozen seeds after cooking, and 70–75 and 86–99 for canned seeds. The integrated index of essential amino acids, depending on the degree of maturity, for the raw material was 120–126, for frozen seeds cooked 123–126, and for canned seeds 120–123.     

Rinsing Efficiency

An experimental and calculative method of determining rinsing efficiency in multistage rinsing systems is presented. This method is based on a mathematical model describing the rinsing process. It has been assumed that mixing is not complete (imperfect mixing). The measure of rinsing imperfections is the set of experimental coefficients which characterise the efficiency of rinsing in each stage. Experimental results for racks and barrels rinsed in series of four static tanks are presented and discussed. Calculated results of concentration rinsing ratio are compared with the results obtained from perfect mixing model.     

Improved corrosion resistance of stainless steel X6CrNiMoTi17-12-2 by slide diamond burnishing

The article presents an nonconventional finishing method – diamond slide burnishing. The effect of drawing, polishing and burnishing on corrosion resistance was examined by quickened electrochemical investigations using the potentiodynamic method. The investigation showed a correlation of the indicators ΔE_p (passive area width) and ΔE_h (hysteresis loop width at repassivation) with residual stresses in the surface layer and with some surface geometric structure parameters, too. Microscopic observations made it possible to determine the nature of surface corrosion changes. Generally, the best corrosion resistance was found after burnishing.