DYNAMICS OF CHANGES IN MICROORGANISMS IN RHIZOSPHERE ZONE OF LAWN GRASSES IN THE SECOND YEAR AFTER THE APPLICATION OF SEWAGE SLUDGE

The aim of the study was to present the dynamics of changes in the number of selected microorganisms in the rhizosphere zone of grasses two years after the application of sewage sludge. The study was conducted on four specially prepared research plots along the main roads in Bialystok. Three doses of sewage sludge were applied: 0 (control), 7.5 and 15 kg/m2. Then the plots were seeded with two mixtures of lawn grasses: Eko and Roadside. Samples of roots with soil were collected three times during the vegetation period of 2012 (April, July and October) and assayed for the total number of bacteria, the number of Gram-negative bacteria, the number of Pseudomonas fluorescens, the number of amylolytic and proteolytic bacteria. Microbiological tests of the rhizosphere showed seasonal variations of all investigated microbiological parameters. The greatest average of the total number of bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and proteolytic bacteria was observed on the plots in April, amylolytic bacteria in July while in the case of Pseudomonas fluorescens was observed on the plots in October. The time of measurement had the biggest impact on the number of microorganisms. An increased number of microorganisms was observed on all plots in April. Whereas, the fertilization with sewage sludge and grass mixtures did not affect the microbiological parameters

The Utilization of Plum Stones for Pellet Production and Investigation of Post-Combustion Flue Gas Emissions

Agri-food waste is generated at various food cycle stages and is considered to be a valuable feedstock in energy systems and chemical syntheses. This research identifies the potential and suitability of a representative agri-food waste sample (i.e., plum stones) as a solid fuel. Ground plum stones containing 10, 15, and 20 wt.% of rye bran were subjected to pelletization. The pelletizer was operated at 170, 220, and 270 rpm, and its power demand for the mixture containing 20 wt.% of rye bran was 1.81, 1.89, and 2.21 kW, respectively. Such pellets had the highest quality in terms of their density (814.6 kg·m−3), kinetic durability (87.8%), lower heating value (20.04 MJ·kg−1), and elemental composition (C: 54.1 wt.%; H: 6.4 wt.%; N: 0.73 wt.%; S: 0.103 wt.%; Cl: 0.002 wt.%; O: 38.2 wt.%). Whole plum stones and pellets were subjected to combustion in a 25 kW retort grate boiler in order to determine the changes in the concentrations of NO, SO2, CO, CO2, HCl, and O2 in the post-combustion flue gas. Collected results indicate that plum stone–rye bran pellets can serve as effective substitutes for wood pellets in prosumer installations, meeting the Ecodesign Directive requirements for CO and NO

DYNAMICS OF CHANGES IN MICROORGANISMS IN RHIZOSPHERE ZONE OF LAWN GRASSES IN THE SECOND YEAR AFTER THE APPLICATION OF SEWAGE SLUDGE

The aim of the study was to present the dynamics of changes in the number of selected microorganisms in the rhizosphere zone of grasses two years after the application of sewage sludge. The study was conducted on four specially prepared research plots along the main roads in Bialystok. Three doses of sewage sludge were applied: 0 (control), 7.5 and 15 kg/m2. Then the plots were seeded with two mixtures of lawn grasses: Eko and Roadside. Samples of roots with soil were collected three times during the vegetation period of 2012 (April, July and October) and assayed for the total number of bacteria, the number of Gram-negative bacteria, the number of Pseudomonas fluorescens, the number of amylolytic and proteolytic bacteria. Microbiological tests of the rhizosphere showed seasonal variations of all investigated microbiological parameters. The greatest average of the total number of bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and proteolytic bacteria was observed on the plots in April, amylolytic bacteria in July while in the case of Pseudomonas fluorescens was observed on the plots in October. The time of measurement had the biggest impact on the number of microorganisms. An increased number of microorganisms was observed on all plots in April. Whereas, the fertilization with sewage sludge and grass mixtures did not affect the microbiological parameters

Migraine: Calcium Channels and Glia

Migraine is a common neurological disease that affects about 11% of the adult population. The disease is divided into two main clinical subtypes: migraine with aura and migraine without aura. According to the neurovascular theory of migraine, the activation of the trigeminovascular system (TGVS) and the release of numerous neuropeptides, including calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) are involved in headache pathogenesis. TGVS can be activated by cortical spreading depression (CSD), a phenomenon responsible for the aura. The mechanism of CSD, stemming in part from aberrant interactions between neurons and glia have been studied in models of familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM), a rare monogenic form of migraine with aura. The present review focuses on those interactions, especially as seen in FHM type 1, a variant of the disease caused by a mutation in CACNA1A, which encodes the α1A subunit of the P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channel

Assessment of PAH content in soil and aboveground parts of Lolium perenne L. next to the communication arteries of the urban agglomeration

The research on the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil and grass (Lolium perenne L.) was carried out on samples collected in the city of Białystok, in north-eastern Poland. The test samples came from green belts in the vicinity of communication routes, differentiated in terms of the surrounding buildings and infrastructure and characterized by a different car traffic intensity. The highest total concentration of all sixteen PAHs in soil and grass samples was found near a large intersection at Nicholas Copernicus Street, one of the most important communication routes connecting two parts of the city. In the aboveground parts of the studied grass samples, benzo[a]pyrene was the most abundant, its content ranging from 53.8 µg/kg DM up to 91.7 µg/kg DM. On the other hand, in soil samples, much higher benzo[a]pyrene content was found, and the dominance of this compound was observed in almost every measurement location. Based on the obtained results, it was found that car traffic is a significant source of PAH emissions to the urban soil environment and urban greenery. The squares and green belts located along communication routes and intersections are the most exposed to pollution

Spectroscopic (FT-IR, FT-Raman, 1H- and 13C-NMR), Theoretical and Microbiological Study of trans o-Coumaric Acid and Alkali Metal o-Coumarates

This work is a continuation of research on a correlation between the molecular structure and electronic charge distribution of phenolic compounds and their biological activity. The influence of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium and cesium cations on the electronic system of trans o-coumaric (2-hydroxy-cinnamic) acid was studied. We investigated the relationship between the molecular structure of the tested compounds and their antimicrobial activity. Complementary molecular spectroscopic techniques such as infrared (FT-IR), Raman (FT-Raman), ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H- and 13C-NMR) were applied. Structures of the molecules were optimized and their structural characteristics were calculated by the density functional theory (DFT) using the B3LYP method with 6-311++G** as a basis set. Geometric and magnetic aromaticity indices, atomic charges, dipole moments and energies were also calculated. Theoretical parameters were compared to the experimental characteristics of investigated compounds. Correlations between certain vibrational bands and some metal parameters, such as electronegativity, ionization energy, atomic and ionic radius, were found. The microbial activity of studied compounds was tested against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris and Candida albicans

Effects of Wet and Dry Micronization on the GC-MS Identification of the Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Properties of Freeze-Dried Spinach Leaves and Stems

Micronization is an emerging technology used in food production, in which the size of particles is reduced to microns in the processing of plant raw materials and by-products, thus making it an interesting research topic. Spinach stems are by-products of spinach leaf processing, but there is little information regarding their processing and possible reuse. In this study, wet and dry ball mill micronization, in combination with freeze drying, was used to process spinach stems and leaves to obtain functional powders. The color and particle size of the micronized spinach leaf and stem powders were evaluated. The antioxidant activity (AA) of the powders and phenolic compounds present in them were determined using GC-MS analysis. The results obtained showed that the dry micronization of leaves and stems resulted in smoother and brighter powders than wet micronization. Significantly smaller particle sizes were achieved using the dry micronization of the leaves and stems (Dv50 = 19.5 and 10.1 µm, respectively) rather than wet micronization (Dv50 = 84.6 and 112.5 µm, respectively). More phenolic compounds, such as o-coumaric acid and gallic acid, were extracted from the dry-micronized powders. The dry micronization of the stems significantly increased the total phenolic content, and the AA of these powders was also increased. These findings demonstrate that spinach leaves and stems subjected to dry micronization can be valuable functional components of food

Black Cumin Pressing Waste Material as a Functional Additive for Starch Bread

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the addition of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) pressing waste (BCW) and black cumin seeds (BCS) on the properties of starch bread. The control bread was prepared from wheat starch (100%) with a gluten-free certificate, plantain husk (5%), and guar gum (2%). BCS and BCW were added between 0 and 10% of wheat starch. We determined the physicochemical properties, color, texture, and sensory properties of the prepared bread. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis was performed to detect the phenolic compounds in the bread. The bread prepared with 6% BCS and 4% BCW had a significantly higher volume than the starch control bread did. Sensory analysis (taste) showed that BCS and BCW could be added up to 4% and 8%, respectively. The addition of BCS and BCW reduced the brightness of the crumb. A significant decrease in the L * index of the crumb was observed from 50.9 for the control bread to 34.1 and 34.0 for bread with 10% BCS and BCW, respectively. The addition of BCS and BCW decreased the hardness, elasticity, and chewiness of the starch bread crumb. Starch bread enriched with BCS and BCW was characterized by a higher content of 2-hydroxybenzoic acid, 2-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid, and 4-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid

THE ASSESSMENT OF MICROBIOLOGICAL INDOOR AIR QUALITY IN BAKERIES

The aim of this study was to assess microbiological indoor air quality of selected bakeries located in the region of Podlasie. The microbiological studies were conducted in autumn in 2014 in three selected bakeries. Microbiological air counts were measured by impaction using an air sampler MAS-100 NT. The microbiological air studies, comprised the determination of the total number of psychrophilic and mesophilic bacteria, namely indicator bacteria such as: bacteria of the species Pseudomonas fluorescens, mannitol-positive and mannitol-negative Staphylococc, the total number of bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family and fungi found in atmospheric air. The results of the study of indoor air polluted with the analyzed groups of microorganisms differed depending on the type of test air and the location of the manufacturing plant. In the plants, the concentration of mesophilic bacteria and mannitol–positive and mannitol-negative Staphylococcus exceeded the limit values of unpolluted air, according to the Polish Standard recommendations