Use of Physicochemical Method for Evaluation of Mucilage Producing Ability of the Linum Usitatissimum L. Seeds

Abstract In the modern medicine of many European countries flax is used as a medicament with a wide range of use. Wholesome effect of flax seeds is determined by the large amount of enveloping substances. This property is connected with content of mucilage up to 10% and glycoside linamarin. Flaxseed polysaccharides also possess antiinflammatory effect. Furthermore, mucilage production can be a chemosystematic characteric of intraspecific taxons. In literature intervarietal variability data is limited. Therefore, comparative evaluation of mucilage producing ability of flax seeds with different morphotypes is of interest. The research of micromorphological characteristics of seed coat and mucilage production dynamics was carried out and it was established that mucilage-producing cells are localized predominantly in the external layer of seed coat. It was established that Bahmalskiy, Nebesnyj, Kustanayskiy yantar varieties possess the highest level of mucilage production. Morphotype and varietal specificity of mucilage production are determined, consequently it can be used as a marker feature of L. usitatissimum new forms. The proposed technique is based on the determination of seed physicochemical characteristics and can be used for express analysis of the vegetal samples and their differentiation by the directions of use: as a fatty oil or mucilage-containing raw material. Keywords: Linum usitatissimum L. varieties, seeds, mucilage production, hydration dynamics, physicochemical method

The Impact of Generator Market Power on the Electricity Hedge Market

The incentive of an electricity generating firm with market power to influence the market price depends strongly on the volume the firm has pre-sold in the forward, or hedge, markets. However, the choice of hedge level may be a strategic decision in itself. In the normal case where participants in the hedge market cannot observe the hedge position of dominant generators, we show that the optimal choice of hedging for a dominant generator facing a linear demand curve is an all-or-nothing decision and there is no equilibrium level of hedging in pure strategies. This outcome may explain an observed lack of hedge market liquidity in wholesale electricity markets where individual generators have substantial market power. We perform the analysis for the monopoly and oligopoly cases and extend it for realistic cost functions and various degrees of competitiveness in the market. These results contribute to the extensive body of research on the price formation and strategic behavior in electricity forward and spot markets, as well as providing implications for transparency initiatives in market design

The development of a new salting composition for preserving sheepskin and fur raw materials

Hides are raw materials for the manufacture of skins and sheepskins in the conditions of specialized industries. The purpose of this article is to develop a new salting composition for preserving sheepskins using whey. The main areas of research are experimental studies on the selection of preservatives, their dosage and methods of application to sheepskins; studies on the selection of antiseptics, their concentration of solutions and the dose of application to sheepskins; development of a new salting composition for preserving sheepskins; identification of the optimal ratio of the components of the preserving mixture. The article presents the results of the selection of preservatives and antiseptics for the treatment of sheepskins. The organoleptic, physico-chemical and microbiological properties of whey and antiseptics as components of the salting mixture were investigated. The optimal variant of the ratio of the components of the preservative mixture has been identified. It has been established that the use of serum and aldazan antiseptic makes it possible to enhance the effect of canning, reduce the consumption of sodium chloride, and reduce the growth of bacteria during short-term treatment. Generally accepted organoleptic, chemical and microbiological methods were used in the research. The results of the research will be used in the canning of sheepskins during the primary processing of animal skins. The practical significance of the work lies in the use by animal skin processing workshops of the improved technology of preserving sheepskins for their further processing and production into semi-finished leather and finished leather

Magnetic stars with wide depressions in the continuum. 2. The silicon star with a complex field structure HD 27404

© 2017, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. Observations of the chemically peculiar star HD 27404 with the 6-m SAO RAS telescope showed a strong magnetic field with the longitudinal field component varying in a complicated way in the range of −2.5 to 1 kG. Fundamental parameters of the star (T eff = 11 300 K, log g = 3.9) were estimated analyzing photometric indices in the Geneva and in the Stro¨ mgren–Crawford photometric systems. We detected weak radial velocity variations which can be due to the presence of a close star companion or chemical spots in the photosphere. Rapid estimation of the key chemical element abundance allows us to refer HD 27404 to a SiCr or Si+ chemically peculiar A0–B9 star

Dynamics of endothelial function indexes in patients with post-Covid syndrome using a combination drug of ethylmethylhydroxyperidine succinate/vitamin B6

Aim: to evaluate endothelial function in patients after COVID-19 before and after treatment with combination drug of ethylmethylhydroxyperidine succinate (EMHPS)/vitamin B

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF OSTEOPONTINE AND MATRIX METALLOPROTEASE-9 IN THORACAL AORTA ANEURYSM DEVELOPMENT

Aim. To evaluate the significance of osteopontine and MMP-9 in the development of thoracal aorta aneurysm in patients with tricuspid (TAV) and bicuspid (BAV) aorta valve. Material and methods. Totally 94 patients included with the dilation of thoracal aorta for more than 40 mm, and 50 patients without aorta pathology, that were the comparison group. All patients underwent echocardiographic study by Vivid 7 (GE, USA) device by standard protocol. The osteopontine concentration and MMP-9 were measured in blood serum with manual plate immune-enzyme assay. Results. The concentration of MMP-9 in blood serum of the patients with aorta pathology and TAV did not differ significantly with the value in comparison group. Otherwise, in IHD the concentration of MMP-9 was significantly higher than in patients without aorta pathology (164,9±76,6 ng/ml and 106,8±82,7 ng/ml, respectively, p<0,01) and closely correlated with the Valsalva sinuses diameters (r=0,302, р=0,007). Comparative analysis of the osteopontine serum concentration did not show differences in the subgroups studied.Conclusion. The positive correlation revealed of the aorta diameter and concentration of MMP-9 in blood serum of the patients with BAV confirms not only the differences in the pathogenesis of thoracal aorta aneurysm in TAV and BAV, but makes it possible to think on the usage of MMP-9 as biomarker of thoracal aorta dilatation

Effect of Antibiotic Therapy on the Sensitivity of Etiological Diagnostic Methods in Patients with Infective Endocarditis after Surgery

Aim. Assessment of impact  of the duration  of preoperative  antimicrobial  therapy  (AMT) on the sensitivity  of microbiological examination and polymerase  chain reaction (PCR) of blood/tissues of resected valves in operated patients with infective endocarditis  (IE).Materials and methods. 52 operated patients with active IE were included prospectively (Duke criteria, 2015). All patients underwent microbiological examination of blood  before  admission  to the cardiac  surgery  hospital,  as well as parallel  simultaneous microbiological examination and  PCR  of blood/tissues of excised  valves,  followed  by Sanger  sequencing. The duration  of preoperative  treatment  was  calculated  from the first day of AMT according to IE diagnosis to the day of surgery.Results. The causative agent of IE was established in 84.6% (n=44) patients by means of complex etiological diagnosis. A significant  decrease in the sensitivity of microbiological examination of venous blood was revealed when performed  in the period before and after hospitalization to a surgical hospital (up 44.2% to 17.3%, p<0.05). When comparing microbiological examination of blood/tissues of resected valves and PCR of blood/tissues of resected valves, molecular biological  methods demonstrated the greatest sensitivity, with a great advantage when examining the tissues of resected valves (17.3% and 19.2% vs. 38.5% and 75.0%, respectively;  p<0.001). The microbiological examination of venous blood performed  at an early date before admission  to the cardiac  surgery  hospital was comparable in sensitivity to the PCR blood test performed  at a later date after prolonged AMT,  and significantly less sensitive in relation to the PCR of resected valve tissues [44.2% and 38.5% (p>0.05) vs. 75.0% (p<0.05)]. In course of AMT 1-28 days,  there were comparable results of microbiological examination with PCR blood examination and significantly better results of PCR of resected valve tissues [31.0% and 34.5% and 41.4% (p>0.05) vs 72.4% (p<0.001), respectively], and with AMT ≥ 29 days, microbiological examination of any biological  material was negative  in all patients,  and PCR of blood/tissues of resected valves retained high sensitivity (0% and 0% vs. 34.8% and 78.3%, respectively; p<0.01).Conclusion. Long-term preoperative AMT significantly reduced the sensitivity of microbiological examination of resected valve blood/tissue in operated patients with IE, whereas PCR of resected valve blood/tissue was highly sensitive even with preoperative AMT for more than 29 days