The interaction of jasmonic acid, sucrose and light is reflected in photosynthetic pigment metabolism in potatoes grown in vitro

We previously demonstrated that sucrose and jasmonic acid (JA) interact duringin photosynthetic in the regulation of development and pigment metabolism of the potato (Solanum tuberosum L cv. Sante) grown in vitro. In this study, the research was extended to the effect of light irradiance and quality on sucrose and JA mediated changes. Potato plantlets grown from stem node culture were grown on a medium supplemented with 30 mM or 90 mM sucrose and 0.1, 1, or 10 μM JA at 55-70 μmol m-2 s-1 (Osram Cool White lights) or at 80-100 μmol m-2 s-1 (Osram Fluora lights). Higher amounts of chlorophyll were detected in plants grown at lower irradiance while there was no significant difference in carotenoid levels. Sucrose and JA both enhanced root growth and inhibited photosynthetic pigment accumulation. Most effective was 1 μM JA at higher sucrose concentrations. In these growth conditions the plantlets were hyperhydric and had the most developed root system. The present study demonstrates that the growth of plants in vitro and the photosynthetic pigment metabolism are highly dependent on the interaction of a number of environmental factors such as sucrose and plant growth regulators in the medium, and light irradiance and quality. This result supports our previous findings that the reduction of photosynthetic pigment accumulation in cv. Sante potato plantlets induced by JA could be mainly the consequence of enhanced import of sucrose from the medium

Aktivnost nekih enzima lipidnog metabolizma u sjemenkama jele (Abies alba Mill.) tijekom klijanja

The activity of some enzymes of lipid metabolism in silver fir seeds (Abies alba Mill.) varied in different ways in the embryo and the endosperm during germination. The activity was followed in the seeds from the Mašun region, which did not germinate at room temperature, and in the well germinated seeds from the Papuk region. Lipase activity was measured at pH 8.5 (alkaline lipase) and at pH 5.5 (acid lipase). Mature seeds of both proveniences showed acid and alkaline lipase activity. As the activity of alkaline lipase in the endosperm did not change in any appreciable way before and during visible germination, we concluded that the alkaline lipase activity is not a limiting factor in germination. The activity of acid lipase and catalase increased somewhat after the penetration of the radicle in the well germinated seeds, while the activity of isocitrate lyase increased greatly. On the other hand, the activity of all enzymes assayed showed a constant decrease in the endosperm of the seeds from the Mašun region. Acid and alkaline lipase and catalase were active before visible germination. Their activities were almost undetectable after radicle emergence while the activity of the nongerminated seeds from the Mašun region stayed constant (acid lipase, catalase) or showed a slow decrease (alkaline lipase). The embryo showed no isocitrate lyase activity. The presence of microbodies was also examined in the electron microscope. Glyoxysomes were found alredy in the endosperm of mature seeds. Their number increased with germination. Microbodies were also present in the embryo before and during visible germination. It is suggested that the organelles under consideration do not function like glyoxysomes as there was no isocitrate lyase present in embryos. We conclude that in the embryo the lipids are not metabolised via the glyoxylate cycle as is true for the endosperm.Aktivnost nekih enzima, koji u sjemenkama jele (Abies alba Mili.) kataliziraju razgradnju masti, tijekom klijanja u embriju i u endospermu različito varira. Mjerenja smo izvršili na sjemenkama iz Mašuna (Notranjsko, Slovenija), koje kod sobne temperature nisu klijale, i na lako klijavim sjemenkama s Papuka. Aktivnost lipaze mjerili smo kod pH 8,5 (bazična lipaza) i kod pH 5,5 (kisela lipaza). Kisela i bazična lipaza bile su aktivne već u suhim sjemenkama obiju provenijencija. Aktivnost bazične lipaze se u endospermu prije i tijekom vidljivog klijanja nije bitno promijenila. Iz toga smo zaključile da bazična lipaza nije ograničavajući faktor klijanja. Pri prodoru korjenčića kroz testu je međutim u lako klijavim sjemenkama aktivnost kisele lipaze i katalaze prilično porasla, pogotovu pak aktivnost izocitrat-lijaze. U endospermu sjemenki iz Mašuna, koje pri sobnoj temperaturi nisu klijale, aktivnost je svih spomenutih enzima konstantno opadala. Kisela i bazična lipaza te kataliza bile su aktivne u embriju i prije vidljivog klijanja. Nakon prodora korjenčića aktivnost je tih enzima naglo pala, dok je kod sjemenki iz Mašuna ostala konstantna (kisela lipaza, katalaza), ili pak samo sporo padala (bazična lipaza). Izocitrat-lijaza u embriju nije bila aktivna. Prisutnost nespecijaliziranih peroksisoma i glioksisoma utvrđivale smo elektronskim mikroskopom. Glioksisomi su bili prisutni već u endospermu suhih sjemenki. Njihov se broj povećao u sjemenkama koje su klijale. Prije i tijekom vidljivog klijanja ušle smo u trag mikrotjelešcima i u embriju. Budući da ondje izocitrat-lijaza nije bila aktivna, zaključile smo da mikrotjelešca u embriju ne djeluju kao glioksisomi. Prema svemu sudeći, razgradnja masti u embriju ne odvija se preko glioksilatnog ciklusa, kao što je to slučaj pri razgradnji masti u endospermu

the case of Slovenia

Competitive pressures, globalization and economic growth have brought Slovenian enterprises to enhance the role of entrepreneurial competences. The present paper aims to study conative component of entrepreneurial competences as a crucial part of human capital in Slovenian enterprises. The focus of this paper is any eventual disparity of non-teachable attributes of conative component of competences of Slovene enterpreneuer with learned ones rather than the concept of entrepreneurship itself. Authors seperate entrepreneurial competences into three components: cognitive, affective and conative. The purpose of this study is to assess the entrepreneurial conative traits and to investigate the correlation between different conative components of entrepreneurial competences and compare the results to their job-related self-expetations. The conative component of entrepreneurial competences was measures with the Kolbe A™ Index. The study was conducted with 43 Slovenian entrepreneuers from three different enterprises. Independet sample t-test and Pearson\u27s correlation were used to test research aims. SPSS 16.0 was used to analyse the data. The results show conative components of Slovenian entrepreneurial competences, difference between them and individual\u27s job-related self expectations and that the correlation between conative components exist.Pritiski konkurence, globalizacija in gospodarska rast zahtevajo krepitev pomena podjetniških kompetenc v slovenskih podjetijh. Namen pričujočega prispevka je analizirati konativno komponento podjetniških kompetenc, ki predstavlja ključni del človeškega kapitala v slovenskih podjetij. Poudarek študije ni samo na konceptu podjetništva, ampak na definiranju in ugotovljanju razlik med pridobljeno in naučeno konativno komponento podjetniških kompetenc. Avtorji namreč podjetniške kompetence ločujemo po treh komponentah: kognitivni, afektivni in konativni.Cilj študije je oceniti konitivno komponento podjetniških kompetenc, ugotoviti ali obstaja povezava med različnimi deli konativnih komponent podjetniških kompetenc in narediti primerjavo rezultatov s samopričakovanji v zvezi z delom. Konativno komponento podjetniških komponent smo merili s testom Kolbe ™ Index. V študijo je bilo vključenih 43 podjetnikov iz treh slovenskih podjetij. Za analizo rezultatov smo upo­rabili t-test neodvisnih vzorcev ter Pearsonov koeficient korelacije. Rezultate smo analizirali s pomočjo SPSS 16.0 paketa. Rezultati so pokazali značilnosti konativne komponente podjetniških sposobnosti pri slovenskih podjetnikih, obstoj razlik med posameznimi deli le-te, ter povezavo med samopričakovanji v zvezi z delom in konativno komponento podjetniških kompetenc

THE IMPORTANCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MARKETING MIX ELEMENTS IN A FASHION RETAILING

Significant and fast changes in the retail market, and especially in the retail market of fashion products, require constant care to create the most effective marketing mix. Consequently, the aim of this paper was to investigate the significance of certain elements of the marketing mix in the retail of fashion products in the Croatian market. For this purpose, empirical research was conducted on a sample of 537 subjects. It was conducted using an electronic questionnaire, which was distributed through the social network “Facebook” and was also e-mailed. The SPSS software package was used for data processing. The research findings indicate that the features of the range as a whole are the most important for consumers in fashion retail. The same research suggests that services to the consumer are somewhat less important while price as an element of the marketing mix in the retail of fashion is the least important element. The research further shows that there is no great importance and significance to the appearance and atmosphere of a retail store for fashion products. The location of fashion retail is important only in terms of the proximity of fashion retail to the place of residence. Although we do not find the importance of promotion as a whole in the retail of fashion products in the Republic of Croatia in the research, we can emphasize that the importance, when it comes to promotion, should be devoted to giveaway programs, seasonal discounts, etc

Green Chemistry Approach to the Synthesis of Biscoumarins from 4-Hydroxycoumarin

Numerous biological and pharmacological properties of coumarins have designated them as significant synthetic target in many fields. Biscoumarins are considered as an important class of coumarin derivatives that show remarkable pharmacological properties. Therefore, development of the efficient new methods for their synthesis, based on green methodology, would be of a great importance in medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry. In this work, the ultrasound and microwave assisted synthesis of biscoumarins, starting from corresponding aldehydes and 4-hydroxycoumarin is reported. Molecular iodine was used as an efficient and inexpensive catalyst for a simple synthesis, to obtain excellent yields using ethanol as a solvent. It was found that 10 % (n/n) of molecular iodine catalyzes biscoumarin synthesis in high yields (80–94 %) and in short reaction times, using both ultrasound, as well as microwave promoted conditions. Furthermore, when those two methods are compared, ultrasound promoted reactions were proven to be more suitable for this kind of reaction. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Coumarin in grounded cinnamon and teas containing cinnamon - extraction and determination by HPLC method

Cinnamon, a commonly used spice as well as a part of many commodities, such as breakfast cereals, teas and bakery products, represents an important part of the diet. Cinnamon, among many bioactive components, contains an important active compound coumarin. Numerous studies have shown that coumarin has a beneficial health effect on the body in optimal consumption, while increased long-term consumption can lead to adverse health effects. In this paper, the amount of coumarin in ten different products found on the Croatian market, including ground spices and teas, was analyzed. In addition, different extraction parameters were analyzed in order to find the best method of extraction of coumarin from cinnamon and products containing cinnamon