GGE Biplot Analysis to Explore the Adaption Potential of Italian Common Wheat Genotypes

Given the substantial variation in global wheat yield, insufficient research in cultivar selection for climate change, and the lack of suitable germplasm in sustainable agroecosystems, there is a requisite for soft wheat genotypes, with stable grain yield as well as quality parameters. The present study was aimed at genotype evaluation (GGE biplot for “mean performance versus stability”) not only for yield, but also for technological, phytosanitary and functional quality parameters of 24 Triticum aestivum L. genotypes (eight landraces, old and modern varieties, respectively) within a single organic farm location (Argelato, Emilia-Romagna, Italy) over three consecutive years. Overall, high yield stability was shown for the landraces and old varieties. In particular, the landraces Piave and Gamba di Ferro, as well as the old variety Verna, showed high stability with above-average means for numerous quality parameters of interest. Additionally, relative stability combined with above-average mean for quality parameters was also demonstrated for the high-yielding Gentil Bianco and Guà 113. Aside from Verna, these “unrecognized” resilient genotypes were also shown to meet the requisites for suitable germplasm in sustainable agroecosystems. Future potential utilization of these more stable landraces in addressing climate change would also ultimately facilitate the survival of valuable genetic resources.

Influence of extraction technology on rapeseed oil functional quality: a study on rapeseed polyphenols

Hot pressing can be considered the best extraction method for rapeseed oil from the perspective of phenolic compounds, because hot pressing produces the highest content of sinapine, and sinapine inhibits TMA production.

METHODS OF ENSURING FUNCTIONAL QUALITY IN ARCHITECTURAL OBJECTS THROUGH TRADITIONAL AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

The issues related to the analysis of technological methods for the formation of architectural objects are considered. The purpose of the research is to identify the scale and prospects for the use of traditional and innovative technologies. Solving problems associated with the development of technological methods and processes is accompanied by the development of general theoretical knowledge of architectural science and building materials science as ways to improve the functional quality of architectural systems and their display in the formats of buildings and structures. The real need to develop a systematic approach and the development of a methodology for integrating the technological component (more precisely, non-traditional or innovative methods and techniques) into the algorithm for the formation of architectural objects predetermined and determined the goal and objectives of this study. The theoretical base of research includes both scientifi c and philosophical works devoted to the object and subject of research in a global aspect, and scientifi c and technical literature, in relation to a specifi c area of architectural activity.

Analysis of the technical system of the process production of multicomponent food products

Фрукты служат источником энергии, витаминов, минералов и пищевых волокон. В целом, фруктовые батончики имеют гораздо большую питательную ценность, чем свежие фрукты, потому что все питательные вещества сконцентрированы и, следовательно, будут представлять собой ассортимент полуфабрикатов, чтобы извлечь выгоду из пользы фруктов для здоровья. Потребители предпочитают фруктовые батончики, которые имеют более насыщенный вкус, за которыми следуют надлежащие текстурные особенности, которые могут быть получены путем установления равновесия ингредиентов, правильного выбора этапов производства и контроля конечного продукта. Кроме того, фруктовые батончики также являются важными источниками углеводов и минералов. Учитывая широкий спектр биологически активных факторов в свежих фруктах, которые сохраняются во фруктовых батончиках, вполне вероятно, что их потребление оказывает положительное влияние на снижение риска многих заболеваний. Представлены результаты исследований оценки качества снековых плодово-ягодных батончиков, который включает отбор проб, оценку органолептических, физико-химических, функциональных показателей качества и безопасности. Результаты исследований потребительских свойств плодово-ягодных батончиков проводили в соответствии с разработанным алгоритмом. Показатели качества соответствуют добавкам, вносимым в рецептуру батончиков. Технология производства снековых плодово-ягодных батончиков состоит из пяти взаимосвязанных этапов, для каждого из которых подобрано оборудование. Для усовершенствования технологии производства снековых плодово-ягодных батончиков в работе предложена новая конструкция барабанного виброгранулятора. В результате работы барабанного виброгранулятора образуются структуры разных размеров за счет агломерирования частиц, которые обладают разной потенциальной энергией. Находящиеся в зоне перераспределения частиц по размерам частицы больших размеров поднимаются на поверхность образовавшегося слоя. Частицы при перемещении из центрального слоя к поверхности соударяются с другими частицами. С целью разработки мехатронного модуля в работе выявлена зависимость энергозатрат на проведение процесса гранулирования от режимных параметров. Затраты энергии на механическую работу установки происходит за счет разностей показателей ваттметров на холостом ходу и в рабочем режиме. Fruits are a source of energy, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. In general, fruit bars have much more nutritional value than fresh fruit, because all the nutrients are concentrated and, therefore, will be an assortment of semi-finished products to benefit from the health benefits of fruit. Consumers prefer fruit bars that have a richer taste, followed by proper textural features that can be obtained by establishing the balance of ingredients, choosing the right stages of production and controlling the final product. In addition, fruit bars are also important sources of carbohydrates and minerals. Given the wide range of biologically active factors in fresh fruits that are preserved in fruit bars, it is likely that their consumption has a positive effect on reducing the risk of many diseases. The results of studies on the quality assessment of snack fruit and berry bars, which includes sampling, evaluation of organoleptic, physico-chemical, functional quality and safety indicators, are presented. The results of studies of consumer properties of fruit and berry bars were carried out in accordance with the developed algorithm. The quality indicators correspond to the additives added to the recipe of the bars. The technology of production of snack fruit and berry bars consists of five interrelated stages, for each of which the equipment is selected. To improve the production technology of snack fruit and berry bars, a new design of a drum vibrating granulator is proposed in the work. As a result of the operation of the drum vibrating granulator, structures of different sizes are formed due to the agglomeration of particles that have different potential energy. Large particles located in the particle size redistribution zone rise to the surface of the formed layer. When moving from the central layer to the surface, the particles collide with other particles. In order to develop a mechatronic module, the dependence of the energy consumption for the granulation process on the operating parameters was revealed. The energy consumption for the mechanical operation of the installation is due to the differences in the indicators of the wattmeters at idle and in operating mode.

Functional Quality of Service During Events: An Empirical Analysis

Visitors to events attach great importance to the range of artists and their performances and the quality of their stay and services. To create a staging and, consequently, an emotionalization of the visitor, many action areas simultaneously take effect at an event. In this context, the customer satisfaction of visitors plays a major role for event organizers, which aims to generate a competitive advantage over other providers and be attractive for artists simultaneously. This article aims to analyse the perceived functional quality of service (QoS) during various events in a multi-purpose event venue. The analysis was based on 563 primary data samples. On the off chance, selected visitors were during the events recruited and interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. The data were collected during the break of five events. These events took place in the period from mid-November to mid-December 2019. This was supplemented by an online survey of enthusiastic fan club visitors who regularly watch handball matches within the event venue. The online survey was conducted in parallel with the surveys during November 2019. Overall, the results showed a high level of satisfaction among visitors regarding the QoS. In addition to services, exploratory factor analysis identified cleanliness as a satisfaction factor that significantly accounted for overall service satisfaction. Differences in the perception of both factors could be detected between the fan club visitors on the one hand and all other visitors of various events (comedy, music, sports) on the other. Based upon the results of this analysis, the event managers of this venue are enabled to employ target group-oriented improvements of individual services to consolidate and increase customer satisfaction. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Selective Transfer of Maternal Antibodies in Preterm and Term Children

Preterm newborns are more likely to suffer from infectious diseases at birth compared to children delivered at term. Whether this is due to compromised cellular, humoral, or organ-specific development remains unclear. Recent studies have shown that while preterm children have an aberrant cellular immune response, these infants receive similar maternal anti-viral IgG repertoires compared to term children, albeit at lower concentrations. These data point to selectivity in placental transfer at distinct gestational ages, to ensure that children are endowed with the most robust humoral immunity even if born preterm. To begin to define the mechanism by which preterm selective transfer may occur, the overall quantity and functional quality of an array of vaccine-, endemic pathogen-, and common antigen-specific antibodies were assessed across a cohort of 11 preterm and 12 term-delivered mother:infant pairs from birth through week 12. Although higher antibody levels were present in term infants, the overall functional profiles of antigen-specific antibodies were very similar. Temporal transfer differences were ascertained across distinct antibody subpopulations, with early transfer of functional antibodies capable of binding to FcRn and FcγR2-3 receptors followed by the transfer of distinct IgG subclasses. These results provide new insights on maternal:fetal immunity, highlighting novel immune axes that may be manipulated to enhance neonatal immune transfer of antibodies through gestation.

Assessing the Rheological Properties of Durum Wheat Semolina: A Review

Empiric rheology is considered a useful tool for assessing the technological quality of wheat. Over the decades, several tests have been adapted from common to durum wheat, and new approaches have been proposed to meet the needs of the players of the durum wheat value chain. Breeders are looking for reliable methods to test the functional quality of wheat lines at early stages, where there are limited amounts of sample; millers need fast and reliable methods for checking wheat quality right at the point of the receiving station; and pasta-makers are looking for suitable methods to predict end product quality. This review provides an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the rheological tests currently used to evaluate the quality of durum wheat semolina, with the emphasis on Europe. Moreover, the relationships among the parameters obtained from different rheological approaches are extrapolated from the literature and integrated with the data obtained from 74 samples of durum wheat semolina. Although numerous efforts have been made to propose rapid and reliable tests for semolina characterization, the ideal test has yet to be proposed, indicating that researchers and pasta companies need to focus on perfecting the way to assess the quality of durum wheat and pasta.

Salicylic Acid Foliar Application Increases Crop Yield and Quality Parameters of Green Pepper Fruit during Postharvest Storage

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of salicylic acid (SA) as a preharvest treatment on crop yield throughout the crop cycle of green pepper fruit as well as on its quality parameters, including functional quality, at harvest and during 21 days of storage at 7 °C. Thus, ‘Herminio’ pepper plants were treated with SA at 0.5, 1 and 5 mM, and higher crop yield (kg per plant, number of fruits per plant and average fruit weight) and quality parameters (firmness, green color and total acidity) at harvest were obtained with the 0.5 mM dose, as well as greater phenolic compounds content and total antioxidant activity. These quality traits and functional quality were also maintained at higher levels for this treatment than in controls during postharvest storage, leading to a delay of fruit quality losses. In addition, the decay incidence for 0.5 mM SA-treated pepper fruits reached a value of 2.10% at the end of the storage, which was lower than untreated fruits (16.55%). These results suggest that preharvest application of SA at low doses tested on pepper plants could be a useful tool to increase crop yield and fruit quality parameters at harvest and maintain them during storage, delaying quality losses and decay incidence.