EJPAU, 2007, Volume 10, Issue 2

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10(2) #01
02 Apr 2007
Environmental Development
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This paper shows the results of the research on the effect of microwave radiation on the changes of nitric compounds in a reactor with a biofilm. The bioreactor was placed inside a microwave tube, in which it was exposed to radiation. Municipal wastewater were supplied to the bioreactor from the retention tank, to which they returned having flowed through the reactor’s packing. The whole mechanism worked in a periodic system at the 24-hour retention of the wastes supply.

The research made use of specific properties of microwave heating, which involved selective heating of only substances marked by suitable dielectric properties. Owing to the effect obtained by means of a right construction of the reactor and the synchronization of the microwave generator and the volumetric pump, microwave energy was directed mainly to the biofilm.

The results achieved show the influence of microwave radiation on the course of nitric changes in the biofilm. In a control reactor, which was not exposed to radiation, the changes of nitric compounds ended up in oxidizing ammonia nitrogen, and nitrogen losses stemmed from the biomass synthesis exclusively. However the input of microwaves resulted in anoxic conditions in the biofilm and the reductive changes of nitrates and nitrites. It cannot be stated unequivocally to what extent the nitrogen losses occurred as a result of heterotrophic denitrification and to what due to the ANAMMOX process. Nevertheless nitrogen removal in the reactor exposed to radiation reached 55% whereas in the control reactor – below 9%.

10(2) #02
02 Apr 2007
Food Science and Technology
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The antioxidative activity and synergistic effects of skullcap extracts and other natural compounds (α-tocopherol, β-carotene, citric and ascorbic acid) were evaluated in sunflower oil-in-water emulsion during storage at 50°C in the light exposure (3600-3900 lx). The oxidation process was followed by measuring the formation of primary (peroxide value) and secondary (TBARS) oxidation products, which were monitored during periods of storage. Flavones of skullcap (S) actively protected the sunflower oil-in-water emulsion during storage. Synergistic mixtures: flavones of S and α-tocopherol, β-carotene, citric and ascorbic acid exhibited stronger antioxidative properties than single components of these mixtures or synergists alone but weaker than flavones alone.

10(2) #03
03 Apr 2007
Biotechnology
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The process of yeast cell disruption using a high-pressure double-valve pilot-scale homogeniser has been investigated for the selective release of invertase. The first-order kinetics was applied for the determination of the release rate of invertase and total proteins. The release rate of invertase was higher than that of total proteins indicating this enzyme to be preferentially located outside the yeast cell membrane. It was found that the best conditions of the disruption process of the yeast cells were achieved for the operating pressure of 50 MPa and 10 passes of the cell suspension through the homogeniser. Increasing the disruption pressure above 50 MPa decreased the selectivity of invertase release, while extending the number of passes caused more shear damage to the enzyme.

10(2) #04
04 Apr 2007
Agricultural Engineering
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Quality, alongside economical and ecological effectiveness, is becoming one of the basic preconditions of functioning of companies on the market of material and service products. This also refers to companies carrying out machine processes in agricultural production which must implement and apply systems of quality management. One of the problems in this area is, among others, the number of criteria making up the global quality process which is not always rational. It happens fairly frequently that significant expenditures are necessary to fulfil certain criteria which are of little impact on the global quality. In the presented paper, the authors employed information entropy to present an original method which allows assessing sets of quality criteria of machine processes from the point of view of rationality of their application in the process of the quality system implementation.

10(2) #05
05 Apr 2007
Civil Engineering
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The paper presents and discusses the characteristics of various methods of determining the exponent for Richardson-Zaki [34] formula, which binds the flow velocity of rinsing water, sedimentation of bed grains in water, as well as bed porosity at various states of expansion. The characteristic of methods served for verification of their correlation with the results received from experimental tests, where the exponent was the degree of inclination in the relationship log V = n · log ε + log Vs, which is a logarithmic form of Richardson-Zaki formula. The tests were carried out for 8 minerals such as anthracite, barite, chalcedonite, diatomite, clinoptylolite, nevtraco, sand and pyrolusite. In order to make results more trustworthy, they were carried out for 10 fractions of each bed. It was shown that the formulas, from which the value of exponent n is commonly calculated, give results not differing much from one another, but considerably different from experimental ones, where the exponent was the degree of inclination of the above mentioned function. The results close to experimental ones were given by the formula containing sphericity of particles developed by Dharmajah and Cleasby [5]. Experimental results of testing enabled to develop the exponential functions describing the relationship of exponent n on Reynolds number in the state of free sedimentation.

10(2) #06
06 Apr 2007
Horticulture
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Field trials and sampling of commercial crops were carried out in Chhattisgarh region of India, to assess the impact of Helicoverpa armigera Hb. on chickpea (Cicer arietinum) at several larval densities and crop stages. The seasonal damage (i.e. pods damaged during crop growth) recorded was consistently higher than damage at harvest over almost the entire cropping season. The largest relative differences between both damage inspections occurred when infesting at early crop growth stages. Population estimates from destructive sampling and a rapid plant scouting method were related to pod damage, and a nominal economic threshold of one larva per plant was derived. In commercial demonstration trials, unsprayed controls and different insecticide treatments were used to obtain a range of H. armigera infestations and crop damage where standard calendar spraying practice was compared with no spraying, calendar-based applications maintained damage below 2.8%, when crops were sprayed on the basis of IPM scouting recommendations, the highest level of damage was 2.1% despite larval populations exceeding two per plant in five crops. Another study revealed that total and marketable yield in the trap-cropped plot was higher and damaged pods lower than in the monocropped chickpea. This article describes how preliminary studies of egg and larval distributions and damage assessment trials were used to develop an initial estimate of a threshold that would maintain damage below the 5% commercially acceptable level.

10(2) #07
10 Apr 2007
Forestry
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The study was carried out in the 78-year-old black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) stand growing in the Krosno Odrzańskie Forest District in western Poland. Its aims were to evaluate biometric characteristics of trees and to analyze climatic factors which condition radial increment of wood. On the basis of dendroclimatic analyses it was found that frosty winters and low temperatures in early spring months (January – April) as well as low precipitation during summer, especially in June and July, were among important factors limiting diameter increment of black locust trees. Also low precipitation in autumn of the previous year and low precipitation of February before the current growing season had a negative effect on diameter increment of this species. In spite of these limitations a dendrometric estimation of the stand showed that its characteristics exceeded values given in available volume tables [24] which are a deterministic model of growth of a pure even-aged black locust stand.

10(2) #08
11 Apr 2007
Veterinary Medicine
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Study on semen of native Polish breed Green-legged Partridge was carried out. Morphology of spermatozoa and production of malondialdehyde (MDA) in fresh net semen and semen diluted 1:1 with EK diluent and stored for 24 hours at 4°C were examined. Significant differences (P≤0.01) between fresh semen and stored with regard to pH (7.15 vs. 7.40), osmotic pressure (298 vs. 345 mOsmol/kg) and number of total live spermatozoa (97.3% vs. 87.6%), morphologically normal (84.8% vs. 65.4%) and with bent neck spermatozoa (1.6% vs. 12.0%) were observed. Lipid peroxidation expressed as concentration of MDA in fresh semen (0h) and after 24 h of storage did not differ statistically and averaged 0.28 and 0.33 nmol/50 x 106 spermatozoa, respectively.

10(2) #09
12 Apr 2007
Food Science and Technology
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Changes in texture parameters (hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness) and structural elements (fibre cross-sectional area, and thickness of peri- and endomysium) of chicken and turkey breast muscles, subjected to effective massaging for ½, 1, 1½ , 2, 4 h were followed.

Turkey breast muscles with thier higher cross-sectional area thicker peri- and endomysium, compared with chicken breast muscles, were harder, more chewiness and cohesiveness.

Massaging resulted in an increase in the mean fibre cross-sectional area, changes in thicknes of the peri- and endomysium, and reduction in hardness and chewiness and in augmentation of cohesiveness of the muscles studied.

Turkey breast muscles were the less susceptible than the other muscles tested to mechanical tenderisation and should be effective massaged for more than 2 h or more intensely.

Chicken breast muscles massaged longer than 2 h at 20 rpm drum speed caused an over-massaging of meat and as the consequences an increase in hardness, chewiness and thermal drip.

10(2) #10
13 Apr 2007
Horticulture
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In 2004-2004 studies were conducted with the use of fertigation in a greenhouse concerning the photosynthetic activity of the leaves, water potential and the yielding of tomato cv. ‘Cunero F1’ cultivated on different substrates. The plants grew in rockwool mats with the volume of 15 dm3 and on mats of analogous dimensions prepared from the chaff of rye straw, rye straw + peat (3:1), wheat straw + bark (3:1). Two plants were grown in each mat in the period between February and October, and they were grown for 22-23 clusters. The obtained results pointed out that the value of the analyzed indexes of chlorophyll fluorescence (Fo, Fm, Fv/Fm) and the gas exchange of the leaves (gs, E, P, Ci) in plants on rockwool and on substrates prepared on the basis of rye and wheat straw did not differ in a statistically significant way. Water potential in the leaves and the fruit yield from plants cultivated on the used substrates were also similar. The authors are of the opinion that in the conditions of the application of fertigation, the cultivation substrates obtained from rye or wheat straw chaff and their mixtures with other organic materials make it possible to obtain the yield of tomato fruits on the level equal to that on rockwool.

10(2) #11
16 Apr 2007
Agricultural Engineering
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Paper presents the results of Italian broccoli thermal processing in a convection-steam oven. Technological treatment was carried out under variable process parameters: at the temperature of 80 and 100°C, time 5, 10, 15 min and the quantity of supplied steam: 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%. The values of parameters were determined in preliminary tests. After thermal processing the shearing forces for broccoli samples were measured and their dependence on processing temperature, time and quantity of supplied steam, was determined. The results of shearing force tests were statistically analysed using the Statistica 6.0 software, they were verified by the Tukey’s test. Significant effects of treatment time and quantity of supplied steam on the changes of shearing forces were found for thermally processed vegetable samples. Next, the samples of Italian broccoli were subjected to the sensory evaluation according to five-score scale with following quality factors: colour, consistence, flavour, taste, succulence and a hedonistic scale. The optimum parameters for thermal processing of Italian broccoli in a convection-steam oven were determined.

10(2) #12
26 Apr 2007
Horticulture
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The purpose of the studies was to observe the occurrence of Macrosiphum rosae (L.) on roses from different utility groups: wild ones (Rosa rugosa Thunb. and Rosa multiflora Thunb.), park roses (cv. ‘Grandhotel’) and border roses (various cultivars). Observations were conducted in four different sites in the urban green area of Lublin in the years 2001-2003. Macrosiphum rosae was annually observed on the roses of each group and in each site. The first individuals appeared on the analyzed shrubs in April, and colonies were observed on the plants even in December (with favourable weather conditions). The most abundant population of M. rosae was noticed in the road site. In the other sites the aphid population was much smaller and similar. On the species of wild roses (saltsprays and multiflowered ones) the studies observed the summer disappearance of the colonies in each year of the studies, while on noble roses (especially the park rose) aphids remained on the shrubs throughout the vegetation year.

10(2) #13
27 Apr 2007
Forestry
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The effect of age of trees on their slenderness (s) and the relationship between slenderness and tree d.b.h. (d) and height (h) were determined on the basis of measurements of d.b.h. and height of 6070 the upper story trees growing in over 400 circular plots established in stands of age class II and older in the Niepołomice Forest District. The following eight tree species were investigated: Pinus sylvestris, Quercus robur, Carpinus betulus, Betula verrucosa, Alnus glutinosa, Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia cordata, and Larix decidua. From among these species F. excelsior was characterized by the highest mean slenderness (1.047), while P. sylvestris by the lowest one (0.773). High, usually over 0.800 in value, coefficients of correlation between slenderness and d.b.h. indicated a great usefulness of d.b.h. for elaboration of formulae determining slenderness of analyzed tree species. A logarithmic function (s = α · ln d + β) turned out to be the best in estimation of slenderness of P. sylvestris, L. decidua, A. glutinosa, and B. verrucosa, while in the case of Q. robur, C. betulus, and F. excelsior an involution function (s = α · d β ) was the best, and for T. cordata – an exponential function (s = α · e β·d ).

10(2) #14
09 May 2007
Animal Husbandry
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Under estimation came 1106 purebred Arabian mares, fillies, stallions and colts, who in the years 2001-2005 participated in Polish National and Youth Arabian Horse Shows, as well as in the International Show at Falborek 2004 and 2005. Compared were such traits, as type, head and neck, body and topline, legs, movement and a total point score. In the tested population separated were damlines differring to a significant or a highly significant degree from other ones in terms of point scores for the specified traits. It was found, that total point scores were similar for all damlines, especially for the traits “body” and “legs”.

10(2) #15
10 May 2007
Food Science and Technology
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The application of linen oil and fish oil as added to model meat products in aspect of the improvement of fatty acid profile, characteristics of the run of oxidative changes and the selected quality indices, was examined. The studies were conducted on a model meat product, on Bologna-type sausage (mortadela) which was enriched with linen oil or fish preparation. The examination of basic composition were carried out; fatty acid composition and dynamics of oxidative changes was determined; sensory profile evaluation was conducted, as well. As a result of the performed studies it was found that enrichment of the model meat products with flax oil or fish oil caused a significant increase of PUFA : MUFA ratio. In the product with the addition of flax oil, a significant increase of the sum of fatty acids DFA, as lowering cholesterol level, was also observed. The introduction of fish oil preparations to the meat products caused the increase of the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Dynamics of oxidative changes, characterized by acid value, peroxide value and anizidine number and by the calculated index totox was dependent on the type of the oil and storage period. The product with the addition of fish oil was characterized by the highest desirability of flavour (smell and taste) and colour and the lowest hardness, springiness and sensation of fattiness. The control product and that one, containing flax oil were characterized by a similar sensory profile.

10(2) #16
11 May 2007
Environmental Development
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The aim of research was to determine the minimal time of initial effluent discharge during backwashing with the use of raw and treated water, as well as with variable filtration velocity and different granules equivalent diameter of the bed.

The following hypotheses were made:

  • minimal time of initial effluent discharge is not constant and depends on granules equivalent diameter, filtration velocity and kind of water used for backwashing

  • iron concentration distribution in initial effluent is the multinomial function of granules equivalent diameter and filtration velocity,

  • initial values of above distribution significantly depend on water used for backwashing ( raw water, treated water)

The investigations were performed on experimental installation on universities water supply plant. Measuring parameter was concentration of iron in raw water and treated water.

The ranges of bed granulation variability were following: 0.64 – 0.80 mm; 1.00 – 1.25 mm; 1.60 – 2.00 mm. The ranges of filtration velocity were following: 11.5 m·h-1; 17.25 m·h-1; 23.0 m·h-1.

The research was carried out in combinations of all the aforementioned parameters, each bed was backwashed with both raw and treated water and for each bed filtration was performed at all the aforementioned velocities.

Approximate times of reaching the iron concentration of 0.2 mg·dm-3 for chosen cases are as follows: backwashing with treated water – [0.64 ÷ 0.80 mm] 11.5 m·h-1 0 min; 17.25 m·h-1 23 min; 23.0 m·h-1 32 min; [1.60 ÷ 2.00 mm] 11.5 m·h-1 49 min; 17.25 m·h-1 57 min; 23.0 m·h-1 58 min; backwashing with raw water – [0.64 ÷ 0.80 mm] 11.5 m·h-1 33 min; 17.25 m·h-1 35 min; 23.0 m·h-1 36 min; [1.60 ÷ 2.00 mm] 11.5 m·h-1 125 min; 17.25 m·h-1 152 min; 23.0 m·h-1 170 min;

It can be asserted that unequivocal schematic recommendations regarding the selection of the time at which the first portions of the effluent are to be discharged to sewage system require a more in-depth analysis and the assumed time of 10 minutes may frequently prove be too short.

10(2) #17
23 May 2007
Agricultural Engineering
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Viscosity of aqueous solutions of ethanol changes non-linearly with concentration. There is a maximum viscosity of solution containing about 47 volume% ethanol. 1H NMR spin – lattice and spin – spin relaxation times of such solutions also change with concentration showing minimum at closely the same ethanol concentration. These results rationalized in terms of Einstein – Debye theory point to the link between the relaxation time and viscosity of solution and the latter with ordering of the components in solution. The MM+ Monte Carlo approach (HyperChem 7.0 software) indicated a maximum potential energy of the water – ethanol system at the same concentration of the solution. According to the mouthfeel theory, substances of ordered structure generate superior mouthfeel. That finding may, eventually, explain why commercial vodka has preferably about 45 volume% concentration. The approach might have more universal significance in determination of mouthfeel of various soft drinks, beverages, and other liquids.

10(2) #18
24 May 2007
Animal Husbandry
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Under evaluation came 49 purebred Arabian stallions, used as leading sires in Polish breeding in the years 1978-1997. For them computed were the following indices expressing their breeding value with regard to racing abilities: RGV (the Relative Genetic Value), I (the Index of Stallion) and WH (the Breeding Value). It was found, that the best results as an improver, achieving the highest levels of the calculated indices, showed the stallion Wermut, bay, 1982 (Probat – Warmia), with his own coeffficient of success Wp = 0.86 (RGV = 2650.26; I = 152.95; WH = 0.30), whereas the worst degrader proved the unbeaten, Classics winner Europejczyk, bay, 1982 (El Paso – Europa), with Wp = 8.97 (RGV = -3337.78; I = 63.96; WH = -0.22).

10(2) #19
29 May 2007
Food Science and Technology
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The objective of the investigations was to compare changes in the structure elements of selected cattle muscles taking place under the influence of the injection with curing brine, massaging and pasteurization with the assistance of the computer image analysis. The experimental material comprised: the semi-membranous muscle (musculus semimembranosus) and the lumbar part of the longest muscle of the back (musculus longissimus lumborum) which derived from carcasses of mature cows 5 years old. The analysis of the muscle structure was conducted on the basis of the following parameters of muscle fibres: the surface and circumference, Feret’s H and V diameter, percentage proportion of muscle fibres and their quantity in the analysed field of view. The fibre shape was determined on the basis of the H/V ratio. It was found that the closer its value was to one, the more regular was the shape of fibres. The performed analysis of the elements of the examined cattle muscle structure: musculus semimembranosus and musculus longissimus lumborum showed that they depended on the type of muscles. The brine injection processes and massaging increased the cell volume in the semi-membranous muscle. The cells of the longest muscle of the back underwent contraction following the injection with the curing brine, whereas the plasticisation process increased their surface in relation to the untreated muscles.

10(2) #20
01 Jun 2007
Animal Husbandry
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The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of pregnancy diagnostics in sheep and the diagnosis of the number of embryos on the basis of two ultrasound methods: trans rectum in sheep lying in the dorsal position (with a Pie Medical Scanner 100LC apparatus equipped with a 8 MHz probe) and trans cutem in standing sheep (with an Aloka SSD210DXII apparatus with a 3.5 MHz probe). The transrectal ultrasound examination made it possible to positively diagnose pregnancy in 89% ewes as early as 16 days after service, while a definite confirmation of pregnancy in all examined sheep was possible on day 19. In contrast, the diagnosis of pregnancy in all examined sheep via abdominal integuments was possible only on day 41 of pregnancy. The determination of the number of developing embryos in case of twin pregnancy with the trans rectum method was possible as early as day 22 after service (83%), and on day 27 the accuracy of diagnosis increased to 92%. In case of the transcutaneous examination the accuracy of assessment of the number of embryos was much lower, amounting to 33 on day 27% of pregnancy and maximum 83 on day 41%.

10(2) #21
04 Jun 2007
Environmental Development
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The study presented in this paper was concerned with the search for a method for determination of the temporal and spatial distribution of the intensity of water intake by celeriac roots. A field experiment carried out permitted the demonstration of the applicability of the TDR technique for the determination of the dynamics of moisture in the active layer of soil surrounding celeriac roots. Knowledge of the dynamics was used to design a water balance in which the only unknown was the amount of water taken up by the crop under study. It was found that water intake by celeriac roots takes place primarily close to the axis of symmetry of the plant, in the layer immediately adjacent to the main root. Moreover, it was found that approx. 90% of water is taken in by the plant during the daylight period. The information may be treated as indicative in the design of irrigation systems placement – e.g. of drip-irrigation lines, and of the timing of their operation. Ultimately, it was demonstrated that drip-irrigation lines should be located as close as possible to the centre point of celeriac roots and coincide as much as possible with the axis of symmetry of the plant, and that the irrigation systems should be turned on only during the daytime.

10(2) #22
06 Jun 2007
Agronomy
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Mixture is a system of two or more species that interact with each other in different ways. Interspecific competition, resource complementarity and facilitation may shape performance of a mixture and if the phenomena act together, problem occurs with proper interpretation of results of a simple mixture experiment. To study interactions in crop mixtures and their productivity various designs have been used, like proportional substitutive, substitutive, simple additive and unconstrained design. All these designs have some limitations and they do not answer the same questions about interspecific competition and productivity of mixtures. More extended structures such as addition series and bivariate factorial design are probably more appropriate for this purpose but size of field experiments conducted according to these designs limits their use.

10(2) #23
29 Jun 2007
Geodesy and Cartography
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In 2007 in European Union 18 national topographic databases at the level of details corresponding to the 1: 10 000 (or bigger) scale were identified. In 8 EU countries these databases are not completed as yet. One of the main factors that can slow down its creation is an excess of thematic information. To avoid this problem in the case of Polish Topographic Database (TBD) the authors have compared and analysed the thematic scope of the Polish TBD and 11 EU national civil vector topographic databases with the corresponding level of details. To achieve this goal it was necessary to identify similar topographic databases, to analyse its thematic scope, to create its typology, to analyse the similarities and differences between them and to analyse employed multirepresentation solutions and data exchange scenarios. This paper proposes the typology of 1: 10 000 (or bigger) scale topographic databases. The analysis allowed authors to show the similarities and differences between TBD and other databases, concerning their thematic scope. The authors discuss the possibility of adding some objects into the TBD and to generalize the identified group of less frequently used objects and attributes. To reduce the amount of effort, time and expenditure put into the creation of the TBD they propose to ponder the problem of the completion of TBD using data collected in specialized Polish databases.


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