Antimicrobial activity of low-pressure plasma treatment against selected foodborne bacteria and meat microbiota

The effects of helium and argon plasma treatments on inactivation of both pure bacterial cultures inoculated onto the surface of agarized media and the surface microbiota of meat were investigated. Cold plasmas were generated by high voltage discharge at low pressure (20 kPa) for 2, 5, and 10 min. The number of viable microorganisms was determined using a plate count method. Morphological changes were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Microbial log reduction depended on time of exposure and type of gas used. After a 10-min treatment with helium plasma, the total number of microorganisms, yeasts and molds, and psychrotrophic microorganisms was reduced in the range of 1.14–1.48 log cycles for pork and 0.98–2.09 log cycles for beef. A significant reduction of 2.00 log for Bacillus subtilis and Yersinia enterocolitica was achieved within 2 min of helium plasma treatment. Similar results were obtained for Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas fluorescens after 5 min and 10 min of exposure. SEM revealed disruption and lysis of E. coli cells treated with helium plasma for 10 min, suggesting a bactericidal effect

Characterization and physical properties of aluminium foam−polydimethylsiloxane nanocomposite hybrid structures

This article reports on the fabrication and characterisation of hybrid structures prepared by impregnating an open-cell aluminum foam with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or PDMS reinforced with graphene oxide, GO (PDMS nanocomposite). The effect of the PDMS and the GO on the mechanical, thermal, acoustic absorption and fire retardancy properties of the resulting hybrid structures were evaluated and compared to the individual components (PDMS, PDMS nanocomposite, open-cell aluminium foams). Results demonstrate that the use of the PDMS cured at 65 °C, as an void filler of the open-cell aluminium foams, changes mechanical and deformation performance, from a rubbery to brittle behaviour, however attaining a higher level of strength (quasi-static: ∼5 MPa; dynamic: > 15 MPa) in the resulting hybrid structures. This change is due to the low chain mobility of the polymer and effective adhesion with struts of the open-cell aluminium foams. Furthermore, these hybrid structures are extremely sensitive to strain-rate testing, exhibiting a maximum compressive stress increase of more than 300 % and 200 %, respectively. The presence of the GO within the PDMS improves significantly the non-flammability of the hybrid structures and increases the sound absorption coefficient.publishe

Applications of Wine Pomace in the Food Industry: Approaches and Functions

Winemaking generates large amounts ofwine pomace, also called grape pomace. This by-product has attracted the attention of food scientists and the food industry, due to its high content in nutrients and bioactive compounds. This review mainly focuses on the different published approaches to the use of wine pomace and its functions in the food industry. Traditionally, wine pomace has been used to obtain wine alcohol, food colorings, and grape seed oil. More recently, research has focused in the production of other value-added products, such as extracts of bioactive compounds, mainly phenols, recovery of tartaric acid, and the making of flours. The most common functions associated with wine pomace products are their use as antioxidants, followed by their use as fortifying, coloring, and antimicrobial agents. These products have mainly been applied to the preparation of meat and fish products and to, a lesser extent, cereal products.Autonomous Government of Castilla y León, Spain, through the research project BU282U13

Analysis of land use changes in the municipalities Cerkno and Kobarid and in the entire northern Goriška region

Naloga se ukvarja s spremembami v namenski rabi prostora na izbranem področju severne Goriške regije. V prvem delu se naloga osredotoča na občini Cerkno in Kobarid ter na spremembo namenske rabe prostora v teh občinah med obdobjem, ko so bile v veljavi še Prostorske sestavine dolgoročnih in srednjeročnih planov občin ter med obdobjem, ko je v veljavo stopil Občinski prostorski načrt, kar v praksi pomeni desetletno obdobje. Grafično in numerično obdela podatke o spremembi osnovne namenske rabe na področju celotne občine, nato pa v občinskih središčih še podrobneje opredeli spremembe v podrobni namenski rabi prostora. V drugem delu naloga ob pridobljenih rezultatih o osnovni namenski rabi privzame še le te iz preostalih petih občin: Bovec, Brda, Idrija, Kanal in Tolmin, ki so jih v predhodnih zaključnih delih obdelale avtorice Martina Perdih, Nina Kerpan in Ksenija Kotar. Ko smo vse te podatke združili v smiselno celoto so se začele kazati podobnosti in razlike med občinami, ki sicer ležijo v območju, ki je v geografskem smislu precej enovito, vendar ga hkrati definirajo tudi ostali dejavniki, kot so oddaljenost od gravitacijskih centrov ali turizem. Splošne ugotovitve kažejo, da so se v zadnjem desetletju na tem področju območja namenjena stavbnim zemljiščem zmanjšala, hkrati pa se je zgodila precejšnja sprememba med območji kmetijski in gozdnih zemljišč, kjer so se območja namenjena slednjim na račun opuščanja kmetijstva in zaraščanja kmetijskih površin precej povečana.The assignment is dealing with the changes in the intended land use on the chosen area of the northern Goriška region. In the first part the assignment focuses on the municipalities Cerkno and Kobarid and the change of the intended use of space in these municipalities between the two different land use laws in the last decade. It deals with the graphical and numerical representation regarding the differences in the basic intended land use within the entire municipalities, then it focuses on the municipal centres, where it deals with the detailed intended land use. In the second part it concerns itself with the data from this assignment as well as from five other municipalities: Bovec, Brda, Idrija, Kanal and Tolmin, for which the data had already been calculatet in the works of Martina Perdih, Nina Keran and Ksenija Kotar. After merging all the data into a sensible whole, the similarities and differences between the municipalities that are in a similar geographical area, but are also defined by other factors like the distance from the gravitational centres or tourism, became apparent. General findings indicate, that in the last decade, the areas intended for bulidings have been reduced and in the same time there has been a significant change between the agricultural and forested areas, the latter having seen a significant increase in the area due to the abandonment of farming and the overgrowth on the agricultural areas

Green energy transformation and metals markets

Če želimo minimizirati škodo iz podnebnih sprememb, je ključno, da dvig globalne temperature omejimo pod 2 °C v primerjavi s predindustrijsko dobo. Glavni krivec antropogenega segrevanja ozračja je energetski sektor, zaradi česar igra prehod k nizkoogljičnim virom pridobivanja energije osrednjo vlogo v zeleni tranziciji. Solarne in vetrne elektrarne, električna vozila, baterije in električna omrežja temeljijo na izrazito mineralno intenzivnih tehnologijah, kar pomeni, da bo uspešen zeleni energetski prehod zahteval ogromno povečanje povpraševanja po nekaterih kovinah, kot so baker, litij, nikelj in kobalt. Problematika pri tem je, da so trgi kovin nepopolni. Nahajališča rud so pogosto koncentrirana v slabo upravljanih državah, časi do vzpostavitve nove proizvodnje so dolgi, koncentracija proizvodnje pa je tako po državah kot po podjetjih velika tudi v fazah prečiščevanja kovin. Posledični morebitni deficiti na trgih kovin bi lahko zakasnili zeleni prehod, hkrati pa povzročili geopolitične pretrese. Države, ki ne bodo uspele zagotoviti dovoljšne oskrbe s kritičnimi minerali, dovoljšnega obsega domačih predelovalnih zmogljivosti in zadostne proizvodnje zelenih tehnologij, bi lahko postale nekonkurenčne. Tveganja za Evropsko unijo so velika. Res je, da bi uspešen zeleni energetski prehod lahko zmanjšal njeno izpostavljenost uvozu ruskih energentov, vendar je hkrati Evropska unija močno odvisna od uvoza kovin, ki so potrebne za zeleni prehod. Pri tem obstaja nevarnost, da bi se Evropska unija v prihodnosti pretirano izpostavila svoji strateški tekmici Kitajski, ki večinoma dominira v vseh fazah verig vrednosti zelenih tehnologij.If we want to reduce the damage caused by climate change, it is crucial that we limit the rise in global temperature to 2 °C compared to the pre-industrial era. The main culprit of anthropogenic global warming is the energy sector which is why the transition to low-carbon energy sources plays a central role in the green transition. Solar and wind farms, electric vehicles, batteries and the power grid are all based on highly mineral-intensive technologies, which means that a successful green energy transition will cause a huge increase in demand for certain metals such as copper, lithium, nickel and cobalt. The problem with this is that metal markets are imperfect. Ore deposits are often concentrated in poorly managed countries, lead times to start a new production are long, and the concentration of production both by country and by company is high even in the stages of metal refining. The resulting potential deficits in the metal markets could delay the green transition and at the same time cause geopolitical turmoil. Countries that fail to secure a sufficient supply of critical minerals, a sufficient scale of domestic processing capacity and sufficient production of green technologies could become uncompetitive. The risks for the European Union are high. It is true that a successful green energy transition could reduce its exposure to imports of Russian energy products, but at the same time the European Union is heavily dependent on metal imports, which are necessary for the green transition. There is a danger that in the future the European Union would excessively expose itself to its strategic competitor - China, which mostly dominates all stages of the value chain of green technologies

Development of a game for children with obesity problems

Prekomerna teža pri otrocih je resen problem, ki lahko vodi do zdravstvenih in psiholoških težav v življenju otroka, ki se z njim srečuje. To diplomsko delo prispeva k rešitvi tega problema z implementacijo igre, ki bi otroke s prekomerno težo motivirala, da izboljšajo svoj življenjski stil. Podrobno je opisan celoten postopek izdelave igre od zastavljanja ciljev in izdelave prototipa do končnih vizualnih popravkov. Končni rezultat je delujoča igra, ki otroku omogoča dnevno igranje in s tem postopno preobrazbo osrednjega lika iz prekomerno težkega v zdravega posameznika.Child obesity is a serious problem and can lead to problems in general health and psyche of a child faced with it. In the scope of this diploma a game was developed which aimed at motivating children to improve their life style. The entire process of developing the game is described in detail, from setting the goals and creating a prototype to the final visual upgrades. The finished result is a game, which allows a child to play it daily and by doing so transform its main character from obese to a healthy individual

3D Modelling

Skripta s področja 3D modeliranje je namenjen kot študijski pripomoček pri izvedbi predavanj predmetov 3D modeliranje in Računalniško oblikovanje. Vsebuje razlago večjega dela učne snovi, ki jo morajo študentje pri teh predmetih osvojiti, in je skladen z učnim načrtom omenjenih predmetov.The textbook in the field of 3D modeling is intended as a study aid for the implementation of lectures on the subjects of 3D modeling and Computer Aided Design. It contains an explanation of most of the learning material that students need to master in these subjects, and is consistent with the curriculum of these subjects

Periodization and cyclization of the training process in the winter preparation period for 16- and 17-year-old women football players

Za ustrezen proces periodizacije in ciklizacije moramo vsebinsko poznati, razumeti in upoštevati značilnosti in zahteve nogometne igre ter primerno uskladiti vsebino kondicijske, tehnične in taktične priprave. Pri načrtovanju je seveda potrebno upoštevati tudi razvojne značilnosti mladostnic na gibalnem, psihosocialnem in biološkem področju. Glavni cilj magistrskega dela je tako predstaviti celostno načrtovanje pripravljalnega obdobja za dekleta od 16. do 17. leta starosti. Med cilje spada predstavitev gibalnih ter funkcionalnih sposobnosti pomembnih za razvoj nogometašice. Predstavljen je tudi vidik tehnično-taktične priprave, ki temelji na sodobnem modelu igreoblikovan je tudi specifičen model igre. V zaključku dela je prikazan vsebinski in praktični načrt osemtedenskega zimskega pripravljalnega obdobja za nogometašice do 17. leta starosti. Magistrsko delo predstavlja poglobljen in celosten pristop k načrtovanju pripravljalnega obdobja mladih nogometašic. Poleg znanstvenega in strokovnega izpostavljamo še praktični vidik. Delo je lahko koristen pripomoček trenerkam in trenerjem dekliških nogometnih ekip na vseh tekmovalnih stopnjah od 15. leta dalje ter igralkam in staršem za lažje razumevanje načrtovanja in priprave v nogometu.For an appropriate process of periodization and cyclization we need to know, understand and take into account the characteristics and requirements of the football game, as well as properly coordinate the content of conditioning, tehnical and tactical preparation. When planning, it is of course also necessary to take into account the developmental characteristics of adolescent and biological fields. The main goal of the master\u27s thesis is to present the integrated planning of the preparatory period for girls from 16 to 17 years of age. The goals are the presentation of movement and functional skills important for the development of a football player. The aspect of technical-tactical preparation based on the modern model of the game is also presenteda specific game model is also designed. At the end of the work, the content and practical plan of the eight-week winter preparatory period for female football players up to the age of 17 is presented. The master\u27s thesis presents an in-depth and integrated approach to the planning of the preparatory period of young female football players. In addition to the scientific and professional aspect, we highlight the practical aspect. The work can be a useful tool for coaches of girls\u27 football teams at all competitive levels from the age of 15, as well as for players and parents to better understand planning and preparation on football

Implementation of a method for finding a shortest path with dynamic obstacles in computer games

V domeni računalniških iger problem iskanja poti in izogibanja dinamičnim oviram predstavlja enega izmed osrednjih izzivov. Potrebno ga je razrešiti na način, ki opazovalcu ustvarja vtis inteligence. V sklopu tega magistrskega dela smo razvili metodo za iskanje najkrajše poti, ki omogoča predvidevanje položaja ovir. Najprej smo preučili in predstavili najpogostejše pristope k iskanju najkrajše poti in izogibanju oviram v računalniških igrah. Na tej osnovi smo zasnovali in opisali razvoj lastne metode, ki združuje principe napovedovanja poti in sodelovalnega iskanja. Z našo metodo smo v izbranih scenarijih dosegli boljše potovalne čase agentov do njihovega cilja, kot so jih imeli z uporabo tradicionalnega pristopa k izogibanju oviram.Finding the shortest path, while avoiding dynamic obstacles, is one of the most important challenges in the domain of computer games, as it is crucial for creating the illusion of an intelligent agent. In this master’s thesis, we describe a method for finding the shortest path by considering the future positions of dynamic obstacles. For this purpose, we first describe traditional approaches to finding the shortest path around dynamic obstacles in computer games and discuss in detail the development of our own method. This combines the principles of cooperative pathfinding with path prediction. Results showed that our method improves travel times in comparison to the traditional approaches