Synbiotic functional drink from Jerusalem artichoke juice fermented by probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum PCS26.

A probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum PCS26 was used to ferment Jerusalem artichoke juice. Growth kinetics of the bacterial strain was followed during juice fermentation both in flask and in laboratory fermentor. Jerusalem artichoke showed to be an excellent source of nutrients for L. plantarum PCS26 growth. The culture grew very well reaching more than 10(10) cfu/ml in just 12 h. The pH changed from the initial 6.5 to 4.6 at the end of fermentation. The culture hydrolyzed fructooligosaccharides present in the Jerusalem artichoke juice, yielding fructose which was presumably consumed along with the malic acid as energy and carbon source. Lactic acid was the main metabolite produced in concentration of 4.6 g/L. Acetic and succinic acid were also identified. Sensory evaluation of the fermented Jerusalem artichoke juice and its mixtures with blueberry juice showed that the 50/50 % v/v mixture would be very well accepted by the consumers. Above 80 % of the panelists would buy this drink, and over 60 % were willing to pay more for it. Culture survivability in the fermented juices during storage at 4-7 °C was assayed by the Weibullian model. The product shelf-life was extended from 19.70 ± 0.50 days of pure Jerusalem artichoke juice to 35.7 ± 6.4 days of the mixture containing 30 % blueberry juice.

Valorization of tomato processing by-products: Predictive modeling and optimization for ultrasound-assisted lycopene extraction.

Lycopene is a carotenoid highly valuable to the food, pharmaceutical, dye, and cosmetic industries, present in ripe tomatoes and other fruits with a distinctive red color. The main source of lycopene is tomato crops. This bioactive component can be successfully isolated from tomato processing waste, commonly called tomato pomace, mostly made from tomato skins, seeds, and some residual tomato tissue. The main investigative focus in this work was the application of green engineering principles in each stage of the optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of enzymatically treated tomato skins to obtain functional extracts rich in lycopene. The experimental plan was designed to determine the influence of studied operating parameters: enzymatic reaction time (60, 120, and 180 min), extraction time (0, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, and 120 min), and temperature (25, 35 and 45 ℃) on lycopene yield. Process optimization was performed based on the yield of lycopene [1018, 1067, and 1120 mg/kg] achieved at optimal operating conditions. An artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed and trained for predictive modeling of the closed extraction system, with operating parameters used as input neurons and experimentally obtained values for lycopene content defined as the output neural layer. Applied ANN architecture provided a high correlation of experimental output with ANN-generated data (R=0.99914) with a model deviation error for the entire data set of RMSE=5.3 mg/kg. The k-Nearest Neighbor algorithm was introduced to predict lycopene yield using experimental key features: operating temperature, extraction time, and time of enzymatic treatment, split into training and testing sets with an 85/15 ratio. The model interpretation was conducted through the SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) methodology.

Balaton Lake (virtual) projected and perceived destination image amid Covid-19 pandemic.

In days gone by, Balaton Lake predominately attracted domestic tourists, without focusing on the countries which neighbour Hungary and their respective markets. However, as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, domestic and regional tourism flows have been stimulated, as travel restrictions resulted in a tendency towards travel to local and neighbouring destinations. In line with these trends, the research investigates the congruence of both Balaton Lake's projected and perceived (virtual) destination image in the era of Covid-19, with Serbia being considered as a neighbouring and emitting market. The study deployed a sequential exploratory mixed-method approach (qualitative and then quantitative). The study contributes to the existing knowledge by addressing the gap between the visual and textual content of a projected (virtual) destination image and by acknowledging non-visitor perception of destination image in the context of pronounced regional international travel.

Molecular-frame 3D photoelectron momentum distributions by tomographic reconstruction.

Naphthalene molecules are fixed in space by a laser field and rotated, in 2° steps, over 180°. For each orientation, they are ionized by an intense, circularly polarized femtosecond laser pulse, and the 2D projection of the photoelectron momentum distribution is recorded. The molecular-frame 3D momentum distribution is obtained by tomographic reconstruction from all 90 projections. It reveals an anisotropic electron distribution, angularly shifted in the polarization plane, that is not accessible by the 2D momentum images. Our theoretical analysis shows that the magnitude of the angular shift is very sensitive to the exact form of the laser-modified molecular potential.

Time-resolved photoelectron angular distributions from strong-field ionization of rotating naphthalene molecules.

A nanosecond laser pulse confines the spatial orientation of naphthalene in 1D or 3D while a femtosecond kick pulse initiates rotation of the molecular plane around the fixed long axis. Time-dependent photoelectron angular distributions (PADs), resulting from ionization by an intense femtosecond probe pulse, exhibit pronounced changes as the molecular plane rotates. Enhanced 3D alignment, occurring shortly after the kick pulse, provides strongly improved contrast in molecular-frame PADs. Calculations in the strong-field approximation show that the striking structures observed in the PADs originate from nodal planes in occupied valence orbitals.

Correlation of trans-Lycopene Measurements by the HPLC Method with the Optothermal and Photoacoustic Signals and the Color Readings of Fresh Tomato Homogenates.

The trans-lycopene content of fresh tomato homogenates was assessed by means of the laser photoacoustic spectroscopy, the laser optothermal window, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and colorimetry; none of these methods require the extraction from the product matrix prior to the analysis. The wet chemistry method (high-performance liquid chromatography) was used as the absolute quantitative method. Analytical figures of merit for all methods were compared statistically; best linear correlation was achieved for the chromaticity index a* and chroma C*.

Ionization and recombination in intense, short electric field pulses.

We investigate ionization and excitation of H(1s) in the limit of very short electric field pulses, analytically and numerically and both in the limit of small and extremely large peak electric fields. We identify a process of recombination akin to Rabi flopping from the continuum and give an analytic expression for this process after a single-cycle strong-field pulse.