The effect of rice bran on physicochemical,textural and glycaemic properties of ready-to-eat extruded corn snacks

In this work, corn extruded snack products were enriched with rice bran (RB) at 10% and 15%. A co-rotating twin-screw extruder was used with a feed moisture content of 16 g 100 g⁻¹, a screw speed of 240 r.p.m. and four heating sections of the barrel (100, 140, 150 and 150 °C). The impact of RB inclusion on nutritional profile, starch digestion, physicochemical and textural properties of snack products was evaluated. RB-enriched extrudates showed a lower specific volume and hardness and higher crispness than control. RB at 15% gave a water-holding capacity lower than control. Rheology of extrudate dispersions indicated an increase in elastic interactions and solid-like behaviour with RB supplementation. Differences in rheological properties resulted in attenuation of predictive glycaemic response for RB-enriched snacks.     

Quality assessment of bed sediments of the Po River (Italy)

Comprehensive and contemporary evaluations of physical, chemical and toxicological endpoints have been performed on bed sediments of the Po River, the major Italian watercourse. Two extensive sampling campaigns were conducted in summer and winter low-flow conditions. Composite sediment samples were collected from ten reaches of the main river: the first was located in the upper region (ambient control), and the others downstream of the confluences of nine principal tributaries. The two sampling programs were paralleled by contemporary investigations on the macroinvertebrate community. The particle-size composition along the Po River showed a relatively uniform distribution of fine sand, a progressive downstream decrease of coarse sands and a corresponding increase of fine materials. The levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), extractable organo halides (EOX), Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined in sediment fine particles (< 63 microm), and showed marked changes across the ten river reaches. Their longitudinal trends, as those of organic carbon and total nitrogen, were very similar and largely independent of the survey season. Sediment quality benchmarks were used to evaluate sediment chemistry, and, although the overall level of contamination was from moderate to low, the reaches located downstream of the tributaries Dora Riparia, Dora Baltea, Lambro and Oglio were considered to be at risk. Sediments were tested for toxicity on Oncorhynchus mykiss, Ceriodaphnia dubia, Raphidocelis subcapitata and Vibrio fischeri. The toxicity tests were conducted both with sediment extracts and whole samples. Sediment extracts showed toxic potentials that were consistent with the spatial distribution of contaminants. Whole-sediment toxicity showed moderate/low effects which also included false positives and negatives. Alterations of the macroinvertebrate community were found for many kilometers downstream of Dora Riparia, and with a seasonal dependence, also in other reaches of the Italian river. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to describe the longitudinal and temporal changes of the Po River, and allowed the selection of the most useful and discriminating indicators.     

Metal speciation and pH effect on Pb,Cu, Zn and Cd biosorption onto Sphaerotilus natans: Langmuir-type empirical model

Biosorption data of lead, copper, zinc and cadmium onto Sphaerotilus natans at different equilibrium pH (3-5 units) were here reported and analysed. Experimental results outlined the positive effect of pH increase on pollutant uptake and also the biomass affinity series (Pb > Cu > Zn > Cd) reflecting the hydrolytic properties of metals. An original empirical model was proposed to represent the effect of pH on heavy metal biosorption inserting q(max) vs. pH empirical functions into the classical Langmuir isotherm.     

Electrically insulating polymeric nanocomposites with enhanced thermal conductivity by visible‐light curing of epoxy–boron nitride nanotube formulations

Epoxy–boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) composites were prepared using visible light through a radical‐induced cationic polymerization method activated by camphorquinone. The fully cured films showed an enhancement of glass transition temperature in the presence of the filler. Electrical characterization showed a slight dielectric constant decrease with BNNT content. Finally, thermal conductivity measured using nano‐flash analysis showed a linear increase in the thermal conductivity of the materials with increasing BNNT content in the photocurable formulations. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Model and algorithm for computer-aided inventive problem analysis

The paper presents the research activity developed by the authors in the field of computer-aided inventive problem solving: an original model and a dialogue-based software application have been developed by integrating the logic of ARIZ (Algorithm for the Inventive Problem Solving) with some OTSM-TRIZ (General Theory of Powerful Thinking) models in order to guide a user also with no TRIZ education to the analysis of inventive problems. The paper demonstrates that through a dialogue-based interaction it is possible to guide the user towards a proper formulation of the problem statement, which is an essential step of any conceptual design activity. The proposed software system, although still at a prototype stage, has been tested with students at Politecnico di Milano and at the University of Florence. The paper details the structure of the algorithm and the results of the first validation activity; then, it discusses about the possibility to integrate the proposed approach into a new generation of CAD systems.     

Increasing espresso coffee brew antioxidant capacity using phenolic extract recovered from hazelnut skin waste

The simultaneous consumption of different classes of phytochemical antioxidants in the diet can result in more beneficial effects than when consumed alone. In the present study, the in vitro and in vivo antioxidative effects of espresso coffee brew (EC) (rich in chlorogenic acids) with added crude hazelnut skin phenolic extract (HSPE) from hazelnut skin waste (rich in flavonoids) were studied. Both post-brewing and pre-brewing phenolic-enriched espresso coffees (PE-ECs) were analysed for total phenols and screened for their in vitro antiradical ability. Moreover, the in vivo biological effect on the antioxidant potential of plasma in rats was evaluated. The PE-ECs showed increased both in vitro and in vivo antiradical activity proportional to the added HSPE. The in vivo experiments suggested that HSPE was much more antioxidant active than the phenolic fraction naturally contained in EC. Moreover, evidence of possible synergic effects of EC and HSPE phenolics was observed in vivo.     

The impact of related variety on the creative employment growth

Cultural and creative industries (CCIs) have recently become highly relevant with regard to creative economy research, as they are considered drivers of regional and urban innovation policies and economic growth. CCIs are a priority sector on the European agenda and represent an excellent opportunity to exit the current economic crisis. In the literature, the most discussed aspect of CCIs is their value creation ability, which is due to a high degree of diversity/variety, and their impact on innovation within the wider economy, which results from the activation of cross-fertilisation processes between different sectors. Evolutionary economic geography (EEG), adopting the recently established approach based on related variety, also emphasises the issues of diversity/variety as determinants of local and urban development and innovation. This interesting and complex theoretical framework has produced a considerable number of empirical studies, none of which has been specifically applied to the creative sector. With the present study, we intended to contribute to the debate on creative economy research and EEG by investigating the impact of variety in CCIs in Italy, following the related-variety approach and using a long-term employment perspective (1991–2011). The results indicated that related variety has an important effect on the growth of creative industries, characterised by high internal connections between different creative activities. Our outcomes also led us to reassess the view held by some, namely, that creative industries can actually make a strong impact on economic growth in the wider economy; this did not appear to emerge in the Italian context, according to the methodologies we used.     

Minor components in the sex pheromone of legume podborer: Maruca vitrata development of an attractive blend

The legume podborer, Maruca vitrata (syn. M. testulalis) (F.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a pantropical pest of legume crops. Sex pheromone was collected by gland extraction or trapping of volatiles from virgin female moths originating in India, West Africa, or Taiwan. Analysis by GC-EAG and GC-MS confirmed previously published findings that (E,E)-10,12- hexadecadienal is the most abundant EAG-active component with 2–5% of (E,E)-10,12-hexadecadienol also present. At least one other EAG response was detected at retention times typical of monounsaturated hexadecenals or tetradecenyl acetates, but neither could be detected by GC-MS. Laboratory wind-tunnel bioassays and a field bioassay of blends of (E,E)-10,12-hexadecadienal with (E,E)-10,12-hexadecadienol and a range of monounsaturated hexadecenal and tetradecenyl acetate isomers indicated greatest attraction of males was to those including (E,E)-10,12-hexadecadienol and (E)-10-hexadecenal as minor components. In subsequent trapping experiments in cowpea fields in Benin, traps baited with a three-component blend of (E,E)-10,12-hexadecadienal and these two minor components in a 100:5:5 ratio caught significantly more males than traps baited with the major component alone, either two-component blend, or virgin female moths. Further blend optimization experiments did not produce a more attractive blend. No significant differences in catches were found between traps baited with polyethylene vials or rubber septa, or between lures containing 0.01 and 0.1 mg of synthetic pheromone. Significant numbers of female M. vitrata moths, up to 50% of total catches, were trapped with synthetic blends but not with virgin females. At present there is no clear explanation for this almost unprecedented finding, but the phenomenon may improve the predictive power of traps for population monitoring.     

Platelet lysate and adipose mesenchymal stromal cells on silk fibroin nonwoven mats for wound healing

In this work platelet lysate (PL) and adipose‐derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ASCs) seeded on nonwoven fibroin mats were in vitro and in vivo evaluated for tissue regenerative applications. Nonwoven mats obtained by a large scale water entanglement technique were characterized for their physico‐chemical properties. Results indicated a high purity of fibroin fibers, their stability after sterilization process and appropriate technological properties suitable for tissue engineering. Moreover, the scaffolds in vitro supported adhesion and migration of ASCs and the presence of PL improved the cell proliferation. The products were then applied on epithelial/dermal wounds carried out on the dorsal surface of rabbit: the skin reparative process was solved in 9 days, with a completely restitutio ad integrum of the epithelium in animals treated with PL alone; ASCs did not further improve the wound healing. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42942.