Novel ferrofluids coated with a renewable material obtained from cashew nut shell liquid

In this work, we present the synthesis and characterization of a new surfactant molecule obtained from a byproduct of the cashew nut processing (diphosphorylated cardol, DPC). It is herein used to overcoat magnetic nanoparticles showing spinel structures in order to create new ferrofluids. The nanoparticle structure and magnetic properties have been deeply investigated. DPC-functionalized Fe₃O₄ and NiFe₂O₄ samples exhibit higher magnetic saturation than DPC–CoFe₂O₄. These new ferrofluids reveal appealing as possible nanoparticle stabilizing molecules, magnetic resonance imaging agents, storage systems or in any material science field that requires the employment of biocompatible magnetic stable fluids.     

A polyfluoroalkyl imidazolium ionic liquid as iodide ion source in dye sensitized solar cells

We report on the use of a fluorinated imidazolium ionic liquid as a source of iodide ions in solvent-based electrolytes for DSSCs. Efficient dye regeneration and fast charge transport in the fluorinated electrolyte result in an overall improvement of the device performances compared to conventional hydrogenated ionic liquids.     

Anthocyanins and betalains as light-harvesting pigments for dye-sensitized solar cells

We present the photoelectrochemical properties of dye-sensitized solar cells using natural pigments containing betalains and anthocyanins as sensitizers. The dyes extracted from grape, mulberry, blackberry, red Sicilian orange, Sicilian prickly pear, eggplant and radicchio have shown a monochromatic incident photon to current efficiency (IPCE) ranging from 40% to 69%. Short circuit photocurrent densities (J_sc) up to 8.8 mA/cm², and open circuit voltage (V_oc) ranging from 316 to 419 mV, were obtained from these natural dyes under 100 mW/cm² (AM 1.5) simulated sunlight. The best solar conversion efficiency of 2.06% was achieved with Sicilian prickly pear fruits extract. The influence of pH and co-absorbers on natural sensitizers, were investigated and discussed.     

A comprehensive meta-analysis on evidence of Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease: Are individual components equal?

Many studies have reported that higher adherence to Mediterranean diet may decrease cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and mortality. We performed a meta-analysis to explore the association in prospective studies and randomized control trials (RCTs) between Mediterranean diet adherence and CVD incidence and mortality. The PubMed database was searched up to June 2014. A total of 17 studies were extracted and 11 qualified for the quantitative analysis. Individuals in the highest quantile of adherence to the diet had lower incidence [relative risk (RR): 0.76, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.68, 0.83] and mortality (RR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.68, 0.83) from CVD compared to those least adherent. A significant reduction of risk was found also for coronary heart disease (CHD) (RR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.60, 0.86), myocardial infarction (MI) (RR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.54, 0.83), and stroke (RR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.60, 0.96) incidence. Pooled analyses of individual components of the diet revealed that the protective effects of the diet appear to be most attributable to olive oil, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. An average reduced risk of 40% for the aforementioned outcomes has been retrieved when pooling results of RCTs. A Mediterranean dietary pattern is associated with lower risks of CVD incidence and mortality, including CHD and MI. The relative effects of specific food groups should be further investigated.     

Process and terminations variations aware stability criteria for microwave amplifiers

Two novel process variations aware, necessary and sufficient conditions suitable for implementation in CAD optimizers are proposed to check amplifiers stability. Case studies are presented, showing that the new criteria allow robust amplifier design, under variation of active device immittance parameters in pre‐specified rectangular regions, due to manufacturing tolerances. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 23: 619–626, 2013.     

Zinc supplementation of Friesian cows: Effect on chemical-nutritional composition and aromatic profile of dairy products

Zinc represents an essential microelement for several biochemical mechanisms. The body's inability to store zinc necessarily requires a constant dietary supply to avoid alteration of physiological functions. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary enrichment with zinc on chemical-nutritional and aromatic properties of milk and cheese. Thirty commercial dairy cows, balanced for parity, milk production, and days in milk, were randomly assigned to 2 groups. The control group was fed with a conventional complete diet (22 kg of dry matter/animal per day), whereas the experimental group received a daily zinc supplementation of 60 mg per kg of dry complete feed. During the experimental period, the milk yield was monitored and samples of milk and caciotta cheese were collected to obtain information about the chemical-nutritional composition and aromatic profile. Dietary zinc integration did not influence milk yield and composition, but induced a marked reduction of somatic cell count and improved the oxidative stability of ripened caciotta cheese. In both milk and cheese, the experimental group samples were characterized by a lower concentration of saturated fatty acids and an increase in oleic acid, vaccenic acid, and rumenic acid. The aromatic profile of dairy products was also positively affected by dietary zinc intake, with an increase in concentration of carboxylic acids, aldehydes, and esters. The present results suggest a positive role of zinc in improving animal health and nutraceutical properties of milk and corresponding cheese. Taking into account the analysis of volatile compounds, zinc dietary supplementation of dairy cows should contribute to the production of cheeses with interesting organoleptic properties, although more studies are necessary to confirm the consumer acceptability of these changes.     

Assessment of intradialysis calcium mass balance by a single pool variable‐volume calcium kinetic model

Introduction: A reliable method of intradialysis calcium mass balance quantification is far from been established. We herein investigated the use of a single‐pool variable‐volume Calcium kinetic model to assess calcium mass balance in chronic and stable dialysis patients. Methods: Thirty‐four patients on thrice‐weekly HD were studied during 240 dialysis sessions. All patients were dialyzed with a nominal total calcium concentration of 1.50 mmol/L. The main assumption of the model is that the calcium distribution volume is equal to the extracellular volume during dialysis. This hypothesis is assumed valid if measured and predicted end dialysis plasma water ionized calcium concentrations are equal. A difference between predicted and measured end‐dialysis ionized plasma water calcium concentration is a deviation on our main hypothesis, meaning that a substantial amount of calcium is exchanged between the extracellular volume and a nonmodeled compartment. Findings: The difference between predicted and measured values was 0.02 mmol/L (range ?0.08:0.16 mmol/L). With a mean ionized dialysate calcium concentration of 1.25 mmol/L, calcium mass balance was on average negative (mean ± SD ?0.84 ± 1.33 mmol, range ?5.42:2.75). Predialysis ionized plasma water concentration and total ultrafiltrate were the most important predictors of calcium mass balance. A significant mobilization of calcium from the extracellular pool to a nonmodeled pool was calculated in a group of patients. Discussion: The proposed single pool variable‐volume Calcium kinetic model is adequate for prediction and quantification of intradialysis calcium mass balance, it can evaluate the eventual calcium transfer outside the extracellular pool in clinical practice.     

Structure–composition relationships of the traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena close to jamming transition (part II): Threshold control parameters

The Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (TBVM) is a high-valuable Italian specialty that, for reasons not yet fully explained, may undergo non-equilibrium degrading phenomena involving phase separation and flow arrest caused by solidification with or without crystalline order. TBVM was probed for its microstructure and composition as well as for its flow ability under low- and high shear limits. Results indicated vinegar concentration, temperature and viscosity as three independent variables affecting the extent of solidification in TBVM. Polymer-mediated mechanisms and diffusion-limited kinetics were hypothesized for structure development. Three main experimental evidences offered a convincing proof unifying all solidification phenomena observed in TBVM under the concept of colloidal jamming transition: (i) simultaneous presence of fractal-like aggregated colloids and polydispersed biopolymers; (ii) non-linear shear dependence above a critical level of vinegar concentration; (iii) a modified Krieger–Dougherty model satisfactorily described scaling behavior of relative viscosity accounting for the fractal dimension of jammed structure. Threshold for jamming in TBVM was defined in terms of critical concentration of the overall structure-active constituents (corresponding to 72°Bx and 40% w/w of the main sugars) and maximum resistance to the Newtonian flow (the onset for shear-thinning flow was achieved with a low-shear limiting viscosity of about 0.95 Pa·s).     

Performance Driven WS Orchestration and Deployment in Service Oriented Infrastructure

Composite Web services (WS) can be seen as software systems designed according to workflow-based orchestration of building blocks or simpler WS. Each block has its own specifications concerning both functional and non-functional properties. While the characteristics of each block have a scope limited to its domain, the WS must guarantee service levels that are usually described by global end-to-end metrics. The problem of relating local to global objectives in WS orchestration is hard to approach. In this context, some WS components have to be deployed in distributed service oriented infrastructure mixing heterogeneous systems belonging to private and/or public providers. In this paper we propose a performance-driven technique for designing and deploying composite WS on heterogeneous service oriented infrastructure. Users having different requirements in terms of resource demands and performance objectives are considered. Several WS deployment alternatives, involving both physical and virtual resources provided by the infrastructure, are evaluated to identify the logical (workflow) and physical (deployment) configuration allowing to meet the requirements. In order to demonstrate the suitability of the proposed approach to the service oriented context, an example of a travel management WS is described and the optimal deployment of the components in a hybrid infrastructure is investigated.