Socially-Aware Multimedia Dissemination in Personal Mobile Networks

Wireless Personal Communications - Mobile multimedia entertainment is pervasive on mobile devices, leading people to access, store and disseminate a diversity of multimedia contents anytime and...     

Characterization of Microencapsulated Rosemary Essential Oil and Its Antimicrobial Effect on Fresh Dough

This study aimed to characterize rosemary essential oil particles obtained by spray-drying and to evaluate their antimicrobial activity. Measurements of mycelial growth of Penicillium and Aspergillus fungi, isolated from fresh dough, were made applying oil concentrations of 1.0, 5.0, 10.0, 20.0, and 50.0 μL/mL. Fungi and yeast counts in the fresh dough submitted to the control (no oil), pure oil, and microencapsulated oil treatments were also conducted. The microcapsules showed 50 % oil retention after drying, and the major oil components identified were 1,8-cineole (29.0 %), camphor (26.6 %), and α-pinene (10.6 %). The analysis of the particles revealed surfaces without fissures, with a mean particle size of 12.2 μm and presenting an amorphous structure. The growth inhibiting effect of Penicillium sp. fungus, compared to the control, was verified at concentrations of 1.0, 5.0, and 10.0 μL/mL rosemary essential oil, which did not differ among them. For Aspergillus sp., the application of 10.0 μL/mL oil provided greater inhibition compared to 1.0 and 5.0 μL/mL. Complete inhibition occurred with the application of 50.0 μL/mL for both fungal genera tested. At 8 days of dough storage at 25 °C, a decrease of at least 0.7 and 1.5 log cycles of fungal growth was observed in the dough with pure oil and that with microencapsulated oil, respectively, relative to the control. The microencapsulation process retained the antimicrobial property of rosemary essential oil and provided further extension of this activity over time when applied to fresh dough.     

Nicotinic Acid Increases Adiponectin Secretion from Differentiated Bovine Preadipocytes through G-Protein Coupled Receptor Signaling

The transition period in dairy cows (3 weeks prepartum until 3 weeks postpartum) is associated with substantial mobilization of energy stores, which is often associated with metabolic diseases. Nicotinic acid (NA) is an antilipolytic and lipid-lowering compound used to treat dyslipidaemia in humans, and it also reduces non-esterified fatty acids in cattle. In mice the G-protein coupled receptor 109A (GPR109A) ligand NA positively affects the secretion of adiponectin, an important modulator of glucose and fat metabolism. In cattle, the corresponding data linking NA to adiponectin are missing. Our objective was to examine the effects of NA on adiponectin and AMPK protein abundance and the expression of mRNAs of related genes such as chemerin, an adipokine that enhances adiponectin secretion in vitro. Differentiated bovine adipocytes were incubated with pertussis toxin (PTX) to verify the involvement of GPR signaling, and treated with 10 or 15 µM NA for 12 or 24 h. NA increased adiponectin concentrations (p ≤ 0.001) and the mRNA abundances of GPR109A (p ≤ 0.05) and chemerin (p ≤ 0.01). Pre-incubation with PTX reduced the adiponectin response to NA (p ≤ 0.001). The NA-stimulated secretion of adiponectin and the mRNA expression of chemerin in the bovine adipocytes were suggestive of GPR signaling-dependent improved insulin sensitivity and/or adipocyte metabolism in dairy cows.     

Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Analysis of 4-Methylimidazole in Balsamic Vinegars and Processed Sauces

A gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method was optimized for quantification of 4-methylimidazole [4-MEI] in balsamic vinegars and processed sauces. The method used ion-pair extraction with bis-2-ethylhexylphosphate and derivatization with isobutylchloroformate, followed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) quantification using 2-ethylimidazole as internal standard. Performance characteristics such as linearity, recovery, and repeatability were good in a broad range of concentrations, and the limit of detection was low enough (130 ug/kg) to detect the presence of small quantities of the compound. A total of 35 samples were analyzed, including balsamic vinegars and processed sauces containing caramel in the ingredients list (soy, Worcestershire, Tonkatsu, Marinara, and Oyster sauces). The presence of 4-MEI was consistent with the presence of ammonia caramel (E150 c and d) in the ingredients list, with average values of 2431 ug/kg for balsamic vinegars and 804 ug/kg for processed sauces. These 4-MEI amounts are almost tenfold higher than those described for caramels containing beverages, which support the necessity to take an effective control on these products.     

Real time algorithms for digital pulse processing applied to gamma-ray and hard X-ray spectroscopy

The duration of a single plasma discharge in the next generation of fusion experiments will be much longer than in the present devices. Storing all raw data acquired in each discharge will be more difficult and the high rates achieved by the new digitizers are already contributing to storage overload. This gap can be mitigated by real time (RT) analysis and compression, using devices such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) capable to transfer and process data on the fly. However, to ensure a correct RT analysis, the FPGA algorithm must be adapted to the signal to be acquired. Since minor changes in signal shape may require significant algorithm modifications, it is important to know in advance the signal attributes. For that reason, the availability of more than one RT algorithm, especially during commissioning of new sub-systems and during campaigns with relevant changes in diagnostic conditions, is advantageous. This paper presents an implementation using two RT algorithms processing simultaneously, developed for the gamma-ray and hard X-ray diagnostics of the Joint European Torus (JET). Both algorithms perform pulse height analysis with pile-up rejection. While the first algorithm is suitable for Gaussian shaped pulses, the second is suitable for exponential signals. The algorithms are selectable by the user, during discharge configuration. Tests with radioactive sources made in JET are presented.     

High surface area LaNiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> electrodes for oxygen electrocatalysis in alkaline media

LaNiO₃ coatings on nickel-foam supports were prepared by brush painting. The electrochemical properties were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Comparative studies were performed with LaNiO₃-pelleted electrodes. The roughness factors were determined by CV and found to be 5,208 ± 350 and 4,037 ± 250 for the pelleted and coated electrodes, respectively. EIS measurements confirm the results obtained by CV. Values lower than 0.3 were calculated for the morphology factors for both electrodes, indicating low electrochemical porosity. The experimental method used in this work to synthesise the oxide coupled with the use of Ni foam as support has proved to be very effective in producing oxide electrodes with surface areas higher than those referred to in relevant literature.     

Comparative Fingerprint Changes of Toxic Volatiles in Low PUFA Vegetable Oils Under Deep-Frying

The volatile fraction of three vegetable oils recommended for deep‐frying due to their high MUFA:PUFA ratios, namely extra‐virgin olive oil, peanut oil and canola oil, was compared before and after frying potatoes, with a particular focus on toxic volatiles. For the purpose, a headspace solid‐phase‐micro extraction technique coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was optimized, with semi‐quantification achieved using two internal standards. Significant qualitative and quantitative differences were observed, both before and after frying. From a total of 51 compounds, aldehydes were the main group formed after deep‐frying, their nature and abundance being highly associated with the initial fatty acid composition, particularly linoleic acid (r² = ?0.999, p ≤ 0.001). Globally, extra‐virgin olive oil revealed fewer formations of unsaturated aldehydes, including toxic ones, and correlated with lower amounts of degradation indicators, as polar compounds (r² = 0.998, p ≤ 0.001) and p‐anisidine value (r² = 0.991, p ≤ 0.001). Despite the similarities in total unsaturation degree between canola and peanut oils, the former presented lower amount of volatiles, including E,E‐2,4‐decadienal and acrolein, the more toxic ones. These results highlight for the pertinence of volatile analyses to evaluate and compare oil degradation under thermal and oxidative stress, while complementing other degradation indicators. Additionally, the optimized methodology allows a direct comparison of different oil matrices, supporting further developments into more general methods for volatiles quantification, enabling more efficient comparison of results between research teams.     

Scenario evaluation for the management of household solid waste in small Brazilian municipalities

As achieving Brazil’s National Policy on Solid Waste-based goals effectively is not simple, there are alternatives such as intermunicipal cooperation by consortium or privatization. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the Greenhouse Gas emissions and energy use of six scenarios in two landfills contexts (private and consortium) for small municipalities (less than 100,000 inhabitants as per Brazilian standards) located in São Paulo, Brazil. Through the technique of scenario building and method of Waste Reduction Model was possible to obtain the total energy, the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂E) and carbon equivalent (CE) emissions. The best scenario integrates composting and recycling, reducing 72 % for CO₂E and CE emissions, and saving about 410 % in energy. The landfill consortium will only take advantage, if the location is the most ideal as far as possible. Small municipalities that do not dispose their waste in landfills compatible with regulatory standards may seek for intermunicipal cooperation and adopt integrated waste-management programmes to reduce their environmental impacts.