Effects of fermentation and rye flour on microstructure and volatile compounds of chestnut flour based sourdoughs

The study is aimed at developing a new cereal-based product, with increased nutritional quality, by using natural fermentation of blends of chestnut and rye flour. In spite of the remarkable similarity, the technological potential of combinations of both flours has never been explored before. Three spontaneous chestnut/rye sourdough fermentations were performed over a period of twelve days with daily back-slopping. Samples taken at all refreshment steps were used for culture-dependent and culture-independent evaluation of the microbiota present. Dominant species basically overlapped to those associated to sourdoughs strengthened with chestnut flour, such as Pediococcus pentosaceus or Weissella paramesenteroides. Microstructures, evaluated by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy, revealed the presence in chestnut sourdoughs of a distinguishable network surrounding starch granules, while rye flour-added sourdoughs showed a less structured matrix. By gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, 51 volatile organic compounds were identified at 24 h and after prolonged fermentation. Within volatile organic compounds, alcohols, esters, acids, aldehydes and ketones, all well-known flavour compounds in sourdough fermentation, appeared as dominant. The PCA discriminated the sourdoughs into three distinct clusters and highlighted a clear influence of fermentation time on the volatile composition of sourdoughs.     

A field study on fertility and purity of sex-sorted cattle sperm

The study assessed the fertility and purity of sexed semen used for inseminating Holstein-Friesian heifers in commercial dairy herds. Sex-sorted semen from 4 proven Holstein-Friesian bulls and available under commercial conditions was used on nulliparous Holstein heifers reared on 61 dairy farms of northern Italy. Data from 536 artificial inseminations with pregnancy diagnosis and 258 calvings were analyzed using the logistic regression procedure. The effects of year and season of insemination or calving, age at insemination or calving, heifer inbreeding, and the sperm dose used for insemination on the probability of a positive pregnancy diagnosis or of the birth of a female calf, respectively, were studied. The overall pregnancy rate for sexed semen was 51% and was affected by year of insemination and bull. Heifers inseminated with sexed semen from 2 bulls had lower pregnancy rates than heifers inseminated with sexed semen from other bulls. Purity of the sexed sperm, based on the proportion of female calves, was 87% and this percentage was not affected by explanatory variables included in the logistic regression. The results demonstrate that bulls differ in terms of fertility of their sexed semen. Careful selection of the insemination sires used for sorted semen is advisable for avoiding low fertility inseminations.     

Enological characterization of natural hybrids from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. kudriavzevii

The effect of yeasts on wine flavor response is of primary importance. The genus Saccharomyces, and mainly the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is responsible for alcoholic fermentation. Recently, several novel yeast isolates from wines have been described as hybrid yeasts between S. cerevisiae x S. kudriavzevii. We have analyzed their influence on two grape musts (Macabeo and Tempranillo) in fermentations conducted at four different temperatures (14, 18, 22 and 32 degrees C) by studying volatile compound production, sugar assimilation and other characteristics influencing the enological properties of wine caused by the impact of yeast. Hybrid yeasts behave particularly well at 14, 18 and 22 degrees C and the commercial strain of S. cerevisiae (T73) is better adapted at higher temperatures. Regarding the production of glycerol, acetic acid and malic acid, the hybrids display moderate behavior and concerning aromatic compound production, they are greater producers of higher alcohols. The behavior displayed by these hybrids in the fermentations studied in this work leads us to conclude that the use of hybrid strains can constitute an advantage in wine making.     

The products of YCF1 and YLL015w (BPT1) cooperate for the ATP-dependent vacuolar transport of unconjugated bilirubin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Since bilirubin-like pigments are present in the environment as degradation products of heme-containing proteins, yeast could have developed a detoxifying system to transport these compounds into their vacuoles. Vacuoles from Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed an ATP-dependent, saturative transport of unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) that was reduced by 60% and 40% in YCF1 and YLL015w-deleted cells, respectively; the double deletant showed no UCB uptake. Conversely, the transport of bile acids (taurocholate) was comparable in wild and deleted stains. These data identify YCF1 and YLL015w, named BPT1 (Bile Pigment Transporter), as the genes responsible for ATP-dependent UCB transport in yeast. Since YCF1 and YLL015w are rather homologous with multidrug resistant proteins (MRPs), they also suggest the involvement of this class of transporters in the ATP-dependent transport of unconjugated bilirubin.     

Water Distribution Networks Resilience Analysis: a Comparison between Graph Theory-Based Approaches and Global Resilience Analysis

Water Resources Management - The structure and connectivity of infrastructure systems such as water distribution networks (WDNs) affect their reliability, efficiency and resilience. Suitable...     

Effects of composite beta- and kappa-casein genotypes on milk coagulation, quality, and yield traits in Italian Holstein cows

The aim of the study was to estimate the effect of the composite CSN2 and CSN3 genotypes on milk coagulation, quality, and yield traits in Italian Holstein cows. A total of 1,042 multiparous Holstein cows reared on 34 commercial dairy herds were sampled once, concurrently with monthly herd milk recording. The data included the following traits: milk coagulation time; curd firmness; pH and titratable acidity; fat, protein, and casein contents; somatic cell score; and daily milk, fat, and protein yields. A single-trait animal model was assumed with fixed effects of herd, days in milk, parity, composite casein genotype of CSN2 and CSN3 (CSN2-CSN3), and random additive genetic effect of an animal. The composite genotype of CSN2-CSN3 showed a strong effect on both milk coagulation traits and milk and protein yields, but not on fat and protein contents and other milk quality traits. For coagulation time, the best CSN2-CSN3 genotypes were those with at least one B allele in both the CSN2 and CSN3 loci. The CSN3 locus was associated more strongly with milk coagulation traits, whereas the CSN2 locus was associated more with milk and protein yields. However, because of the tight linkage between the 2 loci, the composite genotypes, or haplotypes, are more appropriate than the single-locus genotypes if they were considered for use in selection.     

PEMFC system simulation in MATLAB-Simulink environment

Modelling and simulation of PEM fuel cell stack operation is developed in Simulink^® environment and validated through experimental data. The present work is the starting point for the development of a user friendly and versatile tool aimed at controlling and optimizing the operation of a PEMFC stack; in addition, it could be of help in stack and BOP components design, for instance feeding and humidification systems, cooling circuit, temperature control logic and electrical interface. The constitutive equations used to model the FC stack operation are the fundamental equations of electrochemistry. First, the model is used to describe the behaviour of a single cell under steady-state conditions upon varying variables such as temperature, pressure and relative humidity of reactants; then, it is applied to simulate the operation of a stack configuration, including also fluid-dynamics aspects, thermal and kinetic behaviour of feed systems. In particular, thermal control modelling is based on a simplified approach where different heat removal mechanisms are accounted for in a separate way. In its present state, the simulation tool so developed allows a feasible investigation of some process variables influence on the FC stack performances. The stack modelling is tested against benchmark results obtained from a 300W 20-cell air-cooled stack under variable operative conditions. MEAs based on Nafion 112 and Carbon cloth GDLs developed ad hoc are assembled into each cell of the stack. Although the model is quite simple, these preliminary results point out that it may be an adequate tool to set design targets and support further steps of optimization.