Enantioselective Gas Chromatography with Derivatized Cyclodextrins in the Flavour and Fragrance Field

This article deals with enantioselective gas chromatography (Es-GC) utilizing cyclodextrin derivatives as chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for chiral recognition in the flavour and fragrance field. It consists of two main parts. The first one concerns cyclodextrins and their use in Es-GC, and it deals with their introduction and evolution as CSPs in GC, together with some theoretical aspects involved with enantiomeric separation and their consequent influence on routine chiral recognition. The second part reports on the strategy of chiral recognition in routine analysis with cyclodextrin derivatives as CSP, illustrated with examples from the authors’ everyday experiences. This part describes how to identify enantiomers or to measure their excess or ratio determination in complex mixtures; in particular, it discusses the opportunities offered by multidimensional and fast GC techniques, the role of mass spectrometry, and the application of total analysis systems to chiral recognition.     

Quality and hygiene of beef burgers in relation to the addition of sodium ascorbate,sodium citrate and sodium acetate

We evaluated the effects of two additive mixtures (sodium ascorbate 1 g kg^?1, sodium citrate 1 g kg^?1 and sodium acetate 1.75 or 2.5 g kg^?1) on the microbiological and physical–chemical characteristics of non‐prepacked beef burgers stored in air at 4 °C or 12 °C for 96 h. Total microbial count reached 7 Log CFU g^?1 48 h later in treated samples at 4 °C. The mixture containing the higher acetate concentration led to a smaller increase in Gram‐negatives, in particular Pseudomonas (2 Log of difference towards control samples at 96 h); at 12 °C, a 1.7 Log difference in Enterobacteriaceae was also shown. Total viable basic nitrogen was significantly lower in the treated samples at 12 °C. The addition resulted in pH stabilisation and lower cooking loss and positively influenced the a* index of burgers at 4 °C. Clearly, the use of these mixtures should not be a substitute of good hygienic practices and optimal storage conditions.     

Tailored electrospun small-diameter graft for vascular prosthesis

There is an unmet need for engineering small vascular graft that can be anastomosed without inducing thrombosis. The objective of this work is to fabricate tubular graft with 2?mm of diameter with biomimetic mechanical and biological properties. Poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(glycerol sebacate) blends with different concentrations and ratios are used to fabricate fibrous grafts using electrospinning process. Porous and degradable scaffolds with enhanced mechanical properties and comparable suture retention to the native human artery are fabricated. Scaffold–blood interaction revealed good anticoagulation properties. The fabricated constructs can serve as biocompatible and hemocompatible vascular graft with enhanced mechanical properties.     

Cybersecurity investments with nonlinear budget constraints and conservation laws: variational equilibrium,marginal expected utilities,and Lagrange multipliers

In this paper, we propose a new cybersecurity investment supply chain game theory model, assuming that the demands for the product are known and fixed and, hence, the conservation law of each demand market is fulfilled. The model is a generalized Nash equilibrium model with nonlinear budget constraints for which we define the variational equilibrium, which provides us with a variational inequality formulation. We construct an equivalent formulation, enabling the analysis of the influence of the conservation laws and the importance of the associated Lagrange multipliers. We find that the marginal expected transaction utility of each retailer depends on this Lagrange multiplier and its sign. Finally, numerical examples with reported equilibrium product flows, cybersecurity investment levels, and Lagrange multipliers, along with individual firm vulnerability and network vulnerability, illustrate the obtained results.     

Enhanced technological and permeation properties of a microencapsulated soy isoflavones extract

Functional extracts from soybean have numerous health benefits deriving from their content in isoflavones, especially daidzein and genistein, natural antioxidant and estrogen-like (ES-like) molecules. However, soybeans denaturated dried extracts possess critical properties for industrial applications such as poor water-solubility and inadequate storage stability. The present research was aimed at developing a new sodium-carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) matrix by spray-drying to microencapsulate soy extracts obtaining enhanced technological and permeation properties. Microparticles (NaCMC-Iso) loaded with marketed soybeans extract (Iso), enriched in daidzein and genistein (about 90% w/w), were produced. Different liquid feeds, based on H₂O/EtOH/acetone co-solvent systems, and various process parameters were tested to obtain a free-flowing and manageable powder with satisfying yield. The engineered NaCMC-Iso powders showed satisfying loading efficiency, high flow properties, good stability and enhanced technological properties. Interestingly, the in vitro dissolution and permeation rates were dramatically improved suggesting a higher bioavailability after the oral administration. The made-up powder appears a newsworthy ingredient of easier manipulation for enclosing in dietary supplements and nutraceutical products.     

The Po River Delta (North Italy) Indoor Epidemiological Study: Home Characteristics,Indoor Pollutants,and Subjects' Daily Activity Pattern

Abstract A total of 140 homes in the Po River Delta area of North Italy (near Venice) were monitored during summer and winter to measure the concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and respirable suspended particulate matter (RSP, ≤ 2.5 μm). In this paper, the findings on home characteristics, daily activity pattern of occupants, and residential indoor air quality are described. Our study confirms that people spend the greater part of their daily lives indoors (84%), especially at home (64%). The concentration of monitored pollutants was greater in winter than in summer. The highest levels of NO₂ were found in the kitchens. Significantly higher indoor NO₂ levels were found in the houses with gas-furnace heating and/or with gas water heater located inside the home. RSP was significantly higher in homes where tobacco smoking took place, and was significantly related to the number of cigarettes smoked. A significant relationship between NO₂ indoor concentrations and RSP values in both seasons was found.     

When–and how–can a cellular automaton be rewritten as a lattice gas?

Both cellular automata (CA) and lattice-gas automata (LG) provide finite algorithmic presentations for certain classes of infinite dynamical systems studied by symbolic dynamics; it is customary to use the terms ‘cellular automaton’ and ‘lattice gas’ for a dynamic system itself as well as for its presentation. The two kinds of presentation share many traits but also display profound differences on issues ranging from decidability to modeling convenience and physical implementability.