Determination of metals in wine with atomic spectroscopy (flame-AAS, GF-AAS and ICP-AES); a review

Metals in wine occur at the mg l 1 level or less and, though not directly related to the taste of the final product, their content should be determined because excess is undesirable, and in some cases prohibited, due to potential toxicity. Lead content in wine, for example, is restricted in several states by legislation to guarantee consumer health protection. Of several methods for metal determination, techniques of atomic spectroscopy are the most sensitive and rapid. Most of the elements present in wine can be determined with these techniques, at concentrations ranging from the mg l -1 to the μg l -1 level. Here, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), flame atomic absorption spectrometry (flame-AAS) and graphite furnace-atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS) are compared for their characteristics as employed in metal determination in wine.     

Significant improvement of the oxygen permeation flux of tubular Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3 − δ membranes covered by a thin La0.6Sr0.4Ti0.3Fe0.7O3 − δ layer

We present a new method to improve the oxygen flux properties and stability of Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3 − δ tube membrane using a thin layer of La_0.6Sr_0.4Ti_0.3Fe_0.7O_3 − δ as protective coatings. The first relevant result is that the La_0.6Sr_0.4Ti_0.3Fe_0.7O_3 − δ protective layer had an extraordinary positive effect on improving the oxygen permeation flux of the tubular Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3 − δ membranes. La_0.6Sr_0.4Ti_0.3Fe_0.7O_3 − δ-coated Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3 − δ tubular membrane showed the highest oxygen permeability with the flux reaching ~ 3 ml cm⁻² min⁻¹ (oxygen purity > 99%) at 950 °C in static atmospheric pressure through a 1.0 mm thick membrane.     

On‐Chip Magnetic Platform for Single‐Particle Manipulation with Integrated Electrical Feedback

Methods for the manipulation of single magnetic particles have become very interesting, in particular for in vitro biological studies. Most of these studies require an external microscope to provide the operator with feedback for controlling the particle motion, thus preventing the use of magnetic particles in high‐throughput experiments. In this paper, a simple and compact system with integrated electrical feedback is presented, implementing in the very same device both the manipulation and detection of the transit of single particles. The proposed platform is based on zig‐zag shaped magnetic nanostructures, where transverse magnetic domain walls are pinned at the corners and attract magnetic particles in suspension. By applying suitable external magnetic fields, the domain walls move to the nearest corner, thus causing the step by step displacement of the particles along the nanostructure. The very same structure is also employed for detecting the bead transit. Indeed, the presence of the magnetic particle in suspension over the domain wall affects the depinning field required for its displacement. This characteristic field can be monitored through anisotropic magnetoresistance measurements, thus implementing an integrated electrical feedback of the bead transit. In particular, the individual manipulation and detection of single 1‐μm sized beads is demonstrated.     

Proteomics and Extracellular Vesicles as Novel Biomarker Sources in Peritoneal Dialysis in Children

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) represents the dialysis modality of choice for pediatric patients with end-stage kidney disease. Indeed, compared with hemodialysis (HD), it offers many advantages, including more flexibility, reduction of the risk of hospital-acquired infections, preservation of residual kidney function, and a better quality of life. However, despite these positive aspects, PD may be associated with several long-term complications that may impair both patient’s general health and PD adequacy. In this view, chronic inflammation, caused by different factors, has a detrimental impact on the structure and function of the peritoneal membrane, leading to sclerosis and consequent PD failure both in adults and children. Although several studies investigated the complex pathogenic pathways underlying peritoneal membrane alterations, these processes remain still to explore. Understanding these mechanisms may provide novel approaches to improve the clinical outcome of pediatric PD patients through the identification of subjects at high risk of complications and the implementation of personalized interventions. In this review, we discuss the main experimental and clinical experiences exploring the potentiality of the proteomic analysis of peritoneal fluids and extracellular vesicles as a source of novel biomarkers in pediatric peritoneal dialysis.     

On the incremental growth and shrinkage of LR goto-graphs

The LR(0) goto-graph is the basis for the construction of parsers for several interesting grammar classes such as LALR and GLR. Early work has shown that even when a grammar is an extension to another, the goto-graph of the first is not necessarily a subgraph of the second. Some authors presented algorithms to grow and shrink these graphs incrementally, but the formal proof of the existence of a particular relation between a given goto-graph and a grown or shrunk counterpart seems to be still missing in literature as of today. In this paper we use the recursive projection of paths of limited length to prove the existence of one such relation, when the sets of productions are in a subset relation. We also use this relation to present two algorithms (Grow and Shrink) that transform the goto-graph of a given grammar into the goto-graph of an extension or a restriction to that grammar. We implemented these algorithms in a dynamically updatable LALR parser generator called DEXTER (the Dynamically EXTEnsible Recognizer) that we are now shipping with our current implementation of the Neverlang framework for programming language development.     

A conforming triangular finite element plate bending solution

A conforming plate bending solution using simple polynomial deflection functions of third-degree inside each triangular element is presented. In order to avoid normal slope discontinuities along the sides of the elements, the plate displacement parameters are subjected to ‘slope continuity conditions’ acting as constraints to the minimum potential energy problem. This is then solved by the classical method of Lagrange introducing multipliers as new auxiliary variables. If a special variational formulation of the problem is used, it can be shown that the Lagrangean multipliers are generalized stress parameters. The suggested solution is therefore basically a ‘mixed’ solution, the unknown variables of the problem being both displacement and stress parameters. Several numerical results are presented.     

Mathematical definition and analysis of the retinex algorithm

We present a detailed mathematical analysis of the original Retinex algorithm due to Land and McCann [J. Opt. Soc. Am. 61, 1 (1071)]. To this end, we propose an analytic formula that describes the algorithm behavior. More than one Retinex version (e.g., with and without threshold) is examined. The behavior of Retinex varying the number of paths is predicted, and its recursive iterations are mathematically analyzed using the formula. The mathematical setting presented serves as a common ground for the various Retinex implementations. Its validity is confirmed by the tests on images that we have performed.     

An integrated look at the effect of structure on nutrient bioavailability in plant foods

The true bioavailability of a nutrient being intrinsically coupled to the specific food matrix in which it occurs remains poorly considered in nutrition science. During digestion, the food matrix and, in particular, the structure of food modulate the extent and kinetics to which nutrients and bioactive compounds make themselves available for absorption. In this perspective, we describe an integrated look at the effect of structure on nutrient bioavailability in plant foods. Based on this integrated look, cell wall integrity and the particle size of the plant material during its transit in the small intestine determine the bioavailability of plant nutrients; in turn, cell wall integrity and particle size are determined by the level of oral processing and, accordingly, what subsequently escapes digestion in the upper intestine and is utilized by colon microbiota. Ultimately, the effect on nutrient digestion is linked to food structure through each step of digestion. A consideration of the structure rather than just the composition of foods opens up possibilities for the design of healthier foods. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry