Effect of lipase‐producing yeast on the oily fraction of microbiologically debittered table olives

This study was carried out to evaluate the influence of the lipase‐producing yeasts, present in the brine, on the quality of table olive oil. The oily fraction of olives processed microbiologically using the β‐glucosidase‐positive, lipase‐negative yeast Candida wickerhamii 1542 showed an excellent quality, such as the typical extra‐virgin olive oil. In contrast, the quality of the oily fraction of olives debittered microbiologically with the β‐glucosidase‐ and lipase‐producing yeast Williopsis californica 1639 worsened dramatically to such a point that the acidity of the oily fraction increased more than 90%. The microbiological analysis of brines showed that the lipase‐producing yeasts are part of the natural yeast population of the brine, and when their presence is high, it can damage significantly the quality of table olives. The lipase‐producing yeast W. californica 1639 in the brine showed the maximum lipolytic activity at pH 6, while the NaCl of the brine, at the maximum concentration of 12%, inhibited lipase activity by 70%. The concentration of the polyphenols present in the brine was not able to control the lipolytic activity of W. californica 1639 during the microbiological debittering process of table olives.     

Synthesis and characterization of a homoleptic titanium dihydrobis(pyrazol-1-yl)borate complex

The neutral titanium(III) complex Ti(BP)₃ {BP = dihydrobis(pyrazol-1-yl)borate} was synthesized by reacting TiCl₃(THF)₂ with an excess of the potassium salt of the ligand in THF. The compound was isolated as a green solid and characterized by elemental analysis, NMR and IR spectroscopy, Mass spectrometry and magnetic and conductivity measurements. The molecular ion was detected in the Mass spectrum. ¹¹B NMR data suggested a distortion from the ideal octahedral geometry caused by the d¹ electronic configuration of the metal centre and this hypothesis was confirmed by means of DFT calculations.     

Tracer Chromatographic Adsorption Studies in Relation to Liquid-Phase Catalysis

The hydrophobic or hydrophilic properties of solid catalysts often have a crucial influence on their properties in liquid-phase catalytic reactions. Several methods to measure liquid-phase adsorption on catalytic solids are compared, and special attention is given to the liquid chromatographic method. The experimental setup and the determination of adsorption constants are discussed. Finally, adsorption data measured via the chromatographic method are used to gain insight into liquid-phase catalytic reactions, particularly oxidations with Ti zeolites.     

Conformationally Constrained Histidines in the Design of Peptidomimetics: Strategies for the χ-Space Control

A successful design of peptidomimetics must come to terms with χ-space control. The incorporation of χ-space constrained amino acids into bioactive peptides renders the χ(1) and χ(2) torsional angles of pharmacophore amino acids critical for activity and selectivity as with other relevant structural features of the template. This review describes histidine analogues characterized by replacement of native α and/or β-hydrogen atoms with alkyl substituents as well as analogues with α, β-didehydro unsaturation or C(α)-C(β) cyclopropane insertion (ACC derivatives). Attention is also dedicated to the relevant field of β-aminoacid chemistry by describing the synthesis of β(2)- and β(3)-models (β-hHis). Structural modifications leading to cyclic imino derivatives such as spinacine, aza-histidine and analogues with shortening or elongation of the native side chain (nor-histidine and homo-histidine, respectively) are also described. Examples of the use of the described analogues to replace native histidine in bioactive peptides are also given.     

Grasping devices and methods in automated production processes

In automated production processes grasping devices and methods play a crucial role in the handling of many parts, components and products. This keynote paper starts with a classification of grasping phases, describes how different principles are adopted at different scales in different applications and continues explaining different releasing strategies and principles. Then the paper classifies the numerous sensors used to monitor the effectiveness of grasping (part presence, exchanged force, stick-slip transitions, etc.). Later the grasping and releasing problems in different fields (from mechanical assembly to disassembly, from aerospace to food industry, from textile to logistics) are discussed. Finally, the most recent research is reviewed in order to introduce the new trends in grasping. They provide an outlook on the future of both grippers and robotic hands in automated production processes.     

Criticisms on and comparison of experimental channel backscattering extraction methods

In this paper we critically review and compare experimental methods, based on the Lundstrom model, to extract the channel backscattering ratio in nano MOSFETs. Basically two experimental methods are currently used, the most common of them is based on the measurement of the saturation drain current at different temperatures. We show that this method is affected by very poor assumptions and that the extracted backscattering ratio strongly underestimates its actual value posing particular attention to the backscattering actually extracted in nano devices. The second method is based on the direct measurement of the inversion charge by CV characteristics and gets closer to the physics of the backscattering model. We show, through measurements in high mobility p-germanium devices, how the temperature-based method gives the same result of the CV-based method once that its approximations are removed. Moreover we show that the CV-based method uses a number of approximations which are partially inconsistent with the model. In particular we show, with the aid of 2D quantum corrected device simulations, that the value of the barrier lowering obtained through the CV-based method is totally inconsistent with the barrier lowering used to correct the inversion charge and that the extracted saturation inversion charge is underestimated.     

Synthesis and characterization of mesoporous silica SBA 15 improved the efficacy of CORM-2 against hypoxia reoxygenation injury

Journal of Porous Materials - Carbon monoxide releasing molecule-2 (CORM-2) exhibited protection against cardiac hypoxia reoxygenation injury (H/R). However, its poor water solubility and short...     

A correlation for the pressure drop in monolithic silica columns

To gain insight into how the pressure drop in monolithic silica columns is determined by the microscopic details of the pore structure, a series of well-validated computational fluid dynamics simulations has been performed on a simplified model structure, the so-called tetrahedral skeleton column. From these simulations, a direct correlation between the pressure drop and two main structural properties (skeleton thickness and column porosity) of the monolithic skeleton could be established. The correlation shows good agreement with the experimental pressure-drop data available from the literature on silica monoliths, especially when a correction for the flow-through pore size heterogeneity is made. The established correlation also yields a much more accurate representation of the relation between the flow resistance and the bed porosity than does the Kozeny-Carman model, making it much better suited for porosity optimization calculations.     

Designing assembly lines with humans and collaborative robots: A genetic approach

Human-robot collaboration represents a significant evolutionary step in manufacturing. A crucial point is to establish a proper task assignment to combine robot productivity with human flexibility. In this regard, this paper proposes a genetic algorithm to approach the Assembly Line Balancing Problem (ALBP) in the case of human-robot collaborative work. The aim is the minimization of: i) the assembly line cost, evaluated according to the number of workers and equipment on the line, including collaborative robots, ii) the number of skilled workers on the line, iii) the energy load variance among workers, based on their energy expenditures and thus on their physical capabilities and on the level of collaboration with robots.