Temperature and storage effects on antioxidant activity of juice from red and white grapes

The effect of temperature and storage time on the phenolic composition and on the antioxidant activity of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) juices made using a red (Sangiovese, SG) and a white (Muscat of Alexandria, MA) variety was studied. Total phenolics, flavonoids, flavan‐3‐ols and hydroxycinnamoyl‐tartrates (HCT) were determined on grape extracts (GE) and juices. Total anthocyanins and anthocyanins composition were measured on GE. The antioxidant activity was assessed by means of two different in vitro tests: scavenging of the stable 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radical and the inhibition of tyrosine nitration mediated by authentic peroxynitrite (ONOO^?). All the juices were analysed after 24 h and 2 weeks of storage by means of two‐way anova (factors being cultivar and temperature). Anthocyanins were not detected in MA extract, whereas in SG their content was 534 mg malvidin‐equivalent per 100 g of dry matter (d.m.) and malvidin derivatives (glycosylated and coumaroylated) were the most represented (respectively 169 and 41 malvidin‐equivalent per 100 g of d.m.). HCT content of the extracts was higher in SG (overall +33%). Also in grape juices, HCT were lower in MA and in this variety, the trans‐fertaric and cis‐coutaric acids were also undetectable. Cultivar effect proved to be highly significant, while no significant differences in the phenolic composition were observed for storage temperatures (4 and ?20 °C) and cultivar × temperature interaction. However, when statistical analysis was focused on each cultivar, MA was found to be more sensible to storage conditions and a significant reduction in total phenolics (?20%) and flavonoids (?53%) content and in the ONOO^? scavenging potential (?32%) was evident after 2 weeks at 4 °C (when compared with the same storage temperature after 24 h). On the contrary, SG juices did not show significant differences among the four storage treatments investigated. These results could be explained suggesting that anthocyanins presence in red grape plays a key role in juice stability.     

A voltage controlled CMOS current divider with linear characteristic

A compact voltage controlled CMOS current divider is presented. Differently from previous implementations, exploiting the MOSFET translinear characteristics in subthreshold region, the proposed circuit is based on devices operating from moderate to strong inversion. An input current linearity range of nearly a decade is obtained by compensating for the deviations from the ideal drain current square-law approximation through an original empirical approach. The circuit is suitable for use as a building block in analog multipliers and for transconductor continuous tuning. The effectiveness of the proposed configuration is demonstrated by means of electrical simulations, performed on a prototype designed with a commercial process. The robustness of the linearization algorithm with respect to temperature variations is proven.     

Cyclic bond behaviour of plain bars. Part I: Experimental investigation

In recent years there has been wide use of non-linear dynamic analysis for the evaluation of existing structures in areas of high seismic risk. In the simulation of the cyclic behaviour of elements in reinforced concrete (RC) its bonding performance cannot be ignored. There are numerous numerical models developed in recent decades which can explicitly account for the slip between reinforcing bars and the surrounding concrete through the definition of the local hysteretic bond–slip relationship. As for plain bars, commonly used in reinforced concrete buildings before the 1970s, there are almost no references to hysteretic bond mechanisms.This paper describes the results of a series of monotonic and cyclic pull-out tests aimed at the assessment of the bond performances of plain round bars. Monotonic behaviour is characterized by a first ascending branch, up to the maximum bond strength; in this phase, as the slip increases, chemical–physical adhesion and micro-interlocking between the cement paste and the indentations of the bar surface progressively activate. During post-peak phase the only frictional contribute is present, gradually degrading towards a minimum value as the slip increases. The two parameters, maximum bond strength and minimum frictional bond, in spite of the high variability shown, seem to reflect well the literature indications about bond performances of plain bars. In cyclic field, where the only frictional mechanism is present, experimental results show a significant degradation of bond capacities. Hysteretic cycles show a singular shape, characterized by a reloading phase showing a slight reduction for slip values approaching zero and a subsequent increase in bond stress towards the maximum imposed slip. Bond stresses in cyclic field show a high variability, but it is generally possible to recognize a decreasing trend both with the number of cycles and with the maximum imposed slip.     

Discontinuous Galerkin Methods Based on Weighted Interior Penalties for Second Order PDEs with Non-smooth Coefficients

We develop and analyze a Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method based on weighted interior penalties (WIP) applied to second order (elliptic) PDEs and in particular to advection-diffusion-reaction equations featuring non-smooth and possibly vanishing diffusivity. First of all, looking at the derivation of a DG scheme with a bias to domain decomposition methods, we carefully discuss the set up of the discretization scheme in a general framework putting into evidence the helpful role of the weights and the connection with the well known Local Discontinuous Galerkin schemes (LDG). Then, we address the a-priori error analysis of the method, recovering optimal error estimates in suitable norms. By virtue of the introduction of the weighted penalties, these results turn out to be robust with respect to the diffusion parameter. Furthermore, we discuss the derivation of an a-posteriori local error indicator suitable for advection-diffusion-reaction problems with highly variable, locally small diffusivity. All the theoretical results are illustrated and discussed by means of numerical experiments.     

Tailoring Effective FeOx/SiO2 Catalysts in Methane to Formaldehyde Partial Oxidation

A preparation method of highly effective methane to formaldehyde partial oxidation (MPO) FeO_x/SiO₂ catalysts (Fe 0.09--0.43 wt%) is reported, based on adsorption-precipitation (ADS/PRC) of Fe^II ions under controlled conditions. The performance of ADS/PRC catalysts in the MPO reaction at 650 °C has been compared with that of conventional systems prepared by incipient wetness (INC/WET) of silica carriers with aqueous solutions of Fe^III. The ADS/PRC method, likely enabling a higher dispersion of the active phase, provides very effective MPO catalysts featuring CH₄ turnover frequency (TOF) and HCHO productivity (STY_HCHO) values larger than those of the counterpart INC/WET systems.     

Influence of pH and temperature on the growth of and toxin production by neurotoxigenic strains of Clostridium butyricum type E

Strains of Clostridium butyricum that produce botulinal toxin type E have been implicated in outbreaks of foodborne botulism in China, India, and Italy, yet the conditions that are favorable for the growth and toxinogenesis of these strains remain to be established. We attempted to determine the temperatures and pH levels that are most conducive to the growth of and toxin production by the six strains of neurotoxigenic C. butyricum that have been implicated in outbreaks of infective and foodborne botulism in Italy. The strains were cultured for 180 days on Trypticase-peptone-glucose-yeast extract broth at various pHs (4.6, 4.8, 5.0, 5.2, 5.4, 5.6, and 5.8) at 30 degrees C and at various temperatures (10, 12, and 15 degrees C) at pH 7.0. Growth was determined by checking for turbidity; toxin production was determined by the mouse bioassay. We also inoculated two foods: mascarpone cheese incubated at 25 and 15 degrees C and pesto sauce incubated at 25 degrees C. The lowest pH at which growth and toxin production occurred was 4.8 at 43 and 44 days of incubation, respectively. The lowest temperature at which growth and toxin production occurred was 12 degrees C, with growth and toxin production first being observed after 15 days. For both foods, toxin production was observed after 5 days at 25 degrees C. Since the strains did not show particularly psychrotrophic behavior, 4 degrees C can be considered a sufficiently low temperature for the inhibition of growth. However, the observation of toxin production in foods at room temperature and at abused refrigeration temperatures demands that these strains be considered a new risk for the food industry.     

Characterization of protective coatings for planar automotive gas sensors

Alumina support material suitable for use as a planar automotive gas sensor support was coated in thin films of yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) and titania. The morphology, composition, thickness and homogeneity of the coating was measured. The coating was applied to the ‘green’ form of a tape cast alumina substrate which was subsequently fired at 1500 °C to produce the final form of the coated alumina. The YSZ coating gave a continuous 5 μm thick coating with no evidence of mixed oxide formation between the YSZ and the alumina substrate. XRD indicated a face centred cubic Y doped ZrO₂ or primitive tetragonal Zr_0.9Y_0.1O_1.95 phase. The titania coatings were much thinner (<1 μm) with signs of trace amounts of aluminium titanium oxide (Al₂TiO₅) as well as rutile titania in XRD. Spot analysis using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed a fairly regular titania coverage. Atomic force microscopy analysis showed a particle size of 1–3 μm for the YSZ coating and 0.5 μm for titania.     

Adaptively browsing image databases with PIBE

Browsing large image collections is a complex and often tedious task, due to the semantic gap existing between the user subjective notion of similarity and the one according to which a browsing system organizes the images. In this paper we propose PIBE, an adaptive image browsing system, which provides users with a hierarchical view of images (the Browsing Tree) that can be customized according to user preferences. A key feature of PIBE is that it maintains local similarity criteria for each portion of the Browsing Tree. This makes it possible both to avoid costly global reorganization upon execution of user actions and, combined with a persistent storage of the Browsing Tree, to efficiently support multiple browsing tasks. We present the basic principles of PIBE and report experimental results showing the effectiveness of its browsing and personalization functionalities.     

Modelling of fluid properties in hydraulic positive displacement machines

This paper presents a numerical model for the simulation of a swash-plate axial piston pump, focusing on the characterization of fluid properties.As it is well known, the reduction of flow oscillations (which generates pressure ripples and produces vibration and noise in the entire circuit) and the avoidance of cavitation are the major problems in the design of these pumps. Developing a simulation code can be very useful for component optimisation in order to predict and reduce the undesired phenomena. The paper first gives a quick overview on a previously developed pump model; afterwards four different models of the fluid are presented: they take into account cavitation in different ways. Their aim at characterizing as well as possible the unsteady and erratic cavitation features in a simplified manner, in order to apply the models to the simulation of hydraulic components.In the second part of the paper an application is shown of these models to an axial piston pump: a few results are presented and compared with available test data. The effects of the fluid models on the predicted pump performance are shown and commented.     

Evaluating Interface Design Choices on WAP Phones: Navigation and Selection

Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) phones are a growing relevant part of the mobile market, and the number of WAP services offered is rapidly increasing. Usability is crucial for these services, which must be easily operated on small screens and keyboards. Unfortunately, there are very few published studies on the evaluation of WAP devices and services on users. This paper presents a user study that evaluates two important interface design choices for WAP services (implementation of single-choice selection, and navigation among the different cards of a WAP site), neither of which has been investigated thoroughly in the literature or in design practice.