The “Piano dell’Acqua” sinkholes (San Basile,Northern Calabria,Italy)

The occurrence of sinkholes not directly related to karst has been determined in several areas worldwide in recent years. These phenomena may be particularly dangerous to humans and infrastructure due to their subtle origin and need to be carefully examined. In this work, we describe five sinkholes recently identified in a hilly setting of Southern Italy characterized by Pliocene conglomerate and sand, and variously dislocated by tectonic structures. The sinkholes were examined by different methods (interpretation of multi-temporal aerial photos, geological, geomorphological and geophysical surveys). An historical analysis was performed to collect and critically evaluate information regarding the age of the phenomena. Based on this information, it can be conjectured that two of the five sinkholes developed during the 2000–2001 winter; two of the remaining probably originated during the 70s; the last one opened sometime between February 2001 and November 2007. Based on such chronology, attempts have been performed to identify the likely triggers, through hydrological and seismic analyses. In both cases, no immediate correlation could be found. The origin of the studied phenomena remains uncertain, and may be related to sub-cutaneous erosion, in an area that is renowned to be rich in groundwater. Local changes in the water table, related to climate and/or man-induced activities, may have triggered the development of the cover suffusion-type sinkholes. The present work highlights the potential for this type of phenomena to occur in geological settings without the direct presence of soluble rocks at the surface, a condition quite common in Southern Italy, and the need to carry out further studies in order to better comprehend their mechanisms of origin and successive evolution, and to properly evaluate the related hazard.     

Fast Quantitative Determination of Aroma Volatile Constituents in Melon Fruits by Headspace�CSolid-Phase Microextraction and Gas Chromatography�CMass Spectrometry

Since the aroma is one of the essential factors for evaluating fruit quality, a headspace–solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method for the identification and quantification of the aroma volatile constituents in melon fruits has been developed. Two different varieties of Cucumis melo L., reticulatus and inodorus, have been analyzed and 66 volatile compounds have been identified and quantified; among these, the impact aroma compounds are included too. The volatile compounds have been identified by linear retention index, mass spectra, standard injection, and reference data; the quantification has been carried out by the standard addition technique. The method proposed showed good linearity within the concentration range tested; the precision, CV was <15% for all the components identified, and the limits of quantification was very low for most of the components, for example, 1.7 ng/g for ethyl octanoate and 1.5 ng/g for limonene. The results emphasized each fruit variety could be distinguished by a different qualitative and quantitative volatile fraction composition; as example, reticulatus samples were characterized by a high amount of esters (192.8 μg/Kg), which were present as traces in inodorus. Sensory analysis was performed on the samples and quantitative volatile and sensory data were correlated using multivariate analysis. The developed method allowed us to obtain reliable quantitative data of the melon volatile constituents which are necessary for the fruit quality evaluation since the aroma contribution of a particular substance is assessed by knowledge of the ratio between its amount and odor threshold level.     

On porting software visualization tools to the web

Software systems are hard to understand due to the complexity and the sheer size of the data to be analyzed. Software visualization tools are a great help as they can sum up large quantities of data in dense, meaningful pictures. Traditionally, such tools come in the form of desktop applications. Modern web frameworks are about to change this status quo, as building software visualization tools as web applications can help in making them available to a larger audience in a collaborative setting. Such a migration comes with a number of promises, perils, and technical implications that must be considered before starting any migration process. In this paper, we share our experiences in porting two such tools to the web and provide guidelines about the porting. In particular, we discuss promises and perils that go hand in hand with such an endeavor and present a number of technological alternatives that are available to implement web-based visualizations.     

Grain boundary mediated leakage current in polycrystalline HfO2 films

In this work, we combine conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) and first principles calculations to investigate leakage current in thin polycrystalline HfO₂ films. A clear correlation between the presence of grain boundaries and increased leakage current through the film is demonstrated. The effect is a result of a number of related factors, including local reduction in the oxide film thickness near grain boundaries, the intrinsic electronic properties of grain boundaries which enhance direct tunnelling relative to the bulk, and segregation of oxygen vacancy defects which increase trap assisted tunnelling currents. These results highlight the important role of grain boundaries in determining the electrical properties of polycrystalline HfO₂ films with relevance to applications in advanced logic and memory devices.     

Mycotoxins’ evaluation in wheat flours used in Brazilian bakeries

Food Science and Biotechnology - The aim of this study was to evaluate the mycotoxicological quality of wheat flours used by bakeries from the North Region in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil,...     

Dietary tannins improve lamb meat colour stability

Fourteen male Comisana lambs were divided into two groups at 45 days of age: lambs fed a concentrate diet (C), or lambs fed the same concentrate with the addition of quebracho (Schinopsis lorentzii) tannins (T). Sheep were slaughtered at 105 days of age. Lipid oxidation, colour coordinates, haem pigment concentration, and metmyoglobin percentages were measured on minced semimembranosus muscle (SM) over 14 days of refrigerated storage in a high oxygen modified atmosphere. Tannin supplementation increased (P < 0.01) a^∗ values and reduced (P < 0.01) b^∗ values of the SM when compared to C. Lower hue angles (P < 0.001) and metmyoglobin formation (P = 0.07) were observed in lamb from T-fed compared to C-fed sheep during the 14-days storage period. Furthermore, feeding T resulted in greater (P < 0.001) haem pigment concentrations in the SM during refrigerated storage; however, diet had no (P = 0.28) effect on lipid oxidation. Therefore, including quebracho tannins in sheep diets can improve meat colour stability of fresh lamb during extended refrigerated storage.     

Progress in table olive debittering: Degradationin vitro of oleuropein and its derivatives byLactobacillus plantarum

Oleuropein, a bitter-tasting secoiridoid glycoside present in olive leaves and fruit (Olea europaea L.), is hydrolyzed by oleuropeinolyticLactobacillus plantarum strains. The work reports the results of a gas-chromatographic study of the oleuropein derivatives released by incubation withL. plantarum B21, isolated from table olive brines, and byL. plantarum ATCC 8014. Process kinetics indicate that the bacterial strains initially hydrolyze the oleuropein by means of β-glucosidase action with formation of an aglycone (the first observable intermediate compound). In a second step, this derivative, by means of esterase action, gives rise to 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) ethanol (identified) and elenolic acid (not identified).