Effects of ripening on microstructure and texture of “Ameixa d’Elvas” candied plums

The plums used to produce a traditional candied product, “Ameixa d’Elvas”, were obtained from two orchards, Vila Viçosa (VV) and Cano (CA). These orchards were selected because the fruits were behaving differently: (1) The day of harvesting for candying, established by the total soluble solids and titratable acidity, was one week earlier in VV; (2) VV yielded candied plums with good texture properties whereas CA gave poor processed fruits. In order to understand the origin of these differences, fruits from both orchards were harvested on the day established as the harvesting day for VV (day 1) and for CA (day 8). Comparable texture properties were obtained in firmness, rigidity and deformation work between the VV fresh plums harvested on day 1 and the CA plums harvested on day 8 but these were lower in CA when the flesh was analysed separately, in accordance with the activities of pectin methyl esterase (PME), polygalacturonase (PG) and cellulase (Cel). The increase of the intercellular area of parenchyma cells and the decrease in cell area caused by boiling, which resulted in a pronounced loss of textural properties, were partially recovered after the immersion of the fruits in sucrose syrup. The CA plums harvested on day 8 had a more pronounced degradation with boiling and lower recovery of cell shape, size and textural characteristics than had those of VV harvested on day 1. Upon candying, similar properties were observed for the fruits harvested on the same day: good candied products were observed for VV and CA fruits harvested on day 1 and poor candied products were observed for VV and CA fruits harvested on day 8. This work shows that the characteristics of the flesh of the fresh fruits are key parameters in defining the textural properties of the candied plum. The establishment of the harvesting moment for candying should take into account the changes that occur in the flesh of the plums during ripening.     

Effect of pressure on the structure and electrical conductivity of cardanol–furfural–polyaniline blends

Pressure‐sensitive polymers that simultaneously present reasonable electrical conducting properties, useful thermosetting behavior, and softness are hard to develop. To combine these properties into a single material, a cardanol‐based phenolic resin was prepared and blended in situ with polyaniline (PAni). The final polymer blend was composed of a soft solid material that could not be dissolved in ordinary solvents. Samples were characterized through X‐ray scattering, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and electrical conductivity and pressure sensitivity measurements. FTIR results indicate that the insertion of PAni into the blends did not change the chemical nature of the resin. According to wide‐angle X‐ray scattering results, PAni was dispersed homogeneously in the final polymer samples; this improved the sensitivity of the electrical conductivity to pressure variations, as confirmed through electromechanical tests. Pressure sensitivity and electromechanical analyses indicated that the produced blends could be used as pressure‐sensing materials. Among the tested materials, the blends containing 5 wt % PAni·H₂SO₄ presented the largest compression sensitivity values. Finally, it was shown for the first time through XRD analyses under pressure that PAni chains were considerably disturbed by compressive stresses. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Effect of Al2Cu precipitates size and mass transport on the polarisation behaviour of age-hardened Al–Si–Cu–Mg alloys in 0.05 M NaCl

The electrochemical behaviour of age-hardened Al–Si–Cu–Mg alloys was investigated in a 0.05 M NaCl solution under controlled mass transport conditions using a rotating disk electrode. This work aimed at getting better understanding of the effect of the alloy microstructure, in particular the size distribution of Al₂Cu phase, on the corrosion behaviour of the alloy. Three different size distributions of the Al₂Cu phase were obtained through appropriate heat treatments. The cathodic reduction of oxygen was found to occur mainly on the Al₂Cu phases acting as preferential cathodes. Small sized Al₂Cu phases were found to promote at high rotation rates a transition from a 4 electron to a 2 electron dominated oxygen reduction mechanisms.     

Limnological features of Funil Reservoir (R.J., Brazil) and indicator properties of rotifers and cladocerans of the zooplankton community

Funil Reservoir receives inflow from a highly industrialized region and acts as a natural sink to pollutants. Among the consequences of the uncontrolled nutrient loading is the constant presence and periodic heavy blooms of Microcystis aeruginosa . This study verified limnological features and zooplankton assemblage of the Funil Reservoir focusing on the environmental-indicator properties of rotifers and cladocerans. The summer bloom of M. aeruginosa caused reductions in water transparency, nitrate and orthophosphate concentrations and raises in chlorophyll a , pH, dissolved oxygen and chemical oxygen demand values. All zooplankton species presented spatial and temporal variations with the exception of the copepods, which were present in all samples. According to canonical correspondence analysis, ammonium was the variable most related to zooplankton variability and different Rotifera and Cladocera assemblages indicated distinct environment conditions. Rotifer taxa associated with increases of water temperature and chlorophyll a concentration were found with high densities during M. aeruginosa blooms. Species of rotifer and cladocerans are suggested as indicators that can be used to identify different physical and chemical gradients or eutrophic increases in Funil Reservoir.     

Diabetes and Ischemic Stroke: An Old and New Relationship an Overview of the Close Interaction between These Diseases

Diabetes mellitus is a comprehensive expression to identify a condition of chronic hyperglycemia whose causes derive from different metabolic disorders characterized by altered insulin secretion or faulty insulin effect on its targets or often both mechanisms. Diabetes and atherosclerosis are, from the point of view of cardio- and cerebrovascular risk, two complementary diseases. Beyond shared aspects such as inflammation and oxidative stress, there are multiple molecular mechanisms by which they feed off each other: chronic hyperglycemia and advanced glycosylation end-products (AGE) promote ‘accelerated atherosclerosis’ through the induction of endothelial damage and cellular dysfunction. These diseases impact the vascular system and, therefore, the risk of developing cardio- and cerebrovascular events is now evident, but the observation of this significant correlation has its roots in past decades. Cerebrovascular complications make diabetic patients 2–6 times more susceptible to a stroke event and this risk is magnified in younger individuals and in patients with hypertension and complications in other vascular beds. In addition, when patients with diabetes and hyperglycemia experience an acute ischemic stroke, they are more likely to die or be severely disabled and less likely to benefit from the one FDA-approved therapy, intravenous tissue plasminogen activator. Experimental stroke models have revealed that chronic hyperglycemia leads to deficits in cerebrovascular structure and function that may explain some of the clinical observations. Increased edema, neovascularization, and protease expression as well as altered vascular reactivity and tone may be involved and point to potential therapeutic targets. Further study is needed to fully understand this complex disease state and the breadth of its manifestation in the cerebrovasculature.     

Pathogenetic Mechanisms of Hypertension–Brain-Induced Complications: Focus on Molecular Mediators

There is growing evidence that hypertension is the most important vascular risk factor for the development and progression of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The brain is an early target of hypertension-induced organ damage and may manifest as stroke, subclinical cerebrovascular abnormalities and cognitive decline. The pathophysiological mechanisms of these harmful effects remain to be completely clarified. Hypertension is well known to alter the structure and function of cerebral blood vessels not only through its haemodynamics effects but also for its relationships with endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammation. In the last several years, new possible mechanisms have been suggested to recognize the molecular basis of these pathological events. Accordingly, this review summarizes the factors involved in hypertension-induced brain complications, such as haemodynamic factors, endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress, inflammation and intervention of innate immune system, with particular regard to the role of Toll-like receptors that have to be considered dominant components of the innate immune system. The complete definition of their prognostic role in the development and progression of hypertensive brain damage will be of great help in the identification of new markers of vascular damage and the implementation of innovative targeted therapeutic strategies.     

Innovation regional planning and latent dimensions: the case of the Algarve region

Regional innovation systems (RSI) concept is an important theoretical framework to analyse regional profiles of regions when trying to understand Innovation but it has also been used by practioners to design and implement policies. This study hopes to contribute to the understanding of the Algarve RSI, a peripheral Portuguese region in the National and European framework, where an economic growth is supported by Tourism, which leaves it out of the group of poorest regions when the GDPpc indicator is taken in account. The regional profile, the comparison with the other European regions and the characterisation of RSI following developed typologies are discussed in this paper. Through the analysis of 175 regions of the EU 15 the study seeks to find the dimensions underlying the innovative phenomena and to create homogeneous groups of regions that display similar profiles. Factorial Analysis was used to reduce the dimension of data from a barrage of regional indicators such as: Critical Mass of Territories, Economic Performance, Level of Wealth, Employment Market, Sectoral Structure of the Economy, Age Group Structure, Education and Training, Technological Employment, R&D and Patents. Having determined the four main factors with significant results (Technological Innovation, Human Capital, Economic Structure and Availability of the Employment Market) what followed was a hierarchical analysis of Clusters, resulting in five groupings of regions: Disadvantaged Regions, Average Regions, Central Regions, Large Economic Centres and Innovating Regions. A synthesis of the recent Regional Innovation Strategies for the Algarve is presented including previous experiences (Ettirse and INOVAlgarve) and the Algarve’s Regional Innovation Plan, which will try to create a pathway for regional development supported by knowledge-based activities for a more diversified regional economy.