The effect of rice bran on physicochemical,textural and glycaemic properties of ready-to-eat extruded corn snacks

In this work, corn extruded snack products were enriched with rice bran (RB) at 10% and 15%. A co-rotating twin-screw extruder was used with a feed moisture content of 16 g 100 g⁻¹, a screw speed of 240 r.p.m. and four heating sections of the barrel (100, 140, 150 and 150 °C). The impact of RB inclusion on nutritional profile, starch digestion, physicochemical and textural properties of snack products was evaluated. RB-enriched extrudates showed a lower specific volume and hardness and higher crispness than control. RB at 15% gave a water-holding capacity lower than control. Rheology of extrudate dispersions indicated an increase in elastic interactions and solid-like behaviour with RB supplementation. Differences in rheological properties resulted in attenuation of predictive glycaemic response for RB-enriched snacks.     

Model and algorithm for computer-aided inventive problem analysis

The paper presents the research activity developed by the authors in the field of computer-aided inventive problem solving: an original model and a dialogue-based software application have been developed by integrating the logic of ARIZ (Algorithm for the Inventive Problem Solving) with some OTSM-TRIZ (General Theory of Powerful Thinking) models in order to guide a user also with no TRIZ education to the analysis of inventive problems. The paper demonstrates that through a dialogue-based interaction it is possible to guide the user towards a proper formulation of the problem statement, which is an essential step of any conceptual design activity. The proposed software system, although still at a prototype stage, has been tested with students at Politecnico di Milano and at the University of Florence. The paper details the structure of the algorithm and the results of the first validation activity; then, it discusses about the possibility to integrate the proposed approach into a new generation of CAD systems.     

One-year persistence of neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in dialysis patients recovered from COVID-19

The immunological mechanisms that modulate immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection remain elusive. Little is known on the magnitude and the durability of antibody response against COVID-19. There is consensus that patients with immune dysfunction, such as dialysis patients, may be unable to mount a robust and durable humoral immunity after infections. Recent studies showed that dialysis patients seroconverted after COVID-19, but data on the durability of the immune response are missing. We reported the data of a durable anti-spike protein seroconversion after natural SARS-CoV-2 infection in three patients on hemodialysis with a mean age of 67.2 ± 13.8 years. A mean antibody titer of 212.6 ± 174.9 UA/ml (Liaison®, DiaSorin) was found after one year (range, 366–374 days) from the diagnosis of COVID-19. In conclusion, this case series provided evidence that patients receiving hemodialysis who recovered from severe COVID-19 were able to mount a long-lasting immune response against SARS-CoV-2. Although the protective capacity of this long-term immunity remains to be determined, these patients did not report signs of reinfection after recovery from COVID-19.     

The impact of related variety on the creative employment growth

Cultural and creative industries (CCIs) have recently become highly relevant with regard to creative economy research, as they are considered drivers of regional and urban innovation policies and economic growth. CCIs are a priority sector on the European agenda and represent an excellent opportunity to exit the current economic crisis. In the literature, the most discussed aspect of CCIs is their value creation ability, which is due to a high degree of diversity/variety, and their impact on innovation within the wider economy, which results from the activation of cross-fertilisation processes between different sectors. Evolutionary economic geography (EEG), adopting the recently established approach based on related variety, also emphasises the issues of diversity/variety as determinants of local and urban development and innovation. This interesting and complex theoretical framework has produced a considerable number of empirical studies, none of which has been specifically applied to the creative sector. With the present study, we intended to contribute to the debate on creative economy research and EEG by investigating the impact of variety in CCIs in Italy, following the related-variety approach and using a long-term employment perspective (1991–2011). The results indicated that related variety has an important effect on the growth of creative industries, characterised by high internal connections between different creative activities. Our outcomes also led us to reassess the view held by some, namely, that creative industries can actually make a strong impact on economic growth in the wider economy; this did not appear to emerge in the Italian context, according to the methodologies we used.     

Do the creative industries support growth and innovation in the wider economy? Industry relatedness and employment growth in Italy

ABSTRACT

The role of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) in fostering innovation and growth in the wider economy has been much debated, beginning with Bakhshi et al. (2008) seminal contribution. Such studies of creative industries assign a strategic role to territories, but they provide little empirical evidence. In this paper, the issues of the creative economy are combined with evolutionary economic geography topics to understand whether the CCIs are able to foster innovation and growth in the wider economy. Using an indicator of the relatedness between creative and other sectors for the Italian provinces, we analyse employment growth over a period of ten years (2006–2015). A panel data analysis is then applied to investigate the role of relatedness and the clustering of creative industries in wider economic growth, showing that, to favour growth, the creative industries require the presence of other sectors with a high degree of proximity/relatedness.     

Investigation of the RTN amplitude statistics of nanoscale MOS devices by the statistical impedance field method

This paper presents a numerical investigation of the random telegraph noise amplitude in nanoscale MOS devices based on the statistical impedance field method. This method allows a strong reduction of the computational burdens required for the calculation of the amplitude statistics with respect to conventional Monte Carlo models based on the numerical implementation of microscopic differences on the simulated device structure, allowing the exploration of lower probability levels. Despite a rather good estimation of the amplitude statistics, however, the method results in relevant inaccuracies when looking at the single Monte Carlo samples, due to the linear approximations involved.     

The role of inventors’ networks and variety for breakthrough inventions

This paper studies the role of the inventors’ networks and the diversity of the local industrial structure for regional innovation, differentiating between regions' production of normal and breakthrough innovations. Our results suggest that, on the one hand, local related variety enhances the overall innovation rate, while unrelated variety supports the rate of breakthrough innovations. On the other hand, we find evidence that inventors’ networks are determinant for regions' patenting of normal and breakthrough innovations. To do so we constructed a unique database of Italian patenting activity at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) dating back to 1972.     

In situ dextran synthesis by Weissella confusa Ck15 and Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides DSM 20193 and their effect on chickpea sourdough bread

This work evaluated, for the first time, the impact of in situ dextran (with different branching degree) produced by Weissella confusa Ck15 and Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides DSM 20193 strains on the technological properties of chickpea–wheat sourdough bread prepared with three levels of chickpea flour (20, 30 and 40 g/100 g). In addition Lactiplantibacillus plantarum F8 strain (not dextran producing) and a control without sourdough fermentation were used. Specific volume, crumb hardness and moisture content of breads were evaluated during six days of storage. At the increase of chickpea flour from 20 to 40 g/100 g in the samples, the lowest decrease in bread volume (15%) occurred when W. confusa Ck15 was used. Moreover, these breads showed the lowest crumb hardness at each chickpea flour percentage, 46, 80 and 98 N. Hence, in situ dextran synthesis by W. confusa Ck15 might counteract negative effects caused by gluten-free chickpea flour on technological properties of bread.