Search

SynopsisObjective The aim of this study was to prove the capability of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to interact with some representative molecules responsible to cause body malodour, such as carboxylic acids, thiols and steroids, present in sweat and body secretions. Methods The association constants in guest-CD were determined by 1H-NMR spectroscopy for thiols and steroids such as 3-mercapto-1-hexanol, androstenone, androstenol and androsterone, and pH-potentiometric titration for acetic acid, l(+) lactic acid, isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-hexanoic acid. Results All considered systems are able to interact with relatively weak association constants with β-cyclodextrin, in a 1 : 1 host–guest ratio. Conclusion From these findings, it is possible to conclude that β-CD is capable to interact with different components present in the sweat and body secretion, forming inclusion complexes. For this reason, β-CD could be a component of body care formulations, such as deodorants.

In sorting and packaging lines, fruits are submitted to impacts that can involve alterations to the flesh. For this study, impact measurements were taken at critical points on Italian machines at a domestic packing house. These impacts were then reproduced in the laboratory to analyse the damage and the mechanical behaviour of apples of four cultivars (Golden Delicious, Stark Delicious, Granny Smith and Rome Beauty). Using multiple linear regressions, correlations were determined between the characteristics of the apples, impact levels, subsequent damage and parameters describing the mechanical behaviour of the fruits. The deterioration of the flesh observed on the impacted apples does not represent serious commercial damage to the product, excluding the deterioration due to an accessory feeding line that employs a dry bin dumper. In this last case, damage can consist of darkening of the flesh and fractures having a depth of 4–5 mm and a diameter of 12–15 mm. The research emphasized the need to consider characteristics such as the impact radius, the flesh firmness and the sugary content of the flesh when studying the effects of dynamic stresses on apples. The sample of Stark Delicious showed the highest susceptibility to impacts.

Small cultivators can represent the main or the sole mechanical resource for agriculture in many countries. For such constant use, their ergonomic characteristics can assume a great importance. In this paper, the vibration and noise of some of these implements—one of which is made in China—were examined. The acceleration transmitted from the handle and the noise level at the user's ear were measured during soil tillage, according to International standards. The results indicate that in 10% of the exposed population, vascular disorders of the hand (Vibration White Finger) can appear after three years of continuous use of these machines, under usual working conditions. The level of noise at the worker's ear should not involve an appreciable risk for hearing after 10 yr of use. For the noise levels experienced on the majority of the implements examined, the domestic and European directives require that the worker need only receive appropriate information about the problems due to the noise. In view of the introduction and promotion of these implements in China and in the developing countries, it is necessary at least to reduce the vibration transmitted to the user's hands, by providing adequate insulating systems for the handle.

The vibration and noise of a modular rubber tracked forestry vehicle were examined. The acceleration experienced at the driver's seat and the steering-wheel and the noise level at the driver's ear were measured under repeatable test conditions, on a bituminous conglomerate track, with different forward speeds and with the engine at maximum speed. Measurements of vibration and noise were also carried out on a very uneven natural terrain to examine a condition of high risk from vibration transmitted to the driver. The results of the study indicate that the level of vibration on the track test was low and should not compromise the health of the driver. However, during transport on uneven ground and at high average speed (12 km/h), vibration at the seat (1·7 m/s 2 ) was such that a driver's exposure, prudently, should not exceed 2 h per day, if the most stringent criterion of the International Standard is followed. Noise levels were high, in all the test conditions [from 86 to 91 dB(A)], as a result of the position of the engine in the cab and the lack of adequate soundproofing measures.

Breast reconstruction after a mastectomy, today is considered the best choice to improve the quality of life for the patient. The aim of the procedure is to consider the aesthetic results obtained and the various involvements, comparing them with those already reported in literature. METHODS. There is no certain data of the number of breast reconstructions performed in Italy in the few years. In 1999, in Veneto, reconstruction surgery after total breast removal, represented only 16% of the operations. In our surgery Division, from 1996 to 2000, there were breast reconstructions performed, either immediately or delayed on 87 patients out of 118 after mastectomy. 73.7% none over the age of 60 (range 27-60). The breast removal technique used is the Madden, while, for the reconstruction we have put into effect the submuscle prosthetic implant; 63 patients were subject to follow-up treatment during the period of 10 to 36 months.Seventy-eight percent of the women have judged the final aesthetic results the same or better than expected. Based on reconstruction with prosthesis, is the preferred procedure, even with serious complications which do not always influence the final results. This preference is because of the reduced operation time and the psychological and physical benefits due to immediate restoral of the mammary volume and shape.Some problems (Garavaglia Law) have slowed down the diffusion in Italy of this type of treatment which is now receiving more and more request and approval by the women affected with breast cancer.

Background The growing demand for patient and operator safety in anticancer drug compounding led to an increasing demand for automation. As 18 hospitals have now introduced APOTEC Achemo, it became necessary to set up a round table at which all users could share their knowledge and expertise. Therefore, in 2009 a workgroup on robotics (named APOTECA Community) was established. Every year its members meet to share their needs with the manufacturer and assemble new ideas. The annual system upgrade is a consequence of the meeting. 160 new requirements, merged into 4 upgrades, have been collected up to now. The requirements can be classified into the following main topics: a friendlier user interface; software integration with medical health records; higher productivity. Purpose To assess the results in terms of productivity following the 2012 upgrade within the APOTECA Community Materials and Methods Five oncology pharmacies were selected for this study: University Hospital of Ancona, European Institute of Oncology, Romagna Cancer Institute, S. Camillo Hospital of Rome, Cleveland Clinic. The abovementioned pharmacies were monitored before and after the upgrade, as far as the monthly productivity with APOTEC Achemo is concerned. Results The 5 hospitals together prepared an average of 4150 preps/month before the 2012 upgrade, while 6000 preps/month was surpassed after the installation. Productivity showed an average increase of 46%, ranging from 11% to 67%. This variability is closely correlated with the best practise and has been analysed for each case. Conclusions The creation of a round table where the APOTECAchemo users share experiences and discuss best practise is playing an essential role in the continuous improvement of this innovative technology. The progress recorded after the latest upgrade in terms of productivity (+46%) is only one example of this powerful tool. No conflict of interest.

In this article we discuss the use of spectroscopic ellipsometry for an in situ and real time probe of three-dimensional self-organized Ge island growth on Si (100) surfaces. We will show that atomic force microscopy and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy can be combined with spectroscopic ellipsometry to give information on the size and shape evolution of the Ge islands as well as on the amount of Ge deposited on the Si surface.

Parmigiano–Reggiano (P–R) cheese is still one of the most valuable Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheeses of Italy. The rind percentage (from 12% to 50%), the ripening (from 13 to 31 months), the moisture content and the differences between true P–R and competitors were determined by means waveguide spectroscopy. Preliminary tests were carried out in the 2–20 GHz frequency range (with a span of 1 GHz) to investigate which 1 GHz frequency range contains most information on the rind percentage and on the months of ripening. Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression was used to predict rind percentage, months of ripening and moisture in the previously selected frequency ranges (2–3, 5–6 and 17–18 GHz for the rind percentage; 2–3, 5–6 and 16–17 GHz for the months of ripening). Moreover, Soft Independent Modelling of Class Analogy (SIMCA) analysis was used to discriminate the samples according to the rind percentage. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to discriminate true P–R cheese from competitors. PLS models ( test set validation ) showed R 2 values up to 0.944 (root mean square error of prediction in test set validation, RMSE p = 3.4%), 0.966 (RMSE p = 1.2 months) and 0.786 (RMSE p = 0.99%) for the prediction of rind percentage, months of ripening and moisture percentage, respectively. As a result only a part of the prediction of rind percentage and ripening can easily be attributed to the moisture. For each considered frequency range, all samples belonging to the classes characterized by 12% and 50% of rind were correctly classified. Competitors were clearly separated from P–R cheese by the PCA analysis of the spectral signals and their moisture was predicted with a R 2 values up to 0.942 ( test set validation ). In this case, the discrimination power can be mainly attributed to moisture content.

Soluble solids content (SSC) and Magness–Taylor flesh firmness (MTf) of “Hayward” kiwifruits were non-destructively assessed by means of a waveguide, that houses the fruit, connected to a sweeper oscillator and a spectrum analyzer. A preliminary test was conducted with a plastic fruit filled with solutions with different SSC values in the frequency range from 2 to 20 GHz (with a step of 1 GHz). The best linear correlations ( R 2 up to 0.987) between electric signals and SSC solutions in the above described test were found in the 2–3 GHz and 15–16 GHz steps. These steps were used for the dielectric measurements on kiwifruit samples during storage of 28 days at 14 °C. Partial least squares (PLS) regression were then used to predict SSC and MTf from these acquired spectra. In “test set” validation, PLS models showed R 2 values up to 0.804 (RMSE = 0.98 °Brix) and 0.806 (RMSE = 8.9 N) for the prediction of SSC and MTf, respectively.

In the present research, a method based on admittance measurements able to assess total solids and fat contents (%) in nine different liquid whole egg products was set up. By means of a tetrapolar platinum cell connected to a signal conditioning circuit, an alternating current generator and a data acquisition system, the effect of 15 different combinations of frequencies of the oscillating field (10, 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 Hz) and input voltage levels (1, 1.5 and 2 V) on the estimation of the total solids and fat contents were analyzed. The influence of the temperature solution on the electrical measurements was also assessed. The best estimations were obtained at 1000 Hz and 1 V (R^2 = 0.998; SE = 0.14%) for the total solids content and at 5000 Hz and 1 V (R^2 = 0.995; SE = 0.19%) for the fat content. For both parameters, the measurements conducted at 10 Hz appeared affected by the polarization occurring at the electrodes-solution interface. The admittance of the liquid whole egg products linearly increased with the temperature, and a temperature coefficient θ at 20 °C of about 2.1 was calculated. These excellent results encourage an industrial application of the technique for a rapid and economic assessment of the total solids and fat contents in the liquid egg products.

The input of a waveguide probe for shell eggs was connected to a sinewave sweeper oscillator and the signal at the output was captured by a spectrum analyser. A first analysis was carried out in the range from 3 to 20 GHz with a span of 1 GHz to investigate which 1 GHz frequency range contains most information for predicting the main quality indices of eggs during 15 days of storage. Simple linear regression models were therefore set up and the coefficient of determination was calculated. The absorbance spectra in the range thus identified (from 10.5 to 11.5 GHz) were used to predict the quality indices by means of an artificial neural network (ANN). The R 2 values of the obtained ANN in validation mode were 0.918, 0.854 and 0.912 for the air cell, the thick albumen height and the yolk index, respectively. The correlations between the quality parameters and tests carried out on albumen, yolk and plastic eggs for simulating the air cell showed how one index can be indirectly predicted through another one.

A resistive barrier discharge (RBD) prototype able to generate gas plasma at atmospheric conditions was set up. The discharge was electrically characterized and the plasma glow was analysed by optical emission spectroscopy. The decontamination power of the device was assessed on samples of shell eggs experimentally inoculated with Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium (5.5–6.5 Log CFU/eggshell) and placed in the treatment chamber. Different decontamination times (10, 20, 30, 45, 60 and 90 min) and relative humidity values (RH) of the gas mixture in the chamber (i.e. 35% and 65%, at 25 °C) were considered. All samples were treated in the plasma after-glow chamber where the measured temperature was not much higher than the room temperature, minimizing the risk of egg quality alterations. The discharge was characterized by a potential difference of about 15 kV; the emission spectra showed the presence of very reactive species such as the positive ion N 2 + and OH and NO radicals. After 90 min of treatment, reductions up to 2.5 Log CFU/eggshell and 4.5 Log CFU/eggshell were observed for S. enteritidis using air with low and high moisture contents, respectively. No significant negative effects of the gas plasma were observed on the egg quality traits.

The present study investigates the possibility of predicting the main quality indices of shell eggs by means of a dielectric technique based on a capacitor probe and a fully integrated RF circuit for measuring the amplitude and phase differences between two independent input signals. Samples of eggs were submitted to dielectric measurements in the range 50–500MHz after 1, 2, 4, 8, and 15 days of storage at room temperature (20 °C). Immediately after testing, the air cell and the thick albumen heights, the Haugh unit and the yolk index of eggs were destructively measured. Statistical models obtained by processing dielectric spectra and quality indices determined by means of partial least square (PLS) analysis showed coefficients of determination (R^2) values up to 0.996 for the time of storage, 0.876 for the air cell height, and 0.678 for the thick albumen height. Accurate predictions were also obtained for models based on selected narrow spectral regions.

Changes of the dielectric parameters of fresh hen eggs during storage were investigated for the development of a method to assess the main quality indices. Dielectric constant and loss factor were measured in the frequency range 20–1800 MHz using an open-ended coaxial probe on thick albumen and yolk of eggs after 1, 2, 4, 8 and 15 days of storage at room temperature. Tests were also carried out at the 9th day of storage to compare dielectric properties of thick and thin albumen. Statistical analysis was performed at 20, 100, 400, 900 and 1800 MHz. Thick and thin albumen showed slight differences in dielectric properties but significant only for the loss factor at 900 MHz. Dielectric constant and loss factor of yolk generally increased with the storage time. The maximum increment from the 1st to the 15th days of storage (22%,) was registered for the loss factor at 20 MHz. Methods based on the comparison between the experimental loss factor and calculated values by means of conductivity and frequency can potentially be used in predicting eggs’ age.

Research was conducted to investigate the type of damage and mechanical behavior of Pink Lady apples during post-harvest operations. Samples of apples of this new cultivar were subjected to drop tests to simulate the kind of impact recorded in Italian sorting and packing lines by means of an instrumented sphere. A simple device with an acceleration transducer mounted on the apple and an acquisition system were used to cause an impact and to describe the mechanical behavior of the fruit. Data were treated statistically employing logistic regression and multiple linear regression analyses to determine correlations between probability, characteristics of damage and parameters describing impact and characteristics of the apples. A logit model was used to assess the probability of damage occurring to fruit. In this model (R2 L = 0.380) the characteristics of the impact and the firmness of the flesh of the fruit were found to be significant. The kind of damage appeared to be significantly influenced by the impact level and, in general, by the mass, the sugar content and the curvature radius at the point of impact on the apples. Coefficients of determination of the models to predict characteristics of damage were from 0.104 to 0.312. The curvature radius was correlated with peak acceleration of the apples, too (R2 = 0.210). Although the prediction power of the statistical models was low, they were useful to check significance and analyze correlations between parameters.

Physical-mechanical properties of egg constituents and their modifications during storage and poststorage greatly influence the efficiency of food processing, such as the separation of white and yolk by mechanical shelling. Thick albumen height, Haugh unit, yolk index and vitelline membrane-yolk system strength of eggs from Hy-Line White and Lohmann Brown hens were analyzed during 7 mo of storage at 0 degrees C performing 3 poststorage treatments: i) immediately after refrigeration, T1; ii) after a further 6 h at 18 degrees C after refrigeration, T2; and iii) after a week at 18 degrees C after refrigeration, T3. For all qualitative parameters considered, this last poststorage treatment appeared to be the factor that produced the highest decrements; with respect to the first poststorage treatment, a further week at 18 degrees C after refrigeration can involve mean decreases of about 19, 14, 14, and 16% in thick albumen height, Haugh unit, yolk index, and vitelline membrane-yolk system strength (in terms of maximum force), respectively. During about 7 mo of storage at 0 degrees C, the latter parameter decreases, on average, by 10%. Increasing the storage time, physical-mechanical behavior was sometimes divergent from the observed trends.

The time history of subsequent tunneled wave packets can represent a more meaningful way to describe signal evolutions and to determine the group delay than the detection of a demodulated monopulse envelope. In the present experimental research, the delay of transmitted tunneled packets was found to be shorter than that measurable in vacuum, in good agreement with the phase time and Esposito's equation and independent of the barrier length. The wave packets did not show narrowing and "reshaping," so these phenomena did not appear to be the reason of the short delay experienced. The latter was not found to be proportional to the amplitude of the incident signal.

The total solids and fat contents of nine whole liquid egg products were assessed by means of electrical and thermal conductivity measurements. Linear correlations between conductivity values and total solids and fat contents were obtained with R2 values up to 0.995 and 0.990 and maximum errors of predic- 46 TABLE 6 - Linear regression models for the total solids (TS, %) and fat (FC, %) contents estimation from electrical (Ec, mS/cm) and thermal (Tc, W/mK) conductivity measurements. SE: Standard Error. Linear regression equation R2 p-level SE (%) TS=-6.857*Ec+65.373 0.995 0.000 0.27 FC=-4.993*Ec+40.070 0.985 0.000 0.33 TS=-172.967*Tc+109.605 0.992 0.000 0.33 FC=-126.449*Tc+72.521 0.990 0.000 0.27 tion up to 0.41% and 0.42%, respectively. The electrical conductivity of the albumen, yolk and egg mixtures linearly increased with temperature; at 20°C, temperature coefficients of 2.1%/°C, 2.1%/°C and 1.9 %/°C were respectively calculated. On the contrary, the thermal conductivity of the analysed products did not appear to be substantially influenced by the temperature of the liquid.