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The effect of starter cultures, i.e. a commercial (CM, based on Lactobacillus pentosus appropriate for olives fermentation) and an autochthonous (OSC, developed by oleuropeinolytic strains belonging to the Lactobacillus plantarum group, isolated from olives) on the microbiological profile and physicochemical traits during the fermentation of naturally (untreated) and alkali-treated cv. Conservolea green olives was studied in comparison to uninoculated spontaneous fermentation (SP, control). In addition, the reduction of the natural bitterness of the product during processing was assessed. Lactic acid bacteria in OSC treatment were dominated faster and grown in higher populations than CM or SP during the first ten days of the fermentation, resulting in a more intense drop of the brine pH leading to a faster fermentation. Fruit phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity decreased more in alkali-treated than in naturally processed olives. In alkali-treated olives the bitter taste was not detectable regardless the fermentation process applied. However, in the naturally processed olives the OSC treatment resulted in a medium-low while CM or SP in medium to medium-high bitter taste, indicating that the use of OSC might be a promising tool for the efficiency of processing of naturally green olives.

The effect of the presence of drying oils in paper supports on the rate of cellulose degradation is investigated in a novel manner using Solid Phase Micro-extraction (SPME), which is employed to analyse volatile organic compounds (VOCs), emitted from oiled paper. This technique is applied as a non-destructive means of analysing original works of art on paper, in order to detect volatile cellulose degradation products. It is also applied to artificially aged paper samples with and without oil, in order to investigate the extent to which the presence of drying oil accelerates the degradation of cellulose. Furfural and other volatile cellulose degradation products containing a furan ring are selected as representative cellulose degradation products to be measured for the purpose of the investigation. It is demonstrated, by the finding of increased emissions of the selected compounds, that the presence of drying oils accelerates the thermal and oxidative degradation of cellulose in cotton paper and two types of wood pulp based papers.

The role of viruses in Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD) needs further elucidation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the molecular epidemiology of viral pathogens in AECOPD. Patients presenting to the Emergency Room with AECOPD needing hospitalization were recruited. Oropharyngeal and sputum samples were collected in order to perform microarrays-based viral testing for the detection of respiratory viruses. A total of 200 (100%) patients were analyzed and from them in 107 (53.5%) a virus was detected. The commonest identified viruses were the human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (subtypes A and B) (40.5%), influenza virus (subtypes A, B, C) (11%), rhinovirus (8%) and human Parainfluenza Virus (subtypes A and B) (7.5%). A bacterial pathogen was isolated in 27 (14%) patients and a dual infection due to a bacterial and a viral pathogen was recognised in 14/107 patients. Patients with AECOPD and a viral infection had a lengthier hospital stay (9.2 ± 4.6 vs 7.6 ± 4.3, p