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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.

In the present research we discuss a novel way to set up a predictive method for determining the water content of oil based on the Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression analysis of reflectometric signals. Ten different extra virgin olive oils with a water content ranging from 714 to 2008 mg of water/kg of oil were submitted to reflectometric measurement by means of a hand made probe connected to a digital sample oscilloscope with TDR functions interfaced with a PC. Limits of the classical approach based on the TDR electromagnetic theory in the prediction of these small water content differences were also discussed. The results show that the suggested novel approach is able to predict the water content of very small quantities of oil (1.8 g) in a 3 ml translucent disposable PE cuvette by means of PLS regressions characterized by R2 value up to 0.984 and a root mean square error of prediction of about 55 mg of water/kg of oil. The temporal region showing the best information content corresponded with the rise of the reflection of the probe end, but information highly correlated with the water content can be extracted from other temporal regions of the entire TDR signal.

It is well known that a capacitor can recover part of the charge due to previous polarization after it was quickly shorted. Stretched exponential or power law currents referred to as Kohlrausch dielectric relaxation and described as empirical Curie-von Schweidler law have often been observed. To date, experimental studies on dielectric relaxation have been carried out with small capacitances and for a short time. The present paper shows the results of an experiment conducted with 3300 microF aluminum wet electrolytic capacitors for 95 days at a constant temperature (25 °C). After some time had passed where we could distinguish the imprint of stretched power or exponential decay, in some of the tested capacitors the voltage did not decrease and even rose. In a few capacitors, a decay was not detected from the beginning to the end of storage. Measurements conducted with different dissipative loads demonstrated the linear dependence of this voltage on the resistance. Further measurements from 20 to 40 °C demonstrated that this current is temperature dependent. The ability of a capacitor to show an increase of charge even if shunted with a dissipative load was found to be correlated with its leakage current. Logistic models to predict this behavior are presented.

This chapter discusses the alternative decontamination techniques to egg washing researched during the last ten years. Hot air or microwave pasteurization represents the most commonly evaluated methods to thermally inactivate the microbial cell, while gas plasma and pulsed light are some techniques where inactivation can be achieved at room temperature. The efficacy of the reviewed alternative methods against different microorganisms and the risks associated with the loss of egg quality such as the cuticle, the shell membranes, the albumen and the yolk are reported.

Gas plasma is a ionized gas that can be used as sterilization agent at atmospheric conditions without damaging the materials with heat or chemical agents. Its bactericidal effect is due to a synergistic combination of UV photons, charged particles and reactive species such as atoms and radicals. The decontamination efficacy of gas plasma was evaluated both on table and hatching eggs. In particular, the Salmonella Enteritidis load on eggshells of experimental contaminated table eggs was investigated by surface plating at days 0, 1, 2, 3 8, 10, 15, 21, 24 and 28 post treatment. On hatching eggs, the loads of total mesophilic bacteria, Staphylococcus spp, Pseudomonas spp. and enterobacteriacae were investigated on gas plasma treated eggs at day 0 post treatment and at 22 post treatment (one day after hatching) and compared to the loads on formaldehyde fumigated eggs. The RBD prototype generates gas plasma able to significantly reduce the bacterial contamination on the surface of table and hatching eggs without detrimental effects on both the quality traits of table eggs and on hatching performance of hatching eggs, and suggest this promising technique as a valuable alternative to techniques employing toxic compounds potential dangerous for humans.

The device used in the present study consists of a conveyer belt that throws the fruit onto a flat horizontal plate connected to a load cell. The vertical distance between plate and conveyer belt (drop height) as well as the speed of the belt can be continuously adjusted. Tests were carried out by selecting three different values of drop height and speed. The Magness-Taylor (MTf) index was used as reference, destructive parameter, to describe the flesh firmness and to set-up predictive models. The digitalized time history of the force was analysed to extract some mechanical indices (peak force, impact duration and impulse) used to predict MTf by simple or multiple regression analyses. Moreover, each point of the entire time history was processed by artificial neural network (ANN) software to predict MTf. The goodness of fit, expressed as R2, was up to 0.823 with the regression models. On the whole, the peak force was the best predictor. The ANNs did not involve a substantial increase in goodness of fit with respect to the best regression models: +8.3%, as mean, 37% as maximum. The speed or position at which the fruit impacts the plate can represent an important parameter influencing the MTf prediction. Free dropping of the fruit instead of throwing onto the plate by the conveyer did not provide a better prediction. The impact device did not cause mechanical damage to the kiwifruits.

The control of ice cream powder mixture production is carried out evaluating the ice cream liquid phase. The present study was conduced on ice cream and unfrozen liquid phase in order to indirectly evaluate the rheological properties by measuring the powder mixture. The calibration set was formed by samples with different percentage of thickeners, maintaining constant the concentration of the other remaining compounds. After the NIR acquisitions the powders were mixed with warm milk, blended and than settled in order to obtain the unfrozen liquid phase needed for the rheological measurements. For each recipe three batches were prepared. The flow curves were evaluated by using the Ostwald de Waele’s equation and the goodness of fit was evaluated by the R2, which was above 0.95. Predictive models of rheological parameters were set up by means of PLS regressions in order to predict the consistency coefficient (K) and the flow behavior index (n) from spectral acquisitions. High correlation of calibration was found for both parameters and NIR spectra obtaining R2 of 0.884 for K and 0.874 for n. The good prediction of the models encourages applying them to reduce significantly the time of the powder mixing control during production.

Gas plasma treatment of whole egg represents an innovative decontamination technique for the eggshell surface. However, it is not clear if the treatment can damage the natural defence of the egg such as cuticle and shell membranes. Based on previous microbiological tests, 3 batches of 15 extra fresh eggs were treated as follows: gas plasma afterglow for a) 45min or b) 90 min or c) untreated (Control). The plasma emission, produced by a resistive barrier discharge prototype set up by the University of Bologna, was characterized by the presence of very reactive species such as OH and NO radicals. After treatment, the eggs were examined for translucency by hand candling and then empted and rinsed of their content. A 1 cm2 wide strip of eggshell was then carefully removed and subdivided into two smaller sections for assessment of the cuticle and the inner surface of inner shell membrane by SEM (Hitachi 501B, magnification 300×500, 15kV). Our results indicate that there was no significant treatment effects in terms of translucency or in the appearance of the cuticle. The inner surface of the inner shell membrane however displayed a slightly higher incidence of adherent material (albumen) after gas plasma treatment, but this effect could simply be due to ineffective rinsing of the eggshells during the preparation of the samples.

Although eggs are widely used as an inexpensive food of high nutritional value, it is widely recognized that they are one of the main sources of food-borne outbreaks in Europe. Eggshell washing is practised in some countries for reducing bacterial contamination in table eggs, but is not allowed in Europe (except Sweden and the Netherlands). The use of gas plasma offers an original alternative to conventional decontamination techniques of food mainly due to the atmospheric operating temperature, which results in minimal degradation of nutrients, changes in organoleptic properties as well as formation of new potentially dangerous molecules. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of cold gas plasma technique in the superficial decontamination of eggshell from the pathogens most frequently associated with eggs. The resistive barrier discharge prototype used to generate cold plasma proved to have a good decontamination power towards Salmonella Enteritidis, Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli deliberately inoculated onto the surface of eggshells giving cell load reductions ranging between 1 and 4 log10 CFU/eggshell depending on the time of treatment, the microbial species and process parameters such as the relative humidity of the chamber during the treatments. Cell inactivation of 1.5-2 log10 CFU/eggshell was observed for total mesophilic bacteria following a 90 minutes exposure to gas plasma. RT-PCR evidenced the presence of viable enterobacteria in 90-min treated eggs although they were not detectable with traditional counting methods. A 90-minutes treatment affected the eggshell color, while no significant differences were detected between the albumen pH of the control and the treated samples.

A resistive barrier discharge (RBD) prototype was set-up in order to decontaminate table eggs surface from Salmonella Enteritidis and Listeria monocytogenes. The eggs were treated in the discharge afterglow where the gas temperature was similar to room temperature, thus minimizing thus the risk of thermal alterations of the samples. The examined prototype appeared to be very effective for the inactivation of both the pathogens deliberately inoculated onto the surface of egg shells. Its efficacy was significantly increased when treatments were performed in the presence of humid air: in particular, reductions ranging between 4 and 5 Log CFU/egg shell in relation to the time of treatment were achieved for both the pathogens with the highest relative humidity in the treatment chamber. Moreover, a gas plasma treatment of 90 minutes only slightly affected the egg cuticle without other modifications of the egg.

A resistive barrier discharge (RBD) prototype was set-up in order to decontaminate the table eggs surface from Salmonella Enteritidis. The discharge was generated between three couples of parallel plate reactors made of brass and glass was used as high resistive material to prevent arcs. The eggs were treated in the discharge afterglow where the gas temperature was close to room temperature, minimizing thus the risk of thermal alterations of the samples. A 19 V supply input voltage was used for the egg treatment and the measured voltage at the electrodes was about 15 kV. With atmospheric air non-equilibrium discharges, N2 peak spectra were dominant and the presence of OH and NO radicals was also detected. The examined prototype proved to have a good decontamination power towards Salmonella Enteritidis deliberately inoculated onto the surface of eggshells giving cell load reductions ranging between 1 and 5 log10 CFU/eggshell in relation to the time of treatment.

Contamination of table eggs by pathogens, mainly Salmonella enterica which is recognised as one of the main sources of food-borne outbreaks in Europe, represents a safety problem widely diffused all over the world, especially considering that no decontamination practice (e.g. cleaning or washing) is allowed in most European countries. The use of gas-plasma offers an original alternative to traditional decontamination techniques due to the intrinsic characteristics of this technology, i.e non-toxicity, atmospheric pressure and temperature, which results in minimal degradation of nutrients and change in food quality traits. The potentials of non-thermal gas-plasma treatments for the superficial decontamination of table eggs have been assessed in this work which has been supported by the EC-funded project RESCAPE (FOOD-CT-2006-036018) whose overall objective is to propose means to reduce the risk factors from eggs. The resistive barrier discharge prototype used to generate cold-plasma showed a good decontamination power towards both natural microflora and all the pathogens deliberately inoculated onto the surface of table eggs, i.e. Salmonella Enteritidis, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus. The maximum cell load reductions ranged between 1.5 and 4 Log CFU/eggshell depending on the microbial species, time of exposure to the gasplasma and the relative humidity (RH) during the treatments. In particular, the most sensitive species were Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli, while no cell reduction was observed for Bacillus cereus at the lowest RH value. However, the increase of the RH value during the gas-plasma treatments significantly improved the efficacy of the technology towards all the microorganisms resulting also in 1 Log CFU/eggshell inactivation for both spores and vegetative cells of Bacillus cereus. No recovery of the survivors was evidenced during a 30-days storage and cell counts detected in all treated samples resulted to be lower than the controls during the whole storage period. Moreover, the strongest gas-plasma treatment did not affect the main egg quality traits, i.e weight loss, egg shell breaking strength and stiffness, albumen pH and turbidity and yolk index.

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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.

Narrow and specialised tractors are characterised from peculiar geometrical dimensions that could have influence on the driver comfort. The CRA Research Institute of Treviglio and the University of Bologna, in the frame of the Vibramag Project have evaluated the influence on operator’s comfort in a narrow isodiametric tractor fitted with different mounted implements and in different work and transport conditions on farm roads, in vineyard and in orchard. The tractor presented a good comfort index during operations cause the low forward speed. During transfer on terrain resulted very sensible to forward speed increasing. Beside the results were very similar, working in ascent slope was always more comfortable than in descent but, in both cases, resulted worst than working on plain. Front motion was more comfortable than reverse, but the mass distribution characterised from the kind of implement could introduce resonance condition. The highest value for single channel is, normally, resulted the z of the back, probably due to the short wheelbase and the isodiametric tires characterising a vertical reaction on the four wheels and not the classic pitch of tractors.

This article reports on investigating the possibility of non‐destructively predicting basic quality parameters of shell eggs using an open-ended coaxial probe dielectric measurement technique. The studied parameters include yolk index, thick albumen height, and Haugh unit as well as air cell size as a function of storage duration at room temperature. The probe was connected to an impedance analyzer from which the dielectric spectra (dielectric constant and loss factor) were collected using a data logger and analyzed by means of partial least squares (PLS) analysis. The tests were carried out in the 10 to 1800 MHz frequency band on shell eggs stored for 1, 2, 4, 8 and 15 days at 22°C, positioning the probe in three different points on the shell eggs. For storage duration, the results showed R2 values up to 0.985 and 0.980 in cross‐validation and test‐set validation, respectively, while the R2 for the air cell height was up to 0.927 and 0.921, respectively. Yolk index, thick albumen height, and Haugh unit were also predicted with R2 values ranging from 0.526 to 0.728 (test‐set validation). No substantial differences in prediction power emerged by using the dielectric constant, loss factor spectra, or position of the probe on the shell egg. The best frequency band for prediction was from 10 to 700 MHz.

A sinewave radio frequency oscillator with parallel plates capacitor sample probe was used to measure the differences in capacitance DC and voltage DV caused by the introduction of a shell egg into the probe. Eggs were submitted to measurement after laying and after 3, 6, 9, and 12 days of storage at 20°C. The results show a significant difference of the DC/DV ratio during storage; this parameter was correlated with all the quality indices of the eggs such as the storage duration, air cell height, yolk index, albumen height, and Haugh unit. Using multiple linear regression models with the DC/DV and egg mass parameters as predictive variables, adjusted coefficients of determination from 0.310 to 0.595 were obtained. The DC/DV electrical parameter in these equations was always characterised by a probability level

Forage harvesting operations aim to satisfy contrasting requirements as the fast working and the contemporary need to preserve forage quality and soil porosity. On mowers, many progresses have been reached in order to improve working rate in particular thanks to: i) the development of cutting bars with rotating elements; ii) the increase of the working width and iii) the rise of forward speed. This last has been made possible thanks to the development of improved purpose-designed suspension systems that allow better stability at highest working speed, better ground adaptation and lower soil compaction, better uniformity in cutting height and lower forage soiling. The main goal of this paper is to show a proposal of laboratory test method to compare the behaviour of different trailed mower suspension systems by using a four posters test rig. The research was possible thanks to the funding of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Policies in the frame of the Si.Pre. (Safety and Performances) Project.

Le prestazioni di una raccoglitrice prodotta in Italia, equipaggiata di scuotitore verticale, e le vibrazioni trasmesse alla pianta sono state analizzate al fine di determinare l'influenza delle differenti condizioni operative sulla quantità e qualità del prodotto raccolto e sulla risposta dinamica della pianta. Le prove sono state effettuate su un vigneto a doppia cortina variando la velocità d'avanzamento e la frequenza di scuotimento. Trasduttori piezoelettrici sono stati montati sulla pianta per la misura delle accelerazioni in fase di raccolta. I risultati mostrano che un incremento della velocità d’avanzamento (da 0,69 a 0,83 m/s) non comporta un peggioramento della raccolta. Una più bassa frequenza di scuotimento accresce significativamente la quantità di grappoli interi senza diminuire la quantità di prodotto raccolto. Un minore numero di colpi per metro di cortina inferti dallo scuotitore comporta un decremento significativo della perdita in foglie. Il picco di accelerazione appare non correlato col prodotto raccolto. La differenza di velocità del tralcio (legata all’energia trasmessa ai grappoli) è positivamente correlata con il prodotto raccolto; la sua influenza su quest’ultimo, nelle condizioni di lavoro esaminate, risulta tuttavia irrilevante, mentre un suo incremento induce, per contro, un sostanziale aumento della perdita in foglie.