Search results for "09"
showing 10 items of 12776 documents
Valorisation of Dairy Wastes Through Kefir Grain Production
2019
The main aim of this work was to investigate on kefir grains (KGs) increase using different dairy by-products. To this purpose, whey and deproteinized whey from cow, goat and sheep milk were compared to the pasteurized milk of the corresponding animal species. Each substrate was inoculated with 3% (w/v) of KGs cultivated in ultra-high temperature cow milk and evalu- ated for pH decrease, total titratable acidity increase and development of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts released in the matrices after 24 h incubation at three different temperatures (20, 25 and 30 °C). The genotypic characterization of the dominating microbial populations resulted in the identification of two LAB belon…
Bayesian spatio-temporal approach to identifying fish nurseries by validating persistence areas
2015
Spatial and temporal closures of fish nursery areas to fishing have recently been recognized as useful tools for efficient fisheries management, as they preserve the reproductive potential of populations and increase the recruitment of target species. In order to identify and locate potential nursery areas for spatio-temporal closures, a solid understanding of species− environment relationships is needed, as well as spatial identification of fish nurseries through the application of robust analyses. One way to achieve knowledge of fish nurseries is to analyse the persistence of recruitment hotspots. In this study, we propose the comparison of different spatiotemporal model structures to ass…
Dust and grit matter: abrasives of different size lead to opposing dental microwear textures in experimentally fed sheep (Ovis aries)
2020
ABSTRACT External abrasives ingested along with the herbivore diet are considered main contributors to dental wear, though how the different sizes and concentrations of these abrasives influence wear remains unclear. Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) is an established method for dietary reconstruction which describes a tooth9s surface topography on a micrometre scale. The method has yielded conflicting results as to the effect of external abrasives. In the present study, a feeding experiment was performed on sheep (Ovis aries) fed seven diets of different abrasiveness. Our aim was to discern the individual effects of size (4, 50 and 130 µm) and concentration (0%, 4% and 8% of dry mat…
Assessing Methane Emission and Economic Viability of Energy Exploitation in a Typical Sicilian Municipal Solid Waste Landfill
2018
Sanitary landfills for municipal solid waste (MSW) represent one of the major anthropogenic source of GHGs emissions and are directly responsible of the climate changes we are facing nowadays. Indeed, the biodegradable organic matter of MSW undergoes anaerobic digestion producing the landfill gas (LFG), whose main components are CH4 and CO2. Therefore, biomethane energy exploitation in MSW landfills will reduce GHGs emission positively affecting the global warming. The aim of the present study was to assess the methane production in a Sicilian landfill by comparing the results from field measurements of methane emission and the estimates achieved by applying different mathematical models. A…
Forecasting the volatility of biofuel feedstock prices: the US evidence
2019
Given that, nowadays, 40% of the US corn crop is used for biofuel production, there is a growing concern that the rise in biofuel production might lead to an increase in food prices. However, it is also obvious that significant growth in biofuel use has minimized the demand for fossil fuel and has hence reduced the volume of carbon emissions. It is therefore crucial to model corn market volatility precisely because such an estimate could play a vital role in stabilizing food and biofuel market prices. For this purpose, we consider using the information content of the corn implied volatility (CIV) index to predict the corn futures market return volatility. Using symmetric and asymmetric GARC…
Seed germination and seedling allogamy in Rosmarinus officinalis: the costs of inbreeding.
2018
Self‐pollination by geitonogamy is likely in self‐compatible plants that simultaneously expose a large number of flowers to pollinators. However, progeny of these plants is often highly allogamous. Although mechanisms to increase cross‐pollination have been identified and studied, their relative importance has rarely been addressed simultaneously in plant populations. We used Rosmarinus officinalis to explore factors that influence the probability of self‐fertilisation due to geitonogamy or that purge its consequences, focusing on their effects on seed germination and allogamy rate. We experimentally tested the effect of geitonogamy on the proportion of filled seeds and how it influences ge…
Fast pyrolysis of hot-water-extracted and soda-AQ-delignified okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and miscanthus (miscanthus x giganteus) stalks by Py-GC/MS
2018
Abstract The thermochemical behavior of various samples of okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus ) and miscanthus ( Miscanthus x giganteus ) stalks (initial, hot-water-extracted, and those from sulfur-free delignification) were studied by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). In all cases, major GC-amenable condensable products were measured semi-quantitatively and classified into several product groups. The formation of these product groups from different feedstock samples with varying mass portions of their structural constituents (carbohydrates and lignin) was investigated at 500 °C and 700 °C with a residence time of 5 s and 20 s. The main product groups were aliphatic comp…
Sustainable Valorisation of Biowaste for Soilless Cultivation of Salvia Officinalis in a Circular Bioeconomy
2020
The aim of this work is to assess the usefulness of biowaste deriving from CircularBioeconomy (CBE) processes (i.e., vermicompost, compost and digestate), as growing substratesfor the partial or total replacement of peat, by measuring the vegetation biometric parameters ofsage (Salvia officinalis L.)&mdash
Design and Implementation of a Smart System to Control Aromatic Herb Dehydration Process
2020
Drying is a process aimed at reducing the water content in plant materials below a limit where the activity of microbes and decomposing enzymes deteriorate the quality of medicinal and aromatic plants. Today, the interest of consumers towards medicinal and aromatic herbs has registered a growing trend. This study aims at designing a low-cost real-time monitoring and control system for the drying process of aromatic herbs and evaluating drying efficacy on the microbial community associated with the studied herbs. Hot-air drying tests of sage and laurel leaves were carried out in a dryer desiccator cabinet at 40 °
<em>Centaurea inexpugnabilis</em>, una nueva especie de la sección <em>Acrocentron</em> para la flora ibérica
2017
Se describe una nueva especie para el género Centaurea L. (sect. Acrocentron, Asteraceae): C. inexpugnabilis, sp. nov. Esta planta ha sido localizada al pie de los Mallos de Riglos (Riglos, Huesca) y su distribución se circunscribe por el momento al cuadrante nororiental de la península ibérica. Junto a su descripción y diagnosis, se aporta una lámina y varias tablas con los principales caracteres diagnósticos que la diferencian de las especies más próximas.