Search results for "lcsh:Chemical engineering"
showing 10 items of 107 documents
A multi objective approach to short food supply chain management
2017
Conventional supply chains, involving several stages and various intermediaries, are affected by some well- known forms of inefficiencies and drawbacks. Besides the increase of market price consequent to multiple marginalization, such supply chains generally suffer of significant post-harvest losses and product waste. In this context, short food supply chains have been recently proposed as different systems capable of delivering higher quality products while promoting sustainability and efficiency. Across the EU, a growing number of consumers choose to buy food products on local farmers' markets, associating local products with higher quality standards (freshness, nutritional value), health…
Morpho-physiologic traits in two sage taxa grown under different irrigation regime
2017
Sage is an important aromatic crop, extensively cultivated worldwide. Drought stress affects yield and composition of secondary metabolites such as fatty acids, essential oils, antioxidants, changing the essential oil composition profile with respect to the ISO 9909 standard. Drought tolerance may differ among genotypes, so we compared the response of Salvia officinalis L. and S. officinalis cv. ‘Maxima’ grown under two different irrigation regimes to highlight differences in leaf growth, water potential, gas exchange and essential oil composition. Potted plants were grown in the greenhouse at 100% or 50% of field water capacity for three months. Monthly measurements of 3rd node leaf length…
Kefiran-based Scaffolds For Biomedical Applications
2018
Kefiran is an exopolysaccharide produced by microorganisms present in kefir grains, with several health promoting properties. A optimized protocol was developed for the separation of kefiran from kefir grains, allowing to reach a yield 4÷5 % without using toxic or expensive chemicals. The capability of kefiran to produce scaffold via Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS) technique was investigated and porous scaffolds structure was obtained. Separated kefiran and scaffolds were analyzed via DSC and different thermal properties between purified kefiran and scaffold were revealed. XRD analysis revealed different structure between kefiran and scaffolds. The porous scaffold structure can be…
Radiation Engineering of Xyloglucan Hydrogels
2016
Xyloglucans (XGs) are interesting substrates for the production of scaffolds for tissue engineering, drug delivery depots and hydrogel dressings, thanks to their ability to gel in appropriate conditions, such as in the presence of hydro-alcoholic solvents or by addition of sugar molecules. Due to their natural source, they are characterized by high average molecular weights and broad molecular weight distributions. High energy irradiation is a suitable tool to reduce polysaccharides molecular weight without a dramatic alteration of the polymer chemical structure and gelation ability. In this work, the effect of the radiation dose on the molecular weight of a XG derived from Tamarind seeds i…
Potential of thermal images and simulation models to assess water and salt stress: Application to potato crop in central Tunisia
2017
The growing water scarcity is a real concern in Mediterranean countries characterized by semi-arid or arid climate such as Tunisia, where it is crucial to improve water use efficiency without affecting agricultural productivity. The importance of identifying methods and technologies to optimize water use in agriculture has been recognized worldwide, in response to the limited water availability. Objective of the paper was to verify the potential of the combined use of infrared thermography and simulation models to assess the effects of water and salt stress on potato crop parameters and crop yield, under the environmental conditions of central Tunisia. The database collected with field expe…
Growing microalgae in a “quasi-isoactinic” photobioreactor
2018
The aim of this work is setting up the conditions of an “iso-actinic” photobioreactor that is a photoreactor for the cultivation of microalgae in which the local volumetric rate of photon absorption (LVRPA), can be considered uniform to a good extent. We describe the composition of this cheap photoreactor and how we made it. The system is driven by an Arduino platform that makes it possible to control light intensity as well as light-dark cycles. Preliminary results obtained by growing Nannochloropsis gaditana, a microalga famous for its fat content, in this innovative reactor are presented. We finally observed how microalgae responds to flashing light irradiation.
Evaluation of graft success of grapevine after incubation room by means of thermographic, electrical and mechanical techniques
2017
Grafting is an important technique for getting good yields in plant multiplication. Understanding the success of the graft after the incubation stage is important to the evaluation of the suitable grafting for the open field (nursery). Successful grafting in vines requires the development of a functional vascular system between the scion and the rootstock. The graft compatibility and its augmentation depend upon various natural factors like environment, soil conditions and protective measures. The present study examines the capability of thermographic, mechanical and electrical techniques to assess the graft quality and success after the incubation stage. The trial was carried out at Vivai …
Evaluation of hydroxyapatite distribution in a Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA) scaffolds via Micro Computed Tomography (µCT)
2018
Bone Tissue Engineering offers promising clinical alternative substitutes for bone defects, focusing on the use of polymer/ceramic composites. Hydroxyapatite (HA), a bioactive ceramic, has been implemented in bone substitution and regeneration due to its biocompatibility, osteoconductivity and close resemblance to the mineralized phase of human bone. Several techniques have been adopted to characterize composite scaffolds in terms of morphology, pore size and interconnection, filler content and distribution, but most of them are destructives. In this work, composite Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA)-HA scaffolds (17.6 mm diameter and35.7 mm height) were prepared via Thermally Induced Phase Separati…
Biotechnical characteristics of root systems in erect and prostrate habit rosmarinus officinalis L. accessions grown in a mediterranean climate
2017
Rosmarinus officinalis L. is a shrub species typically found in the Mediterranean Basin area. Studies carried out in Sicily on the biodiversity of the genus Rosmarinus found only one species (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) with varying morphology (erect habit and prostrate habit). The species does not require high input, managing to thrive even in marginal areas, and is a medicinal and aromatic species of great agronomic and economic interest, being one of the top 20 species most-used in Italy and with highest wholesale revenues. Studies carried out on the species in Italy are recent, as is the whole medicinal and aromatic plants sector, and have mostly regarded agrotechniques. This study shows…
Safety optimized shift-scheduling system based on wireless vibration monitoring for mechanical harvesting operations
2017
Traditional approaches to vibration risk assessment are often carried out manually on the basis of reference data, whereas an automated approach, can yield more valuable information that can be beneficial for improving the health and safety conditions of the workers. In particular, the exposure to prolonged vibration is a potential cause of pathologies such as the hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), therefore national and international regulations establish recommended limits to the workers’ exposure to vibration within an allowable daily limit. However, evaluating the maximum allowable operating time is not straightforward, therefore reference vibration values are provided by the manufactu…