Use of Cold Atmospheric Plasma to Detoxify Hazelnuts from Aflatoxins

Aflatoxins, produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, can contaminate different foodstuffs, such as nuts. Cold atmospheric pressure plasma has the potential to be used for mycotoxin detoxification. In this study, the operating parameters of cold atmospheric pressure plasma were optimized to reduce the presence of aflatoxins on dehulled hazelnuts. First, the effect of different gases was tested (N2, 0.1% O2 and 1% O2, 21% O2), then power (400, 700, 1000, 1150 W) and exposure time (1, 2, 4, and 12 min) were optimized. In preliminary tests on aflatoxin standard solutions, this method allowed to obtain a complete detoxification using a high power for a few minutes. On hazelnuts, in similar conditions (1000 W, 12 min), a reduction in the concentration of total aflatoxins and AFB1 of over 70% was obtained. Aflatoxins B1 and G1 were more sensitive to plasma treatments compared to aflatoxins B2 and G2, respectively. Under plasma treatment, aflatoxin B1 was more sensitive compared to aflatoxin G1. At the highest power, and for the longest time, the maximum temperature increment was 28.9 °C. Cold atmospheric plasma has the potential to be a promising method for aflatoxin detoxification on food, because it is effective and it could help to maintain the organoleptic characteristics

Who is who in SHS: A handbook

Ed. A.G. Merzhanov, ISMAN Press, Chernogolovka, Russi

Sviluppo di compositi TiC-TiB2 nanostrutturati attraverso trasformazioni metastabili

Obiettivo del lavoro è lo sviluppo di materiali nanocristallini tramite processi innovativi basati sul concetto di metastabilità. In particolare si dimostra come sia possibile creare strutture metastabili mediante trattamenti di tempra da temperatura molto elevata seguiti da permanenze a temperature molto più basse in grado di favorire la formazione di strutture cristalline nell’intervallo dimensionale di 20-50 nm. Questo approccio può essere utilizzato per sviluppare materiali nanostrutturati appartenenti al sistema TiC–TiB2. Il processo viene condotto sintetizzando l’eutettico TiC–TiB2, partendo alternativamente da elementi o da composti, attraverso la tecnica di combustione reattiva autopropagante, noto come Selfpropagating High temperature Synthesis (SHS). La temperatura adiabatica di reazione deve raggiungere la temperatura eutettica del sistema TiC–TiB2 (circa 2600°C). Temperature di combustione superiori a quella di liquido sono ottenute sperimentalmente operando un’ottimizzazione della stechiometria della reazione. La tempra dell’eutettico eseguita in azoto liquido consente l’ottenimento di una struttura metastabile. In accordo con il diagramma di stato risulta possibile attraverso il rinvenimento delle strutture metastabili eutettiche ottenere nanostrutture lamellari con distanza interlamellare funzione delle modalità di rinvenimento. Scostandosi dalla composizione eutettica è possibile ottenere inoltre l’apporto rinforzante di nanoparticelle della fase in eccesso

Density fluctuations in liquid hydrogen-sulphide

The density fluctuations in liquid $H_2S$ have been analyzed by computer simulation adopting a recently proposed interaction potential model. The results for the correlation functions and the corresponding spectra are reported and compared with the predictions based on a theoretical approach which makes use of the Mori-Zwanzing projection operator method. The different behaviour of the density fluctuations of the hydrogen species for $H_2S$ and $H_20$, at comparable thermodynamic states, is discussed. Such a difference is traced back to the interaction potential acting between the molecules