Spettroscopia di liquidi tramite luce diffusa e sorgente supercontinuum a fibra ottica per misure di assorbimento indipendenti dalla torbidità del liquido

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Optical Absorption Spectroscopy for Quality Assessment of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Space scienc

Comparative analysis of quality parameters of Italian extra virgin olive oils according to their region of origin

Italian extra virgin olive oils from four regions covering different latitudes of the country were considered. They were analyzed by means of absorption spectroscopy in the wide 200-2800 nm spectral range, and multivariate data processing was applied. These spectra were virtually a signature identification from which to extract information on the region of origin and on the most important quality indicators. A classification map was created which was able to group the 80 oils on the basis of their region of origin. Furthermore, a model for the prediction of quality parameters such as oleic acidity, peroxide number, K232, K270 and Delta K, was developed

Near-infrared spectroscopy and pattern-recognition processing for classifying wines of two Italian provinces

This paper presents an experiment making use of the near-infrared spectrum for distinguishing the wines produced in two close provinces of Abruzzo region of Italy. A collection of 32 wines was considered, 18 of which were produced in the province of Chieti, while the other 14 were from the province of Teramo. A conventional dual-beam spectrophotometer was used for absorption measurements in the 1300-1900 nm spectroscopic range. Principal Component Analysis was used for explorative analysis. Score maps in the PC1-PC2 or PC2-PC3 spaces were obtained, which successfully grouped the wine samples in two distinct clusters, corresponding to Chieti and Teramo provinces, respectively. A modelling of dual-band spectroscopy was also proposed, making use of two LEDs for illumination and a PIN detector instead of the spectrometer. These data were processed using Linear Discriminant Analysis which demonstrated satisfactory classification result

Diffuse-light absorption spectroscopy for beer classification and prediction of alcoholic content

This report summarizes the results obtained during a spectroscopy experiment which was carried out at the "Fiber Optic and Microoptic Sensors Laboratory" of CNR IFAC, during the month of July 2011, as a part of Edgar Samano\u27s internship. The scope of the experiment was: 1. To perform spectroscopic measurements on selected samples of beer by means of an innovative fiber optic instrumentation - that is diffuse-light absorption spectroscopy in the visible and near-infrared bands performed by means of an integrating sphere. 2. To perform turbidity and refractive index measurements by means of conventional instruments. 3. To process the measured data, aiming to highlight whether a correlation to quality indicators is possible, and to what extent

Photonics for safety and security

This volume aims to illustrate the state-of-the-art as well as the newest and latest applications of photonics in safety and security. The contributions from renowned and experienced Italian and international scientists, both from the academic and industrial community, present a multidisciplinary and comprehensive overview of this popular topic. The volume is self-contained and offers a broad survey of the various emerging technologies, as well as their applications in the real world. It spans from applications in cultural heritage, to environment, space, monitoring of coasts, quantum cryptog

Women in Physics in Italy: The Leaky Pipeline

Italy is often considered a fortunate country for women in physics. Indeed, the number of women among students in higher education and in the early stages of the careers is relatively high, certainly much higher than in most other countries world wide. However, the percentage of women among physicists decreases very rapidly with increasing level in the careers; also, the presence of women in positions of power is generally negligible. In this report we summarize some representative data and discuss briefly some possible explanations and the proposed focus for future action

Bluetooth-Connected Pocket Spectrometer and Chemometrics for Olive Oil Applications

Unsaturated fatty acids are renowned for their beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. The high content of unsaturated fatty acids is a benefit of vegetable fats and an important nutraceutical indicator. The ability to quickly check fat composition of an edible oil could be advantageous for both consumers and retailers. A Bluetooth-connected pocket spectrometer operating in NIR band was used for analyzing olive oils of different qualities. Reference data for fatty acid composition were obtained from a certified analytical laboratory. Chemometrics was used for processing data, and predictive models were created for determining saturated and unsaturated fatty acid content. The NIR spectrum also demonstrated good capability in classifying extra virgin and non-extra virgin olive oils. The pocket spectrometer used in this study has a relatively low cost, which makes it affordable for a wide class of users. Therefore, it may open the opportunity for quick and non-destructive testing of edible oil, which can be of interest for consumer, retailers, and for small/medium-size producers, which lack easy access to conventional analytics

Innovative Sensors for Environmental Monitoring in Museums

Different physical and chemical factors, such as light, temperature, relative humidity, pollutants and so on, can affect works of art on display. Each factor does not act individually, but its effect can be enhanced or accelerated by the presence of other factors. Accordingly, an evaluation of the impact of the whole environment on art objects is recognized as an essential requirement for conservation purposes. To meet the most up-todate guidelines on preventive conservation, in recent years several scientific projects supported by the EC were aimed at developing innovative tools that could complement the standard methods for environmental monitoring in museums. These research projects produced a new generation of passive sensors that are capable of taking into account the overall environmental effects by mimicking in some way the behaviour of real works of art. The main goal of the present paper is to provide a survey of these sensors, which represent a new frontier in the environmental control in museums. Furthermore, the use of optical fibres, as both intrinsic sensors and devices for interrogating sensors, will also be illustrated, and examples of their use in the cultural heritage field will be reported

Smartphone-Enabled Colorimetry

A smartphone is used as a colorimeter. The performance characterization for colorimetry is presented using both the built-in camera and a clip-on dispersive grating. Certified colorimetric samples provided by Labsphere® are considered as test samples. Color measurements directly performed utilizing the smartphone camera only are obtained using the RGB Detector app, downloaded from the Google Play Store. More precise measurements are achieved using the commercially available GoSpectro grating and related app. In both cases, to quantify the reliability and sensitivity of smartphone-based color measurements, the CIELab color difference ΔE between the certified and smartphone-measured colors is calculated and is reported in this paper. In addition, as an example of a practical application of interest for the textile industry, several samples of cloth fabrics with a palette of the most common colors are measured, and the comparison with the certified color values is presented