conformational redistribution of honey components following different storage conditions

The present study aims at the investigation of the changes in water distribution among the organic components of selected honey samples following honey storage at different temperatures. Results, achieved by application of fast field cycling NMR relaxometry, revealed that the organic constituents were homogeneously distributed within the whole samples stored at room temperature. Conversely, after four months of refrigeration at 4°C, the organic systems were included in persistent clusters, as a consequence of the water release due to the larger stability of the intramolecular interactions over the intermolecular ones. The new conformational arrangements of the honey constituents entailed enhancement of honey moisture content. For this reason, it can be suggested that honey refrigeration prior to storage at room temperature may be detrimental for its long-term storage. In fact, higher risk of fermentation may occur once the sample is warmed after the first refrigeration step

Livro de resumos do Fórum CIMO - Ciência e Desenvolvimento 2012

Contém os resumos dos trabalhos apresentados no Fórum CIMO ‐ Ciência e Desenvolvimento 2012 do Centro de Investigação de Montanha.O Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO) foi fundado em 2002, “Ano Internacional das Montanhas”, e desde 2003 faz parte do sistema científico e tecnológico nacional, sendo, como tal, financiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT). O CIMO é uma estrutura do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, sediada na sua Escola Superior Agrária, dela fazendo também parte investigadores de outras instituições de ensino, como o Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, a Universidade de Trás-­‐os-­‐Montes e Alto Douro e a Universidade da Madeira. É uma Unidade de Investigação (UI) multidisciplinar na área das ciências agrárias e do ambiente, cuja atividade científica tem como principal objetivo o desenvolvimento sustentável das regiões de montanha. Está organizado em três grupos de investigação multidisciplinares, de acordo com a relevância das atividades produtivas e condições ambientais, económicas e sociais destas zonas ecológicas de montanha, correspondendo a três grandes linhas de ação: a) “Serviços Ecossistémicos de Áreas Marginais (MLES), dirigido para as atividades em áreas marginais onde a floresta, os matos e os ecossistemas naturais ou semi-­‐naturais dominam; b) “Sistemas de Agricultura de Montanha (MFS)” dirigido para as atividades produtivas no seio das explorações agrícolas; e c) “Tecnologia e Segurança Alimentar (FST)”, vocacionado para a tecnologia, inovação e segurança alimentar dos produtos de montanha. Para além das inerentes atividades de investigação, as UI e os seus investigadores têm também o dever de divulgar os resultados científicos obtidos junto dos potenciais utilizadores e fomentar a sua discussão em fóruns alargados. Durante os anos de atividade do Centro foram muitos os eventos e as atividades em que, setorialmente, os investigadores do CIMO participaram. Contudo, achámos que, após estes anos de atividade, e face à abundância e relevância dos resultados de investigação que têm sido obtidos, a organização de um evento de âmbito alargado com a participação dos utilizadores finais desses resultados, além de plenamente justificada é extremamente oportuna, atendendo à conjuntura nacional e à fase de negociação em que se encontra o próximo quadro comunitário. Assim, a concretização do “Fórum CIMO Ciência e Desenvolvimento 2012” será uma oportunidade para atingir este desiderato. A participação ativa de todos os intervenientes neste evento conduzirá a frutuosas discussões e a conclusões válidas que serão tidas em atenção na atividade científica do CIMO, esperando que, de igual modo, os utilizadores finais dos resultados de investigação (Organizações de Agricultores, Empresas, outras Organizações e Entidades Governamentais) se revejam e beneficiem desta troca de experiências e saber. É este o objetivo final deste evento para o qual, estamos certos, todos contribuirão e para o qual a Comissão Diretiva do CIMO deseja manifestar desde já o seu agradecimento à participação e empenho de todos

I International Conference on Research for Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions: book of abstracts

This book contains the abstracts of oral and poster presentations at the 1st International Conference on Research for Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions that took place in Bragança, Portugal, from October 5 to 7, 2016 as part of Mountains 201

Therapeutic Phlebotomy Related to Polycythemia Vera and Hemochromatosis

This study looks at therapeutic phlebotomy as first-line treatment of blood disorders, including polycythemia vera and hemochromatosis. Some professionals prefer alternative treatments to phlebotomy

Spacecraft VLBI and Doppler tracking: algorithms and implementation

We present the results of several multi-station Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) experiments conducted with the ESA spacecraft Venus Express as a target. To determine the true capabilities of VLBI tracking for future planetary missions in the solar system, it is necessary to demonstrate the accuracy of the method for existing operational spacecraft. We describe the software pipeline for the processing of phase referencing near-field VLBI observations and present results of the ESA Venus Express spacecraft observing campaign conducted in 2010-2011. We show that a highly accurate determination of spacecraft state-vectors is achievable with our method. The consistency of the positions indicates that an internal rms accuracy of 0.1 mas has been achieved. However, systematic effects produce offsets up to 1 mas, but can be reduced by better modelling of the troposphere and ionosphere and closer target-calibrator configurations.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures. Astronomy and Astrophysics, accepte

The Biodiesel Project: A High School Multi-Discipline Class Collaboration and Graphic Imaging Technology Unit Plan

In this thesis project, my intention was to integrate diverse high school courses with poignant subject matter to increase the amount of learning students can achieve. This unit plan explored a Prince George High School (Virginia) multi-class cooperative effort involving biodiesel production. The project involved creating a biodiesel refinery built by Production Systems classes according to plans purchased from the Internet. The research for converting used kitchen oil into biodiesel and the titration of the fuel was conducted by Chemistry classes. Graphics Imaging Technology students created a logo, a poster, and designed brochures that described the processes and benefits of this product. Marketing classes conducted consumer surveys and devised a product distribution plan.Graphic Imaging Technology, a Career and Technical Education course, has long been linked to art education. For example, graphic design students incorporate art in many phases of their design projects. Specifically, during their preliminary creative thinking, students sketch thumbnails of possible design solutions and regularly use their drawn or painted illustrations in their printed pieces. Additionally, film photography, which is commonly viewed as a fine art, has been used by graphic design students for several years. This art form has been replaced by digital photography in many design studios and school classrooms, but the principles of balance and composition remain the same.Other teaching strategies such as interdisciplinary study have also been introduced into graphic design and art class curricula. The rise in cross-curricular studies is indicative of the importance of varying the classroom instruction to offer the most diverse learning environment to students. Math and English are most often combined with unrelated classes in multi-discipline education, but regrettably, science classes typically are not. Since few fields of endeavor do not incorporate other disciplines, a multi-discipline class collaboration and unit plan which included high school Production Systems, Chemistry, Graphic Imaging Technology, and Marketing classes was developed.This project sought to establish a working relationship among various high school classes while providing a mutual learning environment. Additionally, disciplines that do not ordinarily interact with each other had the chance to take part in an renewable energy project that inspired new ideas and developed an increased consciousness of the environment.Finally, as students were involved in all facets of this biodiesel project, they experienced a working environment similar to the real world . Establishing school-to-work programs that facilitate a smooth transition from high school to the work force is one of the main goals of the Prince George High School Career and Technical Education department. Students communicated their thoughts, worked together, and helped one another the same way as if they were employed at a business

Conformational Redistribution of Honey Components following Different Storage Conditions

The present study aims at the investigation of the changes in water distribution among the organic components of selected honey samples following honey storage at different temperatures. Results, achieved by application of fast field cycling NMR relaxometry, revealed that the organic constituents were homogeneously distributed within the whole samples stored at room temperature. Conversely, after four months of refrigeration at 4°C, the organic systems were included in persistent clusters, as a consequence of the water release due to the larger stability of the intramolecular interactions over the intermolecular ones. The new conformational arrangements of the honey constituents entailed enhancement of honey moisture content. For this reason, it can be suggested that honey refrigeration prior to storage at room temperature may be detrimental for its long-term storage. In fact, higher risk of fermentation may occur once the sample is warmed after the first refrigeration step

Applying Dynamic Performance Management to the Photovoltaic Sector: the Municipality of Palermo case study

Today, the even more compelling need to limit carbon dioxide emissions from energy generation – to address the ongoing global warming – implies the recourse to renewable energy sources (RESs). Indeed, these latter are able to meet energy demand into a more sustainable way. Considering the EU targets for the year 2020 in the matter of climate and energy, public organizations are expected to take an active role e.g. by adopting and promoting RESs. In Italy, over the last decade, among the various technologies based on RESs, solar PV technology witnessed a remarkable growth thanks to the support of a government incentive scheme, which ceased to be applied in 2013. Since then, the PV power installed in the Italian public sector has started slowing down, thus determining changes in clean energy production from PVs. Based on this, the research study aims at enhancing the design, adoption, and evaluation of public policies for PVs in order to foster the achievement of a sustainable development in terms of clean energy. To this end, a “Dynamic Performance Management” (DPM) approach – resulting from the combination of System Dynamic methodology with the traditional Performance Management (PM) systems – is suggested. The need for adopting such an approach comes from the limitations of the traditional PM systems, which are not able to deal with the dynamic complexity that characterizes the systems in which public decision-makers operate. The DPM approach is applied to a case study based on the PV sector of the Municipality of Palermo (Italy). Empirical evidences, emerging from the development of a simulation model, reveal how the design and application of a DPM approach to the PV sector may effectively support public decision-makers in outlining sustainable policies aimed at fostering clean energy production

Observations of Intrahour Variable Quasars: Scattering in our Galactic Neighbourhood

Interstellar scintillation (ISS) has been established as the cause of the random variations seen at centimetre wavelengths in many compact radio sources on timescales of a day or less. Observations of ISS can be used to probe structure both in the ionized insterstellar medium of the Galaxy, and in the extragalactic sources themselves, down to microarcsecond scales. A few quasars have been found to show large amplitude scintillations on unusually rapid, intrahour timescales. This has been shown to be due to weak scattering in very local Galactic ``screens'', within a few tens of parsec of the Sun. The short variability timescales allow detailed study of the scintillation properties in relatively short observing periods with compact interferometric arrays. The three best-studied ``intrahour variable'' quasars, PKS 0405-385, J1819+3845 and PKS 1257-326, have been instrumental in establishing ISS as the principal cause of intraday variability at centimetre wavelengths. Here we review the relevant results from observations of these three sources.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Astronomical and Astrophysical Transaction