Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of Ion Pairing in Gold(III) Catalysts

The ion pairing structure of the possible species present in solution during the gold(III)-catalyzed hydration of alkynes: [(ppy)Au(NHC)Y]X2 and [(ppy)Au(NHC)X]X [ppy = 2-phenylpyridine, NHC = NHCiPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)-imidazol-2-ylidene; NHC = NHCmes = 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-imidazol-2-ylidene X = Cl-, BF4-, OTf-; Y = H2O and 3-hexyne] are determined. The nuclear overhauser effect nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experimental measurements integrated with a theoretical description of the system (full optimization of different ion pairs and calculation of the Coulomb potential surface) indicate that the preferential position of the counterion is tunable through the choice of the ancillary ligands (NHCiPr, NHCmes, ppy, and Y) in [(ppy)Au(NHC)(3-hexyne)]X2 activated complexes that undergo nucleophilic attack. The counterion can approach near NHC, pyridine ring of ppy, and gold atom. From these positions, the anion can act as a template, holding water in the right position for the outer-sphere attack, as observed in gold(I) catalysts

Effect of decreasing dietary crude protein on growth performance, feed efficiency and meat quality of finishing Charolais bulls

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of decreasing dietary crude protein (CP) on the performance of finishing Charolais bulls in the Italian rearing system. Animals were fed two diets, differing only in the CP level (low protein (LP), 13.5% CP versus control (CON), 15.0% CP). Dry matter (DM) intake (DMI) and animals\u2019 weights were recorded to obtain average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion rate (FCR). Feed and fecal samples were collected to evaluate digestibility of diet components. Daily cost of the ration (DRC), feed cost per kg of daily weight gain (CDG) and daily gross margin (DGM) were calculated to analyze the possible benefits of decreasing the protein level. Meat quality analyses were also conducted. Higher DMI (10.6 versus 10 kg/d; p < 0.05) and ADG (1.47 versus 1.36 kg/d; p < 0.05) were observed for CON. No differences in FCR or digestibility were found. Even if the DRC was lower (p < 0.05) for the LP diet (2.26 versus 1.97 \u20ac; CON versus LP), no difference was reported for CDG and DGM. Meat lightness and redness were significantly lower and higher in the LP, respectively. To conclude, the CP requirement in these rearing conditions appeared to be higher than 13.5%

ALPINE FARM SCALE INVESTIGATIONS OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PRODUCTIVE SYSTEM AND QUALITY OF DAIRY PRODUCTS

Alpine dairy farming is shifted from an extensive activity based on pasture and low genetic merit cow to an intensive system with specialized breeds and increasing level of concentrate as a supplement in the diet. As a main consequence, a lower echo-compatibility could determine adverse externalities on environment and quality of dairy products. Considering 18 dairy farming located in the mountain area of Veneto Region (Italy), the Environmental Summarizing Indicator (ESI) was estimated by using agronomic and dairying variables. Results indicated that variability of ESI was manly due to productive performance of dairy cows probably because there was a lack of information in the assessment of pasture characteristics. However, higher level of ESI were closely related to the increase of N-phile species and/or less attractive vegetation for grazing cows, even if the indicator seems to explain only a limited part of the variability of the phenomenon. The increase of ESI values seemed to lead to a loss of nutritive value of milk because of the incidence of health favourable fatty acids was reduced

Influence of Ageing Time and Method on Beef Quality and Safety

The effectiveness of dry ageing with regard to retaining meat quality is still subject to debate. At 4 d post mortem, samples of boneless strip loins were excised from young Charolais carcasses and then stored for a further 26 d in a cooler, either vacuum-packaged (VP) or dried-aged (DA). Loin samples were also dissected 7 d post mortem as a control treatment (CT). Chemical, instrumental and microbiological data (n = 18) were determined in longissimus dorsi and underwent ANOVA to estimate the differences in the ageing fixed factor split into two orthogonal contrasts: control vs. aged and VP vs. DA. Ageing loss (both surface dehydration and water purge) was greater in DA compared to VP samples, resulting in the lowest moisture content and highest crude protein and fat percentage in DA loins. The ageing method did not affect meat surface colour, except for redness, which had the lowest value in DA samples. Meat tenderness improved a similar amount following both VP and DA ageing treatments. Compared to the control, prolonged ageing raised both the peroxide value and the total microbial count, especially in DA samples, though both remained within the recommended limits. In summation, both ageing methods improved beef meat tenderisation, preserving its shelf life

A LEGITIMIDADE ATIVA NO PROCESSO CIVIL COLETIVO BRASILEIRO

O presente artigo tem como objetivo a análise do instituto da legitimidade ativa dentro do sistema da tutela coletiva no Direito Processual Civil brasileiro. Trata-se de um dos temas mais controversos no processo coletivo, tendo em vista a inadequação da teoria utilizada pelo processo civil individual clássico, que não se amolda ao ideal de proteção coletiva previsto em outras leis, como a Lei da Ação Civil Pública e o Código de Defesa do Consumidor. Essa problemática não é resolvida pelo Novo Código de Processo Civil, já que este é voltado, majoritariamente, a tutelar a demanda individual

Effect of period of milk production and ripening on quality traits of Asiago cheese

After 6 and 12 months of ripening, samples of Asiago d'Allevo were analyzed for quality traits. Cheeses were produced during 3 periods using milk from cows fed a total mixed ration (TMR, May) or grazing on alpine pasture (AG) in early (July) and late (Sept.) summer. Data were submitted to ANOVA considering ripening, milk production period and farm as main effects, and whole cheese weight as covariate. During ripening, pH of AGcheese was significantly lower than that of TMR-cheese; crude fat and protein significantly increased. According to period, July-samples showed the significantly lowest value of dry matter (DM), maybe due to a lower crude fat content; however, variability in skimming method could have altered proximate composition. No texture differences were found, although increasing weight of whole cheese significantly reduced max shear force as result of a lower DM content. Lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) significantly decreased during ripening. AG feeding system caused a lower L* and higher b* than TMR one, probably as a consequence of a different amount of milk pigments. Cheese varied also within AG season: Sept.-samples showed the lowest L* value and the highest b*

Strangeness Enhancement in p+Ap+A and S+AS+A Interactions at SPS Energies

The systematics of strangeness enhancement is calculated using the HIJING and VENUS models and compared to recent data on $\,pp\,$, $\,pA\,$ and $\,AA\,$ collisions at CERN/SPS energies ($200A\,\, GeV\,$). The HIJING model is used to perform a {\em linear} extrapolation from $pp$ to $AA$. VENUS is used to estimate the effects of final state cascading and possible non-conventional production mechanisms. This comparison shows that the large enhancement of strangeness observed in $S+Au$ collisions, interpreted previously as possible evidence for quark-gluon plasma formation, has its origins in non-equilibrium dynamics of few nucleon systems. % Strangeness enhancement %is therefore traced back to the change in the production dynamics %from $pp$ to minimum bias $pS$ and central $SS$ collisions. A factor of two enhancement of $\Lambda^{0}$ at mid-rapidity is indicated by recent $pS$ data, where on the average {\em one} projectile nucleon interacts with only {\em two} target nucleons. There appears to be another factor of two enhancement in the light ion reaction $SS$ relative to $pS$, when on the average only two projectile nucleons interact with two target ones.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figures in uuencoded postscript fil

Performance of ALICE pixel prototypes in high energy beams

The two innermost layers of the ALICE inner tracking system are instrumented with silicon pixel detectors. Single chip assembly prototypes of the ALICE pixels have been tested in high energy particle beams at the CERN SPS. Detection efficiency and spatial precision have been studied as a function of the threshold and the track incidence angle. The experimental method, data analysis and main results are presented.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, contribution to PIX2005 Workshop, Bonn (Germany), 5-8 September 200

Beam Test Performance and Simulation of Prototypes for the ALICE Silicon Pixel Detector

The silicon pixel detector (SPD) of the ALICE experiment in preparation at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN is designed to provide the precise vertex reconstruction needed for measuring heavy flavor production in heavy ion collisions at very high energies and high multiplicity. The SPD forms the innermost part of the Inner Tracking System (ITS) which also includes silicon drift and silicon strip detectors. Single assembly prototypes of the ALICE SPD have been tested at the CERN SPS using high energy proton/pion beams in 2002 and 2003. We report on the experimental determination of the spatial precision. We also report on the first combined beam test with prototypes of the other ITS silicon detector technologies at the CERN SPS in November 2004. The issue of SPD simulation is briefly discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, prepared for proceedings of 7th International Position Sensitive Detectors Conference, Liverpool, Sept. 200

Five thousand years of fire history in the high North Atlantic region: Natural variability and ancient human forcing

Biomass burning influences global atmospheric chemistry by releasing greenhouse gases and climate-forcing aerosols. There is controversy about the magnitude and timing of Holocene changes in biomass burning emissions from millennial to centennial timescales and, in particular, about the possible impact of ancient civilizations. Here we present a 5gkyr record of fire activity proxies levoglucosan, black carbon, and ammonium measured in the RECAP (Renland ice cap) ice core, drilled in coastal eastern Greenland, and therefore affected by processes occurring in the high North Atlantic region. Levoglucosan and ammonium fluxes are high from 5 to 4.5gkyrgBP (thousand years before 2000gCE) followed by an abrupt decline, possibly due to monotonic decline in Northern Hemisphere summer insolation. Levoglucosan and black carbon show an abrupt decline at 1.1gkyrgBP, suggesting a decline in the wildfire regime in Iceland due to the extensive land clearing caused by Viking colonizers. All fire proxies reach a minimum during the second half of the last century, after which levoglucosan and ammonium fluxes increase again, in particular over the last 200 years. We find that the fire regime reconstructed from RECAP fluxes seems mainly related to climatic changes; however over the last millennium human activities might have influenced wildfire frequency/occurrence substantially