From Seedlings to Ships: Supply Chain Management in the Venice Arsenale, 1320-1800

The Venice Arsenale was one of the earliest large industrial complexes, started in 1104 with expansions in 1320 and after 1660. It made many of the warships and much of the commercial shipping used by Venice. It is reputed to have innovated producing standardized parts enabling the mass-production of galleys. Preliminary investigations show a rich data set for the period 1665-1779 revealing how the Arsenale was managed. This research provides a significant insight into one aspect of the Arsenale’s activities: the management of the wood used and the forests supplying it. A historical investigation will show how its production activities were planned, organized and controlled from the Arsenale’s inception until Napoleon’s conquest of Venice in 1797 and its independent operations gradually ceased. We anticipate finding historic management policies and processes that were effective and compatible with modern theory and practice, and observe how those evolved over time

Variability in the characteristics of fresh meat and thighs in relationship to genetic type of the heavy pig

The variability in the characteristics of fresh meat and thighs in relationship with genetic type was studied on 22 lots of heavy pigs, comprising 615 female and castrated males, randomly chosen during slaughtering in groups of 20 to 30 animals per lot. Four different genetic types reared for the production of the San Daniele dry-cured ham PDO were considered: two traditionals (Large White or Duroc x (Landrace x Large White) and two industrial hybrids (GOLAND and DANBRED). Fresh meat samples from longissimus dorsi muscle were collected to perform chemical and physical analysis. The right trimmed thighs were used to evaluate some morphological parameters along with weight losses during seasoning. The genetic type confirmed its important influence on pig carcass, meat and ham quality. The two industrial types, DANBRED in particular, tended to present a lower back fat values and a leaner carcass than the two Italian genetic types. Within the most important characteristics for the production of dry cured hams (subcutaneous fat thickness and seasoning losses) the highest differences were found among the industrials genetic types, which cannot be simply considered as an undifferentiated homogenous group

New ionic conducting ceramics of NASICON type: synthesis and characterizations

In this work, we present a study of two NaSICON families of general formula Na2.800M1.775Si0.900P2.100O12 with M=Zr or Hf. The synthesis was carried out using sol-gel process and the synthesized precursors were characterized using coupled DTA-TG. The obtained oxides after pyrolysis of precursors were identified by X-ray diffraction. The electric properties of the sintered oxides were carried out by impedance spectroscopy (SIC). The obtained results at this conditions highlight a good improvement of electrical conductivity (σtot around 10-4S.cm-1). This value is comparable to total electrical conductivity at 300K given in the literature.In this work, we present a study of two NaSICON families of general formula Na2.800M1.775Si0.900P2.100O12 with M=Zr or Hf. The synthesis was carried out using sol-gel process and the synthesized precursors were characterized using coupled DTA-TG. The obtained oxides after pyrolysis of precursors were identified by X-ray diffraction. The electric properties of the sintered oxides were carried out by impedance spectroscopy (SIC). The obtained results at this conditions highlight a good improvement of electrical conductivity (σtot around 10-4S.cm-1). This value is comparable to total electrical conductivity at 300K given in the literature

Physicochemical, Microbiological, and Toxicological Characterization of Pâté Prepared from the Meat and Liver of Bullfrog (Aquarana catesbeiana) Carcasses

The development of balanced, healthy, ready-to-consume, and easy-to-prepare products has led to the development of new food technologies. Despite their high commercial value, bullfrog (Aquarana catesbeiana) carcasses result in low yields, with the thighs being the most marketed in comparison to other carcass portions. In this sense, liver pâté is a traditional food consumed worldwide, mainly in European countries, and may be prepared by incorporating bullfrog meat by-products and certain viscera. In this context, the aim of the present study was to develop a pâté product based on a mixture comprising 50% grounded bullfrog torso meat and 50% liver paste, with each treatment incorporating 10% liver paste increments, totaling five final mixtures. The nutritional compositions and physicochemical, microbiological, and toxicological characteristics of each mixture were assessed. The dry matter percentage of the prepared product was determined to be 27.00%, while mineral content was 1.45%, lipid content was 4.00%, and total protein content was 20.00%. Finally, microbiological counts were in agreement with current food safety regulations. The developed pâté serves as a standard, recycling underused industrial materials, adding value to the production chain at low operational costs, creating a more accessible market, and promoting the popularization of this type of meat

Industrial topiary: bending trees for building ships

No abstract available

Estimation of PCDD/F and PCB detoxification rates in contaminated Tapes philippinarum in the Lagoon of Venice. Chemosphrere

a b s t r a c t This work presents the results of a short-term natural detoxification experiment carried out with the contaminated Manila clam (Tapes philippinarum), an edible bivalve species subjected to intense exploitation in the Venice Lagoon. The concentrations of seventeen PCDD/F congeners and twelve dioxin-like PCBs were determined in sediments as well as T. philippinarum specimen sampled in a lagoon area contaminated by industrial pollution. Clam specimen were then transplanted and reared in an area of low contamination. Concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in clam flesh were determined from samples collected after 10, 20, 30, 45, 60 and 120 days from redeployment. The results show a very rapid decrease of pollutant concentrations towards asymptotic values. Due to rapid decrease, the estimated first-order decay constants were statistically significant (p 6 0.05), for ten out of 29 congeners, namely: 2, 3,7, 1,2,3,7, 1,2,3,4,7, 1,2,3,6,7, 1,2,3,7,8, 1,2,3,4,7,8,9-HpCDF, PCB#114, PCB#167, PCB#157 PCB#189. Estimated detoxification half-lives for the five PCDD/F congeners, which accounted for approximately 40% of the Total Toxicity, were very consistent and ranged between 5 and 6 days. Although preliminary, these findings indicate that the redeployment of young clam specimen collected in productive but polluted areas and reared in areas of low contamination may be taken into consideration as a management solution for a safe exploitation of the resource

Relazione fra qualit\ue0 percepita per il filetto e informazione sul sistema di allevamento della trota I.R.IDEA

Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the practices of animal breeding. However, opinions and beliefs about fish farming are mainly based on emotions and images transferred from intensive systems of livestock production, rather than on real knowledge and awareness of aquaculture. As part of a project to characterize regional fish products, the influence of information about origin and production process on the quality expectation and acceptability of trout was evaluate. Fillets from trout (600g) were used in a consumer test organized in three phases. In the first one, fillets were evaluated by a hundred of consumers in blind condition, without any information about the product. In the second phase, test participants evaluated the expectation of quality for fillets coming from regional farms that use spring-water, following a disciplinary that provides wide controls from production sites to the table. In the last stage, after a week, tasters rated fillets liking after being informed about the origin and production system. The perceived quality of fillets trout, as liking level due to their intrinsic properties evaluated in blind condition, was well scored to 42.1 points (LAM scale). Quality expectations (50.7 points) exceed the perceived sensory quality, approaching the "like very much" (corresponding to 56 points). However, after consumers had full information about fish (real liking which involves trout sensory characteristics and production system), their evaluation resulted comparable to the expectations. There were a complete assimilation of the information provided (origin and production process), which gives a significant effect on liking perception for trout regionally farmed

Heated blends of phosphate waste: Microstructure characterization, effects of processing factors and use as a phosphorus source for alfalfa growth

International audienceMicrostructure of expandable lightweight aggregates (LWAs), which was composed of phosphate waste (PW), cement kiln dust (CKD) and raw clay (RC) was investigated, and the effects of processing factors (temperature, waste content, soaking time) on their physical properties were quantified by using response surface methodology (RSM). The potential use of LWAs as a phosphorus source was assessed through the use of seeds of alfalfa. It was found that the main minerals of the waste, namely carbonates and fluorapatite, were involved in the formation of labradorite/anorthite and melt respectively. Stability of mullite- the main constituent of CKD- was sensitive to the melt content. The assemblage of the identified phases was discussed based on the CaO-SiO2-Al2O3 phase diagram. The results of RSM showed that the change of compressive strength, firing shrinkage and water absorption of LWAs versus processing factors was well described with a polynomial model and the weights of the effects of the factors increased in the following order: sintering temperature > waste content (in the case of PW-RC) > soaking time. On the other hand, it was found that due to the release of phosphorus by soil-embedded pellets, the growth of alfalfa plants improved, and the rate enhanced in this order: PW-RC > PW-CKD > PW-CKD-RC. The absorbed quantity of phosphorus (0.12%) was still lower than the common uptake amount. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved