Changes induced by UV radiation in the presence of sodium benzoate in films formulated with polyvinyl alcohol and carboxymethyl cellulose

This work was focused on: i) developing single and blend films based on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) studying their properties, ii) analyzing the interactions between CMC and PVOH and their modifications UV-induced in the presence of sodium benzoate (SB), and iii) evaluating the antimicrobial capacity of blend films containing SB with and without UV treatment. Once the blend films with SB were exposed to UV radiation, they exhibited lower moisture content as well as a greater elongation at break and rougher surfaces compared to those without treatment. Considering oxygen barrier properties, the low values obtained would allow their application as packaging with selective oxygen permeability. Moreover, the characteristics of the amorphous phase of the matrix prevailed with a rearrangement of the structure of the polymer chain, causing a decrease of the crystallinity degree. These results were supported by X-rays and DSC analysis. FT-IR spectra reflected some degree of polymer–polymer interaction at a molecular level in the amorphous regions. The incorporation of sodium benzoate combined with UV treatment in blend films was positive from the microbial point of view because of the growth inhibition of a wide spectrum of microorganisms. From a physicochemical perspective, the UV treatment of films also changed their morphology rendering them more insoluble in water, turning the functionalized blend films into a potential material to be applied as food packaging.Fil: Villarruel, S.. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas; ArgentinaFil: Giannuzzi, Leda. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Rivero, Sandra G. M.. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Pinotti, Adriana Noemi. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; Argentin

A Link Between the Semi-Major Axis of Extrasolar Gas Giant Planets and Stellar Metallicity

The fact that most extrasolar planets found to date are orbiting metal-rich stars lends credence to the core accretion mechanism of gas giant planet formation over its competitor, the disc instability mechanism. However, the core accretion mechanism is not refined to the point of explaining orbital parameters such as their unexpected semi-major axes and eccentricities. We propose a model, which correlates the metallicity of the host star with the original semi-major axis of its most massive planet, prior to migration, considering that the core accretion scenario governs giant gas planet formation. The model predicts that the optimum regions for planetary formation shift inward as stellar metallicity decreases, providing an explanation for the observed absence of long period planets in metal-poor stars. We compare our predictions with the available data on extrasolar planets for stars with masses similar to the mass of the Sun. A fitting procedure produces an estimate of what we define as the Zero Age Planetary Orbit (ZAPO) curve as a function of the metallicity of the star. The model also hints that the lack of planets circling metal-poor stars may be partly caused by an enhanced destruction probability during the migration process, since the planets lie initially closer to the central stars.Comment: Nature of the replacement: According to recent simulations, the temperature profile, T, is more adequately reproduced by beta = 1 rather than beta = 2. We have introduced a distance scale factor that solves the very fast drop of T for low metallicity and introduces naturally the inferior distance limit of our ZAPO. Under this modification all the fitting process was altere

PROCEDIMENTO AMMINISTRATIVO E AUTOMAZIONE: PROBLEMI E PROSPETTIVE, ANCHE ALLA LUCE DI UN'ANALISI COMPARATA ITALIA-FRANCIA /PROCÉDURE ADMINISTRATIVE ET AUTOMATISATION : PROBLÈMES ET PERSPECTIVES, À LA LUMIÈRE AUSSI D'UNE ANALYSE COMPARATIVE ITALIE-FRANCE

L\u2019automazione procedimentale non \ue8 certo una materia di indagine nuova per gli studiosi di diritto amministrativo: \ue8 affrontata in dottrina \u2013 e praticata dalle amministrazioni \u2013 a partire dagli anni \u201980. Ci\uf2 che rende per\uf2 questa ricerca attuale \ue8 il fatto che l\u2019evoluzione delle tecnologie che consentono l\u2019automazione (con l\u2019avvento dell\u2019Intelligenza Artificiale e di tecnologie di Machine Learning) hanno stravolto e esponenzialmente ampliato i settori dove questa pu\uf2 essere messa in pratica. Se fino a dieci o quindici anni fa il tipo di attivit\ue0 amministrativa in cui il funzionario poteva essere sostituito da un software era ridotta e routinaria (nonch\ue9 necessariamente vincolata, dato il fatto che venivano utilizzati solo algoritmi di tipo deterministico), l\u2019ingente numero di dati in possesso delle amministrazioni, il modo in cui possono essere conservati e soprattutto analizzati ha comportato il moltiplicarsi delle attivit\ue0 in cui vi si pu\uf2 far ricorso e i vantaggi che ne possono conseguire. Nel corso di questo lavoro si \ue8 cercato quindi di identificare la giusta collocazione sistematica delle decisioni amministrative automatizzate (e di tutti gli elementi che le costituiscono), i problemi che in generale il ricorso a esse pu\uf2 comportare, trattandole unitariamente, indipendentemente quindi dal livello di complessit\ue0 della tecnologia utilizzata. La prima parte \ue8 dedicata alla concettualizzazione e all\u2019inquadramento normativo e sistematico della materia. \uc8 necessario, in primo luogo, identificare e definire i tratti essenziali della digitalizzazione della Pubblica Amministrazione. In un secondo momento ci si concentra invece sulla digitalizzazione del procedimento amministrativo, luogo di indagine privilegiato perch\ue9 prodromico all\u2019adozione della decisione. Si analizza quindi dove essa possa intervenire nel corso del procedimento, per arrivare poi al cuore del lavoro, ossia l\u2019automazione decisionale. devono non solo essere individuate le fonti normative che consentono (e in alcuni casi limitano) il ricorso alle decisioni automatizzate da parte dell\u2019amministrazione, ma si deve anche condurre una ulteriore indagine sulla natura giuridica dei strumenti che consentono l\u2019automazione, perch\ue9 ne derivano importanti conseguenze sul piano della legittimit\ue0 degli atti e della responsabilit\ue0 dei funzionari. La seconda parte, invece, si concentra sui principali problemi giuridici posti dall\u2019introduzione di decisioni amministrative pubbliche automatizzate. Una prima ipotesi \ue8 che l\u2019automazione non sia compatibile con i principi e le norme europee in materia di amministrazione pubblica, nonch\ue9 con le fonti nazionali sul procedimento: secondo questa ricostruzione \u2013 poi esclusa \u2013 l\u2019automazione decisionale non sarebbe ammissibile. Esclusa questa prima ipotesi, ci si concentra su come conciliare principi e istituti procedimentali tradizionali (l\u2019obbligo di motivazione, la partecipazione) con l\u2019automazione decisionale. La parte finale del lavoro indaga il complesso rapporto fra trasparenza dell\u2019attivit\ue0 amministrativa e intellegibilit\ue0 della decisione automatizzata, analizzando istituti classici come il diritto d\u2019accesso \u2013 e il modo in cui vengono interpretati nei casi di specie dalla giurisprudenza \u2013 e nuovi strumenti di tutela previsti ad hoc dal Legislatore. La ricerca \ue8 stata condotta portando avanti una comparazione fra il sistema italiano e quello francese. Questo per due ordini di ragioni: il primo luogo perch\ue9 l\u2019ambito di indagine, vale a dire le decisioni amministrative automatizzate e il loro regime giuridico, \ue8 un piuttosto inesplorato; l\u2019intervento del Legislatore e le pronunce della giurisprudenza in materia hanno appena cominciato ad addentrarvisi. Per questo limitarsi all\u2019esperienza italiana sarebbe parso probabilmente non sufficiente per una completa ricognizione. In pi\uf9, come si vedr\ue0 nel corso del lavoro, l\u2019intervento dell\u2019Unione Europea in materia di digitalizzazione della Pubblica Amministrazione e di decisioni algoritmiche \ue8 piuttosto esteso: in quest\u2019ottica il confronto sulle conseguenze che le politiche europee hanno avuto in due diversi Stati Membri appare piuttosto significativo. La scelta della Francia non \ue8 per\uf2 casuale: in primo luogo il Legislatore francese si \ue8 mostrato molto recettivo a fronte delle necessit\ue0 di intervento richiesto dai nuovi strumenti informatici \u2013 e lo studio della normativa di riferimento si \ue8 rivelato di conseguenza molto importante \u2013 ma inoltre le molteplici affinit\ue0 fra i due sistemi giuridici hanno reso l\u2019analisi della tenuta di istituti classici del diritto amministrativo come l\u2019obbligo di motivazione, o il diritto di accesso (a fronte dell\u2019automazione) assai pi\uf9 agile.Procedural automation is certainly not a new topic of investigation for scholars working on administrative law. It has been studied by doctrine, and practiced by administrations, since the 1980s. Within this long-standing debate, the relevance of the present dissertation lies in the fact that the exponential development of technologies for automation (with the advent of Artificial Intelligence) has substantially expanded the areas where automated decision-making can be successfully implemented. Until ten or fifteen years ago the type of administrative activities in which officials could be replaced by a software were limited (and necessarily bound, considering that only deterministic algorithms were used). Nowadays, the large number of data in possession of the administrations, as well as the way in which they can be stored and above all analyzed, has led to the multiplication of the activities in which they can be used and the advantages that can be derived from them. In this work, an attempt is made to identify the correct systematic collocation of automated administrative decisions and of all the elements that constitute them, and to highlight the problems that recourse to such decisions can entail. In doing so, a unified treatment of these decisions is advocated, hence independently from the level of complexity of the technology used. The first part of the dissertation is dedicated to conceptualizing and to elaborating the normative and systematic framework of the matter. In the first place, it is necessary to identify and define the essential features of the digitalization of the Public Administration. The focus then shifts to the digitalization of the administrative procedure, which is a privileged place of investigation. In this respect, two are the main points of relevance. Firstly, one should identify those regulatory sources that allow (and in some cases limit) the recourse to automated decisions by the administration. Secondly, further investigation must also be conducted into the legal nature of the tools that allow automation, because this has important consequences in terms of the legitimacy of acts and the liability of officials. The second part of the dissertation focuses on the main legal problems posed by the introduction of automated public administrative decisions. A first hypothesis is that automation is not compatible with European principles and rules on public administration and with national sources on the administrative procedure. As will be extensively discussed, this preliminary hypothesis proves unwarranted. Instead, it is proposed that a more viable solution is to reconcile traditional procedural principles and legal tools (duty to give state reasons, participation) with decision-making automation. The final part of the work investigates the complex relationship between the transparency of the administrative activity and the intelligibility of automated decision-making. Here, a new analysis is proposed of both classical legal tools such as the right of access, and the way in which they are interpreted in those cases by case law, and of new instruments of protection provided ad hoc by the Legislator. The research takes a comparative view between the Italian and French systems. The comparative perspective is required by the scope of the investigation. The automated administrative decisions and their legal status remains rather unexplored. The intervention of the Legislator and the pronouncements of the jurisprudence on the subject have just begun to acknowledge the problem. For this reason, limiting oneself to the Italian experience would probably not have been sufficient for a complete understanding of the issue. In addition, as will be seen in the course of the work, the intervention of the European Union in the field of the digitalization of the Public Administration and algorithmic decisions is quite pervasive. Here, the comparison of the role that the EU had in two different Member States seems rather significant. The choice of France, however, is not accidental. First of all, the French Legislator has proved very sensitive to the need for intervention with regards to the new IT tools. It follows, that the study of new legislative instruments developed in this context is of paramount importance. In addition, the multiple affinities between the Italian and the French legal systems have eased the comparison of the performance of classical legal tools of administrative law, such as participation and the right of access (in the face of automation)

Physical and Chemical treatments on Chitosan Matrix to modify film properties and kinetics of biodegradation

This work was focused on analyzing the effect produced by the addition of tannic acid as a crosslinking agent of chitosan matrix and the influence of the heat treatment applied. Taking into account those aspects relevant for packaging applications, thermal stability, mechanical properties, water resistance and kinetics of biodegradation of the film were monitored. The chemical crosslinking as well as the curing of the matrices have improved the mechanical properties and those related to the water affinity such as solubility, permeability and contact angle. Although both processes had an influence on the extent of the film degradation, these materials conserved their biodegradable character. Moreover, it was observed a synergistic effect of both chemical and physical treatments since the two processes in simultaneous caused further delay in the biodegradation. Consequently, in these materials the access to fungal attack and all those reactions mediated by the presence of water were restricted, which confirmed the higher stability of the matrices submitted to chemical or physical crosslinking.Fil: Rivero, Sandra G. M.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico la Plata. Centro de Investigaciones en Criotecnología de Alimentos (i); Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas; ArgentinaFil: Garcia, Maria Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico la Plata. Centro de Investigaciones en Criotecnología de Alimentos (i); Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas; ArgentinaFil: Pinotti, Adriana Noemi. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico la Plata. Centro de Investigaciones en Criotecnología de Alimentos (i); Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ingenieria; Argentin

Nanofiber mats functionalized with Mentha piperita essential oil stabilized in a chitosan-based emulsion designed via an electrospinning technique

A nanostructured device based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) loaded with a cross-linked chitosan (CH) emulsion, soy lecithin, and peppermint essential oil (Mentha piperita) was designed for topical applications using an electrospinning instrument coupled to a rotary drum collector. Different suspensions were obtained by varying the PVA to emulsion ratio (PVA:Em) 87.5:12.5, 82:18, and 75:25, using a PVA solution as a control. ATR-FTIR spectra confirmed the interactions among the components of the system. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the mats evinced that the aligned fiber diameter decreased with higher proportions of emulsion while dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed a decrease in the storage modulus. The entrapment of the functionalized emulsions not only improved the elongation of the matrices but also provided them with greater structural integrity compared to the single PVA matrix. The most favorable formulation in terms of mechanical properties was found to be the 82:18 ratio. After 1 h of close contact between the 82:18 matrix and a porcine skin explant, the latter was examined by confocal microscopy, which revealed the localization of the essential oil mainly on the surface of the stratum corneum (SC).However, after 7 h of contact, the distribution of the peppermint EO throughout the viable epidermis was observed, which was further supported by ATR-FTIR studies. Tailored electrospun matrices would have potential applications as devices for topical or transdermal treatments due to their vehiculization role that allows the diffusion of peppermint essential oil as a skin penetration enhancer.Fil: Lamarra, Javier Andres. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Rivero, Sandra G. M.. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Pinotti, Adriana Noemi. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Lopez, Daniel. Instituto en Ciencia y Tecnología de Polímeros; Españ

Electrospun nanofibers of poly(vinyl alcohol) and chitosan-based emulsions functionalized with cabreuva essential oil

Among the essential oils (EOs), the cabreuva essential oil extracted from the wood of Myrocarpus fastigiatus, is a promising compound for potential applications in the field of pharmaceuticals and food packaging. To overcome the low solubility of cabreuva EO and to protect it, a two-step process, emulsion formation compound by chitosan, SDS, and PVA, and subsequent ionic crosslinking with sodium citrate, was proposed. The formulation containing 0.75% of chitosan and 1% of SDS proved to be the most stable. An alternative to produce nanostructures and encapsulate the EO is the fiber formation through the electrospinning method. The system composed by a PVA solution assembled with crosslinked emulsions modified the viscosity, influencing the morphology of the obtained nanofibers. The advantage of the electrospun nanofibers was their ability to be an effective carrier of the cabreuva EO and the capacity of controlling the compound release that proved an effective activity against broad spectra of micro-organisms (Candida albicans, E. coli, S. aureus, and S. epidermidis). The Gallagher-Corrigan model, used to fit the release profiles of matrices in contact with increasing ethanol proportion from 25:75 to 50:50 showed higher Kb in relation to k suggesting that the polymer swelling played an increasingly prominent role in the EO delivery. The developed nanostructures would be materials with potential applications in the biomedical field.Fil: Lamarra, Javier Andres. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Calienni, Maria Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Grupo Vinculado al IMBICE - Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología - Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - GBEyB | Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Grupo Vinculado al IMBICE - Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología - Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - GBEyB | Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Grupo Vinculado al IMBICE - Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología - Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - GBEyB; ArgentinaFil: Rivero, Sandra G. M.. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Pinotti, Adriana Noemi. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; Argentin

Bioarchaeological and palaeogenomic portrait of two Pompeians that died during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD

The archaeological site of Pompeii is one of the 54 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Italy, thanks to its uniqueness: the town was completely destroyed and buried by a Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 AD. In this work, we present a multidisciplinary approach with bioarchaeological and palaeogenomic analyses of two Pompeian human remains from the Casa del Fabbro. We have been able to characterize the genetic profle of the frst Pompeian’ genome, which has strong afnities with the surrounding central Italian population from the Roman Imperial Age. Our fndings suggest that, despite the extensive connection between Rome and other Mediterranean populations, a noticeable degree of genetic homogeneity exists in the Italian peninsula at that time. Moreover, palaeopathological analyses identifed the presence of spinal tuberculosis and we further investigated the presence of ancient DNA from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the power of a combined approach to investigate ancient humans and confrms the possibility to retrieve ancient DNA from Pompeii human remains. Our initial fndings provide a foundation to promote an intensive and extensive paleogenetic analysis in order to reconstruct the genetic history of population from Pompeii, a unique archaeological site

Selection of new markers for animal by-products characterization by classical microscopy

The aim of this study was to identify possible markers to distinguish differences between land animals by using the microscopic method in association with computer image analysis. For this purpose bone fragments from poultry and mammals were obtained and analysed by microscopic method. Through a digital camera and an image analysis software 85 bone lacunae images have been processed and elaborated in order to obtain for each lacuna a monochrome mask on which several measurements were performed. Data were analysed by ANOVA and LDA. Results obtained in the present study indicated that of 32 descriptors processed by image analysis software, only 12 were significantly (P<0.001) different between mammalian and poultry. However, when morphometric measurements were analysed by LDA, 86% of lacunae were correctly classified into the animal class of origin (i.e. mammalian as mammalian and poultry as poultry). By contrast 14% of lacunae were incorrectly classified. In conclusion, data here presented indicate that some of descriptors used by image analysis appears promising not only for a reliable distinction between the different origins of animal meal at the level of vertebrate classes, but also for further characterisation and identification of processed animal proteins in animal feeds