Haematological and biochemical reference intervals in healthy racing and retired Italian Greyhounds

In view of the enormous variability of dog breeds, breed-specific reference intervals (RIs) are recommended for use in veterinary clinical decision-making. The aim of this study was to determine whether RIs of the general canine population may be applied to the Italian Greyhound (Piccoli Levrieri Italiani or PLI), and to generate breed-specific RIs, where appropriate. Sixty-three privately owned clinically healthy fasted dogs were examined. Routine haematology and biochemistry were performed on 58 enrolled patients using the ADVIA 120 haematology analyzer and the Cobas Mira system, respectively. Changes in haematological and biochemical parameters depending on sex, age and attitude (resting vs. running dogs) were investigated. The results of PLI were compared with the RIs of the general canine population. In those cases in which these RIs were not validated, new RIs were generated according to the guidelines of the American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology. Pre-existing RIs were considered valid based on the recommendations by the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). RIs were higher for mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), cell haemoglobin concentration mean (CHCM) and lower for large unstained cells (LUC). A wider discrepancy between pre-existing and newly established RIs was found for some ADVIA parameters regarding red blood cell (RBC) or reticulocyte morphology. For total protein and cholesterol the new RIs were wider than the pre-existing ones, while albumin, calcium and iron were higher. This study suggests that most of the RIs published in veterinary textbooks cannot be validated for PLIs

Supercritical Equilibrium Data of the Systems Carbon Dioxide—Linalool and Carbon Dioxide—Orange Essential Oil

In this paper experimental equilibrium data on the system supercritical CO2–orange essential oil and the system supercritical CO2-linalool are reported at 323.15 K and 343.15 K, for pressures in the ranges 7.6–13.5 MPa. The behavior of the system supercritical CO2–orange essential oil was represented by means of thermodynamic model, based on Peng–Robinson equation of state. To this aim the orange essential oil was represented by a mixture of limonene, linalool and β-caryophyllene, selected to represent the classes of monoterpenes, oxygenated terpenes and sesquiterpenes respectively. The model uses only regression parameters calculated from binary sub-systems, CO2-limonene and CO2-β-caryophyllene (taken from literature) and CO2-linalool (calculated from the fitting of original data reported in the present work) thus being predictive with respect to the multicomponent mixture.In this paper experimental equilibrium data on the system supercritical CO2–orange essential oil and the system supercritical CO2-linalool are reported at 323.15 K and 343.15 K, for pressures in the ranges 7.6–13.5 MPa. The behavior of the system supercritical CO2–orange essential oil was represented by means of thermodynamic model, based on Peng–Robinson equation of state. To this aim the orange essential oil was represented by a mixture of limonene, linalool and β-caryophyllene, selected to represent the classes of monoterpenes, oxygenated terpenes and sesquiterpenes respectively. The model uses only regression parameters calculated from binary sub-systems, CO2-limonene and CO2-β-caryophyllene (taken from literature) and CO2-linalool (calculated from the fitting of original data reported in the present work) thus being predictive with respect to the multicomponent mixture

Virtual proximity in the factory processes: designing interfaces between industrial equipment and human operators

The paradigm of Industry 4.0 is increasingly permeating the way people work, live and interact with others. In the context of smart factories, industrial machines are increasingly intelligent and automated, but human oversight in the industrial processes remains crucial and requires highly skilled personnel executing quick and precise interventions on the production line. Nevertheless, communication with factory machines still relies hardly comprehensible codes on interfaces that follow the traditional Window-Icon-Menu-Pointer model. Through research based on surveys and field observations, this study aims to analyse the state of the art of human-machine interfaces, user behaviour and communication processes in a smart factory. Presenting a case study, this contribution offers a report on an experimental research project carried out through a design thinking approach applied in an Industry 4.0 environment. This paper contributes to the ongoing discussion about the possible future of human-centric interfaces in the industrial workplace, as well as the role of user-centred design in building experiences that go beyond conventional screen-based interactions

Phase equilibria and thermodynamic modeling of systems CO2 – bergamot oil and CO2 – linalyl acetate

In this paper experimental equilibrium data of the system CO2– bergamot essential oil are reported at323 K and 343 K, in the pressure range 7.8–13.1 MPa. Furthermore equilibrium data for the subsystemCO2– linalyl acetate at 323 K are reported in the pressure range 7.0–10.3 MPa. The equilibrium data arepredicted by means of two thermodynamic models based on Peng – Robinson and PC-SAFT equations ofstate. In particular the bergamot essential oil is described as a mixture of four components: limonene,linalool, linalyl acetate and beta-caryophyllene. In the models regression parameters are calculated fromdata of binary subsystems, CO2– limonene, CO2– linalool and CO2-beta-caryophyllene, and CO2– linalylacetate. Therefore both of the models are predictive with regard to the bergamot oil and show quite agood agreement (especially the Peng Robinson one) with respect to the experimental data

PLA recycling by hydrolysis at high temperature

In this work the process of PLA hydrolysis at high temperature was studied, in order to evaluate the possibility of chemical recycling of this polymer bio-based. In particular, the possibility to obtain the monomer of lactic acid from PLA degradation was investigated. The results of some preliminary tests, performed in a laboratory batch reactor at high temperature, are presented: the experimental results show that the complete degradation of PLA can be obtained in relatively low reaction times

Solar steam reforming for enriched methane production: Reactor configurations modeling and comparison

A solar low-temperature steam reforming process for the production of an Enriched Methane (EM) mixture composed by CH4 and H2 (20%vol) exploiting the solar energy stored in a Molten Salt stream heated up by a Concentrating Solar Plant (MS-CSP) is presented and simulated through a two-dimensional steam reforming reactor model. Two configurations are considered and compared: the Integrated Heat Exchanging (IHE) configuration, where the steam reformers are tubes-and-shell reactors continuously heated up by the hot MS stream, and the External Heat Exchanging (EHE) configuration composed by a series of heat exchangers and insulated reformers where the reactions are adiabatically driven. The effect of the main operating conditions as Gas Hourly Space Velocity (GHSV), inlet reactor temperature and reactant mixture composition is assessed for both the configurations, demonstrating the process feasibility. Furthermore, in order to increase the process performance, an electrical power generation unit is also included, exploiting the sensible heat of the residual MS stream after the EM production unit: in this case, with a feed of 2000 Nm3/h of natural gas, about 6130 Nm3/h of enriched methane and 475 kWel are produced with the EHE configuration, while 3720 Nm3/h and 585 kWel are obtained with IHE configuration. © 2014, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.A solar low-temperature steam reforming process for the production of an Enriched Methane (EM) mixture composed by CH4 and H2 (20%vol) exploiting the solar energy stored in a Molten Salt stream heated up by a Concentrating Solar Plant (MS-CSP) is presented and simulated through a two-dimensional steam reforming reactor model. Two configurations are considered and compared: the Integrated Heat Exchanging (IHE) configuration, where the steam reformers are tubes-and-shell reactors continuously heated up by the hot MS stream, and the External Heat Exchanging (EHE) configuration composed by a series of heat exchangers and insulated reformers where the reactions are adiabatically driven. The effect of the main operating conditions as Gas Hourly Space Velocity (GHSV), inlet reactor temperature and reactant mixture composition is assessed for both the configurations, demonstrating the process feasibility. Furthermore, in order to increase the process performance, an electrical power generatio

Degradation of post-consumer PLA. Hydrolysis of polymeric matrix and oligomers stabilization in aqueous phase

Degradation of post-consumer PLA to lactic acid was analysed in order to assess the economic feasibility of the PLA chemical recycling process. Hydrolysis of PLA, in batch reactor, was analysed in the temperature range of 443-473K, under autogenous pressure and a constant PLA to water ratio (equal to approximately 0.11 by weight), without the use of a catalyst. The experimental results suggest that the complete degradation of PLA can be obtained using relatively low reaction-times with the production of a mixture containing the monomer and traces of the dimer of lactic acid. The overall process was modelled using a two-step process: bulk degradation of PLA (in the solid or molten phase) with the solubilisation of low molecular weight oligomers, and their subsequent hydrolysis in water (stabilization). The model describes the trend of oligomer concentrations in the aqueous phase and PLA conversion as a function of time with both high accuracy and agreement with experimental results