Natural zeolites and white wines from Campania region (Southern Italy): a new contribution for solving some oenological problems

The purpose of this research is to provide a new mixture of Campanian zeolitized tuffs for solving two specific problems in the production of white wines: the protein and tartaric stability. In fact, a very frequent cause of turbidity and formation of organic deposits in white wines is the occurrence of thermolabile and thermostable proteins colloidal suspensions which precipitate in time, especially in summertime and during the storage and transport. Normally, to mitigate this risk wine producers use organic and inorganic stabilizers and clarifiers. The best known treatment, recognized also by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) foresees the use of bentonite with a montmorillonite content not lower than 80%. The present paper aims at evaluating the use of two high zeolite grade Italian volcanoclastites such as the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (NYT) and the Yellow Facies of the Campanian Ignimbrite (YFCI), in the treatment of three peculiar white wines of the Campanian region (Southern Italy): Falanghina, Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo. Granulates were produced starting from tuff blocks as provided by quarries. Some grain size fractions have been prepared to investigate the zeolite content (phillipsite + chabazite + analcime) by X-ray diffraction (XRD). A 2-5 mm grain size fraction was chosen for NYT and a 5-10 mm for YFCI. Three Campanian monocultivar white wines were used for the test: the Falanghina 2006 vintage, the Fiano di Avellino DOCG 2007 vintage, and the Greco di Tufo DOCG 2008 vintage. 48 samples with mixture of the zeolitized tuffs, 1 sample with mixture of a synthetic zeolite A and 1 sample with mixture of a commercial sodium activated bentonite were prepared. ICP-OES analysis for the determination of ECEC, Ion Chromatography (IC) analyses for the determination of some major cations and Turbidimetric tests for the definition of the protein stabilization process before and after treatments were also carried out. It was evidenced that high zeolitized tuff/wine ratios enable the protein stabilization whereas a significant decrease of potassium ion after the treatment with a zeolite-rich powder improves the tartaric stability, a serious problem in all the wine productions. The results of these tests refer to a laboratory scale research. A transfer of the experiment to a pilot plant scale is in progress

Large Eddy Simulation of Bluff Body Stabilised Premixed Flames Using Flamelets

Large Eddy Simulations of an unconfined turbulent lean practical flame stabilised behind a bluff body burner are computed using structured and unstructured numerical solvers. Unstrained flamelets are used as the sub-grid scale combustion closure using constant and dynamic formulations to model the flame curvature parameter βc. The model uses a presumed probability density function to calculate the filtered reaction rate. The aim of this study is to determine the numerical set-up that provides the most reliable results for the flame that is furthest from blow-off conditions (A1). This work will lead to modelling the flame closest to blow-off (A4) and the flame at blow-off conditions, since these flames are highly unstable. Comparisons will be drawn with experimental data obtained using PIV, OH chemiluminescence and OH-PLIF techniques.EPSRC DTP studentship (RG80792

Large Eddy Simulation of a Bluff Body Stabilised Premixed Flame Using Flamelets

Large Eddy Simulations of an unconfined turbulent lean premixed flame, which is stabilised behind a bluff body, are conducted using unstrained flamelets as the sub-grid scale combustion closure. The statistics from the simulations are compared with the corresponding data obtained from the experiment and it is demonstrated that the experimental observations are well captured. The relative positioning of the shear layers and the flame brush are analysed to understand the radial variations of the turbulent kinetic energy at various streamwise locations. These results are also compared to confined bluff body stabilised flames, to shed light on the relative role of incoming and shear driven turbulence on the behaviour of the flame brush and the turbulent kinetic energy variation across it.EPSRC DTP studentship (RG80792

AURA_ A MEDIA DEVICE FOR NEW NARRATION SPACES IN MUSEUM CONTEXTS

The long months of social distance to which the pandemic has forced us have certainly accelerated the idea that the remediation of the concept of distance in a digital horizon can open up new spaces of negotiation for many social and cultural practices in the future. But it has also, dramatically, highlighted the limits and risks contained in the very idea that the experience of the meta-universe can really do without the mediation of physical reality and human direct intervention. The reflections and design experience proposed here therefore aim to reflect on the role that the new technologies and traditional professionals are playing in relation with the phygital cultural experience. The idea of the contemporary museum is indagated, questioning, however, the quality of the 'relationship' between the work of art and the user and the ways in which design can respond creatively to the demand for cultural consumption by activating new processes of attribution of meaning

Damage and energy absorption in GFRP laminates impacted at low-velocity: Indentation model

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Urocortin-like immunoreactivity in the primary lymphoid organs of the duck (Anas platyrhynchos)

Urocortin (UCN) is a 40 aminoacid peptide which belongs to corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family. This family of peptides stimulates the secretion of proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived peptides, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), β-endorphin and melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) in the pituitary gland. In the present study, using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, the distribution of UCN in the primary lymphoid organs of the duck was investigated at different ages. In the cloacal burse and thymus, Western blot demonstrated the presence of a peptide having a molecular weight compatible with that of the mammalian UCN. In the cloacal burse, immunoreactivity was located in the medullary epithelial cells and in the follicular associated and corticomedullary epithelium. In the thymus, immunoreactivity was located in single epithelial cells. Double labelling immunofluorescence studies showed that UCN immunoreactivity completely colocalised with cytokeratin immunoreactivity in both the thymus and cloacal burse. Statistically significant differences in the percentage of UCN immunoreactivity were observed between different age periods in the cloacal burse. The results suggest that, in birds, urocortin has an important role in regulating the function of the immune system

Urocortin-like immunoreactivity in the primary lymphoid organs of the duck. (Anas platyrhynchos).

Urocortin (UCN) is a 40 aminoacid peptide which belongs to corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family. This family of peptides stimulates the secretion of proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived peptides, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), b-endorphin and melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) in the pituitary gland. In the present study, using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, the distribution of UCN in the primary lymphoid organs of the duck was investigated at different ages. In the cloacal burse and thymus, Western blot demonstrated the presence of a peptide having a molecular weight compatible with that of the mammalian UCN. In the cloacal burse, immunoreactivity was located in the medullary epithelial cells and in the follicular associated and cortico-medullary epithelium. In the thymus, immunoreactivity was located in single epithelial cells. Double labelling immunofluorescence studies showed that UCN immunoreactivity completely colocalised with cytokeratin immunoreactivity in both the thymus and cloacal burse. Statistically significant differences in the percentage of UCN immunoreactivity were observed between different age periods in the cloacal burse. The results suggest that, in birds, urocortin has an important role in regulating the function of the immune system

Localization of orexin B and receptor 2 for orexins in testicular cytotypes of the camelid alpaca (Vicugna pacos).

The orexins A (OxA) and B (OxB) are two hypothalamic peptides involved in many physiological functions of the mammalian body. They act through the binding of two G-coupled receptors named receptor 1 (OX1 ) and receptor 2 (OX2 ) for orexins. The first receptor is specific for OxA, while the second binds both the substances with equal affinity. The orexins and the relative receptors have been traced by means of different techniques also at the periphery of the body and particularly in the adrenals, and in gastrointestinal and genital organs. Aim of this work was to investigate the presence of OxB and OX2 by means of immunohistochemistry and Western blotting analysis in the testis of the South American camelid alpaca, a species primarily breed in Chile and Ecuador and recently diffused in Europe where the quality of its wool is particularly appreciated. OxB immunoreactivity (IR) was found in the tubular compartment of the testis where spermatogonia (resting), zygotene and pachytene spermatocytes, and spermatids clearly showed differently sized and shaped cytoplasmic positive structures. OX2 -IR was found both in the interstitial and tubular compartments of the testis and particularly in Leydig cells and round and elongated spermatids. Western blotting analysis of testis lysates showed the presence of a protein band whose molecular weight corresponded to that currently assigned to OX2 . Such findings easily translate the hypothesis that OxB and its receptor 2 play a functional role both in the interstitial and tubular compartments of the alpaca testis

Thin walled pottery from Alife (Northern Campania, Italy)

The file attached is the published version of the article

Heterologous expression of Brucella abortus GroEL heat-shock protein in Lactococcus lactis

BACKGROUND: Brucella abortus is a facultative intracellular pathogen that mainly infects cattle and humans. Current vaccines rely on live attenuated strains of B. abortus, which can revert to their pathogenic status and thus are not totally safe for use in humans. Therefore, the development of mucosal live vaccines using the food-grade lactic acid bacterium, Lactococcus lactis, as an antigen delivery vector, is an attractive alternative and a safer vaccination strategy against B. abortus. Here, we report the construction of L. lactis strains genetically modified to produce B. abortus GroEL heat-shock protein, a candidate antigen, in two cellular locations, intracellular or secreted. RESULTS: Only the secreted form of GroEL was stably produced in L. lactis, suggesting a detrimental effect of GroEL protein when intracellularly produced in this bacterium. Only trace amounts of mature GroEL were detected in the supernatant fraction of induced lactococcal cultures, and the GroEL precursor remained stacked in the cell fraction. Attempts to raise the secretion yields were made, but even when GroEL was fused to a synthetic propeptide, secretion of this antigen was not improved. CONCLUSION: We found that L. lactis is able to produce, and to secrete, a stable form of GroEL into the extracellular medium. Despite the low secretion efficiency of GroEL, which suggest that this antigen interacts with the cell envelope of L. lactis, secretion seems to be the best way to achieve both production and protein yields, regardless of cellular location. The L. lactis strain secreting GroEL has potential for in vivo immunization