Food chains and value system: the case of potato, fruit, and cheese

The aim of the paper is to analyse patterns of value system sharing along food chains, so to explore the agro-food enterprises capacity to be competitive and sustainable. The research focused on three food chains: potato, fruit, and Grana cheese of Emilia Romagna region. The paper adopts the value system approach. The methodology is aimed at creating a consolidated financial statement for each food chain so to re-create the chain operating profit and identify how this is shared among the different food chain stages. The analysis is carried out on 189 enterprises for the potato chain, 187 for the fruit chain and 203 for the cheese chain. The number of enterprises was invariable over the 5 year 2003-2007, leading to some 2,900 financial statement analysis. The chains analysed show differences. In the potato and fruit chains 35% of value is created by distribution, whereas in cheese chain only 13.6%. Over the five years value decreases 5% in fruit and potato and 9% in cheese. The lack of adequate strategic food chain partnership allows an increasing retail market power over the whole chain at the expenses of the primary sector entailing a declining sustainability for all chain actors.food chain, value system, profitability, potato, fruit, cheese, Agricultural and Food Policy,

Analysis of the effect of temperature, pH, CO2 pressure and salinity on the olivine dissolution kinetics

AbstractThe dissolution kinetics of olivine has been extensively studied under several temperatures, CO2 pressures, and solution compositions. Dissolution is an important mechanism in the aqueous mineral carbonation process. The overall carbonation reaction consists of dissolution of mineral silicate, e.g. olivine, serpentine and wollastonite, followed by carbonate precipitation, thus fixing CO2 into naturally occurring stable solids, such as magnesite and calcite. The slowness of the dissolution kinetics hinders the overall carbonation reaction and in order to make the process technically and economically feasible, such a reaction should be sped up by finding the optimum operating conditions. Experiments were performed in a flow-through reactor at 90–120–150 ∘C. The pH was adjusted by adding either acids (e.g., HCl, citric acid) or LiOH, and by changing PCO2. The salinity was changed by adding NaCl and NaNO3. From the experimental data, the dissolution rate was estimated by using the population balance equation (PBE) model coupled with a mass balance, and the obtained values were regressed with a linear model log(r)=−npH−B, where r is the specific dissolution rate (mol s−1 cm−2)

Mineral carbonation process for CO2 sequestration

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Surface effects on the Mott-Hubbard transition in archetypal V2_2O3_3

We present an experimental and theoretical study exploring surface effects on the evolution of the metal-insulator transition in the model Mott-Hubbard compound Cr-doped V$_2$O$_3$. We find a microscopic domain formation that is clearly affected by the surface crystallographic orientation. Using scanning photoelectron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, we find that surface defects act as nucleation centers for the formation of domains at the temperature-induced isostructural transition and favor the formation of microscopic metallic regions. A density functional theory plus dynamical mean field theory study of different surface terminations shows that the surface reconstruction with excess vanadyl cations leads to doped, and hence more metallic surface states, explaining our experimental observations.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Erratum to: Proximal humeral fractures in elderly patients

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Carbonation of Activated Serpentine for Direct Flue Gas Mineralization

AbstractResearch in mineral carbonation has moved towards process concepts that combine the capture of CO2 from flue gas with its conversion into stable carbonates. This requires highly reactive source materials that dissolve under lean CO2 pressures and temperatures. Activated serpentine has been used in this study, and its carbonation potential under flue gas conditions has been investigated. Single-step carbonation experiments were performed in stirred reactors with gas-dip tubes, at partial pressures of CO2 up to 1bar, temperatures between 30°C and 90°C, with and without concurrent grinding using a ball mill. The pH and solids were monitored in-situ, and the degree of carbonation of the products was quantified using thermogravimetric analysis. Given the low CO2 pressure, carbonation was successful, as confirmed by the formation of the two magnesium carbonates nesquehonite and hydromagnesite. However, under all conditions investigated, including grinding, the extent of carbonation did not exceed 20%. It was concluded that after the onset of precipitation, the reactor solution in single-step carbonation experiments reaches equilibrium conditions with respect to both serpentine dissolution and carbonate precipitation

Gelatin crosslinked with dehydroascorbic acid as a novel scaffold for tissue regeneration with simultaneous antitumor activity

A porous scaffold was developed to support normal tissue regeneration in the presence of residual tumor disease. It was prepared by gelatin crosslinked with dehydroascorbic acid (DHA). A physicochemical characterization of the scaffold was carried out. SEM and mercury porosimetry revealed a high porosity and interconnection of pores in the scaffold. Enzymatic degradation provided 56% weight loss in ten days. The scaffold was also evaluated in vitro for its ability to support the growth of normal cells while hindering tumor cell development. For this purpose, primary human fibroblasts and osteosarcoma tumor cells (MG-63) were seeded on the scaffold. Fibroblasts attached the scaffold and proliferated, while the tumor cells, after an initial attachment and growth, failed to proliferate and progressively underwent cell death. This was attributed to the progressive release of DHA during the scaffold degradation and its cytotoxic activity towards tumor cells

Immunohistochemical and biochemical assay of versican in human sound predentine/dentine matrix

Aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of versican proteoglycan within the human dentine organic matrix by means of a correlative immunohistochemical analysis with field emission in-lens scanning electron microscope (FEI-SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), fluorescence microscope (FM) and biochemical assay. Specimens containing dentine and predentine were obtained from non carious human teeth and divided in three groups: 1) FEI-SEM group: sections were exposed to a pre-embedding immunohistochemical procedure; 2) TEM group: specimens were fixed, demineralised, embedded and submitted to a post-embedding immunohistochemical procedure; 3) FM group: sections mineralised and submitted to a pre-embedding immunohistochemical procedure with fluorescence labelling. Specimens were exposed to two different antibodies to assay distribution of versican fragments and whole versican molecule. Western Blotting analysis of dentine and pulp extracts was also performed. The correlative FEI-SEM,TEM and FM analysis revealed positive immunoreaction for versican fragments both in predentine and dentine, while few gold particles identifying the whole versican molecule were found in predentine only under TEM. No labelling of versican whole molecule was detected by FEI-SEM and FM analysis. The immunoblotting analysis confirmed the morphological findings. This study suggests that in fully developed human teeth versican fragments are significant constituents of the human dentine and predentine organic matrix, while versican whole molecule can be visualised in scarce amount within predentine only. The role of versican fragments within human dentine organic matrix should be further elucidated