Understanding the impact of moderate-intensity pulsed electric fields (MIPEF) on structural and functional characteristics of pea, rice and gluten concentrates

Aim: The effect of moderate-intensity pulsed electric fields (MIPEF) was evaluated on vegetable protein concentrates from pea, rice, and gluten. Methods: Five percent (w/w) suspensions of protein concentrates (pH 5 and 6) were exposed to up to 60,000 MIPEF pulses at 1.65\ua0kV/cm. Both structural modifications (absorbance at 280\ua0nm, free sulfhydryl groups, FT-IR-spectra) and functional properties (solubility, water and oil holding capacity, foamability) were analyzed. Results: MIPEF was able to modify protein structure by inducing unfolding, intramolecular rearrangement, and formation of aggregates. However, these effects were strongly dependent on protein nature and pH. In the case of rice and pea samples, structural changes were associated with negligible modifications in functional properties. By contrast, noticeable changes in these properties were observed for gluten samples, especially after exposure to 20,000 pulses. In particular, at pH 6, an increase in water and oil holding capacity of gluten was detected, while at pH 5, its solubility almost doubled. Conclusion: These results suggest the potential of MIPEF to steer structure of proteins and enhance their technological functionality

Performance modeling of ultraviolet Raman lidar systems for daytime profiling of atmospheric water vapor

We describe preliminary results from a comprehensive computer model developed to guide optimization of a Raman lidar system for measuring daytime profiles of atmospheric water vapor, emphasizing an ultraviolet, solar-blind approach

Innovative passive reinforcements for the gradual stabilization of a landslide according with the observational method

A large number of landslides occur in North-Eastern Italy during every rainy period due to the particular hydrogeological conditions of this area. Even if there are no casualties, the economic losses are often significant, and municipalities frequently do not have sufficient financial resources to repair the damage and stabilize all the unstable slopes. In this regard, the research for more economically sustainable solutions is a crucial challenge. Floating composite anchors are an innovative and low-cost technique set up for slope stabilization: it consists in the use of passive sub-horizontal reinforcements, obtained by coupling a traditional self-drilling bar with some tendons cemented inside it. This work concerns the application of this technique according to the observational method described within the Italian and European technical codes and mainly recommended for the design of geotechnical works, especially when performed in highly uncertain site conditions. The observational method prescribes designing an intervention and, at the same time, using a monitoring system in order to correct and adapt the project during realization of the works on the basis of new data acquired while on site. The case study is the landslide of Cischele, a medium landslide which occurred in 2010 after an exceptional heavy rainy period. In 2015, some floating composite anchors were installed to slow down the movement, even if, due to a limited budget, they were not enough to ensure the complete stabilization of the slope. Thanks to a monitoring system installed in the meantime, it is now possible to have a comparison between the site conditions before and after the intervention. This allows the evaluation of benefits achieved with the reinforcements and, at the same time, the assessment of additional improvements. Two stabilization scenarios are studied through an FE model: the first includes the stabilization system built in 2015, while the second evaluates a new solution proposed to further increase the slope stability

Material Characterization and Real-Time Wear Evaluation of Pistons and Cylinder Liners of the Tiger 131 Military Tank

Material characterisation and wear evaluation of the original and replacement pistons and cylinder-liners of Tiger 131 is reported. Original piston and cylinder-liner were operative in the Tigers’ engine during WWII. The replacement piston and cylinder-liner were used as substitutes and were obtained after failure in two hours of operation in the actual engine. Material characterisation revealed that the original piston was aluminium silicon hypereutectic alloy whereas the replacement piston was aluminium copper alloy with very low silicon content. Both original and replacement cylinder-liners consisted of mostly iron which is indicative of cast iron, a common material for this application. The replacement piston average surface roughness was found to be 9.09 μm while for replacement cylinder-liner it was 5.78 μm

A systematic review of factors associated with outcome of psychological treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder

Objective: Psychological interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are not always effective and can leave some individuals with enduring symptoms. Little is known about factors that are associated with better or worse treatment outcome. Our objective was to address this gap. Method: We undertook a systematic review following Cochrane Collaboration Guidelines. We included 126 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of psychological interventions for PTSD and examined factors that were associated with treatment outcome, in terms of severity of PTSD symptoms post-treatment, and recovery or remission. Results: Associations were neither consistent nor strong. Two factors were associated with smaller reductions in severity of PTSD symptoms post-treatment: comorbid diagnosis of depression, and higher PTSD symptom severity at baseline assessment. Higher education, adherence to homework and experience of a more recent trauma were associated with better treatment outcome. Conclusion: Identifying and understanding why certain factors are associated with treatment outcome is vital to determine which individuals are most likely to benefit from particular treatments and to develop more effective treatments in the future. There is an urgent need for consistent and standardized reporting of factors associated with treatment outcome in all clinical trials

The culture of the project in view of new synergies for the (r)evolution of the healthcare sector

The contemporary era, defined by Schwad (2015) as the "Fourth Industrial Revolution '' is the era that is outlined on the theme of major innovations and a growth of technologies of exponential type. At the social level, we are witnessing a progressive aging of the population, aging or rejuvenation, as some would argue (OECD, 2020). Technological growth and innovation is evolving the standards of health in which the population falls, is reshaping life expectancy and with it, also the age of seniority. Technological growth and population increase bring with them clear concerns about health management: we will face an increasing number of chronic diseases, and the demand for higher standards of personalized care, precision medicine, regenerative medicine, all of which will increase demands and put great stress on our health systems. The two years marked by the Covid-19 pandemic have already provided us with a demonstration of the consequences associated with extremes of demand for care. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, which holds the advent of Information Technologies and Artificial Intelligence, tells us of a future that will see an increasing interaction between humans, machines and computational intelligences, to alleviate us and empower our existence. This era will also speak about the increasingly imperative need to assert in the design treatment the component of acceptance and exaltation of human values in order to mitigate the possible outcomes of human alienation in the face of indefinable technological availability. Also in this case we can refer to the examples of degenerations resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, with generalizing crisis phenomena and dismissive visions from the surrounding reality, such as the No-Vax, movements or other phenomena of technological alienation as in the case of the increase in the percentage of adolescents now in a cycle of self-induced isolation. Considering the areas of light and shadow of the challenges of our future, it is clear how we will need the increasingly synergistic action of the various disciplines of human knowledge, in order to arrive at the delineation of a correct exploitation of human values. With regard to this, the discipline of design, understood as that discipline useful to generate with efficiency, a bridge between technological innovation and human interaction, will be fundamental as able to bring positive and empathic elements to the design, to derive a generalized improvement in the quality of life, and in the case of healthcare, of care. Our research highlights the etymologically new figure of the "Medical Designer" and asserts in the design process new functions on the theme of medical devices: among them, the theme of autonomy and automation. In full response to the "trend" and aimed at assimilating to the already established potential of industries, they will be crucial elements of designs and investments of new devices. The research that derives from it has had practical implications arriving at the definition of forms of care that subjugate in a single device both the function of reading parameters, and the function of administration of care