Novel memory-based sensory approach to assess large-scale typicality: the case of mainland Portugal red wines

Twenty professional wine experts were asked to describe their prototypical construct of a representative young red wine from each of the 12 Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) of mainland Portugal. No samples were assessed; the experiment was based on memory alone by completion of 12 extended self-reported sensory questionnaires. Four large-scale areas were differentiated, the typicality being statistically validated and described from a sensory standpoint. Alcohol, acidity, bitterness, and astringency were cross-linked; the respective variations were correlated with published literature and expressed as key factors for the regional macroscale area differentiation. Bitterness and astringency were found to be sensory different and related on a geographical scale, as bitterness was primarily affected by inland/coastal influence; while astringency confirmed its customary north/south dependence that finding is to be considered a new understanding. Moreover, with the proposed methodology, it was possible to achieve a novel nationwide sensory characterization of PGIs, overcoming present day limitations on macroscale sensory research and sample representativeness. Results by uncalibrated prototypical memory assessment of single PGI Beira Atlântico were compared with the outcome of calibrated wine sampling assessment by local experts, using the same sensory questionnaire, and were found significantly correlated. The need for a calibration stage was found uneven regarding the overall group of scrutinized wine descriptors

Evolution of proanthocyanidins in bunch stems during berry development (Vitis vinifera L.)

Proanthocyanidins from bunch stems of two red varieties (Castelao Frances and Touriga Francesa) and one white variety (Viosinho)(Vitis vinifera L,) harvested in 1998, were separated into monomers (catechins), oligomers (degree of polymerization ranging from 2 to 12-15) and polymers (degree of polymerization >12-15), and then quantified during grape development (40 d before veraison until ripening). In addition, low molecular weight catechins [(+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin], dimeric procyanidins (B1, B2, B3, B4), galloylated dimeric procyanidins (B13-0-gallate, B2-3-0-gallate, B2-3'-0-gallate), and trimeric procyanidins (C1, T2) from grape stems were quantified by HPLC, At harvest the polymeric fraction was the most abundant (28.0 - 35.8 mg . g-1 stem). For the three grape varieties, the content of catechins, oligomeric and polymeric fractions decreased during berry development mainly after veraison, Crape stems are also an important source of proanthocyanidins in the grape cluster when compared to the flavanol content in seeds. From an industrial point of view, stems seem to be an important source of proanthocyanidins for potential use as nutriceutical, enological products, chemical standards or even in winemaking to regulate flavanol composition in wine.

Evolution of anthocyanins during grape maturation of two varieties (Vitis vinifera L.), Castelao Frances and Touriga Francesa

Research Not

Research Note: Effect of Light Quality on Fruit Growth, Composition and the Sensory Impact of the Wines

The stage at which grapes are harvested has an influence on the aromatic and phenolic composition of the berries and the resulting wines. The aim of this study was to evaluate wines harvested sequentially as outlined in the berry sugar accumulation model. Two vintages and treatments in which the light qualityand quantity were altered at the fruit zone were compared. In 2010/2011, the grapes were harvested at two ripening stages after the sugar loading plateau was reached, namely the “fresh fruit” stage (20-25 days afterwards) and “pre-mature” stage (at approximately 35 days). In the 2011/2012 season, grapes were harvested 45 days after the sugar loading plateau was reached (the “mature fruit” stage). Vegetative aromas were synonymous with the “fresh fruit” stage in 2010/2011, while the 2011/2012 wines from the “mature fruit” harvest date were characterized by raisin, prune and spicy aromas. In both seasons, the control treatments were rated more intense in ‘satin in the mouth’ in and after expectoration. Wines in which the UV-B radiation was excluded during berry growth were rated the highest in the mouthfeel attribute ‘coarseness’ in both treatment seasons. Wines were analyzed chemically for phenolic content using HPLC, and sensorial using descriptive analysis with a trained panel. In the leaf removal treatments,higher acidity content enhanced the perception of astringency in the wine. Wines were analyzed chemically for phenolic content using HPLC and sensorial using descriptive analysis with a trained panel. Overall, the data showed that grape composition was altered by varying light quality, within a season, but seasonalvariation overrode treatment effects. Flavonol concentration in 2011/2012 wine was higher in the exposed leaf removal treatment compared to the other treatments. High light intensities in 2011/2012 season increased anthocyanin concentration in the wine.. This study emphasizes the importance of the quality and quantity of light on the composition and quality of wines, and presents new findings regarding sensory attributes associated with harvesting at different ripening stages.

Supercritical CO2-assisted spray drying of strawberry-like gold-coated magnetite nanocomposites in chitosan powders for inhalation

Associate Laboratory Research Unit for Green Chemistry Clean Processes and Technologies-LAQV - (UID/QUI/50006/2013) ; UCIBIO from FCT/MEC - UID/Multi/04378/2013 ; ERDF - POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007265; FCT/MEC - SFRH/BD/51584/2011; SFRH/BPD/93982/2013 ; FCT-Lisbon - IF/00915/2014Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Therefore, it is of extreme importance to develop new systems that can deliver anticancer drugs into the site of action when initiating a treatment. Recently, the use of nanotechnology and particle engineering has enabled the development of new drug delivery platforms for pulmonary delivery. In this work, POXylated strawberry-like gold-coated magnetite nanocomposites and ibuprofen (IBP) were encapsulated into a chitosan matrix using Supercritical Assisted Spray Drying (SASD). The dry powder formulations showed adequate morphology and aerodynamic performances (fine particle fraction 48%-55% and aerodynamic diameter of 2.6-2.8 μm) for deep lung deposition through the pulmonary route. Moreover, the release kinetics of IBP was also investigated showing a faster release of the drug at pH 6.8, the pH of lung cancer. POXylated strawberry-like gold-coated magnetite nanocomposites proved to have suitable sizes for cellular internalization and their fluorescent capabilities enable their future use in in vitro cell based assays. As a proof-of-concept, the reported results show that these nano-in-micro formulations could be potential drug vehicles for pulmonary administration. © 2017 by the authors.publishersversionpublishe

Blends of wood chips from oak and cherry: impact on the general phenolic parameters and sensory profile of a white wine during the aging process

Today, there is a restricted knowledge about the potential impact of the use of different wood chip species on the white wine aging process. This lack of knowledge is even greater when wood species are used in blends of different species. Thus, the aim was to carry out a comparative analysis of the impact of different blends of wood chip species, involving oak and cherry wood, on different phenolic and color parameters, browning potential index and sensory profile of a white wine during the aging process. During the aging time studied, the use of wood chips induced an increase of wine phenolic content and color intensity, particularly in wines aged in contact with cherry wood chips alone or in blends with oak wood chips. A similar tendency was also detected for browning potential index. Regarding the sensorial results, the use of different wood chip species has an impact on the increase of "woody aroma" for the wines aged with oak wood chip species and also an increase of "body" and "astringency" descriptors for the wines aged with oak chips alone or blended with cherry chips. This work advances our understanding of the impact of different wood chip species separately or by the use of blends on white wine quality

Overcoming inertia : drivers of the outsourcing process

Almost all managers have directly or indirectly been involved in the practice of outsourcing in recent years. But as they know, outsourcing is not straightforward. Outsourcing inertia, when companies are slow to adapt to changing circumstances that accommodate higher outsourcing levels, may undermine a firm’s performance. This article investigates the presence of outsourcing inertia and the factors that help managers overcome it. Using statistical evidence, we show that positive performance effects related to outsourcing can accumulate when circumstances change. This is then followed by rapid increases in outsourcing levels (i.e. outsourcing processes). We investigate what gives rise to these outsourcing processes through follow-up interviews with sourcing executives, which suggest five drivers behind outsourcing processes: managerial initiative (using outside experience); hierarchy (foreign headquarters); imitation (of competitors and of similar firms); outsider advice (from external institutions); knowledge sources (using external information). These five drivers all offer scope for managerial action. We tie them to academic literatures and suggest ways of investigating their presence and impact on the outsourcing process. Overall, we conclude that while economizing factors play a key role in explaining how much firms outsource, it is socializing factors that tend to drive outsourcing processes

A review on the decarbonization of high-performance computing centers

High-performance computing relies on performance-oriented infrastructures with access to powerful computing resources to complete tasks that contribute to solve complex problems in society. The intensive use of resources and the increase in service demand due to emerging fields of science, combined with the exascale paradigm, climate change concerns, and rising energy costs, ultimately means that the decarbonization of these centers is key to improve their environmental and financial performance. Therefore, a review on the main opportunities and challenges for the decarbonization of high-performance computing centers is essential to help decision-makers, operators and users contribute to a more sustainable computing ecosystem. It was found that state-of-the-art supercomputers are growing in computing power, but are combining different measures to meet sustainability concerns, namely going beyond energy efficiency measures and evolving simultaneously in terms of energy and information technology infrastructure. It was also shown that policy and multiple entities are now targeting specifically HPC, and that identifying synergies with the energy sector can reveal new revenue streams, but also enable a smoother integration of these centers in energy systems. Computing-intensive users can continue to pursue their scientific research, but participating more actively in the decarbonization process, in cooperation with computing service providers. Overall, many opportunities, but also challenges, were identified, to decrease carbon emissions in a sector mostly concerned with improving hardware performance.This work is financed by Fundo Ambiental (FA) within project Sustainable HPC (Computação de Elevado Desempenho Sustentável)

“Como um som de noite e um faiscar de dia”: os impactes da poluição sonora de baixa frequência em áreas residenciais no município de Guimarães, Portugal

Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo compreender os impactes da poluição sonora de baixa frequência na qualidade de vida da população e na sustentabilidade dos lugares, no município de Guimarães, Portugal. A investigação realizada foi desdobrada em duas vertentes. A primeira compreendeu medições sumárias realizadas em 2014, totalizando 9 pontos, com o grupo ‘próximo da fonte’, residentes no raio de até 50 metros, e o grupo ‘distante da fonte’, a mais de 250 metros de distância em relação à fonte. A segunda abarcou medições de 72 horas realizadas em 2015, com o grupo ‘muito próximo da fonte’ até 20 metros da fonte. A dimensão subjetiva compreendeu a percepção da incomodidade do ruído pela população usando um inquérito, adaptado da metodologia da Universidade de Salford. Na primeira abordagem, o ruído ultrapassa os valores da curva critério independente do grupo. Na segunda abordagem, os níveis de ruído medidos apresentam características flutuantes, e de acordo com a mesma metodologia, o ruído causado por essas infraestruturas pode ser incomodativo.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPE