An inertizing and cooling process for grapes cryomaceration

Background: With this research an inertizing and cooling process for grapes cryomaceration has been set up. The process in question has been performed by an innovative plant that cooled the grapes rapidly in about 8 sec until they reached the set cryo-maceration temperature, using direct injection of liquid CO2. It works with a grape flow of approximately 2-3 tons/h, with a maximum thermal gradient of 20 K between the grape inlet and outlet temperature. For this plant a vibrating device was set up that allowed that only one grape cluster layer to be formed on the ribbon conveyor after the grapes had been put into the feedbox. A numerical model was set up for the cooling tunnel, and numerical simulations were performed to investigate the operative parameters of the machine in question. The numerical results were validated by means of experimental tests. Results: The wines obtained by using the considered plant (IW) were chemically analysed, and a comparison was performed with wines obtained with the same grape without the use of the plant (TW). All phenolic parameters were higher in IW wines, while other substances such as alcohol, reducing sugars, acids, and volatile acidity were less affected by the different winemaking technique. A deeper yellow colour was a direct consequence of the higher phenolic content of IW wines. Panelists preferred the IW wines, which had a richer, more delicate aroma. Conclusions: The study showed that careful exclusion of air combined with preventing oxidation during the cooling process, that is realized with the considered innovative cooling plant, effectively yields pleasing wines with more character

Insight into contact force local impedance technology for predicting effective pulmonary vein isolation

BackgroundHighly localized impedance (LI) measurements during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation have the potential to act as a reliable predictor of the durability of the lesions created.ObjectiveWe aimed to collect data on the procedural parameters affecting LI-guided ablation in a large multicenter registry.MethodsA total of 212 consecutive patients enrolled in the CHARISMA registry and undergoing their first pulmonary vein (PV) isolation for paroxysmal and persistent AF were included.ResultsIn all, 13,891 radiofrequency (RF) applications of ≥3 s duration were assessed. The first-pass PV isolation rate was 93.3%. A total of 80 PV gaps were detected. At successful ablation spots, baseline LI and absolute LI drop were larger than at PV gap spots (161.4 ± 19 Ω vs. 153.0 ± 13 Ω, p < 0.0001 for baseline LI; 22.1 ± 9 Ω vs. 14.4 ± 5 Ω, p < 0.0001 for LI drop). On the basis of Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the ideal LI drop, which predicted successful ablation, was >21 Ω at anterior sites and >18 Ω at posterior sites. There was a non-linear association between the magnitude of LI drop and contact-force (CF) (r = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.13–0.16, p < 0.0001) whereas both CF and LI drop were inversely related with delivery time (DT) (−0.22, −0.23 to −0.20, p < 0.0001 for CF; −0.27, −0.29 to −0.26, p < 0.0001 for LI drop).ConclusionAn LI drop >21 Ω at anterior sites and >18 Ω at posterior sites predicts successful ablation. A higher CF was associated with an increased likelihood of ideal LI drop. The combination of good CF and adequate LI drop allows a significant reduction in RF DT.Clinical trial registrationhttp://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier: NCT03793998

Identification of SNP and SSR markers in eggplant using RAD tag sequencing

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The eggplant (<it>Solanum melongena </it>L.) genome is relatively unexplored, especially compared to those of the other major <it>Solanaceae </it>crops tomato and potato. In particular, no SNP markers are publicly available; on the other hand, over 1,000 SSR markers were developed and publicly available. We have combined the recently developed Restriction-site Associated DNA (RAD) approach with Illumina DNA sequencing for rapid and mass discovery of both SNP and SSR markers for eggplant.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>RAD tags were generated from the genomic DNA of a pair of eggplant mapping parents, and sequenced to produce ~17.5 Mb of sequences arrangeable into ~78,000 contigs. The resulting non-redundant genomic sequence dataset consisted of ~45,000 sequences, of which ~29% were putative coding sequences and ~70% were in common between the mapping parents. The shared sequences allowed the discovery of ~10,000 SNPs and nearly 1,000 indels, equivalent to a SNP frequency of 0.8 per Kb and an indel frequency of 0.07 per Kb. Over 2,000 of the SNPs are likely to be mappable via the Illumina GoldenGate assay. A subset of 384 SNPs was used to successfully fingerprint a panel of eggplant germplasm, producing a set of informative diversity data. The RAD sequences also included nearly 2,000 putative SSRs, and primer pairs were designed to amplify 1,155 loci.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The high throughput sequencing of the RAD tags allowed the discovery of a large number of DNA markers, which will prove useful for extending our current knowledge of the genome organization of eggplant, for assisting in marker-aided selection and for carrying out comparative genomic analyses within the <it>Solanaceae </it>family.</p

Optimized Design of a Simplified Interceptor for Olive Harvesting

It was been designed and realized a simplified interceptor system with olives harvest nets, to use during the olives harvesting phase for existing olives tree-plant on small surfaces. Such equipment complied to the design requirements of: inexpensiveness for investment and operative use, machine working in continuous, with possibility to use it for other similar crops, minimum employment of workman (an operator). The machine was constituted by a rectangular base climbed on wheels and hauled. It was surmounted by a grate that allowed the sieve of the olives and by a cage of nets, with form of trunk of inverted pyramid that, sustained by mechanically driven bars, succeeded in surrounding the tree locks. The machine tangentially worked to the trees trunks along the convenience order of the olive-tree-plant. By mean a pneumatic command, two telescopic bars that sustained the nets, escaped, so that they surrounded the whole tree trunk, in few second. At this point the shaking phase began. The olives harvested, by mean the inclination of the planes formed by the base nets, they went in the grate impending the tank of the considered machine, and therefore they were collected in the vain underlying. During the performed experimental tests, the detected losses on soil have practically almost been void. Finished such phase, reversing the pneumatic command, the return in initial condition of the nets was had, that is, they were displaced on the right broadside of the considered machine, and it was ready to be reallocated, under the following tre

APPLICATION OF SOFTWARE FOR THE SURFACE SHAPE OF THE CHESTNUTS HARVEST NETS

In this research conveyance nets for the chestnuts harvest have been considered and the optimization of the surface shape of the chestnuts harvest nets has been performed. Indeed, a steep zone with chestnut trees has been considered, with maximum length of 90 m and maximum width of 60 m and the geometric model of the considered zone has been obtained, by mean GIS system and “Archicad 14” program code, obtaining also the soil local slope distribution. The chestnuts fallen have been simulated by mean a “rain device” available in “Sitetopo” program code. This program has allowed to evaluate the rain draining in function of the considered surface slope. Further, the zone with lower quote, for the considered surface, is the zone in that the chestnuts have to be convoyed, “basin zone”. Indeed, by mean “Sitetopo” program code, it has been possible to evaluate the rain draining contour-plot, and the conveyance effect, that is, where the rain flow is convoyed. This has been obtained by changing of the net surface slope on that, the rain (simulating the chestnuts) fallen. Indeed the nets have been located following the determined optimal surface. In such way all the fallen chestnuts have been convoyed and picked in a determined zone, “basin zone”, and subsequently they have been loaded on the truck for the following workmanships. The evaluated losses have been of around 6-8 % due to chestnuts entangle or little branches obstacle

Application of software for the optimization of the surface shape of nets for chestnut harvesting

In this research conveyance nets for the chestnuts harvest have been considered and the optimization of the surface shape of the chestnuts harvest nets has been performed. Indeed, a steep zone with chestnut trees has been considered, with maximum length of 90 m and maximum width of 60 m and the geometric model of the considered zone has been obtained, by mean GIS system and “Archicad 14” program code, obtaining also the soil local slope distribution. The chestnuts fallen have been simulated by mean a “rain device” available in “Sitetopo” program code. This program has allowed to evaluate the rain draining in function of the considered surface slope. Further, the zone with lower quote, for the considered surface, is the zone in that the chestnuts have to be convoyed, “basin zone”. Indeed, by mean “Sitetopo” program code, it has been possible to evaluate the rain draining contour-plot, and the conveyance effect, that is, where the rain flow is convoyed. This has been obtained by changing of the net surface slope on that, the rain (simulating the chestnuts) fallen. Indeed the nets have been located following the determined optimal surface. In such way all the fallen chestnuts have been convoyed and picked in a determined zone, “basin zone”, and subsequently they have been loaded on the truck for the following workmanships. The evaluated losses have been of around 6-8 % due to chestnuts entangle or little branches obstacle

Progettazione ottimizzata di un impianto di criomacerazione per l’industria enologica.

Questa ricerca è stata finalizzata all’ottimizzazione tecnologica e produttiva di impianti per la criomacerazione delle uve mediante l’iniezione diretta di CO2 ed alla valutazione della fattibilità di introdurre nuovi materiali innovativi per alcuni componenti dell’impianto. Durante lo svolgimento della ricerca sono state determinate le caratteristiche termodinamiche fisico biologiche delle differenti qualità di uva considerate, ed esse sono state relazionate con i processi di coltivazione effettuati durante il periodo della sperimentazione, al fine di meglio caratterizzare la qualità d’uva considerata. Inoltre mediante delle prove sperimentali effettuate su di un impianto per la criomacerazione delle uve con iniezione diretta di CO2, sono stati esaminati e confrontati i risultati ottenuti considerando diverse temperature finali dell’impianto. E’ stata valutata la distribuzione di temperatura e delle pressioni nell’impianto durante la fase operativa, per caratterizzare le condizioni termodinamiche e tensionali in cui avviene il processo considerato. Questi risultati sono stati utilizzati anche per la validazione del modello numerico del processo considerato e per individuare idonei materiali innovativi. Tutto ciò può essere utilizzato anche per determinare, per le specie di uva considerate, il minimo valore di temperatura al di sotto della quale non si apprezzano più miglioramenti qualitativi del prodotto finale ottenuto. In tal modo si riesce ad ottenere l’ottimizzazione del consumo energetico e di CO2 riducendo i costi ed i fattori inquinanti

The cryo maceration for the wine making industry : technical, viticultural and oenological aspects

In this paper has been studied a plant for the cryo macerating of the grapes by direct injection of liquid CO2. On the base of indications of different oenological industries have been examined the problems rising under limit conditions for the considered plant, and experimental tests have been performed. By a system of data acquisition the temperature distribution has been detected along the pipeline, inside it, where the mixing of liquid CO2 with grape juice happen. By different experimental tests has been detected a fluctuating course of the temperature inside the pipeline. It is due to the turbulent regime and at the portion of CO2 that it doesn't exhaust thermal exchange inside the considered pipeline. In order to obtain a better understanding of the phenomena related at these problems, some simplified models have been considered and simulations by means CFD codes have been performed and results compared with experimental data obtained. The obtained results are an important indication for following developments of optimization of such types of plants