Adequação do mosto de uvas Niagara Rosada para vinificação através de desidratação parcial dos cachos

This study aimed to verify the influence of partial dehydration of Niagara Rosada grape clusters in physicochemical quality of the pre- fermentation must. In Brazil, during the winemaking process it is common to need to adjust the grape must when the physicochemical characteristics of the raw material are insufficient to produce wines in accordance with the Brazilian legislation for classification of beverages, which establishes the minimum alcohol content of 8.6 % for the beverage to be considered wine. Therefore, given that the reduction in the water content of grape berries allows the concentration of chemical compounds present in its composition, especially the concentration of total soluble solids, we proceeded with the treatments that were formed by the combination of two temperatures (T1-37.1ºC and T2-22.9 ºC) two air speeds (S1: 1.79 m s-1 and S2: 3.21 m s-1) and a control (T0) that has not gone through the dehydration treatment. Analysis of pH, Total Titratable Acidity (TTA) were performed in mEq L-1, Total Soluble Solids (TSS) in ºBrix, water content on a dry basis and Concentration of Phenolic Compounds (CPC) in mg of gallic acid per 100g of must. The average comparison test identified statistically significant modifications for the adaptation of must for winemaking purposes, having the treatment with 22.9 ºC and air speed of 1.79 m s-1 shown the largest increase in the concentration of total soluble solids, followed by the second best result for concentration of phenolic compounds.3418692Este estudo teve como objetivo verificar a influência da desidratação parcial de cachos de uva Niagara Rosada na qualidade físico-química do mosto pré-fermentativo. No Brasil, durante o processo de vinificação, é comum a necessidade de adequação do mosto de uvas quando as características físico-químicas da matéria-prima são insuficientes para a obtenção de vinhos em conformidade com a legislação brasileira para classificação de bebidas, a qual estabelece o teor alcoólico mínimo de 8,6% para que a bebida seja considerada vinho. Portanto, tendo em vista que a redução do teor de água das bagas da uva possibilita a concentração de compostos químicos presentes em sua composição, principalmente a concentração de sólidos solúveis totais, procedeu-se aos tratamentos que foram constituídos pela combinação de duas temperaturas (T1- 37,1 ºC e T2 - 22,9 ºC), duas velocidades de ar (V1- 1,79 m s-1 e V2-3,21 m s-1) e uma testemunha (T0), que não passou pelo tratamento de desidratação. Foram realizadas análises de pH, Acidez Total Titulável (ATT) em mEq L-1, Sólidos Solúveis Totais (SST) em ºBrix, teor de água em base seca e Concentração de Compostos Fenólicos (CCF) em mg de ácido gálico por 100 g de mosto. O teste de comparação de médias identificou modificações estatisticamente significativas para a adequação do mosto no intuito de vinificação, tendo o tratamento com 22,9 ºC e velocidade de ar de 1,79 m s-1 apresentado o maior incremento na concentração de sólidos solúveis totais, seguido do segundo melhor resultado para a concentração de compostos fenólicos.||This study aimed to verify the influence of partial dehydration of Niagara Rosada grape clusters in physicochemical quality of the pre- fermentation must. In Brazil, during the winemaking process it is common to need to adjust the grape must when the physicochemical characteristics of the raw material are insufficient to produce wines in accordance with the Brazilian legislation for classification of beverages, which establishes the minimum alcohol content of 8.6 % for the beverage to be considered wine. Therefore, given that the reduction in the water content of grape berries allows the concentration of chemical compounds present in its composition, especially the concentration of total soluble solids, we proceeded with the treatments that were formed by the combination of two temperatures (T1-37.1ºC and T2-22.9 ºC) two air speeds (S1: 1.79 m s-1 and S2: 3.21 m s-1) and a control (T0) that has not gone through the dehydration treatment. Analysis of pH, Total Titratable Acidity (TTA) were performed in mEq L-1, Total Soluble Solids (TSS) in ºBrix, water content on a dry basis and Concentration of Phenolic Compounds (CPC) in mg of gallic acid per 100g of must. The average comparison test identified statistically significant modifications for the adaptation of must for winemaking purposes, having the treatment with 22.9 ºC and air speed of 1.79 m s-1 shown the largest increase in the concentration of total soluble solids, followed by the second best result for concentration of phenolic compounds

Utilización de semen bovino sexado en inseminación artificial, transferencia embrionaria y fertilización in vitro

El control del sexo de la descendencia ha sido siempre uno de los objetivos más buscados en la actividad pecuaria. Desde 1992 se utiliza la citometría de flujo, técnica que permite diferenciar los espermatozoides X e Y según su contenido de ADN. El grado de certeza del sexo es aproximadamente 90% y la frecuencia de terneros nacidos normales es similar a la obtenida con semen convencional. El objetivo de esta revisión es analizar los resultados de la aplicación del semen sexado mediante la mencionada técnica en inseminación artificial (IA), transferencia embrionaria (TE) y fertilización in vitro (FIV). En IA se ha trabajado con semen sexado principalmente a celo detectado, obteniéndose porcentajes de preñez entre 5 y 35% inferiores a los logrados con semen convencional; la utilización del semen sexado en inseminaciones a tiempo fijo (IATF), es reciente, con resultados preliminares alentadores; no obstante no se ha comparado semen sexado y convencional. En TE, el semen sexado se ha utilizado en inseminaciones a celo detectado y en IATF con resultados generalmente inferiores a los logrados con semen convencional. Las variaciones en el número de inseminaciones y dosis utilizadas impiden definir aún un protocolo de trabajo recomendable. En FIV, el semen sexado ha sido utilizado para fecundar ovocitos provenientes de ovarios de matadero y de animales vivos; el porcentaje de blastocistos obtenido resultó generalmente inferior al logrado con semen convencional, destacándose la variabilidad observada en el semen sexado (0 a 25,8%), respecto al convencional (26,3 a 33,6%). En conclusión, es factible utilizar el semen sexado en IA, TE y FIV; no obstante, los resultados generalmente son inferiores a los que se obtienen con semen convencional y son afectados por numerosos factores. Su conocimiento y control, sumados a avances en la metodología de sexado permitirán mejorar los resultados actuales de la aplicación de la técnica

siRNA screen of the human signaling proteome identifies the PtdIns(3,4,5)P3-mTOR signaling pathway as a primary regulator of transferrin uptake

A survey of 1,804 human dicer-generated signaling siRNAs using automated quantitative imaging identified the phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate-mTOR signaling pathway as a primary regulator of iron-transferrin uptake

Prepulse inhibition predicts spatial working memory performance in the inbred Roman high- and low-avoidance rats and in genetically heterogeneous NIH-HS rats: relevance for studying pre-attentive and cognitive anomalies in schizophrenia

Animal models of schizophrenia-relevant symptoms are increasingly important for progress in our understanding of the neurobiological basis of the disorder and for discovering novel and more specific treatments. Prepulse inhibition (PPI) and working memory, which are impaired in schizophrenic patients, are among the symptoms/processes modeled in those animal analogues. We have evaluated whether a genetically-selected rat model, the Roman high-avoidance inbred strain (RHA-I), displays PPI deficits as compared with its Roman low-avoidance (RLA-I) counterpart and the genetically heterogeneous NIH-HS rat stock. We have investigated whether PPI deficits predict spatial working memory impairments (in the Morris water maze; MWM) in these three rat types (Experiment 1), as well as in a separate sample of NIH-HS rats stratified according to their extreme (High, Medium, Low) PPI scores (Experiment 2). The results from Exp. 1 show that RHA-I rats display PPI and spatial working memory deficits compared to both RLA-I and NIH-HS rats. Likewise, in Exp. 2, “Low-PPI” NIH-HS rats present significantly impaired working memory with respect to “Medium-PPI” and “High-PPI” NIH-HS subgroups. Further support to these results comes from correlational, factorial and multiple regression analyses, which reveal that PPI is positively associated with spatial working memory performance. Conversely, cued learning in the MWM was not associated with PPI.Thus, using genetically-selected and genetically heterogeneous rats, the present study shows, for the first time, that PPI is a positive predictor of performance in a spatial working memory task. These results may have translational value for schizophrenia symptom research in humans, as they suggest that either by psychogenetic selection or by focusing on extreme PPI scores from a genetically heterogeneous rat stock, it is possible to detect a useful (perhaps “at risk”) phenotype to study cognitive anomalies linked to schizophrenia

A selected ion flow tube study of the ion-molecule reactions of monochloroethene, trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene

Data for the rate coefficients and product cations of the reactions of a large number of atomic and small molecular cations with monochloroethene, trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene in a selected ion flow tube at 298 K are reported. The recombination energy of the ions range from 6.27 eV (H$_3$O$^+$) through to 21.56 eV (Ne$^+$). Collisional rate coefficients are calculated by modified average dipole orientation theory and compared with experimental values. Thermochemistry and mass balance predict the most feasible neutral products. Together with previously reported results for the three isomers of dichloroethene (J. Phys. Chem. A., 2006, 110, 5760), the fragment ion branching ratios have been compared with those from threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy over the photon energy range 9-22 eV to determine the importance or otherwise of long-range charge transfer. For ions with recombination energy in excess of the ionisation energy of the chloroethene, charge transfer is energetically allowed. The similarity of the branching ratios from the two experiments suggest that long-range charge transfer is dominant. For ions with recombination energy less than the ionisation energy, charge transfer is not allowed; chemical reaction can only occur following formation of an ion-molecule complex, where steric effects are more significant. The products that are now formed and their percentage yield is a complex interplay between the number and position of the chlorine atoms with respect to the C=C bond, where inductive and conjugation effects can be important

Thermal and thermo-oxidative stability and kinetics of decomposition of PHBV/sisal composites

The decomposition behaviours of composites made of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and sisal were assessed in terms of thermal stability and decomposition kinetics, under inert and oxidative conditions, by means of multi-rate linear non-isothermal thermogravimetric experiments. A statistical design of experiments was applied to study the influence of the addition of sisal (0-10-20-30%wt), the presence coupling agent (Yes/No) and the applied conditions of work (inert or oxidative). An improvement of the thermal and thermo-oxidative stability of PHBV with the addition of sisal was observed for all cases. An accurate methodology based on iso-conversional methods was applied to simulate the potential of thermal recovery technologies, such as pyrolysis and controlled combustion, to use these biocomposites after the end of their service life. The mathematical descriptions of both thermo-chemical reactions were helpful in the evaluation of the eventual optimal operational conditions to carry out a suitable energetic valorisation. A minimum of 240°C and 137 kJ/mol of activation energy in inert conditions and 236°C and 118 kJ/mol in oxidative conditions ensured the feasibility of the reactions regardless the composition of the PHBV/sisal biocomposites, which may ease the operability of further energy valorisation with the aim to turn biowaste into new fuels

On the benefits of tasking with OpenMP

Tasking promises a model to program parallel applications that provides intuitive semantics. In the case of tasks with dependences, it also promises better load balancing by removing global synchronizations (barriers), and potential for improved locality. Still, the adoption of tasking in production HPC codes has been slow. Despite OpenMP supporting tasks, most codes rely on worksharing-loop constructs alongside MPI primitives. This paper provides insights on the benefits of tasking over the worksharing-loop model by reporting on the experience of taskifying an adaptive mesh refinement proxy application: miniAMR. The performance evaluation shows the taskified implementation being 15–30% faster than the loop-parallel one for certain thread counts across four systems, three architectures and four compilers thanks to better load balancing and system utilization. Dynamic scheduling of loops narrows the gap but still falls short of tasking due to serial sections between loops. Locality improvements are incidental due to the lack of locality-aware scheduling. Overall, the introduction of asynchrony with tasking lives up to its promises, provided that programmers parallelize beyond individual loops and across application phases.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Taxes, Trading or Both?: An Experimental Investigation of Abatement Investment under Alternative Emissions Regulation

Emissions taxes and emissions permit trading schemes are designed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by providing incentives for large emitters to invest in less emissions-intensive production technologies. Whereas taxes place a fixed price on emissions, tradable permit schemes include a secondary permit market, from which allowance prices emerge after the regulation enters into force. Under a newly imposed regulation, the delay in price information contributes to uncertainty about the future cost of compliance that liable emitters will face, thereby challenging liable entities’ ability to make optimal abatement investment decisions. Using laboratory experiments, this thesis examines the effects of a policy regime that is similar to the one implemented in Australia in 2012. The regime includes a staged transition over time from a regulation-free environment, to an emissions tax and then to emissions trading. The thesis examines the effects of such a staged transition on investment decisions, the level of emissions, permit prices and trading behavior, comparing it to standard policy regimes of only an emissions tax and only emissions permit trading. The findings suggest that a regime based on a staged transition from a tax to permit trading results in lower compliance costs and higher overall allocative efficiency compared to a regime based solely on emissions trading in a market of heterogeneous producing firms