276 research outputs found
The future of energy management: Results of a Delphi panel applied in the case of ports
No full textEuropean ports are facing sustainability and energy challenges, requiring changes to port functions, supply chain systems and business models. A 20-year ‘port vision’ could support decision-makers in designing effective strategies and prioritising investments. This study aims to identify the current energy management trends and their impact on ports and analyse the resulting scenarios. A literature review on energy management trends and ports' value chains was used to develop a conceptual framework, from which a Delphi questionnaire was created. The questionnaire was administered in two rounds, during which experts assessed the probability, impacts and desirability of energy sources, renewable energy, cold ironing, equipment, alternative fuels, energy digitalisation, human resources, emergencies and security. The results are clustered to depict the following port's energy management scenarios: most critical (related to digitalisation, cybersecurity, installation of renewable energy in small ports and electrification of docks and vehicles), most uncertain (concerning inland and/or offshore expansion of renewable energy production, use of autonomous vehicles and energy self-sufficiency of large ports) and most desired (involving investments on cold-ironing, alternatively powered cranes and cost reduction for photovoltaics and wind power). The research implications include conceptual actions to be considered and introduced in a generic European port plan and provide strategy recommendations to foster future ports
B-Corp Certification: Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda
No full textThis paper aims to study the adoption and impact of B-Corp certification by systematically reviewing key papers on this topic published in peer-reviewed journals from 2006 to 2024. The paper proposes a conceptual framework that provides a comprehensive overview of research themes, subdivided into five broad research focuses: drivers and enablers for organisations seeking certification, barriers they encounter, implementation issues of B-Corp certification and the outcomes achieved post-certification. The study offers a thorough overview of the academic literature on B-Corp certification, laying a strong foundation for future research on the subject. The literature reveals similarities in objectives, approaches and methods, often yielding overly optimistic results that fail to capture the complex impact of B-Corp certification. A range of research opportunities is presented, establishing a research agenda to guide future studies in the field. The findings can support decision-making regarding the adoption and renewal of certification by evaluating its cost–benefit. Policymakers can utilise this comprehensive overview of knowledge to inform their decisions on regulatory actions
Efficient, secure and green future scenarios: An application of foresight methodologies on seaports digitalisation
No full textThe relentless progression of digitalisation permeates every sector, including maritime and transport industries. This study explores the digitalisation landscape expected to evolve over the next decade, with a particular focus on its impact on ports. Employing a combination of Delphi and Roadmapping analyses, it seeks to identify the most probable, impactful, and desirable scenarios. The findings give insight on two principal aspects: they identify the digitalisation trends most related and impactful to future ports, and they provide guidance on which technologies to prioritise, also providing their phased implementation to achieve specific scenarios over time. The research is structured around three alternative scenarios: efficiency-driven, security-oriented, and green-centric, each with distinct implications for port development and management
Solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the evaluation of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal in pork products
No full textThis research was aimed at setting up an analytical method for the determination in pork products of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), an aldehyde produced from the oxidation of omega-6-polyunsaturated fatty acids. Such a compound mediates various biological effects, but it is considered to be very toxic to mammalian cells at levels higher than physiological ones. The methods used for the determination of 4-HNE in biological fluids, such as blood, were found to be unsuitable for meat samples because both the repeatability and the recovery in spiked samples were unsatisfactory. A new method, based on solid phase extraction and HPLC-MS/MS, was therefore developed and validated. The limit of detection of 4-HNE in spiked samples was 0.043 mg/kg, and the recovery was approximately 60% depending on the concentration. Good linearity was observed in the range of 0.1-10 mg/kg, and repeatability and interday and intraday precision expressed as relative standard deviation were <10%. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of the aldehyde in samples of various pork products. 4-HNE was present in some products, especially the smoked and/or cooked ones, at levels that might not be a real risk for human health
Solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the evaluation of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal in pork products
No full textThis research was aimed at setting up an analytical method for the determination in pork products of
4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), an aldehyde produced from the oxidation of ö-6-polyunsaturated fatty
acids. Such a compound mediates various biological effects, but it is considered to be very toxic to
mammalian cells at levels higher than physiological ones. The methods used for the determination
of 4-HNE in biological fluids, such as blood, were found to be unsuitable for meat samples because
both the repeatability and the recovery in spiked samples were unsatisfactory. A new method, based
on solid phase extraction and HPLC-MS/MS, was therefore developed and validated. The limit of
detection of 4-HNE in spiked samples was 0.043 mg/kg, and the recovery was 60% depending on
the concentration. Good linearity was observed in the range of 0.1-10 mg/kg, and repeatability and
interday and intraday precision expressed as relative standard deviation were <10%. The method
has been successfully applied to the determination of the aldehyde in samples of various pork products.
4-HNE was present in some products, especially the smoked and/or cooked ones, at levels that
might not be a real risk for human health
Determination of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal in pork products
No full textThe present study was aimed at developing a reliable method based on solid phase extraction (SPE) and HPLC-MS/MS for the identification and measurement of free 4-HNE in pork products of various types. The SPE conditions have been optimised in order to achieve highest recovery and chromatographic / mass spectrometry parameters have been tuned to reach highest levels of selectivity and sensitivity
Altered expression of B lymphocyte surface immunoglobulins in minimal change nephrotic syndrome and focal glomerulosclerosis
No full textIn 20 patients with nephrotic syndrome (10 minimal change glomerulonephritis, MCN; 10 focal glomerulosclerosis, FGS) the peripheral blood lymphocytes showed a statistically significant increase in IgG-bearing cells (SIgG-C) in comparison with 30 patients with other histological types of primary glomerulonephritis with and without nephrotic syndrome (14 and 16, respectively). In the same MCN and FGS patients the serum IgG levels were slightly decreased. Furthermore, 5 cases of MCN in sustained remission for 1 year after steroid therapy showed normalization of the SIgG-C and the serum IgG levels. The possible significance of these phenomena in the pathogenesis of the hypo-IgG-globulinemia in MCN and FGS is discussed
Antifibroblast antibodies in systemic sclerosis induce fibroblasts to produceprofibrotic chemokines, with partial exploitation of toll-like receptor 4.
No full textObjective. Previous studies have revealed the presence of IgG antifibroblast antibodies (AFAs) capable of binding to the surface of fibroblasts in systemic sclerosis (SSc) sera. Since chemokines may directly or indirectly affect the development of fibrosis, this study was undertaken to investigate the production of chemokines induced by AFAs in fibroblasts, and to characterize the signaling pathways and surface molecules involved. Methods. AFA-positive and AFA-negative IgG were tested on fibroblasts. Chemokine messenger RNA expression was screened by microarray and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Production of CCL2, CXCL8, and CXCL10 proteins was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pharmacologic inhibitors were used to study signal transduction, with results assessed by Western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis. Fibroblasts with defective expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and anti-TLR monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were used to assess AFA specificity. Results. In human fibroblasts, AFA-positive IgG induced the preferential transcription of chemokines with profibrotic and proangiogenic potential, including, but not exclusively, CCL2, CXCL1, CXCL8, CKLF, and ECGF1, which were distinctly different from those induced by interferon-γ. Levels of CCL2 and CXCL8 proteins were increased in AFA-stimulated fibroblast culture supernatants. AFA binding to fibroblasts resulted in concomitant activation of ERK-1/2, c-Jun, and NF-κB. CCL2 production was sensitive to inhibition of both proteasome and JNK, while CXCL8 production was sensitive only to inhibition of proteasome. AFAs failed to up-regulate CCL2 expression in TLR-4-deficient fibroblasts but not in TLR-6- or TLR-2-deficient fibroblasts. Moreover, anti-TLR-4 mAb, but not anti-TLR-2 mAb, partially inhibited the production of CCL2 induced by AFAs in human fibroblasts. Conclusion. Autoantibodies that bind to the surface of fibroblasts may contribute to the pathogenesis of SSc by up-regulating the fibroblast production of profibrotic and proangiogenic chemokines, in a proteasome- and TLR-4-dependent manner
Biochemical and microbiological events of Parma ham production technology
No full textParma ham technology relies on a few basic points. They are: a fresh meat substantially free of microbial deep contamination, a relatively long phase (up to 100 days) at cold temperatures at the beginning of processing, an uncovered muscular surface as reduced as possible, a long period of maturation. The final product, the matured ham, is the result of a slow process of dehydration which, combined with a limited penetration of salt into the muscles, lowers the water activity to values around 0.90. Surface bacterial contamination is mainly made up by Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae. Among them E. agglomerans and S. liquefaciens are able to grow at 2 degrees C and salt concentrations up to 7.5% and can be responsible for taint development. Micrococci penetrate into the meat during salting and can reach values of 10 x 6 but decrease substantially towards the end of maturation. Maturation, from a biochemical point of view, is characterized by hydrolytic phenomena interesting nitrogen compounds and fats. As a result free amino acids, non protein nitrogen, volatile fatty acids and carbonylic molecules are produced. Such products are important for the development of typical organoleptic characters
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