1,721,006 research outputs found
Formulation, characterisation and application of microencapsulated systems for pharmaceutical and food purposes
No full textThis thesis describes the formulation, production and characterisation of different microencapsulated systems for pharmaceutical and food purposes. Several microencapsulation techniques (ionotropic gelation, spray drying, spray congealing, microfluidics, and solvent evaporation) were investigated. Ionotropic gelation was selected for the microencapsulation of Artemisia absinthium L. ethanolic extract and vitamin D oily solution into alginate-based microspheres destined to be an innovative ingredient for the dough of baked products, to verify the impact of phytocomplex bitter compounds on appetite and to increase the uptake of Vit D, respectively. Microparticles were successfully prepared, characterised and inserted into biscuit dough in both cases. Spray drying was used to microencapsulate a Thymus vulgaris L. hydroalcoholic extract with the final goal of applying the obtained system as an innovative ingredient with preserving activity for meat-based products to partially or totally substitute nitrite salts actually used. Spray congealing was used to microencapsulate a soluble model drug (metoclopramide hydrochloride) into different lipid excipients for a long-lasting release. Microparticles were produced starting from water-in-oil (W/0) emulsions, characterised for dimensions, morphology, and residual moisture and in vitro drug release was performed. Droplet microfluidics and solvent evaporation were used to produce PLGA-based microparticles containing different loadings of lidocaine to guarantee a modified/prolonged drug release. Microparticles were then characterised for morphology, dimensions, swelling behaviour and drug release
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Remote PCF-based Multiplexing by using optical add-drop multiplexers
No full textA 100 km remote PCF micro-displacement sensor multiplexing system based on optical add-drop multiplexers (OADMs) has been experimentally demonstrated. The PCF sensors are placed in an OADM bus structure which is illuminated by a home-made tunable fiber optic ring laser. Four micro-displacement photonic crystal fiber (PCF) sensors based on a suspended core fiber inserted into a Sagnac loop filter are multiplexed. Furthermore, being the first proposal to solve this issue in PCF sensor multiplexing structures, these sensors can be referenced with an extra wavelength
Magnetic field sensor based on backscattered intensity using ferrofluid
No full textA magnetic field sensor based on backscattered intensity of a single mode fiber immersed in a ferrofluid is experimentally demonstrated. An OTDR system was used to interrogate the reflected power at the fiber end face, revealing more than 2 dB of modulation for magnetic field changes up to 1525 Gauss. The sensor showed the same response when used in remote and multiplexed configurations, demonstrating the high potential and versatility of this sensing approach
A Portable and Low‐Cost Single Board Computer‐Based Spectrophotometric Platform for Optical Analysis in the UV and Visible Range
No full textThe growing ability of high-performance consumer electronics is fostering innovation in prototyping and research. Although the Raspberry Pi single-board computer (SBC) is widely used across various fields, including diagnostics, applications involving UV-based reading remain underexplored. In this study, a simple, low-cost (less than 100 euros), and portable device for UV-vis measurements based on Raspberry Pi is presented. The system integrates the AS7341 multi-channel multispectral digital sensor, offering analytical performance comparable to two commercial spectrophotometers - one benchtop and one portable - in terms of linearity, limit of detection, quantitation, and repeatability. Furthermore, the device demonstrates reliable performance both in analyzing real wine samples using two different commercial enzymatic kits and in quantifying different concentrations of synthetic DNA oligonucleotides. By providing a ready-to-use, portable, and affordable platform for UV-vis diagnostics, this prototype is well-suited for resource-limited settings, educational environments, and IoT applications where numerous distributed sensors are required for specific diagnostic tasks
A magnetic field sensor based on a ferrofluid infiltrated PMMA-microstructured optical fibre
No full textA magnetic field sensor based on a ferrofluid infiltrated PMMA-microstructured optical fibre is presented. The infiltrated fibre sensor is operating in transmission mode while measuring magnetic fields up to 1250Gauss
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