Food safety in wine: optimization of analytical controls and evaluation of production technologies

This PhD thesis has been proposed to validate and then apply innovative analytical methodologies for the determination of compounds with harmful impact on human health, such as biogenic amines and ochratoxin A in wines. Therefore, the influence of production technology (pH, amino acids precursor and use of different malolactic starters) on biogenic amines content in wines was evaluated. An HPLC method for simultaneous determination of amino acids and amines with precolumnderivatization with 9-Fluorenyl-methoxycarbonyl chloride (FMOC-Cl) and UV detection was developed. Initially, the influence of pH, time of derivatization, gradient profile were studied. In order to improve the separation of amino acids and amines and reduce the time of analysis, it was decided to study the influence of different flows and the use of different columns in the chromatographic method. Firstly, a C18 Luna column was used and later two monolithic columns Chromolith in series. It appeared to be suitable for an easy, precise and accurate determination of a relatively large number of amino acids and amines in wines. This method was then applied on different wines produced in the Emilia Romagna region. The investigation permitted to discriminate between red and white wines. Amino acids content is related to the winemaking process. Biogenic amines content in these wines does not represent a possible toxicological problem for human health. The results of the study of influence of technologies and wine composition demonstrated that pH of wines and amino acids content are the most important factors. Particularly wines with pH > 3,5 show higher concentration of biogenic amines than wines with lower pH. The enrichment of wines by nutrients also influences the content of some biogenic amines that are higher in wines added with amino acids precursors. In this study, amino acids and biogenic amines are not statistically affected by strain of lactic acid bacteria inoculated as a starter for malolactic fermentation. An evaluation of different clean-up (SPE-MycoSep; IACs and LLE) and determination methods (HPLC and ELISA) of ochratoxin A was carried out. The results obtained proved that the SPE clean-up are reliable at the same level while the LLE procedures shows lowest recovery. The ELISA method gave a lower determination and a low reproducibility than HPLC method.

Non-Linear Pricing in Imperfectly Competitive Markets

This thesis is dedicated to the analysis of non-linear pricing in oligopoly. Non-linear pricing is a fairly predominant practice in most real markets, mostly characterized by some amount of competition. The sophistication of pricing practices has increased in the latest decades due to the technological advances that have allowed companies to gather more and more data on consumers preferences. The first essay of the thesis highlights the main characteristics of oligopolistic non-linear pricing. Non-linear pricing is a special case of price discrimination. The theory of price discrimination has to be modified in presence of oligopoly: in particular, a crucial role is played by the competitive externality that implies that product differentiation is closely related to the possibility of discriminating. The essay reviews the theory of competitive non-linear pricing by starting from its foundations, mechanism design under common agency. The different approaches to model non-linear pricing are then reviewed. In particular, the difference between price and quantity competition is highlighted. Finally, the close link between non-linear pricing and the recent developments in the theory of vertical differentiation is explored. The second essay shows how the effects of non-linear pricing are determined by the relationship between the demand and the technological structure of the market. The chapter focuses on a model in which firms supply a homogeneous product in two different sizes. Information about consumers' reservation prices is incomplete and the production technology is characterized by size economies. The model provides insights on the size of the products that one finds in the market. Four equilibrium regions are identified depending on the relative intensity of size economies with respect to consumers' evaluation of the good. Regions for which the product is supplied in a single unit or in several different sizes or in only a very large one. Both the private and social desirability of non-linear pricing varies across different equilibrium regions. The third essay considers the broadband internet market. Non discriminatory issues seem the core of the recent debate on the opportunity or not of regulating the internet. One of the main questions posed is whether the telecom companies, owning the networks constituting the internet, should be allowed to offer quality-contingent contracts to content providers. The aim of this essay is to analyze the issue through a stylized two-sided market model of the web that highlights the effects of such a discrimination over quality, prices and participation to the internet of providers and final users. An overall welfare comparison is proposed, concluding that the final effects of regulation crucially depend on both the technology and preferences of agents.

A mixed methods inquiry into the political economy of agriculture and rural areas in Lebanon

The present work, then, is concerned with the forgotten elements of the Lebanese economy, agriculture and rural development. It investigates the main problematic which arose from these forgotten components, in particular the structure of the agricultural sector, production technology, income distribution, poverty, food security, territorial development and local livelihood strategies. It will do so using quantitative Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modeling and a qualitative phenomenological case study analysis, both embedded in a critical review of the historical development of the political economy of Lebanon, and a structural analysis of its economy. The research shows that under-development in Lebanese rural areas is not due to lack of resources, but rather is the consequence of political choices. It further suggests that agriculture – in both its mainstream conventional and its innovative locally initiated forms of production – still represents important potential for inducing economic growth and development. In order to do so, Lebanon has to take full advantage of its human and territorial capital, by developing a rural development strategy based on two parallel sets of actions: one directed toward the support of local rural development initiatives, and the other directed toward intensive form of production. In addition to its economic returns, such a strategy would promote social and political stability.

Studio del comportamento flesso-torsionale di un telaio in materiale composito per vettura sportiva

Lo studio svolto in merito alle tecniche di produzione di componenti strutturali in materiale composito ha permesso il raggiungimento di una precisa consapevolezza dello stato dell’arte del settore, in particolare in riferimento ai processi attualmente utilizzati per l’industrializzazione in media-grande serie. Con l’obiettivo di sintetizzare i principali vantaggi delle tecnologie suddette e permettere la realizzazione di forme più complesse, si è proceduto all’analisi di fattibilità, attraverso uno studio funzionale e una prima progettazione di una tecnologia di produzione per nastratura automatizzata di componenti strutturali in materiale composito. Si è voluto quindi dimostrare la flessibilità e la consistenza del processo disegnando un telaio nastrato in carbonio, intercambiabile al telaio FSAE 2009 in tubolare d’acciaio (stessi punti di attacco motore, punti di attacco telaietto posteriore, attacchi sospensioni anteriori) e che garantisca un sostanziale vantaggio in termini di peso, a pari rigidezza torsionale. La caratterizzazione di tale telaio è stata eseguita mediante l'utilizzo del calcolo strutturale, validato da prove sperimentali.

Technology Development and Consumer Acceptance of Innovation in Fruit Production

Precision Agriculture (PA) and the more specific branch of Precision Horticulture are two very promising sectors. They focus on the use of technologies in agriculture to optimize the use of inputs, so to reach a better efficiency, and minimize waste of resources. This important objective motivated many researchers and companies to search new technology solutions. Sometimes the effort proved to be a good seed, but sometimes an unfeasible idea. So that PA, from its birth more or less 25 years ago, is still a “new” management, interesting for the future, but an actual low adoption rate is still reported by experts and researchers. This work aims to give a contribution in finding the causes of this low adoption rate and proposing a methodological solution to this problem. The first step was to examine prior research about Precision Agriculture adoption, by ex ante and ex post approach. It was supposed as important to find connections between these two phases of a purchase experience. In fact, the ex ante studies dealt with potential consumer’s perceptions before a usage experience occurred, therefore before purchasing a technology, while the ex post studies described the drivers which made a farmer become an end-user of PA technology. Then, an example of consumer research is presented. This was an ex ante research focused on pre-prototype technology for fruit production. This kind of research could give precious information about consumer acceptance before reaching an advanced development phase of the technology, and so to have the possibility to change something with the least financial impact. The final step was to develop the pre-prototype technology that was the subject of the consumer acceptance research and test its technical characteristics.

Chemical Production and Microelectronic Applications of Graphene and Nano-Graphene Derivatives

Graphene and graphenic derivatives have rapidly emerged as an extremely promising system for electronic, optical, thermal, and electromechanical applications. Several approaches have been developed to produce these materials (i.e. scotch tape, CVD, chemical and solvent exfoliation). In this work we report a chemical approach to produce graphene by reducing graphene oxide (GO) via thermal or electrical methods. A morphological and electrical characterization of these systems has been performed using different techniques such as SPM, SEM, TEM, Raman and XPS. Moreover, we studied the interaction between graphene derivates and organic molecules focusing on the following aspects: - improvement of optical contrast of graphene on different substrates for rapid monolayer identification1 - supramolecular interaction with organic molecules (i.e. thiophene, pyrene etc.)4 - covalent functionalization with optically active molecules2 - preparation and characterization of organic/graphene Field Effect Transistors3-5 Graphene chemistry can potentially allow seamless integration of graphene technology in organic electronics devices to improve device performance and develop new applications for graphene-based materials. [1] E. Treossi, M. Melucci, A. Liscio, M. Gazzano, P. Samorì, and V. Palermo, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2009, 131, 15576. [2] M. Melucci, E. Treossi, L. Ortolani, G. Giambastiani, V. Morandi, P. Klar, C. Casiraghi, P. Samorì, and V. Palermo, J. Mater. Chem., 2010, 20, 9052. [3] J.M. Mativetsky, E. Treossi, E. Orgiu, M. Melucci, G.P. Veronese, P. Samorì, and V. Palermo, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2010, 132, 14130. [4] A. Liscio, G.P. Veronese, E. Treossi, F. Suriano, F. Rossella, V. Bellani, R. Rizzoli, P. Samorì and V. Palermo, J. Mater. Chem., 2011, 21, 2924. [5] J.M. Mativetsky, A. Liscio, E. Treossi, E. Orgiu, A. Zanelli, P. Samorì , V. Palermo, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2011, 133, 14320

Vanillin production from ferulic acid with Pseudomonas fluorescens BF13-1p4

Bioconversion of ferulic acid to vanillin represents an attractive opportunity for replacing synthetic vanillin with a bio-based product, that can be label “natural”, according to current food regulations. Ferulic acid is an abundant phenolic compound in cereals processing by-products, such as wheat bran, where it is linked to the cell wall constituents. In this work, the possibility of producing vanillin from ferulic acid released enzymatically from wheat bran was investigated by using resting cells of Pseudomonas fluorescens strain BF13-1p4 carrying an insertional inactivation of vdh gene and ech and fcs BF13 genes on a low copy number plasmid. Process parameters were optimized both for the biomass production phase and the bioconversion phase using food-grade ferulic acid as substrate and the approach of changing one variable while fixing the others at a certain level followed by the response surface methodology (RSM). Under optimized conditions, vanillin up to 8.46 mM (1.4 g/L) was achieved, whereas highest productivity was 0.53 mmoles vanillin L-1 h-1). Cocktails of a number of commercial enzyme (amylases, xylanases, proteases, feruloyl esterases) combined with bran pre-treatment with steam explosion and instant controlled pressure drop technology were then tested for the release of ferulic acid from wheat bran. The highest ferulic acid release was limited to 15-20 % of the ferulic acid occurring in bran, depending on the treatment conditions. Ferulic acid 1 mM in enzymatic hydrolyzates could be bioconverted into vanillin with molar yield (55.1%) and selectivity (68%) comparable to those obtained with food-grade ferulic acid after purification from reducing sugars with a non polar adsorption resin. Further improvement of ferulic acid recovery from wheat bran is however required to make more attractive the production of natural vanillin from this by-product.

Analysis of the pig genome for the identification of genomic regions affecting production traits

The aim of this work was to identify markers associated with production traits in the pig genome using different approaches. We focused the attention on Italian Large White pig breed using Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and applying a selective genotyping approach to increase the power of the analyses. Furthermore, we searched the pig genome using Next Generation Sequencing (NSG) Ion Torrent Technology to combine selective genotyping approach and deep sequencing for SNP discovery. Other two studies were carried on with a different approach. Allele frequency changes for SNPs affecting candidate genes and at Genome Wide level were analysed to identify selection signatures driven by selection program during the last 20 years. This approach confirmed that a great number of markers may affect production traits and that they are captured by the classical selection programs. GWAS revealed 123 significant or suggestively significant SNP associated with Back Fat Thickenss and 229 associated with Average Daily Gain. 16 Copy Number Variant Regions resulted more frequent in lean or fat pigs and showed that different copies of those region could have a limited impact on fat. These often appear to be involved in food intake and behavior, beside affecting genes involved in metabolic pathways and their expression. By combining NGS sequencing with selective genotyping approach, new variants where discovered and at least 54 are worth to be analysed in association studies. The study of groups of pigs undergone to stringent selection showed that allele frequency of some loci can drastically change if they are close to traits that are interesting for selection schemes. These approaches could be, in future, integrated in genomic selection plans.

Producers' Perceptions and Consumers' Behaviour Toward Certified Beans from Integrated Production (IP) in the Brazilian Central Region

Integrated production (IP) is part of the Brazilian government program to promote sustainable agricultural production. IP ensure minimum food quality standards for domestic market, and export. Furthermore, IP is considered a good option to reduce negative environmental impacts of intensive crops in tropical Savannas, including common beans, as a Brazilian staple food. Although its advantages, and the government’s effort to promote IP, few growers are adopting IP. Maybe, the perception about IP usefulness and/or its ease of use is not too clear. Moreover, the production sector is driven by market signs, and there is few information on the consumer's preferences toward IP certified products in Brazil. In this study, we sought to identify some critical factors that can influence the IP adoption in beans' production. Moreover, we sought to verify the consumers’ perceptions and intention of purchasing IP certified beans (hypothetical product). This report comprises four chapters: (1) an introduction illustrating the context in which the research was based; (2) the results on the study of IP adoption based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM); (3) the choice experiment results applied to identify consumers preferences and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for IP label; (4) the results on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) applied to identify consumers’ perception toward IP certified beans. This research contributes with rich information for the beans’ supply chain, providing several insights to growers, retail and other agents, including policy makers. Beans’ production sector seems to be positively intentioned to adopt IP, but further studies should be conducted to test other adoption indicators using TAM model. Surveyed consumers are willing to pay a premium price for IP labelled beans. They showed a positive attitude toward purchasing IP labelled beans. It is an important information to motivate production sector to offer certified beans to the market.

Design, production and testing of innovative key components of HEV/BEV powertrains

Through modelling activity, experimental campaigns, test bench and on-field validation, a complete powertrain for a BEV has been designed, assembled and used in a motorsport competition. The activity can be split in three main subjects, representing the three key components of an BEV vehicle. First of all a model of the entire powertrain has been developed in order to understand how the various design choices will influence the race lap-time. The data obtained was then used to design, build and test a first battery pack. After bench tests and track tests, it was understood that by using all the cell charac-teristics, without breaking the rules limitations, higher energy and power densities could have been achieved. An updated battery pack was then designed, produced and raced with at Motostudent 2018 re-sulting in a third place at debut. The second topic of this PhD was the design of novel inverter topologies. Three inverters have been de-signed, two of them using Gallium Nitride devices, a promising semiconductor technology that can achieve high switching speeds while maintaining low switching losses. High switching frequency is crucial to reduce the DC-Bus capacitor and then increase the power density of 3 phase inverters. The third in-verter uses classic Silicon devices but employs a ZVS (Zero Voltage Switching) topology. Despite the in-creased complexity of both the hardware and the control software, it can offer reduced switching losses by using conventional and established silicon mosfet technology. Finally, the mechanical parts of a three phase permanent magnet motor have been designed with the aim to employ it in UniBo Motorsport’s 2020 Formula Student car.

Investigation of innovative combustion systems for reduced fuel consumption and increased specific power production

This work resumes a wide variety of research activities carried out with the main objective of increasing the efficiency and reducing the fuel consumption of Gasoline Direct Injection engines, especially under high loads. For this purpose, two main innovative technologies have been studied, Water Injection and Low-Pressure Exhaust Gas Recirculation, which help to reduce the temperature of the gases inside the combustion chamber and thus mitigate knock, being this one of the main limiting factors for the efficiency of modern downsized engines that operate at high specific power. A prototypal Port Water Injection system was developed and extensive experimental work has been carried out, initially to identify the benefits and limitations of this technology. This led to the subsequent development and testing of a combustion controller, which has been implemented on a Rapid Control Prototyping environment, capable of managing water injection to achieve knock mitigation and a more efficient combustion phase. Regarding Low-Pressure Exhaust Gas Recirculation, a commercial engine that was already equipped with this technology was used to carry out experimental work in a similar fashion to that of water injection. Another prototypal water injection system has been mounted to this second engine, to be able to test both technologies, at first separately to compare them on equal conditions, and secondly together in the search of a possible synergy. Additionally, based on experimental data from several engines that have been tested during this study, including both GDI and GCI engines, a real-time model (or virtual sensor) for the estimation of the maximum in-cylinder pressure has been developed and validated. This parameter is of vital importance to determine the speed at which damage occurs on the engine components, and therefore to extract the maximum performance without inducing permanent damages.

Dry grinding technology for automotive gears manufacturing: process modeling and optimization

The following thesis focused on the dry grinding process modelling and optimization for automotive gears production. A FEM model was implemented with the aim at predicting process temperatures and preventing grinding thermal defects on the material surface. In particular, the model was conceived to facilitate the choice of the grinding parameters during the design and the execution of the dry-hard finishing process developed and patented by the company Samputensili Machine Tools (EMAG Group) on automotive gears. The proposed model allows to analyse the influence of the technological parameters, comprising the grinding wheel specifications. Automotive gears finished by dry-hard finishing process are supposed to reach the same quality target of the gears finished through the conventional wet grinding process with the advantage of reducing production costs and environmental pollution. But, the grinding process allows very high values of specific pressure and heat absorbed by the material, therefore, removing the lubricant increases the risk of thermal defects occurrence. An incorrect design of the process parameters set could cause grinding burns, which affect the mechanical performance of the ground component inevitably. Therefore, a modelling phase of the process could allow to enhance the mechanical characteristics of the components and avoid waste during production. A hierarchical FEM model was implemented to predict dry grinding temperatures and was represented by the interconnection of a microscopic and a macroscopic approach. A microscopic single grain grinding model was linked to a macroscopic thermal model to predict the dry grinding process temperatures and so to forecast the thermal cycle effect caused by the process parameters and the grinding wheel specification choice. Good agreement between the model and the experiments was achieved making the dry-hard finishing an efficient and reliable technology to implement in the gears automotive industry.

Development of sexing systems functional to mass production of Aedes albopictus sterile males

Aedes albopictus is a vector able to transmit several arboviruses. Due to its high impact on human health, it is important to develop an efficient control strategy for this pest. Nowadays, control based on chemical insecticides is limited by the number of available active principles and the occurrence of resistance. A valuable alternative to the conventional control strategies is the sterile insect technique (SIT) which relies on releasing sterile males of the target insect. Mating between wild females and sterile males results in no viable offspring. A crucial aspect of SIT is the production of a large number of sterile males with a low presence of females that can bite and transmit viruses. The present thesis aimed to find, implement and study the most reliable mechanical sex sorter and protocol to implement male productivity and reduce female contamination. In addition, I evaluated different variables and sorting protocols to enable female recovery for breeding purposes. Furthermore, I studied the creation of a hyper-protandric strain potentially able to produce only males. I also assessed the integration of artificial intelligence with an optical unit to identify sexes at the adult stage. All these applications helped to realise a mass production model in Italy with a potential weekly production of 1 million males. Moreover, I studied and applied for aerial sterile male release in an urban environment. This technology could allow the release of males in a wide area, overcoming environmental and urban obstacles. However, the development and application of drone technologies in a metropolitan area close to airports, such as in Bologna area, must fit specific requirements. Lastly, at Réunion Island, during a Short Term Scientific Mission France (AIM-COST Action), Indian Ocean, I studied the Boosted SIT application. Coating sterile males with Pyriproxyfen may help spread the insecticide into the larval breeding sites.

RNA interference technology as a potential control method for fruit and horticultural crops pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Plasmopara viticola

Chapter 1, a general introduction on Botrytis cinerea and its threat to crop production is presented. What Botrytis looks like, its life cycle, why it is a threat to agricultural production, its worldwide pest status, and its current state of management is further elaborated on. Chapter 2, a general introduction on Plasmopara viticola, its threat to grape production and management strategies presented. Chapter 3, titled " RNA Interference Strategies for Future Management of Plant Pathogenic Fungi: Prospects and Challenges ", presents the rapid improvement and extensive implementation of RNA interference (RNAi) technology for the management of fungal pathogens. In this chapter, we describe the application of exogenous RNAi involved in plant pathogenic fungi and discuss dsRNA production, formulation, and RNAi delivery methods. Chapter 4, titled " Exogenous dsRNAs against chitin synthase and glucan synthase genes suppress the growth of the pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea " addresses two important questions: Is RNAi technology functional for B. cinerea control ? And which target genes can be exploited for RNAi-based B.cinerea disease control ? Upon target genes selections, an exogenous RNAi protocol was set up and we could effectively deliver a known dose of bacterially produced double stranded RNA (dsRNA) to induce RNAi in B. cinerea. Chapter 5, titled " Double-Stranded RNA Targeting Dicer-Like Genes Compromises the Pathogenicity of Plasmopara viticola on Grapevine “, which deals mainly on RNAi induction against Plasmopara viticola. This chapter addresses two main questions: Is RNAi technology functional in contrasting Plasmopara viticola? And which target genes can be exploited for RNAi-based disease control in Plasmopara viticola?. In the last Chapter (Chapter 6) titled “General discussions and perspectives for future research”, the major research findings from this thesis are discussed together with perspectives for future research.

Modelling, simulations and monitoring for sustainable plant and animal production systems through precision technique

Protected crop production is a modern and innovative approach to cultivating plants in a controlled environment to optimize growth, yield, and quality. This method involves using structures such as greenhouses or tunnels to create a sheltered environment. These productive solutions are characterized by a careful regulation of variables like temperature, humidity, light, and ventilation, which collectively contribute to creating an optimal microclimate for plant growth. Heating, cooling, and ventilation systems are used to maintain optimal conditions for plant growth, regardless of external weather fluctuations. Protected crop production plays a crucial role in addressing challenges posed by climate variability, population growth, and food security. Similarly, animal husbandry involves providing adequate nutrition, housing, medical care and environmental conditions to ensure animal welfare. Then, sustainability is a critical consideration in all forms of agriculture, including protected crop and animal production. Sustainability in animal production refers to the practice of producing animal products in a way that minimizes negative impacts on the environment, promotes animal welfare, and ensures the long-term viability of the industry. Then, the research activities performed during the PhD can be inserted exactly in the field of Precision Agriculture and Livestock farming. Here the focus is on the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) approach and environmental assessment applied to improve yield, resource efficiency, environmental sustainability, and cost savings. It represents a significant shift from traditional farming methods to a more technology-driven, data-driven, and environmentally conscious approach to crop and animal production. On one side, CFD is powerful and precise techniques of computer modeling and simulation of airflows and thermo-hygrometric parameters, that has been applied to optimize the growth environment of crops and the efficiency of ventilation in pig barns. On the other side, the sustainability aspect has been investigated and researched in terms of Life Cycle Assessment analyses.