Fratelli Alinari (Italy)

To address the challenges of sustainable agriculture, it is essential to understand how plants grow and respond to the environment. One key element in these processes is calcium which acts as a second messenger inside plant cells, helping coordinate development and reactions to external stimuli. This study explores calcium signaling in plants through a multiscale fluorescence imaging approach, from single cells to entire plants. At the microscopic level, calcium dynamics was observed in growing root hairs of Arabidopsis thaliana plants using light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM). At the macroscopic level, a custom-made imaging platform was developed to monitor calcium responses to external stimuli in adult Nicotiana benthamiana plants. This system was used to investigate plants’ response to external stimuli, such as leaf burning, revealing stimulus specific long-distance calcium signaling patterns.

Over the last decades, the abandonment of traditional dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, represents an important threat for human health and environmental safeguard. The DELICIOUS project aims to promote healthy lifestyles among children and adolescents by implementing activities and tools to increase the adherence to the Mediterranean Diet with an attention to the environmental impacts of the diet. This study protocol describes the DELICIOUS project as a single-arm, uncontrolled behavioural intervention providing formal and non-formal education activities, development of new snacks and recipe reformulation, web/mobile app development, and physical activities to school children and adolescents in five European countries. The project aims to increase awareness of the nutritional benefits and the sustainability aspects of the Mediterranean Diet and to promote consumers’ empowerment through an online platform for sustainable and healthy meal planning in the school canteen.

Recent publications in the field of food authentication have reported using analytical methods which measure changes in sample composition. These changes can be due to a variety of causes such as the presence of adulterants, different production methods, or varying geographical origins of food. While the increasing use of marker-based approaches is beneficial in combating food fraud, there is a pressing need to adopt a harmonized approach for validating these markers. In this article, we make recommendations for harmonized terminologies and general definitions related to food authenticity markers. First, we propose the terms “primary” and “secondary” markers to distinguish between direct and indirect authentication. The terms “single” and “dual” authenticity markers, and authentic “profiles” and “fingerprints” are suggested to distinguish between the number of analytical targets used. We also recommend that the terms: “threshold”, “binary”, and “interval” markers are applied depending on how they discriminate authentic from non-authentic samples. Second, we advocate for harmonization in marker discovery approaches. A summary of the main analytical techniques, published guidelines, data repositories, and data analysis approaches is presented for various marker classes while also stating their applicability and limitations. Finally, we propose guidelines for the analytical community concerning marker validation. In our view, the validation of the authentication method should include the following steps: 1) applicability statement; 2) experimental design; 3) marker selection and analysis; 4) analytical method validation; 5) method release; 6) method monitoring. Implementing these approaches will represent a significant step towards establishing a wide range of fully validated and accredited methodologies that can be applied effectively in food authenticity monitoring and control programs.

Cutin from tomato byproducts is used to synthesize poly(ester-urethane) (PEU) coatings by a two-step reaction. In the first step, polyester polyols (POLs) are prepared by esterification with 1,4-butanediol (BDO) of the ω-hydroxy acid mixture from cutin (HC). A design of experiment (DOE) approach is used to optimize this reaction step. HC and POLs are characterized by 1H, 13C NMR, attenuated total reflection (ATR) infrared spectroscopies, acid–base titration, titration of the hydroxyl groups, and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). Two different POLs obtained with 1:1 or 1:3 BDO/HC weight ratio are then used to prepare PEU coatings by reaction with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) or hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). The four resulting PEUs are characterized by ATR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and tested on paper, glass, and wood substrates. With IPDI the formation of amorphous coatings with smooth surfaces by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is observed. On the contrary, HDI gives semicrystalline coatings having rough surfaces and water contact angles larger than 100°. All prepared PEUs show good hydrophobicity on all tested substrates, with the lowest (∼72°) contact angle values observed on polyurethane prepared with IPDI. Adhesion by the Scotch test was very good on paper, worst on glass, and intermediate on wood, thus showing these coatings suitable for cellulose-based substrates.

The use of by-products as functional ingredients for bread recipes may open up new horizons in terms of product innovation to increase nutraceutical characteristics and/or shelf-life. In this research, the ability of residual products from important food chains (Citrus and wine) to influence the water binding capacity of dough and bread was investigated in order to create industrial breads of high quality with prolonged shelf-life in the absence of any chemical additives (e.g., ethanol, sorbic acid, and propionic acid). The product under study is the 'Pan Bauletto bianco con olio EVO' (white bakery bread with EVO oil), an 'industrial bread' type usually treated with ethanol before being marketed, aiming to prolong its short shelf-life. The effect of the addition of different amounts of pectin (Citrus supply chain) and grape pomace (wine supply chain), in combination or not, has shown promising results from both a technological point of view and the increasing shelf-life, allowing to obtain products with high nutraceutical value and interesting properties.

Synthetic ester (SE) insulating oils have been more widely researched owing to their tailorable performance to satisfy the more rigorous oil requirements for power transformers. In this article, three biodegradable diesters [neopentyl glycol oleic acid diester (NPOE), neopentyl glycol caprylic-capric acid diester (NPCE), and neopentyl glycol caprylic-capric-oleic acid diester (NCOE)] based high performance electrical insulating oils were prepared by the esterification of neopentyl glycol (NPG) with C18, blends of C8 and C10, and blends of C8, C10, and C18, respectively. The high conversion yield of NPG is achieved by optimum conditions: e.g., on NPCE fatty acids to NPG molar ratio of 2:1, the initial water content of 1 wt%, water absorbent’s adding at onset moment, three batches of adding NPG, the catalyst (IM 100) dosage of 1 wt%, and temperature of 50 °C. As compared to chemical catalyzation, enzymatic catalyzation displays milder reaction conditions, no toxicity, and no formation of side products. After the purification of vacuum distillation, adsorption, and filtration, the physicochemical properties of the three synthetic diesters were characterized. As a result, the optimized synthetic diester (NCOE) is recognized by the lowest pour point (−57 °C), sufficiently high flash point (closed cup ~200 °C, open cup ~214 °C), fire point (234 °C), and initial oxidative temperature (IOT) (196.6 °C). The high performance of the insulating oil (NCOE) is also identified by the excellent ac breakdown voltage (67.3 kV) and moisture resistance. This work offers a green and low energy consumption approach for producing a high-performance synthetic insulating oil, which is expected for scale-up production and application in power transformers.

Nowadays, the use of natural esters is becoming increasingly popular for reasons of transformer life extension, biodegradability, and fire risk. The significantly reduced carbon footprint of natural ester fluid versus mineral oil is another highly appreciated attribute in terms of sustainability. Many transformers' fleets originally designed for mineral oil have to be converted to natural (vegetable) or synthetic ester. Unfortunately, international standards give only scant and generic information, moreover, confined to annexes, about the retrofilling practice. This study reports on the laboratory experience finalized to identify the best chemical-physical technique for assessing the residual oil quantity after the replacement of mineral oil with natural ester (so-called memory effect), and then describes the best available technique (BAT) for refilling used on a distribution transformer (630 kVA) originally designed without atmospheric segregation system, in order to minimise the memory effect and, at the same time, ensure the reliability of the transformer. This paper is focused on the development of "Best Available Techniques (BAT)", "Best Environmental Practice (BEP)", "Best Value Chain (BVC)" and "Best Sustainable Investment (ROSI)" for the "Life Cycle Management (LCM) of transformer fleets and electrical equipment immersed in alternative insulating liquids like natural esters and/or with synthetics complying with new regulatory and case study requirements.

In recent time the use of natural esters (NE), as well synthetic esters (SE), are growing up much faster than expected. Despite some little drawbacks (oxidation stability, viscosity) the advantages in terms of transformer life extension, reduced risk of fire, biodegradability and sustainability have resulted in esters being applied in all types of electrical equipment. Even without mention the conventional and historical application for distribution, large power transformers with no limit in terms of voltage or power have been installed in many countries, railway traction transformers and offshore wind turbine are today filled with NE or SE only, SF6 in instrument transformer is progressively replaced by NE.Focus of this paper is to understand the reason of the current market new "green" orientation. Performances like oxidation stability, gassing, water tolerance, self-extinguishing and smoke emission in case of fire.