Textile-reinforced mortars (TRM) have recently received significant attention for the externally bonded reinforcement (EBR) of masonry and historical structures. The fiber-tomortar bond, the TRM-to-masonry bond, and the mechanical properties of the TRM constituents have a fundamental role in the performance of this strengthening technique and therefore require special attention. Despite this importance, only few investigations are devoted to characterization of the single fiber-to-mortar bond response in these systems. This paper, as an step towards addressing the fiber-to-mortar bond, presents a combined experimental and analytical investigation on the effect of test setup on the pull-out response and bond-slip laws in TRM composites. Three different pull-out test setups, consisting of one pull-pull and two pull-push configurations, are developed and investigated for characterization of the single fiber-to-mortar bond behavior. The experimental and analytical results are critically discussed and presented and bond-slip laws are extracted for each test setup.

Contrary to intensive pig production, local pig breeds and their production systems are able to respond to the high criteria and expectations of modern society in regard to some environmental aspects, animal welfare, food quality and healthiness. This study proposes the recovery, study and use of a cross between two local breeds, contributing to animal biodiversity conservation and to the income of local pig producers. This work studied the growth performance and blood, carcass and meat quality traits of Alentejano (AL), Bísaro (BI) and Ribatejano (RI) (AL × BI, BI × AL) castrated male pigs. Raised outdoors, pigs were fed commercial diets ad libitum and killed at ~65 kg (trial 1, n = 10 from each genotype) and ~150 kg BW (trial 2, n = 9 from each genotype). In trial 1, AL and AL × BI attained slaughter weight later than BI and BI × AL pigs, with AL presenting lower average daily gains than the other genotypes (P < 0.001). Alentejano and RI pigs presented higher (P < 0.01) levels of plasma total protein than BI. Overall, carcass traits were affected by genotype, with length (P < 0.01), yield (P = 0.07) and lean cut proportions (P < 0.01) lower in AL than BI, and intermediate values for crossed pigs. Conversely, AL pigs presented higher fat cut proportion (P < 0.01), average backfat thickness (P < 0.001) and ‘zwei punkte’ fat depth (P < 0.01) than BI and RI pigs. Alentejano pigs also presented higher Longissimus lumborum (LL) intramuscular fat (P < 0.05), myoglobin content and ultimate pH (P < 0.01), but lower total collagen (P < 0.05), drip (P < 0.001) and cooking losses (P < 0.01), and shear force (P < 0.001) than all other genotypes. Finally, LL showed a more intense red colour in AL than in BI pigs. In trial 2, AL pigs confirmed to be a slow-growing obese breed with lower bone and lean cut proportions than BI, and higher LL intramuscular fat, richer colour, lower water loss and higher tenderness. In both trials, RI pigs grew faster, with higher lean and lower fat cut proportions and backfat thickness, and with overall LL characteristics comparable to those observed in AL pigs. This work demonstrates some clear differences between AL and BI breeds while showing that their crosses present intermediate characteristics in most studied traits. These data on RI pigs can be useful to breeders’ associations and farmers in order to consider the use of these crosses as an option or complement to pure line breeding.

BACKGROUND: The use of betaine as a dietary supplement to reduce fat deposition and increase lean muscle mass in pigs is increasing. However, there is no available information on its effect on the physical and chemical (i.e. fatty acid (FA) profile) characteristics of pork.

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A reversed phase liquid chromatography-DAD method is proposed for analysis of major non-flavonoid phenolic compounds in wines. The method employed a mixture of acetic acid, water and methanol as eluents and was used to evaluate the impact of malolactic fermentation in low molecular phenolic compounds.The wines analyzed underwent different treatments, like the addition of a pectolytic enzyme or lysozyme, and the way malolactic fermentation was carried out-spontaneously or with the inoculation of two different commercial lactic bacteria.The main result observed was the disappearance of hydroxycinnamoyltartaric acids and the increase of resultant free forms, regardless the way malolactic fermentation was carried out.

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In order to evaluate the potential aroma of some Portuguese grapes, several glycosidically bound aroma compounds of ten grape varieties grown inÉvora, Alentejo, Portugal, were released, identified and quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry. White varieties were Arinto, Perrum, Rabo-de-Ovelha, Roupeiro and Antão Vaz. Red varieties were Trincadeira, Aragonez, Tinta Caiada, Moreto and Castelão. Grapes of Roupeiro and Trincadeira from five other vines in the Alentejo region were also studied. For each variety pulp and skin were analyzed separately. The compounds produced by enzymatic hydrolysis of glycoside precursors extracted from pulps and skins of these grapes were similar to the ones appearing in the so-called 'aromatic' varieties; however, the amounts found were significantly lower. These results seem to show the neutral characteristic of these grapes to indicate that each variety has a distinctive profile regarding compounds from the linalool class. The ratios of trans : cis forms of some linalool compounds remain the same in all samples of Roupeiro and Trincadeira, regardless their origin. In Trincadeira grapes no linalool was detected. Skins are always richer than pulps. The acid hydrolysis of norisoprenoid aglycons produced highly odorant compounds previously described in grape varieties. Although some differences between varieties could be detected, the red grapes Aragonez and Castelão are richer in vitispiranes while Moreto, Trincadeira and Tinta Caiada are richer in actinidols; in white grapes, only Roupeiro and Perrum show detectable amounts of vitispiranes. These results need further investigation and analysis to be considered as a statement and should be confirmed in an extended study.

The use of Textile Reinforced Mortar (TRM) composites for Externally Bonded Reinforcement (EBR) of reinforced concrete (RC) and masonry structures has attracted several attentions during the last years. The effectiveness of these composites in structural reinforcement is significantly dependent on the TRM-to-substrate and the fiber-to-mortar bond behavior. Despite the importance of the latter, that controls the crack distribution on these composites, have received few attentions and is relatively unknown.This paper presents a combined experimental and analytical study on the effect of fiberembedded length and configuration on the pull-out response. From the obtained results, bond-slip laws are proposed for TRM composites made of unidirectional and bidirectional grids. The tests are performed on a (unidirectional) steel-based and a (bidirectional) glass-based TRM composite as common reinforcing systems. A comparison is also made between the results obtained from single-fiber pull-out tests and conventional single-lap shear bond tests to highlight the differences/similarities between these two test methods.