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SmART (Smart Application Reconfiguration Tool) is a framework for the automatic configuration of systems and applications. The tool implements an application configuration workflow that resorts to the similarities between configuration files (i.e., patterns such as parameters, comments and blocks) to allow a syntax independent manipulation and transformation of system and application configuration files.Without compromising its generality, SmART targets virtualized IT infrastructures, configuring virtual appliances and its applications. SmART reduces the time required to (re)configure a set of applications by automating time-consuming steps of the process, independently of the nature of the application to be configured. Industrial experimentation and utilization of SmART show that the framework is able to correctly transform a large amount of configuration files into a generic syntax and back to their original syntax. They also show that the elapsed time in that process is adequate to what would be expected of an interactive tool. SmART is currently being integrated into the VIRTU bundle, whose trial version is available for download from the project’s web page.

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Rutile titanium dioxide TiO2 is used in a number of technological areas. Therefore, in surface science, it has become the most studied oxide surface. Water adsorption on rutile TiO2 (110) has been investigated using the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the work function study (WF): water adsorption induces formation of a dipole layer, which locally changes the work function. This can be experimentally observed as the onset shift of the secondary electron energy spectrum. While XPS seems to be insufficiently sensitive to monitor water adsorption on TiO2, there is a clear work function change undoubtedly attributed to the water adsorption. The measurements were done for different water vapour pressures, exposure times, sample temperatures and general surface conditions. Time evolutions of the work function change and the H2O partial pressure, enable us to successfully model the adsorption dynamics and help us understand the observed results. The analysis clearly shows existence of at least three different adsorption sites. Their interplay governs the work function time evolution, while the relative contributions depend on the surface temperature and, presumably, its topography. These results will be discussed in the light of several recent experimental and theoretical studies of this system done by other authors.

We present some selected results indicating the feasibility of preparing therapeutic finished ophthalmic articles, namely commercially available soft contact lenses, using a supercritical solvent impregnation (SSI) technique. Several commercial soft contact lenses were tested and, among these, four lenses were selected for more complete studies: Nelfilcon A (FocusDailies®, CIBA Vision), Omafilcon A (Proclear® Compatibles, CooperVision), Methafilcon A (Frequency® 55, CooperVision) and Hilafilcon B (SofLens® 59 Comfort, Bausch {&} Lomb). Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) was the chosen supercritical fluid and two ophthalmic drugs were tested: flurbiprofen (a NSAID, hydrophobic) and timolol maleate (an anti-glaucoma drug, hydrophilic). The effects of operational pressure, of impregnation duration and of the addition of a cosolvent (ethanol) were studied on the overall drug loading yields. Depending on the experiment, we employed pressures from 9 up to 16 MPa and impregnation times from 30 up to 180 min. Temperature was kept constant and equal to 313 K. The employed depressurization rates were kept low and between 0.1 and 0.2 MPa/min. Results are discussed in terms of the employed operational conditions and taking in consideration all the possible interactions between supercritical fluids, drugs, cosolvents and the polymers which compose the employed hydrogel contact lenses. In vitro drug release experiments were carried out in order to evaluate the resulting drug release profiles. Obtained results were also compared with drug-loaded contact lenses obtained by conventional drug "soaking" in aqueous solutions. Results also proved that SSI can be considered as a viable, efficient and safe alternative for the impregnation of drugs, including those of hydrophobic character or presenting low aqueous solubility, into commercial soft contact lenses. SSI proved to be a "tunable" process since the variation of the employed operational conditions indicated that it is possible to control the amount of impregnated drug. In the end, the ophthalmic articles were recovered undamaged and without the presence of harmful solvent residues. This method also permits to process already prepared commercial contact lenses, without interfering with their manufacture methods and, after processing, store them for future use. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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This work demonstrates experimentally the use of mass spectrometry (MS) for on-line, quantitative monitoring of organophilic pervaporation processes operated not only under variable conditions of tem- perature of condensation/downstream pressure but also when using complex multi-component feed streams. Due to its high sensitivity, mass spectrometry is particularly suitable for on-line monitoring of aromas in dilute streams under reduced pressure, as happens with natural aromas in permeate streams. Mass spectrometry is also suitable for on-line monitoring of solvent and co-solvent permeants (water and ethanol in the selected case study), enabling for on-line determination of selectivity of the solutes of interest. A new method of calibration is proposed and validated, which correlates the intensity of the characteristic mass peak mi/z for each compound of interest with its partial pressure in the perme- ate stream. Moreover, mass spectrometry proves to be a powerful tool for studying the fractionation of aromas, recovered by integrated pervaporation–condensation processes, allowing on-line monitoring of each solute vapour in the permeate stream. Additionally, this technique enables for accurate transient studies due to the possibility of acquiring one data point every 12–15s (potentially less, if desired) in real-time.

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“Theory and Practice” of TA, which is referred to in the title of this journal “TATuP”, is usually addressed as a question of TA research. But science is more than research: the field of teaching requires just as much attention, both practically and theoretically. Therefore, a mere collection of individual teaching experiences and best practice examples does not provide a strong enough basis to discuss questions of TA teaching, these must also be embedded in a theoretical context and discussed in their relation to research. In this special issue, we aim to contribute to a combination of theoretical and practical approaches to the relation of TA and “Bildung”.

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The orange-coloured protein (ORP) from Desulfovibrio gigas is a 12 kDa protein that contains a novel mixed-metal sulfide cluster of the type [S(2)MoS(2)CuS(2)MoS(2)]. Diffracting crystals of the apo form of ORP have been obtained. Data have been collected for the apo form of ORP to 2.25 A resolution in-house and to beyond 2.0 A resolution at ESRF, Grenoble. The crystals belonged to a trigonal space group, with unit-cell parameters a = 43, b = 43, c = 106 A.

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