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I agree cookie policyEttore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture
President: Professor Antonino Zichichi
Director: Sir Tom Blundell, FRS FMedSci
49th Course
High-pressure crystallography:
status artis and emerging opportunities
a NATO Advanced Study Institute
New experimental and theoretical approaches in the field of high pressure crystallography allow us to address fundamental scientific questions in disciplines such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geosciences and Materials Science. High pressure - from the very modest pressure required to induce the denaturation of proteins and modify intermolecular interactions, through the higher pressures required to synthesise new materials for technological application, to the ultra-high pressures required to radically alter the chemical physical properties of simple elements and materials or recreate the conditions found in Earth's and other planets' interior - is making it a versatile and central tool in condensed matter science.
Fundamental topics covered in the course include experimental techniques for pressure generation, X-ray and neutron diffraction on single crystal and powder materials, comparative structural studies and combined high-temperature and low-temperature experiments. These will be demonstrated through examples of different chemical and structural complexity, from minerals to ices and biomolecules. Specialized and frontiers high-pressure research topics will include computational crystallography, dynamic compression, characterization of liquids and glasses and pair distribution function analysis. The course will be rounded up by illustrating the use of high-pressure as a means to study and access new materials for industrial application such as pharmaceuticals, energy storage, magnetic and ultra-hard materials.
Lectures will be complemented by demonstration and workshop sessions. The course will provide a platform for young and senior scientists to interact and identify as well as discuss new challenges in this rapidly evolving and vibrant research area.
This page has been made by Gianni Grassi, the webmaster of crystalerice.org until 2015. Unfortunately in 2015 he died and I decided to keep this page almost like he did it, to honour his memory and his work.
Thank you dear friend.
Fabio
Sicilian Cassata and its modifications
according to Lodovico's taste
This is the traditional cassata you commonly see in most patisseries
in Sicily,
specially in Western Sicily Colours and sweetness are the most relevant
characteristics.
Lodovico has abolished the round wall (often green due to mixing
to mashed pistaches) made of marzapane or almond pastry, because
it renders
the cake additionally sweet and additionally heavy for digestion. Morever, the
ricotta filling hidden inside is generally alternated
with small bits of black
chocolate and sometimes of white candies similar to those you see on the top
decoration.
Notice the large pieces of orange skin used for decoration in addition
to candied cherries and white watermelon
This Lodovico's similarly decorated version includes, mixed
in the ricotta with chocolate bits, also bits of orange
skin previously
boiled
in sugared water (a sort of candy operation on them).
You may distinguish them
here below,
where the same cake has been cut in
order to carefully examine the
internal mix
And finally, an alternative edition of a Lodovico's cassata, where the decoration is based mainly on the candied orange skin
Indeed, the rather sour flavour of this skin should produce
a pleasing taste due to the discontinuity between sweetened ricotta
black
chocolate
and bits of orange skin. The coupling between chocolate and orange skin is traditionally
appreciated.
A similar one was offered to a few Rectors invited at the 900 years
celebration of Bologna University