The Use of Winery by-Products to Enhance the Functional Aspects of the Fresh Ovine “Primosale” Cheese

2021

Fresh ovine “primosale” cheese was processed with the addition of grape pomace powder (GPP). Cheese making was performed using pasteurized ewes’ milk and four selected Lactococcus lactis strains (Mise36, Mise94, Mise169 and Mise190) inoculated individually. For each strain the control cheese (CCP) was not added with GPP, while the experimental cheese (ECP) was enriched with 1% (w/w) GPP. GPP did not influence the starter development that reached levels of 109 CFU/g in all final cheeses. The comparison of the bacterial isolates by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR showed the dominance of the added strains over indigenous milk bacteria resistant to pasteurization. GPP addition red…

Circular dichroism in atomic vapors: magnetically induced transitions responsible for two distinct behaviors

2021

Atomic transitions of alkali metals for which the condition $F_e-F_g = \pm2$ is satisfied have null probability in a zero magnetic field, while a giant increase can occur when an external field is applied. Such transitions, often referred to as magnetically-induced (MI) transitions, have received interest because their high probabilities in wide ranges of external magnetic fields which, in some cases, are even higher than that of usual atomic transitions. Previously, the following rule was established: the intensities of MI transitions with $\Delta F=\pm2$ are maximum when using respectively $\sigma^\pm$ radiation. Within the same ground state, the difference in intensity for $\sigma^+$ and…

Twig and Shoot Dieback of Citrus, a New Disease Caused by Colletotrichum Species

2021

(1) Background: This study was aimed at identifying the Colletotrichum species associated with twig and shoot dieback of citrus, a new syndrome occurring in the Mediterranean region and also reported as emerging in California. (2) Methods: Overall, 119 Colletotrichum isolates were characterized. They were recovered from symptomatic trees of sweet orange, mandarin and mandarin-like fruits during a survey of citrus groves in Albania and Sicily (southern Italy). (3) Results: The isolates were grouped into two distinct morphotypes. The grouping of isolates was supported by phylogenetic sequence analysis of two genetic markers, the internal transcribed spacer regions of rDNA (ITS) and β-tubulin …

Prognostic Significance of Survivin Expression in Patients with Ovarian Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis

2021

Background: Survivin belongs to the protein family of inhibitors of apoptosis (IAP) and is a regulator of the cell cycle and apoptosis. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and prognostic significance of expression survivin in patients with ovarian cancer. Methods: We systematically searched for articles in PubMed, the American Chemical Society (Publications), Medline, the Royal Society of Chemistry, Scopus and the Web of Science. Patient clinical data, overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and survivin expression were extracted from individual studies. We performed statistical analysis using the STATA 16 package. Eighteen publications containing data from 2233 pat…

Growth and geomorphic evolution of the Ustica volcanic complex at the Africa-Europe plate margin (Tyrrhenian Sea)

2021

18 pages, 13 figures, 1 table

Analytical RF Pulse Heating Analysis for High Gradient Accelerating Structures

2021

The main aim of this work is to present a simple method, based on analytical expressions, for obtaining the temperature increase due to the Joule effect inside the metallic walls of an RF accelerating component. This technique relies on solving the 1-D heat-transfer equation for a thick wall, considering that the heat sources inside the wall are the ohmic losses produced by the RF electromagnetic fields penetrating the metal with finite electrical conductivity. Furthermore, it is discussed how the theoretical expressions of this method can be applied to obtain an approximation to the temperature increase in realistic 3-D RF accelerating structures, taking as an example the cavity of an RF e…

Talent Development Environments in Football: Comparing the Top-Five and Bottom-Five-Ranked Football Academies in Norway

2021

Background: The aim of this study was to examine junior-elite football players’ perception of their talent development environment by comparing clubs ranked as the top-five and bottom-five in the 2017 Norwegian academy classification. Methods: In total, 92 male junior-elite football players recruited from under-19 teams from five professional football club academies took part in the study. The Talent Development Environment Questionnaire (TDEQ-5

Methylacidimicrobium thermophilum AP8, a Novel Methane- and Hydrogen-Oxidizing Bacterium Isolated From Volcanic Soil on Pantelleria Island, Italy

2021

The Favara Grande is a geothermal area located on Pantelleria Island, Italy. The area is characterized high temperatures in the top layer of the soil (60°C), low pH (3–5) and hydrothermal gas emissions mainly composed of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and hydrogen (H2). These geothermal features may provide a suitable niche for the growth of chemolithotrophic thermoacidophiles, including the lanthanide-dependent methanotrophs of the phylum Verrucomicrobia. In this study, we started enrichment cultures inoculated with soil of the Favara Grande at 50 and 60°C with CH4 as energy source and medium containing sufficient lanthanides at pH 3 and 5. From these cultures, a verrucomicrobial met…

Questionnaire d’enquête sur les rotations de culture en Région Centre. Février 2016

2021

Submarine morphology of the Comoros volcanic archipelago

2021

co-auteur étranger; International audience; A detailed morpho-bathymetric study of the Comoros archipelago, based on mostly unpublished bathymetric data, provides a first glimpse into the submarine section of these islands. It offers a complete view of the distribution of volcanic structures around the archipelago, allowing to discuss the origin and evolution of this volcanism. Numerous volcanic cones and erosional-depositional features have been recognized throughout the archipelago. The magmatic supply is focused below one or several volcanoes for each island, but is also controlled by lithospheric fractures evidenced by volcanic ridges, oriented along the supposed Lwandle-Somali plate bo…

Remote Photoplethysmography for Evaluation of Cutaneous Sensory Nerve Fiber Function

2021

About 2% of the world’s population suffers from small nerve fiber dysfunction, neuropathy, which can result in severe pain. This condition is caused by damage to the small nerve fibers and its assessment is challenging, due to the lack of simple and objective diagnostic techniques. The present study aimed to develop a contactless photoplethysmography system using simple instrumentation, for objective and non-invasive assessment of small cutaneous sensory nerve fiber function. The approach is based on the use of contactless photoplethysmography for the characterization of skin flowmotions and topical heating evoked vasomotor responses. The feasibility of the technique was evaluated on volunt…

Loneliness Among Older Home-Dwelling Persons: A Challenge for Home Care Nurses.

2021

Solveig Tomstad, Kari Sundsli, Hans Inge Sævareid, Ulrika Söderhamn Centre for Caring Research, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Agder, Grimstad, NorwayCorrespondence: Solveig TomstadFaculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Agder, Kristiansand, 4604, NorwayEmail solveig.t.tomstad@uia.noAim: To explore how nurses working in the home care service sector perceived the loneliness experienced by older people living at home, and how they met these lonely individuals’ needs.Background: Loneliness is a well-known phenomenon among groups of older home-dwelling people and has been shown to be a health-related problem. Health care professional…

Cardiac sources of cerebral embolism in people with migraine

2021

Background and purpose Whether the reported association between migraine with aura (MA) and cardioembolic stroke may be explained by a higher rate of atrial fibrillation (AF) or by other potential cardiac sources of cerebral embolism remains to be determined.Methods In the setting of a single centre cohort study of consecutive patients with acute brain ischaemia stratified by migraine status, the association between AF as well as patent foramen ovale (PFO) and migraine was explored.Results In all, 1738 patients (1017 [58.5%] men, mean age 67.9 +/- 14.9 years) qualified for the analysis. Aging was inversely associated with migraine, whilst women had a >3-fold increased disease risk (odds …

Engineering Sr-doping for enabling long-term stable FAPb1xSrxI3 quantum dots with 100% photoluminescence quantum yield

2021

The Pb substitution in quantum dots (PQDs) with lesser toxic metals has been widely searched to be environmentally friendly, and be of comparable or improved performance compared to the lead-perovskite. However, the chemical nature of the lead substitute influences the incorporation mechanism into PQDs, which has not been explored in depth. In this work, we analyzed Sr-doping-induced changes in FAPbI3 perovskites by studying the optical, structural properties and chemical environment of FAPb1−xSrxI3 PQDs. The substitution of Pb by 7 at% Sr allows us to achieve FAPb1−xSrxI3 PQDs with 100% PLQY, high stability for 8 months under a relative humidity of 40–50%, and T80 = 6.5 m…

Improvement of Raw Milk Cheese Hygiene through the Selection of Starter and Non-Starter Lactic Acid Bacteria: The Successful Case of PDO Pecorino Sic…

2021

This review article focuses on the technological aspects and microbiological critical points of pressed-cooked cheeses processed from raw ewe’s milk without the inoculation of starter cultures, in particular “Pecorino” cheese typology produced in Italy. After showing the composition of the biofilms adhering to the surface of the traditional dairy equipment (mainly wooden vat used to collect milk) and the microbiological characteristics of PDO Pecorino Siciliano cheese manufactured throughout Sicily, this cheese is taken as a case study to develop a strategy to improve its hygienic and safety characteristics. Basically, the natural lactic acid bacterial populations of fresh and ripened chees…

Persistence of Human Bocavirus 1 in Tonsillar Germinal Centers and Antibody-Dependent Enhancement of Infection

2021

Human bocavirus 1 (HBoV1), a common pediatric respiratory pathogen, can persist in airway secretions for months hampering diagnosis. It also persists in tonsils, providing potential reservoirs for airway shedding, with the exact location, host cell types, and virus activity unknown.

Replication and extension of framing effects to compliance with health behaviors during pandemics

2021

Outbreaks of infectious diseases represent a significant challenge for health authorities around the world Public cooperation and compliance with health recommendations constitute critical steps to stop the spread of such diseases But how should these recommendations be framed to achieve the most desirable outcomes? Across two experiments, we show that the classic Asian Disease Problem (Tversy and Kahneman, 1981) is replicable, regardless of disease type (real vs hypothetical) Thus, people are less (vs more) willing to take risks when information is positively (negatively) framed, irrespective of disease type, although they are generally more risk-averse in real pandemics Furthermore, peopl…

Learning Automata-based Misinformation Mitigation via Hawkes Processes

2021

AbstractMitigating misinformation on social media is an unresolved challenge, particularly because of the complexity of information dissemination. To this end, Multivariate Hawkes Processes (MHP) have become a fundamental tool because they model social network dynamics, which facilitates execution and evaluation of mitigation policies. In this paper, we propose a novel light-weight intervention-based misinformation mitigation framework using decentralized Learning Automata (LA) to control the MHP. Each automaton is associated with a single user and learns to what degree that user should be involved in the mitigation strategy by interacting with a corresponding MHP, and performing a joint ra…

Music Therapy for Depression Enhanced With Listening Homework and Slow Paced Breathing: A Randomised Controlled Trial

2021

Introduction: There is evidence from earlier trials for the efficacy of music therapy in the treatment of depression among working-age people. Starting therapy sessions with relaxation and revisiting therapeutic themes outside therapy have been deemed promising for outcome enhancement. However, previous music therapy trials have not investigated this issue.Objective: To investigate the efficacy of two enhancers, resonance frequency breathing (RFB) and listening homework (LH), when combined with an established music therapy model (trial registration number ISRCTN11618310).Methods: In a 2 × 2 factorial randomised controlled trial, working-age individuals with depression were allocated into gr…

Renal function and attributable risk of death and cardiovascular hospitalization in participants with diabetes from a registry-based cohort

2021

Abstract Aims To estimate the attributable risk of renal function on all-cause mortality and cardiovascular hospitalization in patients with diabetes. Methods A prospective cohort study in 19,469 adults with diabetes, free of cardiovascular disease, attending primary care in Spain (2008–2011). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and other variables were collected and patients were followed to the first hospitalization for coronary or stroke event, or death, until the end of 2012. The cumulative incidence of the study endpoints by eGFR categories was graphically displayed and adjusted population attributable risks (PARs) for low eGFR was calculated. Results Mean follow-up was 3.2…

Testosterone administration increases leukocyte-endothelium interactions and inflammation in transgender men

2021

Objective To evaluate the effect of testosterone treatment on metabolic and inflammation parameters and leukocyte-endothelium interactions in transgender men (TGM). Design Prospective observational study. Setting University hospital. Patient(s) One hundred fifty-seven TGM. Intervention(s) Administration of testosterone undecanoate (1,000 mg, intramuscular) every 12 weeks. Main Outcome Measure(s) Endocrine parameters, adhesion molecules (vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1, and E-selectin), proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha were evaluated in serum before and after treatment using Luminex’s xMAP technology. In additi…

Post-transplant consolidation based on combination of lenalidomide and proteasome inhibitors in multiple myeloma

2021

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy due to uncontrolled proliferation of neoplastic plasma cells in the bone marrow, associated to chromosomal instability and cytogenetic abnormalities, which could have an impact on prognosis. Response to treatment and survival of newly diagnosed myeloma patients is heterogeneous, with median overall survival ranging from two to more than ten years, due to clinical and biological factors. To warrant long-term control of disease, several strategies have been proposed in the last years, including short-term high-dose of treatment, named as consolidation, before maintenance. This review will discuss the role of consolidation in the current myel…

Umanizzazione delle cure in odontostomatologia. Una tendenza emergente

2021

OBIETTIVI Scopo del presente lavoro è fornire agli specialisti della salute orale la descrizione delle caratteristiche del colloquio narrativo, inteso come differente dalla tradizionale anamnesi e in grado di rilevare l’universo del paziente, alla base del processo di umaniz-zazione delle cure in odontostomatologia, e illustrare un modello di umanizzazione di cure odontoiatriche. METODI Nell’articolo vengono descritti i punti chiave del processo di umanizzazione delle cure e come tale pratica sia stata integrata nella U.O. di Medicina Orale, A.O.U. P. Giaccone di Palermo per l’approccio al paziente fragile. La comunità scientifica ha già messo in discussione il tradizionale approccio medico…

Fecundity determines the outcome of founding queen associations in ants

2021

AbstractAnimal cooperation evolved because of its benefits to the cooperators. Pleometrosis in ants - the cooperation of queens to found a colony - benefits colony growth, but also incurs costs for some of the cooperators because only one queen usually survives the association. While several traits are associated with queen survival, they tend to be confounded and it is unclear which factor specifically determines the outcome of pleometrosis. In this study, we used the ant Lasius niger to monitor offspring production in colonies founded by one or two queens. Then, we experimentally paired queens that differed in fecundity but not in size, and vice versa, to disentangle the effect of these f…

Attitudes of Patients With Skin Tumors During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021

ReMindCare, an app for daily clinical practice in patients with first episode psychosis: A pragmatic real-world study protocol.

2021

[EN] Aim Despite the potential benefits of e-health interventions for patients with psychosis, the integration of these applications into the clinical workflow and analysis of their long-term effects still face significant challenges. To address these issues, we developed the ReMindCare app. This app aims to improve the treatment quality for patients with psychosis. We chose to study the app in real world and pragmatic manner to ensure results will be generalizable. Methods This is a naturalistic empirical study of patients in a first episode of psychosis programme. The app was purpose-designed based on two previous studies, and it offers the following assessments: (a) three daily questions…

Vascular Adhesion Protein 1 Mediates Gut Microbial Flagellin-Induced Inflammation, Leukocyte Infiltration, and Hepatic Steatosis

2021

Toll-like receptor 5 ligand, flagellin, and vascular adhesion protein 1 (VAP-1) are involved in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This study aimed to determine whether VAP-1 mediates flagellin-induced hepatic fat accumulation. The effects of flagellin on adipocyte VAP-1 expression were first studied in vitro. Then, flagellin (100 ng/mouse) or saline was intraperitoneally injected into C57BL/6J (WT) and C57BL/6-Aoc3-/- (VAP-1 KO) mice on a high-fat diet twice a week every 2 weeks for 10 weeks. After that, the effects on inflammation, insulin signaling, and metabolism were studied in liver and adipose tissues. Hepatic fat was quantified histologically and biochemically. Because flagellin cha…

Un parcours de soins primaires pour améliorer la prise en charge et le pronostic des patients diabétiques avec une plaie de pied

2021

Resume Introduction Les plaies de pied diabetique (PPD) sont un probleme frequent, associe a un risque eleve d’amputation et de mortalite. L’adressage rapide a une structure specialisee du pied diabetique permet d’ameliorer le taux de cicatrisation et de diminuer le risque d’amputation. Une proportion importante de patients avec une PPD sont adresses tardivement vers ces structures specialisees. Un parcours de soins primaires des patients avec une PPD a ete developpe par l’International Diabetic Foot Care Group en collaboration avec le D-Foot International pour ameliorer l’orientation de ces patients vers les structures specialisees. Nous presentons une version adaptee au systeme de soin fr…

Implementing Precision Medicine in Human Frailty through Epigenetic Biomarkers

2021

The main epigenetic features in aging are: reduced bulk levels of core histones, altered pattern of histone post-translational modifications, changes in the pattern of DNA methylation, replacement of canonical histones with histone variants, and altered expression of non-coding RNA. The identification of epigenetic mechanisms may contribute to the early detection of age-associated subclinical changes or deficits at the molecular and/or cellular level, to predict the development of frailty, or even more interestingly, to improve health trajectories in older adults. Frailty reflects a state of increased vulnerability to stressors as a result of decreased physiologic reserves, and even dysregu…

Walnut Consumption, Plasma Metabolomics, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

2021

BACKGROUND: Walnut consumption is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, it is unknown whether plasma metabolites related to walnut consumption are also associated with lower risk of cardiometabolic diseases. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to identify plasma metabolites associated with walnut consumption and evaluate the prospective associations between the identified profile and risk of T2D and CVD. METHODS: The discovery population included 1833 participants at high cardiovascular risk from the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) study with available metabolomics data at baseline. The study population included 57% women (baseli…

Shallow urban aquifers under hyper-recharge equatorial conditions and strong anthropogenic constrains. Implications in terms of groundwater resources…

2021

Abstract Humid equatorial regions are recognized as the least documented in term of hydrogeological functioning of aquifers despite the fact that they house a lot of developing countries and that groundwater is often the main water resource. Regarding this aspect, a study was conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the Mio-Pliocene aquifer in Douala megacity (Cameroon) which is the rainiest city in West-Africa (about 4000 mm/year) with one of the greatest demographic growth rate of the African continent. Firstly, groundwater recharge rate has been calculated through water balance and Water Table Fluctuation methods. Results show that the aquifer is characterized by a high recharge of 6…

Role of neurorehabilitative treatment using transcranial magnetic stimulation in disorders of consciousness

2021

Disorders of consciousness (DOC) result from brain injuries that cause functional changes in vigilance, awareness and behaviour. It is important to correctly diagnose DOC so that the most appropriate rehabilitation treatments can be initiated. Several studies in DOC patients have demonstrated that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has an important role to play in the recovery of consciousness as highlighted by monitoring clinical scale scores. Although studies indicate that rTMS can be used to aid recovery, it is not combined with other rehabilitative cognitive treatments. As of December 2018, there have been no studies published that combined DOC cognitive rehabilitation…

Lower than low: Perspectives on zero- to ultralow-field nuclear magnetic resonance

2021

Abstract The less-traveled low road in nuclear magnetic resonance is discussed, honoring the contributions of Prof. Bernhard Blumich, aspiring towards reaching ‘a new low.’ A history of the subject and its current status are briefly reviewed, followed by an effort to prophesy possible directions for future developments.

The common sense model of illness self-regulation : a conceptual review and proposed extended model

2021

The common sense model of illness self-regulation outlines the dynamic processes by which individuals perceive, interpret, and respond to health threats and illness-related information. An extended version of the model is proposed, which specifies additional constructs and processes to explain how lay perceptions of health threats impact coping responses and health-related outcomes. The extended model provides detail on: (a) the mediating process by which individuals’ illness representations relate to illness outcomes through adoption of coping procedures; (b) how illness representations are activated by presentation of health-threatening stimuli; (c) behavioral and treatment beliefs as det…

Necrotizing sialometaplasia of the tonsillar pillar. An unusual case

2021

Necrotizing Sialometaplasia (NS) is a rare, benign, self-limited, inflammatory and necrotizing reaction of the salivary glandular tissue. Due to the clinical picture (a painful ulcer with well-defined edges), and histopathological characteristics (nuclear and cellular pleomorphism of ductal cells) NS can mimic a malignant lesion. The correct diagnosis is important because NS shows a spontaneous resolution and therefore no further treatment is needed. We report a very unusual case of spontaneous and recurrent NS located on the anterior tonsillar pillar in a 43-year old man, which clinically mimics a malignant lesion. The clinician should be aware to include NS in the differential diagnosis o…

Prognostic Role of CSF β-amyloid 1–42/1–40 Ratio in Patients Affected by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

2021

The involvement of β-amyloid (Aβ) in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been widely discussed and its role in the disease is still a matter of debate. Aβ accumulates in the cortex and the anterior horn neurons of ALS patients and seems to affect their survival. To clarify the role of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ 1–42 and Aβ 42/40 ratios as a potential prognostic biomarker for ALS, we performed a retrospective observational study on a cohort of ALS patients who underwent a lumbar puncture at the time of the diagnosis. CSF Aβ 1–40 and Aβ 1–42 ratios were detected by chemiluminescence immunoassay and their values were correlated with clinical features. We found a signi…