► Castelmagno PDO cheese is an Italian PDO cheese that needs 4–5days of cheesemaking. ► No data are available on its chemical and textural characteristic during manufacturing and ripening. ► The ...final characteristic of cheese are strongly influence by the biochemical pathways during its manufacturing and ripening.
Biochemical, volatile and textural profiles during manufacture and ripening were determined in samples of Castelmagno PDO cheese obtained from three different batches in the main artisan cheese plant of Castelmagno PDO production area. At the end of manufacture, samples were characterised by a pH of 6.57% and 52.4% moisture content. The HPLC analysis of organic acids and sugars showed the exhaustion of lactose content, while Urea-PAGE indicated extensive primary proteolysis of both β-casein and αs1-casein. During ripening, cheeses were characterised by high degradation of β-casein and αs1-casein, due to bacterial action. RP-HPLC profiles showed a high production of peptides eluted between 20 and 30min. In total, 92 volatile compounds were identified in cheese headspace. Texture profiles showed an increase in hardness, gumminess, chewiness and adhesiveness values, as well as a decrease in cohesiveness during ripening.
Reference data on the asymmetry of facial thirds of children is still scarce, although it can offer meaningful comparative information for clinical studies. This study aims to provide reference data ...on the facial asymmetry of Italian children using a 3D analysis of facial thirds divided according to the trigeminal nerve distribution (upper, middle, and lower). A 3D surface-based approach was conducted on the digital models of the faces of 135 children (74 M, 61 F), acquired by stereophotogrammetry. In addition to sex, two different age classes were analyzed (4–8 years and 9–12 years). For each facial third, the asymmetry was expressed as root-mean-square distance (RMS) by calculating the point-to-point distances between the original and the reflected 3D models. A 3-way ANOVA test verified significant differences between the two sexes, the two age classes, and the three facial thirds (p-value < 0.05), and also their interaction. Significant differences were found between the sexes (females were more symmetric, p = 0.005) and the two age groups (younger were more symmetric p < 0.001). According to Tukey’s HSD post-hoc test, among the thirds, the middle one proved to be significantly more symmetrical (p < 0.001). No significant interaction impacting the asymmetry was found when the main factors were considered in any combination. Reference data on the “normal” facial asymmetry of Italian children was provided for further clinical purposes. Normal children have low average RMS values (0.30–0.51 mm) and younger, in particular females, proved more symmetrical than older children, while among the facial surfaces, the middle proved most symmetrical in both sexes, although with little clinical relevance. Since there is no consensus on the amount of symmetry deemed clinically acceptable, further studies on larger randomized samples are auspicial.
Nasal obstruction is a frequent complaint in otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinics, and nasal valve incompetence is the cause in most cases. Scientific publications describing surgical techniques on ...the upper and lower lateral cartilages to improve the nasal valve are also quite frequent. Relatively few authors currently describe surgical procedures in the piriform aperture for nasal valve augmentation. We describe the surgical technique called pyriform plasty and evaluate its effectiveness subjectively through the NOSE questionnaire and objectively through the rhinomanometry evaluation.
To compare pre- and post-pyriform plasty nasal airflow variations using rhinomanometry and the NOSE questionnaire.
Eight patients submitted to pyriform surgery were studied. These patients were screened in the otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic among those who complained of nasal obstruction, and who had a positive response to Cottle maneuver. They answered the NOSE questionnaire and were submitted to preoperative rhinomanometry. After 90 days, they were reassessed through the NOSE questionnaire and the postoperative rhinomanometry. The results of these two parameters were compared pre- and postoperatively.
Regarding the subjective measure, the NOSE questionnaire, seven patients reported improvement, of which two reported marked improvement, and one patient reported an unchanged obstructive condition. Regarding the rhinomanometry assessment, of 96 comparative measurements between the preoperative and postoperative periods, we obtained 68 measurements with an increase in nasal airflow in the postoperative period, 26 negative results, and two cases that remained unaltered between the preoperative and postoperative periods.
When analyzing the results obtained in this study, we can conclude that the piriform plasty surgical procedure resulted in nasal airflow improvement in most of the obtained measurements.
A obstrução nasal é queixa frequente nos ambulatórios de otorrinolaringologia, e a incompetência da válvula nasal é responsável em grande parte dos casos. É bastante frequente também as publicações de trabalhos científicos descrevendo técnicas cirúrgicas sobre as cartilagens laterais superiores e inferiores para melhorar a válvula nasal. Relativamente poucos autores descrevem atualmente procedimentos cirúrgicos na abertura piriforme para incremento da válvula nasal. Descrevemos a técnica cirúrgica chamada piriformeplastia e avaliamos a sua eficácia de forma subjetiva através do questionário NOSE e de forma objetiva através do exame rinomanometria.
Comparar as variações do fluxo aéreo nasal pré e pós-piriformeplastia através da rinomanometria e do questionário NOSE.
Foram estudados 8 pacientes que foram submetidos à piriformeplastia. Estes pacientes foram triados no ambulatório de otorrinolaringologia, pacientes estes que se queixavam de obstrução nasal, e que apresentavam resposta positiva a manobra de Cottle. Responderam ao questionário NOSE e foram submetidos a rinomanometria no pré-operatório. Após 90 dias foram reavaliados pelo questionário NOSE e pela rinomanometria pós-operatória. Os resultados desses dois parâmetros foram comparados pré e pós-operatoriamente.
Em relação a medida subjetiva, questionário NOSE, sete pacientes referiram melhora, sendo que dois deles referiram melhora acentuada, e um paciente referiu quadro obstrutivo inalterado. Em relação ao exame rinomanometria, de 96 medidas comparativas entre o pré e o pós-operatório, obtivemos 68 medidas com incremento ao fluxo aéreo nasal no pós-operatório, 26 resultados negativos, e dois casos inalterados entre pré e pós-operatório.
O procedimento cirúrgico piriformeplastia conferiu melhora do fluxo aéreo nasal na maioria das medidas obtidas.
In this paper we describe the development of a quantitative PCR (qPCR) technique to detect, quantify and determine the vitality of
Listeria monocytogenes in foods. The method was based on the ...amplification of the intergenic region spacer (IGS) between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes. A panel of more than 100 strains of
Listeria spp. and non-
Listeria was used in order to verify the specificity of the primers and Taqman probe and amplification signals were obtained only when
L. monocytogenes DNA and RNA were loaded in the qPCR mix. Standard curves were constructed in several food matrices (milk, meat, soft cheese, fermented sausage, cured ham and ready-to-eat salad). The quantification limit was of 10
3–10
4 cfu/g or ml, while for the determination of vitality it was 10
4–10
5 cfu/g or ml. After an overnight enrichment in BHI at 37 °C also 10 cfu/g or ml could be detected in all the matrices used in this study. When we applied the protocol to food samples collected from the market or from small food processing plants, on a total number of 66 samples, 4 fresh cheeses from raw milk gave positive results prior to the overnight incubation, while 9 samples, of which only one represented by fresh meat and the others by cheeses from raw milk, were positive after the enrichment. Out of the 4 positive samples, only one could be quantified and it was determined to contain 4
×
10
3 cfu/g.
To improve the survivability of structures it is important to understand the dynamic failure behavior under impact loading. Impact tests have revealed that mode of failure on metal superalloys thick ...plate at high-speed impact is what is known as Adiabatic shear band (ASB). The tabulated J-C material model is the current state of the art for FEM of high velocity impacts. The development of the tabulated J-C material model started from the consideration that materials under impact are affected by large deformations, high strain rates, temperature softening, and varying stress-states and that the failure is also changing as a function of the state of stress.Validated numerical 2D simulations revealed that the current J-C material model is successful in predicting this mode of failure only under the condition of using meshes composed of elements with a size that is of the same magnitude order of the ASB width. Because the ASB width of some high performance metal alloys is in the order of 1µm, the material model cannot be use in practical real application to predict ASB.This thesis describes the upgrades implemented in the current Finite Element Model (FEM) of tabulated Johnson Cook (J-C) material model that allow the development of Adiabatic Shear Bands (ASBs) under the correct loading conditions in meshes with element size of practical use in current engineering applications. Ductile deformation and failure mechanism of Inconel 718 superalloy were investigated experimentally and numerically for quasi-static and dynamic conditions at various temperatures and stress states. Impact tests were used to derive high strain rate strain-stress characteristics, proven to be vital to correctly simulate ASBs, using hybrid explicit-implicit simulations. Tabulated inputs of characterized material tests results were directly used to describe both the constitutive and failure characteristics of the material model. Full scale impact tests were used to validate and show robustness, accuracy, and efficiency of the modified material model. It is shown that the modified J-C material model can predict ballistic limit and failure modes accurately for structures under impact, modeled with meshes composed of element of size compatible with modern commonly available computational resources even when the failure mode is ASB.The presented material model can be implemented into most available Finite Element software. As part of this research, it was implemented into the commercial Finite Element Solver LS-DYNA® as a modification of *MAT_TABULATED_JOHNSON_COOK (*MAT 224) for solid elements.
We aimed to describe body composition changes up to 6–7 months after severe COVID-19 and to evaluate their association with COVID-19 inflammatory burden, described by the integral of the C-reactive ...protein (CRP) curve. The pectoral muscle area (PMA) and density (PMD), liver-to-spleen (L/S) ratio, and total, visceral, and intermuscular adipose tissue areas (TAT, VAT, and IMAT) were measured at baseline (T0), 2–3 months (T1), and 6–7 months (T2) follow-up CT scans of severe COVID-19 pneumonia survivors. Among the 208 included patients (mean age 65.6 ± 11 years, 31.3% females), decreases in PMA mean (95%CI) −1.11 (−1.72; −0.51) cm2 and in body fat areas were observed −3.13 (−10.79; +4.52) cm2 for TAT, larger from T0 to T1 than from T1 to T2. PMD increased only from T1 to T2 +3.07 (+2.08; +4.06) HU. Mean decreases were more evident for VAT −3.55 (−4.94; −2.17) cm2 and steatosis L/S ratio increase +0.17 (+0.13; +0.20) than for TAT. In multivariable models adjusted by age, sex, and baseline TAT, increasing the CRP interval was associated with greater PMA reductions, smaller PMD increases, and greater VAT and steatosis decreases, but it was not associated with TAT decreases. In conclusion, muscle loss and fat loss (more apparent in visceral compartments) continue until 6–7 months after COVID-19. The inflammatory burden is associated with skeletal muscle loss and visceral/liver fat loss.
Purpose
This study aimed to evaluate the pre- and post-operative quality-of-life of patients submitted to the resection of pituitary adenoma via endoscopic transsphenoidal.
Methods
This was a ...prospective study on patients submitted to endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery with the harvest of a nasoseptal flap who responded to the questionnaires FV-36 and SNOT-22 in the pre-operative and in months 1, 3 and 6 following the surgical procedure.
Results
A total of 42 patients submitted to pituitary adenoma resection surgery via endoscopic transsphenoidal with a nasoseptal flap were recruited. In all of the physical and mental domains (SF-36) evaluated, there was an improvement in the long-term evaluation (6 months), compared to the pre-operative, as well as in the site-specific evaluation (SNOT-22)
.
Conclusion
The global and site-specific questionnaires in the 6th post-operative month follow-up presented an important improvement in all the physical and mental domains evaluated, as well as in nasal function in the perception of the patients submitted to pituitary adenoma resection via endoscopic transsphenoidal, demonstrating the safety and efficiency of the procedure.
In recent years, the viral outbreak named COVID-19 showed that infectious diseases have a huge impact on both global health and the financial and economic sectors. The lack of efficacious antiviral ...drugs worsened the health problem. Based on our previous experience, we investigated in vitro and in silico a series of quinoline-3-carboxylate derivatives against a SARS-CoV-2 isolate. In the present study, the in-vitro antiviral activity of a series of quinoline-3-carboxylate compounds and the in silico target-based molecular dynamics (MD) and metabolic studies are reported. The compounds' activity against SARS-CoV-2 was evaluated using plaque assay and RT-qPCR. Moreover, from the docking scores, it appears that the most active compounds (1j and 1o) exhibit stronger binding affinity to the primary viral protease (NSP5) and the exoribonuclease domain of non structural protein 14 (NSP14). Additionally, the in-silico metabolic analysis of 1j and 1o defines CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 as the major P450 enzymes involved in their metabolism.
The aim of this work was to study the Lactobacillus spp. intra- and inter- species diversity in a Piedmont hard cheese made of raw milk without thermal treatment and without addition of industrial ...starter, and to perform a first screening for potential functional properties. A total of 586 isolates were collected during the cheese production and identified by means of molecular methods: three hundred and four were identified as Lactobacillus rhamnosus, two hundred and forty as Lactobacillus helveticus, twenty six as Lactobacillus fermentum, eleven as Lactobacillus delbrueckii, three as Lactobacillus pontis, and two as Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus reuteri, respectively. A high genetic heterogeneity was detected by using the repetitive bacterial DNA element fingerprinting (rep-PCR) with the use of (GTG)5 primer resulting in eight clusters of L. helveticus and sixteen clusters in the case of L. rhamnosus. Most of isolates showed a high auto-aggregation property, low hydrophobicity values, and a general low survival to simulated digestion process. However, sixteen isolates showed promising functional characteristics.
•Microbial diversity in a hard cheese and their functional properties were studied.•First, L. helveticus and then L. rhamnosus were the predominant species.•Three productions had a homogeneous behavior.•A high genetic heterogeneity was detected by rep-PCR.•Sixteen isolates species showed promising potential probiotic characteristics.
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