Microbiota of sliced cooked ham packaged in modified atmosphere throughout the shelf life: Microbiota of sliced cooked ham in MAP

Fourteen lots of cooked ham in modified atmosphere packaging (CH) were analyzed within a few days from packaging (S) and at the end of the shelf-life (E), after storage at 7 \ub0C to simulate thermal abuse. Five more lots, rejected from the market because spoiled (R), were included in the study. Quality of the products was generally compromised during the shelf life, with only 4 lots remaining unaltered. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons resulted in 801 OTUs. S samples presented a higher diversity than E and R ones. At the beginning of the shelf life, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes dominated the microbiota, with Acinetobacter, Brochothrix, Carnobacterium, Lactobacillus, Prevotella, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Weissella, Vibrio rumoiensis occurring frequently and/or abundantly. E and R samples were dominated by Firmicutes mostly ascribed to Lactobacillales. It is noteworthy the appearance of abundant Leuconostoc, negligible in S samples, in some E and R samples, while in other LAB were outnumbered by V. rumoiensis or Brochothrix thermosphacta. The microbiota of spoiled and R samples could not be clustered on the basis of specific defects (discoloration, presence of slime, sourness, and swollen packages) or supplemented additives. LAB population of S samples, averaging 2.9 log10(cfu/g), increased to 7.7 log10(cfu/g) in the E and R samples. Dominant cultivable LAB belonged to the species Lactobacillus sakei and Leuconostoc carnosum. The same biotypes ascribed to different species where often found in the corresponding S and R samples, and sometime in different batches provided from the same producer, suggesting a recurrent contamination from the plant of production. Consistently with growth of LAB, initial pH (6.26) dropped to 5.74 in E samples. Volatiles organic compound (VOCs) analysis revealed that ethanol was the major metabolite produced during the shelf life. The profile of volatile compounds got enriched with other molecules (e.g. 2-butanone, ethyl acetate, acetic acid, acetoin, butanoic acid, ethyl ester, butanoic acid, and 2,3-butanediol) mainly ascribed to microbial metabolism

Patterns and universals of adult romantic attachment across 62 cultural regions: Are models of self and of other pancultural constructs?

As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, a total of 17,804 participants from 62 cultural regions completed the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ), a self-report measure of adult romantic attachment. Correlational analyses within each culture suggested that the Model of Self and the Model of Other scales of the RQ were psychometrically valid within most cultures. Contrary to expectations, the Model of Self and Model of Other dimensions of the RQ did not underlie the four-category model of attachment in the same way across all cultures. Analyses of specific attachment styles revealed that secure romantic attachment was normative in 79% of cultures and that preoccupied romantic attachment was particularly prevalent in East Asian cultures. Finally, the romantic attachment profiles of individual nations were correlated with sociocultural indicators in ways that supported evolutionary theories of romantic attachment and basic human mating strategie

Patterns and Universals of Mate Poaching Across 53 Nations: The Effects of Sex, Culture, and Personality on Romantically Attracting Another Person's Partner

As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, 16,954 participants from 53 nations were administered an anonymous survey about experiences with romantic attraction. Mate poaching - romantically attracting someone who is already in a relationship - was most common in Southern Europe, South America, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe and was relatively infrequent in Africa, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Evolutionary and social-role hypotheses received empirical support. Men were more likely than women to report having made and succumbed to short-term poaching across all regions, but differences between men and women were often smaller in more gender-egalitarian regions. People who try to steal another's mate possess similar personality traits across all regions, as do those who frequently receive and succumb to the poaching attempts by others. The authors conclude that human mate-poaching experiences are universally linked to sex, culture, and the robust influence of personal disposition

Patterns and Universals of Mate Poaching Across 53 Nations: The Effects of Sex, Culture, and Personality on Romantically Attracting Another Person's Partner

As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, 16,954 participants from 53 nations were administered an anonymous survey about experiences with romantic attraction. Mate poaching - romantically attracting someone who is already in a relationship - was most common in Southern Europe, South America, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe and was relatively infrequent in Africa, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Evolutionary and social-role hypotheses received empirical support. Men were more likely than women to report having made and succumbed to short-term poaching across all regions, but differences between men and women were often smaller in more gender-egalitarian regions. People who try to steal another's mate possess similar personality traits across all regions, as do those who frequently receive and succumb to the poaching attempts by others. The authors conclude that human mate-poaching experiences are universally linked to sex, culture, and the robust influence of personal disposition

CMS Collaboration

0info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

A randomised, blinded, trial of clopidogrel versus aspirin in patients at risk of ischaemic events (CAPRIE). CAPRIE Steering Committee

Many clinical trials have evaluated the benefit of long-term use of antiplatelet drugs in reducing the risk of clinical thrombotic events. Aspirin and ticlopidine have been shown to be effective, but both have potentially serious adverse effects. Clopidogrel, a new thienopyridine derivative similar to ticlopidine, is an inhibitor of platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate. METHODS: CAPRIE was a randomised, blinded, international trial designed to assess the relative efficacy of clopidogrel (75 mg once daily) and aspirin (325 mg once daily) in reducing the risk of a composite outcome cluster of ischaemic stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death; their relative safety was also assessed. The population studied comprised subgroups of patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease manifested as either recent ischaemic stroke, recent myocardial infarction, or symptomatic peripheral arterial disease. Patients were followed for 1 to 3 years. FINDINGS: 19,185 patients, with more than 6300 in each of the clinical subgroups, were recruited over 3 years, with a mean follow-up of 1.91 years. There were 1960 first events included in the outcome cluster on which an intention-to-treat analysis showed that patients treated with clopidogrel had an annual 5.32% risk of ischaemic stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death compared with 5.83% with aspirin. These rates reflect a statistically significant (p = 0.043) relative-risk reduction of 8.7% in favour of clopidogrel (95% Cl 0.3-16.5). Corresponding on-treatment analysis yielded a relative-risk reduction of 9.4%. There were no major differences in terms of safety. Reported adverse experiences in the clopidogrel and aspirin groups judged to be severe included rash (0.26% vs 0.10%), diarrhoea (0.23% vs 0.11%), upper gastrointestinal discomfort (0.97% vs 1.22%), intracranial haemorrhage (0.33% vs 0.47%), and gastrointestinal haemorrhage (0.52% vs 0.72%), respectively. There were ten (0.10%) patients in the clopidogrel group with significant reductions in neutrophils (< 1.2 x 10(9)/L) and 16 (0.17%) in the aspirin group. INTERPRETATION: Long-term administration of clopidogrel to patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease is more effective than aspirin in reducing the combined risk of ischaemic stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death. The overall safety profile of clopidogrel is at least as good as that of medium-dose aspirin