Chemical induced delithiation on LixMnPO4: an investigation about the phase structure

Understanding the LiMnPO4/MnPO4 phase transition is of great interest in order to further improve the electrochemical performance of this cathode material. Since most of the previously published literature deals with characterization of chemically delithiated Lix MnPO4, the aim of this study is to compare and study the composition and structure of the different phases that are generated upon chemical delithiation of LixMnPO4. Bare and carboncoated lithium manganese phos-phates are prepared via a combined coprecipitation-calcination method. Partial delithiation to two different degrees of delithiation Lix MnPO4 (x = 0.24/0.23 and 0.45) for carbon-coated and/or bare materials is achieved using an excess of nitro-nium tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile. The effect of carboncoating has been also considered. Standard materials characterization with XRD (X-Ray Diffraction) and ICPOES (Inductive Coupled Plasma spectrometry and Optical Emission Spectroscopy) analysis are in accordance with literature data, but further cerimetric analysis revealed serious deviations, showing differences in the degree of delithiation to the average degree of oxidation. A structural characterization of the atomic and electronic local structure of the materials is also ob-tained using XAS (X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy) technique

Double photoionization of propylene oxide: a coincidence study of the ejection of a pair of valence-shell electrons

Propylene oxide, a favorite target of experimental and theoretical studies of circular dichroism, was recently discovered in interstellar space, further amplifying the attention to its role in the current debate on protobiological homochirality. In the present work, a photoelectron-photoion-photoion coincidence technique, using an ion-imaging detector and tunable synchrotron radiation in the 18.0-37.0 eV energy range, permits us (i) to observe six double ionization fragmentation channels, their relative yields being accounted for about two-thirds by the couple (C2H4+, CH2O+) and one-fifth by (C2H3+, CH3O+); (ii) to measure thresholds for their openings as a function of photon energy; and (iii) to unravel a pronounced bimodality for a kinetic-energy-released distribution, fingerprint of competitive non-adiabatic mechanisms

The Microbial Diversity of Non-Korean Kimchi as Revealed by Viable Counting and Metataxonomic Sequencing

Kimchi is recognized worldwide as the flagship food of Korea. To date, most of the currently available microbiological studies on kimchi deal with Korean manufactures. Moreover, there is a lack of knowledge on the occurrence of eumycetes in kimchi. Given these premises, the present study was aimed at investigating the bacterial and fungal dynamics occurring during the natural fermentation of an artisan non-Korean kimchi manufacture. Lactic acid bacteria were dominant, while Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, and yeasts progressively decreased during fermentation. Erwinia spp., Pseudomonas veronii, Pseudomonas viridiflava, Rahnella aquatilis, and Sphingomonas spp. were detected during the first 15 days of fermentation, whereas the last fermentation phase was dominated by Leuconostoc kimchi, together withWeissella soli. For the mycobiota at the beginning of the fermentation process, Rhizoplaca and Pichia orientalis were the dominant Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) in batch 1, whereas in batch 2 Protomyces inundatus prevailed. In the last stage of fermentation, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida sake, Penicillium, and Malassezia were the most abundant taxa in both analyzed batches. The knowledge gained in the present study represents a step forward in the description of the microbial dynamics of kimchi produced outside the region of origin using local ingredients. It will also serve as a starting point for further isolation of kimchi-adapted microorganisms to be assayed as potential starters for the manufacturing of novel vegetable preserves with high quality and functional traits

Discovering microbiota and volatile compounds of surströmming, the traditional Swedish sour herring

none13noIn this study, the microbiota of ready-to-eat surströmming from three Swedish producers were studied using a combined approach. The pH values of the samples ranged between 6.67±0.01 and 6.98±0.01, whereas their aw values were between 0.911±0.001 and 0.940±0.001. The acetic acid concentration was between 0.289±0.009 g/100 g and 0.556±0.036 g/100 g. Very low concentrations of lactic acid were measured. Viable counting revealed the presence of mesophilic aerobes, mesophilic lactobacilli and lactococci as well as halophilic lactobacilli and lactococci, coagulase-negative staphylococci, halophilic aerobes and anaerobes. Negligible counts for Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae and total eumycetes were observed, whereas no sulfite-reducing anaerobes were detected. Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. were absent in all samples. Multiplex real-time PCR revealed the absence of the bont/A, bont/B, bont/E, bont/F, and 4gyrB (CP) genes, which encode botulinic toxins, in all the samples analyzed. Metagenomic sequencing revealed the presence of a core microbiota dominated by Halanaerobium praevalens, Alkalibacterium gilvum, Carnobacterium, Tetragenococcus halophilus, Clostridiisalibacter, and Porphyromonadaceae. Psychrobacter celer, Ruminococcaceae, Marinilactibacillus psychrotolerans, Streptococcus infantis and Salinivibrio costicola were detected as minority OTUs. GC-MS analysis of volatile components revealed the massive presence of trimethylamine and sulfur compounds. Moreover, 1,2,4-trithiolane, phenols, ketones, aldehydes, alcohols, esters and long chain aliphatic hydrocarbons were also detected. The data obtained allowed pro-technological bacteria, which are well-adapted to saline environments, to be discovered for the first time. Further analyses are needed to better clarify the extent of the contribution of either the microbiota or autolytic enzymes of the fish flesh in the aroma definition.restrictedLuca Belleggia, Lucia Aquilanti, Ilario Ferrocino, Vesna Milanović, Cristiana Garofalo, Francesca Clementi, Luca Cocolin, Massimo Mozzon, Roberta Foligni, M. Naceur Haouet, Stefania Scuota, Marisa Framboas, Andrea OsimaniBelleggia, Luca; Aquilanti, Lucia; Ferrocino, Ilario; Milanovic, Vesna; Garofalo, Cristiana; Clementi, Francesca; Cocolin, Luca; Mozzon, Massimo; Foligni, Roberta; Naceur Haouet, M.; Scuota, Stefania; Framboas, Marisa; Osimani, Andre

Exploitation of Tenebrio molitor larvae as biological factories for human probiotics, an exploratory study

The exploitation of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae for the bioaugmentation of probiotic Bacillus clausii strains was evaluated during a 7-day rearing period. qPCR was applied to evaluate the persistence and growth of B. clausii in the rearing substrate and larvae (washed and non-washed). Moreover, the effect of freeze-drying of larvae on B. clausii viability was evaluated. The results demonstrated the suitability of yellow mealworm as biological factories for the multiplication of B. clausii through a simple and inexpensive procedure, in view of the further application of larvae as foods and food ingredients. In more detail, an increase in the load of B. clausii was observed during the 7-day rearing of larvae fed wheat middlings spiked with 1 Log cells g−1. Further research is needed to evaluate the most suitable technologies and processing parameters for obtaining yellow mealworm-based ingredients with a stable and active population of probiotic B. clausii

Operando characterization of batteries using x-ray absorption spectroscopy: advances at the beamline XAFS at synchrotron Elettra

International audience; X-ray absorption spectroscopy is a synchrotron radiation based technique that is able to provide information on both local structure and electronic properties in a chemically selective manner. It can be used to characterize the dynamic processes that govern the electrochemical energy storage in batteries, and to shed light on the redox chemistry and changes in structure during galvanostatic cycling to design cathode materials with improved properties. Operando XAS studies have been performed at beamline XAFS at Elettra on different systems. For Li-ion batteries, a multiedge approach revealed the role of the different cathode components during the charge and discharge of the battery. In addition, Li-S batteries for automotive applications were studied. Operando sulfur K-edge XANES and EXAFS analysis was used to characterize the redox chemistry of sulfur, and to relate the electrochemical mechanism to its local structure

Microbial dynamics in rearing trials of Hermetia illucens larvae fed coffee silverskin and microalgae

In the present study, Hermetia illucens larvae were reared on a main rearing substrate composed of a coffee roasting byproduct (coffee silverskin, Cs) enriched with microalgae (Schizochytrium limacinum or Isochrysis galbana) at various substitution levels. The microbial diversity of the rearing substrates, larvae, and frass (excrement from the larvae mixed with the substrate residue) were studied by the combination of microbial culturing on various growth media and metataxonomic analysis (Illumina sequencing). High counts of total mesophilic aerobes, bacterial spores, presumptive lactic acid bacteria, coagulase-positive cocci, and eumycetes were detected. Enterobacteriaceae counts were low in the rearing diets, whereas higher counts of this microbial family were observed in the larvae and frass. The microbiota of the rearing substrates was characterized by the presence of lactic acid bacteria, including the genera Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc and Weissella. The microbiota of the H. illucens larvae fed Cs was characterized by the dominance of Paenibacillus. H. illucens fed diets containing I. galbana were characterized by the presence of Enterococcus, Lysinibacillus, Morganella, and Paenibacillus, depending on the algae inclusion level, while H. illucens fed diets containing S. limacinum were characterized by high relative abundances of Brevundimonas, Enterococcus, Paracoccus, and Paenibacillus, depending on the algae inclusion level. Brevundimonas and Alcaligenes dominated in the frass from larvae fed I. galbana; the predominance of Brevundimonas was also observed in the frass from larvae fed Schyzochitrium-enriched diets. Based on the results of the present study, an effect of algae nutrient bioactive substances (e.g. polysaccharides, high-unsaturated fatty acids, taurine, carotenoids) on the relative abundance of some of the bacterial taxa detected in larvae may be hypothesized, thus opening new intriguing perspectives for the control of the entomopathogenic species and foodborne human pathogens potentially occurring in edible insects. Further studies are needed to support this hypothesis. Finally, new information on the microbial diversity occurring in insect frass was also obtained

Chemerin and PEDF are metaflammation-related biomarkers of disease activity and obesity in rheumatoid arthritis

Objective: Obesity is a risk factor for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) being associated to low grade inflammation. This study aimed to determine whether PEDF and Chemerin are biomarkers of inflammation related to fat accumulation in RA and to investigate whether weight loss associates with clinical disease improvement through the modification of fat-related biomarkers in overweight/obese RA with low-moderate disease. Participants and Methods: Two-hundred and thirty RA patients were enrolled, of whom 176 at disease onset treated according to a treat-to-target strategy (T2T) and 54 overweight/obese RA in stable therapy and low-moderate disease activity. Gene expression of adipokines, interleukin-6 and their receptors were examined in adipose tissue from obese RA. Obese RA with low-moderate disease activity underwent low-calories diet aiming to Body Mass Index (BMI) reduction > 5%, maintaining RA therapy unchanged. Chemerin, PEDF and Interleukin-6 plasma values were assessed by ELISA and disease activity was evaluated. Results: At RA onset, PEDF and Chemerin plasma values correlated with BMI (p < 0.001) but only Chemerin plasma values correlated with disease activity (p < 0.001). After adopting a T2T strategy, Chemerin arose as an independent factor associated with remission in early RA [OR(95%CIs):0.49(0.25-0.97)]. Moreover, after low-calories diet, RA with low-moderate disease activity reaching BMI reduction 655% (62.6%) at 6 months had significant decrease of PEDF (p < 0.05) and Chemerin (p < 0.05) plasma values, in parallel with the improvement in disease activity. Conclusions: PEDF and Chemerin arose as biomarkers of obesity and metaflammation respectively, providing a link between chronic inflammation and excess of body weight in RA. Therefore, BMI reduction of at least 5% in obese RA allowed better disease control without modifying RA treatment

Italian Response to Coronavirus Pandemic in Dental Care Access: The DeCADE Study

The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the willingness, anxiety and concerns of Italian people on undergoing dental appointments. An anonymous survey was posted online on social media on 11 May 2020 and was completed by 1003 respondents in one week. Multiple correspondence analysis and multiple logistic regression were used to evaluate the association between socio-demographic characteristics, dental care access, contagion fear of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), trust in dentists regarding sanitization procedures and perception of the impact of the risk of contagion on dental care. Subjects with a high level of education, attending public dental offices and that are used to go to dental offices for urgent care would not feel comfortable in undergoing a dental appointment and would prefer to postpone or cancel dental visits, waiting for a decrease in the number of the contagions. Moreover, the risk of canceling or postponing the appointment at the dentist was 1.59 times greater in those who claimed to be strongly influenced by SARS-CoV-2. Fear of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), new cases decrease and the not urgent nature of dental visits influenced more than the lowered income household on upcoming or resuming dental appointments. In the next months, despite the forecasted economic crisis caused by coronavirus pandemic, fear and anxiety generated by the spread of the virus will impact more than the lowered familiar income with regards to access to dental care

Oral Healthy Ageing: the impact of oral health and masticatory performance on nutrition and general health of older adults

La percentuale della popolazione anziana tenderà ad aumentare nei prossimi anni, implicando la necessità di porre maggiore attenzione allo stato di salute di questa categoria di popolazione, per promuovere un sano invecchiamento. La salute orale è parte integrante della salute generale di un individuo, condizionandone la qualità della vita. Le patologie orali, associate a una riduzione della funzione masticatoria, possono influenzare negativamente lo stato nutrizionale di un individuo, esponendolo a un aumentato rischio di outcomes di salute avversi. Durante la pratica clinica quotidiana, i clinici potrebbero avere la necessità di misurare oggettivamente la performance masticatoria del proprio assistito, con lo scopo di valutarne la funzione orale e il grado di disabilità orale. Lo scopo dello studio è di proporre un metodo oggettivo in grado di misurare la performance masticatoria umana e di verificarne l’impatto sullo stato di salute generale di soggetti anziani auto-sufficienti e di soggetti istituzionalizzati. In generale, sebbene la salute orale sia ritenuta un fattore determinante per la salute sistemica e per il benessere di un individuo, questa è spesso trascurata, specialmente nei soggetti fragili che hanno bisogno di assistenza quotidiana, a causa delle difficoltà ad accedere alle cure odontoiatriche. Lo sviluppo di nuove strategie (Teledentistry) potrebbe essere utile per promuovere un sano invecchiamento. In una società che sta invecchiando, programmi di educazione alla salute orale, adeguate politiche sanitarie e un aumento della consapevolezza tra la cittadinanza, possono contribuire al raggiungimento di un sano invecchiamento orale. In generale, il team sanitario geriatrico dovrebbe ricoprire un ruolo di primaria importanza nell’iniziale bilancio di salute orale del proprio assistito, co-operando in un ambiente volto a promuovere la salute orale, prendendosi quindi cura della salute generale e del benessere della popolazione anziana.According to recent studies, the percentage of elderly population will significantly increase over the next few decades, implying the need to pay more attention to the health of elderly to promote healthy ageing. Oral health is an important part of general health, affecting the quality of life of an individual. Oral disorders, associated with a reduced masticatory function, negatively affect the nutritional status of older adults, exposing them to several acute and chronic diseases. The subjects with oral impairment may not have an adequate nutritional status, increasing the risk of general health related adverse effects. During their daily office practice, clinicians should be required to objectively evaluate human mastication, aiming not only at evaluating oral function, but also at providing information about patient impairment. The Research Project aims at proposing an objective method able to assess human masticatory performance and investigating the impact of masticatory performance on general health status of self-dependent and institutionalized elderly. Overall, even if oral health is deemed to be a crucial factor for general health and well-being, it is often neglected, especially in older adults and in those who are frail and care dependent. Several older adults face difficulties in accessing dental care, so that the development of new strategies aimed at enhancing general and oral health status, such as Teledentistry, should be pursued. In an ageing society, educational interventions about oral health addressed to patients themselves and caregivers, appropriate oral health policies, and citizens empowerment and involvement can contribute to the promotion of oral health in elderly. Geriatric healthcare team members should play an important role in the initial oral health assessment, achieving an interprofessional collaborative environment aimed at promoting oral health and, thus, taking care of the overall health and well-being of older adults.&nbsp