988 research outputs found

    Dalla Valsusa in avanti: i corpora di stampa periodica locale

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    The present paper aims at illustrating the construction of a corpus of regional newspapers, with a particular focus on the Segusinum corpus, a tool developed at the University of Turin. The main objective of the project is to fill the gap of local newspaper corpora in Italian linguistics and, more specifically, to provide a methodological solution not only for regional sources but also for corpora of journalistic language in general

    Relationship Between Balance and Cognitive Performance in Older People

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    We investigated the relationship between balance and cognitive level in a group of 70 women with no definite Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment diagnosis and no impairment of daily activity. Static stabilometry and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test were performed. The antero-posterior sway component was demonstrated to be the best predictor of the MoCA overall score. As visual and proprioceptive components of balance could safely be excluded in our assessments, the vestibular system is to be considered as a putative link between balance and cognitive impairment

    The Mediterranean shipwreck of April 18 2015: challenges in the postmortem examination of the victims

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    Background and Aims. On the 18th of April 2015, one of the largest shipwrecks in the Mediterranean sea occurred with around 800 gone missing. Among European indifference and inactivity, the Italian Government created a task force, through the will of the Commissioner’s Office of Missing Persons, the Italian Navy, the Prefecture of Siracusa, the Police, the Military Red Cross and the University of Milano flanked by the Universities of Catania, Palermo and Messina and other 10 Universities for the recovery and the identification of these victims in a challenging scenario where collection of post-mortem and ante-mortem data is very difficult respectively because of the conditions of the bodies and the political situation of the countries of provenance of the victims as well as the dispersal of their relatives and loved ones all over the world. According to the DVI protocols, identification relies mainly upon primary (genetic, fingerprint, teeth) criteria, but previous experience on the Lampedusa disaster has proven that such criteria may not guarantee high success rates. Personal descriptors of faces (ante-mortem photographs) are becoming more and more important. Materials and Methods. Since July 2015, 69 body bags bodies have been recovered around the wreck e and 458 body bags inside the boat; these were recovered by the Italian Navy and brought to a Naval area near Siracusa where a morgue was set up. Here PM examination on all bodies was performed and a biological profile was created through detailed pathological, anthropological odontological and radiological examination of the remains along with sampling for DNA analysis. 3D scans of the face or crania also were performed. Results. Preservation of the bodies varied from decomposed bodies, partial skeletonization of the extremities to complete skeletonization (with lack of the skull). Over 550 bodies were recovered along with many commingled remains. Preservation of bodies varied from partial skeletonization of the extremities (41%) to complete skeletonization (23%). All bodies so far belong to males. Conclusions. The humanitarian disposition of countries, politicians and scientists is a fundamental prerequisite for identifying victims of these disasters. Because of the difference in type of AM data available in such cases, autopsy procotols and identification strategies may need to vary

    Hygienic characteristics and detection of antibiotic resistance genes in crickets (Acheta domesticus) breed for flour production

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    During the last ten years, the worldwide interest in using insects as food and feed has surged. Edible insects fall within the category of novel foods, i.e., the category of food not consumed in significant amounts in the European Union before 15 May 1997 (the date of entry into force of Regulation (EC) No. 258/1997, later repealed by Regulation (EU) No. 2283/2015). One of the most promising insect species to be raised for food is the house cricket (Acheta domesticus). In this study, the rearing of a stock of house crickets was studied over a period of four months. The microbiological quality of the farm was studied using swabs on the surface of the rearing boxes to analyze the trend over time of different populations of microorganisms (total aerobic mesophilic microbiota, Lactobacillus spp., enterococci, Staphylococcus spp., Enterobacteriaceae, total coliforms, Pseudomonas spp. and molds). The presence of four antimicrobial resistance genes (aph, blaZ, sul1, and tetM) was investigated by polymerase chain reaction. A production scheme was also developed in order to obtain a cricket-based flour, which was analyzed for its microbiological and chemical-centesimal profile. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that the contamination increases with time and that a proper management of the farming system for insects is of the utmost importance, as it is for conventional farm animals such as ungulates, poultry, and rabbits. The old-fashioned adage “all full, all empty” for the farming system summarizes the need for proper cleaning and disinfection of the structures at the end of each production cycle.European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)https://www.mdpi.com/journal/microbiolresam2022Paraclinical Science

    III Edición. Adquisición cooperativa de competencias genéricas para favorecer la inserción laboral de los estudiantes de la Facultad de Educación

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    El proyecto tiene como finalidad dotar al estudiante de recursos y estrategias para abordar la inserción al mundo laboral con optimismo. A través de diversos talleres se formará al estudiante en herramientas básicas y avanzadas

    A study on the application of natural extracts as alternatives to sodium nitrite in processed meat

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    DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : All the data that support the findings of this study are available in the manuscript itself.Consumers are increasingly interested in purchasing meat products with low food additives content or even without the, since these kind of foodstuffs are perceived as more natural and healthier. Nitrites are the most commonly used additives in the meat industry to prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria, keep red color (secondary effect on myoglobin = iron and oxygen-binding), and improve flavor. In this scenario, meat processors are challenged to produce nitrite-free products guaranteeing the microbial quality and sensory characteristics. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of various natural extracts against the color of thermal processed beef, manufactured without nitrites. A total of fourteen natural alternatives have been evaluated: capsicum extract liquid phase (capsanthin), paprika oleoresin liquid phase, monascus yellow powder (Monascus purpureus), red yeast rice powder (Monascus purpureus) from three different producers, lycopene powder, red beet juice powder (Beta vulgaris), rosemary extract (Rosmarinus officinalis), capsicum extract powder (capsanthin), carmine pigment powder (cochineal extract), sorghum red pigment powder (Sorghum bicolor), and two factory-supplied recipes. For the first trial, extracts were added at a concentration of 0.3% in canned meat without nitrite. Samples were analyzed by colorimetric measurements before and after sterilization. The aim was to find natural extracts that provide similar color characteristics as canned meat with nitrite (used as reference). After color analysis, the extracts that did not show statistically significant differences (p > .05) from the positive control were chosen for the second trial, consisted of sample preparation at three different concentrations of extract (0,1%, 0,2%, and 0,3%) following factory manufacture procedures to ensure that the results were as accurate as possible. Results showed that sorghum red pigment powder (Sorghum bicolor) provides stable pigments and can be added as a natural additive to the manufacture of traditional canned meat recipe to maintain a similar red/pink color as same as provided by sodium nitrite.This research was funded by NoNit srl and a major food Processor, joint agreement 2020. Open Access Funding provided by Universita degli Studi di Perugia within the CRUI-CARE Agreement.http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jfpphj2023Paraclinical Science

    Evidence for classification of c.1852_1853AA>GC in MLH1 as a neutral variant for Lynch syndrome

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    Background: Lynch syndrome (LS) is an autosomal dominant inherited cancer syndrome characterized by early onset cancers of the colorectum, endometrium and other tumours. A significant proportion of DNA variants in LS patients are unclassified. Reports on the pathogenicity of the c.1852_1853AA>GC (p.Lys618Ala) variant of the MLH1 gene are conflicting. In this study, we provide new evidence indicating that this variant has no significant implications for LS. Methods: The following approach was used to assess the clinical significance of the p.Lys618Ala variant: frequency in a control population, case-control comparison, co-occurrence of the p.Lys618Ala variant with a pathogenic mutation, co-segregation with the disease and microsatellite instability in tumours from carriers of the variant. We genotyped p.Lys618Ala in 1034 individuals (373 sporadic colorectal cancer [CRC] patients, 250 index subjects from families suspected of having LS [revised Bethesda guidelines] and 411 controls). Three well-characterized LS families that fulfilled the Amsterdam II Criteria and consisted of members with the p.Lys618Ala variant were included to assess co-occurrence and co-segregation. A subset of colorectal tumour DNA samples from 17 patients carrying the p.Lys618Ala variant was screened for microsatellite instability using five mononucleotide markers. Results: Twenty-seven individuals were heterozygous for the p.Lys618Ala variant; nine had sporadic CRC (2.41%), seven were suspected of having hereditary CRC (2.8%) and 11 were controls (2.68%). There were no significant associations in the case-control and case-case studies. The p.Lys618Ala variant was co-existent with pathogenic mutations in two unrelated LS families. In one family, the allele distribution of the pathogenic and unclassified variant was in trans, in the other family the pathogenic variant was detected in the MSH6 gene and only the deleterious variant co-segregated with the disease in both families. Only two positive cases of microsatellite instability (2/17, 11.8%) were detected in tumours from p.Lys618Ala carriers, indicating that this variant does not play a role in functional inactivation of MLH1 in CRC patients. Conclusions: The p.Lys618Ala variant should be considered a neutral variant for LS. These findings have implications for the clinical management of CRC probands and their relatives.Generalitat Valenciana in Spain (AP140/08) and the Biomedical Research Foundation from the Hospital of Elche, Spain (FIBElx0902). Conselleria de Educació (Generalitat Valenciana); Fundacion Juan Peran-Pikolinos; Fundacion Carolina-BBVA and Fondo Investigación Sanitaria (FI07/00303). Instituto de Salud Carlos III (INT09/208)

    The EUropean Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI): Incidence and First-Episode Case-Control Programme.

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    PURPOSE: The EUropean Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI) study contains an unparalleled wealth of comprehensive data that allows for testing hypotheses about (1) variations in incidence within and between countries, including by urbanicity and minority ethnic groups; and (2) the role of multiple environmental and genetic risk factors, and their interactions, in the development of psychotic disorders. METHODS: Between 2010 and 2015, we identified 2774 incident cases of psychotic disorders during 12.9 million person-years at risk, across 17 sites in 6 countries (UK, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, and Brazil). Of the 2774 incident cases, 1130 cases were assessed in detail and form the case sample for case-control analyses. Across all sites, 1497 controls were recruited and assessed. We collected data on an extensive range of exposures and outcomes, including demographic, clinical (e.g. premorbid adjustment), social (e.g. childhood and adult adversity, cannabis use, migration, discrimination), cognitive (e.g. IQ, facial affect processing, attributional biases), and biological (DNA via blood sample/cheek swab). We describe the methodology of the study and some descriptive results, including representativeness of the cohort. CONCLUSIONS: This resource constitutes the largest and most extensive incidence and case-control study of psychosis ever conducted.The EU-GEI Study is funded by grant agreement HEALTH-F2-2010-241909 (Project EU-GEI) from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme, and grant 2012/0417-0 from the São Paulo Research Foundatio
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