Exploring perceptive drivers and barriers to the consumption of plant-based alternatives

Nowadays, a major global challenge is to find healthy and sustainable alternative food sources to meet the growing demand for food. One of the strategies adopted to reduce the environmental impact of the food system is the development of plant-based foods used as substitutes for animal products (i.e. plant-based meat analogues, plant-based dairy alternatives). Although consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their food choices, barriers to the transition towards these products still exist. In this context, the aims of this study were to: a) obtain a sensory mapping of animal product alternatives of the Italian market b) identify the main perceptive drivers of acceptability and rejection of plant-based products.  A sample of adult consumers (n ≥ 100; age > 18 years) balanced according to gender and age was recruited. Consumers were asked to taste and rate their overall liking of commercial plant-based foods and to perform a Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) task to describe the samples. Consumers also completed questionnaires to investigate their food consumption behaviour.  Through this study, a sensory database of plant-based products was defined based on compositional, nutritional and sensory characteristics. This database showed that there is a large diversity within the same food category with reference to the raw ingredients used and the sensory characteristics. Furthermore, through Principal Coordinate Analysis, obtained by linking liking data with CATA descriptions, the drivers of liking and rejection towards these food products were identified. Further analyses are in progress to verify the effect of consumers eating behaviour on the acceptability of these products.  The present study provides useful information for food companies for identifying potential reformulation opportunities and product development. Indeed, the optimization of the sensory and nutritional properties of plant-based food is a key strategy to improve its liking and to promote its consumption with consequent environmental and health benefits

The role of nutritional and sustainability information on consumer’s acceptance of gluten-free formulations fortified with pulses

Pulses represent an ingredient for enriching food formulations with beneficial consequences both on human health and sustainability of the agri-food system, since their production requires the exploitation of few natural resources. The aims of this study were to: a) evaluate consumer acceptance and expectations of whole corn-based gluten-free formulations fortified with pulses flour; b) investigate the effect of sustainability and health information on overall liking. A sample of 127 consumers evaluated five food formulations: a whole corn-based gluten-free control sample and four experimental samples fortified with 20% of raw or pre-gelatinized red lentils or chickpea flours, respectively. Consumers were asked to evaluate overall liking under blind (only tasting), expected (only information) and real condition (information + tasting) and to complete a questionnaire about their food behaviour and sustainability commitment. ANOVA results showed that all samples were well accepted in blind condition (M: 57.6–62.7) with no significant differences between samples fortified with pulses and control sample. The information provided during the expected condition led to a general significant increase (p<0.001) in the hedonic ratings compared with the blind ones. An incomplete assimilation effect resulted for pre-gelatinized samples, while it was complete for the raw chickpea sample. In conclusion, new food formulations well accepted by consumers could be developed with pulses flours. Furthermore, information regarding food sustainability and health effects about the use of pulses as new food ingredient may positively influence consumers’ expectations and subsequent liking. Therefore, promoting the benefits of these products can be a powerful strategy to encourage their consumption and encourage consumer choice. Further analyses are in progress to verify the effect of information in consumers’ segments differing for commitment to sustainability, food neophobia and health and taste attitudes

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Meeting abstrac

A Photoactivatable Version of Ivabradine Enables Light-Induced Block of HCN Current In Vivo

Therapeutic drugs, whose bioactivity is hindered by a photoremovable cage, offer the advantage of spatiotemporal confinement of their action to the target diseased tissue with improved bioavailability and efficacy. Here, we have applied such an approach to ivabradine (IVA), a bradycardic agent indicated for angina pectoris and heart failure, acting as a specific HCN channel blocker. To overcome the side effects due to its poor discrimination among HCN channel subtypes (HCN1–4), we prepared a caged version of IVA linked to a photocleavable bromoquinolinylmethyl group (BHQ-IVA). We show that upon illumination with blue light (440 nm), BHQ-IVA releases active IVA that blocks HCN channel currents in vitro and exerts a bradycardic effect in vivo. Both BHQ-IVA and the cage are inactive. Caging is stable in aqueous medium and in the dark, and it does not impair aqueous solubility and cell permeation, indispensable for IVA activity. This approach allows for bypassing the poor subtype-specificity of IVA, expanding its prescription to HCN-related diseases besides cardiac

Fibroma ossificante dei seni paranasali: diagnosi e management

Le lesioni fibro-ossee benigne raramente colpiscono i seni paranasali e sono suddivise in 3 entità: osteoma, displasia fibrosa e fibroma ossificante. Questi presentano simili caratteristiche cliniche, radiologiche e istologiche ma hanno un comportamento diverso. Il fibroma ossificante, in particolare la variante istologica giovanile, può presentare un comportamento aggressivo con un alto rischio di recidiva se rimosso in modo incompleto. Lo scopo dello studio è quello di paragonare il comportamento clinico del fibroma ossificante con quello delle altre lesioni fibro-ossee; di evidenziare un eventuale comportamento differente tra i vari sottotipi istologici; di descrivere i vantaggi, i limiti e i risultati della chirurgia endoscopica endonasale rispetto ai dati presenti in letteratura. Abbiamo analizzato retrospettivamente 11 pazienti affetti da fibroma ossificante naso-sinusale e trattati in un centro ospedaliero di terzo livello. Tutti i pazienti sono stati sottoposti a TC. La RM è stata eseguita in caso di coinvolgimento del basicranio o in caso di recidiva. Una biopsia pre-operatoria è stata effettuata nei casi in cui la massa era raggiungibile per via endoscopica. Un paziente è stato sottoposto a embolizzazione pre-operatoria ed ha riportato una cecità monolaterale al termine della procedure. In base alla localizzazione, l’exeresi del tumore è stata eseguita con un approccio endoscopico (7 pazienti), esterno (3), combinato (1). Istologicamente 5 pazienti hanno riportato un sottotipo convenzionale, 5 la variante giovanile psammomatoide associata in un caso a cisti aneurismatica ossea, e un paziente la variante giovanile trabecolare. Tre pazienti affetti dalla variante istologica giovanile psammomatoide hanno presentato un’invasione del basicranio e sono stati sottoposti ad exeresi subtotale per via endoscopica che ha richiesto in seguito, a causa di un aumento di volume del residuo, un secondo intervento per via transbasale. I reperti clinici, radiologici e istologici dovrebbero essere considerati insieme per una accurata diagnosi differenziale tra le lesioni fibro-ossee. Ulteriori studi sono necessari per concludere se la localizzazione e l’estensione del fibroma ossificante al momento della diagnosi sono più importanti della variante istologica. L’approccio endoscopico è la prima opzione nella maggior parte dei casi anche se in alcuni selezionati pazienti l’approccio esterno risulta ancora necessario

Nutrition in children with CRF and on dialysis

The objectives of this study are: (1) to understand the importance of nutrition in normal growth; (2) to review the methods of assessing nutritional status; (3) to review the dietary requirements of normal children throughout childhood, including protein, energy, vitamins and minerals; (4) to review recommendations for the nutritional requirements of children with chronic renal failure (CRF) and on dialysis; (5) to review reports of spontaneous nutritional intake in children with CRF and on dialysis; (6) to review the epidemiology of nutritional disturbances in renal disease, including height, weight and body composition; (7) to review the pathological mechanisms underlying poor appetite, abnormal metabolic rate and endocrine disturbances in renal disease; (8) to review the evidence for the benefit of dietetic input, dietary supplementation, nasogastric and gastrostomy feeds and intradialytic nutrition; (9) to review the effect of dialysis adequacy on nutrition; (10) to review the effect of nutrition on outcome