The functional milk

Introduction - In addition to providing all the essential nutrients for the neonate, milk is also a vector of a wide range of immune effector molecules. It has been recently observed that milk IgA can be successfully used for prophylactic or therapeutic treatment against infections by Candida albicans and Helicobacter pylori, which represent serious risk for the health of the digestive system. IgA is the major immunoglobulin present in human milk, but it is 4-5 times less abundant in bovine milk. Since bovine milk is the most consumed milk worldwide, the detection of factors affecting the level of IgA in bovine milk offers great potential to add value to the dairy products. Aim - The present study aimed at evaluating the effect of day in milk and parity on IgA level in colostrum and milk of dairy cows. Materials and methods - Seven primiparous and 7 multiparous healthy Fresian cows were studied for 3 months after calving. All the cows were fed the same experimental diet, over the study period. On day 0, 1, 3, 7, 30, 60 and 90 of lactation, milk yield was recorded, colostrum and milk samples were taken. Colostrum and milk samples were obtained mixing morning and evening milkings and then tested for protein, fat, lactose, casein and urea content, somatic cell count and total bacterial count (TBC). Skimmed colostrum and milk were tested for IgA by ELISA. Data were evaluated by ANOVA. Results - Maximum milk production was observed on day 30 for multiparous cows (43.3 L/d) and on day 60 for the primiparous ones (40.5 L/d). In both groups, the highest levels of IgA were found at calving. The day after, colostrum IgA concentration dramatically decreased, remaining at low levels for the rest of the study period. On calving, IgA level was higher in the colostrum from multiparous than primiparous cows (782 vs. 640 \ub5g/ml; P<0.01). On day 0, 60 and 90, TBC was higher in milk from multiparous than primiparous cows (P=0.06). Between 7 and 90 days of lactation, TBC was negatively correlated whether with milk IgA levels (r = -0.506, P<0.01; r = -0.396, P<0.05 for multiparous and primiparous cows, respectively) and with milk IgA daily yield (r = -0.504, P<0.01; r = -0.501, P<0.01). Conclusions - This research gives a description of the pattern of IgA in colustrum and milk of dairy cows, during the first months of lactation, providing valuable information to maximize the positive effects of milk consumption on consumer health

Field-strength correlators for QCD in a magnetic background

We present the results of an exploratory study (by means of Monte Carlo simulations on the lattice) of the properties of the gauge-invariant two-point correlation functions of the gauge-field strengths for N_f=2 QCD at zero temperature and in the presence of a magnetic background field: the analysis provides evidence for the emergence of anisotropies in the nonperturbative part of the correlators and for an increase of the gluon condensate as a function of the external magnetic field

The effects of an extra U(1) axial condensate on the radiative decay eta' --> gamma gamma at finite temperature

Supported by recent lattice results, we consider a scenario in which a U(1)-breaking condensate survives across the chiral transition in QCD. This scenario has important consequences on the pseudoscalar-meson sector, which can be studied using an effective Lagrangian model. In particular, generalizing the results obtained in a previous paper (where the zero-temperature case was considered), we study the effects of this U(1) chiral condensate on the radiative decay eta' --> gamma gamma at finite temperature.Comment: 15 pages, LaTeX fil

Fatigue analysis-based numerical design of stamping tools made of cast iron

This work concerns stress and fatigue analysis of stamping tools made of cast iron with an essentially pearlitic matrix and containing foundry defects. Our approach consists at first, in coupling the stamping numerical processing simulations and structure analysis in order to improve the tool stiffness geometry for minimizing the stress state and optimizing their fatigue lifetime. The method consists in simulating the stamping process by considering the tool as a perfect rigid body. The estimated contact pressure is then used as boundary condition for FEM structure loading analysis of the tool. The result of this analysis is compared with the critical stress limit depending on the automotive model. The acceptance of this test allows calculating the fatigue lifetime of the critical zone by using the S–N curve of corresponding load ratio. If the prescribed tool life requirements are not satisfied, then the critical region of the tool is redesigned and the whole simulation procedures are reactivated. This method is applied for a cast iron EN-GJS-600-3. The stress-failure (S–N) curves for this material is determined at room temperature under push pull loading with different load ratios R0σmin/σmax0−2, R0−1 and R00.1. The effects of the foundry defects are determined by SEM observations of crack initiation sites. Their presence in tested specimens is associated with a reduction of fatigue lifetime by a factor of 2. However, the effect of the load ratio is more important

Lanthanide-Induced Photoluminescence in Lead-Free Cs2AgBiBr6Bulk Perovskite: Insights from Optical and Theoretical Investigations

Emphasis was recently placed on the Cs2AgBiBr6 double perovskite as a possible candidate to substitute toxic lead in metal halide perovskites. However, its poor light-emissive features currently make it unsuitable for solid-state lighting. Lanthanide doping is an established strategy to implement luminescence in poorly emissive materials, with the additional advantage of fine-tuning the emission wavelength. We discuss here the impact of Eu and Yb doping on the optical properties of Cs2AgBiBr6 thin films, obtained from the solution processing of hydrothermally synthesized bulk crystalline powders, by combining experiments and density functional theory calculations. Eu(III) incorporation does not lead to the characteristic 5D0 → 7F2 emission feature at 2 eV, while only a weak trap-assisted sub-band gap radiative emission is reported. Oppositely, we demonstrate that incorporated Yb(III) leads to an intense and exclusive photoluminescence emission in the near-infrared as a result of the efficient sensitization of the lanthanide 2F5/2 → 2F7/2 transition

Lanthanide Induced Photoluminescence in Lead-Free Cs₂AgBiBr₆ Bulk Perovskite: Insights From Optical and Theoretical Investigations

The search for materials substituting toxic lead in metal halide perovskites has recently placed emphasis on the Cs2AgBiBr6 double perovskite as a possible candidate. The poor light-emissive features of this species, mainly associated to the indirect nature of the band gap and the strongly bound exciton, however, currently make it unsuitable for solid-state lighting applications. Doping with lanthanides is an established strategy to implement luminescence in poorly emissive materials, with the additional advantage of tuning the wavelength of emission independently from the host band structure. We discuss here the impact of Eu- and Yb-doping on the absorption and emission properties of Cs2AgBiBr6 polycrystalline thin films, obtained from solution-processing of hydrothermally synthesized bulk crystalline powders, by combining experiments and density functional theory calculations. Eu(III) incorporation does not lead to the characteristic 5D0→7F2 emission feature at 2 eV, while only a weak sub band-gap radiative emission ascribed to a trap-assisted recombination process is reported. On the other hand, we demonstrate that Yb(III) incorporated in the bulk double perovskite leads to an intense and exclusive photoluminescence emission in the near-infrared (NIR) from thin films, as a result of the efficient sensitization of the lanthanide centered 2F5/2→2F7/2 transition, with favorable mid-gap energetic position. Yb-doping may be thus exploited for the future development of stable and sustainable perovskite NIR-light emitters

Exact solution (by algebraic methods) of the lattice Schwinger model in the strong-coupling regime

Using the monomer--dimer representation of the lattice Schwinger model, with $N_f =1$ Wilson fermions in the strong--coupling regime ($\beta=0$), we evaluate its partition function, $Z$, exactly on finite lattices. By studying the zeroes of $Z(k)$ in the complex plane $(Re(k),Im(k))$ for a large number of small lattices, we find the zeroes closest to the real axis for infinite stripes in temporal direction and spatial extent $S=2$ and 3. We find evidence for the existence of a critical value for the hopping parameter in the thermodynamic limit $S\rightarrow \infty$ on the real axis at about $k_c \simeq 0.39$. By looking at the behaviour of quantities, such as the chiral condensate, the chiral susceptibility and the third derivative of $Z$ with respect to $1/2k$, close to the critical point $k_c$, we find some indications for a continuous phase transition.Comment: 22 pages (6 figures

Relationship of Demoralization With Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life: a Southern European Study of Italian and Portuguese Cancer Patients

Background: Demoralization syndrome is a significant condition that has not been greatly studied in Southern European countries. Aims: To extend the knowledge of demoralization in Southern Europe by examining its prevalence according to different methods of assessment, its relationship with anxiety and depression, and its impact on quality of life (QoL) among cancer patients. Methods: A convenience sample of 195 cancer outpatients from two oncology centers (102 from Lisbon, Portugal, and 93 from Ferrara, Italy) participated in an observational, cross-sectional study using the Diagnostic Criteria of Psychosomatic Research-Demoralization interview (DCPR/D) and psychometric tools (Demoralization scale-DS; Patient Health Questionnaire-9/PHQ-9; Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale-HADS; and European Quality of Life-5-EQ-5D). Results: A 25.1% prevalence (CI 95%, 0.19-0.31) of clinically relevant demoralization was reported on the DCPR/D interview. A total demoralization score cutoff score ≥ 25 maximized sensitivity (81.6%), and specificity (72.6%) in identifying DCPR/D demoralized patients. The DCPR/D and DS were associated with poorer levels of QoL. About half of the patients who were demoralized were not clinically depressed (PHQ-9). Self-reported suicidal ideation (PHQ-9 item 9) was found in a minority of patients (8.2%), most of whom (77%) were cases of depression (PHQ-9), but one-quarter (23%) were not depressed, yet moderately/severely demoralized (DCPR/D and DS). Conclusions: This Southern European study confirms the importance of demoralization in cancer patients as a different condition with respect to depression and its relationship with poor QoL and suicidal ideation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Topology in 2D CP**(N-1) models on the lattice: a critical comparison of different cooling techniques

Two-dimensional CP**(N-1) models are used to compare the behavior of different cooling techniques on the lattice. Cooling is one of the most frequently used tools to study on the lattice the topological properties of the vacuum of a field theory. We show that different cooling methods behave in an equivalent way. To see this we apply the cooling methods on classical instantonic configurations and on configurations of the thermal equilibrium ensemble. We also calculate the topological susceptibility by using the cooling technique.Comment: 24 pages, 10 figures (from 16 eps files

Effect of lipid peroxidation on the immunocytochemical detection of a leukocyte antigenic determinant in fresh and cryopreserved bovine spermatozoa

Studies on different species, including rats, monkeys and humans, have shown the presence of leukocyte differentiation antigens in the spermatozoa. In some case the expression of these molecules is related to a specific functional state of the sperm cell, as was found for the CD 46 antigen, that in humans can be used as a marker of the acrosome reaction. The aim of the present study was to assess wether promoted lipid peroxidation of the spermatozoa induces any variations in their immunoreactivity with ILA 147 antibody that, in bull spermatozoa, recognizes bovine leukocyte antigens. Freshly ejaculated bovine spermatozoa and cryopreserved semen were tested for ILA 147 reactivity by standard immunoperoxidase staining, before and after promoted lipid peroxidation. Staining intensity was assessed in the individual cells using the microdensitometric method to measure integrated optical density (IOD), overcoming the disadvantage of an operator's subjective interpretation of the results. After the lipid peroxidation there was significantly decreased staining intensity in the fresh spermatozoa, but not in the cryopreserved cells. Furthermore, in the preincubation conditions, the cryopreserved spermatozoa had a lower mean I.O.D. value than the fresh sperm, showing that the freezing and thawing processes induced an alteration in the antigen exposure. However the mean immunoreactivity of the cryopreserved cells was not significantly influenced by lipid peroxidation. The absorbance value maps, made following immunoperoxidase staining by the examined antibody, showed that the reaction sites in the fresh and cryopreserved spermatozoa fell mainly within the periacrosomal region. Moreover, after induced lipid peroxidation there were fewer reaction sites in this domain. The present research has confirmed the presence of the examined leukocyte antigenic determinant in the bull spermatozoa, and suggests that promoted lipid peroxidation and the freezing and thawing of spermatozoa can produce membrane damage, leading to reduced ILA 147 antigenic site exposure