Reduction of the microbial load in meat maturation rooms with and without alkaline electrolyzed water fumigation

Dry-aging is a process during which meat is stored within maturation chambers at low temperatures and low relative humidity, resulting in improved tenderness and flavor development. The cuts are exposed to the atmosphere by hanging them or setting them on racks in the maturation chamber without any protective packaging. Animals and humans are usually the major sources of bacterial food contamination in the meat industry, but other routes might be involved. Therefore, procedures to reduce or eliminate pathogens from surfaces are crucial for an effective hazard analysis critical control point program in the food industry and other environments. This study aimed to assess the survival of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus on the inner surface of dry aging chambers. Moreover, we tested the efficacy of alkaline electrolyzed water (REW) for its eventual application within a procedure aimed at reducing foodborne pathogens during meat storage. Environmental conditions inside the dry aging cabinet determine a reduction of circa 3 log CFU/cm2 of the considered microorganisms on the inner surface in 24 hours. Additionally, the nebulization of alkaline electrolyzed water with the smoking system increased the count reduction in 24 hours due to environmental conditions for L. monocytogenes (~1 log CFU/cm2) and for S. aureus (~2 log CFU/cm2). In this context, the use of REW can be justified for routine cleaning procedures of the surfaces, with the added value of being safe to handle, not containing environmental pollutants, and making it unnecessary to rinse surfaces due to its instability

Development and Validation of a Multilingual Lexicon as a Key Tool for the Sensory Analyses and Consumer Tests of Blueberry and Raspberry Fruit

A comprehensive lexicon is a necessary communication tool between the panel leader and panelists to describe each sensory stimulus potentially evoked by a product. In the current scientific breeding and trading scenario, a multilingual sensory lexicon is necessary to ensure the consistency of sensory evaluations when tests are conducted across countries and/or with international panelists. This study aimed to develop a reference multilingual lexicon for raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) and blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) to perform comparative sensory tests through panels operating in different countries using their native language. Attributes were collected from state-of-the-art literature and integrated with a detailed description of the sensory stimulus associated with each term. A panel of sensory judges was trained to test lexicon efficacy. After training, panelists evaluated three cultivars of blueberry and raspberry through RATA (Rate All That Apply), which allowed missing attributes to be excluded while rating those actually present. Results showed the discerning efficacy of the lexicon developed can be a valuable tool for planning sensory evaluations held in different countries, opening up further possibilities to enrich blueberry and raspberry descriptor lists with emerging terms from local experience and evaluations of berry genotypes with peculiar traits.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101000747. Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga

Calcium mishandling in absence of primary mitochondrial dysfunction drives cellular pathology in Wolfram Syndrome

Wolfram syndrome (WS) is a recessive multisystem disorder defined by the association of diabetes mellitus and optic atrophy, reminiscent of mitochondrial diseases. The role played by mitochondria remains elusive, with contradictory results on the occurrence of mitochondrial dysfunction. We evaluated 13 recessive WS patients by deep clinical phenotyping, including optical coherence tomography (OCT), serum lactic acid at rest and after standardized exercise, brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and brain and muscle Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Finally, we investigated mitochondrial bioenergetics, network morphology, and calcium handling in patient-derived fibroblasts. Our results do not support a primary mitochondrial dysfunction in WS patients, as suggested by MRS studies, OCT pattern of retinal nerve fiber layer loss, and, in fibroblasts, by mitochondrial bioenergetics and network morphology results. However, we clearly found calcium mishandling between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria, which, under specific metabolic conditions of increased energy requirements and in selected tissue or cell types, may turn into a secondary mitochondrial dysfunction. Critically, we showed that Wolframin (WFS1) protein is enriched at mitochondrial-associated ER membranes and that in patient-derived fibroblasts WFS1 protein is completely absent. These findings support a loss-of-function pathogenic mechanism for missense mutations in WFS1, ultimately leading to defective calcium influx within mitochondria

A chemical survey of exoplanets with ARIEL

Thousands of exoplanets have now been discovered with a huge range of masses, sizes and orbits: from rocky Earth-like planets to large gas giants grazing the surface of their host star. However, the essential nature of these exoplanets remains largely mysterious: there is no known, discernible pattern linking the presence, size, or orbital parameters of a planet to the nature of its parent star. We have little idea whether the chemistry of a planet is linked to its formation environment, or whether the type of host star drives the physics and chemistry of the planet’s birth, and evolution. ARIEL was conceived to observe a large number (~1000) of transiting planets for statistical understanding, including gas giants, Neptunes, super-Earths and Earth-size planets around a range of host star types using transit spectroscopy in the 1.25–7.8 μm spectral range and multiple narrow-band photometry in the optical. ARIEL will focus on warm and hot planets to take advantage of their well-mixed atmospheres which should show minimal condensation and sequestration of high-Z materials compared to their colder Solar System siblings. Said warm and hot atmospheres are expected to be more representative of the planetary bulk composition. Observations of these warm/hot exoplanets, and in particular of their elemental composition (especially C, O, N, S, Si), will allow the understanding of the early stages of planetary and atmospheric formation during the nebular phase and the following few million years. ARIEL will thus provide a representative picture of the chemical nature of the exoplanets and relate this directly to the type and chemical environment of the host star. ARIEL is designed as a dedicated survey mission for combined-light spectroscopy, capable of observing a large and well-defined planet sample within its 4-year mission lifetime. Transit, eclipse and phase-curve spectroscopy methods, whereby the signal from the star and planet are differentiated using knowledge of the planetary ephemerides, allow us to measure atmospheric signals from the planet at levels of 10–100 part per million (ppm) relative to the star and, given the bright nature of targets, also allows more sophisticated techniques, such as eclipse mapping, to give a deeper insight into the nature of the atmosphere. These types of observations require a stable payload and satellite platform with broad, instantaneous wavelength coverage to detect many molecular species, probe the thermal structure, identify clouds and monitor the stellar activity. The wavelength range proposed covers all the expected major atmospheric gases from e.g. H2O, CO2, CH4 NH3, HCN, H2S through to the more exotic metallic compounds, such as TiO, VO, and condensed species. Simulations of ARIEL performance in conducting exoplanet surveys have been performed – using conservative estimates of mission performance and a full model of all significant noise sources in the measurement – using a list of potential ARIEL targets that incorporates the latest available exoplanet statistics. The conclusion at the end of the Phase A study, is that ARIEL – in line with the stated mission objectives – will be able to observe about 1000 exoplanets depending on the details of the adopted survey strategy, thus confirming the feasibility of the main science objectives.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Acute Muscular Sarcocystosis: An International Investigation Among Ill Travelers Returning From Tioman Island, Malaysia, 2011-2012

A large outbreak of acute muscular sarcocystosis (AMS) among international tourists who visited Tioman Island, Malaysia, is described. Clinicians evaluating travelers returning ill from Malaysia with myalgia, with or without fever, should consider AMS in their differential diagnosi

Efficient mitochondrial biogenesis drives incomplete penetrance in Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy

Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy is a maternally inherited blinding disease caused as a result of homoplasmic point mutations in complex I subunit genes of mitochondrial DNA. It is characterized by incomplete penetrance, as only some mutation carriers become affected. Thus, the mitochondrial DNA mutation is necessary but not sufficient to cause optic neuropathy. Environmental triggers and genetic modifying factors have been considered to explain its variable penetrance. We measured the mitochondrial DNA copy number and mitochondrial mass indicators in blood cells from affected and carrier individuals, screening three large pedigrees and 39 independently collected smaller families with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, as well as muscle biopsies and cells isolated by laser capturing from post-mortem specimens of retina and optic nerves, the latter being the disease targets. We show that unaffected mutation carriers have a significantly higher mitochondrial DNA copy number and mitochondrial mass compared with their affected relatives and control individuals. Comparative studies of fibroblasts from affected, carriers and controls, under different paradigms of metabolic demand, show that carriers display the highest capacity for activating mitochondrial biogenesis. Therefore we postulate that the increased mitochondrial biogenesis in carriers may overcome some of the pathogenic effect of mitochondrial DNA mutations. Screening of a few selected genetic variants in candidate genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis failed to reveal any significant association. Our study provides a valuable mechanism to explain variability of penetrance in Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy and clues for high throughput genetic screening to identify the nuclear modifying gene(s), opening an avenue to develop predictive genetic tests on disease risk and therapeutic strategies.TelethonAssociazione Serena Talarico per i giovani nel mondo and Fondazione Giuseppe Tomasello O.N.L.U.S.Mitocon OnlusResearch to Prevent BlindnessInternational Foundation for Optic Nerve Diseases (IFOND)Struggling Within Leber'sPoincenot FamilyEierman FoundationNational Eye InstituteUniv Rome, Dept Radiol Oncol & Pathol, Rome, ItalyUniv Bologna, Dept Biomed & NeuroMotor Sci DIBINEM, Bologna, ItalyUniv Bari, Dept Biosci Biotechnol & Biopharmaceut, Bari, ItalyBellaria Hosp, IRCCS Ist Sci Neurol Bologna, I-40139 Bologna, ItalyUSC, Keck Sch Med, Dept Ophthalmol, Los Angeles, CA USAUSC, Keck Sch Med, Dept Neurosurg, Los Angeles, CA USAUniv Trieste, Dept Reprod Sci Dev & Publ Hlth, Trieste, ItalyUniv Trieste, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo Children Hosp, Trieste, ItalyNewcastle Univ, Inst Med Genet, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, Tyne & Wear, EnglandFdn Ist Neurol Carlo Besta IRCCS, Unit Mol Neurogenet, Milan, ItalyMRC Mitochondrial Biol Unit, Cambridge, EnglandFed Univ São Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Ophthalmol, São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Inst Psychol, Dept Expt Psychol, São Paulo, BrazilStudio Oculist dAzeglio, Bologna, ItalyOsped San Giovanni Evangelista, Tivoli, ItalyAzienda Osped San Camillo Forlanini, Rome, ItalyUniv Rome, Dipartimento Metodi & Modelli Econ Finanza & Terr, Rome, ItalyUniv Rome, Dept Mol Med, Rome, ItalyFed Univ São Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Ophthalmol, São Paulo, BrazilTelethon: GGP06233Telethon: GGP11182Telethon: GPP10005National Eye Institute: EY03040Web of Scienc