Investigation of the hygienic safety of aromatic plants cultivated in soil contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

The present work was undertaken to investigate the survival of Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19114T in soil during the whole crop cycle of rocket (Eruca sativa Mill.) and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), to monitor its transfer to the leaves, and to evaluate its viability at harvest. To this purpose, the soil was NePeK fertilized and four trials, obtained with different combinations of soil treatment, listerial inoculums and seed planting, were followed for each aromatic plant. Soil was weekly investigated for total microbial counts and L. monocytogenes evolution. At the starting time, un-inoculated autoclaved soil showed a limited microbial load (103 CFU g dw 1), while un-inoculated non-autoclaved soil contained approximately 108 CFU g dw 1 microorganisms. Listerial persistence in inoculated soil was evaluated by plate counts and confirmed by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Trials with nonautoclaved un-inoculated soil, used as control productions, contained about 104 CFU g dw 1 of presumptive Listeria spp., from the beginning till the end of the experimentation, which lasted six weeks. The trials artificially contaminated with approximately 109 CFU g dw 1 of L. monocytogenes showed a decrease of the initial inoculums, which was more rapid, reaching lower levels at harvest, for the trials with non-autoclaved soil (4.95 and 4.81 log CFU g dw 1 for basil and rocket, respectively) than those with autoclaved soil (5.28 and 5.24 log CFU g dw 1 for basil and rocket, respectively). At harvest, plants and soil samples were also analysed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The last analysis showed the presence of L. monocytogenes in soil, but not on the leaves of plants of all inoculated trials

The influence of addition of Borago officinalis with antibacterial activity on the sensory quality of fresh pasta

Borage (Borago officinalis L.) is a herbaceous plant of the Boraginaceae family cultivated throughout the world for several purposes, including food preparations, mainly beverages and salads. Some Italian recipes use borage as a food ingredient, in particular as condiment for pasta. The aqueous extract (AE) from borage leaves can act as biopreservative in foods due to its inhibition towards the main foodborne pathogen bacteria. Fresh pasta, due to the high content of water, is a food product with a limited shelf life. In order to test the suitability of borage to produce fresh pasta with a prolonged shelf life, borage AE was used in dried form as a raw material for the production of tagliatelle pasta. Pasta produced with fresh borage was used as green tagliatelle control, while pasta produced without borage was used as white tagliatelle control. The colour of the three tagliatelle pasta types was different. A sensory panel was used to test the appreciation of these products prepared following three recipes with Sicilian ingredients. Both pastas produced with borage were preferred to control pasta with any preparation based on cheese, meat or fish as principal flavour ingredient. The present study demonstrated the suitability of borage AE as natural preservative for fresh pasta production

Evaluation of muscle energy in isometric maintenance as an index of muscle fatigue in roller speed skating

Roller speed skating is a discipline in which muscle fatigue plays an important role in athletes; in this work, we wanted to evaluate whether a methodological approach based on the energy required to maintain an isometric muscle contraction for one minute, indexed on the MVIC (maximum voluntary isometric contraction), i.e. % RMS/MVIC can give results similar to the frequency decay analysis/time in terms of usability for athlete training and injury prevention. Right and left gluteus maximus and vastus lateralis muscles (involved in the propulsive phase of skating ) were examined separately by surface electromyography in three competitive athletes in short-track speed skating on asphalt. The results showed an asymmetry between the right (less resistant) and left (more resistant) lower limb, in all three athletes, from the point of view of fatigue, in both investigated muscles. Furthermore, a trend in terms of fatigue resistance was found that was directly proportional to skill in both muscles studied. This can be of help in better planning the training of street speed skaters (which although similar to the discipline on ice is not completely superimposable) with the dual purpose of improving their performance and preventing injuries, often linked to the degree of right-left muscle asymmetry

Microbiological investigation of Raphanus sativus L. grown hydroponically in nutrient solutions contaminated with spoilage and pathogenic bacteria

The survival of eight undesired (spoilage/pathogenic) food related bacteria (Citrobacter freundii PSS60, Enterobacter spp. PSS11, Escherichia coli PSS2, Klebsiella oxytoca PSS82, Serratia grimesii PSS72, Pseudomonas putida PSS21, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia PSS52 and Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19114T) was investigated in mineral nutrient solution (MNS) during the crop cycle of radishes (Raphanus sativus L.) cultivated in hydroponics in a greenhouse. MNSs were microbiologically analyzed weekly by plate count. The evolution of the pure cultures was also evaluated in sterile MNS in test tubes. The inoculated trials contained an initial total mesophilic count (TMC) ranging between 6.69 and 7.78 Log CFU/mL, while non-sterile and sterile control trials showed levels of 4.39 and 0.97 Log CFU/mL, respectively. In general, all inoculated trials showed similar levels of TMC in MNS during the experimentation, even though the levels of the inoculated bacteria decreased. The presence of the inoculums was ascertained by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis applied on the isolates collected at 7-day intervals. At harvest, MNSs were also analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The last analysis, except P. putida PSS21 in the corresponding trial, did not detect the other bacteria, but confirmed that pseudomonads were present in un-inoculated MNSs. Despite the high counts detected (6.44 and 7.24 CFU/g), only C. freundii PSS60, Enterobacter spp. PSS11 and K. oxytoca PSS82 were detected in radishes in a living form, suggesting their internalization

The Rehabilitation Tailor: Applying Personalized Medicine to Cancer Recovery

Abstract not availabl

Roller Speed Skating Kinematics and Electromyographic Analysis: A Methodological Approach

Roller speed skating is a discipline similar to hockey and ice skating from a biomechanical point of view, but there are no specific functional protocols for rehabilitation and performance improvement for these athletes. The aim of the study is to create a dedicated functional, kinematic and electromyographic protocol to be used as a tool for future studies on the subject. The protocol was created, starting from a correct and repeatable movement as a case study, on a world speed skating champion, using an inertial sensor positioned at the level of the first sacral vertebra, eight electromyographic probes positioned on one or the other lower limb, and a high-definition camera at 50 Hz. The results show the electromyographic activity of the muscles investigated, the degree of absolute muscle activation and compared to their maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), the level of co-activation of the agonist/antagonist muscles, and the accelerations of the body on the three axes of space. The results will represent the basis for physiotherapy and specific training use. Future developments will include the analysis of a sample of elite athletes to be able to build a normal range on the parameters investigated, and the possibility of treating in the most appropriate way possible muscle injuries (which mostly occur in the groin in such athletes) once they have occurred, even with oriented MVIC or co-activation oriented exercises

Knowledge Translation in Oncology. A Case Study

Knowledge translation (KT) is the ability to make knowledge accessible to different stakeholders by translating it into various contexts. Translating knowledge is particularly crucial in the healthcare sector, which is currently under significant pressure due to technological innovation, increasing demand of services by an ageing population, budget reductions, and new organisational challenges posed by the latest events like the COVID-19 pandemic. While the first definition of KT was focused on the translation of scientific research into clinical practice, other types of KT later emerged. In healthcare, while stakeholders have different skills and competencies (such as clinical scientists versus physicians or other healthcare professionals), others experience diverse emotional feelings (like the patients or their families). An effective KT allows the transfer, sharing, and creation of new knowledge, enhancing innovation and co-production dynamics. The paper employs a case study by analysing the Breast Unit of the C.R.O. National Cancer Institue of Aviano, Italy, one of the most acknowledged hospitals and research centres in Europe in the field of cancer surgery and treatments. The paper aims at studying the knowledge translation dynamics and tools by analysing the various relationships with the internal as well as the external stakeholders of the Breast Unit. Internally, knowledge translation is needed to merge the competencies of highly skilled multidisciplinary teams, which include surgeons and physicians with various specialities, researchers, psychologists, nurses and other healthcare professionals. Externally, knowledge is translated to meet the needs of patients, patients' associations, sponsors, citizens, and policymakers. Results highlight how different techniques and dynamics allow KT to happen within internal as well as external groups. Contributing to the knowledge management and knowledge translation theories, our findings open up to practical as well as research implications

Development of a method for the direct fermentation of semolina by selected sourdough lactic acid bacteria

Three obligately heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains (Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis PON100336, Leuconostoc citreum PON10079 and Weissella cibaria PON10030) were used in this study as a multi-species starter culture for sourdough production. The starter inoculum was prepared and propagated in sterile semolina extract (SSE) broth. Acidification kinetics, microbiological counts detected on specific media for sourdough LAB, polymorphic profile comparison and species-specific PCRs evidenced a stability of the liquid inoculum over time determining its suitability for direct addition to semolina. In order to validate this innovative method for the production of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf) sourdoughs, 15 semolinas (from ten old and five modern genotypes cultivated in Sicily, southern Italy) were used to prepare the SSEs and to produce sourdoughs and finally breads. Chemical and microbiological analyses of the sourdoughs and the evaluation of the quality parameters (weight loss, height, crumb and crust colour, image analysis and volatile organic compound generation) of the resulting breads indicated that the direct addition of the liquid inocula propagated in SSE is a valuable method to stabilise the production of sourdoughs. The differences registered during the technological characterisation of the breads were underlined by the sensory tests and the multivariate analysis and are mainly imputable to the type of semolina

Shelf life evaluation of fresh-cut red chicory subjected to different minimal processes

Microbiological, chemical and physical parameters of minimally processed red chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) subjected to two different transformation processes were investigated. A classic ready-to-eat (RTE) process (P1) and a production without cutting (P2) were monitored during refrigerated (4 °C) storage (15 d). Total mesophilic microorganisms, total psychrotrophic microorganisms and pseudomonads were detected at the highest cell densities in all samples. Presumptive Pseudomonas population dominated the cultivable microbial community of RTE red chicory and were characterized genetically. Twenty-two randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) types were investigated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, resulting in members of Rahnella and Pseudomonas. The identification of Pseudomonas species was further determined by sequencing of gyrB, rpoB and rpoD genes resulting in 16 species. A highest visual quality and a lower weight loss and colour variation were registered for P2, while soluble solid, nitrate and ascorbic acid contents were not affected by processing and storage. The integrated microbiological, chemical and physical approach applied in this study demonstrated the longer shelf-life of P2 red chicory

Elective Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) for the Treatment of Infrarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms of 5.0–5.5 cm: Differences between Men and Women

Background: There is significant debate regarding the existence of sex-related differences in the presentation, treatment, and outcomes of men versus women affected by abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). The purpose of this study is to compare endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of infrarenal AAAs with the current sex-neutral 5.0–5.5 cm-diameter threshold for intervention between the two sexes. Methods: Retrospective review of consecutive cases from a single teaching institution over a period of five years of patients who had undergone elective EVAR for AAAs between 5.0 and 5.5 cm in diameter. Outcomes of interest were compared according to sex. Results: Ninety-four patients were included in the analysis, with a higher prevalence of men (53%). Females were older at the time of repair, 78 ± 5.1 years, versus 71.7 ± 7 years (p < 0.01), and had higher incidence of underlying comorbidities, namely, arrhythmia, chronic kidney disease, and previous carotid revascularization. Women had higher incidence of immediate systemic complications (p = 0.021), post-operative AMI (p = 0.001), arrhythmia (p = 0.006), pulmonary oedema (p < 0.001), and persistent renal dysfunction (p = 0.029). Multivariate analysis for post-operative factors associated to mortality and adjusted for sex confirmed that AMI (p = 0.015), arrhythmia (p = 0.049), pulmonary oedema (p = 0.015), persistent renal dysfunction (p < 0.001), cerebral ischemia (p < 0.001), arterial embolism of lower limbs (p < 0.001), and deep-vein thrombosis of lower limbs (p < 0.001) were associate to higher EVAR-related mortality; a higher incidence of post-operative AMI (p = 0.014), pulmonary edema (p = 0.034), and arterial embolism of lower limbs (p = 0.046) were associated to higher 30-days mortality. In females there was also a higher rate of suprarenal fixation (p = 0.026), insertion outside the instruction for use (p = 0.035), and a more hostile neck anatomy with different proximal aortic diameter (p < 0.001) and angle (p = 0.003). Conclusions: A similar threshold of size of AAA for elective surgery for both males and females might not be appropriate for surgical intervention, as females tend to have worse outcomes. Further population-based studies are needed to guide on sex-related differences and intervention on AAA