Regional climate change policies: An analysis of commitments, policy instruments and targets

Regional governments represent an increasingly relevant component in climate change policies, which showcase a high interest in the climate change sphere and provide several benefits connected with their governance. This study aims to shed light on this scale of governance by describing the climate change policies of 61 regions from all over the world and by analysing the possible connections between the regional environmental policy instruments and the level of mitigation and adaptation commitment. The results show that the regional governments of this work appear to be an active component in climate policy, since they all have their own GHG emission reduction targets, devise their own climate policies and instruments and participate in international climate networks. All regions have reported mitigation and adaptation commitments, with different levels of ambition. In addition, it is observable that while some regions (mainly the North) focus mostly on mitigation targets, other (the South) focus on adaptation. Finally, there does not seem to be a connection between the level of climate commitment and the preference for some policy instruments. © 2020 FrancoAngeli

Le proteine del siero: un sottoprodotto dalle grandi potenzialità salutistiche

Il siero di latte è un sottoprodotto presente in elevate quantità e, grazie alle sue proprietà nutrizionali, è sfruttato in molti ambiti del settore agro-alimentare; prima di essere utilizzato deve essere sottoposto a varie analisi che ne decretino l’idoneità in ottemperanza alle normative nazionali ed europee. In funzione delle sue caratteristiche, viene classificato nelle varie categorie merceologiche e, fra queste, una delle più importanti è quella delle proteine del siero di latte. Le proteine del siero di latte sono proteine ad alto valore nutrizionale che apportano benefici alla salute del consumatore e sono sempre più utilizzate da tutte le fasce della popolazione. Le whey protein (WP) possono avere diversi gradi purezza in base al metodo di estrazione, al contenuto di proteine e anche di altri componenti come lattosio e lipidi; di conseguenza, si possono ottenere prodotti differenti per valore economico e per fascia di mercato. Le proteine del siero di latte si sono affermate come ingrediente chiave per molte preparazioni alimentari quali sostituenti di additivi, grassi e carboidrati, fino a costituire la base per un nuovo packaging degli alimenti; gli utilizzi maggiori prevedono l’emulsione delle sieroproteine con lipidi per una migliore stabilità del prodotto finale, oppure sono utilizzate per formare film commestibili, rivestimenti e microcapsule, in combinazione con polisaccaridi, glicerolo, sorbitolo e rivestimenti per alimenti contenenti antimicrobici. Per quanto riguarda l’interazione fra probiotici e sieroproteine si nota una sinergia fra quest’ultimi, che permette di resistere maggiormente alle condizioni di conservazione e a quelle presenti nel corpo umano prima di raggiungere il luogo d’azione, cioè quello intestinale. Infine, l’evoluzione delle tecnologie di processo non termico, sono state utilizzate per migliorare le proprietà funzionali, strutturali e meccaniche delle sieroproteine

Evaluation of the Effects of Bariatric Surgery in Terms of Weight Loss and Diabetes Remission in the Indian Population

Objectives: The growing prevalence of obesity rates worldwide is associated with an upsurge in its comorbidities, particularly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Bariatric surgery is a proven treatment modality for producing sustained weight loss and resolution of associated T2DM providing marked improvement in quality of life with rapid recovery. This study aims to investigate the effects of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), and mini-gastric bypass (MGB) on obese patients suffering from T2DM in the Indian population and their long-term association with regard to diabetes remission, resolution of comorbidities, and percentage EWL. Methods: Retrospective data of obese patients with T2DM (preoperative BMI 45.37 ± 8.1) who underwent bariatric surgery (RYGB, LSG, and MGB) were analyzed in this study over a period of 9 years. The mean follow-up period was 2.2 years. Following surgery, the clinical outcome on BMI, resolution of percentage weight loss, and T2DM were studied. The predictive factors of diabetic remission after surgery were determined. Student's t test and ANOVA and McNemar's test were applied. Results: Out of a total of 274 patients, complete remission of T2DM was achieved in 52.9% (n = 145) with mean fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin values being 6.1 ± 0.769 (p = 0.00) at 1 year after surgery. The independent predictive factors of remission were age, gender, BMI, preoperative comorbidities, and % EWL. Gender had no correlation with the chance of achieving disease remission. Conclusion: Based on our results, bariatric surgery proves to be a successful treatment option resulting in sustained weight loss in obese patients suffering from T2DM. It is found to be beneficial for the long-term resolution of T2DM and improving comorbidities such as hypertension and dyslipidemia. The outcome of the different surgical methods is found to be similar for all patients irrespective of the independent predictors of complete remission

Methods for improving boar and stallion semen quality

Handling of semen is a very important tool for a successful artificial insemination in both pig and horse farming. One of the main problems during liquid and frozen semen storage is the loss of fertilizing potential mainly due to a sudden reduction of temperature, an excessive production of reactive oxygen species and alterations in the antioxidant defense systems. Supplementation of sperm preparation with different antioxidants gave interesting and promising results and, during recent years, use of plant antioxidants has been gaining the attention of several research groups. Moreover, an increase in the fertilising ability of boar sperm has been demonstrated after photo-stimulation. On these bases, the objective of the present thesis was to assess whether: 1) Resveratrol (RESV) or Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) supplementation of thawing boar semen extender is effective in influencing sperm quality parameters and in vitro fertilization ability; 2) EGCG and green tea extract polyphenols improve stallion semen parameters during cooling at 4°C; 3) Photo-stimulation improves frozen-thawed boar semen quality. The results obtained demonstrate that the addition of RESV or EGCG, alone or in combination, to thawed boar semen positively affects in vitro penetration rate while no positive effects were registered in cooled stallion semen up to 48 h storage; as a consequence, the addition of these substances in cooling medium for stallion sperm storage is not useful. Therefore, it is evident that the effects of antioxidants may vary depending on species as well as on the way semen is processed for preservation (cooled vs frozen-thawed). Moreover, photo-stimulation may be considered as a potential tool to increase the cryotolerance of poor freezability ejaculates (PFE) but more researches on the mechanisms underlying the detrimental effects on sperm motility are required; they may allow to understand whether such increase in cryotolerance has a significant impact upon the fertilizing ability of PFE

In vitro anti-estrogenic potential of FertiZen-R™- a nutraceutical ingredient for estrogen modulation

Background: According to CDC, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is responsible for infertility in women with 6-12% incidences all over the world. The current treatment options available have several side effects such as amenorrhea and obesity amongst others. Dietary interventions such as non-estrogenic and androgen-suppressing foods along with nutraceutical products is considered for treating PCOS with minimum side effects. One such product of Zenherbs lab called FertiZen-R™ is a combination of three phytochemicals from three plants viz., Foeniculum vulgare, Linum Usitatissimum, Glycyrrhiza glabra, hibiscus extract and is developed as a product to treat and control PCOS. Methods: The FertiZen-R™ was quantified for the presence of phytochemicals such as glycyrrhizic acid, polyphenols, and saponins. It was further tested for estrogenic/anti-estrogenic potential on estrogen-positive breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) using an E-Screen assay. Results: The FertiZen-R™ showed presence of 5% glycyrrhizinic acid, 5% saponins, and 2-3% polyphenols. It exhibited a strong anti-estrogenic potential with 40-50% inhibition from concentrations as low as 0.156 mg/ml like tamoxifen (IC50 at 0.156 mg/ml), while inositol, a natural growth promoter, showed no effect on the cell viability. Conclusions: FertiZen-R™ showed anti-estrogenic potential when tested in-vitro and can be used to treat PCOS in women even with ER-positive breast cancer cells. However, clinical studies to determine the dosage are required to warrant the potential of FertiZen-R™

Dealing with Danger in the CNS: The Response of the Immune System to Injury

Fighting pathogens and maintaining tissue homeostasis are prerequisites for survival. Both of these functions are upheld by the immune system, though the latter is often overlooked in the context of the CNS. The mere presence of immune cells in the CNS was long considered a hallmark of pathology, but this view has been recently challenged by studies demonstrating that immunological signaling can confer pivotal neuroprotective effects on the injured CNS. In this review, we describe the temporal sequence of immunological events that follow CNS injury. Beginning with immediate changes at the injury site, including death of neural cells and release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), and progressing through innate and adaptive immune responses, we describe the cascade of inflammatory mediators and the implications of their post-injury effects. We conclude by proposing a revised interpretation of immune privilege in the brain, which takes beneficial neuro-immune communications into account

Vvedenie v slavjanovedenie. Izbrannaja bibliografija

V nastojaščem bibliografieskom ukazatele tradicionnye v slavjanskoj filologii razdely dopolneny nekotorymi novymi, polučivšimi razvitie v poslednie desjatiletija, takimi kak semiotika i informatika, lingvostatistika, teorija jazykovych kognatov, lingvogeografija i areal'naja lingvistika. Osnovnaja cel' izdanija - pomoč' vsem, kto interesuetsja istoriej i sovremennymi problemami slavjanovedenija, orientirovat'sja v obširnom slavjanskom kul'turno-jazykovom prostranstve.V nastojaščem bibliografieskom ukazatele tradicionnye v slavjanskoj filologii razdely dopolneny nekotorymi novymi, polučivšimi razvitie v poslednie desjatiletija, takimi kak semiotika i informatika, lingvostatistika, teorija jazykovych kognatov, lingvogeografija i areal'naja lingvistika. Osnovnaja cel' izdanija - pomoč' vsem, kto interesuetsja istoriej i sovremennymi problemami slavjanovedenija, orientirovat'sja v obširnom slavjanskom kul'turno-jazykovom prostranstve