Cheese ripening in nonconventional conditions: A multiparameter study applied to Protected Geographical Indication Canestrato di Moliterno cheese

A multiparameter study was performed to evaluate the effect of fondaco, a traditional ripening cellar without any artificial temperature and relative humidity control, on the chemical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of Protected Geographical Indication Canestrato di Moliterno cheese. Ripening in such a nonconventional environment was associated with lower counts of lactococci, lactobacilli, and total viable bacteria, and higher presence of enterococci, in comparison with ripening in a controlled maturation room. Moreover, fondaco cheese underwent accelerated maturation, as demonstrated by faster casein degradation, greater accumulation of free AA, and higher formation of volatile organic compounds. Secondary proteolysis, as assessed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry of free AA and low molecular weight peptides, did not show any qualitative difference among cheeses, but fondaco samples evidenced an advanced level of peptidolysis. On the other hand, significant qualitative differences were observed in the free fatty acid profiles and in the sensory characteristics. Principal component analysis showed a clear separation of the fondaco and control cheeses, indicating that ripening in the natural room conferred unique sensory features to the product

Volatiles and acceptability of liqueurs from kumquat and grapefruit

The aim of this work was to produce liqueurs from "minor" citrus fruits, such as kumquat and grapefruit, characterize their volatile fraction and evaluate their acceptability by a consumer test. A limoncello sample (LP) was produced under the same conditions and used for comparison. All the new liqueurs were found to be richer in limonene and poorer in oxygenated compounds than the LP. The volatile fraction was mostly represented (85%) by limonene in grapefruit liqueur. Liqueur from kumquat peel (KP) was the richest in volatile compounds, whereas the one from kumquat whole fruit (KWF) was the poorest. This latter also had the particular feature to be the richest in sesquiterpene alcohols. Octanal and decanal, and two acetals deriving from these aldehydes (1,1-diethoxyoctane and 1,1-diethoxydecane) were most prevalent in KP and LP. The consumer test showed that all liqueurs were judged to be acceptable. Nevertheless, limoncello remained the most preferred, while the KWF liqueur obtained the best flavour score in the group of minor citrus fruits

Congenital Aural Atresia: Hearing Rehabilitation by Bone-Anchored Hearing Implant (BAHI)

Auris atresia (AA) is a congenital pathology characterized by aplasia or hypoplasia of the external ear with associated middle ear malformation. The AA has a different degree of severity, and the severe form of the disorder presents no identifiable ear canal (complete atresia) and absence or significative underdevelopment of the middle ear structures. Sometimes AA is associated with a malformation of the ear called “microtia.” The alterations of the external auditory canal and of the middle ear structures are responsible for the conductive hearing loss which affects the patients. The hearing restoration procedures may recreate a normal external and middle ear anatomy to favor the recovery of the hearing function, or the surgeon may simply restore the hearing capacity through bypassing the malformed structures by bone-anchored hearing implants (BAHIs). The restoring of normal anatomy is generally associated with episode of restenosis of the external ear canal due to bony regrowth. The formulation of a therapeutic strategy may be supported by using Jahrsdoerfer classification to identify the severity of malformation. In the chapter we discuss various bone anchoring prostheses currently used (Baha, Ponto, Alpha2 by Sophono, Bonebridge) and the results that can be obtained by the use of these implants

Phenols and antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo of aqueous extracts obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction from artichoke by-products.

Artichoke by-products are rich in phenolic compounds although they represent a waste for the food industry. This paper examines the application of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) for obtaining organic solvent-free extracts rich in nutraceuticals from artichoke scraps. Application of ultrasounds for 60 minutes on test samples, using water as a solvent, improved recovery of phenolic substances compared with untreated samples. Among the phenols detected by high performance liquid chromatography, 5- O-caffeoylquinic and 1,5-di- O-caffeoylquinic acids were identified. In vivo treatments of tobacco BY-2 cells with ultrasonic extracts consistently enhanced their antioxidant power, making the cells more resistant to heat stress. UAE applied to artichoke by-products, using water as a solvent, appears to be a powerful eco-friendly technique that can provide extracts rich in nutraceuticals and turn waste products into resources. The extracts could be advantageously utilized in the food industry to produce functional foods

A minimally invasive endoscope assisted retrosigmoid approach for removal of arachnoid cysts in the internal auditory canal: a step by step description

Abstract Introduction An arachnoid cyst in the internal auditory canal is a quite rare pathology but due to its compressive action on the nerves in this district should be surgically removed. Several surgical techniques have been proposed but no surgeons have used the minimally assisted endoscope retrosigmoid approach for its removal. Objective To investigate the feasibility of using a minimally invasive endoscope assisted retro-sigmoid approach for surgical removal of arachnoid cysts in the internal auditory canal. Methods Minimally invasive endoscope assisted retrosigmoid approach allows to access to the internal auditory canal through a minimally invasive retrosigmoid approach that combines the use of a microscope and an endoscope. It is performed in six steps: soft tissue step, bone step, dura step, cerebellopontine angle step (performed using an endoscope and a microscope), microscope-endoscope assisted arachnoid cysts removal and closure. We tested minimally invasive endoscope assisted retrosigmoid approach for removal of arachnoid cysts in the internal auditory canal on two human cadaveric heads (specimens) of subjects affected from audio-vestibular disorders and with arachnoid cysts in the internal auditory canal confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. Results The mass was completely and successfully removed from the two specimens with no damage to the nerves and/or vessels in the surgical area. Conclusion The results of our study are encouraging and support the feasibility of using minimally invasive endoscope assisted retrosigmoid approach for removal of arachnoid cysts in the internal auditory canal. While further clinical in-vivo studies are needed to confirm the accuracy and safety of using the minimally invasive endoscope assisted retrosigmoid approach for this specific surgery, our group has successfully used the minimally invasive endoscope assisted retrosigmoid approach in the treatment of microvascular compressive syndrome, schwannoma removal and vestibular nerve resection

Study on preventing and combating hate speech in times of crisis

Crises are testing grounds for societies and for their democratic institutions. They can either threaten or reinforce societal cohesion; weaken or consolidate the capacity of governments and elected bodies to respond to voters’ concerns; and suppress or stimulate the reaction of civil society organizations toward new needs and forms of marginalization. Regarding discrimination, crises can intensify hatred and hate speech targeting specific individuals or groups deemed responsible for the crisis, but they can also be aggravated by hate speech when a certain group has been singled out as a threat or an enemy. Hate speech in times of crisis may build on existing discriminatory or hate narratives, but also trigger, and evolve from, new narratives disseminated to respond to such crises. European countries have experienced several crises in the last few years, which have impacted the production, dissemination, and reception of hate speech. The COVID-19 pandemic (“a pandemic of hate” to quote the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres) has globally boosted dynamics of social conflict, polarisation, and radicalization; saw a huge increase in hate speech against individuals and groups (such as Chinese and people of Asian descent, migrants and refugees, and national minorities); revamped antisemitism (via conspiracy theories); intertwined hateful narratives; and intersected grounds of discrimination. Roma and Travellers have also been particularly affected by hate speech in several European countries for both enduring systemic discrimination and for more contextual causes, such as forced marginalization and isolation during lockdowns, and for being singled out as potential plague-spreaders. The full-scale military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine in February 2022 has fostered violent, dehumanizing rhetoric and hate speech both in the countries and – more generally – across Europe, opposing the Russian Federation and “The West” and disseminating hatred against Ukraine, Ukrainian nationals, and refugees from Ukraine through disinformation campaigns. Nationalistic hate speech has triggered and is fuelling the conflict and its circulation also represents a challenge to the media sector and to internet intermediaries, which are asked to disentangle hateful narratives and provide the public with objective information about the Russian Federation’s aggression. At the same time, the war of aggression against Ukraine has also had a negative impact on communities using Russian as their main language, including outside of Ukraine and the Russian Federation. The arrivals of migrants and refugees have been labeled in political discourse and by the media as "crises” in the last few years to create a consistent narrative that sees the rise of mixed migration movements to European countries as a cause of uncertainty, threat, and ongoing emergency to states and societies. This coupled with increasing anti-migrant hate speech since the arrival of a large number of refugees from Syria in 2015, together with the fear of contagion and border control during the pandemic has further consolidated a xenophobic discourse, and migrants and refugees remain one of the major targets of hate speech across the continent. Finally, terrorist attacks have fuelled xenophobic feelings, and terror attacks themselves are equally fuelled by intolerance: for example, the attack fomented by homophobia that occurred in the Slovak Republic in 2022. Hatred against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) persons – and in particular against transgender people – is on the rise all over Europe, which calls for effective institutional interventions to prevent and combat LGBTI-phobia at all levels. Due to such crises, new challenges have emerged for the different actors involved in monitoring, analyzing, preventing, and combating hate speech. From the very definition of hate speech which has confronted new complexities, the urgency of increasing public awareness of disinformation, which is particularly misleading and disruptive in times of crisis, to the need to better work with social media platforms (to get access to data, and foster collaboration with law enforcement) and to create inter-institutional cooperation involving those targeted by hate speech, stakeholders are expressing their concerns and setting their priorities, with the aim of making their approaches more comprehensive. Much has already been done – by various actors and at various levels – to address hate speech in times of crisis, and promising practices across the continent have been tested, such as the implementation of legal measures to combat hate speech, coordinated campaigns online and offline by law enforcement and networks of stakeholders, education and counter-speech initiatives and some actions in support of those targeted by hate speech. However, much still needs to be done, as this report shows, and comprehensive strategies still need to be designed, implemented, and assessed to better tackle hate speech in times of crisis. The recommendations to enhance the fight against hate speech in times of crisis include assessing and amending legal frameworks, as well as reinforcing law enforcement measures. Collaboration among stakeholders needs to be strengthened, including a focus on the role and competencies of specific actors such as media, national human rights institutions, and equality bodies. Making public awareness and information campaigns a priority and providing support to those targeted by hate speech also appear as crucial measures to prevent and combat hate speech in times of crisis. Importantly, it should be recognized that it can be difficult to amend legal frameworks or make substantial policy or practical changes quickly in times of crisis. Therefore, it is essential to take steps to prepare good conditions of social cohesion in ordinary times to ensure a greater level of resilience to discriminatory and hateful speech in times of crisis. In this respect, it is suggested that member states and stakeholders closely follow the recommendations presented in the Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)16 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on combating hate speech

Sensorineural hearing loss in newborns hospitalized in neonatal intensive care unit: an observational study

Children hospitalized in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) present an increased risk for Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL) due to prematurity, hypoxia-ischemia, hyperventilation, low birth weight and the use of ototoxic drugs. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of SNHL in newborns hospitalized in a NICU using Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (TEOAE) and Automated Auditory Brainstem Responses (A-ABR) and analyze the associated risk factors. A sample of 153 newborns hospitalized in NICU underwent TEOAE, A-ABR and clinical ABR to evaluate the presence of hearing deficits. Prevalence of SNHL was calculated and odds ratio for specific risk factors was measured. One-hundred fifteen babies (86.7%) presented normal hearing at TEOAE and A-ABR. Fifteen children had a REFER response at TEOAE and a PASS response at A-ABR. Twenty-five children (16.3%) had a REFER A-ABR and were addressed to clinical ABR. A diagnosis of SNHL was made in 12 (7.8%) newborns. An increased risk of SNHL was observed in preterm children <28 weeks (p=0.0135), in children with neurological disorders (p=0.02), that underwent surgery (p=0.0002), affected from premature retinopathy (p=0.0006), craniofacial malformation (p=0.007) and that had sepsis (p=0.04). Additional risk factors for SNHL in our sample were a maternal disease during pregnancy (p=0.0011), cesarean delivery (p<0.0001) and a twin pregnancy (p<0.0001). SNHL in newborns is correlated with hospitalization in NICU. An accurate hearing screening associated to a rigorous clinical medical collection of data is necessary to promptly identify cases of SNHL in children with a special attention to those hospitalized in NICU and plan proper intervention

Functional results of exclusive interventional radiotherapy (brachytherapy) in the treatment of nasal vestibule carcinomas.

Surgery, external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), and interventional radiotherapy (IRT, BrachyTherapy BT) are the current therapeutic options for nose vestibule (NV) squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). In this article, we evaluate the nose functional parameters of patients affected by SCCs of the NV, primarily treated by interstitial IRT comparing them with healthy controls and with patients treated with intensity-modulated EBRT.Ten patients treated by using IRT (group 1), 10 healthy controls and eight patients treated by EBRT (group 2) on the region of the nose were submitted to clinical evaluation (with the NOSE scale score), rhinomanometry, olfactory testing, nasal citology, and evaluation of mucociliary clearance through saccharine test.No long-term skin or cartilaginous toxicity are recorded. The olfactometry threshold discrimination identification TDI is lower in EB group. The mean NOSE scale score was significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 and healthy controls (p0.05). The distribution of cytologic patterns resulted significantly different as well. Patients treated by EB have a significantly impaired mucociliary clearance, with a mean time for the transport of the stained marker, which is more than double in the patients treated by EB than in those treated with IRT (p0.001).Nasal function and cytological findings are significantly better, substantially preserved, in patients treated by IRT than in those treated by EBRT, bringing new relevant evidence for the establishment of interstitial IRT as the new standard for the treatment of the primary lesion in cT1 and cT2 -Wang staging NV SCCs

Pattern of care for re-irradiation in locally recurrent rectal cancer: a national survey on behalf of the AIRO gastrointestinal tumors study group

PurposeRadical resection (R0) represents the best curative treatment for local recurrence (LR) rectal cancer. Re-irradiation (re-RT) can increase the rate of R0 resection. Currently, there is a lack of guidelines on Re-RT for LR rectal cancer. The Italian Association of Radiation and clinical oncology for gastrointestinal tumors (AIRO-GI) study group released a national survey to investigate the current clinical practice of external beam radiation therapy in these patients.Material and methodsIn February 2021, the survey was designed and distributed to members of the GI working group. The questionnaire consisted of 40 questions regarding center characteristics, clinical indications, doses, and treatment techniques of re-RT for LR rectal cancer.ResultsA total of 37 questionnaires were collected. Re-RT was reported as an option for neoadjuvant treatment in resectable and unresectable disease by 55% and 75% of respondents, respectively. Long-course treatment with 30-40 Gy (1.8-2 Gy/die, 1.2 Gy bid) and hypofractionated regimen of 30-35 Gy in 5 fractions were used in most centers. A total dose of 90-100 Gy as EqD2 dose (& alpha;/& beta; = 5 Gy) was delivered by 46% of the respondents considering the previous treatment. Modern conformal techniques and daily image-guided radiation therapy protocols were used in 94% of centers.ConclusionOur survey showed that re-RT treatment is performed with advanced technology that allow a good management of LR rectal cancer. Significant variations were observed in terms of dose and fractionation, highlighting the need for a consensus on a common treatment strategy that could be validated in prospective studies

Nomogram for predicting radiation maculopathy in patients treated with Ruthenium-106 plaque brachytherapy for uveal melanoma

Purpose: To develop a predictive model and nomogram for maculopathy occurrence at 3 years after106Ru/106Rh plaque brachytherapy in uveal melanoma. Material and methods: Clinical records of patients affected by choroidal melanoma and treated with106Ru/106Rh plaque from December 2006 to December 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Inclusion criteria were: dome-shaped melanoma, distance to the fovea > 1.5 mm, tumor thickness > 2 mm, and follow-up > 4 months. The delivered dose to the tumor apex was 100 Gy. Primary endpoint of this investigation was the occurrence of radiation maculopathy at 3 years. Analyzed factors were as follows: gender, age, diabetes, tumor size (volume, area, largest basal diameter and apical height), type of plaque, distance to the fovea, presence of exudative detachment, drusen, orange pigment, radiation dose to the fovea and sclera. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to define the impact of baseline patient factors on the occurrence of maculopathy. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate freedom from the occurrence of the maculopathy. The model performance was evaluated through internal validation using area under the ROC curve (AUC), and calibration with Gronnesby and Borgan tests. Results: One hundred ninety-seven patients were considered for the final analysis. Radiation-related maculopathy at 3 years was observed in 41 patients. The proposed nomogram can predict maculopathy at 3 years with an AUC of 0.75. Distance to fovea appeared to be the main prognostic factor of the predictive model (hazard ratio of 0.83 [0.76-0.90], p < 0.01). Diabetes (hazard radio of 2.92 [1.38-6.20], p < 0.01), and tumor volume (hazard radio of 21.6 [1.66-281.14], p = 0.02) were significantly predictive for maculopathy occurrence. The calibration showed no statistical difference between actual and predicted maculopathy (p = 1). Conclusions: Our predictive model, together with its nomogram, could be a useful tool to predict the occurrence of radiation maculopathy at 3 years after the treatment