Community garden initiatives addressing health and well‐being outcomes: A systematic review of infodemiology aspects, outcomes, and target populations

Previous research has suggested that activities such as community gardens could offer a wide range of health benefits. The aim of the article is to systematically review the available literature to analyse the magnitude of the phenomenon, the geographical distribution, and the main characteristics in terms of health outcomes and target populations. The search addresses the question whether the activity in community gardens improves health and well-being outcomes of individuals. From the total amount of 7226, 84 selected articles showed that:(1) up to 50% are published by U.S. universities or institutions; (2) up to 44% of the studies considered “community gardens” as the main activity of the research focus; (3) one-third of the studies included adults; (4) almost 25% of the studies used “general health” as the main outcome when investigating the benefits of community gardens; (5) the percentage of studies that achieved their outcomes was heterogeneous among the different health dimensions. In conclusion, while a certain degree of heterogeneity in the used definition and outcome still exist, community gardens may be a viable strategy for well-being promotion in terms of psychological, social, and physical health and may be considered as an innovative urban strategy to promote urban public health

Food sustainability perception at universities: Education and demographic features effects

The 2030 Agenda of the United Nations merged in 17 goals the strong need to change the pattern of human life on the planet in a path of strengthening sustainability especially in an era that is widely defined as Anthropocene. The Global Action Program (GAP) on Education and Sustainable Development was adopted based on the power of education and knowledge with the idea of 'green universities' aimed at improving the perception of sustainability for future policy decisions. Based on a Best-Worst (BW) scaling methodological approach, in this study we quantified the preferences of generation Y at University of Turin as they relate to issues explicitly connected to the ordinary consumption of food and the relationship between this and the perception of a sustainable approach. Data show that sustainability definitions belonging to the environmental and policy dimensions were the most closely related to the sustainability concept by the students interviewed while the economic and socio-cultural spheres were the least appreciated. In relation to food issues, students generally don't attribute high value to the assessment of local production. Few but significant differences were found in some specific topics between male and female groups with women perceiving sustainability consistently linked to the concept of local/territory and to the protection of the environment

Spermidine Associated to Non-Surgical Treatment of Periodontal Disease: Split Mouth Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Objectives. Spermidine is an endogenous polyamine whose increase induces the autocrine remodeling into targeted cells. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the adjunctive beneficial effects of the local delivery of spermidine to periodontal non-surgical therapy on reduction of periodontal pocket. Methods. In this split mouth, blind, randomized controlled clinical trial, 20 patients with severe chronic generalized periodontal disease scheduled for cause related non-surgical periodontal treatment were enrolled. In three quadrants for each patients, three experimental teeth with probing pocket depth (PPD) 65 6mm were selected and randomly assigned to one of the following treatments: scaling and root planning (SRP)+ spermidine gel (spermidine + alginate) (group a), SRP+ placebo gel (only alginate) (positive control, group b) or SRP (negative control, group c). PPD at baseline, 3 and 6 months after treatment was assessed. Descriptive and inferential statistics was done. Results. After periodontal treatment, a reduction of PPD was observed in all sites. No differences emerged between groups at each time point. In all groups, a significant PPD reduction was observed at T1 and T2 compared to baseline (p<0.05 and p<0.001). PPD reduction from T1 to T2 was significant only in group a (p<0.001). Conclusions. After non-surgical treatment, local delivery of spermidine may induce prolonged improvement of clinical outcome

P-226 * DOES BODY MASS INDEX IMPACT ON THE SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OR POSTOPERATIVE OUTCOME IN ROBOTIC THYMECTOMY?

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3D Ordering at the Liquid–Solid Polar Interface of Nanowires

The nature of the liquid–solid interface determines the characteristics of a variety of physical phenomena, including catalysis, electrochemistry, lubrication, and crystal growth. Most of the established models for crystal growth are based on macroscopic thermodynamics, neglecting the atomistic nature of the liquid–solid interface. Here, experimental observations and molecular dynamics simulations are employed to identify the 3D nature of an atomic‐scale ordering of liquid Ga in contact with solid GaAs in a nanowire growth configuration. An interplay between the liquid ordering and the formation of a new bilayer is revealed, which, contrary to the established theories, suggests that the preference for a certain polarity and polytypism is influenced by the atomic structure of the interface. The conclusions of this work open new avenues for the understanding of crystal growth, as well as other processes and systems involving a liquid–solid interface

Effects of seagrasses and algae of the Caulerpa family on hydrodynamics and particle-trapping rates

The widespread decline of seagrass beds within the Mediterranean often results in the replacement of seagrasses by opportunistic green algae of the Caulerpa family. Because Caulerpa beds have a different height, stiffness and density compared to seagrasses, these changes in habitat type modify the interaction of the seafloor with hydrodynamics, influencing key processes such as sediment resuspension and particle trapping. Here, we compare the effects on hydrodynamics and particle trapping of Caulerpa taxifolia, C. racemosa, and C. prolifera with the Mediterranean seagrasses Cymodocea nodosa and Posidonia oceanica. All macrophyte canopies reduced near-bed volumetric flow rates compared to bare sediment, vertical profiles of turbulent kinetic energy revealed peak values around the top of the canopies, and maximum values of Reynolds stress increased by a factor of between 1.4 (C. nodosa) and 324.1 (P. oceanica) when vegetation was present. All canopies enhanced particle retention rates compared to bare sediment. The experimental C. prolifera canopy was the most effective at particle retention (m2 habitat); however, C. racemosa had the largest particle retention capacity per structure surface area. Hence, in terms of enhancing particle trapping and reducing hydrodynamic forces at the sediment surface, Caulerpa beds provided a similar or enhanced function compared to P.oceanica and C. nodosa. However, strong seasonality in the leaf area index of C. racemosa and C. taxifolia within the Mediterranean, combined with a weak rhizome structure, suggests that sediments maybe unprotected during winter storms, when most erosion occurs. Hence, replacement of seagrass beds with Caulerpa is likely to have a major influence on annual sediment dynamics at ecosystem scales.This research was funded by the European Network of Excellence ‘‘Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function’’ (MarBEF); FP6, EC contract no. 505446 and a grant from the Fundacio ´n BBVA. EPM was supported by a European Union Marie Curie host fellowship for transfer of knowledge, MTKD-CT-2004-509254, the Spanish national project EVAMARIA (CTM2005-00395/MAR) and the regional government of Andalusia project FUNDIV(P07-RNM-2516)

Growth of nanowire arrays from micron-feature templates

Here, we present a two-step annealing procedure to imprint nanofeatures on SiO2 starting from metallic microfeatures. The first annealing transforms the microfeatures into gold nanoparticles and the second imprints these nanoparticles into the SiO2 layer with nanometric control. The resulting nanohole arrays show a high ensemble uniformity. As a potential application, the nanohole mask is used as a selective mask for the Ga self-assisted growth of GaAs nanowires (NWs). Thus, for the first time, a successful implementation of nano-self-imprinting that links high-throughput microlithography with bottom-up NW growth is shown. The beneficial hole morphology of the SiO2 mask promotes high Ga droplet contact angles with the silicon substrate and the formation of single droplets in the mask holes. This droplet predeposition configuration enables a high vertical yield of NWs. Thus, this article describes a new protocol to grow NW devices that combines simultaneously nanosized holes and parallel processing

Fundamental aspects to localize self-catalyzed III-V nanowires on silicon

III-V semiconductor nanowires deterministically placed on top of silicon electronic platform would open many avenues in silicon-based photonics, quantum technologies and energy harvesting. For this to become a reality, gold-free site-selected growth is necessary. Here, we propose a mechanism which gives a clear route for maximizing the nanowire yield in the self-catalyzed growth fashion. It is widely accepted that growth of nanowires occurs on a layerby-layer basis, starting at the triple-phase line. Contrary to common understanding, we find that vertical growth of nanowires starts at the oxide-substrate line interface, forming a ring-like structure several layers thick. This is granted by optimizing the diameter/height aspect ratio and cylindrical symmetry of holes, which impacts the diffusion flux of the group V element through the well-positioned group III droplet. This work provides clear grounds for realistic integration of III-Vs on silicon and for the organized growth of nanowires in other material systems

Identification and Evolution of Drug Efflux Pump in Clinical Enterobacter aerogenes Strains Isolated in 1995 and 2003

BACKGROUND: The high mortality impact of infectious diseases will increase due to accelerated evolution of antibiotic resistance in important human pathogens. Development of antibiotic resistance is a evolutionary process inducing the erosion of the effectiveness of our arsenal of antibiotics. Resistance is not necessarily limited to a single class of antibacterial agents but may affect many unrelated compounds; this is termed 'multidrug resistance' (MDR). The major mechanism of MDR is the active expulsion of drugs by bacterial pumps; the treatment of gram negative bacterial infections is compromised due to resistance mechanisms including the expression of efflux pumps that actively expel various usual antibiotics (beta-lactams, quinolones, ...). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Enterobacter aerogenes has emerged among Enterobacteriaceae associated hospital infections during the last twenty years due to its faculty of adaptation to antibiotic stresses. Clinical isolates of E. aerogenes belonging to two strain collections isolated in 1995 and 2003 respectively, were screened to assess the involvement of efflux pumps in antibiotic resistance. Drug susceptibility assays were performed on all bacterial isolates and an efflux pump inhibitor (PAbetaN) previously characterized allowed to decipher the role of efflux in the resistance. Accumulation of labelled chloramphenicol was monitored in the presence of an energy poison to determine the involvement of active efflux on the antibiotic intracellular concentrations. The presence of the PAbetaN-susceptible efflux system was also identified in resistant E. aerogenes strains. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: For the first time a noticeable increase in clinical isolates containing an efflux mechanism susceptible to pump inhibitor is report within an 8 year period. After the emergence of extended spectrum beta-lactamases in E. aerogenes and the recent characterisation of porin mutations in clinical isolates, this study describing an increase in inhibitor-susceptible efflux throws light on a new step in the evolution of mechanism in E. aerogenes