442 research outputs found

    New 675 nm Laser Device: The Innovative and Effective Non-Ablative Resurfacing Technique

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    Background and Objectives: Photo/chrono-aging is usually expressed as facial discolouration, wrinkles, redness, elastosis, laxity, and dehydration, thus representing major signs of ageing that often lead to a negative phycological impact on a patient's quality of life. Several types of treatment have been tested during the last decade, especially laser treatments. This article aims to share our experience in the treatment of photoaging with a new 675 nm laser source system on facial chrono-ageing. Materials and Methods: Thirty-five (35) patients were treated with the 675 nm laser device: 32 females (mean age 49 years) and 3 men (mean age 57 years), with Fitzpatrick skin types I-III (9% type I, 43% type II, 48% type III), facial wrinkles and hyperpigmented spots. The efficacy of this treatment was assessed using the Modified Fitzpatrick Wrinkles Scale (FWS), which was calculated before starting the treatment and after 6 months. The pain was evaluated using the VAS Pain Scale. Results: All 35 patients showed a significant improvement in facial wrinkles according to the FWS (from 1.96 to 1.73 at the 3-month follow-up, up to a value of 1.43 at 6 months). In a small group of patients, it was observed that 44% of them showed vascular moderate improvement and that 13% showed a vascular marked improvement after treatment. No side effects were detected except a mild erythematous rash in two patients, and the VAS Pain scale was assessed at 1.17. Conclusions: Red Touch allows a uniform and stable result to be achieved over time with minimum discomfort

    Fatty acid profile of lipids and caeca volatile fatty acid production of broilers fed a full fat meal from Tenebrio molitor larvae

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    Volatile fatty acid production (VFA) in the caeca and fatty acid profile of meat and fat depotswere investigated on 62 days old broiler equally divided in 2 groups fed with a corn-soybean(SBM) or a corn-insect meal (TML, fromTenebrio molitorlarvae) based diet from 30 days of age.The total amount of VFAs was higher (p<.01) in broilers fed TML and the same happened forall the single VFA studied in the trial. When the VFAs were expressed as percentage of totalVFAs, acetate, propionate and valerianate were higher (p<.01) in SBM group, while the propor-tion of butyrate was higher (p<.01) in broilers fed TML. The fatty acids C12:0 and C14:0 hadhigher percentages (p<.01 andp<.05, respectively) in the intramuscular fat of broilers fed TMLdiet. Regarding the FA groups (SFA, MUFA and PUFAs), only the PUFAn1 fatty acids were higher(p<.01) in the broilers fed TML diet. Insect meals can affect the microbial activity in broilercaeca and, in addition, induced very few modifications in the fatty acid profile of broiler breast

    Sensitive Detection and Quantification of Anisakid Parasite Residues in Food Products

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    Anisakids are nematodes whose larval stages are often present in fish, molluscs, and crustaceans. Members of the family Anisakidae belonging to the genera Anisakis and Pseudoterranova are implicated in human infections caused by the consumption of raw or undercooked fish. Adequate cooking will kill anisakid larvae, however, killed or inactivated larvae can still cause sensitization and immunoglobulin E-dependent hypersensitivity in human. This work describes the development of DNA-based tests to detect and quantify the presence of Anisakis spp. and Pseudoterranova spp. larvae in fish and fish-derived products, including fish fillets, surimi, fish sticks, canned fish, and baby food. Primers and TaqMan MGB probes recognizing only Anisakis spp. and Pseudoterranova spp. were designed on the first internal transcribed spacer 1 regions of rDNA for a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. A commercial probe for 18S rDNA was used to detect and quantify the total eukaryotic DNA of the samples. The specificity and sensitivity of the assays were tested using reference samples prepared from mixtures made of Anisakis larvae in different quantity of codfish, and subsequent dilutions. Studies were performed to assess the ability of the test to detect and quantify anisakids in various products. Results showed that this test is able to detect anisakid DNA contained in a proportion of 1:10(5) in 1 ng of total DNA. The high prevalence of anisakids reported in main fishery species was confirmed by frequently detecting anisakids DNA in fish muscle and fish-derived products. A partial correlation was found between the number of larvae present in the viscera and the level of contamination of fish fillets. In conclusion, this molecular test is useful to detect the presence of Anisakis spp. and Pseudoterranova spp. in fish and fish-derived products and to quantify the level of contamination along the food chain, with potential applications for fish farms, fish markets, and food producers

    Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Honeybee Pollen and Its Supercritical Fluid Extract on Immune Response and Fillet’s Quality of Farmed Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata)

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    The awareness of the correlation between administered diet, fish health and products’ quality has led to the increase in the research for innovative and functional feed ingredients. Herein, a plant-derived product rich in bioactive compounds, such as honeybee pollen (HBP), was includ-ed as raw (HBP) and as Supercritical Fluid Extracted (SFE) pollen (HBP_SFE) in the diet for gilt-head seabream (Sparus aurata). The experiment was carried out on 90 fish with an average body weight of 294.7 ± 12.8 g, divided into five groups, according to the administration of five diets for 30 days: control diet (CTR); two diets containing HBP at 5% (P5) and at 10% (P10) level of in-clusion; two diets containing HBP_SFE, at 0.5% (E0.5) and at 1% (E1) level of inclusion. Their ef-fects were evaluated on 60 specimens (336.2 ± 11.4 g average final body weight) considering the fish growth, the expression of some hepatic genes involved in the inflammatory response (il-1ÎČ, il-6 and il-8) through quantitative real-time PCR, and physico-chemical characterization (namely color, texture, water holding capacity, fatty acid profile and lipid peroxidation) of the fish fillets monitored at the beginning (day 0) and after 110 days of storage at −20 °C. The results obtained showed that the treatment with diet E1 determined the up-regulation of il-1ÎČ, il-6, and il-8 (p &lt; 0.05); however, this supplementation did not significantly contribute to limiting the oxidative stress. Nevertheless, no detrimental effect on color and the other physical characteristics was observed. These results suggest that a low level of HBP_SFE could be potentially utilized in aq-uaculture as an immunostimulant more than an antioxidant, but further investigation is neces-sary

    Protein hunger of the feed sector: the alternatives offered by the plant world

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    The expected future demand for highly nutrient animal food products will push the animal production system to search for new sources of high-quality protein feedstuffs. In this scenario, economic and environmental issues will have to be considered while reducing the competition with the plant-based human food chains. Legume grains and some oilseed cakes, by-products from the oil industry, are the main protein sources for ruminants and terrestrial monogastrics such as pigs and poultry. Their relevant role will hold in the next decades, but it is necessary to increase the diversification of sources that can be grown profitably throughout the world, including European countries. Microalgae are a promising source of protein and other nutrients for animal feeding. However, an amazing richness of biologically active substances makes these organisms very interesting as feed ingredients, as their role go far beyond the supply of nutrients. Due to the limited usage of microalgae as human foodstuffs or food ingredients, low competition between microalgae-based feed and food chains is predictable. This review aims to synthesise current knowledge on minor pulses and other protein-rich plant products and microalgae, as alternative ingredients to the conventional animal protein sources, focussing on their production, availability, and nutritional values. Points of strength, weakness, opportunity and threat related to the use of these protein sources in animal feeding are separately analysed through a SWOT approach to underlie future needs in terms of research and/or technological development that could help valorise these nutrient sources as feed ingredients

    Mirrors Can Affect Growth Rate, Blood Profile, Carcass and Meat Traits and Caecal Microbial Activity of Rabbits Reared in a “Small Group” Free-Range System

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    The aim of this work was to propose a model of free-range raising for rabbit able to maximize the animal welfare and at the same time the productive performances through the use of mirrors. A total of 81 rabbits were allocated into free-range areas and divided into three groups (nine replicates per group): in the first group (face to face, F2F), the rabbits of each replicate could see each other. In the second group (blind) each replicate was isolated from the others; in the third group (mirrors), the replicates were divided as for the Blind group but two mirrors were placed in a corner of the perimeter. The blind group rabbits showed the lowest final weight (p < 0.05), while rabbits from the mirrors groups showed the best FCR and net dressing out values. The blind group showed the highest production of total short chain fatty acids, acetate (p < 0.05) and propionate (p < 0.01). The F2F rabbits showed higher levels of creatine phosphokinase and lactate dehydrogenase and lower values of blood glucose than those of the other groups, due to the higher locomotion activity. The use of mirrors can improve rabbit’s growth performance and carcass traits by lowering the rabbit’s locomotion activity in comparison to the other tested systems

    Search for the decay modes D^0 → e^+e^-, D^0 → ÎŒ^+ÎŒ^-, and D^0 → e^±Ό∓

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    We present searches for the rare decay modes D^0→e^+e^-, D^0→Ό^+ÎŒ^-, and D^0→e^±Ό^∓ in continuum e^+e^-→cc events recorded by the BABAR detector in a data sample that corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 468  fb^(-1). These decays are highly Glashow–Iliopoulos–Maiani suppressed but may be enhanced in several extensions of the standard model. Our observed event yields are consistent with the expected backgrounds. An excess is seen in the D^0→Ό^+ÎŒ^- channel, although the observed yield is consistent with an upward background fluctuation at the 5% level. Using the Feldman–Cousins method, we set the following 90% confidence level intervals on the branching fractions: B(D^0→e^+e^-)<1.7×10^(-7), B(D^0→Ό^+ÎŒ^-) within [0.6,8.1]×10^(-7), and B(D^0→e^±Ό^∓)<3.3×10^(-7)
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