Improvement of an emotional lexicon for the evaluation of beers

Emotional response has been the subject of many studies during the last years. Many studies have shown the importance of using consumers to generate emotional lexicons. Chaya et al. (2015) developed a consumer defined (CD) lexicon to assess emotional response elicited by beer products. Shortly after, van Zyl and Meiselman (2015) presented a procedure to ensure that emotional lists were fully composed by emotions. The present research was developed to improve and test the lexicon developed by Chaya et al. (2015) following the approach proposed by van Zyl and Meiselman (2015). The proposed procedure allowed an easy filtering of terms for the study of emotional response. As a consequence, the test was shorter, clearer, and easier to understand and to complete by consumers. The improved emotional lexicon of beer favoured 1) the efficiency of the research in terms of discrimination among samples, 2) the simplicity of use by the consumers

Investigation of tectonically affected groundwater systems through a multidisciplinary approach

This study uses a multidisciplinary approach to obtain a complete picture of the groundwater system of complex mountain aquifers. An Alpine region (the north-western area of Lake Como, Italy), characterized by two regional fault systems (The Breglia and Grona fault systems) containing different lithologies, was investigated using the multidisciplinary approach described here. The use of Principal Components Analysis (PCA), classical geochemical bivariate and trivariate diagrams of major and trace elements, and geostructural data, including remote sensing, permitted the identification of three principal groups of water. The first group, characterized by an enrichment of Ca2+ and HCO3-, flow in limestone. The second group is enriched in HCO3-, Ca2+ and Mg2+ and circulates through dolomite rocks. The third group, characterized by a decrease of Ca2+ and Mg2+, an increase of Na++K+ and a high Si/electrical conductivity (EC) ratio, flow in the basement rocks. Nevertheless, some peculiarities were evident. The matching of PCA, hydrochemical and geostructural information explains the role played by faults in water circulation. In particular, the Breglia fault permits the rise of deep water from crystalline basement and dolomite. Similarly, the Grona fault plays a role on drainage in proximity to the contact between the crystalline basement and the sedimentary cover. The springs located near the Grona fault rise into the crystalline basement but reflect a dolomite water chemistry. The multidisciplinary approach allowed understanding of the groundwater system and identification of fault systems not detectable with a geostructural survey

Antioxidant treatment alters peripheral vascular dysfunction induced by postnatal glucocorticoid therapy in rats.

BACKGROUND: Postnatal glucocorticoid therapy in premature infants diminishes chronic lung disease, but it also increases the risk of hypertension in adulthood. Since glucocorticoid excess leads to overproduction of free radicals and endothelial dysfunction, this study tested the hypothesis that adverse effects on cardiovascular function of postnatal glucocorticoids are secondary to oxidative stress. Therefore, combined postnatal treatment of glucocorticoids with antioxidants may diminish unwanted effects. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Male rat pups received a course of dexamethasone (Dex), or Dex with vitamins C and E (DexCE), on postnatal days 1-6 (P1-6). Controls received vehicle (Ctrl) or vehicle with vitamins (CtrlCE). At P21, femoral vascular reactivity was determined via wire myography. Dex, but not DexCE or CtrlCE, increased mortality relative to Ctrl (81.3 versus 96.9 versus 90.6 versus 100% survival, respectively; P<0.05). Constrictor responses to phenylephrine (PE) and thromboxane were enhanced in Dex relative to Ctrl (84.7+/-4.8 versus 67.5+/-5.7 and 132.7+/-4.9 versus 107.0+/-4.9% Kmax, respectively; P<0.05); effects that were diminished in DexCE (58.3+/-7.5 and 121.1+/-4.3% Kmax, respectively; P<0.05). Endothelium-dependent dilatation was depressed in Dex relative to Ctrl (115.3+/-11.9 versus 216.9+/-18.9, AUC; P<0.05); however, this effect was not restored in DexCE (68.3+/-8.3, AUC). Relative to Ctrl, CtrlCE alone diminished PE-induced constriction (43.4+/-3.7% Kmax) and the endothelium-dependent dilatation (74.7+/-8.7 AUC; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Treatment of newborn rats with dexamethasone has detrimental effects on survival and peripheral vasoconstrictor function. Coadministration of dexamethasone with antioxidant vitamins improves survival and partially restores vascular dysfunction. Antioxidant vitamins alone affect peripheral vascular function

Noninvasive Biomarkers for Cardiovascular Dysfunction Programmed in Male Offspring of Adverse Pregnancy.

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Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopic (SORS) Analysis of Wine Alcoholic Fermentation: A Preliminary Study

Spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) is a non-invasive analytical technique that allows the analysis of samples through a container. This makes it an effective tool for studying food and beverage products, as it can measure the sample without being affected by the packaging or the container. In this study, a portable SORS equipment was used for the first time to analyse the alcoholic fermentation process of white wine. Different sample measurement arrangements were tested in order to determine the most effective method for monitoring the fermentation process and predicting key oenological parameters. The best results were obtained when the sample was directly measured through the glass container in which the fermentation was occurring. This allowed for the accurate monitoring of the process and the prediction of density and pH with a root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) of 0.0029 g·L−1 and 0.04, respectively, and R2 values of 0.993 and 0.961 for density and pH, respectively. Additionally, the sources of variability depending on the measurement arrangements were studied using ANOVA-Simultaneous Component Analysis (ASCA)

Sphingolipids : key regulators of apoptosis and pivotal players in cancer drug resistance

Drug resistance elicited by cancer cells still constitutes a huge problem that frequently impairs the efficacy of both conventional and novel molecular therapies. Chemotherapy usually acts to induce apoptosis in cancer cells; therefore, the investigation of apoptosis control and of the mechanisms used by cancer cells to evade apoptosis could be translated in an improvement of therapies. Among many tools acquired by cancer cells to this end, the de-regulated synthesis and metabolism of sphingolipids have been well documented. Sphingolipids are known to play many structural and signalling roles in cells, as they are involved in the control of growth, survival, adhesion, and motility. In particular, in order to increase survival, cancer cells: (a) counteract the accumulation of ceramide that is endowed with pro-apoptotic potential and is induced by many drugs; (b) increase the synthesis of sphingosine-1-phosphate and glucosylceramide that are pro-survivals signals; (c) modify the synthesis and the metabolism of complex glycosphingolipids, particularly increasing the levels of modified species of gangliosides such as 9-O acetylated GD3 (\u3b1Neu5Ac(2-8)\u3b1Neu5Ac(2-3)\u3b2Gal(1-4)\u3b2Glc(1-1)Cer) or N-glycolyl GM3 (\u3b1Neu5Ac (2-3)\u3b2Gal(1-4)\u3b2Glc(1-1)Cer) and de-N-acetyl GM3 (NeuNH(2)\u3b2Gal(1-4)\u3b2Glc(1-1)Cer) endowed with anti-apoptotic roles and of globoside Gb3 related to a higher expression of the multidrug resistance gene MDR1. In light of this evidence, the employment of chemical or genetic approaches specifically targeting sphingolipid dysregulations appears a promising tool for the improvement of current chemotherapy efficacy

Evolutionary history of linked D4Z4 and Beta satellite clusters at the FSHD locus (4q35)

We performed a detailed genomic investigation of the chimpanzee locus syntenic to human chromosome 4q35.2, associated to the facioscapulohumeral dystrophy. Two contigs of approximately 150 kb and 200 kb were derived from PTR chromosomes 4q35 and 3p12, respectively: both regions showed a very similar sequence organization, including D4Z4 and Beta satellite linked clusters. Starting from these findings, we derived a hypothetical evolutionary history of human 4q35, 10q26 and 3p12 chromosome regions focusing on the D4Z4-Beta satellite linked organization. The D4Z4 unit showed an open reading frame (DUX4) at both PTR 4q35 and 3p12 regions; furthermore some subregions of the Beta satellite unit showed a high degree of conservation between chimpanzee and humans. In conclusion, this paper provides evidence that at the 4q subtelomere the linkage between D4Z4 and Beta satellite arrays is a feature that appeared late during evolution and is conserved between chimpanzee and humans

An Interplay between a Face-Centred Composite Experimental Design and Solid-Phase Microextraction for Wine Aroma GC/MS Analysis

For oenological products, most of the intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of perceived quality are associated with specific aromatic profiles. Aromatic diversity has been recognized as a central element in perceived quality as it is able to transmit the complex interactions between grape variety, geographical characteristics, and viticultural and winemaking practices, including the fermentative process. A comprehensive characterization of flavour compounds by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometric analysis is often needed in order to ascertain the quality of wine. HS-SPME requires a proper optimization that can be achieved through an adequate experimental design. Here, a HS-SPME/GC-MS based method was developed to investigate the volatile compounds of wine samples obtained by laboratory-scale fermentations. This was performed by inoculating a commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain, which is used both as single starter and as mixed starter, with an indigenous Hanseniaspora osmophila strain. The experimental conditions of HS-SPME (extraction temperature and time) were optimized by applying a face-centred composite experimental design. Up to 95% of the total variance was explained by the proposed model. The optimized method allowed us to confirm the usefulness of combining the inoculation of grapes with selected yeast strains in co-culture situations in order to improve the wine bouquet