Use of bacteriocin-producer Lactobacillus sakei for fermented sausages production

The aim of this paper was the technological characterization of a Lactobacillus sakei strain able to produce the bacteriocin sakacin P. Experiments were conducted in vitro, using MRS-based medium, and in vivo, when the strain was inoculated as starter culture in real sausage fermentation

A Logical Architecture for Active Network Management

This paper focuses on improving network management by exploiting the potential of “doing” of the Active Networks technology, together with the potential of “planning,” which is typical of the artificial intelligent systems. We propose a distributed multiagent architecture for Active Network management, which exploits the dynamic reasoning capabilities of the Situation Calculus in order to emulate the reactive behavior of a human expert to fault situations. The information related to network events is generated by programmable sensors deployed across the network. A logical entity collects this information, in order to merge it with general domain knowledge, with a view to identifying the root causes of faults, and to deciding on reparative actions. The logical inference system has been devised to carry out automated isolation, diagnosis, and even repair of network anomalies, thus enhancing the reliability, performance, and security of the network. Experimental results illustrate the Reasoner capability of correctly recognizing fault situations and undertaking management actions

Monitoring of a starter culture for fermented sausages by molecular methods

The ability of a commercial starter culture to perform a sausage fermentation was evaluated by culture -dependent and -independent methods. The starter culture, as well as the sausage during fermentation, was sampled and strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and coagulase negative cocci (CNC) were isolated

Development of a method for the direct fermentation of semolina by selected sourdough lactic acid bacteria

Three obligately heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains (Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis PON100336, Leuconostoc citreum PON10079 and Weissella cibaria PON10030) were used in this study as a multi-species starter culture for sourdough production. The starter inoculum was prepared and propagated in sterile semolina extract (SSE) broth. Acidification kinetics, microbiological counts detected on specific media for sourdough LAB, polymorphic profile comparison and species-specific PCRs evidenced a stability of the liquid inoculum over time determining its suitability for direct addition to semolina. In order to validate this innovative method for the production of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf) sourdoughs, 15 semolinas (from ten old and five modern genotypes cultivated in Sicily, southern Italy) were used to prepare the SSEs and to produce sourdoughs and finally breads. Chemical and microbiological analyses of the sourdoughs and the evaluation of the quality parameters (weight loss, height, crumb and crust colour, image analysis and volatile organic compound generation) of the resulting breads indicated that the direct addition of the liquid inocula propagated in SSE is a valuable method to stabilise the production of sourdoughs. The differences registered during the technological characterisation of the breads were underlined by the sensory tests and the multivariate analysis and are mainly imputable to the type of semolina

Relationship between hospital volume and short-term outcomes: A nationwide population-based study including 75,280 rectal cancer surgical procedures

There is growing interest on the potential relationship between hospital volume (HV) and outcomes as it might justify the centralization of care for rectal cancer surgery. From the National Italian Hospital Discharge Dataset, data on 75,280 rectal cancer patients who underwent elective major surgery between 2002 and 2014 were retrieved and analyzed. HV was grouped into tertiles: low-volume performed 1-12, while high-volume hospitals performed 33+ procedures/year. The impact of HV on in-hospital mortality, abdominoperineal resection (APR), 30-day readmission, and length of stay (LOS) was assessed. Risk factors were calculated using multivariate logistic regression. The proportion of procedures performed in low-volume hospitals decreased by 6.7 percent (p<0.001). The rate of in-hospital mortality, APR and 30-day readmission was 1.3%, 16.3%, and 7.2%, respectively, and the median LOS was 13 days. The adjusted risk of in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.25-1.78), APR (OR 1.10, 95%CI 1.02-1.19), 30-day readmission (OR 1.49, 95%CI 1.38-1.61), and prolonged LOS (OR 2.29, 95%CI 2.05-2.55) were greater for low-volume hospitals than for high-volume hospitals. This study shows an independent impact of HV procedures on all short-term outcome measures, justifying a policy of centralization for rectal cancer surgery, a process which is underwa

A combined protocol with piroxicam, chemotherapy and whole pelvic irradiation with simultaneous boost volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy for muscle-invasive canine urinary transitional cell carcinoma: first clinical experiences

The aims of this pilot study were to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of high-dose hypo-fractionated volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy (VMAT) applied to the whole pelvic region radiotherapy (WPRT) with multilevel simultaneous integrated boost (MLSIB) combined with piroxicam and chemotherapy in canine transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the lower urinary tract with muscle invasion transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). Twelve dogs were enrolled, according to stage, in two groups: group 1, TCC confined to the urinary tract; group 2, TCC with metastasis. The planning target volume (PTV-tumor) dose was tailored from 36 to 42 Gy in 6 fractions. All dogs were prescribed piroxicam and radiosensitizing carboplatin and six received chemotherapy after radiotherapy. Serial follow-up with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations was performed. Disease control and toxicity effects were evaluated according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumor (RECIST) and Veterinary Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (VRTOG) criteria. The treatment was well tolerated, and no high-grade side effects were reported. The median overall survival times for group 1 and group 2 were 1,230 days and 150 days, respectively. A considerable percentage of patients in group 1 (50%) was still alive at the time of writing, and a longer follow-up could enable a more accurate survival analysis. This preliminary analysis showed that VMAT applied to the WPRT with MLSIB is an effective and safe option for dogs suffering from lower urinary TCC although the presence of metastases worsens the prognosis

Misinterpretation of an inflammatory FDG uptake in a patient treated for Hodgkin lymphoma: a case report

Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) is a malignancy involving lymph nodes and lymphatic system. [18F]F-FDG PET/CT (FDG-PET) imaging is routinely used for staging, to assess early chemotherapy response (interim FDG-PET), at the end of treatment (EoT FDG-PET) and for the identification of disease recurrence.We present a case of a 39-year-old man treated for HL. FDG-PET scans performed after first line therapy (both Interim PET and at the end of therapy) demonstrated a persistent and significant mediastinal FDG uptake. The patient was treated with a second line therapy but the FDG-PET uptake did not change. After board discussion a new surgical, thoracoscopy-guided biopsy was performed. Histopathology demonstrated a dense fibrous tissue with occasional chronic inflammatory infiltrates.Persistent FDG-PET positivity may suggest refractory or relapsed disease. However, occasionally, non-malignant conditions are responsible for a persistent FDG uptake, not related to primary disease. An accurate evaluation of clinical history and previous imaging exams is mandatory for clinicians and others experts to avoid misinterpretations of FDG-PET results. Nevertheless, in some cases, only a more invasive procedure, such as a biopsy, may finally lead to a definitive diagnosis

Genetic differentiation and phylogeography of Mediterranean-North Eastern Atlantic blue shark (Prionace glauca, L. 1758) using mitochondrial DNA: Panmixia or complex stock structure?

Background The blue shark (Prionace glauca, Linnaeus 1758) is one of the most abundant epipelagic shark inhabiting all the oceans except the poles, including the Mediterranean Sea, but its genetic structure has not been confirmed at basin and interoceanic distances. Past tagging programs in the Atlantic Ocean failed to find evidence of migration of blue sharks between the Mediterranean and the adjacent Atlantic, despite the extreme vagility of the species. Although the high rate of by-catch in the Mediterranean basin, to date no genetic study on Mediterranean blue shark was carried out, which constitutes a significant knowledge gap, considering that this population is classified as “Critically Endangered”, unlike its open-ocean counterpart. Methods Blue shark phylogeography and demography in the Mediterranean Sea and North-Eastern Atlantic Ocean were inferred using two mitochondrial genes (Cytb and control region) amplified from 207 and 170 individuals respectively, collected from six localities across the Mediterranean and two from the North-Eastern Atlantic. Results Although no obvious pattern of geographical differentiation was apparent from the haplotype network, Φst analyses indicated significant genetic structure among four geographical groups. Demographic analyses suggest that these populations have experienced a constant population expansion in the last 0.4–0.1 million of years. Discussion The weak, but significant, differences in Mediterranean and adjacent North-eastern Atlantic blue sharks revealed a complex phylogeographic structure, which appears to reject the assumption of panmixia across the study area, but also supports a certain degree of population connectivity across the Strait of Gibraltar, despite the lack of evidence of migratory movements observed by tagging data. Analyses of spatial genetic structure in relation to sex-ratio and size could indicate some level of sex/stage biased migratory behaviour

PET criteria by cancer type from imaging interpretation to treatment response assessment: beyond FDG PET score

Background: in recent years, the role of positron emission tomography (PET) and PET/computed tomography (PET/CT) has emerged as a reliable diagnostic tool in a wide variety of pathological conditions. This review aims to collect and review PET criteria developed for interpretation and treatment response assessment in cases of non-[18F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) imaging in oncology. Methods: A wide literature search of the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Google Scholar databases was made to find relevant published articles about non-[18F]FDG PET response criteria. Results: The comprehensive computer literature search revealed 183 articles. On reviewing the titles and abstracts, 149 articles were excluded because the reported data were not within the field of interest. Finally, 34 articles were selected and retrieved in full-text versions. Conclusions: available criteria are a promising tool for the interpretation of non-FDG PET scans, but also to assess the response to therapy and therefore to predict the prognosis. However, oriented clinical trials are needed to clearly evaluate their impact on patient management

Microbiological and chemical monitoring of Marsala base wine obtained by spontaneous fermentation during large-scale production

The present work was undertaken to evaluate the effect of the natural winemaking on the microbial and chemical composition of Marsala base wine. To this purpose, a large-scale vinification process of Grillo grape cultivar was monitored from harvesting to the final product. Total yeasts (TY) showed a rapid increase after must pressing and reached values almost superimposable to those registered during the conventional winemakings. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were registered at the highest levels simultaneously to yeast growth at the beginning of the process. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was the species found at the highest concentrations in all samples analysed. Several strains (n= 16) was registered at high levels during the alcoholic fermentation and/or aging of wine; only two of them were detected on the grape surface. Lactobacillus plantarum was the LAB species most frequently isolated during the entire vinification process. Ethanol content was approximately 14% (v/v) at the end of vinification. The value of pH did not greatly vary during the process and the volatile acidity (VA) was detected at low concentrations during the entire transformation. The concentration of malic acid rapidly decreased during the AF; on the other hand, lactic acid showed an irregular trend during the entire process. trans-caffeil tartaric acid was the most abundant hydroxycinnamoyl tartaric acid and volatile organic compounds (VOC) were mainly represented by isoamylic alcohol and isobutanol