Effect of selected starter cultures on physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics and biogenic amine content in protected geographical indication Ciauscolo salami

The aim of the study was to evaluate the biogenic amine (BA) content of Ciauscolo salami made with and without the use of a selected started culture. Two batches of salami were made following the guidelines of the Protected Geographical Indications: with and without adding a commercial starter culture made of Lactobacillus plantarum and Staphylococcus xylosus. Six samples of salami per batch were collected at different ripening times (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 days) for physical, chemical and microbiological analyses and for the determination of BA content. No differences were recorded for physical, chemical and microbiological analyses except for Staphylococcus spp. count at the time of casing (T0) and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) from 30 days (T2) to the end of the ripening time (60 days, T4). After 60 days of ripening, the use of selected starter culture significantly affected the amount of putrescine (195.15 vs 164.43 mg/100 g in salami without and with starters, respectively), cadaverine (96.95 vs 104.40 mg/100 g in salami without and with starters, respectively), histamine (81.94 vs 69.89 mg/100 g in salami without and with starters, respectively), and spermine (36.88 vs 33.57 mg/100 g in salami without and with starters, respectively). Despite significantly higher values of TVBN, the use of selected starter culture determined no significant effects on the BA content of the products

Resultados da orientação à prática de atividade física em crianças e adolescentes obesos

Introduction: Methods for treating children and adolescents with excess weight, including the practice of physical activity (PA), have been broadly studied. However, a program of PA that may be practiced at home and applied in the environment of the public health system is unprecedented. Objective: To evaluate the level of PA of children and adolescents with excess weight and its association with their body mass index (BMI)Z-score according to the criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO), weight Z-score, fat-free-mass (FFM), fatty-mass (FM), and basal metabolic rate (BMR), calculated by using the Schaefer formula for the pediatric population. Method: A total of 15 girls and 12 boys with a mean age of 11.29 ± 1.92 years old and a BMI percentile > 98 were followed-up for 1 year. Bioelectric impedance (BI) was performed to measure FFM, FM and BMR. The BMI Z-score was calculated, as well as the weight Z-score, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was applied to measure the level of PA. Results: It was found that children and adolescents are able to perform a routine of physical activity practice at home following monthly instruction sessions. Improvement in the weight z-score was verified in 59.3% of the patients, 77.8% of pacients had improvement in the BMI z-score, BMR and FFM was improved for 96% of the patients and 33% of the population had decreased FM for the period of 12 months. No improvement was found in the reduction of the amount of sedentary time to less the two hours a day in most of the population. Conclusion: Children and adolescents, once stimulated, managed to improve their levels of physical activity and changed their body composition. Therefore, PA, even when isolated, cooperates positively in the management of excess weight in children and adolescents

Differences in chemical, physical and microbiological characteristics of Italian burrata cheeses made in artisanal and industrial plants of Apulia Region

The burrata cheese is a traditional product from Southern Italy, consisting of an envelope of pasta filata (stretched curd) filled with cream and pasta filata strips (usually leftovers from mozzarella production). Physical [water activity (aw), pH], chemical (moisture, NaCl content) and microbiological [total viable count (TVC), Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Yersinia enterocolitica, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae, coagulase-positive staphylococci] characteristics of burrata cheeses manufactured in artisanal and industrial plants were evaluated. The artisanal burrata showed lower aw values in the filling and the final product. The same was recorded in the filling for the moisture, probably due to differences between the types of cream used in the artisanal and the industrial cheesemaking. The pH value of the filling differed between the two groups but no difference was recorded in the final product. Microbiological differences were also recorded, with higher values for TVC and E. coli in artisanal than industrial burrata. All samples were negative for the other microbialdeterminations, with the exception of coagulase-positive staphylococci and Y. enterocolitica, which were detected in artisanal burrata. Differences in cheesemaking process were probably responsible for the strong variability of the physical and chemical data between the two cheeses; furthermore, differences in the hygienic features were also recorded. Even though artisanal products showed lower aw and pH values and higher NaCl concentration, the higher E. coli loads highlighted the need for a more accurate compliance with hygienic procedures along the artisanal cheesemaking process

Flatfoot in children: anatomy of decision making

Concern about a child’s foot posture is a common reason for frequent consultations for an array of health care professionals; sports medicine specialists are often the first to recognize and advise on foot pathology. In the decision making process, it is essential to distinguish between the different types of flatfoot deformity: paediatric or adult, congenital or acquired, flexible or rigid. Although flatfoot in children is a common finding, evidence for the techniques of the reliable and reproducible assessment of the foot posture is scant. This general review presents the factors involved in the forming and supporting of the foot arches, discusses the protocols useful in the evaluation of the foot posture, and indicates how to differentiate between flatfoot cases needing treatment and cases that need only reassurance

Results from guided physical activity for children and adolescents with excess weight

Introdução Diferentes métodos para tratar crianças e adolescentes com excesso de peso têm sido amplamente estudados, entre esses, a prática de atividade física. Um programa de atividade física que possa ser realizado no domicílio e aplicado no ambiente Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), com esse intuito, ainda é inédito. Objetivo Avaliar o nível de atividade física (AF) de crianças e adolescentes obesas, após orientação para executarem AF em casa e sua associação com escore-Z IMC (índice de massa corporal), escore-Z peso, percentuais de Massa Livre de Gordura (MLG), Massa Gorda (MG) e Taxa Metabólica Basal (TMB). Método Foram acompanhados por um ano 15 meninas e 12 meninos com médias de idade de 11,29 1,92 anos e percentil IMC P >98. O teste de impedância bioelétrica (BE) foi uitilizado para mensurar os percentuais de MLG, e MG e a TMB. O questionário International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) foi utilizado para mensurar o nível de AF. Resultados Verificou-se que crianças e adolescentes conseguem seguir uma rotina de AF emambiente doméstico a partir de orientações mensais. Houve melhora de escorez de peso em 59,3% dos pacientes, e do escore-z do IMC, em 77,8%, a TMB e a MLG aumentou em 96,3% da amostra, a MG diminuiu em 33,3% da amostra, durante o período de intervenção de 12 meses. Não se obteve êxito em diminuir as horas de sedentarismo para menos de duas por dia na maior parte da amostra. Conclusão Crianças e adolescentes, se estimuladas, conseguemmelhorar seus níveis de AF, passando de inativos para ativos, verificou-se ainda, a modificação de sua composição corporal neste período de 1 ano. A AF, mesmo que de forma isolada, colabora positivamente no manejo do excesso infanto-juvenil.Introduction Methods for treating children and adolescents with excess weight, including the practice of physical activity (PA), have been broadly studied. However, a program of PA that may be practiced at home and applied in the environment of the public health system is unprecedented. Objective To evaluate the level of PA of children and adolescents with excess weight and its association with their body mass index (BMI)Z-score according to the criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO), weight Z-score, fat-free-mass (FFM), fatty-mass (FM), and basal metabolic rate (BMR), calculated by using the Schaefer formula for the pediatric population. Method A total of 15 girls and 12 boys with amean age of 11.29 1.92 years old and a BMI percentile > 98 were followed-up for 1 year. Bioelectric impedance (BI) was performed tomeasure FFM, FM and BMR. The BMI Z-score was calculated, as well as the weight Z-score, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was applied to measure the level of PA. Results It was found that children and adolescents are able to perform a routine of physical activity practice at home following monthly instruction sessions. Improvement in the weight z-score was verified in 59.3% of the patients, 77.8% of pacients had improvement in the BMI z-score, BMR and FFM was improved for 96% of the patients and 33% of the population had decreased FM for the period of 12 months. No improvement was found in the reduction of the amount of sedentary time to less the two hours a day in most of the population. Conclusion Children and adolescents, once stimulated,managed to improve their levels of physical activity and changed their body composition. Therefore, PA, even when isolated, cooperates positively in the management of excess weight in children and adolescents

Modulating Variables ofTrypanosoma cruziandTrypanosoma evansiTransmission in Free-Ranging Coati (Nasua nasua) from the Brazilian Pantanal Region

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Flatfoot in children: anatomy of decision making

Concern about a child’s foot posture is a common reason for frequent consultations for an array of health care professionals; sports medicine specialists are often the first to recognize and advise on foot pathology. In the decision making process, it is essential to distinguish between the different types of flatfoot deformity: paediatric or adult, congenital or acquired, flexible or rigid. Although flatfoot in children is a common finding, evidence for the techniques of the reliable and reproducible assessment of the foot posture is scant. This general review presents the factors involved in the forming and supporting of the foot arches, discusses the protocols useful in the evaluation of the foot posture, and indicates how to differentiate between flatfoot cases needing treatment and cases that need only reassurance

Aorta and pulmonary trunk - comparison of wall structure in typical and atypical (Ross procedure) blood pressure conditions

The ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk develop from the common truncus arteriosus that later becomes symmetrically divided by the aorticopulmonary septum. Normally, the systolic pressure value and the diastolic pressure gradient in the aorta is much higher than that in the pulmonary artery. In the Ross procedure, patient’s diseased aortic valve is replaced with their own pulmonary valve and as a consequence the pulmonary trunk is placed in the aortic root position. Typically, a reinforcement of transposed pulmonary trunk is necessary to avoid vessel dilation. In order to investigate how the blood flow characteristics determine the vessel wall structure we examined by immunochemistry the wall of normal aorta (NA), normal pulmonary trunk (NPT), transposed pulmonary trunk (trPT) and transposed pulmonary trunk with reinforcement (trPT-R). Throughout the tunica media of NA, elastic fibers form numerous, conspicuous and orderly arranged wavy lamellae that parallel thin layers of smooth muscle cells between the internal and external elastic membrane. In the NPT, smooth muscle cells run amid collagen fibers and form layers that are thicker and irregular, with elastic fibers arranged accordingly. In the trPT, intima denudation and media disruptions were observed. In the tunica media, smooth muscle cells were abundant, but muscle fibers, with irregular profiles and no discernible alignment, were widely spaced with intervening collagen fibers. In the trPA-R, the endothelial lining was preserved and elastic fibers formed a thick and highly organized layer of concentric lamellae in the middle third of tunica media. The structure of normal aorta and pulmonary trunk, both elastic arteries, with common embryological origin, differs significantly in terms of smooth muscle and elastic sheets number and organization. The animal model of Ross procedure with pulmonary trunk in aorta position further underscores the role of blood pressure and mechanical stress in vessel wall modification

Biological properties of cardiac stem cells in normal and pathological conditions - matrix makes a difference

Cardiac cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) are reciprocally related and their characteristics are modified in response to developmental or pathophysiological cues. Adult human cardiac tissue regeneration mediated by cardiac stem cells (CSCs) is strictly regulated and, hypothetically, impaired by the ECM-CSC signalling in the pathological conditions. To test this hypothesis, we isolated cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) and CSCs from the atria of age-matched adult human normal (n=9) and pathological hearts (ischemic cardiomyopathy, n=11). The CFs were cultured in order to obtain ECM coating and conditioned medium, which were characterized by immunoblotting and ELISA, respectively. Next, we examined the effects of CF-derived ECM and CF-conditioned medium on normal and pathological CSC proliferation, apoptosis, and migration in vitro. The ECM produced by CFs from normal heart was composed mainly of fibronectin, laminin α2 and collagen I, while that produced by CFs from hearts with ischemic cardiomyopathy contained also laminin α1 and tenascin X. Compared to the normal CF-conditioned medium, that conditioned by pathological CFs contained twice as much IGF1 and HGF, and it stimulated proliferation and migration, while reducing apoptosis of CSCs. In the presence of pathological CF-derived ECM, there was a nearly 2-fold increase (p<0.05) in proliferation of normal and pathological CSCs, when compared to normal CF-derived ECM. Moreover, pathological CF-derived ECM reduced CSC apoptosis, specifically in cells from pathological heart. However, in the same conditions, the migration of pathological CSCs was significantly lower. These results indicate that the activity of CFs and its modification in chronic ischemic conditions determines biological properties of CSCs. Such an influence should be taken into consideration when attempting ischemic cardiac tissue stem cell-based regeneration

Bioresorbable reinforcement induces histological rearrangement of pulmonary autograft in an experimental model of Ross operation

The Ross procedure has emerged as a popular choice for aortic valve replacement in infants and children. However, pulmonary artery (PA) autograft dilation remains the major concern; hence, several modifications of the valve implantation techniques, such as reinforcing the autografts with a tubular synthetic mesh, have been reported. With the aim to prevent dilation and permit the normal growth of the neo-aortic root following pulmonary autograft implantation, we assessed the biological effect and long term performance of an external bioresorbable reinforcement for PA autograft in an experimental Ross model in growing animals. An experimental model of translocation of the pulmonary trunk as autograft in aortic position, funded on the Hook’s law and Laplace equilibrium, has been developed and performed under cardiopulmonary bypass in young lambs. The PA without reinforcement (n=5) was compared to PA reinforced with new scaffold polymer with an external armour of Polytetrafluoroethylene. The PA autograft diameter was measured using transoesophageal echography at day 0 and at 6 months and compared to the distal aortic diameter. Pathological analysis of the PA autograft reinforced was performed at 6 months and the results were compared to those of a control group with no reinforcement (n=5) Animal weight was 25+5 kg at day 0 and 58+10 kg at 6 months and the reference aortic diameter increased from 14+1mm at day 0 to 17+2mm at 6 months. With no reinforcement, an instantaneous PA graft distension (27,4+2mm) was noted followed by an aneurysmal formation at 6 months (38+3mm). Reinforcement with scaffold polymer on polidioxanone allowed maintaining the PA graft diameter close to the reference value (17+2mm at day 0). Immunohistochemistry revealed MMP-9 overexpression indicating the induction of a matrix remodeling process that are not detectable in the control group. Mallory staining revealed elastin deposition in the reinforced PA in comparison to the collagen present in the non-reinforced group, reliably suggesting a shift towards an elastic remodeling and arterialization. PicroSirius red staining reveled in the control group collagen fibers non- homogeneously distributed with a increased cellularity indicating inflammatory infiltrates. The reinforced PA displays more organized and dense collagen fibers in the “elastic zone” of the vessel and less pronounced cellular infiltrate. In conclusion, bioresorbable external polydioxanone-based reinforcement allowed a structural rearrangement of PA autograft consisting of media reorganization with an increase in the elastic wall component. Such histological outcome arguably prevented autograft dilation and conferred enhanced mechanical properties on the PA wal