Dry fractionation as a promising technology to reuse the physically defected legume-based gluten-free pasta

Dry fractionation was applied to the legume-based pasta (yellow lentils:whole rice 90:10 w:w) discarded for physical defects. After the air classification, the fine fraction showed a 33% increment of the protein content compared to the raw material, with a 21% yield. The scanning electron micrographs revealed the presence of protein–starch complexes and broken starch granules which led to a low protein separation efficiency. The fine fraction showed interesting nutritional features due to the high concentration of the essential micronutrients Zn (43.3 mg kg−1) and Fe (72.6 mg kg−1). However, also the alpha-galactosides were enriched into the same fraction. The two fractions, fine and coarse, were both characterised by elevated water absorption capacity, with significantly higher values in the fine one. Finally, the gelling capacity varied among the fractions, being influenced by the protein content. Overall, these ingredients could be used to fortify the protein and the essential mineral contents of bakery products, sauces, and creams

EFFECT OF PELVIC POSITIONING AND TORSIONAL DEFORMITY ON CANINE ACETABULAR MORPHOLOGY WITH COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY: A PHANTOM STUDY

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Ultrasound-guided removal of soft tissue foreign bodies in companion animals: A case series

Foreign bodies (FBs) retained in the subcutaneous tissues are a common reason for medical consultation. In small animals, FBs usually consist of vegetal materials, especially grass awns. Failure to remove the FBs is likely to give rise to acute or late complications. The surgical removal of the FBs can be invasive, costly and technically challenging. Ultrasound has become a mainstay in the detection of FBs and it can be used to guide the extraction of the FBs with a minimally invasive technique. This study describes the detection and extraction of soft-tissue FBs in small animals. One hundred-sixty-two patients, presenting at two veterinary clinics with suspected FBs retained in the soft tissues of various body districts, were considered. Once an ultrasound diagnosis was established, the ultrasound-guided removal of the FB was performed. A high-frequency linear transducer, a skin disinfection, sedation or anaesthesia was used when needed and a scalpel and some Hartmann forceps were also used. One hundred-eighty-two FBs were successfully removed in all the patients. In six cases, the FB was identified during a second ultrasonographic examination, after recurrence of the fistula. No complications were reported after the procedure. The extraction of the FB was performed in an echographic suite in 138 cases and in a surgery room with surgical intervention in 24 cases. In the latter situation, the surgical minimally invasive dissection of tissues under ultrasound guidance was performed before the removal of the FB. In conclusion, the ultrasound-guided removal of the FBs retained in the superficial soft tissue can be considered a good alternative to surgery. However, failure to remove a FB does not preclude the removal by traditional surgery

Altilix\uae Supplement Containing Chlorogenic Acid and Luteolin Improved Hepatic and Cardiometabolic Parameters in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome: A 6 Month Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

The objective was to evaluate the eects of 6 months of supplementation with Altilix\uae, containing chlorogenic acid and its derivatives, and luteolin and its derivatives, on cardiovascular risk and hepatic markers in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was performed in 100 subjects with MetS with a follow-up period of 6 months; 50 subjects were randomized to Altilix\uae (26 men and 24 women, mean age 63 8 years) and the other 50 to placebo (28 men and 22 women, mean age 63 11 years). Anthropometric, cardiometabolic, and hepatic parameters were assessed at baseline and at the end of follow-up. Carotid intima-media thickness and endothelial function were assessed by doppler ultrasound and by flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery, respectively. The presence and degree of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was assessed by the fatty liver index (FLI), and subjects were divided into three subgroups: (1) without NAFLD; (2) with borderline NAFLD; and (3) with NAFLD. After 6 months of Altilix\uae supplementation, we found a significant improvement vs. placebo in most of the evaluated parameters, including body weight (2.40% (95% CI 3.79, 1.01); p < 0.001), waist circumference (2.76% (95% CI 4.55, 0.96); p = 0.003), HbA1c (0.95% (95% CI 1.22, 0.67); p < 0.001), plasma lipids, FLI (21.83% (95% CI 27.39, 16.27); p < 0.001), hepatic transaminases, flow-mediated dilation (10.56% (95% CI 5.00, 16.12); p < 0.001), and carotid intima-media thickness (39.48% (95% CI 47.98, 30.97); p < 0.001). Further, the improvement in cardiometabolic variables was independent of the degree of hepatic steatosis. Altilix\uae supplementation improved hepatic and cardio-metabolic parameters in MetS subjects. Altilix\uae supplementation was a beneficial approach in the management of hepatic and cardiometabolic alterations in MetS subjects

Neurobiological Dysfunctional Substrates for the Self-Medication Hypothesis in Adult Individuals with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Cocaine Use Disorder:A Fluorine-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Study

Objectives: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood shows high co-occurrence rates with cocaine use disorder (CoUD). The self-medication hypothesis (SMH) provides a theoretical explanation for this comorbidity. This study investigates the neurobiological mechanisms that could support SMH in adult patients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder with cocaine use disorder (ADHD–CoUD).Materials and Methods: We included 19 ADHD–CoUD patients (84.2% male; age: 32.11 years [7.18]) and 16 CoUD patients (68.7% male; age: 36.63 years [8.12]). All subjects underwent a fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) brain scan. We tested brain metabolism differences between ADHD–CoUD and CoUD patients using voxel-based and regions of interest (ROIs)-based analyses. The correlation between dependence/abstinence duration and regional brain metabolism was also assessed in the two groups. Lastly, we investigated the integrity of brain metabolic connectivity of mesocorticolimbic and nigrostriatal dopaminergic systems, and large-scale brain networks involved in ADHD and addictions.Results: The voxel-wise and ROIs-based approaches showed that ADHD–CoUD patients had a lower metabolism in the thalamus and increased metabolism in the amygdala and parahippocampus, bilaterally, than CoUD subjects and healthy controls (HCs). Metabolism in the thalamus negatively correlated with years of dependence in ADHD–CoUD patients. Moreover, connectivity analyses revealed that ADHD–CoUD patients had a more preserved metabolic connectivity than CoUD patients in the dopaminergic networks and large-scale networks involved in self-regulation mechanisms of attention and behaviors (i.e., anterior default mode network [ADMN], executive network [ECN], and anterior salience network [aSAN]).Conclusions: We demonstrated distinct neuropathological substrates underlying substance-use behaviors in ADHD–CoUD and CoUD patients. Furthermore, we provided neurobiological evidence in support of SMH, demonstrating that ADHD–CoUD patients might experience short-term advantages of cocaine assumption (i.e., compensation of dopaminergic deficiency and related cognitive-behavioral deficits).</p

Neurobiological Dysfunctional Substrates for the Self-Medication Hypothesis in Adult Individuals with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Cocaine Use Disorder:A Fluorine-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Study

Objectives: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood shows high co-occurrence rates with cocaine use disorder (CoUD). The self-medication hypothesis (SMH) provides a theoretical explanation for this comorbidity. This study investigates the neurobiological mechanisms that could support SMH in adult patients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder with cocaine use disorder (ADHD–CoUD).Materials and Methods: We included 19 ADHD–CoUD patients (84.2% male; age: 32.11 years [7.18]) and 16 CoUD patients (68.7% male; age: 36.63 years [8.12]). All subjects underwent a fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) brain scan. We tested brain metabolism differences between ADHD–CoUD and CoUD patients using voxel-based and regions of interest (ROIs)-based analyses. The correlation between dependence/abstinence duration and regional brain metabolism was also assessed in the two groups. Lastly, we investigated the integrity of brain metabolic connectivity of mesocorticolimbic and nigrostriatal dopaminergic systems, and large-scale brain networks involved in ADHD and addictions.Results: The voxel-wise and ROIs-based approaches showed that ADHD–CoUD patients had a lower metabolism in the thalamus and increased metabolism in the amygdala and parahippocampus, bilaterally, than CoUD subjects and healthy controls (HCs). Metabolism in the thalamus negatively correlated with years of dependence in ADHD–CoUD patients. Moreover, connectivity analyses revealed that ADHD–CoUD patients had a more preserved metabolic connectivity than CoUD patients in the dopaminergic networks and large-scale networks involved in self-regulation mechanisms of attention and behaviors (i.e., anterior default mode network [ADMN], executive network [ECN], and anterior salience network [aSAN]).Conclusions: We demonstrated distinct neuropathological substrates underlying substance-use behaviors in ADHD–CoUD and CoUD patients. Furthermore, we provided neurobiological evidence in support of SMH, demonstrating that ADHD–CoUD patients might experience short-term advantages of cocaine assumption (i.e., compensation of dopaminergic deficiency and related cognitive-behavioral deficits).</p

Cambio climático y preservación digital sonora y audiovisual

El cambio climático es real y sus efectos ponen en riesgo a la humanidad. En muchos países las temperaturas han presentado valores sin precedentes, los niveles de gases de efecto invernadero están aumentando, el nivel del mar está subiendo y los desastres naturales se agravan cada año. El reciente llamado de la COP 27 busca reducir las emisiones globales de gases de efecto invernadero y mantener el límite de 1,5 ºC de temperatura para sacar a la humanidad del recipicio climático. Esta es una misión humanitaria en la cual la investigación científica ocupa un lugar muy importante a través de la formulación de aportaciones que detengan o al menos aminoren el impacto del cambio climático en la sociedad. Uno de los ámbitos poco explorados y que afectan al cambio climático se refiere a la preservación digital de colecciones sonoras y audiovisuales. Por ello, este libro busca ser una aportación a la discusión contemporánea desde la perspectiva de los archivos sonoros y audiovisuales. La obra ofrece disertaciones científicas y reflexiones profesionales de investigadores y especialistas que analizan cómo la preservación digital también conlleva un posible impacto y daño en el medio ambiente. Se formulan problemas y se delinean posibles vías para afrontarlos

Bio-based Materials. Standardizzazione e processi per la commercializzazione

Il contributo si occupa degli aspetti normativi nel campo della produzione e uso di una malta con componenti organici derivanti dal riciclo di scarti agricoli e silvo-pastorali. Viene prestata attenzione alla normativa internazionale più diffusa e nota, a quella europea e a quella italiana. La riduzione del consumo di suolo e di risorse lapidee, degli scarti, la limitazione dell’utilizzo di materiali di cava naturali sono solo alcuni benefici che hanno indotto la comunità scientifica a investire nell’uso di materie prime-seconde di origine vegetale, ecosostenibili; oggi, lo stato dell’arte è molto ricco. Tuttavia, non ci sono ancora normative tecniche e procedurali relative ai materiali che derivano dal riciclo di scarti vegetali; in questo contributo si pone l’attenzione particolarmente su malte da muratura. La normativa esistente non è utilizzabile ed adattabile e rimangono in particolare due aspetti che risultano ancora non definiti quali la vulnerabilità ai fattori di degrado e la tenuta delle prestazioni nel tempo. Ulteriore problematica, rispetto ad una logica di commercializzazione, è la mancanza di normativa di riferimento e, quindi, di indicazioni di processo e test di prodotto, rendendo più complesso il processo di certificazione. Tale circostanza vanifica gli sforzi scientifici e produttivi. La singolarità della questione è accentuata dalla normativa italiana relativa ai Criteri Ambientali Minimi per l'affidamento di servizi di progettazione ed esecuzione di lavori per la nuova costruzione, ristrutturazione e manutenzione di opere pubbliche che impone l’utilizzo del 15% di materiali di materia prima seconda e che potrebbe dare ampio spazio all’uso dei materiali bio-based. Il contributo, a partire dal constatato ritardo della normativa rispetto al progresso scientifico, indica la necessità di prove che possano certificare le qualità specifiche dei bio-based materials relativamente a caratteristiche quali: durabilità, tossicità di fumi, attaccabilità da insetti e parassiti, ecc., e rendere possibile l’applicazione dei materiali sperimentati

Chemotherapy effects on brain glucose metabolism at rest

Background: A growing number of studies reports that chemotherapy may impair brain functions inducing cognitive changes which can persist in a subset of cancer survivors. Aims: To investigate the neural basis of the chemotherapy-induced neurobehavioral changes by means of metabolic imaging and voxel-based statistical parametric mapping analyses. Methods: We studied the resting brain [18]FDG-PET/CT images of 43 adult cancer patients with solid (n=12, 28%) or hematologic malignancies (n=31, 72%); 12 patients were studied prior to chemotherapy (No chemotherapy) while treated patients were divided into two matched subgroups: Early High (6 chemotherapy cycles, n=10), and Late Low (>9 months after chemotherapy, <6 chemotherapy cycles, n=21). Findings: Compared to No chemotherapy, the Early High subgroup showed a significant bilateral (p<0.05) lower regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose metabolism in both the prefrontal cortices and white matter, cerebellum, posterior medial cortices and limbic regions. A similar pattern emerged in the Early High versus Low Late comparison, while no significant result was obtained in the Low Late versus No chemotherapy comparison. The number of cycles and the post-chemotherapy time were negatively and positively correlated, respectively, with a set of these same brain regions. Interpretation: The present study shows that chemotherapy induces significant transient changes in the glucose metabolism of multiple cerebral cortical and white matter regions with a prevailing involvement of the prefrontal cortex. The severity of these changes are significantly related with the number of chemotherapy cycles and a subset of brain regions seems to present longer lasting, but more subtle, metabolic changes