Effect of electrical stimulation and others genetic and environmental factors on colour of lamb meat

The research aimed to assess the effect of breed, sex, age at slaughter, rearing system and electrical stimulation on some colorimetric characteristics measured on the muscles Longissimus dorsi (LD), Gluteobiceps (Gb), Semimembranosus (Sm) and Rectus femoris (RF) of lambs belonging to the genetic types Gentile di Puglia (GP), Ile de France (IF) and the cross-breeds F1, F2 and F3. The IF lambs provided meat with the highest value of hue and lightness and the lowest chroma and redness. The F1 lambs showed the highest values of redness while the F2 crossbreed significantly differed from the other three genetic types only in pH, which was always the lowest. The F3 crossbreed revealed similar behaviour to the other genetic types, except for the pH which was always higher than in GP, F1 and F2. The differences between sexes were restricted to L* and pH values, being higher in the male. The lambs slaughtered at 56 days showed high a* values, while b* and hue were on average higher in younger lambs (35 days). The lambs reared with maternal milk in comparison with the artificially reared ones provided meat with the highest a* chroma and b* and the lowest hue values. Electrical stimulation of the carcass seems to have produced the same effects as the usual ageing time in cold store. The RF muscle provided the brightest meat; Sm showed the highest values of b* and chroma; LD provided the “darkest” meat and the lowest values of b* and hue; Gb produced a lower a* value than muscles LD, RF and Sm

Magnetic-Field-Induced Topological Reorganization of a P-wave Superconductor

In this work we illustrate the detrimental impact of the Cooper pair's spin-structure on the thermodynamic and topological properties of a spin-triplet superconductor in an applied Zeeman field. We particularly focus on the paradigmatic one-dimensional case (Kitaev chain) for which we self-consistently retrieve the energetically preferred Cooper pair spin-state in terms of the corresponding spin d-vector. The latter undergoes a substantial angular and amplitude reorganization upon the variation of the strength and the orientation of the field and results to a modification of the bulk topological phase diagram. Markedly, when addressing the open chain we find that the orientation of the d-vector varies spatially near the boundary, affecting in this manner the appearance of Majorana fermions at the edge or even altering the properties of the bulk region. Our analysis reveals the limitations and breakdown of the bulk-boundary correspondence in interacting topological systems.Comment: 5 pages, 3 panels of figures; Minor corrections in the new version, which will appear in Phys. Rev. B as a Rapid Communicatio

Potential role of p53 protein as a novelbiomarker of sperm quality, able to predict thesuccess of ART techniques. EcoFoodFertility Project

Introduction: Protein p53 is well known as “The guardian of genome”; it changes its concentration in human spermatozoa DNAin relation to the damage of the latter. It has been suggested thatthe role of the p53 ancestral gene was to ensure the integrity ofthe genomic germline and the fidelity of the evelopment process.The aim of this study is to evaluate if different concentrations of p53 protein in human spermatozoa could influence embryo quality and pregnancy rate and possibly representing a potential predictive marker of sperm quality for successful fertilization .Methods: From July 2013 to June 2017 we have examinatedretrospectively 79 couples with 2-5 years of infertility history.Males had an average age of 27 ± 7,5 years, sperm concentrationof 33,8 ± 6,2 mil/ml, progressive motility of 41,4 ± 8,3 and a typical morphology of 16,5 ± 3,5 according to Kruger’s method. We have divided the couples on the basis of p53 levels: Group A:0,35–1,65 ng/mil (21 males); Group B: 1,66–3,57 ng/mil (32 males);Group C: 3,58–14,53 ng/mil (26 males). We have evaluated thenumber of embryos at stage of 6–8 cells, btained at the third dayof embryo development, in these three different group. In order toevaluate the concentration of p53 protein, we first proceeded toa DNA extraction with forensic method and then to a quantification p53 protein with ELISA-immunoenzymatic assay, expressedin ng/million of spermatozoa.Results: We have observed different percentage of embryo development at stage of 6-8 cells in the third day and different pregnancy rate (PR):Group A: 101 embryos at 6-8 cells/ 147 total number of obtained embryos in this group (68,4%) and PR = 52,38%.Group B: 128/240 (53,5%); PR = 37,50%; Group C: 79/216 (36,1%);PR = 7,69%. These results support the hypothesis that an high con-centration of p53 in human sperm DNA is associated to a low percentage of embryos able to reach the stage of 6-8 cells in the third day of development and also to a lower pregnancy rate. So p53 levels can be considered as a predictive value to embryo development and pregnancy rate.Conclusions: Protein p53 is a sequence-specific transcriptionfactor that responds to a wide variety of stress signals (environ-mental insults and bad lifestyle) as we are investigating within theecofoodfertility project. Particularly quantitative research of p53could be considered as a novel biomarker of sperm quality, able topredict the success of ART echniques, and could open a new roadfor infertility diagnosis

A Model for Successful Reutilization of a Military Installation: A Case Study of Gentile Air Force Station

Previous research concerning base closure and reutilization focused on the roles of government agencies and the assistance they provided. This study looks at the community and the impact of installation closure. The process of planning for reuse of an installation is difficult and confusing. The guidance provided by the government has changed drastically since the first closures announced in the 1988 Base Realignment and Closure Committee recommendations. This study focuses on the strategy employed by Kettering, OH to successfully reuse Gentile AFS upon closure. As the final part in a longitudinal study, the research focus was lessons learned and implementation challenges for the city of Kettering. Research findings indicated Kettering would be successful in their attempts to reuse Gentile AFS as a business park. Recommendations were to locate a liaison on site to deal with the daily operations of conveying the facilities and property to the local community. This liaison should be employed by the local community to represent the community\u27s interests. Further, the model used by Kettering could be adapted for any installation and help the local community break down the enormous task of reutilization into several tasks of more manageable size

Consumers' Perceptions about Food Quality Attributes and Their Incidence in Argentinean Organic Choices

There is an increasing consumers' concern for food safety and quality and, at the same time, there has been a significant market increment in differentiated or high value products consumption, including organic products. The lack of empirical research in Argentina regarding consumers' awareness of food safety brought our attention. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to analyse consumers' perceptions about the risk and quality attributes of food consumption; and to evaluate the incidence of these factors when buying organic products in Argentina. The Lancaster model (1966) provided the theoretical basis for the use of products attributes and characteristics to analyse the incidence of these attributes in consumers' choices. The data used in this study derives from a food consumption survey on organic and non-organic consumers conducted in Buenos Aires City, Argentina, in April 2005. According to consumers' perceptions, 67% were worried about their health, 79% take care in meals, 57% perceived the high risk of hormones and pesticides in food content and 91% of consumers are used to reading labels before or during their purchase. A Logit Binomial Regression Model was applied to explore which factors affected organic food consumption. The results yielded by this model suggest that the consumers with higher educational level, who eat healthy food, and consider food control organisms 'inefficient' are more likely to buy organic products. A high percentage of consumers read and trust label information in Argentina. This has interesting policy implications to promote differentiated and high value products, and to reduce information asymmetries.Food safety, Quality attributes, Consumers, Organics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Q18, D1,

Maternal alexithymia and attachment style: Which relationship with their children's headache features and psychological profile?

Introduction: A growing body of literature has shown an association between somatic symptoms and insecure "attachment style." In a recent study, we found a relationship between migraine severity, ambivalent attachment style, and psychological symptoms in children/adolescents. There is evidence that caregivers' attachment styles and their way of management/expression of emotions can influence children's psychological profile and pain expression. To date, data dealing with headache are scarce. Our aim was to study the role of maternal alexithymia and attachment style on their children's migraine severity, attachment style, and psychological profile. Materials and methods: We enrolled 84 consecutive patients suffering from migraine without aura (female: 45, male: 39; mean age 11.8 ± 2.4 years). According to headache frequency, children/adolescents were divided into two groups: (1) high frequency (patients reporting from weekly to daily attacks), and (2) low frequency (patients having ≤3 episodes per month). We divided headache attacks intensity into two groups (mild and severe pain). SAFA "Anxiety," "Depression," and "Somatization" scales were used to explore children's psychological profile. To evaluate attachment style, the semi-projective test SAT for patients and ASQ Questionnaire for mothers were employed. Maternal alexithymia traits were assessed by TAS-20. Results: We found a significant higher score in maternal alexithymia levels in children classified as "ambivalent," compared to those classified as "avoiding" (Total scale: p = 0.011). A positive correlation has been identified between mother's TAS-20 Total score and the children's SAFA-A Total score (p = 0.026). In particular, positive correlations were found between maternal alexithymia and children's "Separation anxiety" (p = 0.009) and "School anxiety" (p = 0.015) subscales. Maternal "Externally-oriented thinking" subscale correlated with children's school anxiety (p = 0.050). Moreover, we found a correlation between TAS-20 Total score and SAFA-D "Feeling of guilt" subscale (p = 0.014). Our data showed no relationship between TAS-20 and ASQ questionnaires and children's migraine intensity and frequency. Conclusion: Maternal alexithymia and attachment style have no impact on children's migraine severity. However, our results suggest that, although maternal alexithymic traits have no causative roles on children's migraine severity, they show a relationship with patients' attachment style and psychological symptoms, which in turn may impact on migraine severity

Innovative Adsorption Heat Exchangers for Desiccant Cooling and Atmospheric Water Harvesting

L'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen

Cholangiocytes: Cell transplantation

Background:Due to significant limitations to the access to orthotropic liver transplantation, cell therapies forliver diseases have gained large interest worldwide.Scope of review:To revise current literature dealing with cell therapy for liver diseases. We discussed the ad-vantages and pitfalls of the different cell sources tested so far in clinical trials and the rationale underlying thepotential benefits of transplantation of human biliary tree stem cells (hBTSCs).Major conclusions:Transplantation of adult hepatocytes showed transient benefits but requires immune-sup-pression that is a major pitfall in patients with advanced liver diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells and hemato-poietic stem cells transplanted into patients with liver diseases are not able to replace resident hepatocytes butrather they target autoimmune or inflammatory processes into the liver. Stem cells isolated from fetal or adultliver have been recently proposed as alternative cell sources for advanced liver cirrhosis and metabolic liverdisease. We demonstrated the presence of multipotent cells expressing a variety of endodermal stem cell markersin (peri)-biliary glands of bile ducts in fetal or adult human tissues, and in crypts of gallbladder epithelium. Inthefirst cirrhotic patients treated in our center with biliary tree stem cell therapy, we registered no adverse eventbut significant benefits.General significance:The biliary tree stem cell could represent the ideal cell source for the cell therapy of liverdiseases. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cholangiocytes in Health and Diseaseedited by JesusBanales, Marco Marzioni, Nicholas LaRusso and Peter Jansen

Kufic ornamental motifs in the wall paintings of six churches in Southern Italy

The churches we are concerned with here are in South eastern Italy where, more than in other parts of Southern Italy (with the exception of Calabria),the Byzantine presence and Byzantine influence were obviously strong. Islam arrived on the Apulian coast from the 11th to 13th century was often mediated by Byzantium: this is verifiable in techniques, iconographies and styles. One case in particular concerns the epigraphic characters of Islamic derivation which abound in many media and, specifically, in architectural decoration: in other words, stone, stucco, mosaic, painting and so on. But, if the Byzantine mediation is evident, it is very important to observe that the labour is always local. We will look at six churches. They do not constitute a «catalogue», but offer a good «sample» of pseudo-kufic of the 13th century. First of all, I wish to present the map of the six churches with frescoes. Four of them are in Apulia: Gravina (province of Bari), Massafra (province of Taranto), Squinzano (on the road between Lecce and Brindisi) and Otranto (both provinces of Lecce). The other two are in the present day Lucania (or Basilicata): Matera and the former town of Anglona, near Tursi (province of Matera). Furthermore, I wish to specify that three of them (those in Massafra, Gravina and Matera) are rock churches, small chapels hewn out of the rock, without doors