Fluid Intake and Beverage Consumption Description and Their Association with Dietary Vitamins and Antioxidant Compounds in Italian Adults from the Mediterranean Healthy Eating, Aging and Lifestyles (MEAL) Study

The aim of the present study was to investigate the total water intake (TWI) from drinks and foods and to evaluate the correlation between the different types of drinks on energy and antioxidant intake. The cohort comprised 1602 individuals from the city of Catania in Southern Italy. A food frequency questionnaire was administered to assess dietary and water intake. The mean total water intake was 2.7 L; more than about two thirds of the sample met the European recommendations for water intake. Water and espresso coffee were the most consumed drinks. Alcohol beverages contributed about 3.0% of total energy intake, and sugar sweetened beverages contributed about 1.4%. All antioxidant vitamins were significantly correlated with TWI. However, a higher correlation was found for water from food rather than water from beverages, suggesting that major food contributors to antioxidant vitamin intake might be fruits and vegetables, rather than beverages other than water. A mild correlation was found between fruit juices and vitamin C; coffee, tea and alcohol, and niacin and polyphenols; and milk and vitamin B12. The findings from the present study show that our sample population has an adequate intake of TWI and that there is a healthy association between beverages and dietary antioxidants

Clinical and molecular features of attenuated adenomatous polyposis in northern Italy.

BACKGROUND: Attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis (AFAP) is characterized by the presence of 10-99 colorectal adenomas. The disease may be associated with mutations in either APC or MUTYH genes. We purposed to evaluate the contribution of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and MutY homologue (MUTYH) germline alterations to the AFAP phenotype and to identify genotype/phenotype correlations. METHODS: During counselling for familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), 91 probands (and 107 affected individuals) who met the criteria of AFAP were identified. Eighty-two families were screened for constitutional mutations of the APC and MUTYH genes. RESULTS: MUTYH mutations were detected in 21 families (25.6 % of the 82 tested), and APC mutations in 7 (8.5 %). Overall, constitutional alterations were found in 34.1 % of the probands. Patients with APC mutations were younger at cancer onset and had a higher mean number of polyps (48.5 ± 33.0 in APC+ individuals vs. 35.7 ± 24.9 in MUTYH+ individuals, and 33.2 ± 18.4 in the "no mutation" group). Clinical features rendered the "no mutation" group closer to MUTYH+ than to the APC+ group. Colorectal cancer at diagnosis was detected in 40 % of AFAP individuals. CONCLUSIONS: AFAP is a new clinical entity with its frequency in the general population still undefined. The number of adenomas varies greatly, with an average of 30-40 lesions. The molecular basis of AFAP can be established in approximately 1/3 of the patients. Both MUTYH and APC genes are implicated in AFAP, though the role of MUTYH is of considerably greater relevance

Cancer risk associated with STK11/LKB1 germline mutations in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome patients: Results of an Italian multicenter study

BACKGROUND: Germline mutations in the STK11/LKB1 gene cause Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, an autosomal-dominantly inherited condition characterized by mucocutaneous pigmentation, hamartomatous gastrointestinal polyposis, and an increased risk for various malignancies. We here report the results of the first Italian collaborative study on Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. AIMS: To assess cancer risks in a large homogenous cohort of patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, carrying, in large majority, an identified STK11/LKB1 mutation. METHODS: One-hundred and nineteen patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, ascertained in sixteen different Italian centres, were enrolled in a retrospective cohort study. Relative and cumulative cancer risks and genotype-phenotype correlations were evaluated. RESULTS: 36 malignant tumours were found in 31/119 (29 STK11/LKB1 mutation carriers) patients. The mean age at first cancer diagnosis was 41 years. The relative overall cancer risk was 15.1 with a significantly higher risk (p<0.001) in females (22.0) than in males (8.6). Highly increased relative risks were present for gastrointestinal (126.2) and gynaecological cancers (27.7), in particular for pancreatic (139.7) and cervical cancer (55.6). The Kaplan-Meier estimates for overall cumulative cancer risks were 20%, 43%, 71%, and 89%, at age 40, 50, 60 and 65 years, respectively. CONCLUSION: Peutz-Jeghers syndrome entails markedly elevated cancer risks, mainly for pancreatic and cervical cancers. This study provides a helpful reference for improving current surveillance protocols

The NEMO project: A status report

none87The latest results and the activities towards the construction of a km3 Cherenkov neutrino detector carried out by the NEMO Collaboration are described. Long-term exploration of a 3500 m deep-sea site close to the Sicilian coast has shown that it is optimal for the installation of the detector. The NEMO Phase-1 project has validated several technologies proposed for the construction of the km3 detector on a test site at 2000 m depth. The new infrastructure on the candidate Capo Passero site set up as part of the Phase-2 project will provide the possibility to test detector components at 3500 m depth.M. Taiuti;S. Aiello;F. Ameli;I. Amore;M. Anghinolfi;A. Anzalone;G. Barbarino;M. Battaglieri;M. Bazzotti;A. Bersani;N. Beverini;S. Biagi;M. Bonori;B. Bouhdaef;M. Brunoldi;G. Cacopardo;A. Capone;L. Caponetto;G. Carminati;T. Chiarusi;M. Circella;R. Cocimano;R. Coniglione;M. Cordelli;M. Costa;A. D’Amico;G. De Bonis;G. De Rosa;G. De Ruvo;R. De Vita;C. Distefano;E. Falchini;V. Flaminio;K. Fratini;A. Gabrielli;S. Galatà;E. Gandolfi;G. Giacomelli;F. Giorgi;G. Giovanetti;A. Grimaldi;R. Habel;M. Imbesi;V. Kulikovsky;D. Lattuada;E. Leonora;A. Lonardo;D. Lo Presti;F. Lucarelli;A. Margiotta;A. Marinelli;A. Martini;R. Masullo;E. Migneco;S. Minutoli;M. Morganti;P. Musico;M. Musumeci;C.A. Nicolau;A. Orlando;M. Osipenko;R. Papaleo;V. Pappalardo;P. Piattelli;D. Piombo;G. Raia;N. Randazzo;S. Reito;G. Ricco;G. Riccobene;M. Ripani;A. Rovelli;M. Ruppi;G.V. Russo;S. Russo;P. Sapienza;D. Sciliberto;M. Sedita;E. Shirokov;F. Simeone;V. Sipala;M. Spurio;L. Trasatti;S. Urso;M. Vecchi;P. Vicini;R. WischnewskiTaiuti, MAURO GINO; S., Aiello; F., Ameli; I., Amore; M., Anghinolfi; A., Anzalone; G., Barbarino; M., Battaglieri; M., Bazzotti; A., Bersani; N., Beverini; S., Biagi; M., Bonori; B., Bouhdaef; Brunoldi, Marco; G., Cacopardo; A., Capone; L., Caponetto; G., Carminati; T., Chiarusi; M., Circella; R., Cocimano; R., Coniglione; M., Cordelli; M., Costa; A., D’Amico; G., De Bonis; G., De Rosa; G., De Ruvo; R., De Vita; C., Distefano; E., Falchini; V., Flaminio; Fratini, Katia; A., Gabrielli; S., Galatà; E., Gandolfi; G., Giacomelli; F., Giorgi; G., Giovanetti; A., Grimaldi; R., Habel; M., Imbesi; V., Kulikovsky; D., Lattuada; E., Leonora; A., Lonardo; D., Lo Presti; F., Lucarelli; A., Margiotta; A., Marinelli; A., Martini; R., Masullo; E., Migneco; S., Minutoli; M., Morganti; P., Musico; M., Musumeci; C. A., Nicolau; A., Orlando; M., Osipenko; R., Papaleo; V., Pappalardo; P., Piattelli; D., Piombo; G., Raia; N., Randazzo; S., Reito; Ricco, Giovanni; G., Riccobene; M., Ripani; A., Rovelli; M., Ruppi; G. V., Russo; S., Russo; P., Sapienza; D., Sciliberto; M., Sedita; E., Shirokov; F., Simeone; V., Sipala; M., Spurio; L., Trasatti; S., Urso; M., Vecchi; P., Vicini; R., Wischnewsk

Overview of the RFX-mod fusion science activity

This paper reports the main recent results of the RFX-mod fusion science activity. The RFX-mod device is characterized by a unique exibility in terms of accessible magnetic con gurations. Axisymmetric and helically shaped reversed- eld pinch equilibria have been studied, along with tokamak plasmas in a wide range of q(a) regimes (spanning from 4 down to 1.2 values). The full range of magnetic con gurations in between the two, the so-called ultra-low q ones, has been explored, with the aim of studying speci c physical issues common to all equilibria, such as, for example, the density limit phenomenon. The powerful RFX-mod feedback control system has been exploited for MHD control, which allowed us to extend the range of experimental parameters, as well as to induce speci c magnetic perturbations for the study of 3D effects. In particular, transport, edge and isotope effects in 3D equilibria have been investigated, along with runaway mitigations through induced magnetic perturbations. The rst transitions to an improved con nement scenario in circular and D-shaped tokamak plasmas have been obtained thanks to an active modi cation of the edge electric eld through a polarized electrode. The experiments are supported by intense modeling with 3D MHD, gyrokinetic, guiding center and transport codes. Proposed modi cations to the RFX-mod device, which will enable further contributions to the solution of key issues in the roadmap to ITER and DEMO, are also brie y presented

Status of NEMO

The activities towards the realization of a km3 Cherenkov neutrino detector carried out by the NEMO Collaboration are described. Long-term exploration of a 3500 m deep-sea site close to the Sicilian coast has shown that it is optimal for the installation of the detector. The realization of a Phase-1 project, which is under way, will validate the proposed technologies for the realization of the km3 detector on a Test Site at 2000 m depth. The realization of a new infrastructure on the candidate site (Phase-2 project) will provide the possibility to test detector components at 3500 m depth