Nasal pathologies in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea

Nasal obstruction is a frequent condition in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Nasal obstruction leads to mouth breathing, which is thought to destabilise the upper airway to aggravate the condition. Three conditions could be considered as the cause of the nasal breathing obstruction: anatomical conditions of the nose (septum deviation, hypertrophy of the inferior turbinates), chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and chronic nasal inflammation caused by allergic rhinitis or non-allergic cellular rhinitis. In this prospective study, we present an evaluation of all these possible rhino-sinusal aspects in OSA patients to correlate different nasal pathologies with nasal obstruction. Fifty patients with a diagnosis of OSA were enrolled in the study. In 70% of OSA patients, nasal obstruction was confirmed by clinical evaluation and rhinomanometry testing. Normal rhino-sinus aspects were present in only 20% of OSAS patients, whereas one or more pathological rhino-sinus conditions were present in the remaining 80%. The percentage of OSA patients with a diagnosis of allergic rhinitis and non-allergic rhinitis was 18% and 26% respectively. Non-allergic rhinitis with neutrophils (NARNE) was the most frequent type of cellular rhinitis diagnosed in OSA patients (20% of cases). The results of the present study support and extend the observation that rhinitis is present in OSA patients. Mucosal inflammation caused by these conditions could be the cause of upper airway patency impairment inducing nasal mucosa swellin

Effect of Kaolin/Defoliation Combined with Dry Ice on Lambrusco Red Wine Production to Constrain the Effects of Climate Change

Since viticulture is affected considerably by climate change, it is imperative to encourage research on newstrategies in order to constrain these critical effects on the composition of berries and the quality of wines.A multi-strategy approach composed of (i) kaolin application on foliage, (ii) late tree defoliation and (iii)cryomaceration of grapes with dry ice was evaluated in the production of Lambrusco Salamino wines.Physical, chemical and sensory analyses were carried out on the sample set, including the control wines.In general, cryomaceration with dry ice proved to be a winning choice to lower alcoholic strength (roughly5%). In addition, the wines showed an increase in anthocyanin content by approximately 17%, while thecontent of catechins, flavanols and hydroxycinnamic acids decreased. Consistent with the increase in theanthocyanin content, an increase in colour indices and sensory colour intensity scores was observed. As forthe aromatic profile, 2-phenylethanol showed an increase of approximately 18% in the treated wines while,in parallel, a lower content of C6 alcohols and volatile fatty acids was observed. The multiple adaptationstrategies put in place in the present study show an alternative way to mitigate the severe effects of climatechange on wine production, and to face changing consumer demands

Strategies to mitigate acrylamide development in bakery products: Effect of asparagine content in flour and tartaric acid addition in biscuit formulation

This paper explores strategies to mitigate acrylamide formation in bakery goods, with a focus on using tartaric acid as an acid neutralizer in biscuit recipes. Initial analyses involved screening the asparagine content in various flours, aiming to encompass a wide range of samples, including those that presented substantial challenges. Subsequently, experimental biscuits were produced with various treatments (tartaric acid addition, steam release during baking, and both steam/acid). Results showed a correlation between asparagine content in flours and acrylamide formation. Tartaric acid was remarkably effective, achieving a 57%-87% reduction in acrylamide production. Colorimetric measurements assessment demonstrated that tartaric acid treatment reduced browning, while the aw (<0.15) was not affected even using steam during cooking. Sensory analysis indicated slight sour taste in acid-treated biscuits, but overall acceptability remained high. Texture analysis revealed improved friability, crucial for preventing oral mucosal lesion, especially in children's products. PCA highlighted the impact of treatments on variables like acrylamide content, color, water activity, and sensory attributes. The study suggests that using tartaric acid as a neutralizing agent is a solid strategy to mitigate acrylamide without compromising sensory qualities in biscuits. Further research will include exploring other acids, optimal dosage, and variations in flour composition

Profile of red wine partially dealcoholized with a membrane-based technique and strategies to mitigate the loss of volatile compounds

: In recent years, climate change has led to higher grape must sugar content and, consequently, increased alcohol by volume. Evaporative or pertraction is a common method for post-fermentation ethanol removal from wines, but it selectively removes some less polar volatile compounds along with ethanol. To mitigate volatile substance loss, this study investigates blending of the red wine (Marzemino-Cabernet blend) with obtained dealcoholized samples from it by industrial evaporative pertraction system, while maintaining the final product within a two-percentage-point reduction in ethanol. Thus MIX 1 and MIX 2 blends were prepared, reducing the ABV of the initial wine (12.5% alcohol by volume) to 10.5% and 9.5%. Chemical analyses highlighted that most alcohols, acetates, and ethyl esters of fatty acids decreased with alcohol by volume reduction. However, compounds with polar groups (acetoin and acetovanillone), C13-norisoprenoids, and certain lactones showed increasing trends. Sensory analysis indicated high scores for sweetness and smoothness in the blended wines, with a decrease in acidic taste. Floral scents notably increased, particularly in MIX 2, closely resembling the initial wine's sensory profile. The blending of initial wine with appropriately dealcoholized wine samples has proven to be an effective strategy for preserving bouquet and color of dealcoholized wines. This approach broadens the consumer base by catering to people who prefer low-alcohol options, have dietary restrictions, or are health-conscious, but who still wish to savor wines with aromatic quality rather than a flat taste. This strategy is crucial in the wine industry as it successfully addresses technical challenges and ensures economic viability

Physico-chemical and sensory characterization of a fruit beer obtained with the addition of cv. Lambrusco grapes must

In 2015, Italian Grape Ale (IGA) beers have been included as a new provisional sub-category of special-type fruit beers by the Beer Judge Certification Program, including those products whose brewing process is carried out in presence of determined quantities of grape must. However, information on the effects of these additions on the composition of final beers are still scarce. This work is hence focused on the chromatic, volatile, phenolic and sensory characterization of IGA beers obtained with the addition of grape musts during brewing process. To this aim, different amounts of must (5, 10 and 20%) from cv. Lambrusco red grapes were added to a lager wort before primary fermentation. Beers were then characterized by HPLC-MS, GC-MS and sensory analysis in order to determine phenolic and aroma compounds along with their sensory attributes. Results confirmed the addition of must from cv. Lambrusco grapes capable to enrich beers in color, acids, phenolic (up to 7-folded increased) and volatile compounds, while giving complexity to beers. These results, which were confirmed by a trained sensory panel, are among the very first insights on the impact of red grape must in brewing, both from a compositional and sensory point of view

Effect of black soldier fly larvae protein on the texture of meat analogues

Black soldier fly larvae are considered an alternative source of protein due to their high protein content and low environmental impact of farming. The effect of incorporation of black soldier fly larvae protein (87.6 ± 2.4 g/100 g content) on meat analogues textural characteristics was determined and compared with those of meat analogues prepared with other alternative sources of protein such as soy protein isolate and vital wheat gluten, while beef round, chicken breast, and a commercial plant-based meat analogue were used as reference matrices. Textural characteristics of the experimental meat analogues were used as response variables in robust regression models (R2 > 0.96) built to determine the main effects and interactions of proteins. Black soldier fly larvae protein decreased the textural characteristics of meat analogues as its amount in the formulation increased. The interaction of black soldier fly larvae protein with soy protein affected the hardness and chewiness of meat analogues, whereas the interaction with wheat gluten only affected their cohesiveness. Black soldier fly larvae protein can partially replace traditional proteins in meat analogues. The optimal incorporations of black soldier fly larvae protein in meat analogues which mimics textural characteristics of chicken breast and plant-based meat analogues were 6.7 g/100 g and 21.5 g/100 g, respectively

Management of idiopathic epistaxis in adults: what's new? [Il trattamento dell’epistassi idiopatica nell’adulto: cosa c’è di nuovo?]

L’epistassi è uno dei disturbi più comuni per il quale il paziente si rivolge spesso al pronto soccorso. Questa revisione della letteratura sipropone di valutare sistematicamente e criticamente gli studi scientifici riguardo il trattamento dell’epistassi idiopatica al fine di ottenere utili spunti per la pratica clinica. La ricerca è stata eseguita nei database elettronici: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane e Central. I criteri di inclusione sono stati: studi clinici controllati retrospettivi o prospettici o randomizzati o studi su modelli animali che includevano i risultati nella gestione dell’epistassi idiopatica. Sono stati individuati 23 articoli che soddisfano i criteri di inclusione. Il tamponamento nasale rappresenta ancora l’approccio di prima linea all’epistassi, anche se è evidente dalla letteratura che sia il meno efficace ma il più associato a ricoveri ospedalieri di maggior durata rispetto alla chirurgia endoscopica basata sull’elettrocoagulazione. In conclusione appare sempre più evidente che la cauterizzazione dovrebbe essere l’approccio di prima linea per l’alto tasso di costo-efficacia e il basso rischio di complicanze. Tuttavia, ulteriori ricerche urgenti sono necessarie per validare l’efficacia dei nuovi biomateriali nel trattamento dell’epistassi.Epistaxis is one of the most common complaints presenting to emergency departments. The aim of this study is to systematically review and critically evaluate the evidence relating to treatment of idiopathic epistaxis for guiding best practice. A comprehensive review of the English language literature was performed using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Central electronic databases. The inclusion criteria were: retrospective or prospective or randomised controlled clinical trials which included outcomes in the management of idiopathic epistaxis. Twentythree articles met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Nasal packing still represents the first-line approach to epistaxis, although, at present, it appears that there is clear evidence in the literature to suggest that it is less effective and associated with more admissions and longer hospital stays than endoscopic electrocoagulation-based management of epistaxis. In conclusion, cauterisation should be the first-line approach for its high cost-effectiveness rate and low risk of complications. Further research is urgently needed to assess the efficacy of new biomaterials

LiNbO3 integrated system for opto-microfluidic sensing

International audience; In this work, we realized and tested an integrated opto-microfluidics platform entirely made on lithium niobate (LiNbO3) crystals, able to detect the single droplet passage and estimate its size without the need of any imaging processing. It is based on the coupling of a self-aligned integrated optical stage, made of an array of optical waveguides, to a microfluidic circuit such as a T-junction or Cross-junction engraved in the same substrate. The platform presented high quality performances in terms of optical triggering, reproducibility and stability in time, allowing in real-time data analysis. The comparison with standard approaches using microscopes and fast camera imagining acquisition and relative post-processing, showed an increased capability better than 50%. The demonstrated feasibility of integration of these two stages will allow the realization of a Lab-On-a-Chip on a monolithic substrate of lithium niobate, exploiting its multiple applications for manipulation of droplets

Seasonal variability of the HO.RE.CA. food leftovers employed as a feeding substrate for black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.) larvae and effects on the rearing performance

The SCALIBUR project (Horizon, 2020) aimed to explore innovative solutions, including the use of black soldier fly larvae, for the bio-urban waste management. This research work describes the evaluation of the variability in water, proteins, fat, ashes, and carbohydrates present in the HO.RE.CA. food leftovers which were withdrawn from a local canteen over a 12-month period and the relationship with (i) the growth parameters of the larvae, (ii) the percentage of substrate reduction and the percentage of frass separated through the mechanical sieve at the end of the rearing process. HO.RE.CA. food leftovers are overall a suitable feeding substrate for larval rearing. Water contained in the HO.RE.CA. food leftovers was sufficient for larval rearing without resorting to further addition. As for water content, a seasonal trend was not observed, on the contrary, it was proved to be totally random. However, high amount of water (>80%) was correlated with higher larval mortality rate. The larval weight was significantly correlated to the amount of protein (r = 0.80; p ≤ 0.001) present in the substrate, and to a lesser extent to the amount of fat (r = 0.43; p ≤ 0.05). The feed conversion rate and bioconversion rate were both in agreement with literature data. The statistical test did not show any significant correlation between the amount of water contained in the initial fresh HO.RE.CA. food leftovers and the percentage of substrate reduction and the percentage of frass separated through the mechanical sieve at the end of the rearing process