Development of a molecular method for the rapid screening and identification of the three functionally relevant polymorphisms in the human TAS2R38 receptor gene in studies of sensitivity to the bitter taste of PROP

The objective of this work was to develop a rapid screening method to identify the three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TAS2R38 gene, with the aim of providing a significant contribution to studies designed to assess sensitivity to the bitter taste of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP). Specifically, the objective of this study was to characterize the TAS2R38 gene haplotypes in a group of 60 subjects with variable sensitivity to PROP and preliminarily genotyped for the rs2274333 allele (A/G) of carbonic anhydrase isoform VI gene (CA6). The molecular characterization of the TAS2R38 gene was conducted using the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique after creating artificial restriction sites upstream or downstream of the SNPs, as none of the three polymorphisms contributes to the formation of a restriction site for a specific endonuclease. The results indicate that the method described in this paper could be a valid and simple experimental strategy to identify genetic differences related to taste sensitivity to bitter taste, and could be applied as a nutrigenetics test in studies aimed at understanding people’s eating behaviors

Investigation on Self-Admitted Technical Debt in Open-Source Blockchain Projects

Technical debt refers to decisions made during the design and development of software that postpone the resolution of technical problems or the enhancement of the software's features to a later date. If not properly managed, technical debt can put long-term software quality and maintainability at risk. Self-admitted technical debt is defined as the addition of specific comments to source code as a result of conscious and deliberate decisions to accumulate technical debt. In this paper, we will look at the presence of self-admitted technical debt in open-source blockchain projects, which are characterized by the use of a relatively novel technology and the need to generate trust. The self-admitted technical debt was analyzed using NLP techniques for the classification of comments extracted from the source code of ten projects chosen based on capitalization and popularity. The analysis of self-admitted technical debt in blockchain projects was compared with the results of previous non-blockchain open-source project analyses. The findings show that self-admitted design technical debt outnumbers requirement technical debt in blockchain projects. The analysis discovered that some projects had a low percentage of self-admitted technical debt in the comments but a high percentage of source code files with debt. In addition, self-admitted technical debt is on average more prevalent in blockchain projects and more equally distributed than in reference Java projects.If not managed, the relatively high presence of detected technical debt in blockchain projects could represent a threat to the needed trust between the blockchain system and the users. Blockchain projects development teams could benefit from self-admitted technical debt detection for targeted technical debt management

Mechanistic investigation of electric field-activated self-propagating reactions: experimental and modeling studies

The mechanism of electric field-activated self-propagating reactions is investigated using the combustion front quenching technique. In particular, previously published experimental results obtained through the Field Assisted Combustion Synthesis (FACS) of b-SiC, TaC, Ti3Al and B4C-TiB2 are re-examined and compared. Pre-combustion and combustion stages involved during synthesis wave propagation are postulated for all systems. Subsequently, modeling results aimed at simulating the process where an electric field-activated self-propagating reaction takes place are presented. In particular, a one-dimensional model of FACS technique is developed to simulate the rapid quenching of the reaction during its progress as the applied field is turned off. A rate expression which accounts for the influence of temperature, particle size, compaction density, reactant stoichiometry, and inert content is included in the model

CORRELATION BETWEEN CHRONIC MUCOSAL TRAUMA AND ORAL CANCER: A CASE REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Abstract – Objective: Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common malignancy in the oral cavity representing the 90% of all oral malignancies that affect oral cavity. Primary risk factors associated with oral cancer are alcohol and tobacco consumption. However, other emerging risk factors have been proposed in Literature, including chronic trauma of the oral mucosa related to dental prostheses and incongruous restorations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to review the literature on the correlation between oral carcinoma and chronic irritative trauma, with the help of a case report and with focus on clinical features and differential diagnosis. Materials and Methods: A literature search on MEDLINE, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Wiley InterScience was performed, using the following words: Oral Cancer, chronic Trauma and Denture Trauma in various combinations. Results: The review produced 1356 results, but only 8 articles met the inclusion criteria and were involved in the review. No association has been proven between chronic mucosal trauma and oral cancer. Carcinoma has been shown to develop more frequently in trauma regions, particularly in the tongue. As for the data on the gender and age of affected patients, it emerges that most of the greatest incidence occurs around the sixth and seventh decade of life and men are more affected than women. Conclusions: Due to the heterogeneity of the different studies and the strong presence of other factors such as smoking and alcohol, the role of trauma in carcinogenesis is unclear. Further molecular, epidemiological and case-control studies are needed to define this correlation. It is advisable to carry out more restricted checks in patients at risk with dental prostheses

Effects of Different Types of Chronic Training on Bioenergetic Profile and Reactive Oxygen Species Production in LHCN-M2 Human Myoblast Cells

Human skeletal muscle contains three different types of fibers, each with a different metabolism. Exercise differently contributes to differentiation and metabolism in human myoblast cells. The aims of the present study were to investigate the effects of different types of chronic training on the human LHCN-M2 myoblast cell bioenergetic profile during differentiation in real time and on the ROS overproduction consequent to H2O2 injury. We demonstrated that exercise differently affects the myoblast bioenergetics: aerobic exercise induced the most efficient glycolytic and oxidative capacity and proton leak reduction compared to untrained or anaerobic trained sera-treated cells. Similarly, ROS overproduction after H2O2 stress was lower in cells treated with differently trained sera compared to untrained sera, indicating a cytoprotective effect of training on the reduction of oxidative stress, and thus the promotion of longevity. In conclusion, for the first time, this study has provided knowledge regarding the modifications induced by different types of chronic training on human myoblast cell bioenergetics during the differentiation process in real time, and on ROS overproduction due to stress, with positive implications in terms of longevity

Whitening with 980 nm diode laser in a dyschromic devitalized tooth with aesthetic value: long-term success

In our society, the progress of aesthetic standards has led to increasing demands from patients to have white and healthy teeth as an index of beauty and health. The main advantages of the laser bleaching technique include greater safety and control, as well as the prevention of tissue damage, the reduction of application times and greater patient satisfaction. Numerous studies in the literature underline that bleaching with diode laser is a safe. The purpose of this in vivo study was to assess the whitening effect of the 980 nm diode laser in combination with the whitening gel, containing hydrogen peroxide, in the discoloration treatment of a dental element undergone to endodontic therap

Trunk Flexion Monitoring among Warehouse Workers Using a Single Inertial Sensor and the Influence of Different Sampling Durations

Trunk flexion represents a risk factor for the onset of low-back disorders, yet limited quantitative data exist regarding flexion exposures in actual working conditions. In this study, we evaluated the potential of using a single inertial measurement unit (IMU) to classify trunk flexion, in terms of amplitude, frequency, and duration, and assessed the influence of alternative time durations on exposure results. Twelve warehouse workers were monitored during two hours of an actual shift while wearing a single IMU on their low back. Trunk flexion data were reduced using exposure variation analysis integrated with recommended exposure thresholds. Workers spent 5.1% of their working time with trunk flexion of 30-60° and 2.3% with flexion of 60-90°. Depending on the level of acceptable error, relatively shorter monitoring periods (up to 50 min) might be sufficient to characterize trunk flexion exposures. Future work is needed, however, to determine if these results generalize to other postural exposures and tasks

Lineamenti morfologici e cartografia dei popolamenti bentonici di Rada della Reale nell'isola dell’Asinara (Sardegna NW)= Morphological elements and cartography of benthic community in Rada della Reale, Asinara Island (Sardinia NW)

A detailed investigation of bottom types in Rada della Reale has been carried out in 1998 as part of resources study of Asinara National Park. The study area, along 23 km of coastline between Punta Barbatossa and Punta Trabucato, has a surface of 15 km2. Detailed informattin on biotic communities in the area has been recorded and transferred in a thematic map together with geomorphological features. The main benthic community is represented by the Posidonia oceanica meadow, wlth a denslty up to 700-800 shootslm2. Other seagrasses like Cymodocea nodosa and Caulerpa prolifera are also present. In the mediolittoral zone assemblages of Patella ferruginea are of main importance. Considering the great value of the area, in the future an integrated management strategy that improves conservation and enhances the value of the resources must be developed