HUMAN AND ANIMAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT OF MYCOTOXIN MIXTURES IN MAIZE: FROM FUNGAL PRODUCTION AND OCCURRENCE TO HARMONISED RISK CHARACTERISATION

Maize is the principal staple food/feed crop exposed to mycotoxins, and the co-occurrence of multiple mycotoxins and their metabolites has been well documented. Dietary (co)-exposure to mycotoxins is associated with human and animal health concerns as well as economic losses. The present thesis aims to apply a holistic approach for the risk assessment of mycotoxin mixtures in food and feed, i.e. from fungal production and occurrence to harmonised risk characterisation. This was done in three folds. Firstly, available environmental, ecological, and agronomic factors that may affect the relative abundance of co-occurring mycotoxins in the contaminated crops were collected from peer-reviewed literature, with focus on maize (Chapter I). Secondly, (co-)occurrence data on mycotoxins in core cereals was extracted from available articles in the scientific literature and analysed to estimate potential pattern of co-exposure in humans and animals (Chapter II). Finally, Chapter III investigates the applicability of the EFSA guidance to multiple mycotoxins through a scenario of possible co-exposure in humans and animals, using maize as a case study. In particular, a human and animal risk assessment to mycotoxin mixture in maize was conducted using a modelled component-based approach for selected mixture of mycotoxins, that, according to our data, co-occur in maize based feed and food products.Maize is the principal staple food/feed crop exposed to mycotoxins, and the co-occurrence of multiple mycotoxins and their metabolites has been well documented. Dietary (co)-exposure to mycotoxins is associated with human and animal health concerns as well as economic losses. The present thesis aims to apply a holistic approach for the risk assessment of mycotoxin mixtures in food and feed, i.e. from fungal production and occurrence to harmonised risk characterisation. This was done in three folds. Firstly, available environmental, ecological, and agronomic factors that may affect the relative abundance of co-occurring mycotoxins in the contaminated crops were collected from peer-reviewed literature, with focus on maize (Chapter I). Secondly, (co-)occurrence data on mycotoxins in core cereals was extracted from available articles in the scientific literature and analysed to estimate potential pattern of co-exposure in humans and animals (Chapter II). Finally, Chapter III investigates the applicability of the EFSA guidance to multiple mycotoxins through a scenario of possible co-exposure in humans and animals, using maize as a case study. In particular, a human and animal risk assessment to mycotoxin mixture in maize was conducted using a modelled component-based approach for selected mixture of mycotoxins, that, according to our data, co-occur in maize based feed and food products

The Barthel index: italian translation, adaptation and validation

The Barthel Index (BI) is widely used to measure disability also in Italy, although a validated and culturally adapted Italian version of BI has not been produced yet. This article describes the translation and cultural adaptation into Italian of the original 10-item version of BI, and reports the procedures for testing its validity and reliability. The cultural adaptation and validation process was based on data from a cohort of disabled patients from two different Rehabilitation Centers in Rome, Italy. Forward and backward translation method was adopted by qualified linguist and independent native English official translators. The scale obtained was reviewed by 20 experts in psychometric sciences. The Italian adapted version of the BI was then produced and validated. A total number of 180 patients were submitted to the adapted scale for testing its acceptability and internal consistency. The total time of compilation was 5 ± 2,6 minutes (range 3-10). Validation of the scale was performed by 7 trained professional therapists that submitted both the translated and the adapted versions to a group of 62 clinically stable patients (T-test=-2.051 p=0.05). The internal consistency by Cronbach’s alpha resulted equal to 0.96. Test – retest intra – rater reliability was evaluated on 35 cases; at test-retest was ICC=0.983 (95%IC: 0.967-0.992). This is the first study that reports translation, adaptation and validation of the BI in Italian language. It provides a new tool for professionals to measure functional disability when appraising Italian speaking disable patients in health and social care settings along the continuum of care

Siting public facilities: a theoretical and empirical analysis of the Nimby syndrome in Italy

The paper discusses the economic problem and the institutional features underlying the Nimby syndrome, and illustrates preliminary empirical evidence for Italy. It argues that siting procedures taking local preferences into account should be preferred when the heterogeneity in preferences across communities is greater than the heterogeneity in constructing and operating costs across sites. The elicitation of preferences is better pursued through auction-like mechanisms rather than multilateral negotiations if: the characteristics of the facility and the institutional context are such that credible information about the risks associated with the facility are available; conflicting preferences at the local level can be preliminarily aggregated; and compensations are mainly monetary. Empirical results suggest that the intensity of local opposition is greater when the perceived risk associated with the facility is higher and more concentrated, and the communication between different levels of government poor. The conflict between highly centralized siting procedures and highly decentralized administrative institutions, the difficulty of providing credible information about the risks associated with the facility, and low political commitment are identified as the critical points.siting procedures, local preferences, constructing and operating costs, auction, negotiation

Resumption of day surgery activity in the acute phase of COVID-19 pandemic

The rapid spread of COVID-19 disease since February 2020 has strongly impacted on the Healthcare System worldwide, who above all was forced to ensure the treatment of the COVID infected patients primarily. Then, the elective surgical procedures were limited to oncology, even stopping any Day Surgery (DS) activities. In Italy more than DS 650.000 procedures have been delayed. Day surgery commonly is performed in free-standing units or in dedicated hospital areas, with separated access to spaces for admission and dedicated operating rooms, allowing a lower risk of contamination during hospitalization.1 The implementation of protocols and recommendations, and a new planning of the pathways, can ensure an early restart of daily surgery procedures, regardless of the pandemic trend

PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF A POTENZIATED PIEZOSURGERGICAL DEVICE AT THE RABBIT SKULL

The number of available ultrasonic osteotomes has remarkably increased. In vitro and in vivo studies have revealed differences between conventional osteotomes, such as rotating or sawing devices, and ultrasound-supported osteotomes (Piezosurgery®) regarding the micromorphology and roughness values of osteotomized bone surfaces. Objective: the present study compares the micro-morphologies and roughness values of osteotomized bone surfaces after the application of rotating and sawing devices, Piezosurgery Medical® and Piezosurgery Medical New Generation Powerful Handpiece. Methods: Fresh, standard-sized bony samples were taken from a rabbit skull using the following osteotomes: rotating and sawing devices, Piezosurgery Medical® and a Piezosurgery Medical New Generation Powerful Handpiece. The required duration of time for each osteotomy was recorded. Micromorphologies and roughness values to characterize the bone surfaces following the different osteotomy methods were described. The prepared surfaces were examined via light microscopy, environmental surface electron microscopy (ESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and atomic force microscopy. The selective cutting of mineralized tissues while preserving adjacent soft tissue (dura mater and nervous tissue) was studied. Bone necrosis of the osteotomy sites and the vitality of the osteocytes near the sectional plane were investigated, as well as the proportion of apoptosis or cell degeneration. Results and Conclusions: The potential positive effects on bone healing and reossification associated with different devices were evaluated and the comparative analysis among the different devices used was performed, in order to determine the best osteotomes to be employed during cranio-facial surgery

MRI and Neuropsychological Correlates of Carbon Monoxide Exposure: A Case Report

A 45-year-old woman experienced long-term, chronic exposure to carbon monoxide in the restaurant kitchen where she was employed as a cook. After returning to the restaurant after 5 days off work, she noticed that her symptoms returned immediately; she then aired out the room and called the gas company. Approximately 6 hr after a leak was detected, the patient went to the hospital, where her carboxyhemoglobin was found to be within normal limits and results of a neurologic examination were described as normal. Based on her symptoms, the patient believed she had been exposed to CO for at least 1 year before the leak was discovered. Initially, she experienced flu-like symptoms, which eventually resolved. At the time of her first neuropsychological evaluation (17 months after the exposure was identified), her persisting complaints included difficulties in reading, writing, speaking and word retrieval. The test results were consistent with secondary frontal lobe dysfunction associated with subcortical disorders such as those seen after CO exposure. Results of a subsequent neuropsychological examination (29 months postexposure) showed slight improvement in performance, but her performance was still consistent with mild frontal/subcortical dysfunction. Although the initial screening of a brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) performed 15 months after the exposure was interpreted as being within normal limits, two subsequent blind reviews of the same scans identified multiple bilateral lesions in the basal ganglia, which were consistent with chronic CO exposure. We present this case as an example of the utility of MRI and neuropsychological examinations in detecting central nervous system dysfunction secondary to CO exposure

Comparative in vitro study on biomechanical behavior of zirconia and polyetheretherketone biomaterials exposed to experimental loading conditions in a prototypal simulator

Zirconia and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) are two biomaterials widely investigated as substitute for metals in oral prosthetic rehabilitation. To achieve a proper biomechanical behavior, the prosthetic biomaterials must ensure a good resistance to loads, as this is a crucial characteristic enabling their use in dental applications. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in the fracture resistance of different biomaterials in an experimental environment: fixed partial dentures (FPDs) screwed in a prototype of biomimetic mandible. 10 Samples of FPDs were allocated in 2 groups (A and B): Group A (n=5) involved FPDs in zirconia-ceramic, and Group B (n=5) involved FPDs in PEEK-composite. The samples were loaded by means of a three-point bending mechanical test, and the load to fracture has been evaluated generating a point-by-point graphics (speed/load and time/deformation). The samples were further analyzed by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and described under experimental loading conditions. Zirconia-ceramic FDPs were the samples reporting the worst results, showing a lower value of vertical displacement with respect to PEEK-based samples. The micro-CT results have further confirmed the preliminary results previously described. This in vitro study aims to give analytic data on the reliability of PEEK as a reliable and strong biomaterial for prosthetic treatments.</p

Sugar-Incorporated N-Heterocyclic-Carbene-Containing Gold(I) Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization, and Cytotoxic Evaluation

A series of neutral and cationic gold(I) complexes bearing a glucopyranoside-incorporated N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand are synthetized and structurally characterized. Different secondary ligands (chlorido, phosphane, or sugar–NHC) are employed to tune the properties of the complexes. The antiproliferative effects of the compounds are evaluated against PC-3 prostate cancer cells and a panel of human tumor cell lines. The activities of the phosphane complexes are comparable to that observed for cisplatin. The combined results provide further insights into the biological behavior of NHC–gold complexes

Occurrence and co-occurrence of mycotoxins in cereal-based feed and food

Dietary (co)-exposure to mycotoxins is associated with human and animal health concerns as well as economic losses. This study aims to give a data-based insight from the scientific literature on the (co-)occurrence of mycotoxins (i.e., parent and modified forms) in European core cereals, and to estimate potential patterns of co-exposure in humans and animals. Mycotoxins were mainly reported in wheat and maize showing the highest concentrations of fumonisins (FBs), deoxynivalenol (DON), aflatoxins (AFs), and zearalenone (ZEN). The maximum concentrations of FB1+FB2 were reported in maize both in feed and food and were above legal maximum levels (MLs). Similar results were observed in DON-food, whose max concentrations in wheat, barley, maize, and oat exceeded the MLs. Co-occurrence was reported in 54.9% of total records, meaning that they were co-contaminated with at least two mycotoxins. In the context of parental mycotoxins, co-occurrence of DON was frequently observed with FBs in maize and ZEN in wheat; DON + NIV and DON + T2/HT2 were frequently reported in barley and oat, respectively. Apart from the occurrence of ZEN and its phase I and phase II modified forms, only a limited number of quantified data were available for other modified forms; i.e., mainly the acetyl derivatives of DON. Data gaps are highlighted together with the need for monitoring studies on multiple mycotoxins to identify co-occurrence patterns for parent mycotoxins, metabolites, and their modified forms.This review was prepared as part of MYCHIF EFSA project (GP/EFSA/AFSCO/2016/01). R.P. carried out this work within the PhD school Agrisystem of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Italy). A.V. was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2019 unit.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio