Evaluation of Removed and Recycled Mineral Nutrients in Italian Commercial Persimmon Orchards

Persimmon is a typical fruit crop of the Mediterranean region and, since it is considered a minor species, little information is available on its nutrients need. In the present experiment, it was estimated the quantity of removed and recycled nutrients by Kaki Tipo and Rojo Brillante, the two main varieties of persimmon grown in Emilia-Romagna region (Po Valley, Italy). Plants from ten mature orchards were selected and harvested; organs (leaves in summer, fruits at harvest, abscissed leaves, roots and skeleton) biomass and mineral composition were determined. The yearly uptake of macronutrients was similar for the 2 varieties, accounting for (kg/ ha): N 89-91, P 10-11, K 79-91, Ca 132-162, Mg 22-26 and S 9. While K was mostly found in fruits, Ca and Mg were mainly partitioned to leaves. Among micronutrients, Mn and Fe showed the highest values (1.1–1.3 and 1.2–2.1 kg/ha, respectively), followed by B (370 g/ha), while Cu and Zn showed the smallest amounts (less 100 g/ha). Nitrogen, Ca, Mg and S were those more recycled than removed, while K showed an opposite trend; among the microelements, the annual recycled fractions of B and Mn were higher than that removed

COVID-19 related lockdown: a trigger from the pre-melancholic phase to catatonia and depression, a case report of a 59 year-old man

Background: The pre-melancholic model described by Tellenbach may provide a common model for understanding the psychological implications of the lockdown. In this case report, we describe a rare catatonic status as a psychological implication linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, a really unique global situation. Case presentation: B is a 59 year-old man with mute psychiatric anamnesis whose mother suffered from a major depressive disorder. As the lockdown began, he started to develop concerns about his family’s economic condition. According to his wife, he could see no end to the epidemic and no future at all. Moving from this, he started to show a severe and rapidly progressive depression and to develop mood congruent delusions. In addition, he had increasing anhedonia, apathy, starvation and insomnia. This turned in the end into a catatonic-like state, along with a deep desire to die. Admitted to the psychiatry ward in a state of mutism, he was discharged after 15 days with a diagnosis of “Major depressive disorder, single severe episode with no psychotic behavior”. He was treated with Sertraline, Olanzapine and Lorazepam. Conclusions: Our aim is to draw attention to the effect of the lockdown upon a Tellenbach-like personality structure. Identifying this type of pre-morbid personality structure could help clinicians understand and treat some cases of patients with severe major depressive disorders elicited by the COVID-19 pandemic

llama meat nutritional properties

The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition of the muscle Longissimus thoracis taken from 20 llama males, reared in the Andean region, slaughtered at an age of 25 months and at a mean final body weight of 74kg. Llama meat showed a low fat (3.51%) and cholesterol content (58.16mg/100g), a good protein content (22.42%) and an ash content of 3.06%. The Warner-Bratzler shear force values determined in llama meat was 6.56 kg/cm2. This study confirmed that llama meat is healthy and nutritious, and represents a good source of proteins for Andean population

Fresh forage in dairy ass's ration: effect on milk fatty acid composition and flavours

The first studies on the quali-quantitative aspects of ass's milk have focussed the attention towards nutrition of human infants affected by multiple food intolerance (Carroccio et al., 2000). More recently, its use is studied also in cardiopathology prevention, in neonatal cerebral growth and in the regulation of the immuno-inflammatory system, where the fatty acids are directly implicated (Chiofalo et al., 2003)

Cigarette smoking cessation increases plasma levels of several antioxidant micronutrients and improves resistance towards oxidative challenge

Cigarette smoking is associated epidemiologically with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, but the pathophysiological mechanisms are still not fully understood. There is evidence that smoking is related to increased free radical production and antioxidant depletion, but the effects of smoking cessation on plasma concentrations of antioxidants and susceptibility to oxidative stress are largely unknown. Plasma levels of vitamins A, C, E, uric acid, total thiols, carotenoids (including lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, α- and β-carotene) and malondialdehyde (MDA, a biomarker of lipid peroxidation) were measured in fifteen healthy, normolipidaemic subjects (seven males, eight females, 35·2 (sd2·3) years) before and 4 weeks after smoking cessation. To determine plasma resistance towards oxidative challenge, plasma was incubated for up to 5h with the peroxyl radical-generator 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) (AAPH); MDA and ascorbate levels were measured at various time points. The concentrations of all plasma antioxidants were lower before smoking cessation than afterwards; MDA levels were higher before than after termination of smoking. Upon AAPH exposure, the consumption of plasma ascorbate and the production of MDA occurred at a significantly faster rate before smoking cessation as compared with afterwards. Cigarette smoking cessation is followed by a marked increase in plasma antioxidant concentrations and substantially improves plasma resistance towards oxidative challenge. Given the importance of cigarette smoking as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and the pathophysiological role played by oxidative stress in these illnesses, quitting smoking represents an irreplaceable preventive strategy against tobacco-induced oxidative stress and vascular damage

Pharmacogenetic considerations for optimizing tacrolimus dosing in liver and kidney transplant patients

The introduction of tacrolimus in clinical practice has improved patient survival after organ transplant. However, despite the long use of tacrolimus in clinical practice, the best way to use this agent is still a matter of intense debate. The start of the genomic era has generated new research areas, such as pharmacogenetics, which studies the variability of drug response in relation to the genetic factors involved in the processes responsible for the pharmacokinetics and/or the action mechanism of a drug in the body. This variability seems to be correlated with the presence of genetic polymorphisms. Genotyping is an attractive option especially for the initiation of the dosing of tacrolimus; also, unlike phenotypic tests, the genotype is a stable characteristic that needs to be determined only once for any given gene. However, prospective clinical studies must show that genotype determination before transplantation allows for better use of a given drug and improves the safety and clinical efficacy of that medication. At present, research has been able to reliably show that the CYP3A5 genotype, but not the CYP3A4 or ABCB1 ones, can modify the pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus. However, it has not been possible to incontrovertibly show that the corresponding changes in the pharmacokinetic profile are linked with different patient outcomes regarding tacrolimus efficacy and toxicity. For these reasons, pharmacogenetics and individualized medicine remain a fascinating area for further study and may ultimately become the face of future medical practice and drug dosing

Post-test simulations for the NACIE-UP benchmark by STH codes

This paper illustrates the results obtained in the last phase of the NACIE-UP benchmark activity foreseen inside the EU SESAME Project. The purpose of this research activity, performed by system thermal–hydraulic (STH) codes, is finalized to the improvement, development and validation of existing STH codes for Heavy Liquid Metal (HLM) systems. All the participants improved their modelling of the NACIE-UP facility, respect to the initial blind simulation phase, adopting the actual experimental boundary conditions and reducing as much as possible sources of uncertainty in their numerical model. Four different STH codes were employed by the participants to the benchmark to model the NACIE-UP facility, namely: CATHARE for ENEA, ATHLET for GRS, RELAP5-3D© for the “Sapienza” University of Rome and RELAP5/Mod3.3(modified) for the University of Pisa. Three reference tests foreseen in the NACIE-UP benchmark and carried out at ENEA Brasimone Research Centre were analysed from four participants. The data from the post-test analyses, performed independently by the participant using different STH codes, were compared together and with the available experimental results and critically discussed

Exploitation of a natural pasture by wild horses: comparison between nutritive characteristics of the land and the nutrient requirements of the herds over a 2-year period

In the Molise region (Italy), some autochthonous populations are still bred and, between them, some wild horses named 'Pentro horses.' The breeding area is a natural pasture. It is 2200 ha extended including a broad plane surrounded by wooden hills. The aim of this research was to determine the nutritional characteristics of this area over a 2-year period to improve the management of the herd and to define the stocking rate in relation to the forage production in terms of production and quality. The forage samples were collected over two successive years during the grazing period (May to October) from five experimental areas and analysed for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), neutral-detergent fibre (NDF), acid-detergent fibre (ADF), acid-detergent lignin (ADL) and gross energy (GE). Horse feed units (HFU) and horse-digestible crude protein (HDCP) were also predicted. Data were analysed with a one-way ANOVA test using month and area as factors. The DM, HFU and HDCP total production was determined to be compared with the total nutrient requirements of the herds from May to October. The results show that seasonal and yearly climatic variations significantly affect chemical composition and nutritive value of the pasture. The parameters most influenced were DM, CP, ADF and to a less extent NDF, while OM, ADL and GE show smaller differences during the observed period. The results show a low production per ha; nevertheless, because of the low stocking rate (0.3 to 0.6 head per ha), nutrient production meets the nutrient requirements of the horses regarding DM and energy. The differences among the areas have to be ascribed to the different botanical compositions and to the different draining capacity of the soil, and also in this case the greatest variations are for DM, CP and ADF

Meat and carcass quality from peruvian llama (Lama glama) and alpaca (Lama pacos)

An experiment based on 20 llama males and 40 alpaca males reared in Peru has been carried out with the aim to evaluate the live growth performances, carcass quality, the nutritional characteristics of meat from animals slaughtered at 25 months of age, and to determine the physical and chemical parameters of meat obtained from these animals. The live body weights registered during the 25 months of the experiment were significantly lower in alpaca compared with llama. In llama carcasses were significantly higher both warm and cold carcass weight (P<0.001) but dressing percentage was higher in alpacas (P<0.01). The glycolityc fine-course was very similar both in llama and in alpaca muscle Longissimus Thoracis et Lumborum. Chemical composition of muscle Longissimus Thoracis et Lumborum taken from llama and alpaca carcasses was significantly different (P<0.01) in ash content; cholesterol content was significantly higher (P<0.001) in llama meat compared with alpaca

The role of new technologies to prevent suicide in adolescence. a systematic review of the literature

Background and objectives: Suicide in adolescents represents a major public health concern. To date, a growing number of suicide preventive strategies based on the use of new technologies are emerging. We aimed to provide an overview of the present literature on the use of new technologies in adolescent suicide prevention. Materials and methods: An electronic search was run using the following keywords: Technology OR Technologies OR APP OR Application OR mobile application) AND (Adolescent OR youth OR puberty) AND (Suicid* OR Self-harm OR self-destruction). Inclusion criteria were: English language, published in a peer-reviewed journal, suicide prevention with the use of new technologies among adolescents. Results: Our search strategy yielded a total of 12 studies on the use of telemedicine, 7 on mobile applications, and 3 on language detection. We also found heterogeneity regarding the study design: 3 are randomized controlled trials (RCT), 13 are open-label single group trials, 2 are randomized studies, and 1 is a cross-sectional study. Telemedicine was the most adopted tool, especially web-based approaches. Mobile applications mostly focused on screening of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, and for clinical monitoring through the use of text messages. Although telepsychiatry and mobile applications can provide a fast and safe tool, supporting and preceding a face-to-face clinical assessment, only a few studies demonstrated efficacy in preventing suicide among adolescents through the use of these interventions. Some studies suggested algorithms able to recognize people at risk of suicide from the exploration of the language on social media posts. Conclusions: New technologies were found to be well accepted and tolerated supports for suicide prevention in adolescents. However, to date, few data support the use of such interventions in clinical practice and preventive strategies. Further studies are needed to test their efficacy in suicide prevention among adolescents and young adults