B-vitamins determination in Donkey milk

Background: Donkey milk is used in infant nutrition for the treatment of children affected by cow’s milk protein allergy, thanks to its hypo-allergenicity, mainly due to its protein profile, which is very close to that of human milk. Furthermore, donkey milk is characterized by the presence of a fair amount of bioactive proteins, that may have a positive impact on human health. Despite the presence of numerous articles that describe the chemical composition and nutraceutical properties of donkey milk, few works have been performed to determine its vitamin profile; therefore, the purpose of this work is to give further information on the B-vitamins profile of donkey milk. Methods: B-vitamins have been determined through a reversed-phase liquid chromatography analysis. Results: The results indicated that donkey milk (DM) contains thiamine 0.661 ± 0.26 µM, riboflavin 0.168 ± 0.04 µM, nicotinic acid 18.75 ± 1.92 µM, pyridoxine 5.38 ± 3.3 5µM, and folic acid 0.83 ± 0.08 µM. Conclusions: Donkey milk contains a high quantity of nicotinic acid, known for its lipid-lowering effect, and a good amount of vitamin B6 and folic acid, the latter very important for children’s growth. To notice, vitamin B6 has been determined for the first time in donkey milk

The Role of Spirituality in Stroke Survivors and Their Caregivers: A Systematic Review

although several studies have analyzed the effects of spirituality on stroke survivors' physical functioning and their caregiver's outcomes, no systematic review or meta-synthesis was found to identify the lived experiences of stroke survivors and caregivers regarding spirituality. for these reasons, this study aimed to analyze quantitively and qualitatively research relating to stroke survivors' and caregivers' experiences. the included studies were RCT studies, quasi-experimental studies, qualitative, descriptive, ethnographic, and phenomenological studies, and cross-sectional studies (n = 37), with a total of 6850 stroke survivors and 1953 caregivers enrolled. Spirituality appears to play an important role in improving the quality of life and decreasing anxiety and depression of both stroke survivors and their caregivers

EFFECT OF POLOXAMER 407 ON THE STABILITY AND ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY OF YEAST ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE.

Non disponibil

“I found myself alone” – A phenomenological study of the home care workers' experience during the COVID-19 pandemic

Home care workers (HCWs) are a highly heterogeneous population in Italy in terms of their professional qualifications. HCWs play an important role in helping patients affected by chronic diseases and their families. Although many investigators have studied the lived experiences of family caregivers, few have been conducted "to give a voice" to HCWs and even fewer have examined the experiences of HCWs during the present COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the lived experiences of HCWs during the first wave of the pandemic in Italy. Cohen's phenomenological research approach was used to conduct this study. In our study, we enrolled and interviewed 19 HCWs who were female, and most were married, with an average age of 52 years. The participants were enrolled from September 2020 to November 2020, after the first COVID-19 wave in Italy. Four main themes emerged from the analysis of the data: (1) "I found myself alone"; (2) from invisibility to visibility; (3) a fear of getting sick and infecting others; and (4) "Health or work? That is the question." Understanding HCWs' lived experiences, especially those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, is a first step in giving a voice to this important but vulnerable population in the healthcare workforce

Cell wall proteomics reveals a strong association of acta to the peptidoglycan promoting listeria monocytogenes invasiveness

Comunicaciones a congreso

Simulation of operational conditions of HX-HERO in the CIRCE facility with CFD/STH coupled codes

Abstract The paper describes the application of a coupled methodology between Fluent CFD code and RELAP5 System Thermal-Hydraulic code developed at the DICI (Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Industriale) of the University of Pisa. The methodology was applied specifically to the LBE-water heat exchanger HERO located inside the S100 vessel of the CIRCE facility, built at ENEA Brasimone Research Centre, to investigate the capabilities of this component. In the proposed methodology, the primary side of the HX-HERO, containing LBE, is simulated by the CFD code, while the secondary side, containing a two phase mixture of water and vapour, is reproduced by the System Thermal-Hydraulic code. During the calculation the two codes exchange, at the coupled boundaries: the bulk temperature and heat transfer coefficient of the ascending water (RELAP5 to Fluent) and the wall temperature at the water side surface of the pipes (Fluent to RELAP5). The coupling technique was tested by comparing the numerical results with the experimental data recently obtained by ENEA; the numerical results predicted well the qualitative trend of the temperature and provided an overall good prediction of the temperature also from a quantitative point of view. It is worth noticing that this good performance remained reliable for all the cases simulated, proving the general applicability of the methodology

12-months prospective Pentraxin-3 and metabolomic evaluation in multiple sclerosis patients treated with glatiramer acetate

Background: Pentraxin-3 (PTX-3) is involved in acute immunological responses and it is a pro-inflammatory protein and a novel biomarker of inflammatory diseases. It is demonstrated that PTX-3 is higher in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of aggressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Metabolomics, the identification of small endogenous molecules, offers a molecular profile of MS. Glatiramer acetate (GA) is a widely used treatment for (MS) but its mechanism of action is not completely defined. The aim of our study is to analyze PTX-3 and metabolomic profile in MS patients compared to controls and to investigate the effect of GA on PXT-3 and metabolic molecules during treatment in responder and not responder MS patients. Methods: 28 unrelated MS patients and 27 age-and sex-matched controls were recruited. In serum, PTX-3 levels were measured by ELISA and Metabolomic panel was evaluated trough Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). According to clinical practice patients started GA treatment; PTX-3 and metabolomic identification were performed before and during treatment. Responders to treatment were identified if no evidence of instrumental, clinical relapses and disability progression (NEDA) occurred during follow up. Results: Serum PTX-3 levels were higher in MS patients compared to matched controls (7,85 ± 2,19 vs 6,20 ± 1,63 ng/ml) (p = 0,03); metabolomic evaluation shows higher levels of lactate and lower levels of valine, tyrosine and tryptophan in MS patients compared to controls. During therapy, PTX-3 levels have been reduced statistically significant (p = 0,001) at six months and one year of treatment. After one year, of the twenty patients that completed the study, 55% were considered fully responders to treatment; in these patients the mean reduction of PTX-3 at one year was higher respect to not responders (−3,82 ± 1,24 ng/ml vs −2,32 ± 1,03 ng/ml p = 0,02) and we observed a higher reduction of lactate, tyrosine and hypoxanthine and an increase of hydroxyproline and ADP as well as of three oxidative phosphorylation markers, citrulline, ornithine and tryptophan approaching the metabolic profile of healthy subjects. Discussion and conclusions: We demonstrated a metabolomic imbalance with mitochondrial dysfunction detected by higher levels of lactate and lower levels of tryptophan, tyrosine and valine in MS patients compared to healthy controls. The reduction of PTX-3 levels and the restoring of mitochondrial function, reducing oxidative stress by GA, allows to identify responder patients. Further and larger studies are needed to understand the predictive role of PTX-3 and metabolomic pattern in the identification of responder patients to GA

Psychometric evaluation of the heart failure somatic perception scale in a european heart failure population

Background: The Heart Failure Somatic Perception Scale (HFSPS) is a four-factor instrument used to assess how bothersome are 18 physical signs and symptoms of heart failure. To date, construct validity and reliability of the HFSPS have been evaluated in only one American study and never in a European population. Aim: To evaluate psychometric properties (validity and reliability) of the HFSPS in a European heart failure population. Methods: This was an Italian multicentre study in which the HFSPS factorial structure was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. Criterion related validity of the HFSPS was evaluated by correlating its factor scores with the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) scores using Pearson’s r. The HFSPS internal consistency reliability was evaluated using the factor score determinacy coefficient, Cronbach’s α and model-based internal consistency index. Results: Most of the participants (n=321) were male (56.6%), with a mean age of 71.48 years (SD, 12.75) and in New York Heart Association class II (61.8%). The confirmatory factor analysis, testing the original HFSPS four-factor structure (dyspnoea, chest discomfort, early and subtle, and oedema), resulted in the following supportive fit indices: χ2 (126, N=321)=337.612, p<0.001, comparative fit index =0.920, Tucker–Lewis index =0.903, root mean square error of approximation =0.072 and standardized root mean square residual =0.045. With regard to the criterion related validity, all the correlations with the KCCQ were statistically significant. The HFSPS reliability resulted in factor score determinacy coefficients ≥ 0.87 and Cronbach’s α ≥ 0.75, with the exception of the two-item chest discomfort subscale; the model-based reliability coefficient was 0.914. Conclusion: The validity and reliability of the HFSPS were supportive in this European sample. The HFSPS can be used to assess how bothersome heart failure signs and symptoms are in order to improve their management

Cu,Zn Superoxide Dismutases from Tetrahymena thermophila: Molecular Evolution and Gene Expression of the First Line of Antioxidant Defenses

In the present study, we describe the molecular and functional characterization of two Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) genes, named tt-sod1a and tt-sod1b from Tetrahymena thermophila, a free-living ciliated protozoan widely used as model organism in biological research. The cDNAs and the putative amino acid sequences were compared with Cu,Zn SODs from other Alveolata. The primary sequences of T. thermophila Cu,Zn SODs are unusually long if compared to orthologous proteins, but the catalytically important residues are almost fully conserved. Both phylogenetic and preliminary homology modeling analyses provide some indications about the evolutionary relationships between the Cu,Zn SODs of Tetrahymena and the Alveolata orthologous enzymes. Copper-dependent regulation of Cu,Zn SODs expression was investigated by measuring mRNA accumulation and enzyme activity in response to chronic exposure to non-toxic doses of the metal. Our in silico analyses of the tt-sod1a and tt-sod1b promoter regions revealed putative consensus sequences similar to half Antioxidant Responsive Elements (hARE), suggesting that the transcription of these genes directly depends on ROS formation. These data emphasize the importance of complex metal regulation of tt-sod1a and tt-sod1b activation, as components of an efficient detoxification pathway allowing the survival of T. thermophila in continued, elevated presence of metals in the environment