Study of the chemical and nutritional characteristics of commercial dog foods used as elimination diet for the diagnosis of canine food allergy

"Hypoallergenic" pet foods are commercial dietary products for dogs and cats used as elimination diets for the diagnosis of adverse food reactions. Aim of this study was to compare chemical and nutritional characteristics of this kind of dog foods with regular maintenance diets. Twenty-nine dry pet foods (pellets) were collected and divided into classes on the basis of the type (H: hypoallergenic; R: regular), source of fat (with or without fish oil) and source of protein (with or without fish protein) used in their composition. Labels of the H pet foods identified 8 products (44%) with one protein in their formula, suggesting that only few commercial manufacturers concern about the number of protein sources included in their products. Samples of the two groups showed different chemical profiles with lower levels of protein, gross energy, phosphorus and better fatty acid profile (expressed as % of total fatty acids) for H products in comparison to R foods: PUFA, 38.91 vs 24.03, P<0.01; ω3, 5.70 vs 2.58, P<0.01; ω6, 33.22 vs 21.63, P<0.01; DHA, 2.85 vs 0.16, P<0.05; CLA, 0.24 vs 0.08, P<0.05, for H and R respectively. This study suggests that the differences observed in the fatty acids composition may be attributed to fish proteins addition, but not to fish oil, in H pet foods production

Primary antiphospholipid syndrome during aromatase inhibitors therapy: A case report and review of the literature

RATIONALE: Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are a class of drugs widely used in the treatment of estrogen sensitive breast and ovarian cancer which convert testosterone to estradiol and androstenedione to estrogen. The AIs of third generation, including anastrazole, letrozole and exemestane, have actually become the standard of care of estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer in menopausal women and are recommended as adjuvant treatment after surgery in place of/or following tamoxifen. Their main side-effects include reduction in bone mineral density, occurrence of menopausal manifestations and development of musculoskeletal symptoms which are, usually, transient, but sometimes evolve into a typical form of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recently, a pathogenic linkage with other autoimmunity diseases, such as Sjogren syndrome (SjS), anti-synthetase antibody syndrome (ASAS), systemic sclerosis (SS) and subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE), was also described. PATIENT CONCERNS: Here, we report the first case of a patient with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) developed during treatment with anastrazole. DIAGNOSIS: The patient developed a sudden onset of speech disturbance and disorientation, due to ischemic lesions, after 6 months of AIs therapy and the laboratory examination showed the positivity of anti-Cardiolipin antibodies, anti-\u3b22 Glycoprotein 1 antibodies and Lupus Anticoagulant, so a certain diagnosis of APS was achieved. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was treated with warfarin associated to hydroxychloroquine and monthly cycles of low doses intravenous immunoglobulins. OUTCOMES: A good control of the disease was obtained despite the continuation of anastrazole; the patient's clinical and laboratory situation remained not modified after AIs withdrawal. LESSONS: We discussed the possible role of anastrazole treatment in inducing APS in our patient, reporting the available literature data about the association between AIs treatment and autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, we analyzed the mechanism of action of estrogens in the pathophysiology of autoimmune rheumatic disorder

AUTHENTICATION OF WILD AND REARED SEA BASS BY INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY NIRs (NEAR INFRARED REFLECTANCE SPECTROSCOPY)

The aim of this study was to evaluate NIRs (Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy) performances in the prediction of Farmed vs.Wild production method in European sea bass. Samples collected (n=39) were submitted to analysis in order to assess chemical composition and fatty acids profile of fillets. Aliquots of wet and ground freeze-dried minced samples were scanned in duplicates (1100 to 2498 nm; 2 nm intervals) in reflectance mode using a monochromator NIRsystem 5000. NIRs technique showed a satisfactory accurateness in predicting Protein, Lipids and Fatty acids profile in raw samples. Sample lyophilisation increased some predicting values (r2: coefficient of determination on cross-validation range from 0,671 to 0,992; SECV: standard error of cross-validation range from 0,864 to 2,981). Results showed that NIRs technique was able to discriminate between Wild (94,7% samples recognized) and Farmed (100% samples recognized) using wet muscles, and 100% for both classes on ground freeze-dried fillet

Influence of Ageing Time and Method on Beef Quality and Safety

The effectiveness of dry ageing with regard to retaining meat quality is still subject to debate. At 4 d post mortem, samples of boneless strip loins were excised from young Charolais carcasses and then stored for a further 26 d in a cooler, either vacuum-packaged (VP) or dried-aged (DA). Loin samples were also dissected 7 d post mortem as a control treatment (CT). Chemical, instrumental and microbiological data (n = 18) were determined in longissimus dorsi and underwent ANOVA to estimate the differences in the ageing fixed factor split into two orthogonal contrasts: control vs. aged and VP vs. DA. Ageing loss (both surface dehydration and water purge) was greater in DA compared to VP samples, resulting in the lowest moisture content and highest crude protein and fat percentage in DA loins. The ageing method did not affect meat surface colour, except for redness, which had the lowest value in DA samples. Meat tenderness improved a similar amount following both VP and DA ageing treatments. Compared to the control, prolonged ageing raised both the peroxide value and the total microbial count, especially in DA samples, though both remained within the recommended limits. In summation, both ageing methods improved beef meat tenderisation, preserving its shelf life

ALPINE FARM SCALE INVESTIGATIONS OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PRODUCTIVE SYSTEM AND QUALITY OF DAIRY PRODUCTS

Alpine dairy farming is shifted from an extensive activity based on pasture and low genetic merit cow to an intensive system with specialized breeds and increasing level of concentrate as a supplement in the diet. As a main consequence, a lower echo-compatibility could determine adverse externalities on environment and quality of dairy products. Considering 18 dairy farming located in the mountain area of Veneto Region (Italy), the Environmental Summarizing Indicator (ESI) was estimated by using agronomic and dairying variables. Results indicated that variability of ESI was manly due to productive performance of dairy cows probably because there was a lack of information in the assessment of pasture characteristics. However, higher level of ESI were closely related to the increase of N-phile species and/or less attractive vegetation for grazing cows, even if the indicator seems to explain only a limited part of the variability of the phenomenon. The increase of ESI values seemed to lead to a loss of nutritive value of milk because of the incidence of health favourable fatty acids was reduced

One-year follow-up of mud-bath therapy in patients with bilateral knee osteoarthritis: a randomized, single-blind controlled trial

The objective of this prospective parallel randomized single-blind study was to assess that a cycle of mud-bath therapy (MBT) provides any benefits over usual treatment in patients with bilateral knee osteoarthritis (OA). Patients with symptomatic primary bilateral knee OA, according to ACR criteria, were included in the study and randomized to one of two groups: one group received a cycle of MBT at spa center of Chianciano Terme (Italy) in addition to the usual treatment, and one group continued their regular care routine alone. Clinical assessments were performed 7\ufffddays before enrollment (screening visit), at the time of enrollment (basal time), after 2\ufffdweeks, and after 3, 6, 9, and 12\ufffdmonths after the beginning of the study. All assessments were conducted by two researchers blinded to treatment allocation. The primary efficacy outcomes were the global pain score evaluated by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) subscore for physical function (W-TPFS). Of the 235 patients screened, 103 met the inclusion criteria: 53 patients were included in the MBT group and 50 in the control group. In the group of patients treated with MBT, we observed a statistically significant (p\ufffd<\ufffd0.001) reduction of VAS and W-TPFS score at the end of the treatment; this improvement was significant (p\ufffd<\ufffd0.05) also at 3\ufffdmonths of follow-up. The control group did not show significant differences between baseline time and all other times. The differences between one group were significant for both primary parameters already from the 15th day and persisted up to the 9th month. This beneficial effect was confirmed by the significant reduction of symptomatic drug consumption. Tolerability of MBT seemed to be good, with light and transitory side effects. Our results confirm that a cycle of MBT added to usual treatment provides a beneficial effect on the painful symptoms and functional capacities in patients with knee OA that lasts over time. Mud-bath therapy can represent a useful backup to pharmacologic treatment of knee OA or a valid alternative for patients who do not tolerate pharmacological treatments

Bradykinin and its role in osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common joint disorder, is a disease involving all the articular structures. It presents both degenerative and inflammatory aspects. Recently, the important role of Bradykinin (BK), a phlogistic mediator, has been proposed in the pathophysiology of OA. In our review, we summarized the currently available information on the mechanisms of action of BK in OA by linking its B2 receptors. Then, we analyzed the data about the effects of BK in synoviocytes and chondrocytes cultures. Furthermore, we described the action of B2 receptor antagonists (Icatibant and Fasitibant), presenting them as new promising symptom-anddisease- modifying agents in the treatment of OA. However, more in vitro, animal model and clinical studies, are needed to better understand the mechanisms of action as well as the efficacy and tolerability of the B2 receptor antagonists in OA

A 400 Hz, 100 kVA, digitally controlled UPS for airport installations

Abstract -The paper describes analysis, design and prototyping in reduced scale of a digitally controlled inverter for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) applications. The converter is rated for 100 kVA nominal power and 400 Hz, three-phase, 220 V sinusoidal output voltage. The final equipment is meant to be installed in airport docks and used as the aircraft&apos;s electrical power supply during refuelling and loading operations. It will be manufactured with different power ratings ranging from 30 to 300 kVA. The power converter and digital control circuits are devised to provide rated voltage and frequency with a fairly low output impedance, so as to keep the voltage total harmonic distortion (THD) small even in the presence of highly distorting loads. Simulation results for the rated converter and experimental results from a scaled (5 kVA) prototype are given, which illustrate the expected converter performance

Discriminant analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloid contamination in bee pollen based on near-infrared data from lab-stationary and portable spectrometers

Bee pollen may be contaminated with pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and their N-oxides (PANOs), which are mainly detected by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC\u2013MS/MS), even though the use of fast near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is an ongoing alternative. Therefore, the main challenge of this study was to assess the feasibility of both a lab-stationary (Foss) and a portable (Polispec) NIR spectrometer in 60 dehydrated bee pollen samples. After an ANOVA-feature selection of the most informative NIR spectral data, canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) was performed to distinguish three quantitative PA/PANO classes (\ub5g/kg): 400, high. According to the LC\u2013MS/MS analysis, 77% of the samples were contaminated with PAs/PANOs and the sum content of the 17 target analytes was higher than 400\ua0\ub5g/kg in 28% of the samples. CDA was carried out on a pool of 18 (Foss) and 22 (Polispec) selected spectral variables and allowed accurate classification of samples from the low class as confirmed by the high values of Matthews correlation coefficient ( 65 0.91) for both NIR spectrometers. Leave-one-out cross-validation highlighted precise recognition of samples characterised by a high PA/PANO content with a low misclassification rate (0.02) as false negatives. The most informative wavelengths were within the 2400\ua0nm regions for Foss and > 1500\ua0nm for Polispec that could be associated with cyclic amines, and epoxide chemical structures of PAs/PANOs. In sum, both lab-stationary and portable NIR systems are reliable and fast techniques for detecting PA/PANO contamination in bee pollen

A combination of celecoxib and glucosamine sulfate has anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects: results from an in vitro study on human osteoarthritic chondrocytes

This study investigated the possible anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects of a combination of celecoxib and prescription-grade glucosamine sulfate (GS) in human osteoarthritic (OA) chondrocytes and their possible mechanism of action. Chondrocytes were treated with celecoxib (1.85 M) and GS (9 M), alone or in combination with IL-1b (10 ng/mL) and a specific nuclear factor (NF)- B inhibitor (BAY-11-7082, 1 M). Gene expression and release of some pro-inflammatory mediators, metalloproteinases (MMPs), and type II collagen (Col2a1) were evaluated by qRT-PCR and ELISA; apoptosis and mitochondrial superoxide anion production were assessed by cytometry; B-cell lymphoma (BCL)2, antioxidant enzymes, and p50 and p65 NF- B subunits were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Celecoxib and GS alone or co-incubated with IL-1b significantly reduced expression and release of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, prostaglandin (PG)E2, IL-1b, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a, and MMPs, while it increased Col2a1, compared to baseline or IL-1b. Both drugs reduced apoptosis and superoxide production; reduced the expression of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and nuclear factor erythroid; increased BCL2; and limited p50 and p65. Celecoxib and GS combination demonstrated an increased inhibitory effect on IL-1b than that observed by each single treatment. Drugs effects were potentiated by pre-incubation with BAY-11-7082. Our results demonstrated the synergistic effect of celecoxib and GS on OA chondrocyte metabolism, apoptosis, and oxidative stress through the modulation of the NF- B pathway, supporting their combined use for the treatment of OA