Swelling, mechanical and barrier properties of albedo-based films prepared in the presence of phaseolin crosslinked or not by transglutaminase

Edible films were obtained from Citrus paradisi grapefruit albedo homogenates and bean protein phaseolin modified or not by the enzyme transglutaminase. Swelling capability, barrier performance to water vapor, oxygen and carbon dioxide, and mechanical properties of such films were investigated. The addition of the protein, mostly in the presence of transglutaminase, provide films less swellable at pH values above 5 compared to films made by albedo homogenates only, whereas the action of the enzyme clearly improves mechanical properties producing more stretchable and elastic films. Moreover, transglutaminase-mediated cross-linking of phaseolin gives rise to films less permeable to carbon dioxide and able to offer a high barrier to water vapor. These findings suggest that albedo-phaseolin film prepared in the presence of transglutaminase can be a promising candidate to be used as food edible wrap

Murine obscurin and Obsl1 have functionally redundant roles in sarcolemmal integrity, sarcoplasmic reticulum organization, and muscle metabolism.

Biological roles of obscurin and its close homolog Obsl1 (obscurin-like 1) have been enigmatic. While obscurin is highly expressed in striated muscles, Obsl1 is found ubiquitously. Accordingly, obscurin mutations have been linked to myopathies, whereas mutations in Obsl1 result in 3M-growth syndrome. To further study unique and redundant functions of these closely related proteins, we generated and characterized Obsl1 knockouts. Global Obsl1 knockouts are embryonically lethal. In contrast, skeletal muscle-specific Obsl1 knockouts show a benign phenotype similar to obscurin knockouts. Only deletion of both proteins and removal of their functional redundancy revealed their roles for sarcolemmal stability and sarcoplasmic reticulum organization. To gain unbiased insights into changes to the muscle proteome, we analyzed tibialis anterior and soleus muscles by mass spectrometry, uncovering additional changes to the muscle metabolism. Our analyses suggest that all obscurin protein family members play functions for muscle membrane systems

Alteration in calcium handling at the subcellular level in mdx myotubes.

In this study, we have tested the hypothesis that augmented [Ca(2+)] in subcellular regions or organelles, which are known to play a key role in cell survival, is the missing link between Ca(2+) homeostasis alterations and muscular degeneration associated with muscular dystrophy. To this end, different targeted chimeras of the Ca(2+)-sensitive photoprotein aequorin have been transiently expressed in subcellular compartments of skeletal myotubes of mdx mice, the animal model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Direct measurements of the [Ca(2+)] in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, [Ca(2+)](sr), show a higher steady state level at rest and a larger drop after KCl-induced depolarization in mdx compared with control myotubes. The peaks in [Ca(2+)] occurring in the mitochondrial matrix of mdx myotubes are significantly larger than in controls upon KCl-induced depolarization or caffeine application. The augmented response of mitochondria precedes the alterations in the Ca(2+) responses of the cytosol and of the cytoplasmic region beneath the membrane, which become significant only at a later stage of myotube differentiation. Taking into account the key role played by mitochondria Ca(2+) handling in the control of cell death, our data suggest that mitochondria are potential targets of impaired Ca(2+) homeostasis in muscular dystrophy

Raw milk from vending machines: Effects of boiling, microwave treatment, and refrigeration on microbiological quality

Abstract In Italy, the sale of raw milk from vending machines has been allowed since 2004. Boiling treatment before its use is mandatory for the consumer, because the raw milk could be an important source of foodborne pathogens. This study fits into this context with the aim to evaluate the microbiological quality of 30 raw milk samples periodically collected (March 2013 to July 2013) from 3 vending machines located in Molise, a region of southern Italy. Milk samples were stored for 72h at 4°C and then subjected to different treatments, such as boiling and microwaving, to simulate domestic handling. The results show that all the raw milk samples examined immediately after their collection were affected by high microbial loads, with values very close to or even greater than those acceptable by Italian law. The microbial populations increased during refrigeration, reaching after 72h values of about 8.0 log cfu/mL for Pseudomonas spp., 6.5 log cfu/mL for yeasts, and up to 4.0 log cfu/mL for Enterobacteriaceae . Boiling treatment, applied after 72h to refrigerated milk samples, caused complete decontamination, but negatively affected the nutritional quality of the milk, as demonstrated by a drastic reduction of whey proteins. The microwave treatment at 900 W for 75s produced microbiological decontamination similar to that of boiling, preserving the content in whey proteins of milk. The microbiological characteristics of raw milk observed in this study fully justify the obligation to boil the raw milk from vending machines before consumption. However, this study also showed that domestic boiling causes a drastic reduction in the nutritional value of milk. Microwave treatment could represent a good alternative to boiling, on the condition that the process variables are standardized for safe domestic application

Risorsa cultura: modelli internazionali di management dei beni culturali

Indice: Beni culturali e sviluppo del territorio Il ruolo della cultura nella provincia di Napoli Stoa' per il management dei beni culturali RSO ed i beni culturali Le best practice L'idea progettuale. Considerazioni preliminari. Lo study tour come strumento di formazione Partecipanti al progetto Esperti che hanno partecipato al progetto I progetti: La valorizzazione culturale del waterfront dell'area di Napoli est. Dal vetro al cristallo. Dal decentramento al coordinamento: le biblioteche comunali di Napoli. Pianificazione e controllo dell'offerta culturale. La rete delle realta' culturali... in Comune. Ecomuseo del monte Somma: l'altra faccia del Vesuvio. Siti e miti delle sirene. Santi in provincia. Rete di qualita' integrata dei servizi culturali dei comuni a nord di Napoli. Beni culturali e vantaggio competitivo territorial

Editorial

For the open call for papers of this issue 11 and 12, we invite the authors to reflect on issues, although not exclusively, in relation to gender, environment and knowledge economy, which today occupy a significant place in the social and academic agenda. Along these lines, 27 papers were presented and evaluated by a "double-blind" system, resulting in 20 articles approved for publication. This volume of articles allowed us to distribute them in two consecutive issues of the journal, 11 and 12, with 10 in each, so as not to condense as many papers in a single publication. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)Para la convocatoria abierta a presentación de artículos de este número 11 y 12, invitamos a las/os autores a reflexionar sobre temáticas, aunque no de forma excluyente, en relación a cuestiones referidas a género, ambiente y economía del conocimiento, las cuales ocupan hoy un significativo lugar en la agenda social y académica. En esa línea, se presentaron 27 trabajos que fueron evaluados por sistema “doble ciego”, lo que dio como resultado 20 artículos aprobados para su publicación. Este volumen de artículos nos permitió  distribuirlos en dos números consecutivos de la revista, el 11 y el 12, con 10 en cada uno, a fin de no condensar en una sola publicación tantos trabajos