Current Developments of Analytical Methodologies for Aflatoxins’ Determination in Food during the Last Decade (2013–2022), with a Particular Focus on Nuts and Nut Products

This review aims to provide a clear overview of the most important analytical development in aflatoxins analysis during the last decade (2013-2022) with a particular focus on nuts and nuts-related products. Aflatoxins (AFs), a group of mycotoxins produced mainly by certain strains of the genus Aspergillus fungi, are known to impose a serious threat to human health. Indeed, AFs are considered carcinogenic to humans, group 1, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Since these toxins can be found in different food commodities, food control organizations worldwide impose maximum levels of AFs for commodities affected by this threat. Thus, they represent a cumbersome issue in terms of quality control, analytical result reliability, and economical losses. It is, therefore, mandatory for food industries to perform analysis on potentially contaminated commodities before the trade. A full perspective of the whole analytical workflow, considering each crucial step during AFs investigation, namely sampling, sample preparation, separation, and detection, will be presented to the reader, focusing on the main challenges related to the topic. A discussion will be primarily held regarding sample preparation methodologies such as partitioning, solid phase extraction (SPE), and immunoaffinity (IA) related methods. This will be followed by an overview of the leading analytical techniques for the detection of aflatoxins, in particular liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to a fluorescence detector (FLD) and/or mass spectrometry (MS). Moreover, the focus on the analytical procedure will not be specific only to traditional methodologies, such as LC, but also to new direct approaches based on imaging and the ability to detect AFs, reducing the need for sample preparation and separative techniques

Construct Validity and Responsiveness of the COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19-YRS) in a Cohort of Italian Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

Post-COVID Syndrome (PCS) is characterized by physical, psychological and cognitive symptoms with a negative impact on daily activities. This study tested the responsiveness and construct validity of the original version of the COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19-YRS) in a cohort of Italian hospitalized COVID-19 patients. This longitudinal study involved 79 hospitalized COVID-19 patients with rehabilitation needs, assessed after 12 and 26 weeks post-infection. Functional and patient-reported outcome measures were correlated with 10 items of the C19-YRS to test the construct validity, whereas distribution-based methods were used for the responsiveness over time. After 12 weeks since infection, 88.5% of patients reported fatigue, 83.3% breathlessness, 69.4% anxiety, 55.6% depression, and 44.9% pain. Moreover, 84.6% experienced reduced mobility, 75.7% had difficulties with usual activities, and 47.4% with personal care. Single items for each symptom had significant correlation (rho 0.25–0.60) with well-established scales for these symptoms. At 26 weeks, except for anxiety, all the PCS symptoms were still present but significantly reduced. The C19-YRS had moderate responsiveness for the most represented deficit reported. The C19-YRS was a valuable patient-reported outcome for screening, assessing severity, and monitoring the persistence of symptoms after 12 and 26 weeks from SARS-CoV2 infection in a cohort of Italian hospitalized patients

Performance models in the English and Italian professional soccer championships

Scored and conceded goals are important performance indices in an international cup or national professional soccer league (Lanham, 2005). These parameters concur with many others to determine the outcome of the championship (Hughes, 2004). The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between selected match parameters in the English and Italian professional soccer leagues and to compare the two performance models. Methods All the games of all the teams participating to the English Premier League and the Italian Serie A in the 2006-2007 season were considered for the analysis. The following data were collected: points; home and away scores, wins, draws, losses; scored and conceded goals in the four quarters of the match; positional role of the goalscorer; substitutions in the different quarters of the game; bookings and expulsions. For each team, peaks and minimums of scored and conceded goals during the season were estimated with 5th order moving averages, and compared with the team\u2019s seasonal mean values. Sixth order polynomial curves were used to asses the positive phases for the attack and the defense, characterized respectively by a higher scored goals trend and a lower conceded goals trend compared to the seasonal mean values. The number of positive rounds, and positive and negative periods, were considered as performance indices during the competitive season. Hierarchical cluster analyses (performed with the SPSS package) were used to classify the performance indices and the teams in the two championships. Results In the analysis of single matches three clusters are shown in the English Premier League. The first one may be defined the \u201csuccess\u201d cluster including, with decreasing importance, points, home wins, goals scored between 45\u2019 and 68\u2019, away wins, midfielders\u2019 goals, goal scored in the first and the last quarter of the game, the forwards\u2019 goals, substitutions in the last quarter. In the \u201cfailure\u201d cluster are included, in the following order: home losses, conceded goals, away losses, substitutions in the first half of the game, bookings and expulsions. Home and away draws are surprisingly linked to defenders\u2019 goals in the third cluster. The Italian Serie A model shows only two clusters, since away draws weakly link with the success cluster, while home draws with the failure. The second cluster analysis, performed on time series of the entire season, shows similar clusters between the two leagues, however with an important difference. In fact, the success in the Premier League is connected with the mean of scored goals and the sum of positive rounds of the attack, while in the analogous cluster the Italian Serie A shows the sum of positive rounds for the defense. Discussion The success in the Premier League appears especially associated with the attack\u2019s performance, while in the Italian Serie A the defense\u2019s performance seems more determinant. The cluster analysis carried out on each team enables detection of the correspondence of the team behaviour vs. the model performance of the entire league. Thus, typical and atypical clubs may be characterized. The single match performance indices may be useful to the coach from a technical and tactical perspective, while time series analyses performed on the entire season may suggest valid information for the physical training programme, differentiating between the positional roles

La GTR nei difetti di forcazione. Trattamento di molari mandibolari.

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A novel immersive virtual reality environment for the motor rehabilitation of stroke patients: A feasibility study

We designed and implemented an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment for upper limb rehabilitation, which possesses several notable features. First, by exploiting modern computer graphics its can present a variety of scenarios that make the rehabilitation routines challenging yet enjoyable for patients, thus enhancing their adherence to the therapy. Second, immersion in a virtual 3D space allows the patients to execute tasks that are closely related to everyday gestures, thus enhancing the transfer of the acquired motor skills to real-life routines. Third, in addition to the VR environment, we also developed a client app running on a PC that allows to monitor in real-time and remotely the patients’ routines thus paving the way for telerehabilitation scenarios. Here, we report the results of a feasibility study in a cohort of 16 stroke patients. All our patients showed a high degree of comfort in our immersive VR system and they reported very high scores of ownership and agency in embodiment and satisfaction questionnaires. Furthermore, and notably, we found that behavioral performances in our VR tasks correlated with the patients’ clinical scores (Fugl-Meyer scale) and they could thus be used to assess improvements during the rehabilitation program. While further studies are needed, our results clearly support the feasibility and effectiveness of VR-based motor rehabilitation processes

Single Flap Approach in combinazione a diverse tecnologie ricostruttive nel trattamento di un difetto infraosseo associato a deiscenza vestibolare.

Obiettivi: il presente lavoro illustra il trattamento di un difetto infraosseo associato a deiscenza vestibolare mediante una strategia basata su un accesso chirurgico eseguito in accordo ai principi del Single Flap Approach e un’associazione di β-fosfato tricalcico (β-TCP), fattore di crescita di derivazione piastrinica umano ricombinante (rhPDGF-BB) e una matrice tridimensionale in collagene. Materiali e Metodi: Considerata l’estensione del difetto prevalente sull’aspetto vestibolare, in accordo ai principi del Single Flap Approach è stato sollevato un lembo vestibolare a tutto spessore mantenendo intatto il tessuto palatale e interdentale. Al termine della strumentazione intra-operatoria del difetto e delle superfici radicolari, un preparato a base di β-TCP e rhPDGF-BB è stato posizionato a colmare la componente infraossea del difetto e a copertura della superficie radicolare sull’ aspetto vestibolare fino alla giunzione amelo-cementizia. Una matrice tridimensionale in collagene è stata adattata all’aspetto vestibolare di 1.3 estendendola alle zone interdentali, ed infine fissata al tessuto interdentale con delle suture interrotte. Risultati: A distanza di 8 mesi dalla chirurgia, in corrispondenza dei siti disto-vestibolare e vestibolare è stato osservato un guadagno di attacco clinico di 5 mm e una variazione della profondità di sondaggio da 6 mm a 1 mm e da 6 mm a 2 mm, rispettivamente. L’altezza della banda di tessuto cheratinizzato è stata interamente preservata, mantenendo una copertura radicolare del 100%. Conclusione: Il presente case report ha dimostrato l’efficacia clinica di un approccio basato su un accesso chirurgico eseguito in accordo ai principi del Single Flap Approach e un’associazione di β-TCP, rhPDGF-BB e una matrice tridimensionale in collagene nel trattamento di un difetto parodontale combinato (infraosseo + deiscenza)