The Relationship between Life Course Socioeconomic Conditions and Objective and Subjective Memory in Older Age.

While objective memory performance in older adults was primarily shown to be affected by education as indicator of life course socioeconomic conditions, other life course socioeconomic conditions seem to relate to subjective memory complaints. However, studies differ in which life course stages were investigated. Moreover, studies have explored these effects in an isolated way, but have not yet investigated their unique effect when considering several stages of the life course simultaneously. This study, therefore, examined the respective influence of socioeconomic conditions from childhood up to late-life on prospective memory (PM) performance as an objective indicator of everyday memory as well as on subjective memory complaints (SMC) in older age using structural equation modeling. Data came from two waves of the Vivre-Leben-Vivere aging study (n=993, Mage=80.56). The results indicate that only socioeconomic conditions in adulthood significantly predicted late-life PM performance. PM performance was also predicted by age and self-rated health. In contrast, SMC in older age were not predicted by socioeconomic conditions at any stage of the life course but were predicted by level of depression. In line with the cognitive reserve hypothesis, present results highlight the significance of education and occupation (adulthood socioeconomic conditions) for cognitive functioning in later life

Evaluation of physical and antioxidant properties of O/W emulsions based on turmeric-enriched soybean oil and carrot juice

Le emulsioni alimentari rappresentano valide strategie per arricchire la dieta con molecole bioattive. Il presente lavoro si \ue8 focalizzato sulla valutazione delle propriet\ue0 fisico-chimiche e antiossidanti di emulsioni O/A a base di olio di soia alla curcuma e succo di carota in presenza di emulsionanti e/o addensanti e/o acidulanti

Enhancing Inhibitory Control in Older Adults: A Biofeedback Study.

Multidomain interventions based on bio-/neurofeedback have proven useful in improving executive functions. The present study aimed to explore the potential efficacy and feasibility of an intervention that combined Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback (HRV-BF) and Near Infrared Hemoencephalography Neurofeedback (nirHEG-NF) on inhibitory control (IC) of healthy older adults. Thirty-four participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the biofeedback group (received a 10-week combined intervention of HRV-BF and nirHEG-NF) and the active control group (received a similar protocol without real-time biofeedback). Besides cognitive outcomes, the study examined pre- and post-changes in autonomic regulation and prefrontal blood oxygenation at rest and during training. Results revealed training-induced inhibitory control gains in one of the two interference tasks, whereas no effect was found on response inhibition. After the intervention, HRV increased in participants with the lowest levels of HRV at baseline. Although older adults increased blood oxygenation during training, no significant pre- and post-changes were found in blood flow oxygenation. These findings not only suggest that HRV-BF and nirHEG-NF potentially improve performance in certain subcomponents of inhibition (i.e., interference vs. response inhibition), but it may also be beneficial for parasympathetic activity in participants with low HRV and for increasing blood flow oxygenation on prefrontal areas during training

The cisplatin-based Pt(IV)-diclorofibrato multi-action anticancer prodrug exhibits excellent performances also under hypoxic conditions

Multi-action cisplatin-based mono- (1) and di-clofibric acid (2) Pt(IV) "combo" derivatives were synthesized via both traditional and microwave assisted procedures. The two complexes offered very good performances (IC50 values in a nanomolar range) on a panel of human tumor cell lines, including the highly chemoresistant malignant pleural mesothelioma ones. Moreover, both 1 and 2 bypass the cisplatin resistance. Indeed, cisplatin and clofibric acid, the metabolites of the Pt(IV) -> Pt(II) intracellular reduction, proved to act synergistically. The adjuvant action of clofibric acid relies on the activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha) that, in turn, decreases the level of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 alpha Both compounds induced extensive apoptosis in tumor cells, also via oxidative stress. Finally, 2 exhibited excellent performances also under the hypoxic conditions typical of solid tumors, where cisplatin is less effective

Mid-stream vs. first-voided urine collection by using automated analyzers for particle examination in healthy subjects: an Italian multicenter study.

Mid-stream vs. first-voided urine collection by using automated analyzers for particle examination in healthy subjects: an Italian multicenter study

Free to circulate: An update on the epidemiological dynamics of porcine circovirus 2 (PCV-2) in Italy reveals the role of local spreading, wild populations, and Foreign countries

Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV-2) is one of the most impactful and widespread pathogens of the modern swine industry. Unlike other DNA viruses, PCV-2 is featured by a remarkable genetic variability, which has led to the emergence and recognition of different genotypes, some of which (PCV-2a, 2b, and 2d) have alternated over time. Currently, PCV-2d is considered the most prevalent genotype, and some evidence of differential virulence and vaccine efficacy have been reported. Despite the potential practical relevance, the data on PCV-2 epidemiology in Italy are quite outdated and do not quantify the actual circulation of this genotype in Italy. In the present study, 82 complete ORF2 sequences were obtained from domestic pigs and wild boars sampled in Northern Italy in the period 2013\u20132018 and merged with those previously obtained from Italy and other countries. A combination of phylogenetic, haplotype network, and phylodynamic analyses were used to genotype the collected strains and evaluate the temporal trend and the spatial and host spread dynamics. A rising number of PCV-2d detections was observed in domestic pigs, particularly since 2013, reaching a detection frequency comparable to PCV-2b. A similar picture was observed in wild boars, although a lower sequence number was available. Overall, the present study demonstrates the extreme complexity of PCV-2 molecular epidemiology in Italy, the significant spread across different regions, the recurrent introduction from foreign countries, and the frequent occurrence of recombination events. Although a higher viral flux occurred from domestic to wild populations than vice versa, wild boars seem to maintain PCV-2 infection and spread it over relatively long distances