DIETARY EVOLUTION OVER TIME IN EUROPE, BETWEEN CYCLOPS AND PHAECIANS . AN OUTLOOK ON THE ROLE OF SUPPLY-SIDE FACTORS IN DRIVING CHANGES IN THE FOOD PATTERNS

The present study intends to shed light, both from a descriptive and investigative point of view on the dietary evolution taking place in Europe during last 45 years, using secondary data from FAO FBS, which can cover the entire time span considered and allow for several extrapolation and timeseries analysis, differently than single survey data.. After a clustering of selected european national diets, using specific metrics with respect both to internal and external variety (as measured by appropriate indicators), we intended to check the actual distance that average, national diets have in front of the so called Food Pyramid, which consists in a balance of several food items in adequate proportions and in fact glorifies the healthy virtues of the Mediterranean Diet as a reference model among food patterns. Furthermore, if several studies focussed strictly on the evolution of diet per-se, from a nutritional perspective- our purpose was to put it in context with economic and materialistic factors which could have a part in the explanation. In particular, our intention was to provide a focus on trade factor as explaining the changing diets. We tested with causality tests the hypothesis behind, in order to find relationship between economic factors and nutritional aspects. Eventually, we propose a preliminary investigation about the role of GIs (Geographic Indication food products, such as PDO) in relation to globalised food patterns. The results are interesting, and let the doors open for interpretations and further research.diets, evolution, clustering, food pyramid, Europe, trade, GI, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Health Economics and Policy, E37, Q18,

HIV-1 transcriptional silencing caused by TRIM22 inhibition of Sp1 binding to the viral promoter

Background: Intracellular defense proteins, also referred to as restriction factors, are capable of interfering with different steps of the viral life cycle. Among these, we have shown that Tripartite motif 22 (TRIM22) suppresses basal as well as phorbol ester-induced HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR)-mediated transcription, independently of its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB) binding to the U3 region and Tat interaction with the TAR region of the HIV-1 LTR. As basal HIV-1 transcription is driven by the transcription factor specificity protein 1 (Sp1), we have investigated whether TRIM22 could interfere with Sp1-driven transcriptional activation of the HIV-1 LTR. Findings: 293T cells, devoid of endogenous TRIM22 expression, were transfected with a TRIM22-expressing plasmid together with reporter plasmids driven by the HIV-1 LTR promoter either containing or lacking Sp1 binding sites or with reporter plasmids driven by non-viral promoter sequences either containing or lacking the three Sp1 binding sites from the HIV-1 LTR. These reporter assays showed that TRIM22 efficiently inhibited Sp1-driven transcription. Knocking down TRIM22 expression in the CD4+ SupT1 T cell line increased the replication of Sp1-dependent HIV-1 variants. TRIM22 did not interact with Sp1, but prevented binding of Sp1 to the HIV-1 promoter, as demonstrated in protein-DNA pull down and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Conclusion: TRIM22 acts as a suppressor of basal HIV-1 LTR-driven transcription by preventing Sp1 binding to the HIV-1 promoter

Do changes in Lactuca sativa metabolic performance, induced by mycorrhizal symbionts and leaf UV-B irradiation, play a role towards tolerance to a polyphagous insect pest?

: The increased ultraviolet radiation (UV) due to the altered stratospheric ozone leads to multiple plant physiological and biochemical adaptations, likely affecting their interaction with other organisms, such as pests and pathogens. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and UV-B treatment can be used as eco-friendly techniques to protect crops from pests by activating plant mechanisms of resistance. In this study, we investigated plant (Lactuca sativa) response to UV-B exposure and Funneliformis mosseae (IMA1) inoculation as well as the role of a major insect pest, Spodoptera littoralis. Lettuce plants exposed to UV-B were heavier and taller than non-irradiated ones. A considerable enrichment in phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin, and carotenoid contents and antioxidant capacity, along with redder and more homogenous leaf color, were also observed in UV-B-treated but not in AMF-inoculated plants. Biometric and biochemical data did not differ between AMF and non-AMF plants. AMF-inoculated plants showed hyphae, arbuscules, vesicles, and spores in their roots. AMF colonization levels were not affected by UV-B irradiation. No changes in S. littoralis-feeding behavior towards treated and untreated plants were observed, suggesting the ability of this generalist herbivore to overcome the plant chemical defenses boosted by UV-B exposure. The results of this multi-factorial study shed light on how polyphagous insect pests can cope with multiple plant physiological and biochemical adaptations following biotic and abiotic preconditioning

Clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with COVID-19 severity in patients with haematological malignancies in Italy: a retrospective, multicentre, cohort study

Several small studies on patients with COVID-19 and haematological malignancies are available showing a high mortality in this population. The Italian Hematology Alliance on COVID-19 aimed to collect data from adult patients with haematological malignancies who required hospitalisation for COVID-19

Ammoniated phyllosilicates with a likely outer Solar System origin on (1) Ceres

This article is in the 99th percentile (ranked 308th) of the 357,891 tracked articles of a similar age in all journals and the 94th percentile (ranked 54th) of the 934 tracked articles of a similar age in Nature. In the top 5% of all research outputs scored by AltmetricStudies of the dwarf planet (1) Ceres using ground-based and orbiting telescopes have concluded that its closest meteoritic analogues are the volatile-rich CI and CM carbonaceous chondrites. Water in clay minerals, ammoniated phyllosilicates, or a mixture of Mg(OH)2 (brucite), Mg2CO3 and iron-rich serpentine have all been proposed to exist on the surface. In particular, brucite has been suggested from analysis of the mid-infrared spectrum of Ceres. But the lack of spectral data across telluric absorption bands in the wavelength region 2.5 to 2.9 micrometres—where the OH stretching vibration and the H2O bending overtone are found—has precluded definitive identifications. In addition, water vapour around Ceres has recently been reported, possibly originating from localized sources. Here we report spectra of Ceres from 0.4 to 5 micrometres acquired at distances from ~82,000 to 4,300 kilometres from the surface. Our measurements indicate widespread ammoniated phyllosilicates across the surface, but no detectable water ice. Ammonia, accreted either as organic matter or as ice, may have reacted with phyllosilicates on Ceres during differentiation. This suggests that material from the outer Solar System was incorporated into Ceres, either during its formation at great heliocentric distance or by incorporation of material transported into the main asteroid belt. <P /

Off-label long acting injectable antipsychotics in real-world clinical practice: a cross-sectional analysis of prescriptive patterns from the STAR Network DEPOT study

Introduction Information on the off-label use of Long-Acting Injectable (LAI) antipsychotics in the real world is lacking. In this study, we aimed to identify the sociodemographic and clinical features of patients treated with on- vs off-label LAIs and predictors of off-label First- or Second-Generation Antipsychotic (FGA vs. SGA) LAI choice in everyday clinical practice. Method In a naturalistic national cohort of 449 patients who initiated LAI treatment in the STAR Network Depot Study, two groups were identified based on off- or on-label prescriptions. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to test several clinically relevant variables and identify those associated with the choice of FGA vs SGA prescription in the off-label group. Results SGA LAIs were more commonly prescribed in everyday practice, without significant differences in their on- and off-label use. Approximately 1 in 4 patients received an off-label prescription. In the off-label group, the most frequent diagnoses were bipolar disorder (67.5%) or any personality disorder (23.7%). FGA vs SGA LAI choice was significantly associated with BPRS thought disorder (OR = 1.22, CI95% 1.04 to 1.43, p = 0.015) and hostility/suspiciousness (OR = 0.83, CI95% 0.71 to 0.97, p = 0.017) dimensions. The likelihood of receiving an SGA LAI grew steadily with the increase of the BPRS thought disturbance score. Conversely, a preference towards prescribing an FGA was observed with higher scores at the BPRS hostility/suspiciousness subscale. Conclusion Our study is the first to identify predictors of FGA vs SGA choice in patients treated with off-label LAI antipsychotics. Demographic characteristics, i.e. age, sex, and substance/alcohol use co-morbidities did not appear to influence the choice towards FGAs or SGAs. Despite a lack of evidence, clinicians tend to favour FGA over SGA LAIs in bipolar or personality disorder patients with relevant hostility. Further research is needed to evaluate treatment adherence and clinical effectiveness of these prescriptive patterns

The Role of Attitudes Toward Medication and Treatment Adherence in the Clinical Response to LAIs: Findings From the STAR Network Depot Study

Background: Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics are efficacious in managing psychotic symptoms in people affected by severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The present study aimed to investigate whether attitude toward treatment and treatment adherence represent predictors of symptoms changes over time. Methods: The STAR Network \u201cDepot Study\u201d was a naturalistic, multicenter, observational, prospective study that enrolled people initiating a LAI without restrictions on diagnosis, clinical severity or setting. Participants from 32 Italian centers were assessed at three time points: baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up. Psychopathological symptoms, attitude toward medication and treatment adherence were measured using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI-10) and the Kemp's 7-point scale, respectively. Linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate whether attitude toward medication and treatment adherence independently predicted symptoms changes over time. Analyses were conducted on the overall sample and then stratified according to the baseline severity (BPRS &lt; 41 or BPRS 65 41). Results: We included 461 participants of which 276 were males. The majority of participants had received a primary diagnosis of a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (71.80%) and initiated a treatment with a second-generation LAI (69.63%). BPRS, DAI-10, and Kemp's scale scores improved over time. Six linear regressions\u2014conducted considering the outcome and predictors at baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up independently\u2014showed that both DAI-10 and Kemp's scale negatively associated with BPRS scores at the three considered time points. Linear mixed-effects models conducted on the overall sample did not show any significant association between attitude toward medication or treatment adherence and changes in psychiatric symptoms over time. However, after stratification according to baseline severity, we found that both DAI-10 and Kemp's scale negatively predicted changes in BPRS scores at 12-month follow-up regardless of baseline severity. The association at 6-month follow-up was confirmed only in the group with moderate or severe symptoms at baseline. Conclusion: Our findings corroborate the importance of improving the quality of relationship between clinicians and patients. Shared decision making and thorough discussions about benefits and side effects may improve the outcome in patients with severe mental disorders

DIETARY EVOLUTION OVER TIME IN EUROPE, BETWEEN CYCLOPS AND PHAECIANS . AN OUTLOOK ON THE ROLE OF SUPPLY-SIDE FACTORS IN DRIVING CHANGES IN THE FOOD PATTERNS

The present study intends to shed light, both from a descriptive and investigative point of view on the dietary evolution taking place in Europe during last 45 years, using secondary data from FAO FBS, which can cover the entire time span considered and allow for several extrapolation and timeseries analysis, differently than single survey data.. After a clustering of selected european national diets, using specific metrics with respect both to internal and external variety (as measured by appropriate indicators), we intended to check the actual distance that average, national diets have in front of the so called Food Pyramid, which consists in a balance of several food items in adequate proportions and in fact glorifies the healthy virtues of the Mediterranean Diet as a reference model among food patterns. Furthermore, if several studies focussed strictly on the evolution of diet per-se, from a nutritional perspective- our purpose was to put it in context with economic and materialistic factors which could have a part in the explanation. In particular, our intention was to provide a focus on trade factor as explaining the changing diets. We tested with causality tests the hypothesis behind, in order to find relationship between economic factors and nutritional aspects. Eventually, we propose a preliminary investigation about the role of GIs (Geographic Indication food products, such as PDO) in relation to globalised food patterns. The results are interesting, and let the doors open for interpretations and further research

The Role of Physical Activity for the Management of Sarcopenia in People Living with HIV

Sarcopenia is a physiopathological process associated with aging, caused by reduction of muscle strength, muscle quality and physical performance, and associated with an increased risk of falls, physical disability and premature death. There is no effective treatment for sarcopenia, but physical exercise seems to be highly effective at counteracting the decline in muscle mass and strength associated with aging. Recently, sarcopenia has been recognized as an emerging issue in people living with HIV (PLWH). Despite adequate treatment with combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), PLWH may exhibit an early occurrence of some aging-related conditions, including sarcopenia, frailty and falls, and this is likely resulting from high rates of comorbidities, high-risk behaviours, chronic immune activation and cART-specific factors. In this review, we discuss the potential mechanisms and the clinical relevance of sarcopenia in PLWH, and present data from longitudinal studies of physical activity in this population. Despite none of these studies having specifically addressed the benefits of physical exercise on sarcopenia, there is evidence that exercise is effective to increase aerobic capacity and muscle strength, and to improve body composition and inflammatory outcomes in PLWH. Therefore, the expected benefits of physical exercise are likely to translate into a successful and specific intervention for prevention and treatment of sarcopenia in this population