Do Consumers Want More Nutritional and Health Information on Wine Labels? Insights from the EU and USA

The global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol launched in 2010 by the World Health Organization includes, amongst several areas of recommended actions, providing consumer information about, and labelling, alcoholic beverages to indicate alcohol-related harm. Labelling requirements worldwide for alcoholic drinks are currently quite diverse and somewhat limited compared to labelling on food products and on tobacco. In this context, the current paper contributes to the academic and political debate on the inclusion of nutritional and health information on wine labelling, providing some insights into consumer interest in, and preferences for, such information in four core wine-producing and -consuming countries: Italy, France, Spain, and the United States of America. A rating-based conjoint analysis was performed in order to ascertain consumer preferences for different formats of additional information on wine labels, and a segmentation of the sample was performed to determine the existence of homogeneous groups of consumers in relation to the degrees of usefulness attached to the nutritional and health information on wine labels. Our results highlight the interest expressed by European and United States consumers for introducing nutrition and health information on wine labels. However, the results of conjoint analysis show some signi\ufb01cant differences among stated preferences of the information delivery modes in different countries. In addition, segmentation analysis reveal the existence of signi\ufb01cant differences between consumer groups with respect to their interest in receiving additional information on wine labels. These differences are not only linked to the geographic origin of the consumers, or to socio-demographic variables, but are also related to wine consumption habits, attitudes towards nutritional information, and the degree of involvement with wine. This heterogeneity of consumer preferences indicates a need for a careful consideration of wine labelling regulations and merits further investigation in order to identify labelling guidelines in terms of the message content and presentation method to be used

Enzymatic Activity Preservation through Entrapment within Degradable Hydrogel Networks

This dissertation aimed to design and develop a "biogel;" a reproducible, abiotic, and biocompatible polymer hydrogel matrix, that prolongs enzymatic stability allowing for rapid production of biomolecules. The researched entrapment method preserves enzyme activity within an amicable environment while resisting activity reduction in the presence of increased pH environmental challenges. These biogels can be used in a number of applications including repeated production of small molecules and in biosensors. Five main objectives were accomplished: 1) Biogels capable of maintaining enzymatic functionality post-entrapment procedures were fabricated; 2) Biogel activity dependence on crosslinker type and crosslink density was determined; 3) Biogel composition effects on sustained activity after storage were compared; 4) Biogel activity dependence on charged monomer moieties was evaluated, and 5) Combined optimization knowledge gained from the first four objectives was utilized to determine the protection of enzymes within hydrogels when challenged with an increased pH above 8. Biogels were fabricated by entrapping beta-galactosidase (lactase) enzyme within acrylamide (ACR) gels crosslinked with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA, degradable through hydrolysis) or N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS, non-degradable). Initial hydrogel entrapment reduced activity to 40% in ACR/PEGDA gels, compared to a 75% reduction in initial activity of ACR/BIS biogels. Once entrapped, these enzymes resist activity reduction in the presence of environmental challenges, such as altering the pH from 7 to above 8. When biogels were challenged at a pH of 8, activity retention positively correlated to PEGDA crosslinker density; increasing from 48% to 91% retention in 30 to 40 mole % PEGDA biogels as compared to solution based control which retained only 23%. Retention of activity when perturbed from pH 7 is advantageous for biogel applications including the repeated production of desired small molecules and biosensors. Biogels with positive or negative monomer moiety functionalities were also investigated to increase enzyme-matrix interactions and enzyme stability. The researched entrapment method illustrates the potential to sterically hinder and diffusively impede enzymes from performing their function, potentially enabling the reactivation of the enzyme at a site and time dictated by the user by degrading the crosslinks of the network

Sustainable winegrowing: current perspectives

Angela Mariani,1 Antonella Vastola2 1Department of Economic and Legal Studies, University Parthenope, Naples, 2School of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy Abstract: The winegrowing sector worldwide is strongly committed to improving environmental and social sustainability. The aim of this work, based on a literature review, is to highlight current sustainability perspectives and the related main issues. There is a broad consensus that the challenge to achieve a greater spread of sustainable practices is to enhance environmental and social sustainability while maintaining economic viability. From the producers' point of view, the priority is to bridge the still substantial knowledge gaps in terms of perceived environmental benefits, economic benefits, and costs. Thus, an increased research effort focusing on the costs and benefits of different winegrowing practices and technical assistance with implementation might support their diffusion. Moreover, targeted marketing strategies are needed to: enhance consumers' involvement and their attitude toward sustainable wine; improve understanding and use of sustainable labels and claims; and raise awareness of some environmental credentials of wine packaging, mainly with reference to lightweight glass bottles. Keywords: winegrower, sustainability, wine, consumer, marketing strategie

Design of Material Flow and Tracking System for Supply Chain and Logistics: E. & J. Gallo Winery – Modesto Campus

E. & J. Gallo is a winemaking company located in Modesto, California. Our group was assigned to measure and analyze E. & J. Gallo’s current state process for their 5-Buggies (transportation trailers) to find key areas of inefficiency. After analyzing their current state process, we designed a more efficient flow of materials for the 5-Buggy system within the Automatic Train Loading (ATL) station and found an optimal solution for tracking the 5-Buggies on the Modesto campus. Our project started with preliminary research on fleet management, material management systems, and tracking methodologies. Once these areas of research were fully understood, our project team was able to start creating a current state simulation to accurately visualize the flow of materials through the ATL. Gallo’s concerns were confirmed as the simulation showed a bottleneck of pallets of material at the ATL with a starved 5- Buggy flow. After analyzing the current state model, our group designed some potential solutions to test within the simulation. The group tested four different options; to synchronize the 5-Buggies in the queue, add an extra tractor in the system, add an extra automatic guided vehicle, or do nothing. Synchronizing the 5- Buggies in the queue yielded the best results from running experiments in the simulation. By redesigning this process, Gallo would try to maintain four to six 5-Buggies in the queue at all times. There would need to be monitors placed in key locations so all necessary departments can visually see when the queue is getting low. After researching various fleet management tracking methodologies our project team focused on four potential solutions: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Wireless Sensor Network, Wi-Fi Real Time Location System (RTLS), and a Global Positioning System (GPS). Our team performed analyses on cost estimates of each of the systems, and also compared other key factors such as accuracy and ease of use. It was found that GPS was the optimal system to fit Gallo’s needs. The cost was significantly lower than all other options, while still maintaining good accuracy and being easy to use. The total cost to implement the system is $40,159 with an annual maintenance and replacement cost of$5,580. Gallo has a cost of downtime for the ATL as $2,000 per hour; Gallo would only need to experience 20.08 hours of downtime to payback the cost of the system. This gave a return on investment of 249%, which meets Gallo’s requirement of a 15% return on investment for a successful project

La "similarità" delle categorie merceologiche dei flussi di esportazioni e di importazioni di prodotti alimentari nell'ambito dell'Unione Europea

L’articolo pone l’attenzione sul confronto dei flussi delle importazioni e delle esportazioni agro-industriali di Italia e Francia, due paesi mediterranei che hanno un interscambio intenso. La Francia è, infatti, il principale paese europeo fornitore dell’Italia e rappresenta il secondo mercato di sbocco per le produzioni agro-industriali italiane. Il lavoro propone due livelli di analisi. Nel primo livello si valutano, sulla base dell’elaborazione di dati EUROSTAT espressi in valori (euro), le caratteristiche dei flussi commerciali in entrata e in uscita dall’Italia e dalla Francia da e verso gli altri paesi dell’UE-27. Nel secondo livello, invece, l’idea è quella di stimare il grado di “similarità” dei beni scambiati sotto il profilo merceologico e di valutare in quale misura le relazioni tra i due partner siano improntate, da un lato, alla concorrenza, dall’altro alla complementarietà. L’analisi della similarità dal lato delle importazioni e delle esportazioni di prodotti agro-industriali scambiati dall’Italia e dalla Francia con l’area commerciale europea si basa su tre categorie di indici. La prima categoria degli indici di somiglianza e di specializzazione (saldo normalizzato, indice di somiglianza della struttura delle importazioni e delle esportazioni, indice di somiglianza dei prodotti dal lato delle importazioni e delle esportazioni) permette di esaminare il grado di “similarità”, di specializzazione e il trend evolutivo dei rapporti commerciali delle aree di scambio considerate. La seconda categoria di indici (Finger-Kreinen e Hirschmann) misura, invece, il cambiamento strutturale dei pattern commerciali, nell’intervallo temporale 1999-2006. Infine, l’ultima categoria (indice di Balassa sulle importazioni e sulle esportazioni) fornisce informazioni circa i vantaggi comparati rilevati dell’Italia e della Francia nell’interscambio con il mercato europeo.Q17,

Sustainability of Italian families' food practices: Mediterranean diet adherence combined with organic and local food consumption

The present research intends to contribute to the literature on sustainable food consumption by investigating the present-day dietary patterns of Italian households to assess the degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet together with the level of organic and local food consumption. The analysis is based on data from the Italian National Institute of Statistics survey “Aspects of Daily Life” for the year 2014; this is a Multipurpose Survey conducted in Italy with 44,984 individuals across 18,864 households. A Heckman two-step probit model was implemented to estimate equations to assess the impact of Italian household composition and adherence to the Mediterranean diet upon organic and local food consumption. The study's findings show that both those households with children and those with a higher degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet have higher probabilities of buying both organic and local products, while increasing household size reduces the likelihood of buying local products. Furthermore, good economic status and a higher level of education increase the probability of consuming organic food. Some of the differences highlighted are of low amplitude; however, these results offer novel and original insights for Italy and support the need to for both policy makers and marketers to implement a wide range of initiatives aimed at educating consumers about, and facilitating access to sustainable food products

Health warnings on wine labels: a discrete choice analysis of Italian and French Generation Y consumers

This paper aims to analyse Generation Y consumers' preferences for, interest in and attitudes towards different formats of health warnings on wine labels in two countries with different legal approaches: France and Italy. A Discrete Choice Experiment was realized on a sample of 500 wine consumers. Three warning options were applied: the long-term effect of drinking (brain damage); a short-term effect (car crash) and no warning option. Four attributes composed the choice set: alcohol content; framing of warning statement; warning size and position. Findings reveal that both the general degree of attention to the label and the level of visibility of the warnings are low, as are their effectiveness in changing consumption. Generation Y tend to prefer the ''no logo option'', short-term effects warnings and a small logo posted on the back label with neutrally framed messages. Results also show some significant differences among preferences in France and Italy, providing inputs to the ongoing debate in the EU on mandatory labelling. Although findings are subject to limitations related to the use of self-reported questionnaire and prone to social-desirability bias, practical implications are clear for private companies interested in implementing marketing strategies focused on enhancing the efficacy and readability of labels. Keywords: Health warning, Wine labelling, Discrete Choice Experimen

Targeting CDK6 and BCL2 Exploits the MYB Addiction of Ph+ Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Philadelphia chromosome–positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Phþ ALL) is currently treated with BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in combination with chemotherapy. However, most patients develop resistance to TKI through BCR-ABL1–dependent and –independent mechanisms. Newly developed TKI can target Phþ ALL cells with BCR-ABL1–dependent resistance; however, overcoming BCR-ABL1–independent mechanisms of resistance remains challenging because transcription factors, which are difficult to inhibit, are often involved. We show here that (i) the growth of Phþ ALL cell lines and primary cells is highly dependent on MYB-mediated transcriptional upregulation of CDK6, cyclin D3, and BCL2, and (ii) restoring their expression in MYB-silenced Phþ ALL cells rescues their impaired proliferation and survival. Levels of MYB and CDK6 were highly correlated in adult Phþ ALL (P ¼ 0.00008). Moreover, Phþ ALL cells exhibited a specific requirement for CDK6 but not CDK4 expression, most likely because, in these cells, CDK6 was predominantly localized in the nucleus, whereas CDK4 was almost exclusively cytoplasmic. Consistent with their essential role in Phþ ALL, pharmacologic inhibition of CDK6 and BCL2 markedly suppressed proliferation, colony formation, and survival of Phþ ALL cells ex vivo and in mice. In summary, these findings provide a proof-of-principle, rational strategy to target the MYB addiction of Phþ ALL. © 2017 American Association for Cancer Research

Similar rate of return to sports activity between posterior-stabilised and cruciate-retaining primary total knee arthroplasty in young and active patient

PURPOSE Cruciate-retaining and posterior-stabilised implant designs are available for primary total knee arthroplasty. However, whether the implant design is associated with a difference in the level of activity still remains unclear. This clinical trial compared posterior-stabilised and cruciate-retaining implants in sport-related patient-reported outcome measures, range of motion, rate of return to sport, and weekly time dedicated to sport in active adults. It was also hypothesised that in young and active patients both implants lead to a similar rate of return to sport in terms of hours per week, type of sport, and joint mobility. METHODS All patients were evaluated preoperatively and for a minimum of 36 months follow-up. The University of California Los Angeles activity scores, High-Activity Arthroplasty Score, and Visual Analogue Scale were administered preoperatively and at the last follow-up. The range of motion was investigated at admission and the last follow-up. Data concerning the hours per week dedicated to sports and the type of sport practiced were also collected at admission and at the last follow-up. The Kaplan-Meier Curve was performed to compare implant survivorship. RESULTS Data from 227 procedures (cruciate-retaining: 109, posterior-stabilised: 118) were prospectively collected. At the last follow-up, no difference was reported in The University of California Los Angeles activity scores (p = 0.6), High-Activity Arthroplasty Score (p = 0.1), Visual Analogue Scale (p = 0.9), flexion (p = 0.7) and extension (p = 0.4). No difference was found in the rate of return (p = 0.1) and weekly hours dedicated to sport (p = 0.3). The Kaplan-Meier curve evidenced no statistically significant difference in implant survivorship (p = 0.6). CONCLUSIONS At approximately five years of follow-up, no difference was reported between cruciate-retaining and posterior-stabilised implants in active adults in sport-related patient-reported outcomes measures, range of motion, pain, weekly time dedicated to sport, rate of return to sport, and implant survivorship. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level II, prospective study

Ions and water transmembrane transport in nervous and testicular cultured cells in low gravity conditions

Aim of the present study was to investigate on the possible alter- ations induced by on ground modeled microgravity on ion-water transport proteins at cellular level. For the purpose we used astrocytes, C6 line, neurons (NT2 line from human teratocarci- noma) and testicular cells (germ cells, Sertoli cells, and Leydig cells; primary cultures from trypsinised prepuberal pig testes). Modeled microgravity was achieved by a desktop 3D Random Positioning Machine, cultures were kept rotating for 30’, 1h and 24h. After 30’, immunopositivity for the antibodies to Na+/K+ATPase and Na+/K+/Cl- co-transporters was greatly diminished, the plasma membrane appeared to be altered, and the mitochondria inner cristae were disrupted. Immunostaining to the antibody to the water channel aquaporin 4 was very bright. After 1h at random rotation immunostaining for the heat shock protein Hsp27 was visible, After 24h, immunostaining for the ion transport proteins was again like that of the controls,plasma membrane and the mitochondria were again normal. Immunostaining for aquaporin 4 become again similar to that of the controls. We conclude that low gravity induces only tran- sient alterations in the cell’s transmembrane ion-water trans- port: the cells are able to adapt to the gravity vector changes in few hours