Effect of probiotic inocula on the population density of lactic acid bacteria and enteric pathogens in the intestine of weaning piglets

Because antibiotic resistance occurs in bacteria at an alarming rate, significant research has been focused on finding alternative treatments which do not involve the use of antibiotics. The promotion of beneficial gut bacteria can increase the resistance of animals to possible intestinal infections. Probiotics can be administered to humans or animals, offering preventive benefits of protecting the host from various types of intestinal diseases, providing positive effects on digestive processes and stimulating influence on the growth of organism, strengthening the barrier function of the gut microbiota and/or non-specific enhancement of the immune system. A study was designed to screen potential probiotic Bifidobacterium spp. strains with the ability to multiply in the intestine of weaned piglets and then to assess their health promoting effects when challenged with two enteric pathogens. Three series of trials were conducted with 60 weaning pigs fed one of 12 different Bifidobacterium spp. strains either once or twice a day. The most effective probiotic treatment (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, strain Ra 18, at a dose of 1011cfu twice a day) was then challenged in two series of experiments with the enteric pathogens, Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium and E. coli K88. Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strain Ra 18 significantly increased (p<0.01) the number of viable bifidobacteria in the cecum contents. When it was challenged with Salmonella, Ra 18 reduced excretion of this pathogen with the faeces. On the whole, supplementation with Ra 18 had a positive effect on the growth performance of pigs except after challenge with E. coli K88 where pigs susceptible to ETEC adhesion were lighter than pigs not susceptible

Chapter Leveraging Internet-of-Things to Support Circular Economy Paradigm in Manufacturing Industry

Circular economy represents a fundamental alternative to the currently predominating linear economy model, while Industry 4.0 is a technological enabler to bring process innovation in the industrial domain. New economic models are needed in order to reduce material inputs and waste generation leveraging on ecodesign, recycling and reusing of products, new business models, and new technologies. Internet-of-Things and artificial intelligence can support the circular economy paradigm, through the development of a marketplace for connecting buyers and sellers of manufacturing services, raw materials and products toward building global supply chains. The core component of this marketplace is a novel, agent-based, brokering module that will apply both syntactic and semantic matching in terms of manufacturing capabilities, in order to find the best possible supplier to fulfill a request for a service, raw materials or products involved in the supply chain

Leveraging Internet-of-Things to Support Circular Economy Paradigm in Manufacturing Industry

Circular economy represents a fundamental alternative to the currently predominating linear economy model, while Industry 4.0 is a technological enabler to bring process innovation in the industrial domain. New economic models are needed in order to reduce material inputs and waste generation leveraging on ecodesign, recycling and reusing of products, new business models, and new technologies. Internet-of-Things and artificial intelligence can support the circular economy paradigm, through the development of a marketplace for connecting buyers and sellers of manufacturing services, raw materials and products toward building global supply chains. The core component of this marketplace is a novel, agent-based, brokering module that will apply both syntactic and semantic matching in terms of manufacturing capabilities, in order to find the best possible supplier to fulfill a request for a service, raw materials or products involved in the supply chain

Quantifying the loading capacity of a carrier-based DPI formulation and its dependence on the blending process

Abstract Non-segregating ordered powder mixtures constituted by a coarse carrier fraction and finer components are at the basis of dry powders for inhalation pharmaceuticas. The estimation of the loading capacity, i.e. how many fines can be hosted on each carrier particle, is crucial to grant the product quality through a reproducible and affordable manufacturing process. We propose an approach based on the combination of sieve analysis, optical microscopy and powder bed permeability to quantify the loading capacity and understand the fines behavior, the impact of the mixing process was also investigated. We tested the method on model binary mixtures composed only of a coarse lactose carrier and micronized lactose fines as a surrogate of a real active pharmaceutical ingredient. The results provided by the different methods are consistent, the approach proved to be accurate and reproducible. The effect of different mixing parameters and equipment on the loading capacity is also discussed

Temperature-Associated Effects on Flavonol Content in Field-Grown Phaseolus vulgaris L. Zolfino del Pratomagno

Combining the need to increase local Phaseolus vulgaris L. production, with the objective of identifying which abiotic inductors (irrigation and temperature) and/or elicitors (nitrogen fertilizer treatment) can be used as potential strategies to improve flavonol content, open-field experiments were conducted in Pisa and Bologna (Italy) over two years, using the local landrace of interest \u201cZolfino del Pratomagno\u201d, and a commercial variety, Verdone. Full-irrigation and nitrogen treatment, individually, and in combination, increased yield and decreased flavonols, respectively, in both genotypes and locations. Yield, under all treatments, was significantly higher in Pisa (17.5\u2013 21.9 \ub0C) than Bologna (21.4\u201324.8 \ub0C) for Verdone, but was the equivalent for Zolfino. An inverse correlation between average mean temperature and flavonol content was evident only in Zolfino. The feasibility of increasing dietary flavonol production using decreasing temperature as a strategy with some degree of control was then tested by cultivating Zolfino at different altitudes (108 (24 \ub0C) to 800 m a.s.l. (18 \ub0C)) in Pratomagno. Increasing the altitude induced a significant 3-fold increase in seed-coat kaempferol glycosides, comprising more than 95% of the total flavonols. Temperatureassociated effects on flavonol synthesis warrants consideration when selecting a cultivation environment to augment the kaempferol-based, anticarcinogenic benefits of Zolfino

Biostimulants for Sustainable Management of Sport Turfgrass

Research on the efficacy of innovative, ecofriendly biostimulants in sport turf management is scarce, with less information available from open-field experiments, and even less pertaining to thatch control-related problems. The objective was to investigate the open-field effectiveness of a commercial product, EM-1, and two newly developed products, ExpA and ExpB, in improving both rhizosphere and turfgrass, Agrostis stoloniferous L., characteristics on a golf green. ExpA and ExpB, identical in microbial composition, were equally effective in significantly increasing chlorophyll synthesis and visual turf quality, as well as in resistance to tearing out, compared to the untreated control 56 days after treatment (DAT). EM-1 showed intermediate trends between the control and novel biostimulants. The inclusion of humic acids and mycorrhizal fungi to the microbial composition in ExpB significantly improved some rhizosphere properties 56 DAT relative to the control. Results on ExpB evidenced a significant decrease in the thatch layer thickness and fresh leaf weight, associated with a significant increase in the humus thickness, organic matter decomposition and evapotranspiration efficiency. An increased dry leaf biomass was also shown. ExpA and EM-1 showed either marginal or intermediate improvements relative to the control. ExpB represents a promising alternative to alleviate negative environmental impacts associated with turf maintenance-related activities

Spontaneous vascular flora of the historical monumental cemetery of Modena (N-Italy)

The first floristic study of the historical monumental cemetery of San Cataldo in Modena (N-Italy) is presented. The research was performed in the period 2019–2022, considering only spontaneous individuals growing within the historical area (4.8 ha). A total of 266 taxa (species and subspecies) was found, of which 1 new for the flora of Italy (Malus × robusta ‘John Downie’), 2 new for the administrative region of Emilia-Romagna (Calocedrus decurrens and Salvia haematodes) and 1 new for the province of Modena (Epilobium ciliatum). Therophytes prevail (37.6%), followed by hemicryptophytes (31.6%), phanerophytes (16.2%) and geophytes (11.7%). The chorological spectrum is dominated by Eurasian species (32.0%), followed by Mediterranean (26.3%), Cosmopolitan (24.8%), Boreal (6%) and N-American (4.5%) ones. Allochthonous species are 16.5% of the list, with neophytes always prevailing over archaeophytes (28 vs. 9 species). Invasive species are 67.8% of the neophytes; on a regional scale they are 1.5% of the list. Protected species are 2.6% of the total; 3 of them are internationally protected and 2 are included in the red list of Italian flora. This study confirms the great biological richness of urban environments and the potential of historical cemeteries as a refugium for the conservation of species that have become rare, endangered or infrequent at a regional or national level, because of the heavy human impact on the territory

Protective Effect of Wheat Derived Non-specific lipid-transfer Protein 2 on Vascular Endothelium Inflammation

The important functions of the endothelium and the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and endothelial dysfunction suggest the primary role of this tissue as a target for dietary strategies aimed at the prevention from related diseases. Cereals are key component of a healthy and balanced diet, and the presence of non-specific lipid-transfer protein 2 (nsLTP2) in wheat represents an added value to contribute to maintain the functionality of the vascular endothelium and consequently of the cardiovascular system. Indeed, nsLTP2 downregulates the expression of the main cell adhesion molecules induced by a pro-inflammatory cytokine and, meanwhile, upregulates heme oxigenase-1, exerting a cytoprotective/anti-inflammatory activity. Therefore, nsLTP2 might represent a food-derived tool to protect the vascular system against several pathological condition

Inside the history of Italian coloring industries. An investigation of ACNA dyes through a novel analytical protocol for synthetic dye extraction and characterization

The introduction of synthetic dyes completely changed the industrial production and use of colorants for art materials. From the synthesis of the first synthetic dye, mauveine, in 1856 until today, artists have enjoyed a wider range of colors and selection of chemical properties than was ever available before. However, the introduction of synthetic dyes introduced a wider variety and increased the complexity of the chemical structures of marketed dyes. This work looks towards the analysis of synthetically dyed objects in heritage collections, applying an extraction protocol based on the use of ammonia, which is considered favorable for natural anthraquinone dyes but has never before been applied to acid synthetic dyes. This work also presents an innovative cleanup step based on the use of an ion pair dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the purification and preconcentration of historical synthetic dyes before analysis. This approach was adapted from food science analysis and is applied to synthetic dyes in heritage science for the first time in this paper. The results showed adequate recovery of analytes and allowed for the ammonia-based extraction method to be applied successfully to 15 samples of suspected azo dyes from the Azienda Coloranti Nazionali e Affini (ACNA) synthetic dye collection, identified through untargeted HPLC-HRMS analyses

New advances in dye analyses. In situ gel-supported liquid extraction from paint layers and textiles for SERS and HPLC-MS/MS Identification

To date, it is still not possible to obtain exhaustive information about organic materials in cultural heritage without sampling. Nonetheless, when studying unique objects with invaluable artistic or historical significance, preserving their integrity is a priority. In particular, organic dye identification is of significant interest for history and conservation research, but it is still hindered by analytes’ low concentration and poor fastness. In this work, a minimally invasive approach for dye identification is presented. The procedure is designed to accompany noninvasive analyses of inorganic substances for comprehensive studies of complex cultural heritage matrices, in compliance with their soundness. Liquid extraction of madder, turmeric, and indigo dyes was performed directly from paint layers and textiles. The extraction was supported by hydrogels, which themselves can undergo multitechnique analyses in the place of samples. After extraction, Ag colloid pastes were applied on the gels for SERS analyses, allowing for the identification of the three dyes. For the HPLC-MS/MS analyses, re-extraction of the dyes was followed by a clean-up step that was successfully applied on madder and turmeric. The colour change perceptivity after extraction was measured with colorimetry. The results showed ΔE values mostly below the upper limit of rigorous colour change, confirming the gentleness of the procedure