Electron spin resonance (ESR) detection of irradiated fish containing bone (gilthead sea bream, cod, and swordfish)

n/

INORGANIC ELEMENTS IN COW AND SHEEP RAW MILK SAMPLES FROM NATIONAL PARK OF GARGANO

A study about cow and sheep raw milk collected from different farms in the National Park of Gargano was carried out. A number of 93 raw milk samples (50 cow milk and 43 sheep milk) were analysed for the detection of several trace element (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mo, Mn, Pb, Se, Zn) and artificial gamma radionuclide (Cs-134, Cs-137) content. Data analysis shows a significant statistical difference between the two species. Cow milk mean values are always lower than sheep ones for Cu, Fe, Mn and Pb. Artificial longterm gamma radionuclide activity was not detected in all samples, resulting lower than the minimum detectable concentration (MDC). All inorganic contaminant concentration levels actually don't represent a primary health concern. This research is also a contribution in the risk assessment related to the consumption of these products and confirm both sheep and cow milk as a good environmental pollution indicator. Furthermore, this investigation is a contribution to enhance safety and quality of typical dairy products from National Park of Gargano

INORGANIC ELEMENTS IN COW AND SHEEP RAW MILK SAMPLES FROM NATIONAL PARK OF GARGANO

A study about cow and sheep raw milk collected from different farms in the National Park of Gargano was carried out. A number of 93 raw milk samples (50 cow milk and 43 sheep milk) were analysed for the detection of several trace element (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mo, Mn, Pb, Se, Zn) and artificial gamma radionuclide (Cs-134, Cs-137) content. Data analysis shows a significant statistical difference between the two species. Cow milk mean values are always lower than sheep ones for Cu, Fe, Mn and Pb. Artificial longterm gamma radionuclide activity was not detected in all samples, resulting lower than the minimum detectable concentration (MDC). All inorganic contaminant concentration levels actually don’t represent a primary health concern. This research is also a contribution in the risk assessment related to the consumption of these products and confirm both sheep and cow milk as a good environmental pollution indicator. Furthermore, this investigation is a contribution to enhance safety and quality of typical dairy products from National Park of Gargano

Irradiation detection of herbal ingredients used in plant food supplements by Electron Spin Resonance on samples pre-treated with alcoholic extraction

This study aimed to verify the applicability of the EN 1787 method for the detection of irradiation in herbal ingredients used in Plant Food Supplements (PFSs). In matrices such as herbs and spices the main limit of the method is the presence of intrinsic radicals responsible for spurious signals leading to complex ESR spectra. To overcome this limit, before ESR measurement a treatment with alcohol has been proposed (Delincée and Soika, 2002; Ahn et al., 2012, 2014). As reported in the literature, this treatment is expected to reduce/eliminate the confounding signals so that the samples may be correctly classified. In this study the efficacy of the pre-treatment was tested on raw herbal ingredients largely used for PFSs, namely Camellia sinensis, Cinnamomum verum, Curcuma longa, Ginkgo biloba, Silybum marianum, Vaccinium myrtillus and Zingiber officinale. Non-irradiated and irradiated (5, 10 kGy) samples were analysed before and after pre-treatment. The results showed a general decrement of signal intensity. In some cases, this was associated with the elimination of some spurious signals, which, however, did not always ensue in an easier interpretation of the ESR spectra. Only for two matrices (Camellia sinensis and Vaccinium myrtillus) was alcoholic extraction crucial for the correct classification of the samples

L-serine biosynthesis in the human central nervous system: Structure and function of phosphoserine aminotransferase

Organisms from all kingdoms of life synthesize L-serine (L-Ser) from 3-phosphoglycerate through the phosphorylated pathway, a three-step diversion of glycolysis. Phosphoserine aminotransferase (PSAT) catalyzes the intermediate step, the pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-dependent transamination of 3-phosphohydroxypyruvate and L-glutamate to O-phosphoserine (OPS) and α-ketoglutarate. PSAT is particularly relevant in the central nervous system of mammals because L-Ser is the metabolic precursor of D-serine, cysteine, phospholipids, and nucleotides. Several mutations in the human psat gene have been linked to serine deficiency disorders, characterized by severe neurological symptoms. Furthermore, PSAT is overexpressed in many tumors and this overexpression has been associated with poor clinical outcomes. Here, we report the detailed functional and structural characterization of the recombinant human PSAT. The reaction catalyzed by PSAT is reversible, with an equilibrium constant of about 10, and the enzyme is very efficient, with a kcat/Km of 5.9 × 106 M−1 s−1, thus contributing in driving the pathway towards the products despite the extremely unfavorable first step catalyzed by 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase. The 3D X-ray crystal structure of PSAT was solved in the substrate-free as well as in the OPS-bound forms. Both structures contain eight protein molecules in the asymmetric unit, arranged in four dimers, with a bound cofactor in each subunit. In the substrate-free form, the active site of PSAT contains a sulfate ion that, in the substrate-bound form, is replaced by the phosphate group of OPS. Interestingly, fast crystal soaking used to produce the substrate-bound form allowed the trapping of different intermediates along the catalytic cycle

An inter-laboratory comparison to evaluate the suitability of EN 1787 standard to detect irradiation in plant-origin foods with health benefits

This paper reports the results of a study carried out to verify the applicability of the EN 1787 method, which uses the Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) technique for the identification of irradiated plant-origin foods with health benefits. The method was tested on samples of herbal ingredients of Plant Food Supplements (PFSs), nuts and fresh blueberries. Untreated and irradiated samples of Camellia sinensis (leaves) Ginkgo biloba (leaves), Glycine max (seeds), Silybum marianum (fruits), Vaccinium myrtillus (fruits), almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachios, walnuts and fresh blueberries were analysed. The work includes an inter-laboratory blind test involving five Italian laboratories that perform routine analyses for the official control of irradiated food. A total of 180 untreated and irradiated samples of PFS ingredients, nuts and fresh blueberries were analysed. The analyses on the irradiated samples were replicated even a long time after irradiation (up to two years depending on the matrix) to test the reliability of the method throughout the shelf life of the products. The results were matrix-dependent: all the 5 kGy irradiated nuts and the 1 kGy-irradiated blueberries were correctly classified, whereas herbal ingredients showed complex ESR spectra with spurious signals which often prevented the correct classification of the sample

Combinative Study of Urban Heat Island in Ascoli Piceno City with Remote Sensing and CFD Simulation—Climate Change and Urban Health Resilience—CCUHRE Project

This paper presents a new methodological approach for analysing the impacts of climate change on the urban habitat and improving the quality of life for citizens. The study falls within the diagnostic phase of the Climate Change and Urban Health Resilience (CCUHRE) research project applied to the rationalist neighbourhood of Monticelli, a suburb of Ascoli Piceno (Italy). The methodological approach tests innovative and multidisciplinary cognitive tools to quantify the impacts of climate change and create refined risk maps combining remote sensing, spatial data, satellite images, and thermal fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations. These tools created an atlas of green areas and surfaces using scientific indexes that describe the relationship between the urban form and heat and between the type of ground and materials. The information yielded by geoprocessing will allow critical aspects in the context to be addressed with site-specific strategies. In fact, through downscaling, it is possible to analyse the thermal fluid dynamics characteristics of the most significant urban areas and identify the related weather/climate characteristics, perceptual scenarios, and thermal stressed regions. The results have provided a dataset that defines the degree of vulnerability of the neighbourhood and identifies the areas exposed to thermal risk

Erratum to: Drivers for energy efficiency and their effect on barriers: empirical evidence from Italian manufacturing enterprises (Energy Efficiency, (2017), 10, 4, (855-869), 10.1007/s12053-016-9488-x)

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016. This paper was unfortunately published with error. The given name of one of the authors was incorrectly captured as “Vincenzo” when it should be “Giovanni.” Further, the email address should be corrected to [email protected]. This was then corrected and is not anymore present in the published copies of the article

Classification of drivers for industrial energy efficiency and their effect on the barriers affecting the investment decision-making process

© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. Industrial energy efficiency represents a priority for European industrial competitiveness. Many studies offer contributions providing evidence of the existence of driving forces supporting the adoption of energy efficiency measures, but a structured approach to drivers for industrial energy efficiency is still lacking. Therefore, in the present study, we propose a definition of drivers, making emphasis on the industrial decision-maker perspective, that is needed for their classification here proposed. Focus is given to point out the difference between internal and external drivers, highlighting the major stakeholders responsible for their promotion. Drivers are further categorized into: regulatory, economic, informative, and vocational training. Moreover, we propose a framework describing the effect of drivers on barriers in the decision-making process, as well as a preliminary identification of the major stakeholders to promote drivers. The study opens several opportunities for further research in the area of industrial energy efficiency