DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SYSTEM FOR POLING FORCE MEASUREMENT IN CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING AND NORDIC WALKING

The purpose of this study was to describe and validate a force transducer system specifically designed to measure the force exerted through the poles in cross-country skiing and Nordic walking. It is constituted by a custom built load cell and by a mounting system that allow to minimise cross talk effects. The system is applicable to standard carbon racing shafts to ensure the standard stiffness of the pole. The reliability of the system has been tested performing different static and dynamic tests. The comparison with the reference load cell has shown a good measurement linearity in the range of typical values for poling propulsion and a sensitivity only to the force axially applied to the shaft. The test performed on a 2D platform and with a motion capture system for the measurement of pole inclination, demonstrated the possibility to obtain a reliable measure of the vertical, longitudinal and lateral components of the force exerted by the subject. The accuracy, the portability of the system and their applicability to different shafts allow evaluation of poling action in both laboratory and field conditions, providing important information in cross-country skiing and Nordic walking biomechanical research

Technical note: immunomagnetic procedure for positive selection of macrophages in ovine milk.

A simple immunomagnetic procedure was developed to select macrophages from ovine milk by using a non-specific magnetic positive separation technique. Samples of ewe bulk milk were collected during early, mid, and late lactation; milk samples were centrifuged at 2,000 x g for 30 min at 4 degrees C; the fatty fraction and supernatant were removed, and each pellet was dissolved in 500 microL of pH 7.4 phosphate buffered saline + 0.02% NaN(3). Cells were targeted for selection by using mouse-IgG anti-ovine macrophages. Several trials, testing 2 different fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies [i.e., mouse anti-human CD14:R-Phycoerythrin (RPE) (MCA1568PE, Serotec) and F(ab')2 rabbit anti-mouse IgG:RPE (STAR12A, Serotec)] and 3 different labeling procedures, were performed to evaluate the purity of samples by flow cytometry. A morphological test was carried out by direct microscopic count in enriched fraction smears stained with May-Grünwald-Giemsa stain to confirm the presence of macrophages. The method described in the present technical note can be considered an innovative application to obtain a single-cell population of high purity selected from all the somatic cells in milk

An Electromagnetic Coupling Model for Side-Channel Analysis

This thesis presents an EM coupling model used to enhance power, side-channel measurements used in CPA. The Kalman filter is used to combine measurements of magnetic flux density with voltage or current traditionally used to measure power consumption. The DES encryption algorithm is used to evaluate CPA using EM coupled power measurements compared to traditional power measurements

Exercise and physical performance in older adults with sarcopenic obesity: a systematic review

Sarcopenic obesity is characterized by low muscle mass and high body fat; prevalence increases with age, particularly after age 65 years. For this systematic literature review we searched scientific databases for studies on exercise interventions for improving physical performance in adults with sarcopenic obesity; also, we identified potential gaps in clinical practice guidelines that need to be addressed

Effectiveness of a pomegranate peel extract (PGE) in reducing Listeria monocytogenes in vitro and on fresh-cut pear, apple and melon

Pomegranate peel extract (PGE) is a new promising natural alternative control substance with large spectrum of activity against wide range of pathogenic microorganisms. In the present study, PGE was firstly investigated as natural antimicrobial against Listeria monocytogenes both in vitro and on fresh-cut fruits. The in vitro results showed quick and strong bactericidal and bacteriostatic activity against five different strains which were almost completely inhibited by the extract. Furthermore, it significantly decreased growth rate and maximum growth of all tested strains. In vivo trials, confirmed a strong antibacterial activity of the extract that significantly reduced the bacterial load on fresh-cut apple, melon and pear and maintained the population at low levels throughout the storage period (7 days). PGE at 12 g/l reduced L. monocytogenes by 1.24, 1.89, and 0.91 log units soon after treatment and by 3.81, 1.53, and 2.99 log units, after 7 days of storage on apple, pear and melon, respectively. This high antibacterial activity could be mainly related to the high content of polyphenols (ellagitannins) in the extract. Overall, results of this study suggest a potential industrial application of PGE to reduce the growth of the pathogenic microorganisms in fresh-cut fruit and ensure a microbial safety in case of contamination.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Metagenomics approaches for the detection and surveillance of emerging and recurrent plant pathogens

Globalization has a dramatic effect on the trade and movement of seeds, fruits and vegetables, with a corresponding increase in economic losses caused by the introduction of transboundary plant pathogens. Current diagnostic techniques provide a useful and precise tool to enact surveillance protocols regarding specific organisms, but this approach is strictly targeted, while metabarcoding and shotgun metagenomics could be used to simultaneously detect all known pathogens and potentially new ones. This review aims to present the current status of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) diagnostics of fungal and bacterial plant pathogens, discuss the challenges that need to be addressed, and provide direction for the development of methods for the detection of a restricted number of related taxa (specific surveillance) or all of the microorganisms present in a sample (general surveillance). HTS techniques, particularly metabarcoding, could be useful for the surveillance of soilborne, seedborne and airborne pathogens, as well as for identifying new pathogens and determining the origin of outbreaks. Metabarcoding and shotgun metagenomics still suffer from low precision, but this issue can be limited by carefully choosing primers and bioinformatic algorithms. Advances in bioinformatics will greatly accelerate the use of metagenomics to address critical aspects related to the detection and surveillance of plant pathogens in plant material and foodstuffs

Relationship between cortisol response to stress and behavior, immune profile, and production performance of dairy ewes.

The existence of a relationship between cortisol levels, after an acute stress, and behavioral activities, immunological profile, and production performance in sheep was studied. An initial flock of 30 Comisana ewes was involved in the experiment, and each of the 30 ewes was individually subjected to an isolation test in a novel environment. Subsequently, from the initial flock, 2 groups of 8 Comisana ewes were each retrospectively selected, and the animals were divided, according to their cortisol concentration 10 min after the isolation test, into high cortisol (HC) ewes, having a peak of cortisol concentration >90 ng/mL (average: 119.3 ng/mL +/- 11.8), and low cortisol (LC) ewes having a peak of cortisol concentration <80 ng/mL (average: 52.4+/-11.8). During the isolation test, the behavior of each animal was video-recorded and behavioral activities were registered. Blood samples were collected before the isolation test, immediately after the test (10 min), and at 60, 120, 300 min, 24 h, and 48 h after the test to evaluate percentages of T-helper (CD4(+)) and T-cytotoxic (CD8(+)) cells, CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio, and IL-1beta and IL-6 levels. The ewes were milked for 3 d after the isolation test to determine cortisol levels and IL-1beta and IL-6 concentrations in whey. Milk yield was recorded at each milking, and milk samples were analyzed for pH, nutritional parameters, renneting properties, and somatic cell count. During the isolation test, HC ewes exhibited a shorter duration of movement and fewer bleats than LC ewes. The average plasma IL-1beta concentration was higher in HC than in LC ewes. The average whey IL-1beta and IL-6 concentrations were higher in whey from HC ewes than in LC ewes. A positive correlation emerged between plasma and whey IL-1beta concentrations. The average CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio in blood was lower in HC than in LC ewes. Time from isolation affected the CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio: at 120 min, the CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio increased compared with that at 10 min after isolation and then decreased until 300 min after isolation. On average, ewes with low cortisol concentrations showed higher milk production and lower SCC than ewes with high cortisol concentrations. Results suggest that plasma cortisol concentration is connected to the behavioral response and immune competence of dairy ewes and cytokine concentrations. Both whey IL-1beta and IL-6 can be considered reliable indicators of the magnitude of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation. The stress-induced changes in CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio are critical for controlling disease incidence and planning appropriate vaccination programs. High reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is also associated with a reduction in milk production and an increased predisposition to develop intramammary inflammatory processes

Contribution of macrophages to plasmin activity in ewe bulk milk

A total of 225 bulk sheep milk samples were collected throughout lactation to assess the contribution of macrophages to the regulation of the plasmin/plasminogen system. Samples were analyzed for composition, milk renneting parameters, and for activities of plasmin (PL), plasminogen (PG) and plasminogen activators (PA). Isolation of macrophages from milk was performed using a magnetic positive separation; separated cells were lysed and activity of urokinase-PA was determined. PL activity in milk decreased during lactation (P < 0.001). The reduction in plasmin activity recorded in the mid and late lactation milk matched with the increase in PG/PL ratio (P < 0.001). The activity of PA increased throughout lactation (P < 0.001), the highest value being recorded in the late lactation milk.The amount of isolated and concentrated macrophages was higher in early and mid lactation milk than in late lactation milk (P < 0.01). Stage of lactation did not influence the activity of u-PA detected in isolated macrophages. The activity of u-PA associated with macrophages was lower than total PA activity detected in milk. Our results lend support to the hypothesis that in ewe bulk milk from healthy flocks macrophages only slightly contributed to the activation of plasmin/plasminogen system

Contribution of macrophages to proteolysis and plasmin activity in ewe bulk milk.

A total of 225 bulk sheep milk samples were collected from 5 intensively managed flocks during early, mid, and late lactation to assess the contribution of macrophages to the regulation of the plasmin-plasminogen system. Samples were analyzed for composition, somatic cell counts, milk renneting characteristics, and for plasmin (PL), plasminogen (PG), and plasminogen activators (PA) activities. Isolation of macrophages from milk was performed using a magnetic positive separation and mouse antiovine macrophage antibody; separated cells were lysed by several freeze-thaw cycles, and activity of urokinase PA (u-PA) was determined. Plasmin activity decreased during lactation (42.06 +/- 0.66, early; 31.29 +/- 0.66, mid; 28.19 +/- 0.66 U/mL, late). The reduction in PL activity recorded in the mid and late lactation milk matched the increase in PG:PL ratio. The activity of PA increased throughout lactation; the highest value being recorded in the late lactation milk (260.20 +/- 8.66 U/mL). Counts of isolated and concentrated macrophages were higher in early and mid lactation milk (3.89 +/- 0.08 and 3.98 +/- 0.08 log10 cells/mL, respectively) than in late lactation milk (3.42 +/- 0.08 log10 cells/mL). Stage of lactation did not influence the activity of u-PA detected in isolated macrophages. The activity of u-PA associated with isolated milk macrophages only minimally contributed to total PA activity detected in milk. Proteolytic enzymes, associated with isolated macrophages, act on alpha-casein hydrolysis, as shown by urea-PAGE electrophoresis analysis. Somatic cell counts did not exceed 600,000 cells/mL, and this threshold can be considered a good index of health status of the flock and of the ability of milk to being processed. Our results lend support to the hypothesis that macrophages in ewe bulk milk from healthy flocks only slightly contribute to the activation of the PL-PG system