FUNCTIONAL FOODS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: AN OVERVIEW OF THE SECTOR'S MAIN ISSUES

In Europe the demand of functional foods varies remarkably from country to country, on the basis of the alimentary traditions, the enforced legislation and the different cultural heritage that people have acquired. The opportunities of expansion on the market seem to be quite favorable and the interest of the consumers is rather high. But the diffusion of these products in the community area is slowed down by some obstacles. One of main ones is the lack of an official law-recognized definition for these references, necessary in order to clearly assign these products to the food sector rather than to the pharmaceutical one. In a such situation, we note that nowadays it is impossible to carry out a complete survey of this world, due to the lack of homogeneous and trustworthy statistical data and to the confused definition of the sector. In fact, every country adopts his own national legislation and includes in this class different products. The variable meaning assumed by the term “functional food” in the EU member states, can also hinder the free trade even within the EU boundaries. In fact, pursuing the safeguard of human health, each partner can block the admission of a product, even if it comes from an other EU member country. This lack of clarity at the production phase is reflected in a difficult control at the consumption phase. The disinformation of the trade operators and, consequently, of the consumers can involve some risks for these last ones due to not only to the deficiency of benefits, using functional foods, but also possible damages to the health. Ambiguous definition and gaps of knowledge about the composition and the effects of these products, in fact, can interfere with an aware choice of purchase and an organized development of the sector.

Analisi dell'impatto degli accordi euromediterranei sulla competitività dell'ortofrutta italiana: alcuni risultati

Since 1995, the Barcelona Process aims to establish a free trade area between Mediterranean countries by 2010. The most commercialized products from Mediterranean countries are fruit and vegetables. The agreement defines, only for some products, preferences at the entrance of the EU market, limited concession for each partner for single products, limited quantities and calendars. This work tries to analyse the impact of the liberalization on the Italian products applying a gravity model in order to asses the Italian import flows from eight Mediterranean countries which signed the Barcelona agreement. The econometric estimation includes fruit and vegetables at the aggregate level and some specified products that enter in competition with typical Italian Mediterranean production such as citrus, melons, potatoes and tomatoes. Since these Mediterranean countries appear as a highly heterogeneous block related to historical, cultural, political and geographical factors, the gravity equation controls these factors by an augmented gravity equation.EU-med Agreements, Italian Market, Competitiveness, Fruits and Vegetables, Gravity Models, Q17,

An overview of the biodynamic wine sector

The wine industry is currently shifting toward more sustainable production practices. Due to the growing globalized wine market and the increasing environmental impacts, producers have begun to pay more attention to organic and biodynamic products. Using a systematic literature review, this review aims to investigate the biodynamic production system in the viticulture and winemaking process. In particular, the review examines, 1) the biodynamic practice and its main characteristics including the certification system; 2) the biodynamic market characteristics and the recent trends, the production costs and the marketing strategies adopted by wineries; 3) the demand attributes and wine consumers' perception on sustainable practices and "green products" such as biodynamic products; and 4) the association between the biodynamic wine chain and the environment. The review highlights the research progress in this field and reflects on the potentiality and needs of the biodynamic viticulture and wine sector. The literature clearly indicates the lack of knowledge regarding, mainly, the biodynamic farming concept and the label. Moreover, while it is clear that consumers are willing to spend more for an organic wine than for a conventional one, there are no data about the willingness to pay for biodynamic wines. Finally, the review concludes with implications and suggestions for further research

Opadanje stoka školjkaša Ruditapes philippinarum u uvalama sjevernog Jadrana:anketa o ekološkim i društveno-ekonomskim aspektima

The Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, introduced in the Venice lagoons in 1983 and rapidly spread to the nearby coastal lagoons represents one of the most important commercially- exploited resources of this area. Abundance, size-class and biomass distribution of the wild population living in the Pialassa Baiona lagoon were assessed and related to the hydrological and sediment characteristics. Despite the lagoon being affected by eutrophication, chemical and thermal pollution, the clams were harvested by about thirty professional fishermen until 2003. The commercially available stock was estimated at 36.8 10 3 kg in July 2002, 29.3 10 3 kg in April 2003, and 10.3 10 3 kg in October 2003. Stock estimations and observed mortality were in good accordance with the fishermen data. The decline of the available stock could be due to both overfishing and the extraordinary summer heat wave occurred in 2003, which may have reduced larval recruitment and increased the mortality. Overall, the juvenile recruitment appeared insufficient to annually restore the natural stock. Although the national and regional high relevance of clams market, local harvesting of wild populations appeared marginal and inadequate to support a remunerative commercial activity, due to the variability and unpredictability of the annual yield and the lack of a sustainable management based on a production chain’s approach.Školjkaš Ruditapes philippinarum, zabilježena u Venecijanskoj laguni 1983. godine gdje se brzo proširila i na obližnje obalne lagune te predstavlja jedan od najvažnijih komercijalno iskorištenih resursa ovog područja. U laguni Pialassa Baiona procjenjene su abundancija, veličina klase i raspodjela biomase prirodnih populacija u odnosu na hidrološke i sedimentne karakteristike. Unatoč tome što je laguna bila pogođena eutrofikacijom, kemijskim i toplinskim zagađenjima, oko trideset profesionalnih ribara sakupljalo je školjke do 2003. godine. Dostupne zalihe stoka komercijalnih vrsta procijenjene su na 36,8 10, 3kg u srpnju 2002. godine, zatim na 29.3 10 3kg u travnju 2003. godine i na 10,3 10 3 kg u listopadu 2003. godine. Procjene zaliha i smrtnosti bile su u skladu s podacima ribara. Pad raspoloživih zaliha mogao bi biti posljedica prekomjernog izlova i izvanrednog ljetnoga toplinskog vala koji se dogodio 2003. godine, što je utjecalo na smanjenje novačenja ličinki i povećanje smrtnosti. Sveukupno gledano novačenje juvenilnih primjeraka nije bilo dovoljno za godišnje obnavljanje prirodnih zaliha. Iako je na nacionalnoj i regionalnoj razini velika važnost tržišta školjki, lokalna berba divljih populacija jest marginalna i neadekvatna za podupiranje profitabilne komercijalne aktivnosti, zbog varijabilnosti i nepredvidljivosti godišnjeg prinosa i nedostatka održivog upravljanja temeljenog na pristupu proizvodnog lanca

Atlante

In order to provide exhaustive documentation concerning the “Cave of the Animals”, the atlas is composed of already known historical documents, as well as of new historical and scientific insights. In the first case, we provide some important figurative documents, fundamental from the historical point of view, regarding a long period between the beginning of the sixteenth century and the late twentieth century. In the second case, the atlas collects results of the work carried out by the GECO Lab of the University of Florence between 2013 and 2015, which illustrates the cave's complex hydraulic system and internal decorations. Regarding the photographic documentation carried out by GECO Lab, the images are the result of the processing of many photographs for obtaining overall high-resolution images. The panoramic image showing the whole Grotto in equirectangular projection is composed of 126 photographs, whereas the images of the basins are represented in a rectilinear projection in order to preserve the straight lines as in a normal photograph using central projection

Immunohistochemical analysis of chromatin remodeler DAXX in high grade urothelial carcinoma

Background/Aims: The chromatin remodeler DAXX, a predominantly nuclear protein, regulates the status of chromatin organization. The aim of this exploratory immunohistochemical study was to evaluate DAXX protein expression in high grade invasive urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the bladder as a biological regulator of aggressiveness. Methods: Quantitative analysis was made on DAXX immunostained nuclei in tissue sections from 5 cases of bladder normal urothelium (NU) and 5 cases of bladder pT1 UC. Carcinoma in situ (CIS) and high grade papillary carcinoma (HGPCa) were identified in 2 out of 5 UC cases. Results: The nuclei in UC show an open configuration of the chromatin composed of granules varying in size and distribution and a mean nuclear area 1.7 times greater than that in NU (UC: mean and SD 24.4 ± 11.4 square microns; NU: 14.8 6.5 square microns. The differences are statistically significant). 70% of the NU nuclei are immunostained, whereas 90% of UC nuclei are positive. The mean gray level value in UC, related to the intensity of nuclear immunostaining, is lower than in NU by a factor of 0.94 (UC: mean and SD 100 ± 15; NU: 106 ± 15. The differences are statistically significant). In particular, the value in the nuclei adjacent to the stroma in UC is slightly lower than in the intermediate cell layers by factor of 0.98, whereas in NU it is slightly greater by a factor 1.02 and 1.04 compared to the intermediate and superficial cell layers. The values in CIS and HGPCa are similar to those in UC. Conclusions: The quantitative immunohistochemical analysis shows an altered protein expression of chromatin remodeler DAXX in UC and in its preinvasive phases, when compared to NU. DAXX evaluation, if associated with markers related to global DNA methylation and histone acetylation, could be used in clinical practice as a marker of aggressiveness. Virtual slides: The virtual slides for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/139845729710237

The menstrual distress questionnaire (MEDI-Q) : reliability and validity of the English version

Background: Menstrual cycle has a significant impact on women’s health from different perspectives, both physically and psychologically. The assessment of menstrual-related distress is of pivotal clinical interest, especially in women with chronic exposure to abnormal bleeding or pain. The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MEDI-Q) is a new tool originally developed in Italian that comprehensively evaluates menstrual-related distress. Objective: To validate the English version of the MEDI-Q in an English-speaking population. Methods: The study consisted of two phases: an initial translation phase of the original Italian version of the MEDI-Q, and a data collection phase to validate the new English version among 288 native English-speaking women. Results: The English version of MEDI-Q showed excellent psychometric properties, with high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.84) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.95). Construct validity was supported by significant correlations between MEDI-Q scores and scores on measures of psychological distress and premenstrual symptoms. Conclusions: The English version of the MEDI-Q is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of menstrual distress and its impact on psychological well-being. This tool can be utilized in research and clinical settings to comprehensively investigate the impact of menstruation on various populations, identify and monitor menstruation-related disorders promptly and effectively, and to evaluate the effectiveness of targeted treatments for menstrual distress