The aim of this work was to study the effect of rosemary leaf dietary supplementation on the antioxidant activities and total phenolic content of Pecorino cheese. Three hundred and twenty-four sheep were randomly assigned to two dietary groups, which received a standard diet based on lucerne hay and concentrate (400 g per day). The concentrate of the rosemary supplemented group contained 2.50% dried rosemary leaves. The trial lasted 7 weeks. Cheesemaking was performed 3, 5 and 7 weeks from the start of the trial. The Pecorino cheese antioxidant activity was modified by the diet. Rosemary supplementation increased the total phenolic content, enhanced the antioxidant properties and decreased the lipid oxidation of cheese. A slight decrease in flavour was detected in cheeses after 7 weeks of rosemary administration.
Alpha-mannosidosis (α-mannosidosis) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder with an autosomal recessive inheritance caused by mutations in the gene encoding for the lysosomal α-d-mannosidase. So far, 155 variants from 191 patients have been identified and in part characterized at the biochemical level. Similarly to other lysosomal storage diseases, there is no relationship between genotype and phenotype in alpha-mannosidosis. Enzyme replacement therapy is at the moment the most effective therapy for lysosomal storage disease, including alpha-mannosidosis. In this review, the genetic of alpha-mannosidosis has been described together with the results so far obtained by two different therapeutic strategies: bone marrow transplantation and enzyme replacement therapy. The primary indication to offer hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients affected by alpha-mannosidosis is preservation of neurocognitive function and prevention of early death. The results obtained from a Phase I–II study and a Phase III study provide evidence of the positive clinical effect of the recombinant enzyme on patients with alpha-mannosidosis.
Background
Psoriasis (Ps) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease associated with pruritus in 64–98% of patients. However, few modestly sized studies assess factors associated with psoriatic pruritus.
Objective
To investigate factors associated with Ps pruritus intensity.
Methods
Psoriasis patients 18 years or older seen in one of 155 centres in Italy between September 2005 and 2009 were identified from the Italian PsoCare registry. Patients without cutaneous psoriasis and those with missed information on pruritus were excluded.
Results
We identified 10 802 patients, with a mean age 48.8 ± 14.3 years. Mild itch was present in 33.2% of patients, moderate in 34.4%, severe in 18.7% and very severe in 13.7%. Higher itch intensity was associated with female gender, lower educational attainment compared to university degree, pustular psoriasis, psoriasis on the head, face, palmoplantar areas, folds and genitalia, more severe disease, disease duration <15 years, and no or few prior systemic treatments.
Limitations
Effects of specific medication on itch were not assessed.
Conclusions
Pruritus should be evaluated during psoriasis visits, and physicians should be aware of patients at higher risk for itch. Further studies are needed to assess the effects of medications on itch, and establish therapy for psoriasis patients with persistent itch.
Flexible and biocompatible
adhesives with sensing capabilities
can be integrated onto human body and organ surfaces, characterized
by complex geometries, thus having the potential to sense their physiological
stimuli offering monitoring and diagnosis of a wide spectrum of diseases.
The challenges in this innovative field are the following: (i) the
coupling method between the smart adhesive and the soft human substrates,
(ii) the bioresorbable behavior of the material, and (iii) the electrical
exchange with the substrate. Here, we introduce a multifunctional
composite by mixing silk fibroin, featuring piezoelectric properties,
with a soluble plant-derived polyphenol (i.e., chestnut
tannin) modified with graphene nanoplatelets. This material behaves
as a glue on different substrates and gives rise to high elongation
at break, conformability, and adhesive performances to gastrointestinal
tissues in a rat model and favors the printability via extrusion-based 3D printing. Exploiting these properties, we designed
a bioresorbable 3D printed flexible and self-adhesive piezoelectric
device that senses the motility once applied onto a phantom intestine
and the hand gesture by signal translation. Experimental results also
include the biocompatibility study using gastrointestinal cells. These
findings could have applicability in animal model studies, and, thanks
to the bioresorbable behavior of the materials, such an adhesive device
could be used for monitoring the motility of the gastrointestinal
tract and for the diagnosis of motility disorders.
Evidence from family and twin studies points to a genetic contribution to the etiology of eating disorders (EDs), confirmed by the association of several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with this group of disorders. Previous reports have suggested that the serotonin receptor (5‐HT2AR) and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genes could be both involved in EDs susceptibility. In order to provide further evidence about such association, we focused our attention on two SNPs located in these genes carrying out a genetic association study on a large Italian cohort composed of 556 ED patients and 355 controls (CTRs). Obtained results confirm the presence of an association between 5‐HT2AR and BDNF genes and the susceptibility to EDs.
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