Moulds and ochratoxin A on surfaces of artisanal and industrial dry sausages

The use of moulds as a seasoning for sausage can have both desirable and undesirable consequences. The desirable consequences are the creation of a successful product that appeals to consumers. The undesirable consequences are due to the growth of undesirable moulds that produce highly toxic secondary metabolites referred to as mycotoxins. The aim of the paper was to investigate the presence of moulds producing ochratoxin A (OTA) on the surface of sausages from northern Italy. A total of 757 mould strains were isolated from sausage casings. The most frequently identified species were Penicillium nalgiovense, Penicillium oxalicum, Eurotium amstelodami, Penicillium olsonii, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium verrucosum, Penicillium viridicatum, and Eupenicillium crustaceum. Aspergillus ochraceus was detected in only one production lot. Approximately 45% of these samples were positive for the presence of OTA. On the casings of the investigated sausages, the lowest and highest OTA values were 3 and 18 μg/kg, respectively. The OTA concentration was reduced to below the limit of detection (LOD) by brushing and washing the sausages prior to sale. From these data it appears that the presence of OTA on the surface of sausage (on the casings) is not indicative of any health risk for human consumption of sausage, since OTA was not identified inside the dry meat.     

The Role of Testosterone in the Elderly: What Do We Know?

Testosterone is the most important hormone in male health. Aging is characterized by testosterone deficiency due to decreasing testosterone levels associated with low testicular production, genetic factors, adiposity, and illness. Low testosterone levels in men are associated with sexual dysfunction (low sexual desire, erectile dysfunction), reduced skeletal muscle mass and strength, decreased bone mineral density, increased cardiovascular risk and alterations of the glycometabolic profile. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) shows several therapeutic effects while maintaining a good safety profile in hypogonadal men. TRT restores normal levels of serum testosterone in men, increasing libido and energy level and producing beneficial effects on bone density, strength and muscle as well as yielding cardioprotective effects. Nevertheless, TRT could be contraindicated in men with untreated prostate cancer, although poor findings are reported in the literature. In addition, different potential side effects, such as polycythemia, cardiac events and obstructive sleep apnea, should be monitored. The aim of our review is to provide an updated background regarding the pros and cons of TRT, evaluating its role and its clinical applicability in different domains.     

Lipidomic Approaches to Study HDL Metabolism in Patients with Central Obesity Diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors characterised by central obesity, atherogenic dyslipidaemia, and changes in the circulating lipidome; the underlying mechanisms that lead to this lipid remodelling have only been partially elucidated. This study used an integrated “omics” approach (untargeted whole serum lipidomics, targeted proteomics, and lipoprotein lipidomics) to study lipoprotein remodelling and HDL composition in subjects with central obesity diagnosed with MetS (vs. controls). Compared with healthy subjects, MetS patients showed higher free fatty acids, diglycerides, phosphatidylcholines, and triglycerides, particularly those enriched in products of de novo lipogenesis. On the other hand, the “lysophosphatidylcholines to phosphatidylcholines” and “cholesteryl ester to free cholesterol” ratios were reduced, pointing to a lower activity of lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) in MetS; LCAT activity (directly measured and predicted by lipidomic ratios) was positively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and negatively correlated with body mass index (BMI) and insulin resistance. Moreover, many phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins were significantly lower in the HDL of MetS patients and strongly correlated with BMI and clinical metabolic parameters. These results suggest that MetS is associated with an impairment of phospholipid metabolism in HDL, partially led by LCAT, and associated with obesity and underlying insulin resistance. This study proposes a candidate strategy to use integrated “omics” approaches to gain mechanistic insights into lipoprotein remodelling, thus deepening the knowledge regarding the molecular basis of the association between MetS and atherosclerosis.     

Accuracy of FIB-4 to Detect Elevated Liver Stiffness Measurements in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study in Referral Centers

The identification of advanced fibrosis by applying noninvasive tests is still a key component of the diagnostic algorithm of NAFLD. The aim of this study is to assess the concordance between the FIB-4 and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in patients referred to two liver centers for the ultrasound-based diagnosis of NAFLD. Fibrosis 4 Index for Liver Fibrosis (FIB-4) and LSM were assessed in 1338 patients. A total of 428 (32%) had an LSM ≥ 8 kPa, whereas 699 (52%) and 113 (9%) patients had an FIB-4 < 1.3 and >3.25, respectively. Among 699 patients with an FIB-4 < 1.3, 118 (17%) had an LSM ≥ 8 kPa (false-negative FIB-4). This proportion was higher in patients ≥60 years, with diabetes mellitus (DM), arterial hypertension or a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 27 kg/m². In multiple adjusted models, age ≥ 60 years (odds ratio (OR) = 1.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19–3.23)), DM (OR = 2.59, 95% CI 1.63–4.13), body mass index (BMI) ≥ 27 kg/m² (OR = 2.17, 95% CI 1.33–3.56) and gamma-glutamyltransferase ≥ 25 UI/L (OR = 2.68, 95% CI 1.49–4.84) were associated with false-negative FIB-4. The proportion of false-negative FIB-4 was 6% in patients with none or one of these risk factors and increased to 16, 31 and 46% among those with two, three and four concomitant risk factors, respectively. FIB-4 is suboptimal to identify patients to refer to liver centers, because about one-fifth may be false negative at FIB-4, having instead an LSM ≥ 8 KPa.     

Ficolin-2 Plasma Level Assesses Liver Fibrosis in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Fibrosis is the strongest predictor for disease-specific mortality in non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD), but the need for liver biopsy limits its diagnosis. We assessed the performance of plasma ficolin-2 (FCN-2) as a biomarker of fibrosis identified by an in silico discovery strategy. Two hundred and thirty-five morbidly obese (MO) subjects with biopsy-proven NAFLD stratified by fibrosis stage (F0, n = 44; F1, n = 134; F2, n = 46; F3/F4, n = 11) and 40 cirrhotic patients were enrolled. The cohort was subdivided into discovery (n = 76) and validation groups (n = 159). The plasma level of FCN-2 and other candidate markers was determined. FCN-2 was inversely correlated with the stage of liver fibrosis (ρ = −0.49, p < 0.001) independently of steatosis (p = 0.90), inflammation (p = 0.57), and ballooning (p = 0.59). In the global cohort, FCN-2 level decreased significantly in a stepwise fashion from F0/F1 (median 4753 ng/mL) to F2–F3–F4 (2760 ng/mL) and in cirrhotic subjects (1418 ng/mL). The diagnostic performance of FCN-2 in detecting F ≥ 2 was higher than other indexes (APRI, FIB-4) (AUROC 0.82, 0.68, and 0.6, respectively). The accuracy improved when combined with APRI score and HDL values (FCNscore, AUROC 0.85). Overall, the FCN-2 plasma level can accurately discriminate liver fibrosis status (minimal vs. moderate/advanced) significantly improving the fibrosis diagnostic algorithms.     

Microwave-Hydrothermal Synthesis of Nanophase Ferrites

This paper reports the synthesis of technologically important ferrites such as ZnFe₂O₄, NiFe₂O₄, MnFe₂O₄, and CoFe₂O₄ by using novel microwave-hydrothermal processing. Nanophase ferrites with high surface areas, in the range of 72-247m²/g, have been synthesized in a matter of a few minutes at temperatures as low as 164°C. The rapid synthesis of nanophase ferrites via an acceleration of reaction rates under microwave-hydrothermal conditions is expected to lead to energy savings.     

Nonenzymatic glucose sensing based on deposited palladium nanoparticles on epoxy-silver electrodes

A new approach for nonenzymatic glucose sensing, based on a simple modification of epoxy-silver surfaces deposited on the tip of commercial copper electric wires, is presented. Palladium was galvanically displaced on the surface of the epoxy-silver surface in order to obtain metal nanoparticles that act as catalyst for the direct oxidation of glucose. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the formation of the metal nanoparticles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the metallic nature of the formed nanostructures on the surface. Electrochemical characterization and calibration of the palladium-modified epoxy-silver electrode is reported, obtaining a linear range of 1–20 mM for the detection of glucose with low interference of ascorbic acid and uric acid. A simple 3-step coulometry was used as the detection technique. The developed sensing material is believed to be a great candidate for integration in small devices for clinical essays, due to the simplicity and cost effectiveness of the presented approach, compared to the state-of-the-art devices reported recently in the literature. Simplicity in the coulometry determinations makes these Pd-modified epoxy-silver sensors a good candidate for easy glucose determinations.     

Assessment of biodiesel blending detection capability of the on-board diagnostic of the last generation automotive diesel engines

Results of a research project aimed at studying the capability to develop a method (economic and simple) for on-board biodiesel blending detection are described. The method is based on the direct measurement of the Indicated Mean Effective Pressure (IMEP).The study was carried out on a 2.0L four-cylinder “torque-controlled” Euro 5 diesel engine for passenger car (PC) application. This engine, equipped with instrumented glow plug for combustion closed-loop control, represents the state of the art of the diesel engine control technology.Two biodiesels were chosen for the experiments: a rapeseed methyl-ester (RME) and an aged RME, while the conventional diesel fuel was an European (EU) certification diesel fuel.Results indicate generally a good response in blending detection of the method. However, in order to attain an acceptable accuracy, a pre-calibration appears necessary.     

Brain‐Penetrant Triazolopyrimidine and Phenylpyrimidine Microtubule Stabilizers as Potential Leads to Treat Human African Trypanosomiasis

In vitro whole‐organism screens of Trypanosoma brucei with representative examples of brain‐penetrant microtubule (MT)‐stabilizing agents identified lethal triazolopyrimidines and phenylpyrimidines with sub‐micromolar potency. In mammalian cells, these antiproliferative compounds disrupt MT integrity and decrease total tubulin levels. Their parasiticidal potency, combined with their generally favorable pharmacokinetic properties, which include oral bioavailability and brain penetration, suggest that these compounds are potential leads against human African trypanosomiasis.