Consumers' acceptance and quality stability of olive oil flavoured with essential oils of different oregano species

The objective of this study was to evaluate chemical and physical stability and consumers' acceptance of olive oil flavoured with oregano essential oils (EOs; Compacto, Cordobes, Criollo and Mendocino). Samples of olive oil were added with 0.05% EO and stored in dark (D) and light (L) conditions for 126 days. Samples with oregano EO had lower lipid oxidation indicator values [K232, K269, peroxide value (PV) and anisidine value], especially in darkness. Olive oil with Cordobes EO in D had the lowest PV (18.71 meqO₂ kg^?1). Using prediction equations, 20 meqO₂ kg^?1 PV in olive oil should be reached in 34 days in L control sample and in 126 days in the Cordobes EO sample in darkness. Samples with Cordobes and Criollo EOs in darkness had the highest chlorophyll content after 126 days (2.91 and 2.88 mg kg^?1, respectively). Sensory analysis showed that oregano EO addition in olive oil was detected by panellists in discriminative test and affected consumer acceptance.     

A proposal toward the development of accessible e-learning content by human involvement

Most of the existing efforts for supporting the design, preparation, and deployment of accessible e-learning applications propose guidelines that primarily address technical accessibility issues. Little, if any, consideration is given to the real actors involved in the learning experience, such as didactical experts and disabled learners. Moreover, implementing artifacts addressed to the e-learning world requires a wide range of particular skills which are related not only to technical but also to didactical, pedagogical, usability, and accessibility aspects of the produced material. This paper argues that the know-how of a number of stakeholders should be blended into a joint design activity, and that it should be possible to determine the role of each participant in the successive phases of the development lifecycle of e-learning applications. The paper sketches the methodological guidelines of a design framework based on involving the users with disabilities, as well as pedagogical experts, in the development process. The novelty of this proposal mainly stems from being built up around the core of strategies and choices specifically bound to accessibility requirements. Characteristic elements of learner-centered design are then further integrated into processes and methodologies which are typical of participatory and contextual design approaches. Following such guidelines, it will be possible to gain a deeper understanding of the requirements and of the operational context of people needing accessible material, either as learners or educators. The underlying objective is to increase the potential to realize learning systems that better meet different user needs and that provide a more satisfying learning experience. Moreover, when people get involved in the development process, they gain a sense of ownership of the system and are therefore more likely to accept and “promote” it.     

Microwave-assisted photochemical reactor for the online oxidative decomposition and determination of p-hydroxymercurybenzoate and its thiolic complexes by cold vapor generation atomic fluorescence detection

We developed a photochemical method for the online oxidation of p-hydroxymercurybenzoate (PHMB), an organic mercury species widely used for mercaptan and thiolic compound labeling. The method is based on a fully integrated online UV/microwave (MW) photochemical reactor for the digestion of PHMB, followed by cold vapor generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CVG-AFS) detection. The MW/UV process led to the quantitative conversion of PHMB and thiol-PHMB complexes to Hg(II), with a yield between 91% and 98%, without using chemical oxidizing reagents and avoiding the use of toxic carcinogenic compounds. This reaction was followed by the reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(0), performed in a knitted reaction coil with NaBH(4) solution, and AFS detection in an Ar/H(2) miniaturized flame. The low MW power applied (18 W) allowed us to keep constant the temperature of the photochemical reactor (21 ± 1 °C), using a flowing water bath. This avoided peak widening due to diffusion processes generally occurring at high temperatures and in the additional cooling coil. This method has been applied to the determination of thiols in human plasma, blood, and wine.     

Transglutaminase effects on gelation capacity of thermally induced beef protein gels

Transglutaminase (TG) is an enzyme that catalyzes an acyl-transfer reaction between the γ-carboxyamide group of peptide or protein-bound glutaminyl residues, and primary amines. TG action on protein molecules, causes a cross-linking and polymerizing effect of these latter, through ε-(γ-glutamyl)lysine bonds. This TG-mediated protein cross-linking creates drastic physical changes in protein-rich foods.     

Unraveling the Link between Interferon-α and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: From the Molecular Mechanisms to Target Therapies

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease with a wide range of clinical expressions. The kidney is often affected, usually within 5 years of the onset of SLE, and lupus nephropathy (LN) carries a high risk for increased morbidity. The clinical heterogeneity of the disease is accompanied by complex disturbances affecting the immune system with inflammation and tissue damage due to loss of tolerance to nuclear antigens and the deposition of immune complexes in tissues. Several studies have reported that in human SLE, there is an important role of the Type-I-interferons (INF) system suggested by the upregulation of INF-inducible genes observed in serial gene expression microarray studies. This review aims to describe the transduction pathways of Type-I-interferons, in particular INFα, and its immune-regulatory function in the pathogenesis of SLE and, in particular, in LN. In addition, recent novelties concerning biologic therapy in LN will be discussed.     

In Vitro Selection of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium Probiotic Strains for the Management of Oral Pathobiont Infections Associated to Systemic Diseases

The human oral pathobionts Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus mutans, in dysbiosis-promoting conditions, lead to oral infections, which also represent a threat to human systemic health. This scenario may be worsened by antibiotic misuse, which favours multi-drug resistance, making the research on pathogen containment strategies more than crucial. Therefore, we aimed to in vitro select the most promising probiotic strains against oral pathogen growth, viability, biofilm formation, and co-aggregation capacity, employing both the viable probiotics and their cell-free supernatants (CFSs). Interestingly, we also assessed probiotic efficacy against the three-pathogen co-culture, mimicking an environment similar to that in vivo. Overall, the results showed that Lactobacillus CFSs performed better than the Bifidobacterium, highlighting Limosilactobacillus reuteri LRE11, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LR04, Lacticaseibacillus casei LC04, and Limosilactobacillus fermentum LF26 as the most effective strains, opening the chance to deeper investigation of their action and CFS composition. Altogether, the methodologies presented in this study can be used for probiotic efficacy screenings, in order to better focus the research on a viable probiotic, or on its postbiotics, suitable in case of infections.     

Platelet-Derived miR-126-3p Directly Targets AKT2 and Exerts Anti-Tumor Effects in Breast Cancer Cells: Further Insights in Platelet-Cancer Interplay

Among the surrounding cells influencing tumor biology, platelets are recognized as novel players as they release microvesicles (MVs) that, once delivered to cancer cells, modulate signaling pathways related to cell growth and dissemination. We have previously shown that physiological delivery of platelet MVs enriched in miR-126 exerted anti-tumor effects in different breast cancer (BC) cell lines. Here, we seek further insight by identifying AKT2 kinase as a novel miR-126-3p direct target, as assessed by bioinformatic analysis and validated by luciferase assay. Both ectopic expression and platelet MV-mediated delivery of miR-126-3p downregulated AKT2 expression, thus suppressing proliferating and invading properties, in either triple negative (BT549 cells) or less aggressive Luminal A (MCF-7 cells) BC subtypes. Accordingly, as shown by bioinformatic analysis, both high miR-126 and low AKT2 levels were associated with favorable long-term prognosis in BC patients. Our results, together with the literature data, indicate that miR-126-3p exerts suppressor activity by specifically targeting components of the PIK3/AKT signaling cascade. Therefore, management of platelet-derived MV production and selective delivery of miR-126-3p to tumor cells may represent a useful tool in multimodal therapeutic approaches in BC patients.     

First-Void Urine Microbiome in Women with Chlamydia trachomatis Infection

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is the agent of the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Until now, little information is available about the microbial composition of urine samples during CT urethritis. Therefore, in this study, we characterized the microbiome and metabolome profiles of first-void urines in a cohort of women with CT urethral infection attending an STI clinic. Methods: Based on CT positivity by nucleic acid amplification techniques on urine samples, the enrolled women were divided into two groups, i.e., “CT-negative” (n = 21) and “CT-positive” (n = 11). Urine samples were employed for (i) the microbiome profile analysis by means of 16s rRNA gene sequencing and (ii) the metabolome analysis by ¹H-NMR. Results: Irrespective of CT infection, the microbiome of first-void urines was mainly dominated by Lactobacillus, L. iners and L. crispatus being the most represented species. CT-positive samples were characterized by reduced microbial biodiversity compared to the controls. Moreover, a significant reduction of the Mycoplasmataceae family—in particular, of the Ureaplasma parvum species—was observed during CT infection. The Chlamydia genus was positively correlated with urine hippurate and lactulose. Conclusions: These data can help elucidate the pathogenesis of chlamydial urogenital infections, as well as to set up innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.