The effects of a fibre-enriched bakery product on glucose, insulin values and appetite. A pilot randomised cross-over trial.

Brewers spent grain (BSG) is a valuable source of arabinoxylans with potential beneficial effects on glucose values. This pilot randomised crossover double-blind trial compared the effects of panettone, a sweet baked-product, enriched with BSG-fibre (p-rich) to unenriched panettone (p-standard) on glucose and insulin blood values and appetite scores. Ten healthy volunteers consumed each food in a random order. Blood variables and appetite scores were assessed at fasting and at different intervals after each food consumption. Glucose values were significantly higher after p-standard intake at 90-min (89.9 ± 16.1 vs 74.6 ± 19.4 mg/dL) and 120-min (81.1 ± 9.85 vs 72.1 ± 14.0 mg/dL). The areas-under-the-curve (AUCs) were lower for both glucose (p = .043) and insulin values (p = .036) with p-rich. At 240-min, satiety was higher (p = .006), and desire-to-eat lower (p = .008) with p-rich; desire-to-eat AUC was lower with p-rich too (p = .029). The integration of a small amount of BSG-derived fibre into a sweet food led to improved glycaemic control and appetite regulation.

Meeting Report: WHO Workshop on modelling global mortality and aetiology estimates of enteric pathogens in children under five. Cape Town, 28-29th November 2018.

Investment in vaccine product development should be guided by up-to-date and transparent global burden of disease estimates, which are also fundamental to policy recommendation and vaccine introduction decisions. For low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), vaccine prioritization is primarily driven by the number of deaths caused by different pathogens. Enteric diseases are known to be a major cause of death in LMICs. The two main modelling groups providing mortality estimates for enteric diseases are the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, Seattle and the Maternal Child Epidemiology Estimation (MCEE) group, led by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Whilst previous global diarrhoea mortality estimates for under five-year-olds from these two groups were closely aligned, more recent estimates for 2016 have diverged, particularly with respect to numbers of deaths attributable to different enteric pathogens. This has impacted prioritization and investment decisions for vaccines in the development pipeline. The mission of the Product Development for Vaccines Advisory Committee (PDVAC) at the World Health Organisation (WHO) is to accelerate product development of vaccines and technologies that are urgently needed and ensure they are appropriately targeted for use in LMICs. At their 2018 meeting, PDVAC recommended the formation of an independent working group of subject matter experts to explore the reasons for the difference between the IHME and MCEE estimates, and to assess the respective strengths and limitations of the estimation approaches adopted, including a review of the data on which the estimates are based. Here, we report on the proceedings and recommendations from a consultation with the working group of experts, the IHME and MCEE modelling groups, and other key stakeholders. We briefly review the methodological approaches of both groups and provide a series of proposals for investigating the drivers for the differences in enteric disease burden estimates.

The biomechanics of the umbilical cord Wharton Jelly: Roles in hemodynamic proficiency and resistance to compression.

The umbilical cord is a complex structure containing three vessels, one straight vein and two coiled arteries, encased by the Wharton Jelly (WJ) a spongy structure made of collagen and hydrated macromolecules. Fetal blood reaches the placenta through the arteries and flows back to the fetus through the vein. The role of the WJ in maintaining cord circulation proficiency and the ultimate reason for arterial coiling still lack of reasonable mechanistic interpretations. We performed biaxial tension tests and evidenced significant differences in the mechanical properties of the core and peripheral WJ. The core region, located between the arteries and the vein, resulted rather stiffer close to the fetus. Finite element modelling and optimization based inverse method were used to create 2D and 3D models of the cord and to simulate stress distribution in different hemodynamic conditions, compressive loads and arterial coiling. We recorded a facilitated stress transmission from the arteries to the vein through the soft core of periplacental WJ. This condition generates a pressure gradient that boosts the venous backflow circulation towards the fetus. Peripheral WJ allows arteries to act as pressure buffering chambers during the cardiac diastole and helps to dissipate compressive forces away from vessels. Altered WJ biomechanics may represent the structural basis of cord vulnerability in many high-risk clinical conditions.

Exploration of Web-Sites Affects Autonomic Responses Related to Unconscious Emotions.

In this work we are interested in analyzing any correlations between physiological parameters, extracted from signals such as Electrocardiogram, respiratory signal and Skin Conductance, and self-reported indices related to emotional or cognitive stimulations. For this purpose, an experiment involving twenty participants with a mean age of 25±5 years of both sexes (13 males and 7 females) was carried out. The protocol included the navigation in simulated web-sites and the vision of two different commercial products (utilitarian and hedonistic). At the end of the navigation, a questionnaire was submitted to the subject in order to measure his/her feelings and emotions in a qualitative and subjective way. Quantitative features were extracted from the physiological signals recorded during the execution of the protocol. We performed a correlation analysis between self-reported and physiological responses related to Arousal, Pleasure, Expectancy and Situational Involvement. Findings showed that when a consumer is exposed to a utilitarian product, the physiological emotional responses are disassociated from the self-reported ones. For the hedonistic product, instead, self-reported measures significantly correlate with physiological arousal features like the combined effect of cardiac and respiratory activity and the Heart Rate.

A hybrid characterization framework to determine the visco-hyperelastic properties of a porcine zona pellucida.

The zona pellucida (ZP) is a specialized extracellular matrix surrounding the developing oocyte. This thick matrix consists of various types of glycoprotein that play different roles in the fertilization process. Nowadays, several techniques are available for assessing ZP's mechanical response. The basic assumption behind these methods is that the ZP behaves like an elastic body: hence, dissipative forces are neglected and Young's modulus remains unaffected by probe dynamics. However, dissipative forces are strongly regulated by the slippage of ZP chains past one another while reaction forces related to elastic deformations (driven by the ability of each chain to stretch) depend on the ZP structure (i.e. number of cross-links and distances between knots). Although viscous reaction forces generated by the ZP are one of the main factors regulating sperm transit, their peculiar behaviour along the ZP structure remains poorly understood and rarely investigated. In order to overcome this limitation, a novel visco-hyperelastic model describing the porcine ZP reaction forces generated by nanoindentations at different probe rates is developed and verified in this study. Visco-hyperelastic parameters of porcine ZP membranes are determined by means of a hybrid characterization framework combining atomic force microscopy nanoindentation measurements, nonlinear finite-element analysis and nonlinear optimization. Remarkably, it is possible to separate the contributions of hyperelastic and viscous terms to ZP mechanical response and evaluate the error made in the determination of ZP mechanical properties if viscous effects were not considered.

Robust mechanical property measurements of fibrous parylene-C thin-film substrate via moiré contouring technology.

Parylene-C is a bio-inert, bio-compatible and relatively inexpensive material with many bio-medical applications from coatings for implantable devices to bio-scaffolds. The main objective of this research was to demonstrate a novel approach to accurately measure the mechanical properties of free-standing fibrous thin-film substrates (TFS) of parylene-C. For that purpose, a two-stage experimental protocol based on the use of moiré contouring technology was developed. In this protocol, local measurements employing an advanced moiré setup that uses non-conventional illumination (i.e. evanescent field) are first performed to gather high-resolution information on a small region of the specimen; then, global measurements based on shadow moiré are performed to monitor the overall behavior of the membrane. The protocol was first calibrated for an aluminum foil and then partially applied to the fibrous parylene-C TFS. Material properties extracted from experiments are f0ully consistent with the data reported in literature and the results of a hybrid identification procedure based on the combination of finite element analysis and nonlinear optimization. The results will help lay the foundation for developing a comprehensive understanding of the influence that morphology and stresses play in the ability to enhance and sustain cell growth and tissue development, for biomedical applications.

Mechanical behavior of an osteotomized mandible with distraction orthodontic devices.

This work analyzes the mechanical behavior of a human mandible when distraction orthodontic devices are used for correcting problems of dental overcrowding and/or arch shrinkage. The mandible 3D model is reconstructed from CT scan data and meshed into finite elements. The distractor is also modeled. FEM analysis included geometric non-linearity. Displacement field of healthy and osteotomized mandibles are compared. Progressive expansion of the distractor and effects of mastication are also analyzed. Finally, we compare two distraction protocols PROT1 and PROT2 where device is, respectively, expanded by 0.6 or 1.2mm/day. The global displacement is 6mm according to clinical recommendations. It came out that mastication forces generate displacements compatible with bone remodeling. However, parasitic rotations of the mandible arms due to mastication may counteract arch expansion induced by the device. Stress concentrations occurred where the device is fixed: stress peaks stay however below yield limit. Finally, PROT2 reduced by about 10% stresses in mandible and reproduces better than PROT1 the displacement field imposed by the device.

Structural behaviour of endodontically treated teeth under thermomechanical loading.

Choosing the optimal combination of post construction and restorative materials to minimize thermomechanical stresses in endodontically post-restored teeth is a very challenging task. In fact, while thermal properties of metallic alloys used for endodontic posts are rather similar to those of natural dental tissues, composite restorative materials used for constructing post and postcore usually possess better mechanical properties than metallic alloys. This may make it very difficult to evaluate directly thermomechanical stresses in the restored tooth. Therefore, this paper presents a detailed analysis of the structural behaviour of several post-endodontic restorations submitted to different combinations of thermomechanical load. The aim of the study is to compare the relative merits of different restoration concepts. Three-dimensional finite element method (FE) analysis is carried out for an upper incisor restored with composite as well as metallic post systems. Furthermore, customized and standard post constructions are compared. Two loading cases are considered: (a) exposure to cold irritants in absence of mastication; (b) mastication of cold or hot foods. Effects of thermal field inhomogeneity and occlusal force magnitude are also included in the analysis. Because of the transient nature of thermal loads, relative performance of different restorations is investigated as the thermal perturbation spreads through the restored tooth. Results indicate that composite post systems are globally more efficient than restorations including a metallic alloy post when thermal cycles and mastication act together. However, relative performance of different restoration concepts in the absence of mastication may depend strongly on the time of exposure to thermal irritants.

Biomechanical effects of prosthesis neck geometries to contrast limb lengthening after hip replacement.

Hip prostheses should meet the anatomical and physiological characteristics of patients; this is the rationale for designing modular implants of different sizes. To optimize implant geometry, it is necessary to consider, not only the prosthesis component design, but also the final configuration of the implanted leg. This means the necessity to consider the specific morphological and functional condition of ""that"" patient and not only of ""that"" hip to restore, at best, limb functions. Variations in the length of the implanted limb are frequent; therefore, the variations in the three geometrical features of the hip prosthesis neck, which can affect the restoration of the anatomical symmetry of the limbs, were investigated: (i) neck lengths (Ln ), between 50.5 and 64.5 mm; (ii) cervico-diaphyseal (CD) angle ( ã ), between 135 and 125 degrees and; (iii) anteversion (AV) angle ( â ), between 0 and 15 degrees . Adopting a three-dimensional (3D) simplified biomechanical model, the resultant load acting on the hip was estimated for each different design solution; corresponding stress distributions and contact pressures at the interface between the prosthesis head and the ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) layer were evaluated by 3D finite element (FE) analyses and using the Strozzi approach. The following values have been assumed as physiological values: ã = ã p = 125 degrees , â = â p = 15 degrees and Ln = 57 mm; it was found that to contrast limb lengthening, if the CD angle varies from 135-125 degrees (with neck length Ln = 64.5 mm and AV = 0 degrees ), the joint resultant load decreases by 8.8% (7.2% if AV = 15 degrees ); the contact pressure de-creases by 5.8%, (5% if AV = 15 degrees ); the bending moment in the stem neck increases by 10.9% (13.8% if AV = 15 degrees ) and the torque increases by 1% (12.8% if AV = 15 degrees ).

Finite element analysis of a new customized composite post system for endodontically treated teeth.

This paper investigated the mechanical behavior of a new customized post system built up with a composite framework presently utilized for crowns, bridges, veneers and inlay/onlay dental restorations. The material has been shaped so to follow perfectly the profile of the root canal in order to take advantage of the better mechanical properties of composites with respect to metallic alloys commonly used for cast posts. The analysis has been carried out with 3D finite element models previously validated on the basis of experimental work. The new post system has been compared to a variety of restorations using either prefabricated or cast posts. The structural efficiency of the new restoration has been evaluated for an upper incisor under different loading conditions (mastication, bruxism, impact). Results prove that maximum stress values in restored teeth are rather insensitive to post types and materials. However, the new customized composite restoration allows to reduce significantly the stresses inside the dentinal regions where conservative clinical interventions are not possible.

Radiolabeled localization of the sentinel lymph node: dosimetric evaluation in personnel involved in the procedure.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Peritumoral injection of 99mTc-labeled colloids for lymphoscintigraphy and radioguided surgery does not entail any relevant radiation burden to the patients. The real issue about radiation protection concerns the personnel involved in the procedure besides the nuclear medicine personnel. The aim of our study was to evaluate the cumulative doses to personnel involved during the injection of radiolabeled compounds, under ultrasound or stereotactic guidance and the radiation burden to the personnel involved in the surgical incision of the tumor 24 hours after the administration of 99mTc-labeled colloids. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: We performed environmental contamination tests (SMEAR TEST) and exposure evaluation in the operating room. RESULTS: In the operating room the removed activity in the analyzed samples was less than 0.5 Bq/g and exposure to the personnel was less than 6 micro Sv/h. The evaluations made during ultrasound guidance demonstrated an equivalent and effective dose less than 20 microSv. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that during ultrasound or stereotactic administration of radiolabeled compounds the radiation burden to the personnel involved in the procedure is virtually negligible. The surgeons too are exposed to a negligible radiation dose.

Chromosomal aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges and high frequency cells in young patients with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1).

Chromosomal aberrations (CAs), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and high frequency cells (HFCs) have been assessed in peripheral blood lymphocytes of 10 neurofibromatosis (NF1) patients and 10 healthy controls. In both groups, the spontaneous rates and the induced (bleomycin for CA and MMC for SCE) frequencies were analyzed. No differences between cells from NF1 patients and controls were observed with respect to spontaneous or bleomycin induced CA. Spontaneous or MMC induced SCE frequencies were also similar in NF1 patients and controls. HFCs, on the contrary, were statistically lower in NF1 patients.

MFASAT: a new alphoid DNA sequence isolated from Macaca fascicularis (Cercopithecidae, Primates).

A new highly repeated DNA fragment isolated from Macaca fascicularis (MFASAT) is described. Our findings obtained by sequencing, Southern blot analysis, and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) on metaphasic chromosomes strongly suggest that MFASAT can be considered as a member of the alphoid DNA family characteristic of Old World monkeys. The chromosomal localization of MFASAT, obtained by FISH, showed that this alphoid DNA is present in the peri-centromeric area of all the chromosomes. MFASAT showed a high degree of conservation when compared, by sequence alignment, to other Macaca species and Papio papio as expected for species with considerable genome conservation. A low degree of homology has been found comparing M. fascicularis alphoid DNA with a more distantly related Cercopithecidae species such as Cercopithecus aethiops.

In vivo cytogenetic studies of the genotoxic effects of polymethyl methacrylate employed in orthopaedics.

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is a material employed as a cement in prosthesis that has been found to induce cytogenetic damage in human lymphocytes in vitro. This effect is particularly achieved before the 5th day of the exposition, while after this period no significant variations appeared. In the present study, results of cytogenetic tests in humans are reported. Sister chromatid exchange analysis and micronucleus tests have been performed on lymphocytes of patients who had undergone prosthesization with cemented prosthesis (group A) or with biological anchorage prosthesis, as control (group B). DNA damage was investigated before implantation and 5 d after surgery in both groups. Cytogenetic tests did not show any significant increase in the number of micronuclei and sister chromatid exchanges with respect to control values in patients with PMMA cemented prosthesis.

Age-related increase of baseline frequencies of sister chromatid exchanges, chromosome aberrations, and micronuclei in human lymphocytes.

Intra- and interindividual variations of baseline frequencies of cytogenetic end points in lymphocytes of human populations have been reported by various authors. Personal characteristics seem to account for a significant proportion of this variability. Several studies investigating the role of age as a confounding factor in cytogenetic biomonitoring found an age-related increase of micronucleus (MN) frequency, whereas contradictory results were reported for chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs). We have quantitatively evaluated the effect of age on SCE, CA, and MN through the analysis of a population sample that included data from several biomonitoring studies performed over the last few decades in 12 Italian laboratories. The large size of the data set, i.e., more than 2000 tests for each end point, allowed us to estimate the independent effect of age, taking into account other covariates, such as sex, smoking habits, occupational exposure, and inter- and intralaboratory variability. A greater frequency of the mean standardized values by increasing of age was observed for all of the end points. A leveling off was evident in the last age classes in the trend of MN frequencies. Frequency ratios (FRs), which express the increase of the cytogenetic damage with respect to the first age classes, i.e., 1-19 years, were estimated using Poisson regression analysis after adjustment for the potential confounding factors and confirmed the increasing trend by age class for all three end points. The most dramatic increase was observed for MN, with a FR that approaches the value of 2 at the age class 50-59 (FR, 1.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.43-2.71) and remains substantially unchanged thereafter. The trend of FRs for CA is more homogeneous, with a constant rise even in the older classes, whereas the frequency of SCE increases with age to a lesser extent, reaching a plateau in the age class 40-49 and the maximum value of FR in the age class over 70 (FR, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.23). In conclusion, our results point to an age-related increase of the chromosome damage in lymphocytes and emphasize the need to take into account the potential confounding effect of this variable in the design of biomonitoring studies based on chromosome damage.

Increased frequencies of sister chromatid exchanges and micronuclei in "in vitro" lymphocyte cultures treated with the fungicides thiram and ziram.

The two fungicides analysed in this paper, Thiram (TH) and Ziram (ZI) are among the most common residues found in fruit and vegetables sold in Italy. These compounds were tested in "in vitro" lymphocyte cultures, from 16 individuals, at different concentrations (Thiram 5 x 10(-8) M; 5 x 10(-7) M; 5 x 10(-6) M and Ziram 1 x 10(-7) M; 1 x 10(-6) M; 1 x 10(-5) M) in order to ascertain if they are able to modify sister chromatid exchange and/or micronuclei frequencies. Both fungicides produced a significant increase in SCE and Micronuclei frequencies. The two highest doses of TH and ZI were found to be cytotoxic for most of the individuals and were not included in the statistical analysis. With regard to the Proliferation Rate Index (i.e. the number of first, second, third or more mitoses), no difference was found between controls and treated cultures.

Study of C-polymorphisms of chromosomes 1, 9 and 16 in lymphocytes of patients with laryngeal carcinoma.

A case-control study of the C-bands of #1, 9 and 16 was performed on PHA-stimulated lymphocytes in 29 individuals, 16 of whom with laryngeal carcinoma. C-bands were revealed using Sumner's CBG staining technique. The assay for chromosomic markers was performed using traditional measuring methods and an image analysis system. The calculation of the heterochromatic index (HI) using Neeley's method was chosen to evaluate size heteromorphisms and was used for each homologue of chromosome pairs examined. No significant difference was found between patients and controls with regard to size polymorphisms. The comparison between patients and controls was significant when size polymorphisms at the level of #9 were taken into account. In fact, 9 out of 16 patients (56%) versus 2 out of 13 controls (15%) presented a partial pericentric inversion on one of the two homologues of chromosome pair 9 (chi 2 = 5.325; 0.05 > p > 0.01). The two measuring techniques produced broadly similar results. However, in our opinion, the classic method is preferable owing to its simplicity of use. In conclusion, we affirm that pericentric inversion of #9 may be regarded as a predisposing factor for the onset of laryngeal carcinoma whose manifestation is triggered by tobacco and alcohol consumption.

Cytogenetic effect of thiabendazole and diphenylammine on cultured human lymphocytes: sister chromatid exchanges and cell cycle delay.

The two fungicides analysed in this paper, Thiabendazole (TBZ) and Diphenylammine (DPA), are among the pesticides found in higher concentration in fruits and vegetables sold in Tuscany. These compounds were tested in "in vitro" lymphocyte cultures at different concentrations and using 3 protocols; protocol 1: the cultures were treated with the fungicides for 48 h; protocols 2 and 3: the cultures were treated with fungicides for 4 h in the presence or absence of the metabolic activator S9 mix. Both fungicides produced a slight increase in the SCE frequency in the 48 h treatment, at the higher non-toxic concentrations tested, but not when exposed for only 4 h, with or without S9 mix. As far as concerns the Proliferation Rate Index (i.e. the number of first, second and third mitoses), Thiabendazole also produced a significant decrease in the replication rate of the treated cultures, while Diphenylammine did not produce any effect.

Retrospective study of couples with a history of recurrent spontaneous abortion.

Clinical treatment of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is still a matter of debate due to the absence of an univocal definition of the term. As a consequence of the reproductive history of the couple, there is still uncertainty regarding the moment when the problem of recurrent abortion arises and this prevents the start of diagnostic evaluation and therapy. In addition to a critical review of the literature, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether two successive abortions with the same partner are sufficient to suggest that the couple should undergo diagnostic test, or if it would be more sensible to wait for other reproductive failures. The study was performed in 50 couples suffering from recurrent abortion who attended the Laboratory of Cytogenetics in the Department of Animal Biology at Turin University for caryotyping in order to exclude the presence of chromosomal aberrations. Interviewed by telephone, out of 50 couples 41 presented the necessary requisites for being included in the study. Follow-up ranged between a maximum of 8.5 years and a minimum of 1 year (mean of 4.7 years). From the data collected it emerged that the probable cause of RSA was identified in 21 out of 41 couples enrolled in the study group (51.2 per cent). In the remaining 20 couples tests were within normal ranges. In all diagnosed cases the reproductive problem was identified with one or more alterations present in women. Among the hypothesized cause of RSA, uterine abnormalities were the most frequent (19.5 per cent), followed by immunological problems (17.1 per cent), etiologic factors of hormonal origin (12.2 per cent), one single case of genital infection (2.4 per cent), one balanced chromosomal translocation (2.4 per cent) and at last only one case of cervical incompetence of (2.4 per cent). The diagnosis was determined effectively in 85.7 per cent of couples. Of 20 couples who had not shown any abnormalities, 80 per cent had had a healthy child without any abortions and with the same partner. In conclusion, diagnostic tests performed finally identified the cause of RSA in 43.9 per cent of the couples who completed the procedure; vice versa, 39.0 per cent of couples solved the problem without the need for diagnostic tests; finally, the remaining 18.1 per cent were unable to carry pregnancy to term. By comparing our results to those reported by other authors, we believe that the probability of identifying the cause of RSA and curing it is sufficiently high to justify the start of the diagnostic evaluation of the problem as early as the second abortion in view of the stress on the couple produced by repeated reproductive failures.

Are chromosome aberrations in circulating lymphocytes predictive of future cancer onset in humans? Preliminary results of an Italian cohort study.

To investigate the existence of an association between the frequency of chromosome aberrations (CA) in non-target tissues and cancer risk, a historical cohort study was carried out in a group of 1455 subjects screened for CA over the last 20 years in Italy. Statistically significant increases in standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for all cancers were found in subjects with medium and high levels of CA in peripheral blood lymphocytes (SMR = 178.5 and SMR = 182.0, respectively) and in subjects with high levels of CA for respiratory tract cancers (SMR = 250.8) and lymphatic and hematopoietic tissue neoplasms (SMR = 548.8). Significant trends in the SMRs were observed for these latter causes of death.