USA millennial and non-millennial beef consumers perception of beef, pork, and chicken.

Millennials have been shown to have distinctly different behaviors; however, factors affecting their liking of beef, pork and chicken has not been fully elucidated. As millennials are current and future animal protein consumers, the question of if they have different drivers of liking for beef, pork, and chicken has not been answered. Top loin steaks cooked to 58.3 or 80 °C; and pork loin chops and chicken breasts cooked to 62.7 or 80 °C were cooked on a flat grill. Beef bottom round roasts cooked to 58.3 or 80°; and pork inside ham roasts and chicken thighs were cooked to 62.7 or 80 °C in a Crock-pot®. A descriptive flavor and texture attribute panel and a consumer central location test in four cities were used to evaluated flavor and texture attributes. Consumers were either millennials or non-millennials, and light or heavy beef-eaters. Meat descriptive flavor and texture attributes differed by cooking method, cut, and internal temperature (P < 0.05). Consumers preferred grilled meat more than meat cooked in the Crock-pot® (P > 0.05). Consumers rated grill flavor, juiciness, and tenderness (P ≥ 0.05) higher in grilled meat. Light beef-eaters, those who ate beef 2 to 4 times per month, rated overall, flavor, and species flavor lower (P < 0.05) than heavy beef-eaters, but consumers liked beef regardless of generational segment or their consumption of beef; however, millennials rated overall, overall flavor, and tenderness liking slightly lower than non-millennials. These results indicate that millennials have similar drivers of liking as non-millennials across beef, pork, and chicken protein sources.

The impact of the association between Val16Ala-SOD2 SNP and SOD2 immunohistochemistry expression in the prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Esophageal cancer is an extensive public health issue worldwide, warranting the search for biomarkers related to its risk and progression. Previous studies have indicated an association between Val16AlaSOD2 single nucleotide polymorphism in the gene encoding the enzyme superoxide dismutase 2 and esophageal cancer. However, further investigations are needed to clarify its role in disease risk and progression. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of Val16AlaSOD2-SNP in esophageal cancer progression and in the survival of patients METHODS: Tumor samples were utilized for Val16Ala-SNP genotyping, while SOD2 expression levels in tissue were assessed using immunohistochemistry. A SOD2 Val16Ala-SNP database was used to obtain information on the genotype of healthy individuals. Risk and overall survival analyzes were performed. RESULTS: The Val16Ala SNP was associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer (RR 2.18, 95%CI 1.23-3.86), regardless of age and gender, but did not have a significant effect on patient survival. In contrast, weak SOD2 expression demonstrated a significantly associated with poor overall survival after treatment, independent of other clinicopathological variables (HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.22-0.79 P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Val16Ala SNP was positively associated with esophageal cancer, and the expression of SOD2 was an independent prognostic marker.

Prominent features in isotopic, chemical and dust stratigraphies from coastal East Antarctic ice sheet (Eastern Wilkes Land).

In this work we present the isotopic, chemical and dust stratigraphies of two snow pits sampled in 2013/14 at GV7 (coastal East Antarctica: 70°41' S - 158°51' E, 1950 m a.s.l.). A large number of chemical species are measured aiming to study their potentiality as environmental changes markers. Seasonal cluster backward trajectories analysis was performed and compared with chemical marker stratigraphies. Sea spray aerosol is delivered to the sampling site together with snow precipitation especially in autumn-winter by air masses arising from Western Pacific Ocean sector. Dust show maximum concentration in spring when the air masses arising from Ross Sea sector mobilize mineral dust from ice-free areas of the Transantarctic mountains. The clear seasonal pattern of sulfur oxidized compounds allows the dating of the snow-pit and the calculation of the mean accumulation rate, which is 242 ± 71 mm w.e. for the period 2008-2013. Methanesulfonic acid and NO3- do not show any concentration decreasing trend as depth increases, also considering a 12 m firn core record. Therefore these two compounds are not affected by post-depositional processes at this site and can be considered reliable markers for past environmental changes reconstruction. The rBC snow-pit record shows the highest values in summer 2012 likely related to large biomass burning even occurred in Australia in this summer. The undisturbed accumulation rate for this site is demonstrated by the agreement between the chemical stratigraphies and the annual accumulation rate of the two snow-pits analysed in Italian and Korean laboratories.

Self-assembly of mono- and bidentate oligoarylene thiols onto polycrystalline Au.

Four thiolated oligoarylene molecules (i) 4-methoxy-terphenyl-4″-methanethiol (MTM), (ii) 4-methoxy-terphenyl-3″,5″-dimethanethiol (MTD), (iii) 4-nitro-terphenyl-4″-methanethiol (NTM), and (iv) 4-nitro-terphenyl-3″,5″-dimethanethiol (NTD) were synthesized and self-assembled as monolayers (SAMs) on polycrystalline Au electrodes of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). SAMs were characterized by contact angle and AC/DC electrochemical measurements, whereas atomic force microscopy was used for imaging the pentacene films grown on the coated electrodes. The electrical properties of functionalized OFETs, the electrochemical SAMs features and the morphology of pentacene films were correlated to the molecular organization of the thiolated oligoarylenes on Au, as calculated by means of the density functional theory. This multi-methodological approach allows us to associate the systematic replacement of the SAM anchoring head group (viz. methanethiol and dimethanethiol) and/or terminal tail group (viz. nitro-, -NO2, and methoxy, -OCH3) with the change of the electrical features. The dimethanethiol head group endows SAMs with higher resistive features along with higher surface tensions compared with methanethiol. Furthermore, the different number of thiolated heads affects the kinetics of Au passivation as well as the pentacene morphology. On the other hand, the nitro group confers further distinctive properties, such as the positive shift of both threshold and critical voltages of OFETs with respect to the methoxy one. The latter experimental evidence arise from its electron-withdrawing capability, which has been verified by both DFT calculations and DC electrochemical measurements.

Acute action of aminophylline in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether aminophylline has an acute effect on the muscle performance of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study was a randomized, double-blind, crossover against placebo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients (48.5 +/- 14.1 years) with ALS were evaluated by means of forced vital capacity (FVC), maximal mouth inspiratory and expiratory pressures (P(Imax)/P(Emax)) and endurance, maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) and handgrip strength (HS); variables were measured before and after the patients received an intravenous infusion of aminophylline or placebo. RESULTS: MVV (P<0.02) and HS of the right and left hands (P=0.05) increased after aminophylline infusion. There was a positive correlation between FVC and P(Imax) (r=0.80; P<0.05); between MVV and P(Imax) post-aminophylline, respectively (r=0.77; P<0.05). Serum aminophylline levels ranged from 5.3 to 10.5 microg/mL (mean 7.30). CONCLUSION: The acute administration of aminophylline improves the endurance of respiratory muscles and increases handgrip strength in patients with ALS.

[Evaluation of urea recirculation and dialysis efficiency of central venous jugular catheters when the venous lumen is used as an arterial lumen]. / Valutazione del ricircolo dell'urea ed efficacia dialitica del catetere giugulare venoso centrale quando il lume venoso è utilizzato come lume arterioso.

BACKGROUND: The dual lumen internal jugular venous catheter has proven to be the most useful temporary vascular access for hemodialysis. According to this evidence it was decided to evaluate urea recirculation rate during hemodialysis performed by dual lumen internal jugular catheter (IJC) under normal condition (R1) and when the arterial lumen of the catheter is used as venous lumen, and the venous lumen as arterial lumen (R2). METHODS: In 71 patients who underwent hemodialysis using a dual lumen IJC, urea recirculation rate was measured during a conventional bicarbonate hemodialysis, under normal condition R1 and during the experimental condition R2. RESULTS: Urea recirculation rate < 5% was achieved for almost all patients under normal condition R1. In the different condition R2, urea recirculation rate increased in all patients, from an average value of 3.7 +/- 1.7 to 5.1 +/- 1.8 p < 0.0001. This increment was expected ut surprisingly low. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion during hemodialysis with dual lumen IJC efficient treatment can be provided in normal condition and also when the venous lumen is used as arterial lumen.

[Cardiac arrhythmias during dialysis. An unresolved problem]. / Aritmie cardiache in corso di dialisi. Un problema non risolto.

The incidence of the arrhythmias in 47 patients subjected to chronic hospital dialysis using different techniques has been assessed. Cardiopathies and non-cardiopathies were assessed separately. In the first group, no significant differences were observed with respect to the presence of heart rhythm disturbances. The second group showed increased ventricular arrhythmias during the intradialysis and postdialysis period. A statistical correlation was carried out between the presence of arrhythmias and various parameters (technique of dialysis, weight difference, ultrafiltrate/hour, age). The only statistically significant correlation in the non-cardiopathies was age.

Optimised analysis of tamoxifen and its main metabolites in the plasma and cytosol of mammary tumours.

Recent biochemical and pharmacological findings concerning tamoxifen (TMX) have proven that both the unchanged drug and the main metabolites, N-desmethyltamoxifen (NDT) and 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4OHT) are biologically active. An HPLC method based on on-line post-column UV irradiation with fluorescence detection is described. Optimized conditions allowed complete and rapid separation of TMX 4OHT, NDT and two other recently reported metabolites, Y and Z. This method was applied to plasma and cytosol drug and metabolite analyses. In plasma, from the moment of initial drug administration until the steady state (after 1 month or more of continuous oral TMX treatment), the values of NDT to TMX ratios were completely reversed: 22 to 215 in mean %, P less than 0.01. The presence of metabolites Y and Z is significant. 4OHT, hardly detectable at the first dose, was measured at the steady state with high interpatient variability. It is hypothesized that metabolite evolution with time may be due to auto-induction of drug metabolism. In cytosols, which were all obtained during continuous TMX treatment, the ratios between TMX and metabolites were comparable to those observed in plasma, but with greater interpatient variability. Metabolite Y was not detectable in cytosols. This variability was not linked to the levels of cytosolic oestradiol receptors before initiation of treatment.

[Regular dialytic treatment in the Piedmont region. Results and prospects]. / Trattamento dialitico regolare nella Regione Piemonte Risultati e prospettive.

The Piedmont planning for the prevention and treatment of chronic uremia started in 1976, with the purpose to extending full treatment of the whole region, through the development of home and self care dialysis and intensive use of hospital short dialysis. Hospital dialysis would be reserved either for new treatments or complicated or uncooperative patients. Thank to an intensive exploitation of the existing hospital centers, a 68.7% increment in the number of treated patients was achieved and costs were kept down to a limited acceptable range. With the development of home and self care dialysis, 27% of the patients were located in out-of-hospital centers, and 17% at home. The Piedmont planning concerned itself with the patients' data collected by the Regional Registry under the following items: a) characteristics of dialysis population; b) the present modes of treatment; c) the number of patients apt to varying treatments and renal transplantation; d) the epidemiology of uremia causing nephropathies. At the present time results are only preliminary. Nevertheless, the first observations showed a long and difficult work with good possibilities of success for computerized facilities in the field of dialysis, particularly in respect to regional areas which in the reformed Health Service are now considered to be operating as autonomous.