1,720,980 research outputs found
A method for preparing hypoallergenic derivatives of fruit and/or vegetable pieces
No full textThe object of the present invention is a novel fruit and vegetable transformation process for the production of hypoallergenic industrial derivatives in pieces (cubes, slices, segments etc.), intended mainly for individuals with OAS (Oral Allergy Syndrome) following the consumption of fresh products and/or the traditional industrial derivatives thereof, but also for general consumption in order to prevent sensitisation in atopic patients. In a second aspect, the present invention also relates to products that can be obtained by means of said process
Determinants of venom-specific IgE antibody concentration during long-term wasp venom immunotherapy
Full text linkBackground: Venom immunotherapy (VIT) is an effective treatment for subjects with systemic allergic reactions (SR) to Hymenoptera stings, however there are few studies concerning the relevance of the venom specific IgE changes to decide about VIT cessation. We assessed IgE changes during a 5-year VIT, in patients stung and protected within the first 3 years (SP 0-3) or in the last 2 years (SP 3-5), and in patients not stung (NoS), to evaluate possible correlations between IgE changes and clinical protection. Methods: Yellow jacket venom (YJV)-allergic patients who completed 5 years of VIT were retrospectively evaluated. Baseline IgE levels and after the 3rd and the 5th year of VIT were determined; all patients were asked about field stings and SRs. Results: A total of 232 YJV-allergic patients were included and divided into the following groups: 84 NoS, 72 SP 0-3 and 76 SP 3-5. IgE levels decreased during VIT compared to baseline values (χ2 = 346.029, p < 0.001). Recent vespid stings accounted for significantly higher IgE levels despite clinical protection. IgE levels after 5 years of VIT correlated significantly with Mueller grade (F = 2.778, p = 0.012) and age (F = 6.672, p = 0.002). During follow-up from 1 to 10 years after VIT discontinuation, 35.2 % of the contacted patients reported at least one field sting without SR. Conclusions: The yellow jacket-VIT temporal stopping criterion of 5 years duration did not result in undetectable IgE levels, despite a long-lasting protection. A mean IgE decrease from 58 to 70 % was observed, and it was less marked in elderly patients or in subjects with higher Mueller grade SR
Non-destructive method for the identification of ceramic production by portable X-rays Fluorescence (pXRF) : A case study of amphorae manufacture in central Italy
Full text linkPortable X-rays Fluorescence (pXRF) represents one of the most effective tools for in situ, non-destructive elemental analysis, which has a valuable application in the study of ceramic production. However, whilst the qualitative assessment of the composition of artefacts is reliable, the quantitative analysis can be biased by some limitations, due to instrumental features or materials properties. The analysis of ceramic materials is particularly challenging due to the lack of representative calibrations and standards, as well as the low density and poor homogeneity of samples. In this contribution, a method is proposed to fingerprint a ceramic production through pXRF analysis. At the site of Montelabate (Perugia) in central Italy four kilns were excavated revealing a production of amphorae. This site was therefore selected as a suitable case study for fingerprinting a ceramic production. After qualitative analysis, representative calibration standards were created based on different commercial clays and feldspars. These can help overcoming the well-known matrix effect, both physical and chemical, and may offer a representative and reproducible standard to be used in different laboratories. Alongside the precise assessment of composition, the possibility to fingerprint a production was also assessed using a different method, based on the intensity ratio between selected elements. The relevant elements were chosen based on their correlation and non-correlation. Correlated elements were attributed to the raw clay used for ceramic production and non-correlated elements were attributed to the specific fabric recipe. Accordingly, some benchmarks to identify the clays and fabric used in the site of Montelabate were identified. Amphorae found at other ancient commercial sites in the area of Rome were therefore also compared with these benchmarks in order to assess their provenience
Fingerprinting a production: analytical method for the identification of clay components
No full textThe paper presents the preliminary results of an innovative application of a combined non-destructive method of clay analysis by portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) allowing elemental analysis jointly with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) to identify the molecular composition of clay, providing a method to fingerprint any given production. The innovative nature of this interdisciplinary study is the establishment of a standard methodology to fingerprint pottery technology, using as a case study the results of the excavation of four Roman kilns at Montelabate (Perugia, Italy), investigated as part of the Montelabate Project.
The study is part of a joint project between the McDonald Institute (University of Cambridge) and the Department of Chemistry (Università degli Studi di Milano) aiming to create a conceptual and practical non-destructive methodology applying X-rays Fluorescence (XRF) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS with the participation of Diessechem) analyses to the study of and Roman clay production
Basal platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase : prognostic marker of severe Hymenoptera venom anaphylaxis
No full textFunctional properties of pasteurised liquid whole egg products as affected by the hygienic quality of the raw eggs
No full textThe viscosity, foaming and baking performances of pasteurised liquid whole egg products were investigated to study the influence of raw egg hygienic quality on egg product functional performances. Uracil, lactic acid and 3OH-butyric acid measured in the pasteurised egg products were taken as chemical indices of the hygienic quality of the raw material. A high variability in the functional properties was observed, especially for overrun and foam stability, as well as in the chemical indices of hygiene. Many interesting correlations were found between variables, for example between overrun and cake volume (p < 0.001). Instead, no significant correlations were found between the chemical indices and the different functional properties. However, the application of Principal Component Analysis demonstrated that a good hygienic quality of the raw material used to prepare the liquid whole egg products is a prerequisite needed to develop good functional performances, although other factors pertaining to composition or processing also have a role
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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