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Research progress in the use of lactic acid bacteria as natural biopreservatives against Pseudomonas spp. in meat and meat products: A review
Full text linkMeat and meat products represent excellent sources of key nutrients for human health, such as protein, essential
amino acids, B vitamins, and minerals. However, they are recognized as highly perishable foods since they
represent an ideal substrate for the growth of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. Meat spoilage is a
complex process that involves multiple microorganisms and a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic ecological
factors. One of the most common causative agents of meat spoilage is represented by species of the genus
Pseudomonas. To prevent the development of such undesired microorganisms, chemical preservatives are usually
exploited by the meat industry. However, the growing consumers’ concerns about potential health issues linked
to the consumption of chemical preservatives has prompted the food industry to develop alternative strategies to
prevent microbial spoilage in meat and meat products. Besides to the application of physical strategies, the
interest towards the use of natural preservatives, such as bioprotective microorganisms (e.g., lactic acid bacteria)
and their metabolites, has rapidly grown. When used in meat and meat-based products, lactic acid bacteria
exhibited a bioprotective activity against spoilage and even foodborne pathogens, thanks to the production of
different inhibitory compounds including organic acids, bacteriocins, carbon dioxide, hydrogen peroxide,
ethanol, N-diacetyl, and lactones. This bioprotective activity might justify the use of lactic acid bacteria or their
metabolites as natural preservatives to extend the shelf-life of the products. However, the effectiveness of
antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas in meat and meat products still needs to be investigated to understand
the influence of the type of end product, the type of packaging, and the storage conditions (time and temperature).
Moreover, the antimicrobial activity of lactic acid bacteria must also be evaluated taking into consideration
their ability to maintain the sensory features of fresh meat (whether whole or minced), without
negatively affecting its sourness and acidity. Of note, the results herein discussed emphasize the challenges
occurred in translating in vitro findings into practical applications due to the complex interactions between
bacteria, antimicrobial compounds, and food matrices
Benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood: A 10-year observational follow-up
No full textAim: The aim of this article is to explore the progression of neurological, neuro-otological and cochlear features in benign paroxysmal vertigo (BPV) in children over time and its relation with migraine, neuro-otological and cochlear disorders in adulthood. Methods: From January 2002 to December 2002, 15 children with BPV were prospectively recruited and then evaluated during a 10-year observational follow-up. All patients underwent detailed neurological, neuro-otological and cochlear examinations during interictal phases. Six children were also studied during ictal periods. Results: At first assessment, four children reported migraine with aura (MwA) and six children reported migraine without aura (MwoA). Neuro-otological examinations were abnormal in two of 15 children. Cochlear examinations were normal in all patients. During the 10-year follow-up, recurrent vestibular symptoms and/or MwA and/or MwoA have been observed in the children. Neuro-otological examinations were abnormal in three of 15 individuals during the interictal period, and abnormal in four out of six patients who were studied during the ictal period. Two patients developed cochlear signs and/or symptoms. Conclusions: During the 10-year follow-up, a phenotype variability in BPV patients has been observed. Specifically, de novo cochlear signs and/or symptoms developed in children with BPV, suggesting that cochlear symptoms should be properly investigated in these patients over time
Neuro-otological features of Benign Paroxysmal Vertigo and Benign Paroxysmal Positioning Vertigo in children: a follow-up study.
No full textBACKGROUND: Causes of benign episodic vertigo in paediatric age include benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood (BPV) and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).
OBJECTIVE: The aim is to review the clinical, audiological and vestibular findings in a cohort of children with BPV and in a group of children with BPPV and to highlight the differences useful to formulating a differential diagnosis.
METHODS: Eighteen children, aged 4-9 years, consecutively examined for paroxysmal attacks of dizziness and/or vertigo attacks between January 2002 and December 2002 entered our study. The clinical characteristics of vertigo, presence of triggering factors, family history of migraine, presence of motion sickness, migraine and other accompanying symptoms were considered. Neurological, ophthalmologic, vestibular and auditory functions were assessed.
RESULTS: Eight children suffered from BPPV and ten children from BPV. In the BPPV group, the vestibular examination was normal except for the Dix-Hallpike maneuver. Liberatory maneuvers were immediately effective in all patients and all remained symptom-free during the follow-up. In the BPV group, the vestibular examination was positive in 3 patients but none had positive Dix-Hallpike maneuver. All patients with BPV have a positive family history of migraine and seven had a history of motion sickness. In all, migraine was present one year before the vertigo symptoms, with a frequency of at least two migraine episodes a month.
CONCLUSION: BPV differs from BPPV in terms of family history, clinical symptoms, otoneurological signs, therapy and clinical evolution. BPPV is characterized by specific otoneurological signs, and must be treated with liberatory maneuvers: neither medical therapy nor strict follow-up is neede
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
Neuro-otological features of Benign Paroxysmal Vertigo and Benign Paroxysmal Positioning Vertigo in children: A follow-up study
No full textBackground: Causes of benign episodic vertigo in paediatric age include benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood (BPV) and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Objective: The aim is to review the clinical, audiological and vestibular findings in a cohort of children with BPV and in a group of children with BPPV and to highlight the differences useful to formulating a differential diagnosis. Methods: Eighteen children, aged 4-9 years, consecutively examined for paroxysmal attacks of dizziness and/or vertigo attacks between January 2002 and December 2002 entered our study. The clinical characteristics of vertigo, presence of triggering factors, family history of migraine, presence of motion sickness, migraine and other accompanying symptoms were considered. Neurological, ophthalmologic, vestibular and auditory functions were assessed. Results: Eight children suffered from BPPV and ten children from BPV. In the BPPV group, the vestibular examination was normal except for the Dix-Hallpike maneuver. Liberatory maneuvers were immediately effective in all patients and all remained symptom-free during the follow-up. In the BPV group, the vestibular examination was positive in 3 patients but none had positive Dix-Hallpike maneuver. All patients with BPV have a positive family history of migraine and seven had a history of motion sickness. In all, migraine was present one year before the vertigo symptoms, with a frequency of at least two migraine episodes a month. Conclusion: BPV differs from BPPV in terms of family history, clinical symptoms, otoneurological signs, therapy and clinical evolution. BPPV is characterized by specific otoneurological signs, and must be treated with liberatory maneuvers: neither medical therapy nor strict follow-up is needed. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
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