Dietary Fibre Consumption in a Sample of Italian Adults: Relationship Between Dietary Habits and Gender, Ponderal Status and Physical Activity

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the consumption frequency of foods rich in dietary fibre; in relation to gender, ponderal status and physical activity, in a sample of Italian adults. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted; from November 2021 to June 2022, on 300 subjects by a questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviours and consumption frequency of dietary fibre-rich foods. Results: The consumption frequency of dietary fibre is higher in females than in males. A higher percentage of obese people never or rarely consumed foods rich in dietary fibre. In regards to the consumption of whole-meal biscuits/whole-meal rusks/whole grains, it was observed that a higher percentage of overweight subjects ate them every day, more so than those who were obese, of normal-underweight and in overweight females; with the difference being significant (52.6% vs 16.7% and 32.6%; p-value=0.0366). The same trend was observed for fruit and vegetable consumption; wherein, 11.1% of overweight participants consumed 5 or more servings per day of fruit and vegetables. In contrast, only 7.9% of normal-underweight and 3.6% of obese behave according to WHO recommendations. In overweight females, this difference was significant (12.8% vs 8.3% and 8.3%; p-value=0.0103). A significant (p-value<0.05) higher consumption of dietary fibre was observed in physically active people than in physical inactive people, while no significant differences existed between those who exercise for at least 150 minutes/week and those who exercise less than 150minutes. Conclusion: Dietary fibre consumption was moderately associated with gender and weight status and significantly associated with physical activity

Genome Sequencing of <i>Pantoea agglomerans</i> C1 Provides Insights into Molecular and Genetic Mechanisms of Plant Growth-Promotion and Tolerance to Heavy Metals

Distinctive strains of Pantoea are used as soil inoculants for their ability to promote plant growth. Pantoea agglomerans strain C1, previously isolated from the phyllosphere of lettuce, can produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), solubilize phosphate, and inhibit plant pathogens, such as Erwinia amylovora. In this paper, the complete genome sequence of strain C1 is reported. In addition, experimental evidence is provided on how the strain tolerates arsenate As (V) up to 100 mM, and on how secreted metabolites like IAA and siderophores act as biostimulants in tomato cuttings. The strain has a circular chromosome and two prophages for a total genome of 4,846,925-bp, with a DNA G+C content of 55.2%. Genes related to plant growth promotion and biocontrol activity, such as those associated with IAA and spermidine synthesis, solubilization of inorganic phosphate, acquisition of ferrous iron, and production of volatile organic compounds, siderophores and GABA, were found in the genome of strain C1. Genome analysis also provided better understanding of the mechanisms underlying strain resistance to multiple toxic heavy metals and transmission of these genes by horizontal gene transfer. Findings suggested that strain C1 exhibits high biotechnological potential as plant growth-promoting bacterium in heavy metal polluted soils.6s

Characteristics and Cluster of Lifestyle Factors in Neurological Outpatients

Objective: Neurological disorders are increasing, because of demographic and epidemiologic changes occurring in both developed and developing countries. This study was aimed at examining and clustering lifestyle factors in an Italian sample of neurological outpatients. Material and Methods: A total of 153 subjects were recruited from the ambulatory Unit Operative Complex of neurology, of S. Eugenio Hospital in Rome. This study was conducted from January, 2017 to May, 2019. Body Mass Index (general obesity) and Waist Circumference (abdominal obesity) were used as outcome measures. Lifestyle behaviours were assessed via questionnaires. Results: The percentage of overweight/obesity was74.0% (77.0% in males and 70.0% in females); whereas, the percentage of subjects with abdominal obesity (67.0%) was significantly higher in females than in males (76.0% vs 60.0%, p-value= 0.038). Also, among patients suffering from neurological diseases there was a significant prevalence of: (i) males, (ii) subjects with low education levels, iii) elderly adults (aged over 75), and iv) people having a significantly lower percentage of appropriate hours of sleep. Three clusters were identified for males and four for females, according to lifestyles. The ‘unhealthy habits’ cluster, dominant among males (38.4%), was characterized by high prevalence of overweight/obese, and abdominal obese subjects; high prevalence of wine and alcoholic beverages consumers, high prevalence of inactive subjects; especially in females and high prevalence of neurological diseases among males. Conclusion: The clusters were identified according to lifestyles, and the main, important findings showed a high prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle clustering was dominant among male, elderly people with neurological diseases

Reconstruction of primary vertices at the ATLAS experiment in Run 1 proton–proton collisions at the LHC

This paper presents the method and performance of primary vertex reconstruction in proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment during Run 1 of the LHC. The studies presented focus on data taken during 2012 at a centre-of-mass energy of √s=8 TeV. The performance has been measured as a function of the number of interactions per bunch crossing over a wide range, from one to seventy. The measurement of the position and size of the luminous region and its use as a constraint to improve the primary vertex resolution are discussed. A longitudinal vertex position resolution of about 30μm is achieved for events with high multiplicity of reconstructed tracks. The transverse position resolution is better than 20μm and is dominated by the precision on the size of the luminous region. An analytical model is proposed to describe the primary vertex reconstruction efficiency as a function of the number of interactions per bunch crossing and of the longitudinal size of the luminous region. Agreement between the data and the predictions of this model is better than 3% up to seventy interactions per bunch crossing

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

Lunar Gravitational-Wave Antenna

Monitoring of vibrational eigenmodes of an elastic body excited by gravitational waves was one of the first concepts proposed for the detection of gravitational waves. At laboratory scale, these experiments became known as resonant-bar detectors first developed by Joseph Weber in the 1960s. Due to the dimensions of these bars, the targeted signal frequencies were in the kHz range. Weber also pointed out that monitoring of vibrations of Earth or Moon could reveal gravitational waves in the mHz band. His Lunar Surface Gravimeter experiment deployed on the Moon by the Apollo 17 crew had a technical failure rendering the data useless. In this article, we revisit the idea and propose a Lunar Gravitational-Wave Antenna (LGWA). We find that LGWA could become an important partner observatory for joint observations with the space-borne, laser-interferometric detector LISA, and at the same time contribute an independent science case due to LGWA's unique features. Technical challenges need to be overcome for the deployment of the experiment, and development of inertial vibration sensor technology lays out a future path for this exciting detector concept.Comment: 29 pages, 17 figure