Milk quality characteristics from Greek indigenous goats

Στην εργασία αυτή εξετάστηκε η χημική σύσταση και τα μικροβιολογικά χαρακτηριστικά του γίδινου γάλακτος δύο εγχώριων Ελληνικών φυλών, της Capra prisca και της Σκοπέλου. Η γαλακτοπαραγωγή κάθε φυλής καταγράφηκε στην αρχική, μέση και τελική φάση της γαλακτοπαραγωγής και για δύο συνεχή έτη. Δεν παρατηρήθηκαν στατιστικά σημαντικές διαφορές μεταξύ των τιμών της πρωτεΐνης, της λακτόζης, της καζεΐνης και των ολικών στερεών συστατικών, ανάμεσα στις δύο φυλές. Το παλμιτικό οξύ (C16:0) και το ολεϊκό οξύ (C18:1) αποτελούν τα σημαντικότερα λιπαρά οξέα στο γίδινο γάλα. Η συγκέντρωση στο γάλα των συζευγμένων λιπαρών οξέων (CLA) μεταξύ των δύο φυλών υπήρξε παρόμοια, ενώ στο περιεχόμενο του γάλακτος της Capra prisca το λινολενικό οξύ βρέθηκε σε υψηλότερες συγκεντρώσεις. Καθόλη τη διάρκεια της γαλακτοπαραγωγής δεν υπήρξε σημαντική μεταβολή στα μέσης και μακράς αλύσου λιπαρά οξέα στο γάλα της φυλής Capra prisca, ενώ παρατηρήθηκε διακύμανση των τιμών των λιπαρών οξέων της μικράς αλύσου από την αρχή της γαλακτοπαραγωγής προς το μέσον για τη φυλή της Σκοπέλου. Η μέτρηση της ολικής μεσόφιλης χλωρίδας στο γάλα των δύο φυλών δεν έδειξε στατιστικά σημαντικές διαφορές, ο ολικός αριθμός των ψυχρότροφων μετρήθηκε υψηλότερος στο γάλα της φυλής Σκοπέλου, ενώ αντιθέτως ο αριθμός των σωματικών κυττάρων του γάλακτος στη φυλή Σκοπέλου υπήρξε χαμηλότερος αυτού της Capra prisca. Αποτελεί δεδομένο ότι το γίδινο γάλα μπορεί να αποτελέσει τροφή με ευεργετικές δράσεις για την υγεία του ανθρώπου και ως εκ τούτου η διερεύνηση των συστατικών του γάλακτος των αυτόχθονων Ελληνικών φυλών μπορεί να παίξει σημαντικό ρόλο για τις ιδιότητες κ αι τα χαρακτηριστικά του.The aim of this study was to assess the chemical and microbiological characteristics of goat milk from indigenous Greek breeds, domestic (Capra prisca) and Skopelos. Εach breed’s milk yield was recorded three times during lactation (early, mid and late stage of lactation) for two consecutive years. No significant differences were observed for fat, protein, lactose, casein and solids-non-fat contents of milk from both breeds. The dominant fatty acids (FA) in milk for both breeds were: palmitic (C16:0) and oleic (C18:1). Other abundant FA was stearic (C18:0), myristic (C14:0), capric (C10:0) and lauric (C12:0). The conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content was similar in both breeds. Linolenic acid content in milk of Capra prisca breed was higher than in Skopelos.A high number of minor short chain fatty acids (SCFA), medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) and long chain fatty acids (LCFA) was also observed in milk fat. SCFA’s increased in mid lactation in goats of Capra prisca breed, while no significant differences were noted during early, mid or late lactation period in medium or long chain FA. In Skopelos breed, SCFA’s increased gradually from early to late lactation, while LCFAs followed a descending order. Enumeration of bacteria presented similar numbers of total viable count in milk of both breeds and higher number of Psychrotrophic ones in milk from Skopelos goats to domestic. Somatic cell counts (SCC) values were significant lower in Skopelos breed compared to Capra prisca. Caprine milk can be an important sourceof health promoting substances and deserves further investigation with specific investigation on milk of indigenous local breeds

Dielectric relaxation dynamics of high-temperature piezoelectric polyimide copolymers

Polyimide co-polymers have been prepared based on different diamines as co-monomers: a diamine without CN groups and a novel synthesized diamine with two CN groups prepared by polycondensation reaction followed by thermal cyclodehydration. Dielectric spectroscopy measurements were performed and the dielectric complex function, ac conductivity and electric modulus of the co-polymers were investigated as a function of CN group content in the frequency range from 0.1 Hz to 107 Hz at temperatures from 25 to 260 °C. For all samples and temperatures above 150ºC, the dielectric constant increases with increasing temperature due to increaseing conductivity. The α-relaxation is just detected for the sample without CN groups, being this relaxation overlapped by the electrical conductivity contributions in the remaining samples. For the copolymer samples and the polymer with CN groups an important Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars contribution is detected. The mechanisms responsible for the dielectric relaxation, conduction process and electric modulus response have been discussed as a function of the CN groups content present in the samples.This work was supported by FEDER through the COMPETE Program and by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Project PESTC/FIS/UI607/2011 and grants SFRH/BD/ 62507/2009 (A.C.L.) SFRH/BD/68499/2010 (C.M.C.). The authors also thank funding from “Matepro – Optimizing Materials and Processes”, ref. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000037”, co-funded by the “Programa Operacional Regional do Norte” (ON.2 – O Novo Norte), under the “Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional” (QREN), through the “Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional” (FEDER). RSS acknowledge the support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the project MAT2012-38359-C03-01 (including the FEDER financial support). Authors also thank the Basque Country Government for financial support (ACTIMAT project, ETORTEK Program, IE13-380, and Ayudas para Grupos de Investigación del Sistema Universitario Vasco Program, IT718-13)

Erratum to: 36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6.]

COVID-19 and post-traumatic stress disorder: The perfect 'storm' for mental health (Review).

Since its outbreak, in December, 2019, in the Chinese city of Wuhan, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has evolved into an ongoing global pandemic. Due to the novel antigenic properties of this virus, the world population could not develop immunity effectively and this led to the subsequent spread of COVID-19. This caused an unprecedented emergency situation with significant negative effects on health and well-being both on an individual and societal level. Apart from health, economic and social consequences, the impact of this pandemic on mental health is increasingly being reported in the scientific literature. The present review aimed to provide a comprehensive discussion of the possible neurological and neuropsychiatric manifestations of SARS-CoV-2, together with the related underlying molecular pathways. In addition, the present review focused on populations which are at a higher risk of developing psychiatric disturbances due to the COVID-19 pandemic and discussed possible routes of clinical management and therapeutics to minimize the burden associated with psychiatric disorders. Moreover, research findings exploring the prevalence of COVID-19-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms across vulnerable groups, including children, adolescents and COVID-19 survivors are presented, with particular emphasis on those with severe disease who required hospitalization and/or intensive care unit admission. Based on the available literature, the identification of potential determinants associated with PTSD across the different populations is underlined. Lessons learnt from the pandemics across the globe together with the ongoing research on COVID-19 and its impact on mental health, highlight the utmost importance for evidence-based, proactive and targeted interventions in high-risk groups aiming to mitigate the risks and manage vulnerabilities

Detailed data from experimentally-induced mastitis in ewes, with the aim to evaluate cathelicidin-1 in milk

Bacteriological, cytological and proteomics data have been obtained from ewes in two experiments, after intramammary challenge with Mannheimia haemolytica or Staphylococcus chromogenes. Animals were sampled before and sequentially after challenge. Conventional techniques were employed for bacterial isolation and somatic cell counting in milk samples; milk whey samples were subjected to proteomics evaluation by using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. There was a correlation between leucocyte content and cathelicidin-1 spot densities in milk samples, although the protein was detected in milk earlier than the increase in leucocyte content. There was also a significant association between presence of mastitis in a mammary gland and detection of cathelicidin-1 in the respective milk sample; the degree of association was greater during the first 24 h post-inoculation. The data are further discussed in the research article “Detection of cathelicidin-1 in the milk as an early indicator of mastitis in ewes” [1]