Food selectivity and autism: A systematic review.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests in the first years of life, with a complex pathogenesis influenced by biological, genetic and epigenetic factors. Many children with ASD display marked food selectivity, often restricting themselves to a narrow range of foods. The problems associated with feeding children with ASD can vary widely, from mild cases that pose no immediate health risks, to more severe situations with a risk of malnutrition or, conversely, overeating.

Antioxidant Activity of Apple By-Products at Different Ripening Stages: A Sustainable Valorization Approach.

This study explores the sustainable valorization of apple by-products by examining the polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity of peel, flesh, and core at two ripening stages. Ripening significantly enhanced the concentration of bioactive compounds, particularly in the peel, where total polyphenols increased from 124.4 to 423.

Early Roots of Childhood Obesity: Risk Factors, Mechanisms, and Prevention Strategies.

Childhood obesity is a growing global health concern, with established links to physical activity, nutrition, and, increasingly, to prenatal and perinatal factors. Emerging evidence highlights the significant role of maternal conditions such as obesity, comorbidities, nutrition, and environmental exposures in predisposing offspring to long-term metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The "Developmental Origins of Health and Disease" (DOHaD) paradigm provides a framework for understanding how early life environmental exposures, particularly during the periconceptional, fetal, and neonatal periods, can program future health outcomes through epigenetic mechanisms.

Carboxylic ester hydrolases from Antarctic psychrophilic Psychrobacter strains: From genome prospecting to biotreatment of polyester plastics.

Background: Antarctica can serve as the source of novel extremophilic microorganisms and biomolecules, including extremozymes which could find applications in bioremediation processes for the presence of enzymes able to degrade plastic polymers. Carboxylic ester hydrolases (EC 3.1.

Body image perception and satisfaction in Italian athletes, gym practitioners and inactive individuals.

Background: Body image refers to a person's perception of her/his own body. Currently, the media and most of the social settings place significance on having a thin body. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between body image perception and satisfaction and some lifestyle-related factors such as weight status, sedentary habits and engagement in physical activity among sport athletes, gym practitioners and inactive individuals.

Mediterranean Diet and Agri-Food By-Products: A Possible Sustainable Approach for Breast Cancer Treatment.

The sustainable use of agri-food by-products offers a significant opportunity. Increasing evidence shows that these by-products have various bioactive compounds that help reduce inflammation and, in turn, the severity of several proliferative diseases. Numerous epidemiological studies have suggested an inverse relationship between the consumption of fruits and vegetables and the incidence of breast cancer.

Study on toxicity and bioavailability of metals from urban PM and PM extracted in simulated biological fluids: in vitro and in vivo assessment.

Airborne particulate matter (PM), particularly fine (PM) and coarse (PM) fractions, contains toxic metals that contribute to oxidative stress development and adverse health effects. This study evaluates the bioavailability and toxicity of both regulated metals (Pb, Cd, Ni, As) and unregulated metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, V) in urban PM using simulated biological fluids (SBFs) to replicate different human exposure routes. The metal solubility was assessed using Gamble's solution (neutral lung interstitial fluid), artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF), artificial saliva, and artificial tear fluid, simulating inhalation, ingestion, and ocular contact, respectively.

Polystyrene micro and nanoplastics: A comparative study of the cytotoxic effects exerted on Mytilus galloprovincialis gills.

Polystyrene microplastics (MP) and nanoplastics (NP) are significant contributors to the pollution of aquatic ecosystems. Their high persistence, small size, and high potential to enter food chains pose risks to humans and all living organisms. Mytilus galloprovincialis is a mussel native to the Mediterranean Sea, widely distributed in coastal environments.

Synthetic and Natural Red Food Dyes Affect Oxidative Metabolism and the Redox State in the Nauplii of Brine Shrimp .

The food industry widely uses dyes from animal and plant sources, but their discharge into water bodies can harm aquatic animals. Red food dyes increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, disrupting redox homeostasis in nauplii, although the underlying mechanisms are unclear. In this study, we exposed cysts for 48 h to three different red dyes: E124 (synthetic), E120 (animal-based) or Vegan red (plant-based) and evaluated the oxidative metabolism and redox status in the hatched nauplii.

The Effectiveness of Patient Education Interventions to Oncological Entero-Urostomy Patients and Caregivers: A Small Sample Size Pilot Study.

Background: Patient education (PE) is an integral part of treatment from taking charge to the care, assistance, and rehabilitation of the patient, and consists of structured, organised actions, the orientation of which is aimed at finding solutions supported by scientific evidence.

Aim: This prospective, descriptive, exploratory, single-centre pilot study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a PE intervention for oncological patients with entero-urostomies and their caregivers through the measurement of quality of life, perceived needs, and caregiver burden.

Methods: This study was conducted in a National Cancer Institute between 22 December 2022 and 31 March 2023, and it was organised into three specific therapeutic education event days relative to the real needs measured by the patients and caregivers before it.

Addressing inner peripherality using a multi-level, integrated social-biophysical perspective: A pilot application of the PAISDA framework to the inner areas of Campania Region in Italy.

Inner peripheries can be defined as marginalized rural areas characterized by socio-economic decline but generally endowed with significant environmental resources, covering almost half of Europe's territory. Today's deep territorial imbalances in Europe are the result of decades of spatially blind development policies. In response, place-based approaches have emerged, advocating for integrated assessments of territorial resources to identify untapped potential and critical factors of vulnerability.

Augustus' solar meridian functioning and the birth of the western leap year.

In 12 BCE, Augustus undertook the responsibility for the calendar, which had gradually fallen out of alignment with the true dates of solstices and equinoxes. Augustus' calendar reform, entailing the introduction of a leap day every four years, coincided with the erection of a grand meridian in the Campus Martius, known in Latin as Horologium Augusti. This device utilized the obelisk of Psamtik II (6° century BCE) as its gnomon that casted its shadow upon a travertine floor inscribed with bronze reference marks.

Gut Microbiota Modulation Through Mediterranean Diet Foods: Implications for Human Health.

The Mediterranean diet (MD) is widely recognized for its health benefits, particularly in modulating gut microbiota composition and reducing the risk of metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases. Characterized by a high intake of plant-based foods, monounsaturated fats, and polyphenols, primarily from extra virgin olive oil, the MD fosters the growth of beneficial gut bacteria such as , , and , which produce short-chain fatty acids that enhance gut barrier integrity, reduce inflammation, and improve metabolic homeostasis. Clinical and preclinical studies have proved that the MD is associated with increased microbial diversity, reduced pro-inflammatory bacteria, and improved markers of insulin sensitivity, lipid metabolism, and cognitive function.

Caribbean and Latin dance: evidence about health in professional and non-professional dancers.

Sports dance, an evolution of traditional couple dances into a competitive sporting discipline, encompasses a diverse range of genres. This study explores Caribbean and Latin American dances (CLADs), which highlight rich cultural heritages and offer significant health benefits. Through a scoping review, we synthesized findings from multiple studies on the physiological and psychological impacts of CLADs, both in competitive and recreational contexts.

Adolescent mothers and postpartum depression: a possible connection? A Scoping review.

Motherhood during adolescence is a sensitive phenomenon that draws attention to the mental health of adolescent mothers, including the risk of postpartum depression (PDR). This systematic review explores the correlation between motherhood and the development of PLD in adolescent mothers, analysing the associated risk factors. The included studies investigated the prevalence and risk factors of PPD in adolescent population samples, revealing a significant incidence of depressive disorders among adolescent mothers compared to adult mothers.

The brine shrimp Artemia franciscana as a model for astrobiological studies: Physiological adaptations to Mars-like atmospheric pressure conditions.

Understanding the adaptation mechanisms of extremophiles to extreme environments is fundamental to predicting organisms' capacity to survive in space and plan future space exploration missions. This study explores the physiological and metabolic adaptations of nauplii of a eukaryotic organism, Artemia franciscana, hatched from cysts exposed to Mars-like pressure conditions (6 mbar) by analyzing aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, mitochondrial function, and oxidative stress in nauplii. Mars-like pressure did not inhibit nauplii's hatching or in vivo respiration, indicating that the fundamental metabolic functions are preserved but affected cellular metabolism.

The cardiac response of the goldfish Carassius auratus to environmental hypoxia: from hemodynamics to mitochondria.

Under low O, the heart of Carassius auratus (goldfish) shows an enhanced hemodynamics. This is observed in ex vivo cardiac preparations from animals acclimated to both normoxia and short-term (4 days) moderate hypoxia and perfused for 90 min with a hypoxic medium. Under short-term hypoxia, this is associated with a higher ventricular muscularity and an expanded mitochondrial compartment.

Developmental Psychology and Healthcare Professions: Autism Knowledge Among Nurses: An Observational Study.

One of the biggest limitations faced by autistic people is the lack of knowledge of their condition. Our study aims to evaluate and discuss the knowledge of autism among nurses, which is a social and health category often in close contact with autistic people. Given the limited exploration of awareness levels about autism among healthcare professionals, this study aims to investigate general and specific knowledge of autism within a group of nursing students enrolled in a master's degree.

Phase angle is associated with nutritional risk in subacute stroke patients at the beginning of rehabilitation.

Objectives: Malnutrition in stroke is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Bioelectrical impedance analysis-derived phase angle (PhA) is widely used for assessing nutritional status as an index of muscle quality. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between whole body and limb PhAs and nutritional risk in stroke patients.

Rapid modulation of interscapular brown adipose tissue mitochondrial activity by ketosis induced by 1,3-butanediol administration to rats.

Some studies indicate that brown adipose tissue (BAT) represents a promising target in the fight against dysmetabolic diseases, with indications suggesting it as a potential target for the effects of ketone bodies. We investigate whether the elevation of plasma levels of the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate, achieved through the in vivo administration of its precursor 1,3-butanediol (BD) to rats, could impact interscapular BAT (iBAT) mitochondrial biochemistry and functionality. We examined the effects induced by BD within 3 h and after 2 weeks of treatment.

Kaolinite bioformation at surface conditions: The role of fungi and bacteria.

Experiments aimed at studying the role of microorganisms in the formation of kaolinite from aluminosilicate solutions (Si:Al = 1:1) are reported. The experiments were carried out at room temperature in presence of living microorganisms, Leonardite humic acid, bacterial debris, bacterial exopolysaccharides (EPS), and some organic ligands. The bacterial debris, EPS, Leonardite and organic ligands were chosen to stabilize Al in octahedral coordination for allowing the crystallization of kaolinite.