Search

The continuous increase in life expectancy leads to progressive population ageing, especially in most developed countries. A healthy diet and better consumption of tailored functional foods may represent one of the strategies to postpone or slow down age-related decrements, thus increasing healthy ageing and reducing healthcare costs. This research aimed to explore elderly people's (>65 years old) eating habits and assess their awareness of food-health correlation. In total, 511 Italian seniors answered a CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviewing) questionnaire through a deep, telephone interview to collect information about dietary habits, healthy food awareness, and inclination for functional foods. The elderly were divided into four groups according to gender and age: Early Elderly Female ( n = 130), Early Elderly Men ( n = 109), Late Elderly Female ( n = 157), and Late Elderly Men ( n = 115). The groups provided a positive self-assessment of health status and individual diet healthiness, which were both considered over "good enough" (5 on 10-point scale) and showed food consumption habits in line with the Mediterranean Diet (MD) principles. The daily diet was based on fruits, vegetables, bread, and pasta, with extra virgin olive oil as the main fat source, all over "often" consumed (4 on 5-point scale). Old people also showed awareness of different food's healthy properties. Specifically, females were more aware of food's impact on health, considered close to "extremely healthy" (9 on 10-point scale), and strictly followed a MD. Participants also expressed optimistic expectations about functional food efficiency, evaluated as close to "extremely desirable" (8 or 9 on 10-point scale), against age-related problems, highlighting the most important as diabetes, overweight, intestine problems, and low mood. The interviewed elderly were also involved in virtual functional food co-creation, indicating through a basic matrix which, among the most familiar foods, could be the ideal functional food, focusing on fruitsand vegetables. A pleasant odor/flavor, a liquid texture, and a warm serving temperature rather than cold characterized the virtual functional food created. Other positive attributes were liquid and thickness, while acidity and bitterness were among the least desired traits. These findings show how elderly people, despite predictable age-related sensory and cognitive loss, when properly involved and guided, can help envision foods that fit their needs and desires.

Obesity correlates with hematologic malignancies including leukemias, but risk of specific leukemia subtypes like acute promyelocytic leukemia and underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. We explored multiple datasets for correlation between leukemia, body mass index (BMI) and molecular features. In a population-based study (n=5.2 million), we correlated BMI with promyelocytic leukemia, and other acute myeloid, lymphoid or other leukemias. In cross-sectional studies, we tested BMI deviation in promyelocytic leukemia trial cohorts from that expected based on national surveys. We explored The Cancer Genome Atlas for transcriptional signatures and mutations enriched in promyelocytic leukemia and/or obesity, and confirmed a correlation between body mass and FLT3 mutations in promyelocytic leukemia cohorts by logistic regression. In the population-based study, hazard ratio per 5 kg/m 2 increase was: promyelocytic leukemia 1.44 (95%CI: 1.0-2.08), non-promyelocytic acute myeloid leukemias 1.17 (95%CI: 1.10-1.26), lymphoid leukemias 1.04 (95%CI: 1.0-1.09), other 1.10 (95%CI: 1.04-1.15). In cross-sectional studies, body mass deviated significantly from that expected (Italy: P <0.001; Spain: P =0.011; USA: P <0.001). Promyelocytic leukemia showed upregulation of polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism genes. Odds of FLT3 mutations were higher in obese acute myeloid leukemias (odds ratio=2.4, P =0.007), whether promyelocytic or not, a correlation confirmed in the pooled promyelocytic leukemia cohorts (OR=1.22, 1.05-1.43 per 5 kg/m 2 ). These results strengthen the evidence for obesity as a bona fide risk factor for myeloid leukemias, and in particular APL. FLT3 mutations and polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism may play a previously under-appreciated role in obesity-associated leukemogenesis., (Copyright© 2020 Ferrata Storti Foundation.)

Circannual rhythms often rely on endogenous seasonal photoperiodic timers involving 'clock' genes, and Clock gene polymorphism has been associated to variation in phenology in some bird species. In the long-distance migratory barn swallow Hirundo rustica, individuals bearing the rare Clock allele with the largest number of C-terminal polyglutamine repeats found in this species (Q8) show a delayed reproduction and moult later. We explored the association between Clock polymorphism and migration scheduling, as gauged by light-level geolocators, in two barn swallow populations (Switzerland; Po Plain, Italy). Genetic polymorphism was low: 91% of the 64 individuals tracked year-round were Q7/Q7 homozygotes. We compared the phenology of the rare genotypes with the phenotypic distribution of Q7/Q7 homozygotes within each population. In Switzerland, compared to Q7/Q7, two Q6/Q7 males departed earlier from the wintering grounds and arrived earlier to their colony in spring, while a single Q7/Q8 female was delayed for both phenophases. On the other hand, in the Po Plain, three Q6/Q7 individuals had a similar phenology compared to Q7/Q7. The Swiss data are suggestive for a role of genetic polymorphism at a candidate phenological gene in shaping migration traits, and support the idea that Clock polymorphism underlies phenological variation in birds.

The assessment of body image in adolescence plays a key role in investigating self-esteem development and social adjustment. In particular, these days, adolescents use more and more online tools to communicate with other people, and virtual body image represents a critical aspect for understanding the avatar development. This study aims at investigating the virtual body representation by using the "Drawing Me" graphical test with a group of Italian adolescents. Specifically, we compared body image representation in real (drawings) and virtual (avatar) life by taking gender differences into consideration. Results show that virtual body representation is more characterized by the sexual features related to body, face, and clothes and by a major number of context elements than real body representation. Gender differences confirm that girls tend to represent themselves in greater detail than boys and their avatars are rich with sexual characters. To conclude, our study illustrates that the Drawing Me test is an effective tool that analyzes the virtual body representation in an unobtrusive way, and intervention implications are discussed.

Background: In diverse taxa, photoperiodic responses that cause seasonal physiological and behavioural shifts are controlled by genes, including the vertebrate Clock orthologues, that encode for circadian oscillator mechanisms. While the genetic network behind circadian rhythms is well described, relatively few reports exist of the phenological consequences of and selection on Clock genes in the wild. Here, we investigated variation in breeding phenology in relation to Clock genetic diversity in a long-distance migratory bird, the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)., Methodology/principal Findings: In a sample of 922 adult barn swallows from a single population breeding in Italy we found one very common (Q(7)) and three rare (Q(5), Q(6), Q(8)) length variants of a functionally significant polyglutamine repeat. Rare (2.9%) Q(7)/Q(8) heterozygous females, but not males, bred significantly later than common (91.5%) Q(7)/Q(7) females, consistent with the expectation that 'long' alleles cause late breeding, as observed in a resident population of another bird species. Because breeding date depends on arrival date from migration, present results suggest that the association between breeding date and Clock might be mediated by migration phenology. In addition, fecundity selection appears to be operating against Q(7)/Q(8) because late migrating/breeding swallows have fewer clutches per season, and late breeding has additional negative selection effects via reduced offspring longevity. Genotype frequencies varied marginally non-significantly with age, as Q(7)/Q(8) frequency showed a 4-fold reduction in old individuals. This result suggests negative viability selection against Q(7)/Q(8), possibly mediated by costs of late breeding., Conclusions/significance: This is the first study of migratory birds showing an association between breeding phenology and Clock genotype and suggesting that negative selection occurs on a phenologically deviant genotype. Low polymorphism at Clock may constrain microevolutionary phenological response to changing climate, and may thus contribute to the decline of barn swallow populations.

The aim of this study is to assess social, personality and behaviors of alcoholics using Virtual Reality (VR). Specifically, we defined a VR protocol using the free NeuroVR software -- (http://www.neurovr.org) -- to investigate the following factors: drinking behaviors, intrapersonal factors (Emotional Management and Self Esteem) and environmental factors (Relational Competences and Social Pressure). In this preliminary study we evaluated the difference between assessment methods by comparing the VR assessment protocol with the SCID - Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders - in a sample of 20 alcohol-dependent individuals (10 experimental group + 10 control group) entering a non-pharmacological outpatient treatment. The data, obtained using both qualitative and quantitative analyses, confirm the possibility of using the VR protocol in the assessment of alcohol-dependent patients: the therapist obtains more critical data about behaviors and attitudes in less time. Further, the VR group reported a significant improvement in the motivation for change after the assessment protocol, not found in the SCID group: apparently, the experiential approach required by VR makes the patient more active and involved in the processes of introspection and change. A wider sample and a multicentric trial are now needed to confirm these results.

The present investigation is a study of mental diseases in Sassim, a little rural district near Pavia (Italy), in which there has been an intensive process of depopulation during the last 20 years. In this communication the A.A. discuss the first phase of the study: they have investigated the demographic development of population from 1960 to 1977 and prevalence as well as incidence rates of mental diseases. Depopulation hasn't been only quantitative, but has altered the structure of population and has presented a quite different decrease velocity during the examined period; the trends of psychiatric morbidity seem to be associated with the distinctive feature of depopulation.