University of Udine

About: University of Udine is a education organization based out in Udine, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Large Hadron Collider. The organization has 6745 authors who have published 20530 publications receiving 669088 citations. The organization is also known as: Università degli Studi di Udine & Universita degli Studi di Udine.

Solid-phase microextraction in the analysis of virgin olive oil volatile fraction: modifications induced by oxidation and suitable markers of oxidative status.

Abstract: Modifications of virgin olive oil subjected to accelerated storage were evaluated by HS-SPME analysis. To find a suitable marker of oxidative degradation, the volatile compounds showing variable concentration during the oxidative process have been identified and quantified by SPME coupled to GC-MS and GC-FID, respectively. The SPME analysis results were then compared with the parameters usually applied to assess the oxidative status of lipids, such as peroxide value, spectrophotometric absorbance, and loss of unsaturated fatty acids. Finally, the assessment of nonanal has been suggested as a marker of oxidative degradation. This rapid, inexpensive, and reliable method may allow screening of oils prior to testing by a panel of assessors.

Evaluation of lung ultrasound for the diagnosis of pneumonia in the ED.

Abstract: Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the ability of bedside lung ultrasound (US) to confirm clinical suspicion of pneumonia and the feasibility of its integration in common emergency department (ED) clinical practice. Methods: In this study we performed lung US in adult patients admitted in our ED with a suspected pneumonia.Subsequently, a chest radiograph (CXR) was carried out for each patient. A thoracic computed tomographic (CT) scan was made in patients with a positive lung US and a negative CXR. In patients with confirmed pneumonia, we performed a follow-up after 10 days to evaluate clinical conditions after antibiotic therapy. Results: We studied 49 patients: pneumonia was confirmed in 32 cases (65.3%). In this group we had 31 (96.9%) positive lung US and 24 (75%) positive CXR. In 8 (25%) cases, lung US was positive with a negative CXR. In this group, CT scan always confirmed the US results. In one case, US was negative and CXR positive. Follow-up turned out to be always consistent with the diagnosis. Conclusion: Considering that lung US is a bedside, reliable, rapid, and noninvasive technique, these results suggest it could have a significant role in the diagnostic workup of pneumonia in the ED, even if no sensitivity nor specificity can be inferred from this study because the real gold standard is CT, which could not be performed in all patients.

Advanced biosensors for detection of pathogens related to livestock and poultry

Abstract: Infectious animal diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses threaten the health and well-being of wildlife, livestock, and human populations, limit productivity and increase significantly economic losses to each sector. The pathogen detection is an important step for the diagnostics, successful treatment of animal infection diseases and control management in farms and field conditions. Current techniques employed to diagnose pathogens in livestock and poultry include classical plate-based methods and conventional biochemical methods as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). These methods are time-consuming and frequently incapable to distinguish between low and highly pathogenic strains. Molecular techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real time PCR (RT-PCR) have also been proposed to be used to diagnose and identify relevant infectious disease in animals. However these DNA-based methodologies need isolated genetic materials and sophisticated instruments, being not suitable for in field analysis. Consequently, there is strong interest for developing new swift point-of-care biosensing systems for early detection of animal diseases with high sensitivity and specificity. In this review, we provide an overview of the innovative biosensing systems that can be applied for livestock pathogen detection. Different sensing strategies based on DNA receptors, glycan, aptamers and antibodies are presented. Besides devices still at development level some are validated according to standards of the World Organization for Animal Health and are commercially available. Especially, paper-based platforms proposed as an affordable, rapid and easy to perform sensing systems for implementation in field condition are included in this review.

A consensus list of microsatellite markers for olive genotyping

Abstract: Cultivar identification is a primary concern for olive growers, breeders, and scientists. This study was aimed at examining the SSR markers retrieved from the literature and currently used in olive study, in order to select those most effective in characterizing the olive accessions and to make possible the comparison of data obtained by different laboratories. Olive microsatellite profiles were assessed by four independent laboratories, which analyzed 37 pre-selected SSR loci on a set of 21 cultivars. These SSR markers were initially tested for their reproducibility, power of discrimination and number of amplified loci/alleles. Independent segregation was tested for each pair of SSRs in a controlled cross and the allelic error rate was quantified. Some of them were finally selected as the most informative and reliable. Most of the alleles were sequenced and their sizes were determined. Profiles of the reference cultivars and a list of alleles with their sizes obtained by sequencing are reported. Several genetic parameters have been analysed on a larger set of cultivars allowing for a deeper characterization of the selected loci. Results of this study provide a list of recommended markers and protocols for olive genotyping as well as the allelic profile of a set of reference cultivars that would be useful for the establishment of a universal database of olive accessions.